What happened to vegetarians?

[vickster]

It's an interesting aspect to being vegetarian/vegan. As a vegetarian(but eating dairy & eggs), I can't understand the vegetarian products that imitate meat (mimic taste and texture). Seems a lot of development by food processor companies to make vegetarian versions of meat. Whilst I tend to avoid such products I assume (maybe incorrectly) that these artificial vegetarian meat look/taste alikes are very processed, very UPF'd so of questionable health impacts.

Ian

Indeed, I avoid fake meat. However, there are non meat eaters who like the texture/taste but do not want to eat animal products. Fine by me, adults can eat whatever they want (as long as they don't eat cold egg products within 50 feet of me!!!)

 

[Drago]

You not an egg fan Vickster? I love eggs, a wonder food.

 

[Time Waster]

I am not sure about the 20 essential amino acids thing. There was a tv show a few years back (possibly by that recently deceased TV doctor guy) that went through them and how it is possible to get them. I was sure there were a lot more than 20 say 37ish.

IF you can find it I would recommend it. Such nuggets of info like the way Mexicans prefer sweetcorn that has been infected with a certain funghi such that it goes black ans swollen. Apparently this funghi coverts the sugars into a hard to find amino acid that the body needs and can't produce for itself. Our nice and clean yellow sweetcorn isn't nearly has healthy to eat. The majority of developed world growers would destroy a whole crop of it if this appeared. Burning it and not growing on there for a few years to prevent it recurring. Over there they actively promote it to get better price for the crop!!

Bulgarian rural areas that are heavily into dairy products with the preservation method of making yoghurt. Apparently this process creates another amino acid we need but struggle to get. In those hard to reach rural areas of Bulgaria yoghurt making is a big thing.

The other thing is amounts of foods to replace a steak for nutrients. Another tv programme showed how much of the "superfood" spinach you need to get enough iron to replace a steak for that one mineral. It was a huge pile of it and certainly more than one portion you would eat in a veggie dish.

This is not to say you cannot get what you need from other sources and have a healthy veggie or vegan diet. A healthy diet is something you need to learn to do. That applies to whatever type of consumer you are.

One last point I have is about questioning the idea of veganism. In our modern world animal byproducts are in so much more than is obvious. Is it even possible to be a strict vegan without making sure you grow and make your food, clothes, etc for yourself from known and traceable souces? For example, isn't most wine made with products derived from fish? Cosmetics that are red is likely to be from shrimp shells from the food industry and so on. It is all just about choosing your own moral stance or choosing what you want to eat / use in your life. Nothing is perfect (plants can feel pain according to research and even communicate).

PS I nearly went veggie. As a late teen I developed a tendency to only eat veggie meals out. 6'5" tall and eating the smallest portions as a kid in a familymeal out. It was the texture of meat that I did not like. Then my mum bought us sirloin steak and cooked it to perfection. I had never experienced meat that melted in your mouth with barely any need to chew it. After that I started ordering the meatiest dish in pubs and restaurants. Steak and ale pie was actually my new favourite or steak and kidney pie or game pie. I even ordered steak at times. I went to Brazilian restaurants. The ones where you book a table for the whole night and spend it eating meat after meat after meat for about 4 hours!! Oh yeah there were a few vegetable dishes brought out in between but not many ate them as the meat dishes were filling.

Oh how a quality well cooked meat can turn around the person close to turning veggie. It is often bacon that does that too.

 

[Psamathe]

I thought it was B12 that was the crucial missing thing but only for vegans. Otherwise a varied diet, etc.

I probably should know given I am vegetarian (but include dary and eggs, so maybe not so crucial?)

Ian

 

[TheDoctor]

Is it partly that most places have some veggie / vegan dishes anyway?
I'll often order veggie stuff - not for idealogical reasons, but because it's delish. Give me some onion bhajis, aloo paneer and a peshwari naan and I'm a very happy bunny.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I used to know a couple where the wife decided that she didn;t want to eat meat anymore

Sensible person - she checked everything out and ate a good diet and it solved a few problems she had

Her husband did not agree with the change of diet. He was perfectly OK with her changing her diet - even ate the same at home at times for convenience - he even was known to say that he really liked some of it.
However, he was certainly not fully on board

One of his hobbies was the local hunt. She had a horse but he wasn;t allowed to use that for hunting (she was a very good cross country rider) but the local Hunt had horses he could borrow.
She often went along for the social part while the others (mostly but not totally men) went hunting
BTW - it was a massive shock to anyone if they actually caught a fox - they were rubbish at it and had been known to call the hounds off if they got too close to a real fox!!!


