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

megsmom2

Meat isn't essential. I like it, so I eat it most days, but it certainly is not essential. I think eating strictly vegan takes more thought to make sure you get enough good protein, but its certainly do-able. To each their own.

curly1986

I have been vegetarian for just over 4.5 years and consider myself healthy. I actually remember feeling a lot more energetic shortly after I went veggie. At the same time I went vegetarian I also started feeding my daughter a vegetarian diet, she was 10 months old at the time. She is now about 5.5 years old and is one of the tallest in her class, constantly full of beans and has amazing stamina compared to some other children her age. So for us it worked out great and we are both doing just fine. I know some people thought I was being silly, especially when it came to my daughter. But I didn't jump into it, I researched about how to make sure we BOTH got enough protein and iron etc. Meat is a great source of protein and usually its the first one people think of, but its not the only one.

patientone1020

Actually I am having issues with eating meat right now. Since I have taken it out of my diet. I have no bad taste , no bad body order as long as I am eating vegetables. There are a ton of ways to get your protein. A friend of mine though has recommended to get up to 95 grams or more a day. I found I like premier crisp bars. They are at Costco or online. I also like the luna bars made specifically for women. The cliff bars a good to. I am on gong on my third week of not eating meat and its great. I don't feel like I miss it and I am not craving it. So I have gone from one opposite to another. I also added loose leaf teas to my daily food intake.

So if you are not a meat eater listen to your own body and health needs.

AleciaG724

I've been vegetarian for almost 4 years & have never felt better in my life. I used to love meat and regularly ate bloody-rare steaks, liver/offal, pork, fowl, and seafood of all sorts including raw sushi, oysters, and clams. I just feel better overall & healthier on a meat free diet. I don't know that I will ever be completely vegan, but I have cut way back on dairy, cheese and eggs, however I do eat yogurt regularly. I don't have a problem meeting my protein goals except on days I workout hard, then I supplement with a whey-based shake powder, or pea/peanut butter protein powder. This is just until I get my weight under control, then I will be able to add more vegetable proteins and not worry so much about cutting the calories. I've only rarely felt challenged by a meat-eater, and some of my family jokes around about it, but it's all good. I do get the "where do you get your protein" question a lot!

Toblave

Meat is essential because one does not simply live without bacon.

pinkstargem

I've been vegetarian since I was 14 and vegan the last 15 yrs. I've seen a few nutritionists over the yrs for advice about my IBS and every one has said how balanced and healthy my diet is.

I hate being questioned on my beliefs as I'm totally sick of the questions that go from me telling someone I'm vegan and then either grilling me on it, or trying to 'catch me out'.

I wouldn't be any other way.

P.s. my hubby is a big steak eater!!!

Sarauk2sf

As a hunter, I'll leave vegetables for the gatherers

So you don't eat any vegetables?

helenrosemay

I'm not a vegetarian, but haven't eaten meat today. I do have a few meat free days, and I only eat chicken or fish. I would love to become vegetarian, even vegan, but when you're on such a small budget as I am it's very hard to do so.

Sarauk2sf

our bodies evolved eating a mixed diet for thousands of years. An omnivorous diet is optimal

No is it not necessarily. Context is relevant.

Capt_Apollo

i know that for me, meat is essential. i have fructose intolerance. my safest foods are meat, potatoes, spinach, and mushrooms. meat is the only food with no fructose in it. if i want to be healthy and have all my vitamins and minerals, i need to eat meat.

i had been a vegetarian before. i felt bad for the animals. so for 4 years the only animal products i ate was dairy. my health got seriously bad. my teeth started to rot out and i got real weak. i was eating the protein i needed and everything but i could not digest most of the stuff i was eating. the fructose content was too high.

the doctors who dxd me said that 85% of america is most likely fructose intolerant.

i still wont eat lamb or veal.

Your loss. Lamb is WONDERFUL.

mmmmhhhh. it tastes like innocence.

clairedrose

protein is essential, meat is not.

This
But hate to tell you. I love meat. Nevertheless, when vegetarians are among guests at my house, they will find a full balanced meal not just a salad.

Alluminati

i know that for me, meat is essential. i have fructose intolerance. my safest foods are meat, potatoes, spinach, and mushrooms. meat is the only food with no fructose in it. if i want to be healthy and have all my vitamins and minerals, i need to eat meat.

i had been a vegetarian before. i felt bad for the animals. so for 4 years the only animal products i ate was dairy. my health got seriously bad. my teeth started to rot out and i got real weak. i was eating the protein i needed and everything but i could not digest most of the stuff i was eating. the fructose content was too high.

the doctors who dxd me said that 85% of america is most likely fructose intolerant.

i still wont eat lamb or veal.

