Vault: "Food Inc" made her a vegetarian

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Bert Show

Episode Title: Vault: "Food Inc" made her a vegetarian
Date: July 1, 2026
Featured Hosts: Melissa, Wendy, Jessica
Guest Callers: Chelsea, Chef Daniel

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Episode Overview

In this lively and relatable episode, The Bert Show team dives into the challenges and motivations behind Melissa’s attempt to become a vegetarian after watching the documentary Food Inc. The conversation blends humor with honesty as the cast discusses obstacles like food preparation, experimenting with healthy habits, and the practical realities of busy lives. Caller participation brings fresh ideas and solutions, resulting in an engaging episode about food choices, convenience, and lifestyle change.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Impact of "Food Inc" on Eating Habits

• Melissa shares her inspiration:
  Melissa explains how the documentary Food Inc prompted her to rethink her diet due to concerns over the industrialization and ethics of food production.

  • Quote [01:05 | Melissa]:
    “The whole reason I’m doing it is because of the movie Food Inc... Food Inc is basically about how the food industry is corporate America... the food we eat and the animals that we are eating are kind of mass produced and the things that they do to them in order to mass produce them. So it is a little disturbing.”

• Health Motivations:

  • Melissa and her partner decided to “do the vegetarian thing just to try to be healthier,” focusing on increasing fruits and vegetables in their diet.
  • She notes that even partial changes (“even if we end up incorporating meat... it’s fine”), the goal is better health.

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2. The Struggle is Real: Prep, Cooking, and Convenience

• Barriers to Vegetarianism:

  • The group discusses how food prep is a major barrier to eating healthy, especially for those who dislike cooking or have busy schedules.
  • Quote [05:06 | Melissa]:
    “I won’t do it. I’m not a food person. I hate the kitchen. I hate food preparation. I hate the whole thing. So, yeah, if there was somebody that said, I’m a professional chopper, I would actually hire you. It’s annoying.”

• The “Professional Chopper” Solution:

  • Melissa and the group joke seriously about how lucrative it would be for someone to offer vegetable chopping as a service.
  • Quote [04:01 | Melissa]:
    “If you were a professional chopper… if all you did was go to people’s homes and chop their vegetables, I guarantee you’d make a ton of cash, because that’s all I need.”

• Products and Gadgets:

  • They consider investing in kitchen gadgets, but there’s skepticism over their effectiveness and the overall effort required.

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3. Listener Tips and Real-Life Vegetarian Experiences

• Chelsea’s Perspective:

  • Caller Chelsea chimes in, finding vegetarianism easier due to accessible options at restaurants and shares quick home meal ideas (like Boca burgers and frozen meals).
  • Quote [05:41 | Chelsea]:
    “I actually didn’t find it all that difficult... Every restaurant you go to, they’re always going to have a vegetarian option.”

• Melissa’s Needs:

  • Melissa looks for practical ways to ensure she gets enough produce, mentioning her kidney transplant and the importance of health tracking with lab results.

• Chef Daniel’s Advice:

  • Chef Daniel (via Chelsea’s connection) provides practical tips: prep all vegetables one night a week, use a good knife, invest in a simple chopper for difficult items, and freeze pre-chopped ingredients.
  • Quote [07:11 | Daniel]:
    “Get a really good knife and just one of those little, small, like, Black and Decker chopper doppers. And then do your shopping days, chop it all up that day, put them in Ziploc freezing bags.”

• Must-Have Tools:

  • Daniel recommends investing in “a good Mustafa knife,” stressing that dull knives make prep work worse.

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4. Acknowledgment of the Bigger Challenge

• Veganism and Beyond:

  • The group admires those who take it further (veganism, gluten-free) and acknowledges the even greater discipline required.
  • Quote [09:02 | Melissa]:
    “Good for you though, admire vegetarians and vegans especially... that takes a lot of work. And now I understand the discipline and the prep work it does.”

