We postulate to verbalize well-nigh animals, everyone. Specifically, nosotros postulate to verbalize well-nigh animals that nosotros heighten for food. You’ve likely heard the phrase, “You are what you lot eat.” And inwards the ancestral wellness too existent nutrient communities, nosotros sometimes have got this i mensuration farther too say, “You are what you eat, eats.” Most of us usage this to convey the watch that nosotros prefer to eat animals that have got consumed their ain natural, species-appropriate diets. For example, meat too dairy products from grass-fed cows, and, mostly speaking, meat, fowl, too seafood that have got non been fed rations of genetically modified corn and/or soy. (In the illustration of seafood, actually, no corn or soy of any kind. ’Cuz, really? Corn too soy? In the marine food web?)
When I tell “species-appropriate diets,” I hateful this: some animals are herbivores, some are carnivores, too others are omnivores. While herbivores (such cows too sheep) too carnivores (such every bit felines) tin survive—at to the lowest degree for a time—on diets primarily made upwards of substances that are not plants or animals, respectively, eventually, problems volition develop.
Over the in conclusion several years, consumers have got locomote to a greater extent than discerning when it comes to how they pass their nutrient dollars. Movies similar Food, Inc., and books similar The Omnivore’s Dilemma have opened at to the lowest degree a few people’s eyes to the larger issues around sustainable agriculture, humane creature husbandry, too more. Unfortunately, the average consumer nevertheless remains inwards the dark, too nutrient manufacturers please inwards taking payoff of this collective nutrient label ignorance, laughing all the way to the bank.
The illustration many of us are familiar amongst is egg cartons that proudly proclaim the eggs they comprise came from hens that were fed a vegetarian diet. Whoop-de-doo, right? Hens are non vegetarians. Most birds, inwards fact, are non vegetarians. The phrase is not, “The earlybird gets the lettuce,” but rather, “The earlybird gets the worm.” That’s right. Worm. From the animal kingdom. We’ve all seen images of mama birds belongings worms inwards their beaks to feed to their babies. And let’s non forget penguins too pelicans, whose diets are largely [if non entirely] seafood, inwards the shape of marine animals. And of course, there’s the ultimate appear of carnivory inwards our feathered friends: vultures. Yes, birds that swoop inwards later on a predator is done eviscerating its prey to feast on whatever is left. Given a choice betwixt millet too sunflower seeds, or a rotting creature carcass, I recollect nosotros know which the vultures would prefer.
Moving on to the theme at hand, I haven’t bought supermarket bacon inwards a long time. I’m non a nutrient purist past times whatever means. Although I attain attempt to stick mostly to meat from local farms, I have got no qualms well-nigh getting regular ol’ nutrient from the regular ol’ supermarket. The argue I haven’t bought supermarket bacon inwards a spell is because I haven’t bought any bacon inwards a while. (A hiccup inwards the space-time continuum that has since been remedied.) So imagine my surprise when, inwards perusing the bacon department at the store, I came upon this trivial gem:
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Please don’t inquire why I can’t figure out how to have got this movie display horizontally. Oh well. Hopefully you lot tin nevertheless meet the circled portion. |
Attention: PIGS ARE NOT VEGETARIANS. I know this for a fact, because I have got spent some fourth dimension working on farms, feeding pigs, too talking amongst farmers who know way to a greater extent than well-nigh all this than I do. Trust me (and them): pigs are nature’s garbage disposals. They are i of the handiest animals to have got on a farm, because they eat darn close everything. The farmhouse kitchen of every pocket-sized farm I’ve been to has a bin/bucket for repast scraps. When you’re done eating, you lot scrape just well-nigh everything left on your plate into this bucket, too someone brings it out to the pigs daily. Vegetables, fruit, meat scraps, too fifty-fifty bones. Pigs eat the peels, rinds, ends, gristle, too all the other “stuff” nosotros typically throw away. (Unless you lot have got a compost bin.) The only matter I have got seen pigs completely refuse is swiss chard. (And I can’t tell I blame them. Pigs are quite intelligent, y’know. And chard is pretty awful tasting, unless sautéed amongst lots of garlic too olive oil. And fifty-fifty then, I tin recollect of well-nigh a thou other things I’d rather eat.)
I don't deny that pigs eat lots of vegetables too fruit. They certain attain seem to dearest cucumbers, peaches, too melon. But this does non brand them vegetarians. They are voracious omnivores that volition happily—and quickly—hoover upwards just well-nigh anything that gets tossed to them. (Except chard.) Case inwards point: the farms I’ve been to heighten meat chickens from hatchlings, which they typically have through the postal service when the hatchlings are just i or 2 days old. (There is zilch to a greater extent than adorable than a cardboard pallet filled amongst tiny xanthous fluffballs, meliorate known every bit peeps, making the cutest trivial cheeping sounds. Also, for a gal born & raised inwards NYC, it was pretty cool the root fourth dimension I was working at a farm too nosotros got a telephone telephone telephone from the local mail business office proverb that the chicks had arrived. Tee-hee!) Unfortunately, the journeying from hatchery to farm is non ever an tardily one, too every batch typically contains a distich that didn’t last the trip.
