We meat again

By Xie Wenting Source:Global Times Published: 2013-10-24 19:53:01

For some vegetarians, the allure of meat ultimately proves irresistible. Photo: Li Hao/GT

For some vegetarians, the allure of meat ultimately proves irresistible. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Mikala Reasbeck remembers quite vividly the sensation of tasting meat again after being a casual vegetarian for about four years.

"It was greasy, gamy, heavy mutton," she said of that first bite. "So I felt pretty gross."

Reasbeck's decision to resume eating meat was hardly made on a whim. When she moved from Beijing to Inner Mongolia for business, her employers gave her a choice. "I could either have mutton and potatoes or I could be hungry," she recalls being told.

Even if she had opted for a potato-only diet, the spuds would have been cooked in mutton fat, she said, leaving her no choice but to become a carnivore again.

She at least was spared the misery that befell another lapsed vegetarian, Leon Lee. His first bite of meat in 10 years took place in a state-run restaurant during a trip to Beijing. "I was in China and wanted to try everything," said Lee, 41, but the pork dish he tried was "leathery, spongy and reeked of the dead." Far from enjoying his re-introduction to meat, Lee experienced "stomachache, diarrhea, throwing up, and a slew of other problems including skin blemishes."

Between the ages of 18 and 28, he had lived meat-free; in fact, for six of those years, he was vegan. Lee admits to being a "rather uninformed" vegetarian back then, with a daily diet that was heavy on starches but relatively light on vegetables and fruit.

As for why he was willing to integrate meat back into his diet, Lee explained, "As I got on in age, I became less rigorous in my pursuit of austerity." 

Nowadays, Lee is a big fan of vegetables and tofu. He rarely orders meat and doesn't cook it at home. "But I do get meat cravings and that's when I head to Ai Jiang Shan and have myself some marinated steak," he said, referring to a popular Korean restaurant.

For Reasbeck, eating vegetarian has always been about both the environment and her personal health.

"In the US, I've always stopped eating meat whenever I felt like I wasn't getting enough healthy food in my diet. Being a vegetarian forces me to think more about my meals and do some planning so I get enough protein and other nutrients," she said. "But in China, my decision not to eat meat often coincided with the news of some freaky food scandal that made meat seem repulsive and foul."

Chen Zhikun, a nutrition expert with the Beijing Nutritionist Club, told Metropolitan that it is advisable for people transitioning from a vegetarian diet to start by eating meat that is low-fat, fresh and easy to digest.

"Fish is the top recommendation," said Chen. "And they should limit their meat consumption to 50 grams daily at first and gradually increase the amount."

As for the general public, Chen said, "It's better to eat meat every other day, and not in excess of 100 grams. And I would advise eating two-legged animals such as chicken, goose and duck rather than meat from four-legged animals, like pork." He added that everybody's daily diet should include 500 grams of vegetables and 250 grams of fruit.

Reasbeck notes that nowadays, she occasionally buys organic meat from small-scale farms where animals are said to have a better quality of life.

"This makes meat seem like a treat or a luxury," she said. "And I can't lie - I love things like hot dogs and greasy cheeseburgers and thick, meaty chili."

Posted in: Metro Beijing

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