Reducing Meat Intake
PurpleYFronts
Posts: 344 Member
Hi, over the past year or so I have been trying hard to reduce my intake of most meats in favour of fish/vegetarian/vegan options. In truth, I will always remain a meat-eater however I am much more conscious of where my food is sourced, how it is reared, cared for and ultimately slaughtered.
My average day would have no doubt been similar to many in that for breakfast I might have a cooked breakfast with meat (usually pork), lunch might be chicken or ham in a sandwich, dinner would probably be a meat-based bolognese/chilli or something. That's 3 times a day pretty much everyday eating a range of different animals without thinking twice about it. However, I did start to consider it and the more I thought about it, the more it concerned me. That and how the meat was finding its way onto my table!
That's what prompted me to think more about my intake. I've introduced a lot more meat-free meals, more fish and pretty much all the meat I do eat is responsibly farmed, organic and sourced from a local butcher, to the point I know the farm and even the herd. To be honest, I save more money by reducing my intake and focusing more on plant-based meals, occasionally adding in a Quorn/Tofu protein substitute (though in truth I don't believe there is a suitable substitute for meat to a carnivore). I suppose the point is to make meat more special, more deserving and earned rather than eating it like I would a packet of crisps, without any thought.
I'm not exactly sure what the point of this thread is other than to share my thoughts and ask if others have made the same conscious decisions in their diets. I'm interested to know why you have made the decision, have you become fully vegetarian/vegan or whether you will just carry on eating mass-produced food for the cheapest price.
My average day would have no doubt been similar to many in that for breakfast I might have a cooked breakfast with meat (usually pork), lunch might be chicken or ham in a sandwich, dinner would probably be a meat-based bolognese/chilli or something. That's 3 times a day pretty much everyday eating a range of different animals without thinking twice about it. However, I did start to consider it and the more I thought about it, the more it concerned me. That and how the meat was finding its way onto my table!
That's what prompted me to think more about my intake. I've introduced a lot more meat-free meals, more fish and pretty much all the meat I do eat is responsibly farmed, organic and sourced from a local butcher, to the point I know the farm and even the herd. To be honest, I save more money by reducing my intake and focusing more on plant-based meals, occasionally adding in a Quorn/Tofu protein substitute (though in truth I don't believe there is a suitable substitute for meat to a carnivore). I suppose the point is to make meat more special, more deserving and earned rather than eating it like I would a packet of crisps, without any thought.
I'm not exactly sure what the point of this thread is other than to share my thoughts and ask if others have made the same conscious decisions in their diets. I'm interested to know why you have made the decision, have you become fully vegetarian/vegan or whether you will just carry on eating mass-produced food for the cheapest price.
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Replies
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FatinofTroupeNisaa wrote: »Also check out freelee the banana girl on YouTube she kinda inspired my decision.
'cause theres nothing "all or nothing" about Freelee. yeesh.
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PurpleYFronts wrote: »I'm interested to know why you have made the decision, have you become fully vegetarian/vegan or whether you will just carry on eating mass-produced food for the cheapest price.
Mostly the second one.
I like my meat, animal products, and plant life of all kinds. I'm an omnivore. A creature of opportunity. Basically I'll eat whatever I have that gets me my required energy and nutrition. And I'll like it.
Probably not the most sensitive answer, but I have to admit that it's true.0 -
FatinofTroupeNisaa wrote: »Also check out freelee the banana girl on YouTube she kinda inspired my decision.
Bahahahahaha......seriously?
Yes, OP, I did make the decision two years ago and I transitioned to a vegan diet, and I brought my family along with me.
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Ok for going vegan I am absolutely (y) (y) but do you really belive that there is such a thing as "humane meat" I mean the animal is pretty much dead and raised only to feed us. There is enought protein in soy,tofu,beans,chickpease,nuts,grains without the extra saturated fat. Idk maybe I am too harsh,it is veryPurpleYFronts wrote: »Hi, over the past year or so I have been trying hard to reduce my intake of most meats in favour of fish/vegetarian/vegan options. In truth, I will always remain a meat-eater however I am much more conscious of where my food is sourced, how it is reared, cared for and ultimately slaughtered.
My average day would have no doubt been similar to many in that for breakfast I might have a cooked breakfast with meat (usually pork), lunch might be chicken or ham in a sandwich, dinner would probably be a meat-based bolognese/chilli or something. That's 3 times a day pretty much everyday eating a range of different animals without thinking twice about it. However, I did start to consider it and the more I thought about it, the more it concerned me. That and how the meat was finding its way onto my table!
