Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

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fabindia
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Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by fabindia »

I wasn't sure where to post this thread. It could well go under 'food and drink' but I thought maybe the ethical and environmental side of the debate swung it.

Yesterday, was world vegan day and in UK at least it threw up a few surprises. For example, 21% of people in UK now consider themselves flexitarians, i.e. they consciously cut back on their meat consumption; see https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/world-vegan-day-vegetarian-diet-plant-based-meat-health-waitrose-survey-a8611981.html.

I am certainly not vegan, I eat eggs and dairy-based products, but I am strict vegetarian, no meat, fish or prawns and the like. Mrs Fab, Wendy, has never been a great meat eater and never eats chicken or lamb, but she does eat the odd bacon buttie in UK and likes just a single slice of beef with Sunday dinner, so she well fits the flexitarian definition.

Here in Thailand, they eat all sorts of stomach-churning meats; sheep's innards, chicken feet and chicken sausages, etc. We loved living in India, as in Gujarat where we were based, it is predominantly vegetarian. They had slight problems with my version of vegetarianism, I eat eggs as well as dairy, whereas they ate diary but no eggs.

It's not just the morality and ethics of eating meat that bothers me but also eating fish is a big issue. They used to say, 'there are plenty more fish in the sea', but I am not sure that holds in today's world; the Chinese are doing a good job of trying to eat them all.
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wendy
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by wendy »

I am a little more than a flexitarian.
As I rarely eat meat, certainly don't buy it. But if a friend cooks a meal I will have a little.
But only Beef or Lamb as it is very hard to factory farm those.
I think we all eat too much meat in the Country, to be completely healthy for us.
I don't have a great problem with meat eating. As long as it is humanely raised and slaughtered.
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kitla
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by kitla »

dont get me started about china & fish! In West Africa Chinese fishmeal factories not only take tons of fish - meaning nothing left for the local people, but also dump the toxic factory waste back in the coastal sea, killing more fish & making it dangerous to swim in. grrrr
Yes I would call myself a flexitarian, I dont eat meat every day & what I do eat is as high welfare as I can find. If I lived on my own I think I'd be full vegetarian - (apart from cheese)
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Mo
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by Mo »

I'd never heard the term before, but I suppose I could call myself one.
I only buy meat if I am cooking for someone else (an occasional Sunday roast for the family). And the left-overs linger in the freezer for ages. When I'm out I might buy a meat pie, but I never take chicken from a buffet it is probably factory farmed. Not keen on 'vegetarian' dishes though - I'd rather just eat veg, plus a little organic (Soil Association animal welfare standards) cheese, or free range eggs.
kitla wrote: If I lived on my own I think I'd be full vegetarian - (apart from cheese)
Yes my diet has changed a lot since I'm just cooking for one.
As for odd innards I think if you are kill an animal it is disrespectful to waste any part you can use.
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fabindia
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by fabindia »

Mo wrote:As for odd innards I think if you are kill an animal it is disrespectful to waste any part you can use.


Totally agree. Also, if you eat meat, then I think you should be able to visit an abattoir. Plastic wrapped meat in the supermarket doesn't convey the whole story.
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wendy
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by wendy »

I agree Mo.
If you want to eat an animal eat it all !! and maybe they should be prepared to slaughter it. That may cut down the meat eating.

Mo there are so many delicious vegetarian recipes. I NEVER eat Quorn or anything like that.
Why not eat meat and then eat something that looks and tastes like it ?
Yesterday I Had linguine with home made Pesto and Butternut Squash.
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Mo
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by Mo »

wendy wrote:Mo there are so many delicious vegetarian recipes.

There probably are if you like all the herbs & spices that go into them. After over 45 years when even an onion in the kitchen was anathema my taste buds prefer plain veg.
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wendy
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by wendy »

{rofwl}
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by Mo »

My friend tried to persuade me that I would like peppers. 'They aren't hot'. Well no, and I suppose they're not too bad, cooked, if you can hide them. But I was right about not liking them, so I shall continue to avoid them, and pick them out of salads.

Jim always used to say 'no onions, no cheese' if he ordered any food. He really didn't like onions anywhere near anything he was going to eat (or kiss, come to that!). But we thought we were safe in a fish & chip shop. It came with a salad with onions!
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by Grannyof4 »

I think on the whole the generation now are wimps when it comes to unusual cuts of meat. I remember as a child (I am now 72) my mother used to cook with everything from the animal. The most wonderful smell from pigs fry cooking. This was all the inside bits, heart, liver, lungs, kidney all cooked with lots of onion and sage. The gravy was amazing and a big dollop of mash to soak it up. Tripe and onions which I love. Stuffed lambs hearts, not my favourite. You only have to watch "come dine with me" …..I despair sometimes and wonder why they have entered it when they don't like anything, then say they are not a fussy eater. It's like people who go travelling far and wide but probably live in the local McD's!! I wouldn't like to think what I may have tried in places like Thailand, Peru, India. I don't eat as much red meat as I used to when my husband was alive. Not sure why as I still cook well for myself but tend to use a lot more chicken (free range only) and cook quicker meals, love stir fries and also eat more fish.
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Re: Are you cutting down on animal-based products?

Post by Meanqueen »

I can remember being force fed all the cheaper gory bits from an animal that my mum bought at the butchers. Tripe, livers, hearts, and lots of fat and grizzle. I think I was slowly going off eating animals from a young age. I picked around at it, and left most of it on the side of my plate.

We got two cockerels from the rag and bone man, they were our pets, Pinky and Perky. One day Perky disappeared and was served up on our dinner plates. I remember seeing it hanging on the back door handle being plucked. I couldn't eat it, I was nearly sick, and so upset. I still don't know how anyone can rear an animal and kill it.

At 16 I got a job in a sausage factory, it was just round the back of our house in the next street. They brought the live pigs in on a Sunday night, the squealing was horrendous before they were slaughtered. I had to leave that job, couldn't stomach the stench and blood everywhere.

I carried on eating meat for a while but I was very picky, slowly there was less and less that I would eat. Then I thought, why not just stop eating meat all together. I still ate a bit of fish now and again, but that has stopped now. I haven't eaten meat for 30 years or more, not eaten fish for about eight years. I call myself veggie, though not vegan because I eat dairy and eggs.

Instead of planting crops to feed animals, why not plant more human food.

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