Your loss. Lamb is WONDERFUL.

mmmmhhhh. it tastes like innocence.

Can you hear the lambs.....Clariiiiiiice....?

Adrianachiarato

Iron, B12, protein...

rjmudlax13

The theory* goes that one of the reasons humans were able to evolve the enormous brains we have is because of eating meat. Meat is a lot more calorie dense than fruits and veges and we needed those calories to support the massive amount of energy needed for our brains (among other things). Ironically, we now have the intelligence (thanks partly to meat) to produce more calories dense non-meat products. You know, those evil sugar, milk and wheat products.

I suppose there is no longer a need to eat meat. However, it is still a much better source of protein than anything else. Also, it tastes delicious! And bacon! Nuff said. (There are other benefits such as more iron and B vitamins.)

That being said, I have no problem with people eating a certain diet for whatever reason. I am just against the militant vegans that want to convert everyone to veganism and some even want to outlaw the consumption of meat all together. I am very bias against those people without apology.

*I don't use theory lightly. Scientific theory is more than just a guess. There is a lot of evidence that backs this up.

holly1283

For me this protein is essential because I don't like the beans that are high in protein. I'd never get enough protein without meat.

mrshallewell

I was vegetarian for 3 years before having my Daughter, when I became pregnant I introduced meat back into my diet purely for her as I refuse to take medications of any kind. I am slowly weaning myself back off meats so that as I'm introducing her to foods I'm not taking out all the protein at once through her milk as BF.

My diet (as a vegi) consists of
Vegi's ie peas, sweetcorn, leeks, potatos, butternut squash etc
pasta, rice, cereals
eggs and dairy :smooched:

thats pretty much it, i hate beans, humous, tofu, most quorn, its all rabbit food to me.:sick: :frown: :huh: but i have a very healthy diet, im not lacking in nutrition. the only reason im here is i REALLY over do it on portion sizes as i love food and *ehem* i have a slight addiction to chocolate (300g bar of milka for breakfast):embarassed: :blushing:

(before any of you start i am an OVO-LACTO vegetarian which is someone who has dairy and eggs but NO MEAT and yes there are many types of vegetarian)

walleymama

1. We are omnivores. Our *optimal* diet includes meat. Note that I didn't say you can't survive without it. Just that you will be healthier if you include it. Just like a baby can do well on formula, but breastmilk is the optimal diet for an infant and the health outcome population statistics are better.

2. I'm a big fan of permaculture and if there is one thing I've learned from studying it, you cannot grow food without using animals. They provide manure, bone meal, grazing, and other things needed to grow plants (both in the wild and on a farm). You cannot run a sustainable, closed-loop farm (i.e. one that requires no external inputs nor needs to export its outputs) without animals, and if you have those animals on a farm you might as well eat them, otherwise what a colossal waste. Animals like pigs are some of the most efficient converters of solar energy into protein you can find. As far as I can tell, vegetarians are just as dependent on animals as meat eaters, just not in such a direct line.

3. Based on the above, I have no idea why anyone would choose not to eat meat unless a) they have some rare physiological condition that makes it difficult to digest meat, b) they simply don't like the taste (the right chef could almost certainly cure that), or c) they live in a region where they only have access to factory-farmed meat (I refuse to eat factory meat, too; we have many sources of ethical meat where I live, including our own pigs and chickens).

Hildy_J

I think part of it is because for every 1 educated vegetarian/vegan who is intelligent about nutrition, there are 3 "OMZ yayz I'ma gunna be a vegetarian for the animalz!!" and cut out meat and maybe dairy without substituting and end up malnourished. At least in my experience.

That was me at age 22. Lived on cheese sandwiches. Became anaemic (didn't realise) kept feeling dizzy, it wasn't nice.

adiostrasero

I think part of it is because for every 1 educated vegetarian/vegan who is intelligent about nutrition, there are 3 "OMZ yayz I'ma gunna be a vegetarian for the animalz!!" and cut out meat and maybe dairy without substituting and end up malnourished. At least in my experience.

this ^

I think some people think that just going vegetarian is going to automatically be healthier, rather than looking at the big picture. I have never told someone meat is essential, but I have had vegetarian friends who don't eat enough protein and don't think they need it. That said, I have plenty of vegetarian friends who do eat healthy and balanced.

Sarauk2sf

Iron, B12, protein...

You can get all of those as a vegetarian. I admit you do need to have fortified foods or supps for the B12 however.