Moonbear said:
Les, "Diet for a Small Planet" contains many inaccurate numbers regarding animal feed requirements. Not the least of which is that humans are even less efficient at converting the energy in grains to muscle mass than are herbivores such as cattle, and one cow feeds a LOT of people.
In my original listing of that as a reference I included a disclaimer about the facts of the book, but then I deleted it feeling the post was getting too long. But as I pointed out, even if it is 8 times, that's significant. Also, I wonder how much long term health costs contribute to the "price" of eating meat.
But I know for a fact that I can live on grains, veggies, beans, nuts and fruits quite nicely (I like to include brewers yeast, the best kept health secret on the planet). In fact large part of the world does that, and always has. I lived on it for eight of the heathiest years of my life. When I met my current wife, she ate cheese so I started back up, but at the expense of dealing with excess mucus, longer digestion times, and some loss in ease of elimination. I still only eat cheese once or twice per week (love pizza too much).
Regarding humans being "less efficient at converting the energy in grains to muscle mass," something I found was that after giving up meat, I seemed able to get by on very little food (besides, once we reach adulthood, why do we need to worry much about building muscle mass?). I remember when I was eating meat three times a day, it seemed like I was really hungry at mealtime, and I would eat lots. A few years later, I was getting by on something like what I have had today: an orange first thing in the morn; a little later my daily cappacino; then two pieces of 100% toasted sprouted bread with cold pressed oil brushed on . . . that sort of is my "morning food." Just now for "afternoon food" I had half an avocado with mustard in the middle, a couple of ounces of baked (not fried
) pototo chips; later afternoon food will probably be a handful of tamari roasted cashews I made last night. For "evening food" I am planning homemade veggie tomato soup with brown rice mixed in; later I might have something sweet like dates or figs, or a little ice cream. That's it! (Except for my brewers yeast and vitamins.)
Now, my friends say I eat like a bird, but I still manage to run circles around them on the racquetball court, and get over any sort of bug I catch a lot faster than they do. I've eaten both ways (meat and not) I know that for me I am much healthier, feel much better, digest food much eaiser, eat much less, and enjoy a greater variety of foods
without meat. So the reason for my diet isn't anything "high," it is pure self interest. That's also why I don't think people should be telling others how they should eat; anything I say along those lines to meat eaters is totally good-natured teasing, and they tease me too (geez, I'd be virtually friendless and familyless if I condemned meat eaters). If you like meat, then I say go for it. If not, then that's cool too. It is completely a personal thing (if we leave animal treatment out of it).
Apperently the new owners made some changes to the menu!
It seems like such a non-issue from a "should" perspective. I can see people sharing their dietary knowledge and so on. But the morality of a diet? 
I'm only 5'2" and 125 lbs. I surprise people by how strong I am because they look at me and expect me to be a bit of a wimp given my small size.