I attended a Super Bowl party as an outsider, being the only vegetarian out of nine people. Philly beef steak sandwiches were served to honor the Eagles, as well as sausage and traditional chicken wings, of course. It got me thinking about traditions. Can they be modified?
Animal agriculture is a significant contributor to climate change, especially cattle. Knowing this and also that most folks agree that climate change is occurring, why don’t we change our ways, some of our lifelong traditions, to align with the times?
U.S. surveys find that roughly 6% of our population consider themselves vegetarian or vegan, though one-third of Americans have adopted a reduced-meat diet. And, data reveals that approximately 100 million Americans watch the Super Bowl every year. It seems like an opportune time to offer delicious, caramelized beef steak veggie alternatives or even newly popular plant-based chicken wings with tasty sauces. At least one-third of the party may even appreciate the effort and others may not even notice the difference.
While it was disheartening to be outnumbered based on my dietary choices, in my own mind, I prevailed. My true Kansas City heritage came through in the end: Go Chiefs!
Mary Closser
Park City