Yogic Thoughts on Food
The first limb of The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is yama and the very first point of yama isahimsa, non harming of yourself and others. Many yogis apply this to their diet by not harming their bodies by ingesting unhealthy foods and also by choosing to be vegetarian so as to not harm another creature. Yoga's holistic perspective also enlightens us to realize that anything strong enough to preserve food for an ungodly amount of time is likely harmful.
While I'm not sure I could ever fully commit to becoming 100% vegetarian myself (turkey sandwiches are my staple!), I do think that the baby steps towards this concept are very significant. I'm trying to eat less meat throughout my week. Americans greatly compromise their health by mistakenly thinking we need meat with every meal. If I can cut back to only eating meat 2 or 3 times a week, or even deciding on a hard-boiled egg (unfertilized, never would've been born anyway) instead of a hamburger, then I am making tremendous progress.
The fabulous thing about yoga is the absence of judgement. We all have our own journeys, are curious about different things, and will move in the direction of change when we are ready.
Peace & veggies.
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