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Food for Thought with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau — Arts
Food for Thought with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Celebrating 20 years! Practical, joyful, real-world inspiration for living sustainably, healthfully, and compassionately—for humankind, animalkind, and the ecosystems we all depend on. Tools, tips, stories, and resources on plant-based eating, wellness, wildlife, biodiversity, conservation, zero-waste living, travel, animals, history, etymology, and so much more hosted by author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau since 2006.

www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com

Copyright: © Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, 2023

Latest Episodes:

Grateful for Goats Jun 06, 2007

Show notes

Today I want to talk about this amazing animal that endures a number of abuses by humans and yet isn’t really talked about a lot - even by animal advocates. Today I want to talk about and honor goats. Full of spunk and spark and life, we betray them by killing them for their flesh, by exploiting them for their milk, by exposing them to painful military experiments, and by humiliating them in a variety of other ways. This episode is dedicated to Neptune, a most remarkable being.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Fish Consumption and By-Catch May 22, 2007

Show notes

Our consumption of fish has many consequences - not only for the fish we eat but also for other fish/crustaceans, for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), for marine mammals, for birds, and for ecosystems. In addition to the 17 billion aquatic animals we kill in the U.S. for human consumption, countless animals are killed as "by-catch" or "incidental catch." These are the unintended but inevitable victims of the commercial fishing industry. Though we may see one fish on our plate or five shrimp in our seafood salad, countless numbers of animals were dredged up and killed for the individuals we consume.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Like Animals May 14, 2007

Show notes

Perhaps the most offensive thing you can say about people - if you really want it to sting - is that they're "like animals." We use, abuse, exploit, denigrate animals and relegate them to the lowliest place in society and then blame them for being "animals." We compare them to humans and consider them lowly and forget that we're the ones writing that story. If we're the barometer against which we measure everyone else in the natural world, well surely they'll always fall short. But what if our criteria were different? What if value and worthiness were determined by how fast you could run. Or how high you could fly. Or on the ability to climb mountains without rope but only four hooves. How would humans fare then?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Teen (and College-Age) Vegetarians May 07, 2007

Show notes

A much-anticipated episode, today's topic is dedicated to all the teen vegetarians out there, though its subject matter is relevant for parents as well. Many teenagers don't have the support of their parents when they make the decision to become vegetarian/vegan, and we talk about why this is and how we can remedy it. Making this lifestyle change is an adjustment for everyone, and it's important to recognize this, no matter what age we are. We offer some specific suggestions for family dinners and provide some insight into why sheep get a bad rep for being herd animals, when humans display just as much need to be part of the crowd as our wooly friends. If you've been considered a "black sheep" - whatever your age - this episode is for you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Peace for Pigs Apr 19, 2007

Show notes

Today's episode is dedicated to pigs - how wonderful they are, how we misrepresent them in our society, and what affect that has on our treatment of them. Pigs are exploited and used by humans in a variety of ways: as research tools, as "food animals," in high school science classes, as entertainment in a blood sport called "hog-baiting" or "hog dogging," as victims of hunting. We also talk about how our language shapes our perception of them and, thus, our treatment of them, and we examine the cycle of violence inherent in hiring men to work in slaughterhouses, desensitizing them to violence, and then essentially supporting abusive and sadistic behavior - just because we like bacon. The cycle of violence makes its final stop in the homes of these slaughterhouse workers, where alcoholism and domestic abuse is commonplace. Finally, we end on a positive note with a beautiful poem by Pulitzer-prize winning poet, Galway Kinnell - who pays homage to our porcine friends in "St Francis and the Sow."

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Eat Your Vegetables! Apr 10, 2007

Show notes

Study after study concludes that people just aren't eating their vegetables. They're eating plenty of meat, dairy, and eggs, but they're not eating their vegetables. In today's episode, I offer a number of suggestions and tips for incorporating more plant foods into our diet - from chopping veggies and planning meals in advance to identifying what it is we think we're craving and joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). Because there is so much to say, today's podcast is a little longer than usual, and because there is so much MORE to say, consider this Part I in an ongoing series on this particular topic. And because Mom was right all along when she nagged you to "eat your vegetables," give her a call and tell her so.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Turning the Tables Mar 27, 2007

Show notes

Vegetarians and vegans often find themselves having to defend not only their own eating habits but vegetarianism and veganism as a whole - both philosophically and nutritionally. When it comes to health, those aiming for a plant-based diet are definitely on the right track, especially considering how few vegetables people are eating these days. When it comes to ethics, they are merely trying to live a life that reflects compassion. I think it's time we turn the tables and start holding each other accountable for the better choices we can ALL be making. If we turn the tables, we can stay focused on the issues at hand: ending animal cruelty and improving our physical and emotional well-being. I also suggest that we take back the word "agenda," something animal advocates are accused of having, and I offer my thoughts about the question: "Do you think you're 'morally superior' to me because you're vegan and I'm not?" Finally, I share some of my favorite communication strategies that might help us all find common ground so we can stop attacking one another and begin addressing the bigger picture. In other words, can't we all just get along?

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

What do Vegetarians Feed their Dogs and Cats? Mar 19, 2007

Show notes

Feeding our dogs and cats the diet that is healthiest for them is something many people are concerned with. An ethical consideration arises when we become vegan or vegetarian and start to question the ethics of supporting the slaughter industry by feeding our dogs and cats meat. In this episode, I offer my opinion about feeding dogs and cats a plant-based diet, provide resources for the "highest grade" (sans by-products) companion animal food, and share my experience about a preventable cancer (Vaccine Associated Fibrosarcoma) that is showing up in cats more than ever before. My hope is that by sharing my story, others can save their cat's life and can avoid going through a horrific and unnecessary ordeal. (Please pass on this episode to others who may benefit.)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Response to: Why don't you spend your time on people instead of animals? or Why don't you care about humans? Mar 01, 2007

Show notes

Anyone who has ever acted or spoken on behalf of animals has learned that criticism will often follow. Sometimes, it's in the form of a provocation such as: "Why aren’t you helping people instead of wasting your time on animals?" Though it's formed as a question, the inquisitors are not really interested in the answer. I suppose they think they’re catching animal activists in some sort of trap that's supposed to prove that animal activists care more about nonhuman animals than their "fellow humans." The disgust with which they ask it makes it seem as though this may be the worst thing you could accuse someone of. Join me as I address this accusation and lament that some people think so little of their "fellow humans" as to presume our hearts aren't big enough to care about more than one thing at a time. I also read a brilliant and eloquent essay by Nobel prize winner J.M. Coetzee to illustrate why "the animal rights campaign remains a human project from beginning to end."

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

Life After Cheese Feb 26, 2007

Show notes

If you have ever said or thought that you could "never give up cheese," this episode is for you. In it, I explore our irrational attachment to this stuff and suggest that it is a combination of factors that foster our addiction to cheese. I suggest that our desire for it is really a desire for something familiar. I suggest that it acts as a trigger for a nostalgic memory. I suggest that we use it to bring us comfort. I also suggest that it may be as simple as craving fat or salt. And I suggest that all of these things can be satisfied without cheese. I also recommend some good non-dairy cheeses as well as ways to make some of your favorite dishes without any cheese at all - dairy or non-dairy. The bottom line is: NEVER SAY NEVER. Just be willing to be open. You'll find that there is indeed life without cheese. First, we have to stop giving it so much power.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/subscribe

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