That's what prompted me to think more about my intake. I've introduced a lot more meat-free meals, more fish and pretty much all the meat I do eat is responsibly farmed, organic and sourced from a local butcher, to the point I know the farm and even the herd. To be honest, I save more money by reducing my intake and focusing more on plant-based meals, occasionally adding in a Quorn/Tofu protein substitute (though in truth I don't believe there is a suitable substitute for meat to a carnivore). I suppose the point is to make meat more special, more deserving and earned rather than eating it like I would a packet of crisps, without any thought.
I'm not exactly sure what the point of this thread is other than to share my thoughts and ask if others have made the same conscious decisions in their diets. I'm interested to know why you have made the decision, have you become fully vegetarian/vegan or whether you will just carry on eating mass-produced food for the cheapest price.
good that you actually care and don't do it only for weight lose. For me it was easy I stop meat and dairy in one day because I didn't wanted to support that cruelty anymore (thanks to Petas videos) and I want to be example to other people and to be proud of myself (especially when people still slaughter animals in "christian" holidays and when there is a tradition here that people drown dogs in water for fun but first they hang them ).0 -
I totally respect your decision. I have been struggling with this same thing for the past several years, the impetus being my decision to raise chickens. I found myself feeling awful for all those other cooped up chickens- pun totally intended:) and have only bought organic free-range chicken since then- although in reality, that is hardly a better situation for the chickens. I'm currently seeking out a local butcher I can feel good about because I do enjoy eating meat! I found Michael Pollan's book on this subject, The Omnivore's Dilemma, to be very inspiring.0
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herrspoons wrote: »Not my bag. Food is food, whether it's animal or plant based.
Good luck with your goals though.
Ok but I prefer my food to not cry before it dies.0 -
FatinofTroupeNisaa wrote: »Also check out freelee the banana girl on YouTube she kinda inspired my decision.
freelee is a nut job!!! She also feeds her poor dogs a vegan diet, which makes me furious!!!!!!
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christinev297 wrote: »FatinofTroupeNisaa wrote: »Also check out freelee the banana girl on YouTube she kinda inspired my decision.
freelee is a nut job!!! She also feeds her poor dogs a vegan diet, which makes me furious!!!!!!
Dogs can manage on a vegan diet. It's cats that need supplementation with taurine, IIRC.0 -
In our house we eat mostly local meat too. I saw mostly, because my hubby does occasionally eat bacon or chicken fingers from the store. We order a side of beef, a quarter of a pig, 2 turkeys, and about 5 chickens, and that feeds our family of 4 for a year. We also have laying hens. A couple months ago we slaughtered a rooster and ate him for dinner. It prompted a lot of guilt on my part. I truly believe in the saying 'if slaughter houses had glass walls, we'd all be vegetarians'. If I'm going to eat meat I'd rather it be free range, foraging for what it is supposed to be eating, and doing it's 'animal thing' instead of eating misery and sickness from a lack of sunlight, fresh air, and malnourished due to only eating gruel.0
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These issues are complicated.
One concern is about how we treat the migrant workers in the slaughter houses -- places with sky high rates of serious injury.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2005/08/02/meatpackings-human-toll
https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3108/osha3108.html
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So you're happy with steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones etc being pumped into your food? There has to be consideration given to animal welfare, stress and health if you plan to feed that meat to yourself and your family. There are too many incidents or rotting meat, illegal disposal of carcasses including horsemeat being pumped into processed meat products for me to simply disregard it as being just food.-1
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PurpleYFronts wrote: »I'm not exactly sure what the point of this thread is other than to share my thoughts and ask if others have made the same conscious decisions in their diets. I'm interested to know why you have made the decision, have you become fully vegetarian/vegan or whether you will just carry on eating mass-produced food for the cheapest price.PurpleYFronts wrote: »So you're happy with steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones etc being pumped into your food? There has to be consideration given to animal welfare, stress and health if you plan to feed that meat to yourself and your family. There are too many incidents or rotting meat, illegal disposal of carcasses including horsemeat being pumped into processed meat products for me to simply disregard it as being just food.
It sounds like you are contradicting yourself here and that you are trying to change the minds of meat eaters ( or open them or whatever).
For some price will always win out. It doesn't mean they don't care about animal cruelty. It just might mean they choose not to think about it.
It's great that you have found this moral high ground for yourself and your family, but not everyone has reached it or is even striving to. It's like the pro-GMO and anti-GMO people. There are 2 sides to each argument.0 -
I believe that something sacrificing it's life for me to eat should be respected. I now try to buy my milk, eggs, and meat from local animals that have been treated with diginity. It is a lot more expensive, for that reason I eat much less beef. Many local sources even allow visits, I have visited where most of my chicken eggs come from. It is a commitment and one I am still working on. Eating out is an issue as well!0
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Don't care about it. But thanks for your concern.PurpleYFronts wrote: »So you're happy with steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones etc being pumped into your food? There has to be consideration given to animal welfare, stress and health if you plan to feed that meat to yourself and your family. There are too many incidents or rotting meat, illegal disposal of carcasses including horsemeat being pumped into processed meat products for me to simply disregard it as being just food.