• Reality Check:

  • Wendy brings humor and honesty, telling listeners not to suggest time-consuming solutions like canning or pressure cooking, as the core challenge is making time for prep at all.
  • Quote [09:18 | Wendy]:
    “What you’re missing is the point of this whole conversation was Melissa is too lazy to cut things. So don’t have her go pressure cooking and stuff like that.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the food industry and change:

  • [01:05 | Melissa]: “Food Inc is basically about how the food industry is corporate America... and the things that they do to them in order to mass produce them. So it is a little disturbing.”

• On the reality of healthy eating:

  • [02:32 | Melissa]: “That is what is the hardest thing about trying to be a vegetarian. Because the effort. The effort.”

• On hiring a “professional chopper”:

  • [04:01 | Melissa]: “If you were a professional chopper… I guarantee you’d make a ton of cash.”

• On being overwhelmed by prep:

  • [09:18 | Wendy]: “What you’re missing is the point... was Melissa is too lazy to cut things.”

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Important Segments (Timestamps)

• [01:05] – Melissa explains why Food Inc inspired her vegetarian experiment
• [02:32] – The cast discusses the biggest obstacle: time and food prep
• [04:01] – “Professional chopper” idea emerges and produces laughter
• [05:41] – Caller Chelsea describes her vegetarian experience being “not that difficult”
• [07:11] – Chef Daniel gives pro-tips: knives, choppers, and prepping ahead
• [09:02] – Admiration for strict veganism and acknowledgment of effort
• [09:18] – Wendy sums up the real challenge: making the time and effort for prep

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Episode Tone and Style

The conversation is fun, fast-paced, and self-deprecating. The hosts are candid about their culinary preferences (or lack thereof) and don’t shy away from jokes about their “laziness.” Listener participation adds practical counterpoints, and the overall mood is encouraging but realistic about making lifestyle changes.

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Summary

This episode is an honest, entertaining look at why making healthier food choices—like going vegetarian—can be difficult, despite the best intentions. Inspired by Food Inc, Melissa shares her struggles, while other cast members and listeners add humor and helpful advice. The episode resonates with anyone attempting a dietary overhaul and reminds us that sometimes the hardest part is simply finding time to chop the veggies. For aspiring “professional choppers,” there’s untapped business potential!

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Transcript

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[Melissa]

The Bird show so I have been trying to be a vegetarian. Yes, that's true.

[Wendy]

I don't know if we can be friends anymore.

[Melissa]

Yeah, and I'm not one of those crazy vegetarian, no offense people, but come on now. Anybody that's like overly passionate about something or new to something tends to be a little preachy about things. And so I the whole reason I'm doing it is because of the movie Food Inc. It is ironic that I got an email from a listener who just saw it last night and said, oh my God, you got to talk about this. Because I think I'm going to change my eating habits. Well, it's more of, you know, because I yeah, I come from farming families. So you know, I think my mother would be shocked because I still haven't talked to her about wanting to be a vegetarian. But Food Inc. Is basically about how the food industry is corporate America. I mean, it's corporized and that means that sometimes the product is not as good as it should be in order to mass produce something. So you know, it's fine when you're talking about products and maybe there's glitch in a product and because it's overproduced. Well, Food Inc. Kind of shows you that the food we eat and the animals that we are eating are kind of mass produced and the things that they do to them in order to mass produce them. So it is a little disturbing. But I would Kati and I watched it a few months ago and we decided then, you know what, we kind of want to do the vegetarian thing just to try to be healthier, because there are definitely health benefits of that. And then we took a look at the way we eat. And especially if you don't cook for yourselves every night and you go out to either restaurants or fast food store, fast food, you know, companies, then you really aren't getting the healthiest food. I mean, let's just be honest.

[Jessica]

We're all busy.

