Why aren't you vegan?

LightWanderer wrote:OR, what are your thoughts on the the following scenario (and don't worry, I ain't gonna get offended over this so just be honest):

Goat farming. Looking after the goats like they're family, always giving them free time to run around the field, enjoy the fresh air etc, always making sure that they're happy. But ultimately raising them for slaughter.
One of the hardest things about the farm is that if there's a goat I get fond of, they're still going to end up in the abertoire or even in my own stomach

I have no problem with it when the animals are treated well, and I am in fact more comfortable knowing those farming the animals care for them.

LightWanderer wrote:(@OR) Goat farming. Looking after the goats like they're family, always giving them free time to run around the field, enjoy the fresh air etc, always making sure that they're happy. But ultimately raising them for slaughter.
One of the hardest things about the farm is that if there's a goat I get fond of, they're still going to end up in the abertoire or even in my own stomach

(I'm not OR but) I live in Wales, where there are a lot of farms still producing meat (particularly lamb, mutton, and pork) in a more "traditional" way - I'm friends or colleagues with a fair few of those farmers and I know they treat their animals well so I've no problem at all with how they make their living. I was interested to find out a fair few of them are vegetarians themselves though, or can't bear to eat the kind of animals they raise.

If there's a moral problem with meat for me it's if animals go through unnecessary discomfort while they're alive. And I do understand that has happened with a lot of the kind of supermarket or fast food meat you'll get, which I think is a shame. It's not something I really feel personally responsible for, it's the corner-cutting inherent to capitalism and it should be curtailed by state regulation, which I'd 100% support even if it made meat somewhat more expensive.

That's all ignoring the environmental side, but again, climate change isn't an individual problem, I don't think you can make a moral judgement on an individual based on how "green" they are when really climate change is a problem with capitalism as a system.

Pedz wrote:A lot of vegetarian foods I don't like the taste of. I did have Tofu in my Udon Noodles in Wagamama before and really liked it. I don't really eat a lot of meat anymore. Most of the time I just have beans on toast. Yum.

Not for me to judge but make sure you get a bit of variety, for your health!

Weirdly despite being predominantly a meat eater I do eat soy products from time to time. I replaced milk with soy milk quite some time ago mainly to prevent it being stolen from the fridge at work, I've been known to make bolognese and chilli with soy mince and sausage casserole with soy sausages all tasted great. I also love tofu skin although I haven't tried regular tofu... it's been on my to do list for a while now.

Moggy wrote:

Rax wrote:

Blue Eyes wrote:

Rax wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:

Dowbocop wrote:I try to be vegetarian for breakfast...

Were you previously like having a fry-up every morning? I thought breakfast was a pretty vegetarian meal as standard (unless there is something in cornflakes or toast I'm unaware of).

Could be referring to eggs?

Vegetarians normally eat eggs, don't they?

Yep but I can see how people would consider eggs to be meat adjacent.

Vegetarians eat eggs?

Don’t they normally?

I know vegans don’t but I thought veggies were fine with eggs, dairy, etc?

Skarjo wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Rax wrote:

Blue Eyes wrote:

Rax wrote:

OrangeRKN wrote:

Dowbocop wrote:I try to be vegetarian for breakfast...

Were you previously like having a fry-up every morning? I thought breakfast was a pretty vegetarian meal as standard (unless there is something in cornflakes or toast I'm unaware of).

Could be referring to eggs?

Vegetarians normally eat eggs, don't they?

Yep but I can see how people would consider eggs to be meat adjacent.

Vegetarians eat eggs?

Don’t they normally?

I know vegans don’t but I thought veggies were fine with eggs, dairy, etc?

I have no idea! I know vegetarians eat/drink dairy but eggs just seem to me like they would not be allowed. Eggs are not quite a chicken of course, but to me it would feel like you were eating an animal rather than eating an animal product.

I guess all veggies are different though.

A former colleague of mine described herself as an ovo-lacto-pescatarian meaning while predominantly vegetarian she also ate eggs, dairy and seafood. I never understood what made seafood okay yet meat isn't.

I can see the argument for not eating mammals, maybe you think pigs and cows are too much "like us".

If you eat fish you should eat chicken to be consistent though.

Karl_ wrote:I can see the argument for not eating mammals, maybe you think pigs and cows are too much "like us".

If you eat fish you should eat chicken to be consistent though.

What about Duck Billed Platypus? So called “scientists” say they are mammals, but I think they are ducks. The clue is right there in the name!

Rax wrote:meat adjacent.

I always keep my meat adjacent to my vegetables.

Moggy wrote:

Karl_ wrote:I can see the argument for not eating mammals, maybe you think pigs and cows are too much "like us".

If you eat fish you should eat chicken to be consistent though.

What about Duck Billed Platypus? So called “scientists” say they are mammals, but I think they are ducks. The clue is right there in the name!

Mammals have noses or snouts, birds have beaks. It's obvious, don't listen to any fancy-pants "expert" who wants to turn the world topsy-turvy.

Moggy wrote:

Karl_ wrote:I can see the argument for not eating mammals, maybe you think pigs and cows are too much "like us".

If you eat fish you should eat chicken to be consistent though.

What about Duck Billed Platypus? So called “scientists” say they are mammals, but I think they are ducks. The clue is right there in the name!

And they lay eggs!

Skarjo wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Karl_ wrote:I can see the argument for not eating mammals, maybe you think pigs and cows are too much "like us".

If you eat fish you should eat chicken to be consistent though.

What about Duck Billed Platypus? So called “scientists” say they are mammals, but I think they are ducks. The clue is right there in the name!

And they lay eggs!

So we all agree, eating Platypus is vegan.

Bringing a whole roasted platypus to a vegan cook-off, confidently insisting "scientists said it's not an animal"

Anyone tried Platypus? It might be horrible for all we know and that would basically make it's vegan status pointless!

I don't get the arguments that some vegetarians put forward for still eating fish. I've spoken to several who claim that the farming process and cruelty is what puts them off meat (and as stated earlier I agree that large scale farming chasing low cost output is absolutely not the way we should be doing things - smaller setups where animals are treated well are the way to go!)

But if the cruelty and treatment aspect is what puts them off then I don't see why eating fish is okay as the way they are farmed and killed (mmm suffocation - so kind!) is just as bad!

Karl_ wrote:Bringing a whole roasted platypus to a vegan cook-off, confidently insisting "scientists said it's not an animal"

...to own the libs.

Skarjo wrote:

Karl_ wrote:Bringing a whole roasted platypus to a vegan cook-off, confidently insisting "scientists said it's not an animal"

...to own the libs.

"Getting permanently banned from a food festival to own the libs"

I may be wrong but I'm sure there is a technicality in Catholicism where under certain circumstances a beaver is classed as a fish.

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:I may be wrong but I'm sure there is a technicality in Catholicism where under certain circumstances a beaver is classed as a fish.

Just gonna hop on here and point out that this is my new favourite sentence.

Skarjo wrote:

IAmTheSaladMan wrote:I may be wrong but I'm sure there is a technicality in Catholicism where under certain circumstances a beaver is classed as a fish.

Just gonna hop on here and point out that this is my new favourite sentence.

I was right, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/thoughtful-animal/once-upon-a-time-the-catholic-church-decided-that-beavers-were-fish/

Moggy wrote:

Karl_ wrote:I can see the argument for not eating mammals, maybe you think pigs and cows are too much "like us".

If you eat fish you should eat chicken to be consistent though.

What about Duck Billed Platypus? So called “scientists” say they are mammals, but I think they are ducks. The clue is right there in the name!

It also lays eggs.