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PurpleYFronts wrote: »I'm not exactly sure what the point of this thread is other than to share my thoughts and ask if others have made the same conscious decisions in their diets. I'm interested to know why you have made the decision, have you become fully vegetarian/vegan or whether you will just carry on eating mass-produced food for the cheapest price.
It's not one or the other.
I've very consciously decided not to be a vegetarian or vegan but I try to source locally when possible for many things and a lot of my food is not mass produced or necessarily the cheapest.
Why?
It's a taste thing. Nor do I see it morally wrong to eat meat.
And it is also a dietary variety choice - one of my daughters is a super-taster and has an extremely limited palate of food choices she accepts. We work on it, but it's a huge struggle. Limiting food choice further would be a health/mental issue.
Edit: I see the purpose of this thread isn't to ask for input on our own practices but to flog about with a self-righteous position. Okay.
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I have made a conscious decision about what to eat, but not the same as you. I have come to the conclusion that taking just what I need, is not greedy. I eat cheap food. I won't go for the hype. I eat what is available and tasty and gives me energy. I will eat it up - no lean protein for me. I will indulge, but not overindulge. If I get sick because I refuse to eat what I need or alternatively learn what it takes to eat healthily without it, that would be stupid.0
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Hi all, I am a vegan with an open diary so feel free to add me and look at my meals if you want some ideas about meatless meals.
I went vegan about 6 months ago and have found that since going vegan my diet is a lot more varied, exciting and tasty than it ever was as an omnivore not to mention so much better for my health (cutting out beef pork and cheese cuts out a great deal of cholesterol)
My diet before turning vegan tended to include one meal a day with meat in it (either lunch or tea) and I had terrible IBS (with flare ups happening about 3-4 times a week) since going vegan this has completely cleared up0 -
Why can't people be happy eating a balance diet. My sister cut meat out of her life a long time ago. We always thought she was healthy. She was skinny and worked out a lot, ate her share of peanuts, beans, tofu and peas - lots of vegatables. Thought she was getting all of her protein. Now she has thyroid issues, heart problems, migraines, and anorixia. Now the doctor is making her eat animal protein and fat. Organic food still has pesitcides. Soy and beans are processed food. Then there are studies that your body doesn't absorb plant protein as well as animal. If you think about it, everything is bad for you. Why not just eat a balance diet? I will eat animal protein for about every meal, plus vegatables, a little bit of fruit (diabetes is highly in my family - got to watch my sugar intake - gives me a bad headache), a protein bar and some type of grain bread/pasta/rice or other grain. I lift 4 times a week.0
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HealthyFit23 wrote: »Why can't people be happy eating a balance diet. My sister cut meat out of her life a long time ago. We always thought she was healthy. She was skinny and worked out a lot, ate her share of peanuts, beans, tofu and peas - lots of vegatables. Thought she was getting all of her protein. Now she has thyroid issues, heart problems, migraines, and anorixia. Now the doctor is making her eat animal protein and fat. Organic food still has pesitcides. Soy and beans are processed food. Then there are studies that your body doesn't absorb plant protein as well as animal. If you think about it, everything is bad for you. Why not just eat a balance diet? I will eat animal protein for about every meal, plus vegatables, a little bit of fruit (diabetes is highly in my family - got to watch my sugar intake - gives me a bad headache), a protein bar and some type of grain bread/pasta/rice or other grain. I lift 4 times a week.
I'm not a vegan for health reasons, I am vegan for ethical reasons. I have cut animal products out of my life as much as possible (yes, I do realize that some things I use daily were sourced from animals, or processed using animal sources, those things are out of my control). No, I would not be happy eating animal products.
It is certainly possible to be a healthy vegan and not have the problems your sister had. I don't force the issue on people who chose to eat meat, nor do I get judgey. But I also don't like to be judged on what is to me a personal choice. My conscience can't handle eating meat, dairy, or eggs. So I don't.0 -
I would love to only eat meat and animal products raised by local farms that treat their animals well but I can't afford it0
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Katerina9408 wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Not my bag. Food is food, whether it's animal or plant based.
Good luck with your goals though.
Ok but I prefer my food to not cry before it dies.
Vegan propoganda...
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herrspoons wrote: »Katerina9408 wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Not my bag. Food is food, whether it's animal or plant based.
Good luck with your goals though.
Ok but I prefer my food to not cry before it dies.
I don't really care if it does or not. It's just food.
