Hi, my name is Linda. This is my personal home and hearth journal.

I am a self-trained herbalist. I became a vegetarian when I was a teenager in the 1960s. I was a San Francisco Bay Area hippie in the 60s and early 70s. Then I became a mom - the most important job I've ever had.

Now I live in a very small mountain community. The nearest fast food restaurant is more than forty miles during summer, and more than seventy miles in winter when the pass is snowed under. I've never owned a cell phone, but I talked on one once.
Country Kitchen Pantry - Herbs, Spices, Cooking, Recipes

Protein is Over-Rated

A few days ago I wrote, “I … have realized that the myth that we need high protein levels to thrive is just plain wrong. That could be propaganda from the meat industry!”


It is great to feel vindicated when you hold a unpopular viewpoint. It happened to me yesterday when I found these articles:

Vegetarian low protein diet could be key to long life
Secret of a healthy old age may lie in right balance of proteins

As suspected, the mad rush to consume protein via meat, dairy and protein powders is just plain misguided. I feel great using vegan protein sources including peanut butter and legumes, and using the Diet for a Small Planet techniques of mixing vegan proteins. Try peanut butter mixed with rice syrup for a sweet snack, or a combo-plate of rice, potatoes and lentils (my current favorite.) There’s plenty of protein to be had without doing anything unnatural, like killing an animal.

I honestly believe that killing animals to eat their meat is the original sin.

Filed under: Vegetarianism — Linda @ 4:38 am



19 Comments »


  1. I’m a committed vegetarian myself and I couldn’t agree more with your post there.

    The strange thing I found about being vegetarian was the hostility in people to it!

    Comment by Alex — Friday, December 11, 2009 @ 3:35 am



  2. I do believe that a vegetarian diet is one of the healthiest diets around. The meat today is so incredibly unhealthy its sickening.

    Comment by jim — Saturday, January 2, 2010 @ 6:04 am



  3. I don’t agree with your opinion not to eat meat. Protein is very important and it is right that we can get it from lots of vegetables,but the protein inside the meat is also necessary for the human body.

    Comment by Jenny Johnson — Tuesday, January 5, 2010 @ 6:35 am



  4. Why do we have a balance diet. Balance diet includes meat not purely veggies. Protein is essential to our body.

    Comment by KBC — Wednesday, January 6, 2010 @ 10:47 pm



  5. I agree that killing animals is a very bad thing, although it is something that makes the food chain for most people.I am a vegetarian for 5 years, and it feels good to me!

    Comment by Linda — Wednesday, January 13, 2010 @ 7:16 am



  6. I do not like to eat meat, I think that all living healthier without it. Go vegetarians

    Comment by Steva Konj Svetsko — Wednesday, January 13, 2010 @ 1:32 pm



  7. Well I feel the same about killing animals, and just try avoid thinking about it. Vegetables are healthier but have no time to prepare quality vegetarian meal. PS Will reconsider using Protein Powder.

    Comment by Are Besplatneigrice — Monday, February 1, 2010 @ 11:33 am



  8. Sorry but I can’t agree that killing animals to eat their meat is the original sin. animal is made for human.

    Comment by brandon — Monday, February 8, 2010 @ 8:19 am



  9. I don’t really like the idea of slaughtering an animal for food.Personally I eat fish and chicken only. I’m trying to go for a pure vegetarian diet but it’s very hard.I’m working on it though.Love your post!

    Comment by April — Sunday, February 14, 2010 @ 7:23 am



  10. I have to agree and disagree with you. I agree that human not necessarily or have to take protein from meat and dairy products. In fact,taking protein from vegetables is more safe than from animals.

    I think it’s the greedy and cruel industry of meat that we should curse. But don’t say that eating the meat is the original sin.

    Comment by JoeFrisbee — Friday, February 19, 2010 @ 11:03 pm



  11. Human must eat meat for strength.

    Comment by Perkins Jorge — Sunday, February 21, 2010 @ 9:39 am



  12. well..there must be something that animal protein can provide but vegetarian cant, otherwise it’ll be just of personal taste whether to choose consuming animal or plant

    Comment by andrew — Wednesday, March 3, 2010 @ 3:25 pm



  13. Just go visit the places where eggs and burgers are farmed. That’ll put you off.

    Comment by Lex — Thursday, March 4, 2010 @ 10:41 am



  14. i really don’t like to eat meal,,we can get proteins from lots of vegetables go for vegetarians..

    Comment by Tamanna — Thursday, June 10, 2010 @ 7:26 pm



  15. love your post but i don’t like to eat meat…Go vegetarians

    Comment by Anna — Friday, June 11, 2010 @ 7:21 pm



  16. Vegan protein is great. Feel really good once you get used to it.

    Comment by Etno Selo — Thursday, July 29, 2010 @ 2:43 pm



  17. Thats true, even for bodybuilders you dont need to eat more protein because most foods can be converted into muscle anyway, its funny how many bodybuilders don’t know this.

    Comment by Tips for Body Building — Thursday, August 12, 2010 @ 10:53 pm



  18. Killing animals is unnatural??? WTF?? did you graduate from Waldorf’s Special Education??? Animals kill each other BILLIONS of times a YEAR!!

    Comment by Roberto Mejia — Tuesday, September 6, 2011 @ 4:18 pm



  19. More power to you for being vegetarian.

    Comment by albert from calgary auto detailing — Saturday, November 26, 2011 @ 11:04 am



RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment
RSS Blog Feed

RSS Blog Feed
RSS Comments Feed

RSS Comments Feed

To subscribe to this blog by email,
enter your email address:

Home :: :: About This Site



Buy More and Save on Recycled Supplies and Furniture at OfficeMax.com

Google