When she came to know that her favorite actor Shahid Kapoor is a vegetarian, she also decided to give up meat. A diehard fan of the movie star, Priyanka Thapa, a teenager, even convinced her sister to follow suit. The two of them faithfully stuck to milk and vegetables for a quarter of a year. But when their brother got married last month, they couldn’t ignore the screams and demands of their taste buds anymore.
“The whole house was filled with the delicious aroma of meat. In the end, we had to give in!” Priyanka exclaims.[break]
Turning into a vegetarian seems to have become one of the latest fashion statements in town. A fairly large chunk of society that relishes being members of the veggie clique is emerging in recent times. Being a vegetarian has become a means to establish an individual as an animal lover and a health enthusiast with a spiritual bend of mind. However, other than that, many also take it as a simple way to cut down on their food quotient and achieve a slimmer physique.
Dina Thapaliya, a graduate student, remembers trying to turn vegetarian a couple of years ago. She had decided that eating meat was too cruel and she ought to abstain from it. Also, she thought that giving up meat would be a good way to reduce weight and get slimmer. After religiously following this regime for a few weeks, she however started to realize that she was creating problems for those around her. This compelled her to change her platter.
“All my friends were non-vegetarians. When we went to eat out, all I could order was paneer, potatoes and salads,” she reminisces.
Indeed, there seem to be limited options for vegetarians when they decide to eat out with friends and family. There are only a few places that cater to a vegetarian’s taste buds and the menu too often stays the same. Indian dishes and a couple more make up the list of the vegetarian food items generally available in town.
Little Italy, a little more than a year old, is a restaurant that offers a purely vegetarian menu consisting of Italian cuisines. Shankar Pokhrel, the restaurant manager, shares that it was initially quite difficult to start an all-vegetarian Italian restaurant in a town where non-vegetarian food and vegetarian Indian menu dominated the dietary scenario. But with a rising trend of vegetarianism and a growing number of people who are willing to experiment with their taste buds, their progress has been steady.
“So far, even non-vegetarian clients have loved our food. Many comment that it’s better than meat,” he says.
It is becoming evident that irrespective of their age group, gender and socio-economic class, people are choosing to exclude meat from their diet. They may not be able to stick to this regime for long but out of ten, at least five or six have tried vegetarianism at least for a few months. Nevertheless, there are also quite a few who feel deeply regarding this matter and have remained vegetarian for a long, long time and plan to do so in future as well.
Ram Kant Tiwari, a teacher of sociology, associates one’s diet with one’s perspective rather than with following a particular fad. A strict vegetarian for the past sixteen years, he had turned vegetarian against the wishes of his parents who believed that he would not be receiving enough nutrients at a growing age if he gave up meat. However, he remained undeterred. Now a vegan, he doesn’t even consume milk products and also stays away from fur and leather goods.
“I believe in the simple principle of ‘live and let live.’ After all, it’s possible to survive without killing animals and depriving the young ones of their mothers’ milk,” he claims.
It’s quite normal to stop eating something because you feel morally and psychologically inclined to do so as there will always be substitutes available. Speculations, however, float around regarding the quality, purity and freshness of the fruits and vegetables available in the market that are the alternatives to meat.
Pramod Koirala, Senior Research Officer at the Department of Food Technology and Quality control (DFTQC), agrees that most of the fruits and vegetables found in the market today contain some level of contamination due to pesticides, insecticides and artificial ripening agents. Vegetables like brinjals, tomatoes and beans are mostly sprayed with chemicals, and fruits like bananas and papayas are treated with artificial ripening agents. Everything has to be washed thoroughly and vegetables need to be cooked well in order to maintain the hygiene and reduce the chances of health hazards. He also presents a rather grave picture of food adulteration in Katmandu and other metropolises.
“The situation is particularly worrisome in the urban periphery where most sweets are treated with additional colors and milk, too, is sometimes not well pasteurized,” he reveals.
In addition to the issues of cleanliness and adulteration with food, questions continue to rise regarding the nutrient deficiency in vegetarians. People may give up meat due to certain personal beliefs or to acquire a great figure but it cannot be denied that meat, an excellent source of protein, if excluded completely from one’s diet can cause problems related to physical health and immune system.
