Only a fraction has a balanced, protein-rich vegetarian diet as the norm.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s not because of bad dietary choices, but because of poverty? I mean, the problem isn’t the vegetarian diet, but that people can’t afford enough food in general?
For example, I hail from the north-western region of India. We eat a lot of lentils, beans, and pulses.
Once, I sat down for dinner with three of my coworkers who hailed from the eastern regions, near the Gangetic delta. That is a historically impoverished region, with rice making up the vast majority of their calories.
I, alone, ate as much lentil stew as the other three combined. I am not particularly gluttonous. They just aren’t used to eating lentils as anything other than flavoring for their mountain of rice, whereas for me rice is just the means of transport of lentils down my gullet.
It is very hard for an Indian to not afford enough lentils, pulses, or beans. The government gives them away for free as part of rations for those too poor to afford them.
You don’t say. I woke up once to see my eastern roommate going to town on a plate of plain, white rice. No spices, no sides. Just rice. It was a real “WTF?!” moment for me.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s not because of bad dietary choices, but because of poverty? I mean, the problem isn’t the vegetarian diet, but that people can’t afford enough food in general?
At this point, few are poor enough to not afford the cheapest protein available.
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For example, I hail from the north-western region of India. We eat a lot of lentils, beans, and pulses. Once, I sat down for dinner with three of my coworkers who hailed from the eastern regions, near the Gangetic delta. That is a historically impoverished region, with rice making up the vast majority of their calories.
I, alone, ate as much lentil stew as the other three combined. I am not particularly gluttonous. They just aren’t used to eating lentils as anything other than flavoring for their mountain of rice, whereas for me rice is just the means of transport of lentils down my gullet.
It is very hard for an Indian to not afford enough lentils, pulses, or beans. The government gives them away for free as part of rations for those too poor to afford them.
The rice just tastes so good huh?
You don’t say. I woke up once to see my eastern roommate going to town on a plate of plain, white rice. No spices, no sides. Just rice. It was a real “WTF?!” moment for me.