At what price do we eat meat?

m0_0m

Food Inc isn't even that bad. Try watching Earthlings sometime. I didn't even make it through the trailer.

Heck yeah! Earthings is the most intense, real, and violent film I have EVER seen. Period! I think everyone should see it (suffer through it-the animals had to!).

CiciPorcayo

I honestly think meat is neccesary <-- spell check but it is... the fact on how we kill & feed the animals to me is disgusting in its self.. If we would just stop being lazy *kitten* and grow and feed the animals right... do you know how much healthier we would all be... but nope they would much rather make a lot of money fast. You think governors and senaters and the president eats the kind of meats we do? Haha doubt it.. but it isn't wrong to eat meat... IMO

adjones5

I can't even watch the ASPCA commercials without sobbing.

when i was pregnant hubby would just about dive bomb me to get the remote. i always turn it about 2 seconds in, but as soon as i thought the commercial was coming on, i started bawling.

Haha my roommates do the same thing. One immediately covers my eyes and the other one changes the channel as fast as possible.

SergeantSunshine_reused

I was a vegetarian for 3 years after finding out about the animal cruelty. I didn't watch what I ate... so I had some serious trouble. Was getting very VERY little protein each day, lost a lot of muscle and gained a lot of fat. It was just easier for me to rebuild and gain my new figure by adding in meat again. I buy cage free when I can, but now I switched to buying what is on sale just so I can get by. It hurts me sometimes still, and I can't eat many things yet, but animals eat other animals. It happens and life goes on.

PeaceLuvVeggies

Food Inc isn't even that bad. Try watching Earthlings sometime. I didn't even make it through the trailer.

Oh, and about that local family farm, except for chickens, those animals have to be slaughtered in a slaughterhouse, not on the pretty farm you may be imagining.

THANK YOU!

nathan72

i was watching "Last of the Mohicans" the other night, and the opening scene kinda nailed it for me. The Indians were hunting Elk and when they'd killed the animal, they expressed their thankfulness for it's sacrifice...their appreciation.... They had a connection with the animal, weren't cruel, but needed it's meat and hide to survive. i have reduced my meat intake, and when i can, I try and source pastured and free range meats and eggs. Just my opinion.

My1985Freckles

I find meat eaters to be extremely threatened by the position of vegetarians, and I have to wonder why. As a vegetarian, I don't feel threatened by their position; I simply disagree with it. But the people who feel that human beings have a "right" to eat animals do make me see slightly red. As the OP stated, when plants will sustain us, why kill? And those who consider themselves "carnivores" but have to have their (purchased, not self-killed) meat cooked to perfection? C'mon. REAL carnivores kill their own and eat it raw and bloody. The hypocrisy just gets to me. And the poster on this thread who cautioned against anemia for vegetarians, may I say that I am vegetarian and am healthier than I have EVER been in my 54 years of life. My family is healthier because I cook less meat for them. We are almost never sick, and when we are its just a cold or mild bug. No chronic anything. I exercise daily and have amazing stamina and strength. I am 54 years old and can still dance all night. Vegetarianism does NOT equal anemia or poor health. You CAN get all your nutrition from plants with the possible exception of B12, which can be supplement by fortified foods. Research! Don't just believe what you hear! Vegetarians and vegans who pay attention to their nutritional needs instead of just scarfing down everything that isn't meat will find themselves healthier, and probably lighter of spirit, as their own spirits begin to resonate with the respect they are showing the animal kingdom. If you say you love animals yet you allow your spirit to be numbed to the "industry you rely on for food", then perhaps YOU should make changes so that you no longer rely on that industry...or seriously question your own love of animals. If we are truly honest with ourselves, and make ourselves recognize the absolute devastation that the animal meat industry for food is causing to our health and to the environment, I don't believe we could continue the process.

The book of Genesis clearly states that I have the God given right to eat meat.

I know that not everyone will have the same beliefs as I do. And, that is perfectly fine. This comment is not to try to get everyone to believe as I do. However, based on your statement, yes, I do have the right to eat meat.

Agreed! I have the right to eat meat.

