back to bacon.. (1 Viewer)

[sarah]

recently I have notice that some lifelong veggies and also some that have only been veggie for a few years, have taken to meat with such gusto and enthusiasm, it makes me wonder why exactly they bothered going veggie in the first place.

Personally I can still understand that people eat meat cause it tastes good and they don't have a problem with the animal dying for their culinary satisfaction. But though I appreciate that it may taste good I could never revert back to the fleshy eating style.


so turncoats, ex- veggies, or those of you who fluctuate, why do you bother going veggie in the first place?
Is it to be more punk, indie, health conscious, loose weight, for the poor fluffy animals, to impress a gf or bf, I've seen lots of people take up the anti meat stance with the new squeeze and drop it as soon as that new squeeze is old news.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

See I told you they were all only looking for notice

 

[Squiggle]

I'm one of the fluctuators, but have spent a lot more time omnivorous than I have as a herbivore.

I've been veggie for many different reasons at different times. Tried it to see if it would help keep my psoriasis under control and at other times I found it much easier to say I was veggie than to explain that I didn't eat certain meats and seafood. I have also restricted my self to a vegetarian diet a few times as part of a detox - and there were also times when I couldn't afford to buy anything other than veg

I have felt pressured to avoid meat and fish a few times when I was going out with vegetarians... the scowls of judgement (whether real or imagined) just don't seem worth enduring so it's easier to just go with the flow and eat what they're eating.

 

[jane]

I'm sorta kinda a turncoat because I started eating fish. But it was really because I developed food intolerances that made it almost impossible to eat out or in someone else's house without introducing something new into my diet.

I've just never liked meat. It was originally because of animal welfare/environmental reasons -- when I was a teen -- but really, my dislike for meat is a bit more visceral than anything I could verbalise. I don't miss it, but then again, if I did decide I wanted to eat meat again, I would. I just never want it. sometimes I love the smell of meat cooking -- there's nothing like the waft of beef burgers on a barbecue or bacon on a Sunday morning, but it doesn't mean I want to eat it. I don't think I could if I tried.

 

[Wobbler]

recently I have notice that some lifelong veggies and also some that have only been veggie for a few years, have taken to meat with such gusto and enthusiasm, it makes me wonder why exactly they bothered going veggie in the first place.

Personally I can still understand that people eat meat cause it tastes good and they don't have a problem with the animal dying for their culinary satisfaction. But though I appreciate that it may taste good I could never revert back to the fleshy eating style.


so turncoats, ex- veggies, or those of you who fluctuate, why do you bother going veggie in the first place?
Is it to be more punk, indie, health conscious, loose weight, for the poor fluffy animals, to impress a gf or bf, I've seen lots of people take up the anti meat stance with the new squeeze and drop it as soon as that new squeeze is old news.

Quite a confrontational post, in my opinion. I've never been vegetarean and I doubt I ever will be. I reckon the reason some people become "turn coats" is because they were trying to sacrifice something which they really liked for either environmental or animal welfare reasons but found it too difficult. I think it's hardly reasonable to attack people for this. Would it be fair for a vegan to attack a vegetarian for not making enough of a stand? I mean by consuming dairy products (even free range) you're still supporting the farming industry. What difference does it make, whether you eat the animal or not if it's going to be killed once its useful (egg laying or mild producing) life is finished? By the same token, would it be fair for a jainist to criticize a vegan for not going far enough?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

two friends of mine went back on the meat after a number of years because they felt it was negatively affecting their health and both reported an improvement when they started back into the meat. both of them are sensible enough sorts and were making an effort to eat well as vegetarians. im just reporting what they said...

 

[Lolo]

recently I have notice that some lifelong veggies and also some that have only been veggie for a few years, have taken to meat with such gusto and enthusiasm, it makes me wonder why exactly they bothered going veggie in the first place.

Personally I can still understand that people eat meat cause it tastes good and they don't have a problem with the animal dying for their culinary satisfaction. But though I appreciate that it may taste good I could never revert back to the fleshy eating style.


so turncoats, ex- veggies, or those of you who fluctuate, why do you bother going veggie in the first place?
Is it to be more punk, indie, health conscious, loose weight, for the poor fluffy animals, to impress a gf or bf, I've seen lots of people take up the anti meat stance with the new squeeze and drop it as soon as that new squeeze is old news.

People change - people's bodies change, people's lifestyles change, people's priorities change. I can't imagine going back to eating meat myself, but I know lots of people who have. Some because they can now freely get organic meat that's not as intensively farmed, some for health reasons, and some just for convenience cause they've married/ shacked up with a meat-eater (the latter is the one I understand least). It's not for everybody, at least they tried in the first place.

Most bizarre example was an Italian-American friend who was vegan for 10 years then went to visit his granny and was tempted back by her Veal Parmesan. Veal!!!!

I used to get anaemic when I was younger, and my doctor insisted it was because I was vegetarian. But I swotted up on what I should be eating and started eating more dark green veg and pulses and I've never been anaemic since, so sometimes just eating a healthier veggie diet is just as effective as going back to meat.

 

[RSJ]

People change. Pretty simple really.

 

[Wobbler]

Veal!!!!