[Melissa]

Yeah. And that's the thing. And it's funny you say that, Wendy, because that is what is the hardest thing about trying to be a vegetarian. Because the effort. The effort. Two weeks ago, that was what worried me, is because I don't prepare a lot of food and I'm not a good cook. And Katie's, you know, the cook of the family. So we decided a couple weeks ago we were going to do this. A friend of ours is a vegetarian, and she let us borrow the book, you know, eat to Live. And then other people have, you know, suggested vegetarian books of other titles. But, you know, it's basically, we just want to eat more fruits and vegetables. I mean, even if we end up incorporating meat into our, you know, food, it's fine. It's just more of being healthier. So we started last week pretty good. I mean, we bought all the vegetables, we bought the fruit. But the thing you got to do is, again, you got to prepare. Because the problem that we have is that to prepare the vegetables so that by the time you get home and you're hungry, I mean, there's a lot more prep to it. And I realized that one thing that would be very beneficial to my life, and I'm sure to a lot of other people's lives, is if you were a professional chopper, if all you did. If all you did you were hired at, and all you did was go to people's homes and chop their vegetables, I guarantee you'd make a ton of cash, because that's all I need. We have the veggies. We go get it. We get the big thing. I mean, I actually, they're. What is the name? Myproduceguy.com myproduceguy.com you can have the vegetables and fruits delivered to your house. Okay, nice. And so I do that, and that's fine. So everything's good. There's the box. And, you know, and I open the box, it has fresh vegetables, and there they are. And I put them in the fridge, and then they sit in the fridge. And so if I want to, you know, go and chop my vegetables for salad, and I'm starving, do I feel like chopping. No, I don't feel like chopping. I'm at the fast food store.

[Wendy]

Or you just reach in, you have a handful of like Ritz crackers.

[Melissa]

Yeah, exactly. And so I'm trying, but the problem is that I'm not quite good at the whole thing. Preparation thing.

[Jessica]

Well, there's that chopper thing I see on TV late nights because I always want to buy it. Waking up on Sunday. Why not get like one of those kind of choppers?

[Wendy]

It's still the labor of chopping, but

[Jessica]

it only takes, according to the little thing, three days.

[Melissa]

I have never owned a chopper that. That did. Did the job as well as it should. Well, those infomercial shreds it to this little, you know, whatever. Maybe I'm just not getting the right chopper. But still, it's taking the time to do it.

[Wendy]

Jessica has one and it's the loudest. It's a hand chopper. I don't know if it's that one that's on TV or whatever, but. But it scares the dog. The dog is scared of thunderstorms and this chopper. And you know when she's making something that involves like chopped up nuts or vegetables or something, because in the kitchen it sounds like she's hacking up a body.

[Jessica]

Well, it's. Yeah, but I.

[Melissa]

And I'm admittedly, one of the reasons I didn't, you know, I was, you know, worried about trying to be a vegetarian is because it takes. I won't do it. I'm not a food person. I hate the kitchen. I hate food preparation. I hate the whole thing. So, yeah, if there was somebody that said, I'm a professional chopper, I would actually hire you. It's annoying.

[Jessica]

It's annoying to prep food.

[Wendy]

Chelsea, welcome to the bird show.

[Chelsea]

Hi.

[Wendy]

How are you?

[Chelsea]

I'm good, thanks.

[Wendy]

What's going on?

[Chelsea]

I was going to say I was a vegetarian for a little while and I actually didn't find it all that difficult to do because every restaurant you go to, they're always going to have a vegetarian option.

[Wendy]

But what about dining at home?

[Chelsea]

Well, I mean, I'm still going the frozen route, but, you know, you can do Boca burgers and things like that. Even if you want something quick, if it's a frozen meal or a can of soup, you can still do.

[Melissa]

But she's eating enough.

[Wendy]

Chelsea, do you want her to come over to your house and chop your foods?