Shanahan09

I'm a huge animal lover. Grew up on a farm, but still, we harvested our own meat. This is my stance on it. I grew up eating 'home grown' meat (beef, chicken, and pork). With that said, these animals were treated in the upmost respect. They were not force fed, didn't have homones injected into them to grow faster/fatter. They got to enjoy mother nature, felt the sun on their backs, ate the green grass etc. Also, grew up with hunting, and still eat wild game (my husband hunts). Many think hunters are just out to KILL an animal--a TRUE hunter respects any animal he/she harvests, as well loves nature and just seeing the animals period. Also, wild game is one of the leanest, cleanest meat proteins there is. I much rather feed my children wild game than store bought meat any day. As some said before, it's a fact of life, we eat meat. I just want the animals I do eat to have had a good life before it ended. (SIde note- I feel sorry for dairy cows who are in barns 24/7 365 days a year...they never get to lay in a field, feel the warmth of the sun...so think about that when you drink your morning milk, or the chickens who are in tiny cages producing eggs...These are animals we dont eat, but we still eat the product they produce...do you agree with this standard of animal treatment?)

fteale

I absolutely do not agree with this. We are not carnivores-we're omnivores. We are meant to eat both meat and vegetables. Granted there are some really horrible things that go on in the meat industry but that does not mean we all need to stop eating it. It's part of the food chain and it's natural. This is just my personal opinion.

Precisely this.

Gory detail: Now, look at it this way, a lion gives her prey a slow, painful death. She chases weakened animals, or young ones, or smaller ones, and she bites into them before ripping parts of them off when they're still alive. She sinks her huge teeth into their flesh and pulls it away in chunks until her struggling prey eventually dies of pain, shock and blood loss. Is she doing anything wrong? Should we all be victimising the lion for eating meat? Animals die for us in brutal ways, no denying, but sometimes no more brutal than what those in the wild go through every day.

No they don't. Lions kill with a quick bite to the back of the neck, severing the spinal cord. Same as domestic cats.

cheshirequeen

heres all im going to say. ive been vegan for 7 years. im healthy, work out, and im fine. everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but dont be mean. i have meat eater, vegetarian, and vegan friends. none of them have ever tried to convince me im wrong nor would i ever try to do that to them. to me, this is the same as politics, religion, war, etc. to me. if you cant state your opinion without saying you are wrong, please look up the definition of opinion. its my opinion, doesnt make it right, doesnt make it wrong, it just makes it mine. have a great day.

_GlaDOS_

And here is where I don’t think giving up meat solves the problem, especially when CAFOs and the food industry are not driven by meat itself, but more so by corn and soy production. Even if you give up meat, you will likely be supporting the industry in other ways anyway.

There is a way to be an omnivore and eat with a conscience. I realize more and more that simply giving up meat altogether does not solve many of our problems. If you are doing it because you think it’s healthier, then great, but there are also many different ways to be healthy.

VegesaurusRex

All of the topics mentioned here have been and are being debated at

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/440329-veggies-vs-meat

That debate is essentially uncensored. You may want to write it down for when this string gets locked.

erika010

I was vegan for 6 months and I was the unhealthiest I've ever been. I had zero energy, my skin went to crap and my hair started to fall out. This certainly doesn't happen to everyone and I'm not even sure there was a complete correlation. That being said, I wholly support buying local and family farms 100%. I'm not going to judge anyone for being a vegan, a vegetarian or what have you, but I do believe you can love animals and still eat animals. To me I don't see that as disrespectful.

However, I do say as a society we are ingesting way too much meat. I have 1-2 servings of meat probably 3-4 days out of the week. I don't know about any of you but growing up, my veggies came out of a can. No wonder I hated them for so long! It's only within the past 2 years that I've learned how to appreciate a wide variety of veggies and ways to cook and enjoy them.

