The truth about cheese: The terrible costs of our favourite food

[OKIsItJustMe]

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132170-100-the-truth-about-cheese-the-terrible-costs-of-our-favourite-food/

The truth about cheese: The terrible costs of our favourite food

It might be hard to swallow, but if you think cheese is better than meat for both animal welfare and the environment, you need to think again

13 February 2019

…

Recently, my cheese habit has become even more central to my diet. Last year I quit meat, finally fed up by its environmental and animal welfare record. It wasn’t easy, but what was there to fill the void? Why, my old friend cheese! Halloumi, paneer and parmesan are now my beef, chicken and pork.

I’m happy to live without meat. But lately I have been wrangling with my conscience again. Cheese is made from milk, and milk comes from cows. Cattle farming is appalling for the climate. Cows belch out vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that no known technology can stop from being vented into the atmosphere. Most dairy farming is a form of factory farming, with all the attendant animal rights issues. I haven’t kept a record, but I am sure my cheese consumption has gone up since I swore off meat. So have I just swapped one environmental and animal welfare sin for another – one that is possibly even worse?

This is an uncomfortable question for many people. A number of my colleagues said, half-jokingly, “please don’t do that story”. They were saying they would rather not know. They were right.

…

[hlthe2b]

1. Unless you can grow your own food organically, every damned thing we eat has "terrible environmental

costs"... Now they are reporting that lab-created meat will likely be more environmentally destructive than raised meat.

Moderate and do the best you can, I say. Buy local if at all possible.

[MLAA]

2. Plants are the answer 😉

If you like hamburgers please try plant based Impossible Burger or Beyond Meat Burger. I just saw that Carl Jrs just added the beyond burger to their menu. I have it tried it there but I have had then in other restaurants and made them at home. Both are very good to me and before about 10 years ago I loved burgers.

[hlthe2b]

3. Yes, but unless you can grow your own food (organically) there is an intensely high price to pay for

that as well.

Moderation and buy locally.

[at140]

5. +1000....key word in your post is MODERATION

Lets face some facts...
Americans are fat on the whole. Diabetes, Heart disease & cancer are major problems and that is the reason our healthcare costs are out of sight.

Having excess weight and fat in body leads to heart disease, strokes and even cancer.
All I see in my Gym is people under 40. Older people need more exercise than younger people.

So yes, moderation in eating habits would go a long way.
Growing up in India, my parents could afford meat only for 1 meal during the week. Cheese was rare.
We were lucky to afford 2 eggs during the week. So it was vegetarian diet all the way. We did have luck with milk, with one water buffalo in the barn. All she ate was grass, cotton seeds & old vegetables.

Did not seem to have placed me at any disadvantage. I grew up to be 5'-9" tall and
I got my masters degree in USA with 3.8/4.0 GPA. Now at age nearing 79, I never had a heart issue and rarely need to see a doctor. I eat only 2 meals in a day, which keeps my weight under 155 lbs and keeps diabetes at bay. Visiting Gym for an hour every other day is keeping me out of doctor's offices.

[JudyM]

4. Vegan cheese reviews

Worth checking out. That vegan ricotta by kite hill is going to be first on my experimenting list, sounds great

https://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essential-ingredients/best-vegan-cheeses

https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Best-Vegan-Cheeses-44488595?stream_view=1#photo-44488599

https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-vegan-cheeses-dairy-free-cheese-brands

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. The other thing people should keep in mind is that we evolved as omnivores.

We need a huge variety of food, which includes things like meat.

Vegans and vegetarians hate hearing that, but it's true.

[dhill926]

7. Vegetarian for 30 years...

you wouldn't know it by looking at me. Wine is one of my favorite foods... . I'm healthy as shit. You can live quite well on plant food alone. And yes, a wide variety of plant food.

[hlthe2b]

8. are you Vegan? If not, dairy? fish? eggs?

[dhill926]

9. Mostly vegan...

very rarely dairy or eggs. I live in an area lucky enough to have local produce all year. We all do what we can...

[OKIsItJustMe]

10. As has been pointed out, a vegetarian or vegan diet can be healthy

However, vegans must pay special attention to certain nutrients which omnivores get from animal products (most notably, vitamin B12.)
https://www.vegan.com/b12/
https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/vitamin-b12/what-every-vegan-should-know-about-vitamin-b12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5188422/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

11. Plus, omnivores can likewise be very healthy.

I'm 70. The healthiest person I know, especially at my age. I find it shocking how many of my age mates have all sorts of health issues. Attending a high school reunion, especially a 50th, can be quite a learning experience.

Of course, to be honest, smoking is clearly the single biggest cause of those problems. Obesity is a strong number two.