It's also called the "food chain" for a reason...
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Animals were placed on Earth to feed us. It's great being at the top of the food chain.0
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I actively dislike chickens. If a chicken gave me cause, I would not hesitate to slap it.
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This. bahahahaha about the banana girl.Laurend224 wrote: »FatinofTroupeNisaa wrote: »Also check out freelee the banana girl on YouTube she kinda inspired my decision.
Bahahahahaha......seriously?
Yes, OP, I did make the decision two years ago and I transitioned to a vegan diet, and I brought my family along with me.
But, yes, I'm eating much more plant based than I used to. I've had a heavily plant based diet for about 14 years, but I've tweaked it in the last while to be even more so.
I used to have meat/animal products once a day or so, now I'm not.
I'm not a vegetarian/vegan, but more like a pescetarian right now. I'm eating wild caught sustainable fish a couple of times a week. For me, while there have always been ethics and safety concerns, my decision to eat even more plant based than I was was about my health and how I felt. Red meat was causing increased hot flashes and night sweats. And I felt like it was exacerbating my menopause symptoms. And, I wanted to greatly increase my consumption of healthy plant foods that would make me feel BETTER during menopause.
So I did. And I do.
I don't log my calories, generally, but have been off and on the last while to track nutrients. My magical macros haven't changed much, but my diet is more nutritious than it was. And, importantly, I do feel better.
And, I'll tweak again if I deem it necessary or desirable.0 -
troutrouter wrote: »Animals were placed on Earth to feed us. It's great being at the top of the food chain.
by whom?0 -
herrspoons wrote: »Interesting to see those 'tolerant' vegans and vegetarians have flagged my post for abuse. I think that says more about them than me.
I should also say that the vast majority of vegans and vegetarians I know in real life and who post on the board are lovely people. But you're always going to get a few loonies at the fringe I suppose.
What does "tolerance" have to do with it, and why assume that it's the vegetarians who flagged your comment? (I have not idea why it was flagged, it doesn't violate any rules. But as we know that doesn't really matter here it seems.)0 -
herrspoons wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Interesting to see those 'tolerant' vegans and vegetarians have flagged my post for abuse. I think that says more about them than me.
I should also say that the vast majority of vegans and vegetarians I know in real life and who post on the board are lovely people. But you're always going to get a few loonies at the fringe I suppose.
What does "tolerance" have to do with it, and why assume that it's the vegetarians who flagged your comment? (I have not idea why it was flagged, it doesn't violate any rules. But as we know that doesn't really matter here it seems.)
1) Quotes can be used to indicate sarcasm.
2) It was vegans. Really.
It wasn't this vegan! Judgy, 'meat is murder, so you're a murderer' vegans annoy the heck out of me. They happen to be the most vocal of the bunch and tend to be off putting to most people.
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herrspoons wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Interesting to see those 'tolerant' vegans and vegetarians have flagged my post for abuse. I think that says more about them than me.
I should also say that the vast majority of vegans and vegetarians I know in real life and who post on the board are lovely people. But you're always going to get a few loonies at the fringe I suppose.
What does "tolerance" have to do with it, and why assume that it's the vegetarians who flagged your comment? (I have not idea why it was flagged, it doesn't violate any rules. But as we know that doesn't really matter here it seems.)
1) Quotes can be used to indicate sarcasm.
2) It was vegans. Really.
I knew you were being sarcastic. It doesn't make it relevant. What does being vegan have to do with tolerance? All it is is argumentative disguised as sarcasm.0 -
Laurend224 wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »herrspoons wrote: »Interesting to see those 'tolerant' vegans and vegetarians have flagged my post for abuse. I think that says more about them than me.
I should also say that the vast majority of vegans and vegetarians I know in real life and who post on the board are lovely people. But you're always going to get a few loonies at the fringe I suppose.
What does "tolerance" have to do with it, and why assume that it's the vegetarians who flagged your comment? (I have not idea why it was flagged, it doesn't violate any rules. But as we know that doesn't really matter here it seems.)
1) Quotes can be used to indicate sarcasm.
2) It was vegans. Really.
It wasn't this vegan! Judgy, 'meat is murder, so you're a murderer' vegans annoy the heck out of me. They happen to be the most vocal of the bunch and tend to be off putting to most people.
okay I'll jump in too! also a non judge-y vegetarian here. I made a choice for my own reasons, which I pretty much keep it to myself.
Also, I dont need a really good reason to not eat meat. I can just not eat it, because I dont want to.
I think people are disappointed when I dont feel my vegetarian diet is a brave bold sacrifice for the sake of the animals.
Like, I hope I am helping the animals, but that wasnt my original intention. My original intention was based on economics, health, and a life long love of vegetarian food.
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