_VoV

I'm a huge animal lover. Grew up on a farm, but still, we harvested our own meat. This is my stance on it. I grew up eating 'home grown' meat (beef, chicken, and pork). With that said, these animals were treated in the upmost respect. They were not force fed, didn't have homones injected into them to grow faster/fatter. They got to enjoy mother nature, felt the sun on their backs, ate the green grass etc. Also, grew up with hunting, and still eat wild game (my husband hunts). Many think hunters are just out to KILL an animal--a TRUE hunter respects any animal he/she harvests, as well loves nature and just seeing the animals period. Also, wild game is one of the leanest, cleanest meat proteins there is. I much rather feed my children wild game than store bought meat any day. As some said before, it's a fact of life, we eat meat. I just want the animals I do eat to have had a good life before it ended. (SIde note- I feel sorry for dairy cows who are in barns 24/7 365 days a year...they never get to lay in a field, feel the warmth of the sun...so think about that when you drink your morning milk, or the chickens who are in tiny cages producing eggs...These are animals we dont eat, but we still eat the product they produce...do you agree with this standard of animal treatment?)

'Harvest' is a distancing word. 'Killed animals' for our own meat is a more honest way to say this.

Jeff92se

SergeantSunshine_reused

They way I see it now (or try to make myself believe it lol) is that hyenas and other animals rip the flesh off their prey while still alive. I'm eating locally raised beef that at least isn't still moving while i sink my teeth in.

fteale

When people say they were unhealthy, anaemic, had vit B12 deficiency (seriously? I have NEVER heard of that one anywhere but here, and I know many many vegetarians), it is clear they just weren't doing it very well. If you eat junk, you'll be unhealthy. Doesn't matter if that junk is vegan or not. If you eat healthily, you won't get deficiencies. The fact that most vegans manage perfectly fine and are in fact of above average health pretty much clinches that one.

slbeutler

$8.99/lb is about the price for meat.

I got a good deal on chicken the other night as well. The price I pay for meat really depends on what sales are going on at the stores. I love meat!

Leela30

I think it's great we have both meat eaters and vegetarians. If everyone was vegetarian, we'd put a huge strain on the soil in which we grow things to produce all of this vegetarian food. If everyone were meat eaters, we'd put a huge strain on the animal population to sustain us. With a mix, things can be a little more balanced out.

Sometimes eating meat is a good thing. When we have to cull a type of prolific animal (such as deer and wild hogs) so that they don't become too overpopulated, bringing disease and destruction, isn't it better to eat what we kill rather than let it rot on the side of the road? I think so.

heres all im going to say. ive been vegan for 7 years. im healthy, work out, and im fine. everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but dont be mean. i have meat eater, vegetarian, and vegan friends. none of them have ever tried to convince me im wrong nor would i ever try to do that to them. to me, this is the same as politics, religion, war, etc. to me. if you cant state your opinion without saying you are wrong, please look up the definition of opinion. its my opinion, doesnt make it right, doesnt make it wrong, it just makes it mine. have a great day.

I've been a vegetarian for 3.5 years now. I'm just stating that as a fact. BUT I don't understand why this topic has to be an all out brawl. YES I am tired of all the stupid questions about "how do I live without meat" and comments like, "you're crazy" but here's my 2 cense: is the point of this thread to try and CONVINCE the "other side" how to live and eat, or just voice our opinions for why we chose our choices. I understand both sides, but both are a way of life, I'm not going to say which is better but I just don't understand what's the point of the arguing, 99.9% of people aren't just going to change how they eat because of this thread.

2fit4fat

I am an omnivore. My church even teaches that God put animals on the earth for many reasons... One being food for us. Don't waste it but I will not stop eating it by any means. We are a big meat eating family. We don't ever have a dinner without meat, and rarely a lunch without it. I do find shows like that very one sided as well... I also don't eat veal, duck etc just ham, chicken, turkey and beef. Others just sound and look weird to me.
Good for you if you want to go meatless more power to you... I for one LOVE it!! I also don't think anyone should push their way of life on anyone else. Just like I won't go posting a bunch of garbage about all the things that can happen to people if you go vegetarian ( Ive seen people even post about all the jobs you take out of this crappy Obama economy without meat- people that raise, slaughter, butchers, shippers, distributors, people that stock the shelves and sell it etc)

Wish you luck still :-)