Dr. Nisha Rai, Medical Officer at Om Hospital, denies that becoming a vegetarian is a wise way to get slimmer. She says that even vegetarians, if they consume too much sweet and perform less exercise, can get obese. She, in fact, insists that if one intends to give up meat, it’s very important for that person to find an alternative source of protein like beans and milk. She agrees that red meat is not advisable for regular consumption but mentions that white meat and eggs are a good source of omega acids, healthy fats and protein.
“It’s not wrong to become a vegetarian. But one needs to eat healthy and avoid any sort of nutrient deficiency,” she emphasizes.
However, Udeep Shrestha, a science teacher at Satya Sai School, maintains that a human body can sustain comfortably without meat. As a student of science with an inclination towards spirituality, he has found out that according to evolution theory, human body is undergoing a constant process of change that is taking it closer to vegetarianism. Human nails, for instance, have gotten softer and human intestine may not digest meat that easily.
“You can live without eating another’s flesh. There are plenty of options available,” he says.
Vegetarian diet is claimed as the one that can bring about spiritual contentment, and if taken in the correct method and amount, prove to be beneficial for the human body.
Nonetheless, regarding the same context, people often argue that if one doesn’t want to kill and destroy to satisfy one’s hunger, it’s not right to eat plants too since they also have lives. After all, there have been mediators and saints who have allegedly survived solely on the power of wind, light and positive thoughts and energies.
Udeep counters this argument by saying that plants do not have a well developed nervous system and the ability to bleed and feel pain like animals do. As someone who is heavily influenced by Bhagwad Geeta and guided by the Satya Sai principles, he believes that hurting another being should not be a part of any religion, culture or lifestyle.
“Shatwik food has made me more patient, calm and compassionate. I’m far from being perfect but as long as I can, I try not to hurt others,” he stresses.
Eating a certain kind of food or abstaining from it is a matter of individual choice and perception. However, one needs to be careful regarding the food that is consumed and whether it is in accordance with the requirements of the body. Deficiency of nutrients can cause maladies and malfunctions that may have an enduring effect in the functioning of the body mechanism. At the same time, it is also essential to check the quality of hygiene of the food that we consume since it plays a major role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, all being said and done, the most important thing is to remain healthy, physically and mentally, and not compromise with one’s overall wellbeing for the sake of any particular trend, cult or belief system.
Is meat really bad?
They are brought into the Kathmandu Valley packed up in trucks like goods and furniture. Their pathetic bleating and desperate bellowing fall to deaf ears. They are starved and tied up until they are half dead. Even if they survive the torturous travel, it would only be a momentary respite since they would then be slaughtered at a butcher’s shop or at a riverside. This is the plight of the animals and birds that are slain for meat in Kathmandu.
Dipesh Shrestha
According to Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act, 1995, every animal should be slaughtered only at a slaughterhouse. Moreover, only that meat which is tested and certified by a qualified vet before and after the slaughter of the animals should be sold in the market. This nullifies the possibility of diseased meat from reaching the general platter. But unfortunately, we witness very few instances of these laws and rules actually being followed.
Dr Kedar Karki, Chief of Veterinary Public Health, opines that meat can be a frequent carrier of germs if not handled with care. He insists that for healthy consumption, meat should always be stored at a temperature below zero degrees. Frozen meat, he says, is preferred over fresh meat since the coldness in temperature grants little space or possibility for the presence and cultivation of germs. “It also reduces the problems of indigestion and makes meat healthier and softer,” he claims.
Frozen meat, which was earlier regarded stale and unhealthy in Nepali society, is slowly gaining popularity. With bouts of Bird Flu scaring the life out of chicken lovers and distributors, frozen chicken is coming up as a good alternative to fresh meat. It is considered better in the sense that in comparison to locally available fresh meat, frozen meat seems to be prepared under the criteria as mentioned by the Meat Law.
Ramesh Kafle, CEO of Alpine Meat, claims that his company sells healthy and hygienic meat of animals slaughtered at scientifically approved abattoir. All the procedures are carried out as per the instructions of certified vets and technicians, and only local animals are used so that they don’t have to be stuffed inside vehicles and transported from elsewhere.
“We provide bacteria-free, healthy and hygienic meat to our consumers. Our meat has validity up to six months,” Kafle informs.
Roshani Dhamala, a graduate student, is a huge fan of meat. She particularly loves to eat different delicacies prepared with chicken. So, whenever there is a bout of Bird Flu, her spirits go down. It is then that frozen chicken comes to her rescue.