What’s a farmer to attain amongst these poor, perished peeps? Have a tiny memorial service too bury them inwards the ground? No way. Those peeps brand corking grunter food! Dead chickens of pretty much whatever size—whether newborn peeps, or slightly older ones who locomote past times away for other reasons—are tossed to the pigs, too you lot should meet how apace those pigs pounce on those raw, whole chicks. Circle of life, my friends, circle of life. H5N1 trivial disturbing to some folks, perhaps, but those of us who eat animals owe it to ourselves—and to the animals—to empathise how this works. This isn’t “gross;” it’s but the creature kingdom.
And lest you lot recollect pigs are the only animals that would tear apart a whole, raw, dead chick, allow me to allow you lot inwards on a trivial secret: chickens are ruthless. They volition eat anything too everything you lot lay inwards front end of them, including their own. I haven’t seen this amongst my ain eyes, but I’ve been told past times farmers amongst years of sense that if nosotros were to lay those dead hatchlings on the grass past times the older chickens, they would non hesitate for a minute to start pecking at them amongst gusto. (Why? Because, tell it amongst me again: Chickens are non vegetarians.)
I empathise why manufacturers specify “vegetarian fed” on their egg too bacon packages. Several years ago, at that topographic point was a major scare well-nigh cannibalism amidst animals causing nasty illnesses, such every bit bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE—more usually known every bit “mad moo-cow disease.” (Fears well-nigh disease-causing prions too other materials I don’t fully empathise are also why it’s basically impossible/illegal to purchase creature brains for human consumption inwards the U.S. Land of the free? Not always.) And maybe it is a fleck problematic when sick, “downer” cattle are fed to other cows. But inwards the grand system of things, pigs eat animals. Chickens eat insects. LOVE ‘EM. They dearest larvae, grubs, worms, too all sorts of other creepy, crawly, icky trivial critters. That’s why so many farmers (at least, the ones amongst integrated, multi-species farms) movement their chickens or egg-laying hens onto the same parcel of pasture previously inhabited past times cows. When insects lay their eggs on all the moo-cow patties left behind, the birds absolutely go to town when those things hatch. Why? Because: chickens too hens are non vegetarians. And nope, neither are pigs.
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Gaaah! Nitrates! |
As for the nitrate/nitrite issue, to live honest, I. Just. Don’t. Care. If you’re worried well-nigh it, purchase fresh, uncured bacon. But don’t live fooled past times bacon that is “nitrate-free,” or is advertised every bit having “no added nitrates.” These are most probable cured amongst celery juice or celery juice powder, which, gauge what: CONTAINS NITRATES. This is but non that large a deal. If you’re eating a ton of vegetables, you volition instruct far to a greater extent than nitrates from attain than you lot volition instruct from bacon. (In fact, celery is classified every bit having a “very high” nitrate content, every bit are beets. But beets have got long been recommended every bit a health-promoting food, especially for those amongst hypertension too other manifestations of endothelial dysfunction. And this is precisely because of the high nitrate content inwards beets. See, the nitrate is converted to nitrite, which is converted to nitric oxide, a rigid vasodilator. [Meaning, it dilates the blood vessels, allowing blood to menstruum to a greater extent than smoothly, hence potentially reducing high blood pressure. Worried well-nigh all the salt/sodium inwards bacon negating the anti-hypertensive effects of the nitrates? Don’t be. Stay tuned for a few posts on sodium, i time I’m finished amongst the cancer series.])
If you’re non inclined to read whatever of the PubMed papers linked to above, no sweat! Check out these layperson-friendly takes on the nitrate number from a distich of guys whose piece of job I trust when it comes to materials similar this—one from the scientific standpoint, too the other from the culinary perspective:
- Chris Kresser: The Nitrate too Nitrite Myth: Another Reason Not To Fear Bacon
- Michael Ruhlman: The “No Nitrites Added” Hoax
At the run a peril of it seeming similar I’ve singled out the manufacturer of the “100% vegetarian fed” bacon for doing something silly, allow me locomote ahead hither too tell that I’d never tried their bacon until in conclusion week. I bought 2 dissimilar versions to try, too here’s the i I went for first:
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Don’t instruct me started on the “no added hormones” line. That is a whole other post! |
It was friggin’ delicious.
They weren’t lying when they said “thick sliced.” This was well-nigh twice every bit thick every bit whatever “thick cut” bacon I’ve ever had, too it was squeamish too meaty. There was enough of fat, too, but far to a greater extent than smoky, sweetness & salty pork meat than I’ve ever had on bacon before. So every bit far every bit supermarket bacon goes, I highly recommend this one.
P.S. For the low-carbers too keto dieters out there, my have got on bacon beingness cured amongst saccharide is an emphatic: Meh. Most bacon is cured amongst saccharide inwards some form: chocolate-brown sugar, cane sugar, turbinado, etc. But the amount that ends upwards inwards the concluding production is pretty much nil. Basically negligible. If you’re next a low-carb diet too are avoiding bacon because you lot meet saccharide listed amidst the ingredients, to quote a meme I don’t especially like, but which is totally suitable inwards this case, “You’re doing it wrong.”
Remember: Amy Berger, M.S., NTP, is non a MD too , LLC, is non a medical practice. The data contained on this site is non intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or foreclose whatever medical condition.
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