Vegetarianism Goes Mainstream! The vegetarian diet has been around for thousands of years and consumed across many different cultures. Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, and Albert Einstein are just a few noted famous vegetarians of the past. Einstein was even quoted to believe, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.” It has not been until recently, however, that vegetarianism has been adopted as part of mainstream Western culture. Whether it is for ethical, health, environmental, religious, political, cultural, aesthetic, economic, or other reasons, the vegetarian diet is now a part of the modern food movement.
Compared to today’s standards, there was very little meat consumption across the world prior to the Industrial Revolution. As refrigeration and transportation became more accessible in Western cultures, meat consumption also became easier and more prevalent. In the early 1970s, the publication of Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe and the formation of the animal rights group PETA, helped to launch the vegetarian movement in the United States and elsewhere. The magazine Vegetarian Times began publication shortly thereafter, and the book Diet for a New America by John Robbins published in the late 1980s continued inspiration for the movement. It wasn’t until the 1990s that The American Dietetic Association officially endorsed vegetarianism and the U.S. government finally gave up the antiquated and meat and dairy industry-sponsored Four Food Groups—replacing it with what we now know as the Food Pyramid that shows most of a person’s diet should be based on grains, vegetables, beans, and fruits. By the end of 21st century, acceptance for the vegetarian diet within the medical community and the general public grew more than ever before.
Nowadays, it is almost impossible NOT to find vegetarian options at restaurants, grocery stores, or other food institutions. There are many different social trends that could be responsible for its newfound popularity, but mainstream popular culture has inevitably made a huge impact on Western diets. Pop culture icons, including Sir Paul McCartney, Chelsea Clinton, Carrie Underwood, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Gere, and even Lisa Simpson, have turned their own personal vegetarianism a public statement. Advocacy promoting a vegetarian diet through pop culture can also be found in books and film, including:
- The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet. By Alicia Silverstone. “In The Kind Diet, actress, activist, and committed conservationist Alicia Silverstone shares the insights that encouraged her to swear off meat and dairy forever, and outlines the spectacular benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, from effortless weight loss to clear skin, off-the-chart energy, and smooth digestion.” thekinddietbook.com
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. By Michael Pollen. “The omnivore’s dilemma has returned with a vengeance, as the cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet confronts us with a bewildering and treacherous food landscape. What’s at stake in our eating choices is not only our own and our children’s health, but the health of the environment that sustains life on earth.” michaelpollan.com
- Food, Inc. “In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.” foodincmovie.com
- Fast Food Nation. By Eric Schlosser. “An ensemble piece examining the health risks involved in the fast food industry and its environmental and social consequences as well…. This film [and book] takes a compelling look at the destructive impact that eating meat has on animals, people’s health, and the environment.” amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Dark-All-American
Regardless of the cause, motivation, or influence, vegetarianism has hit an all-time high in Western culture. For more reading material, check out:
