It’s not turkey . . .

Wednesday, November 25, 1998

It’s not turkey . . .

ALTERNATIVES: Believe it or not, you don’t have to eat a dead
bird for Thanksgiving dinner.

By Michelle Navarro

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Bring on the steaming mashed potatoes! Bring on the cranberry
sauce, buttered corn, candied yams and pumpkin pie! Bring on the
breaded stuffing and hot applesauce!

And, last but not least, bring on that plump and juicy …
unturkey.

Vegetarianism is gaining popularity for various reasons, from
health- to religious- to animal rights-related. And with this rise
in fame, holidays such as Thanksgiving have spurred a plethora of
unique creations such as "tofurky" and "unturkey" to fill the big
shoes of the traditional Thanksgiving bird.

The recent health craze that produced a boom in health clubs and
products is probably the biggest reason for the popularity of being
vegetarian.

"I did it for health reasons," said Justin McCarthy, who has run
a marathon since his change. "I just feel a lot clearer mentally
and I have more energy. When you eat meat, you feel heavy because
your body is trying to digest it. With veggies and soy products,
your body breaks them down fast."

Vegetarians do need to eat more products such as legumes, beans
and peas that are rich in protein to make up for the loss of amino
acids supplied by meat. But many feel that is no problem, compared
to what problems the alternate diet may pose.

Animal-based diets are high in saturated fat and cholesterol,
which, when present in the blood in high amounts, may lead to heart
disease or stroke. It is estimated that such diseases account for
almost 50 percent of all deaths in the United States.

So it isn’t a mystery why people will pass over the burgers or
turkey for a slab of tofu, or "unturkey," as Westwood’s own
vegetarian restaurant, Love and Serve, calls it.

"Many (vegetarians) want a Thanksgiving-style dinner," said
David Siegel, former UCLA student and owner of Love and Serve.
"Recently, I have been getting at least 10 calls a day from
vegetarians who want the unturkey dinners we serve here to bring
home with them and eat it when they sit down for dinner with their
parents."

The "unturkey" the quaint Westwood restaurant serves is created
from vegetables, grain and soy protein. Similar entrees include
"neatloaf" and "unchicken."

Making the switch to a non-meat lifestyle can be difficult. That
is why Siegel said the meat-related meals are his most popular –
customers recently turned veggie need the association with meat to
ease the transition.

"It’s a myth that all vegetarians eat are salads," Siegel said.
"They want something like meat."

In fact, Siegel recommended that people considering
vegetarianism should take gradual steps by eating meat-like foods
such as veggie burgers or "neatloaf," and cutting down on the
intake of real meat.

"Instead of 10 In-n-Out burgers a day, eat nine," he
laughed.

But the holidays, known for glorifying turkeys, hams and other
big meat feasts, may be a particularly difficult time to resist the
temptation to eat meat.

"It was hard," said Kathy Kim, a fourth-year English student. "I
relapsed. I was a veggie for three months and then broke down and
ate meat for five months. I ate and ate so much that I eventually
got grossed out and sick of it. I got worn out."

In times like these, there is no need to worry. The food
industry has found a way to make eating holiday dinners enjoyable
for all.

Besides unturkey, other products have found their way onto the
dinner table. "Tofurky" is another.

In 1995, Turtle Island Foods and the Higher Taste, two Oregon
natural food companies introduced "Tofurky," a blend of tofu and
wheat protein. Since then, the demand for the product has
increased, showing that the meat-substitute product, like
"unturkey," is a welcome sight at the dinner table.

It’s probably a lot better than just heaping extra portions of
lumpy mashed potatoes or steamed vegetables.

"We’re actually catering a Thanksgiving meal in Burbank," Siegel
said about his restaurant’s "unturkey."

As long as the public keeps demanding such vegetable creations,
they will continue to pop up. In 1995, Soyatech Inc., a publishing,
market researching firm, reported that sales of vegetable-based
meat substitutes were up to $180 million, a huge increase when
compared with the $44 million figure reported in 1985.

Siegel predicts that this trend will continue well into the new
millennium.

"The world is making progress and I see (vegetarianism) as
progression," he said. "We’re turning into the millennium and with
this newness, there is always some change. What I see is America
changing toward a vegetable-based diet. We’re making progress to a
new era of more awareness."

That awareness includes a greater sense of connection with the
world and an acceptance of the world as well as more consciousness
of body health, Siegel said.

When more UCLA students decide to change their meat-eating ways,
Seigel and Love and Serve will be there waiting, "unturkey" and
all.

"This is vegetarian central," he grinned.

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