Anyway - I'm sure there was a point??
Oh yes - so she is a vegetarian - almost vegan - going to Hunt meeting so she got some good natured comments
and as she ws a well known local rider they wanted her to join in - she was better than most of them anyway!

She always refused on the grounds that she was a vegetarian
but as they seldom caught the fox this didn;t seem that relevant once a lot of them were drunk after they got back

she was refusing yet again one day and one of the riders shouted "But SUE - we don;t EAT the fox!!!"

she still didn't take part!!!

 

[BrumJim]

I think it depends on the individual's reason for becoming vegetarian or vegan. My reason for going vegetarian was primarily in relation to Climate Pollution (raising meat has a significant impact of Climate Pollution compared to eating fruit/veg.). We all have to make changes to reduce our footprint and giving-up meat is something I can do. That said I also do have animal welfare concerns but thinking about my own decision, were that a major enough concern then I really should be giving up eggs and dairy.

Not eaten fish since early teenage years (and in late 60s now).

Ian

LIkewise, although intially made the change by marriage, but if I was left on my own, would probably carry on.

However started eating fish again a few years ago because my son liked it, and the local supermarket changed to a Morrisons which had a fresh fish stall.

 

[presta]

"Amino acids are the components that make protein. You need 22 specific amino acids to build the proteins found in most parts of your body, including muscles, red blood cells and immune cells. Because your body can only produce 13 amino acids on its own, you need to get the other nine from your diet. These nine are considered essential because you need them to maintain a healthy body. They are histidine, lysine, threonine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, valine, phenylalanine and tryptophan. Although you can get amino acids from both plant- and animal-based foods, only animal protein contains all nine essential amino acids."

 

[Cathryn]

I've never understood the giving up meat but still eat fish thing. It is just meat of fish not meat of cow pig or chicken?

I eat fish but not meat so I can give my thoughts.
* my initial reason was for heart health. I have a dodgy heart and I read enough info about the effect of animal fats on heart health that I felt it was a good and simple decision.
* then I read about the impact of animal farming on the soil and soil health and felt that was another good reason to avoid meat
* then I read more about the environmental impact of eating meat and felt I didn’t need to contribute to that.
* then I read about how, if people eat no meat (or even less meat, we don’t need to be black and white here), we could grow crops and feed the crops to actual people instead of animals. That would enable us to feed many more people. If really cared about world hunger, this was a simple step I could take.

My reasoning may not be perfect and I’m sure plenty of people would like to disagree or argue. I’m not up for the debate, I’m very happy with my decision. I eat well and healthily and have peace about the choices I’ve made. I’m not insisting you do the same!

 

[MontyVeda]

I know a lot more veges than i do vegans. I can only think of two vegans at the moment, and one on them lives in the States

 

[MontyVeda]

I've never understood the giving up meat but still eat fish thing. It is just meat of fish not meat of cow pig or chicken?

I've never really understood people who feel the need to question other peoples' diets.

Can we not eat what we want without being judged?

 

[Drago]

I've never really understood people who feel the need to question other peoples' diets.

Can we not eat what we want without being judged?

What a quaint idea!

 

[MontyVeda]

What a quaint idea!

Indeed.
Where can I get a dolphin burger?

 

[Dogtrousers]

Indeed.
Where can I get a dolphin burger?

I remember my mother used to sing "Whale Meat Again" to the dog as she scooped Pedigree Chum into the dog bowl.

 

[Reynard]

I frequently realise that I've been veggie for a few days. Not out of any desire to not eat meat, just that I haven't.

This is much how we roll chez Casa Reynard, and really, it's not something we particularly think about. All that matters is whether the food is a) tasty and b) filling.

But we do eat a lot less meat than we used to. One, I'd much rather have less of a good-quality and high welfare meat and really enjoy it, than have a plate heaped high with the intensively-reared meat. As a cook and foodie, the difference can be quite startling. And two, as has been mentioned upthread, it is in part due to the environmental impact of meat production.

I will make meat go further by putting it into things as opposed to having it as the centrepiece of a meal - current culinary endeavour is a mexican-style spicy chicken, but it's also packed with tomatoes, beans, onions, peppers and sweetcorn. And the vegetables and pulses actually make up the bulk of the dish.

I'll happily eat vegetarian and vegan food, and a lot of it (not, might I add using fake "meat" products) is lovely. Curries, cannelloni stuffed with spinach & ricotta, roast squash, lentil & feta pies, gnocchi alla sorrentina, bubble & squeak with baked beans and a fried egg plonked on top...

When I'm either judging or stewarding at a cat show, I do tend to go for the vegetarian options for lunch. Likewise when I (rarely) go out for a meal.

From where I'm sitting, it's about having a good, interesting and varied diet.

P.S. I love eating fish and seafood too. Anything goes really.