I don't buy into the notion that it's worst of all to eat veal or fois gras. I reckon no meat eater who eats factory farmed chicken has any right to take the high ground over other foods. At least fois gras has taste so it's not a pointless death.

Just to be clear Lolo, I know you don't eat any meat. It's not you I'm criticiising. Also, although I make token efforts to avoid it, I also eat factory farmed chicken.

 

[magicbastarder]

i'm trying to give up red meat. beef, specifically. mainly due to the fact that it's such an incredible waste of resources.

 

[Mormon Nailer]

i'm trying to give up red meat. beef, specifically. mainly due to the fact that it's such an incredible waste of resources.

If (big if) I was to give up anything it would be chicken - cause of the enormous cruelty involved.

Cows have a pretty normal stress free existance compared to chickens.

 

[wageslave]

I've recently turned 30 and reckon at this stage I've probably been off the meat longer than I was on it.

I always loved the taste of meat and was never a fussy eater. I gave it up because I thought it was cruel to kill animals for food when I didn't need to - I always figured up if I ended up on a desert island or whatever I'd eat whatever I needed to.

Apart from the first christmas I found being veggie pretty easy - I like cooking and when I'm not being lazy I can rustle up some tasty shit. Anyway I was recently thinking about going back on the meat. I was on holiday in France with some mates on what was pretty much an eating and drinking holiday. Apart from an Italian joint the veggie selection in all the places we went to was pretty woeful. Its actually painful to watch people scoffing on lovely grub when you're eating some crappy veg lasagne - esp if its something much worse than what you could cook yourself.

After the holiday I went down to Kilkenny to the Cat Laughs and while there went to a restaurant with mates again. Almost everyone there had steak and loved it while I had some pricey ass Pad Thai - I've eaten better in the Food Emporium on Liffey Street for just over a fiver.

All of this had me seriously thinking about eating meat again - I've gotten over it now again though. Figure theres no point going to a restaurant without checking out their menu first though which is a bit of a pain, you'd think that in 2007 there'd be a decent choice in most places but it just ain't the case.

 

[RSJ]

Why not just eat meat when you have to or want to and don't when you don't? I'm more or less meat free but if i'm in a situation where it's the only option (supermarket sangridges) or a very tasty option (family dinner in somewhere with sweet steaks), i'll eat the meat. Easy life.

 

[Lolo]

I don't buy into the notion that it's worst of all to eat veal or fois gras. I reckon no meat eater who eats factory farmed chicken has any right to take the high ground over other foods. At least fois gras has taste so it's not a pointless death.

Just to be clear Lolo, I know you don't eat any meat. It's not you I'm criticiising. Also, although I make token efforts to avoid it, I also eat factory farmed chicken.

Oh I agree, but don't you think it's a bit bizarre though to go from absolutely no animal products at all, not even a bit of cheese or choccy, for a whole decade, and then choose a kind of meat that lots of meat eaters balk at eating as your way back into the omnivorous world? His granny must have been one kick-ass cook....

 

[Wobbler]

Oh I agree, but don't you think it's a bit bizarre though to go from absolutely no animal products at all, not even a bit of cheese or choccy, for a whole decade, and then choose a kind of meat that lots of meat eaters balk at eating as your way back into the omnivorous world? His granny must have been one kick-ass cook....

In for a penny.....

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Someone answer me this.

If beef is a huge waste of resources then veal has had less of an investment of scarce resources in it and should be preferred over beef?

 

[Squiggle]

Oh I agree, but don't you think it's a bit bizarre though to go from absolutely no animal products at all, not even a bit of cheese or choccy, for a whole decade, and then choose a kind of meat that lots of meat eaters balk at eating as your way back into the omnivorous world? His granny must have been one kick-ass cook....

Might as well be hung for a calf as a bullock?

 

[Wobbler]

For what it's worth, I reckon the most sustainable route society could take is to rely less on meat. Most Irish people seem to eat 2 (maybe slightly less) portions of meat per day. They eat meat without thinking about it, which is just as well as mass produced meat doesn't taste of much anyway. If people were to eat considerably less meat (maybe once a week) we'd be able to afford a better tasting and more ethically reared and butchered meat. Producers would meat this demand.

If we were to establish that eating meat is ethically wrong, I think the whole world becoming vegetarean wouldn't be such a good thing. Every animal which is reared for food would have to be killed which means lots of creatures would become extinct.

If we ate less but better meat, I think everyone wins.

It's probably only right that mention that I fall into the category of "most Irish people" in the above. I don't practice what I preach.

 

[magicbastarder]

Someone answer me this.

If beef is a huge waste of resources then veal has had less of an investment of scarce resources in it and should be preferred over beef?

i don't know how much production goes into veal, but assuming it's less, all other things being equal, i'd say yes.

producing two pounds of beef has roughly the same environmental impact as driving 350km, or so i read recently.

 

[Wobbler]

Someone answer me this.

If beef is a huge waste of resources then veal has had less of an investment of scarce resources in it and should be preferred over beef?

It depends on why one becomes a vegetarean. Due to animal cruelty or because of the waste of resources. Both good reasons, imho.