Why do so many people think meat is essential? (NOT DEBATE)

Gallowmere1984

@gallow: no...I want people to post their thoughts on why there is such a debate between meat-eaters and non-meat eaters. I am in no way against people eating meat, I hardly even comment unless I am joking. So, I don't have a "position on myself".

Nice try though.

Very well. Think about it this way: most people cling to their way of eating as much as they cling to their religion. You are taking two camps of people with very different preferences and personal experiences and pitting them against each other, so to speak.
It becomes so 'hot button' because rarely does either side come out with hard science, but anecdotal evidence. The Vegans demand hard science to back the meat eater's claim while basing their entire argument on YouTube videos and heartstring documentaries. The meat eaters demand hard science from the Vegans, but rely only on various historical references to back them. Now, looking at things realistically, the meat eaters do have the leg up here, but not by much.
As an example, I have pointed out many times that Vegans do terrible in strength sports compared to meat eaters. I am greeted back with 'maybe Vegans just don't do steroids' and other such assumptions, along with the occasional Vegan name dropping some people that no one's ever heard of because they haven't done anything worth knowing about. No one can give me a real reason why they are sub-par in comparison.

SilverLotusGirl

I'm not a vegetarian but I was for a while. It's possible to be healthy regardless of eating meat or not. It matters more that you're getting enough fruits and vegetables and carbs from healthy sources and vitamins and minerals than meat. Things like B vitamins can be harder to get without meat but a meatless diet is not necesarily unhealthy.

charismanoodles

Being vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean you eat healthily, in fact that's what got me above 100+ kilos.

I was young, uneducated and only really ate potato, white bread, noodles, mock meats and rarely touched a vegetable.

Now I can't imagine eating like that, no wonder I gained so much weight, I was pretty much eating a shizzload of junk food, but somehow my blood results were all good (not iron deficient, b12 etc).

DawnEH612

Ive been vegetarian since 1988... Being a vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean eating a healthy diet.it just means not eating meat. But, you can eat vegetarian and healthy and get enough protein to loose fat and gain muscle..on the flip side you can eat meat and not be healthy at all: high cholesterol, increased risk of heart attack and strokes, OVERWEIGHT, etc.... Like any healthy diet, it may initially take some planning but once you have a routine of what foods are acceptable it becomes second nature.

Charger440

Look in a mirror and smile.....see those 4 pointed teeth??? Those are for meat. Herbivores have mouths full of Molars. Carnivores have a mouth full of sharp teeth. Omnivores have both molars and sharp teeth because their diet is meant to contain both plant and animal. It's not a debate and it's not opinion it's simple science. Don't believe me? Go look in the mirror and smile

RedHeadDevotchka

Because meat is such a widely used option in a typical diet. If you eat differently from this eating plan it throws some people off. It's possible, but I loves the bacon!

Sarauk2sf

Look in a mirror and smile.....see those 4 pointed teeth??? Those are for meat. Herbivores have mouths full of Molars. Carnivores have a mouth full of sharp teeth. Omnivores have both molars and sharp teeth because their diet is meant to contain both plant and animal. It's not a debate and it's not opinion it's simple science. Don't believe me? Go look in the mirror and smile

How does that address the OP? Did you see what the question actually was?

DawnEH612

I couldn't go veg or vegan, because I love meat.

But there are plenty of people who do, and who are very healthy. I think it takes a little more planning or learning, to do it in a healthy way. Some people don't put the thought into it that is required - this might be what your friends are the most concerned about.

It takes planning to eat a healthy meal regardless if one eats meat or not. Thats why there are SOOO many people on MFP... No planning of healthy,nutritious meals.... thats what got them to their unhealthy and overweight state!

meeper123

Points to her canines but not saying that eating vegan or vegetarian is bad i felt just fine when i did it for several months but my husband was not maybe its a person to person thing.

robot_potato

I'm part cat. Obligate carnivore.

Sarauk2sf

@gallow: no...I want people to post their thoughts on why there is such a debate between meat-eaters and non-meat eaters. I am in no way against people eating meat, I hardly even comment unless I am joking. So, I don't have a "position on myself".

Nice try though.

