Sure, but that is not what is being discussed here. I asked for historical evidence bearing on the question of whether we should eat lots of vegetables, which RomeoStevens seems to dispute on the basis of evolutionary considerations. The evidence you supplied is only relevant for challenging the claim that we should eat only vegetables—an entirely different claim, considering that vegetables would represent only 5-10% of total calories in a vegetable-rich diet.
Vegans certainly put out claims that we should eat only plants.
I have been a vegetarian for 14 years (and a vegan, intermittently, for a total of 3-4 years), and during all this time, which involved reading countless books and papers on human nutrition, and meeting vegetarians and vegans at talks and conferences in various countries, I haven’t ever encountered the claim the we should only eat vegetables. It’s possible that you are right and vegans do make such claims, but I would need a few references to accept a statement that contradicts my experience to such a degree.
In the context of nutrition, the terms ‘vegetable’ and ‘plant’ are used interchangeably. As the Wikipedia article on ‘vegetable’ reads: “In culinary terms, a vegetable is an edible plant or its part, intended for cooking or eating raw.”
It seems that this exchange has served no useful purpose. I suggested that we should eat lots of vegetables, and everything that was said in reply to that claim was either irrelevant or relevant but not supported by evidence.
In the context of nutrition, the terms ‘vegetable’ and ‘plant’ are used interchangeably.
Nonsense. Vegetables are parts of plants, just as, for example, fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds (including grains) are. You are not calling walnuts vegetables, are you?
Sure, but that is not what is being discussed here. I asked for historical evidence bearing on the question of whether we should eat lots of vegetables, which RomeoStevens seems to dispute on the basis of evolutionary considerations. The evidence you supplied is only relevant for challenging the claim that we should eat only vegetables—an entirely different claim, considering that vegetables would represent only 5-10% of total calories in a vegetable-rich diet.
What is a “vegetable” pre-agriculture and pre-gardening?
Vegans certainly put out claims that we should eat only plants.
I have been a vegetarian for 14 years (and a vegan, intermittently, for a total of 3-4 years), and during all this time, which involved reading countless books and papers on human nutrition, and meeting vegetarians and vegans at talks and conferences in various countries, I haven’t ever encountered the claim the we should only eat vegetables. It’s possible that you are right and vegans do make such claims, but I would need a few references to accept a statement that contradicts my experience to such a degree.
I am consistently using the word “plants” and you are consistently talking about “vegetables”.
As I mentioned, I am not sure what counts as a vegetable in the pre-gardening world. Some tubers, probably, anything else?
According to Linnaeus…
In the context of nutrition, the terms ‘vegetable’ and ‘plant’ are used interchangeably. As the Wikipedia article on ‘vegetable’ reads: “In culinary terms, a vegetable is an edible plant or its part, intended for cooking or eating raw.”
It seems that this exchange has served no useful purpose. I suggested that we should eat lots of vegetables, and everything that was said in reply to that claim was either irrelevant or relevant but not supported by evidence.
Nonsense. Vegetables are parts of plants, just as, for example, fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds (including grains) are. You are not calling walnuts vegetables, are you?