I had to read this article in the Wall Street Journal three times to try to figure out how I felt about it and I’m still not sure.
If you don’t know the name, chef Dan Barber is a pretty famous advocate of eating locally and runs a restaurant and sustainable farm in New York state. This idea of farming a restaurant’s own food is a great one and I’m all for it, so I wanted to like Dan Barber and what he had to say. I’m just not positive that I do.
In the article, Barber criticizes vegetarians for being holier-than-thou about their lifestyle choice.
He says that he wants someone to explain how vegetarians can feel so self-righteous about their diets.
Butchering and eating animals may not be called kindness, but eating soy burgers that rely on pesticides and fertilizers precipitates destruction too. You don’t have to eat meat, but you should have the good judgment to relinquish the high horse. There is no such thing as guilt-free eating.”
What I don’t understand is why he seems to lump vegetarians into one single group that doesn’t care about sustainable practices or organic farming. Most vegetarians that I know support CSA farms, eat as locally and organically as possible and are all for changing the way commercial producers grow our food.
I also don’t know a lot of vegetarians (although I’m sure they exist) who feel superior or more ethical than those that eat meat. All of us made the decision to go vegetarian for our own personal reasons. I made the change to support my husband, who adopted the vegetarian lifestyle for health reasons. However, I very quickly realized that I felt so good on a vegetarian diet that I would continue even if he didn’t.
After becoming a vegetarian, I learned so much about cruelty to livestock animals and unsafe practices that I would have made the decision to go vegetarian on ethical principles alone. However, I’m not on a mission to make everyone a vegetarian. I would like to see the way meat is raised and butchered changed, though.
One of the other things that Dan Barber said that bothered me was this:
What’s the definition of a healthy diet, the kind you can actually feel a little smug about?”
The reason it bugs me is that I don’t think everyone seeking to eat healthfully is looking for a reason to feel smug. I also think Barber sounds a little too smug about his stance.
I applaud what Barber is doing with his restaurant and his farm. I think that the locavore culture is the hope of healthy, sustainable food production. I just don’t like the way he characterizes a whole group of people (vegans and vegetarians) as smug, self-righteous and ecologically irresponsible.
Read the article yourself and let me know; Am I overreacting or misinterpreting what he’s saying?
What do you think about chef Dan Barber view on vegetarians? Please read the article on Wall Street Journal and let me know your thoughts.
- Jenny Sangler
Well, I’m not sure why he got on his high horse about vegetarians. Maybe deep in his soul he wants to make the switch? But I hope there aren’t vegetarians out there acting “holier than thou” because it isn’t a good way to convert others to a really wonderful way of eating. I used to get upset when people would make negative comments about eating vegan, but I try to let it roll off my back now. Most are based on ignorance about the benefits of a plant-based diet.
I agree! Thanks!
I’m a personal trainer as well a formeer professional chef. I am also a vegetarian. I strive every day to help other people feel better about themselves; to be THEMSELVES – only a little better. To feel (a little) better, to eat (a little) better.
I hope others don’t find me to be self-righteous, but, maybe my vegetarian diet makes me too smug to care. Fortunately, it makes me too smug to jugde other people – including Chef Dan Barber. I’m sure he’s a great guy.
Thanks for the nice comment!
I became a vegtarian 38 years ago, the chef was four years old! What he thinks really does not matter to me!
Thanks for leaving a comment!
I think mr Barber has quite an ego. He’s a self-righteous pr**k that thinks he’s the only one doing anything right. I couldn’t even read the entire article because once I hit the part about “‘Oh, you’re farming like my grandfather used to farm.’ No, we’re not. Their grandfather didn’t farm like this. Their grandfather probably exploited the great fertility that is American soil, dropped his plough, and then moved on to the Midwest and exploited it all over again.” I wanted to throw up with his superiority issues. Leaving blank pages on your menu for people to leave thoughts about how amazing their food was?? Come on! Can you say ‘god-complex’? I wouldn’t eat at his restaurant even if it IS the best food in town. I’m a simple vegetarian who KNOWS that the pesticide issue is a huge problem and is fighting against Monsanto and their attempts at a monopoly. Thanks for the article, Jenny. It was amusing and infuritating at the same time. Who’s on their high horse? Like you, I don’t know any vegetarians or vegans who push their views on others or believe that they are better than anyone else. There is scientific proof that animal products are not good for the human body. Guess he’s better than the scientists, too.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Let me see… I have been vegan for the past two months… I can actually ride a horse now that I lost 25# and not feel horrible about it – the horse can stand HIGH and I is happy because of this.
I am not smug, I do not feel better than others, or rather I feel healhier and I am also looking at animals in a new light.
I traded lower cholesterol and triglycerides, no joint pain and lowered my risk of getting cancer… I make sure to consume organic soy. Yes, MonsantoSoy is horrible, frankenfood, destructive and should be avoided at all costs. That I will give him. Oh, i am also less judgemental and angry… I think I will let him know
Thanks for providing your insights!
I an a vegan and I think he is the one who is acting smug. My thoughts are that a vegetarian lifestyle is comparatively easy to attain and most people should give it a chance. I don’t call it smug. I call it caring for people and animals and the planet in general. Why should one species kill another for food when there are so many alternatives to choose from. I think he’s upset because its his profits on his farm will be lost. I don’t think he’s any different than a big farm because he’s treating the animals nicer before he “humanely” kills them. How DO you humanely kill an animal. The only humane way I could think of is if the animal wanted to commit suicide in the first place and he gave them sleeping pills. Does he know if these animals on his farm want to die – I don’t think so and I think if they could talk, they’d let him know their choice. So I don’t agree with his thoughts, I think he just wants his profits.
You are right! Thanks!