Very well. Think about it this way: most people cling to their way of eating as much as they cling to their religion. You are taking two camps of people with very different preferences and personal experiences and pitting them against each other, so to speak.
It becomes so 'hot button' because rarely does either side come out with hard science, but anecdotal evidence. The Vegans demand hard science to back the meat eater's claim while basing their entire argument on YouTube videos and heartstring documentaries. The meat eaters demand hard science from the Vegans, but rely only on various historical references to back them. Now, looking at things realistically, the meat eaters do have the leg up here, but not by much.
As an example, I have pointed out many times that Vegans do terrible in strength sports compared to meat eaters. I am greeted back with 'maybe Vegans just don't do steroids' and other such assumptions, along with the occasional Vegan name dropping some people that no one's ever heard of because they haven't done anything worth knowing about. No one can give me a real reason why they are sub-par in comparison.

Not all non-meat eaters are vegans...just to clarify.

neanderthin

Look in a mirror and smile.....see those 4 pointed teeth??? Those are for meat. Herbivores have mouths full of Molars. Carnivores have a mouth full of sharp teeth. Omnivores have both molars and sharp teeth because their diet is meant to contain both plant and animal. It's not a debate and it's not opinion it's simple science. Don't believe me? Go look in the mirror and smile

Not the point. Veg'n is a option based on religious belief, ethics or just a personal dietary preference and has nothing to do with what kind of teeth we have. We've evolved over the last 3 or 4 million years and have learned to scavenge and scrape meat from bone and is certainly one very important reason why we are who we are, but that isn't to say we can't decide on what or how we eat now.

matt0401

^ What he said.

Furthermore, dairy is really not essential. Calcium and Vitamin D are of course, but they are much easier for your body to process when consumed from vegetables and legumes rather than dairy, especially with what we do to dairy products these days during preparation.

I cut out dairy ages ago and my body has shifted back to its natural state of not wanting it anymore, even rejecting it when I have for example cream in my coffee. Amazing what our bodies can do! I was given the idea by a doctor when I went in for fatigue and low energy levels in general. He suggested it, I tried it, and my energy levels increased. And by cutting out dairy, my daily calorie intake is a few hundred calories lower, which has helped me maintain my weight since dropping it, and is now helping me with my calorie deficit during my diet.

Dairy may not be essential, but it is a very easy thing to fit into my macros, get me my protein and to allow me my ice-cream.

Ahh ice cream. I do miss it. :P Looking into replacements like soy ice cream and coconut ice cream.

meeper123

Just dont be a preachy vegetarian hates those people with a passion lol well really hates anyone that attempts to push their believes on others

Gallowmere1984

Not all non-meat eaters are vegans...just to clarify.

This is very true. They just happen to make up the most...ehhh...vocal group on that side of things. Most vegetarians are also there for reasons of food preference from what I understand too, which I can grasp. They aren't normally the ones telling us stuff about how perfect their diet is, how it will save the world, cure cancer, fix a lazy eye, etc.

Antheajw

I love meat, I could not live without it! It tastes too good!
But I definitely don't think it's a necessity to a complete diet. You can get all the iron and protein you need from other sources.

I probably like meat and see it as an essential part of a meal because when I was a kid we always had meat and 3 veg for dinner. Dinner to me wouldn't be dinner if there was no meat.
In saying that my sister was raised exactly the same and she doesn't like meat all that much. She eats it occasionally but can live without it.

michellekicks

a·stig·ma·tism
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A defect in the eye or in a lens caused by a deviation from spherical curvature, which prevents light rays from meeting at a common...

karmahunger

@matt: For replacing ice cream, I found a nifty way is to mash up some bananas. I have a recipe for no-bake "oreo cookies" as well which I found with the banana ice cream recipe. I can look for it if you're interested!

karmahunger

Btw about the astigmatism, my phone autocorrected from stigma haha.

hyenagirl

Meat (by this i mean any animal product, cheese, eggs, etc) is essential because of sodium content. It's also a good way to get protein in. So today, HONESTLY you don't HAVE To eat meat (because there is table salt)t. However, if you expect to maintain muscle mass, you need to eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass. In terms of peas (which have a fair amount of protein), I would have to eat 450-500 grams of white Canadian peas a day to get adequate protein. Peas have a fair amount of iron too, which is nice. If you like peas, then go for it.

littlelily613

Astigmatism is an eye disorder...