[Melissa]

No, it's eating. I mean, it's eating enough of it. Yes, we have frozen vegetables. I mean, you know, in the freezer. And everything, but it's just making sure you eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables. And I love raw vegetables, and Katie, you know, doesn't. So we kind of have to incorporate the cooked and the raw and whatever. But it's just now. And one of the things that I'm scientifically wanting to test this because I go to get my labs done every month because I'm a kidney transplant recipient, so I feel like I could physically see the difference in my lab work on whether the diet actually is better for me or not. It's just a matter of doing it.

[Wendy]

Hey, Chef Daniel. Welcome to the show.

[Chelsea]

Hi. I was just calling to make a suggestion on an easy transition in between it.

[Daniel]

Why don't you get all your produce

[Chelsea]

on one day and then have a night where you practice, prep it, do all your cutting, and then the food can hold throughout the week?

[Melissa]

I mean, that sounds logical, and I think you're absolutely right. And I'm. I. Yeah, that's. That sounds good. It's just doing it, the process, actually

[Jessica]

doing it, because it's just time consuming, and we are busy. We're here. We wake up early. We take naps.

[Melissa]

It's like, oh, I'll do it on Sunday. Sunday will be my big prep day. No, it doesn't. I'm sleeping and going to a patio to go eat.

[Wendy]

Jessica, welcome to the show.

[Daniel]

Hey. I've got, actually two tips for you. The first thing is get you a really good knife and just one of those little, small, like, Black and Decker chopper doppers. Things like onions and bell peppers and stuff like that that can go on the chopper dopper. But a really good knife will make things like cutting carrots and tomatoes less messy. And then two of those days, you go shopping, get, like, all those vegetables, chop them up that day, and put them in Ziploc freezing bags. Because a lot of that stuff you can freeze, and so it's easy. So I have to do is go in the freezer, just pull out a bag of, I don't know what, onions. I mean, onions, bell peppers. God, the list goes on. I mean, that's all I can think of right now. But just all that stuff, freeze it same day.

[Melissa]

Is it called a chopper dopper? Is that your pet name for.

[Daniel]

I call it a chopper diaper. But if you go to, like, the cook's warehouse and just let them know, I just need a little small chopper for, like, things, because onions, nobody wants to cut onions.

[Melissa]

Right.

[Daniel]

And so telling me for that and the Black and Decker ones, all it takes is like you put the stuff in, you just cut it in quarters, drop it inside two little pulses and it's done. And that's all you need. And then a really good knife. Definitely go to tooth warehouse because they'll walk you through all that stuff and get you a good Mustafa knife. Those are great. They come in different sizes. You can get invest in a good set because once you do that, you don't have to worry about it because that's what makes cutting vegetables suck, is when you have crappy.

[Melissa]

Well, thank you so much for the suggestions and I'm gonna call mine the Chopper Dopper.

[Wendy]

I'm so glad you clarified that. The Chopper Dopper. Because how foolish would you have been?

[Melissa]

I know and I like the Chopper. Chopper what? Well, just foolish like I always feel if I go into a cook's warehouse or anything that has to do with any kind of kitchen. Anything.

[Wendy]

God, people are calling up with more options. Hey, you go gluten and wheat free too. Melissa. In case being a vegetarian wasn't.

[Melissa]

Baby steps. Baby steps. But I, no, I, I truly. Good for you though, admire vegetarians and vegans especially.

[Jessica]

That's gotta be even more tough to

[Melissa]

not have any dairy products or anything. I mean that takes a lot of work. And now I understand the discipline and the prep work it does.

[Wendy]

And just for the people who are gonna email the suggestions. Cause I'm seeing the calls coming in. You should try pressure cooking. You should try this, you should try canning all that stuff.

[Melissa]

But I got to take the time to do it.

[Wendy]

Yeah. What you're missing is the point of this whole conversation was Melissa is too lazy to cut things. So don't have her go pressure cooking and stuff like that.

[Melissa]

And one last thing, if you, in this recession, if you're looking for a new job, I guarantee if somebody was a professional chopper, you would get clients,

[Wendy]

you would get clienteles and call yourself the Chopper now.

[Melissa]

That's right.

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