“Chicken is my favorite dish. When I don’t get to eat it due to the fear of Bird Flu, frozen chicken is the option that I resort to,” she shares.
Then we have Labisha Uprety, a confirmed chicken carnivore by her own admission, who lamented in her Facebook account that the recent Bird Flu epidemic in the Kathmandu Valley, was depriving her of her favorite meat. Then she pleaded, “Chickens, get well soon” so she could resume enjoying her cherished chicken delicacies.
For meat lovers, there are different options available. In fact, even meat eaters are of different kinds. There are some who stick to white meat. Then there are the others who don’t eat any form of meat except fish. And there are also those who eat only eggs. The meat market caters to the demands of all kinds of consumers and their varied tastes.
Phatik Paudel, a Lecturer of English, gave up meat when he joined Vipassana. But after a few months, he started to eat fish and eggs but continued excluding chicken and mutton from his diet. He feels that this has helped him retain the nutrients required by his body while not getting too indulged in consuming red meat that is regarded as a chief cause of cholesterol, obesity and cardiac-related diseases.
“I’ve decided to follow the ‘middle way.’ I think it’s the best option as far as human dietary requirements are concerned,” he clarifies.
It is true that whenever meat is brought into discussion, health-related concerns raise their heads immediately. White meat is considered a healthier option since it digests easily and is lighter in comparison to red meat. However, there is a large portion of society that still loves to slaughter goats in Dashain and other festivals and believes that no other meat can ever beat mutton.
Regan Singh, Coordinator at Shambhavi School, is an ardent meat lover. His friends and family, just like him, often enjoy meat delicacies. As far as weighty issues such as health hazards are concerned, he points out that meat alone cannot be held responsible for a person’s wellbeing. In fact, he holds the overall lifestyle responsible for a person’s physical and mental wellbeing and takes meat as an important part of balanced diet.
“If you eat nothing but salads and yet become a couch potato, you will be unhealthy. But even if you eat meat and work out regularly, you will be healthy,” he says.
The food we eat, the way we eat it, and time for eating, and the amount of food determine our health and hygiene. We may eat certain items and we may not eat the others due to certain cultural, social, psychological or medical reasons. But we must always be watchful regarding the sanitation, treatment, cooking techniques and nutritive values of the foods we consume.
In favor of a balanced diet
Rashmi Shrestha
Nutritionist, Metro Polyclinic
What does a balanced diet consist of?
Balanced diet is a complete meal which entails carbohydrate, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. The requirement of these nutrients depends on sex, weight, height and age of an individual. A typical Nepali meal is somewhat misbalanced in the sense that it has more carbohydrate than protein.
What is protein-rich diet? How can non-vegetarians and vegetarians acquire their fair share of proteins?
Protein-rich diet consists of meat, lentils, beans, soybean, milk and milk products. Usually, vegetarians get their protein requirement from milk, beans and soybean. As far as non-vegetarians are concerned, they can acquire ample protein from meat, fish and eggs.
What’s the current dietary scenario of Nepal?
People are getting attracted and addicted to junk food. Cooking oil is being heated again and again which turns it toxic. Vegetables are being sprayed with insecticides and pesticides. Animals, too, aren’t slaughtered and sold in a hygienic and scientific way.
What’s the best way to cook any meal?
Food should be cooked at a temperature above 75 degrees Celsius. It’s necessary to destroy the germs but preserve the nutritive value. It’s best to grill and steam the food instead of using too much oil and spices. It’s also important to separate the cooked food from the uncooked food and to wash the fruits and vegetables thoroughly with iodine and water as soon as they are brought from the market. Since we have power cuts, the food we store in the refrigerators should be re-cooked before consumption.
What’s the safest way to consume meat?
Meat causes no harm if consumed safely. However, it’s better to avoid red meat and switch to white meat for a healthier life. Similarly, organ meat like liver, lungs, brain and the like are not very healthy for consumption unless they are tested and certified.
What’s the best form of diet?
Whether you’re a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, you have to get enough nutrients to keep yourself healthy and immune. It’s also important to eat clean, well-cooked and hygienic food. You have to understand that your body requires a fluctuation in meals according to your age and lifestyle. It’s essential to fulfill these criteria and eat a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet.
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