But other other than that, I don't technically think meat is essential. I was a vegetarian for almost two years, and I very recently went back to eating meat. It was a hard decision but I did it because *I* was eating healthy enough as a vegetarian. I absolutely know it is possible to be a healthy herbivore, but I was getting bored with my choices, making BAD choices, gained a lot of weight, and just felt bad overall. I also had pretty severe anemia which I wasn't getting rid of. For me, eating meat just gives me more choices right now. Some day I will hopefully be a vegetarian again, but until I get my health and mindset back on track, this is how its going to be for me.

trudijoy

I don't. I like meat, but I also love vege food and eat veg one a week. This is partly a hangover from living in Asia and partly liking veges.

However. I eat meat because of the iron and protein, as well as liking the taste and versatility. To each their own

Trechechus

I am veg. It's not necessary to eat meat, but it IS necessary to make sure you balance your proteins. Meat is easy because it's a complete protein. If you aren't going to eat it, you need to get all the proteins your body needs by watching your intake of legumes, grains, veggies and soy.

sara_m83

Look in a mirror and smile.....see those 4 pointed teeth??? Those are for meat. Herbivores have mouths full of Molars. Carnivores have a mouth full of sharp teeth. Omnivores have both molars and sharp teeth because their diet is meant to contain both plant and animal. It's not a debate and it's not opinion it's simple science. Don't believe me? Go look in the mirror and smile

Not the point. Veg'n is a option based on religious belief, ethics or just a personal dietary preference and has nothing to do with what kind of teeth we have. We've evolved over the last 3 or 4 million years and have learned to scavenge and scrape meat from bone and is certainly one very important reason why we are who we are, but that isn't to say we can't decide on what or how we eat now.

Thanks for this. Personally, what's best for building muscle and losing fat is not as important to me as the ethical reasons I have for not eating meat. Sure, we may have the equipment for it, but we have also evolved morally and in our intelligence to be able to make decisions about things that matter to us and how we choose to live our lives. I think it's a true testament to our development and how lucky we are in the West that we have the ability to lead full, healthy, well-nourished lives with such an abundance in choice of what to eat. For me, I think with this privilege comes the responsibility to choose ethically in a way that is not too difficult to manage.

Sarauk2sf

Ahh ice cream. I do miss it. :P Looking into replacements like soy ice cream and coconut ice cream.

I tried hemp ice-cream the other day...my advice...just don't. I have not tried it but I would imagine coconut is good. I have also tried a nut blend (genuto) - really nice if you can find it, but pricey.

Sarauk2sf

Not all non-meat eaters are vegans...just to clarify.

This is very true. They just happen to make up the most...ehhh...vocal group on that side of things. Most vegetarians are also there for reasons of food preference from what I understand too, which I can grasp. They aren't normally the ones telling us stuff about how perfect their diet is, how it will save the world, cure cancer, fix a lazy eye, etc.

I hear you. I end up debating on the 'side' of the meat-eaters most of the time and I have been a vegetarian for 25 years. It all gets rather confusing !!!

dgljones

There is more than one way to skin a cat and there is more than one way of heating healthy. Eating meat can be part of a very healthy diet and so can not eating any.
People need to stop worrying about converting people to, or back from, a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Everyone should find their own path.

Gallowmere1984

Not all non-meat eaters are vegans...just to clarify.

This is very true. They just happen to make up the most...ehhh...vocal group on that side of things. Most vegetarians are also there for reasons of food preference from what I understand too, which I can grasp. They aren't normally the ones telling us stuff about how perfect their diet is, how it will save the world, cure cancer, fix a lazy eye, etc.

I hear you. I end up debating on the 'side' of the meat-eaters most of the time and I have been a vegetarian for 25 years. It all gets rather confusing !!!

That's because you drink milk, and as such, are going to the same hell that the Vegans wish to condemn me to for eating dead birds.

Sarauk2sf

oop - double post

Sarauk2sf

Meat (by this i mean any animal product, cheese, eggs, etc) is essential because of sodium content. It's also a good way to get protein in. So today, HONESTLY you don't HAVE To eat meat (because there is table salt)t. However, if you expect to maintain muscle mass, you need to eat 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass. In terms of peas (which have a fair amount of protein), I would have to eat 450-500 grams of white Canadian peas a day to get adequate protein. Peas have a fair amount of iron too, which is nice. If you like peas, then go for it.

There are a ton of vegans who get 1g per LBM - and not from just peas, that's a silly example.