There was a period of 10 years when I didn’t eat red meat. For many of those years I didn’t eat chicken either. And I haven’t eaten veal since I came to understand that it means ‘baby calf who is still milk-fed by its mother’.
I began eating meat again a few years ago and I love the taste of it but in the past few months, I have been heading back towards vegetarianism without even consciously realising it.
I am not one of those people who does it for health reasons or environmental reasons. For me, it’s always been a struggle to reconcile animals with food. I know that many people do not have this problem and eating meat does not make you an animal hater but some of us just aren’t able to make peace with it. I am a very imperfect vegetarian but I’m trying.
Someone who thinks deeply about her refusal to eat meat is MM’s site manager Lana. I asked her to write the following guest post to explain how and why she became a vegetarian. Lana writes….
From the Movie Food Inc
Growing up I was a meat and potatoes girl. Literally. I survived on chops and chips. Occasionally just to gee things up a bit I ate spaghetti bolognaise, but that was about it. As I grew older my taste matured and I started to eat different foods but meat and chicken were my staples. I was very much a carnivore and to be honest, I was a little wary of vegetables.
I am not sure how the change happened or at what point my already overly sensitive nature decided to turn its focus on to food. But I do know that I started to think about where the meat I was eating came from and it made me feel distressed an,d in truth – it made me feel extremely guilty.
For me it was not about eating animals as such, it was more about how the meat got to my plate. I am under no illusion that an animal has to die before I can eat it and I knew it sure as hell wasn’t going to walk there but I worried about the journey that animal had made. Death is one thing and, being a fatalist I can accept that, but it is the life that the animal experienced before death that really got to me.
I tried to pretend that cows chomped happily and idyllically on grass for the entirety of their lives before a sudden blow at the abbatoir made them into steak, but increasingly I heard the term “grain fed” beef. I may not know a lot about farming or even biology but I do know that cows don’t naturally graze on grain.
I tried to pretend farmers spent their morning running after chickens that had, up until that very morning, roamed around the farm pecking at grain on the ground. But I knew that the sheer number of eggs and chickens at the supermarket made that fantasy impossible to execute.
I tried to pretend that no-one in a humane society would ever torture animals by keeping them in concrete pens their entire lives with no access to sunshine, fresh air or place to stretch their muscles, but increasingly I discovered that I was wrong.
I made a conscious decision to stop eating meat, not because it is not healthy, not even because I don’t like the taste but simply because I could not condone cruelty to animals. I am at peace with my decision, I feel better about my footprint on this earth and I feel healthier because of this (even if it is only my mental health that has been affected). I only purchase meat for my family that has been ethically raised with respect and humanity.
Interestingly the only really big change I have had to make is acceptance. I have had to take a crash course in being tolerant of those around me because, as much as I feel completely validated in my beliefs, I am equally conscious about not ramming my thoughts or opinions down anyone else’s throats – even those of my family. I know that it is all too easy to cross the line between idealism and fanaticism. I do not want to be a zealot, I think that scares people. It doesn’t educate them and it certainly doesn’t open their minds.
Where others see packaged dinner, I see death. I simply cannot understand how they don’t see the same thing I do but then I know many religious people who probably cannot understand why I don’t see God or salvation in the same way that they do.
Whenever I become hysterical about the plight of the animals or I balk at the rows and rows of packaged meat in the supermarket, the animal carcasses hanging in the butcher window or the ducks in the local Asian take away – I realise that my beliefs may not translate so easily to people around me.
Thank God then for movies like Food Inc made by Robert Kenner – he does all the hard work for me and allows me to come across well, almost sane.
You should see it. I however am too scared.
What’s your relationship with meat? Do you eat some things but not others? If you have children, how do you handle that watershed moment when they make the connection between the fluffy lamb they saw on a farm or in a book and the chop on their plate?
Comments
418 Comments so far
I am a very committed carnivore. I have no problem whatsoever eating an animal for food, I view it as a nature thing with us being at the top of the food chain. That said, in comparing as I do, a lion for eg would not just eat the rump steak from a kill and go on his merry way wasting the rest of the beast. I need to know where the meat comes from , how it lived and all that. I have seen terrible footage too and believe it is totally unacceptable. So now when we buy meat in our house it comes from a few sources. A great butcher who only has free range pork and lamb from a happy farm near to us, animals are slaughtered away from others and stunned first. His beef is grain fed so I don’t buy there. I get beef, chicken, duck, goat and other game from a guy at out farmers markets. We have chooks for our own eggs.
I know it can be expensive to buy this way when the supermarket offers such cheaper meat. So because I can afford it I feel it is my responsibility to make that decision to help sway the market in the right direction in regards to meat. I hope we get there sooner than later…
loading...
I’m also wondering, after reading some of the comments, are trolls made of meat?………..
loading...
Yeah, but you don’t want to eat them, Fendi – they’re full of shit.
loading...
Yeah, me too ! I thought his name was Gig Diary………..
loading...
I think the problem is that many people aren’t differentiating between factory farming and old fashioned farming (i.e. – free range).
“Factory farming is the practice of raising livestock in confinement at high stocking density, where a farm operates as a factory”
“Free range is a term which denotes a method of farming husbandry where the animals are allowed to roam freely instead of being contained in any manner”
Although I’m a vegetarian I know it’s unrealistic to think that the entire world is suddenly going to turn vegan overnight. I know people like the taste of meat, they like the ease of eating meat and I’d guess a good 70% of people who eat meat wouldn’t even consider going vegetarian.
BUT.
What I do have a major issue with is people deliberately choosing factory farmed animals when they know the atrocious ways in which animals are bred/kept/killed just because it’s a bit cheaper.
I would encourage you all to check out this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjanhKqVC4 or other similar videos/undercover investigations into factory farming – and those practices go on in Australia, the UK, America – in all developed and developing nations.
Meat used to be a treat in households, a roast chicken was for a special occasion. Now? People eat meat up to three times a day, without even thinking about what practices have to go on behind the scenes to ensure that the kind of quantity of meat is available for such low prices.
I’m not for a second saying ‘become vegetarian now!!’ or being militant or over the top (in fact I think every one of us non meat eaters has been very respectful in the way we’ve expressed our views) – what I am saying (and I won’t speak for Lana but I feel it was the intention of her post) is to THINK about where your food comes from and please try to adopt more free range meat into your diet – not only for the sake of all animals, but also for your health.
loading...
I wish I could afford free range meat. Unfortunately, as a student even buying meat is a luxury, but I can usually only afford the non-free range stuff. Which I do feel guilty about, trust me.
I think part of the problem here in Aus is that we do consume meat in almost every meal. In Europe, they seem to have the right idea – only eating meat for a special occasion like you said, or a few times a week. Not 2-3 times a day, 6-7 days a week.
loading...
I have spent most of my life living in and around farming areas. My own family has lived on the land, mostly crops though, not meat, but I have worked on a dairy farm and also on a sheep station. I spent most of my childhood mustering and closing gates for the workmen, roustabouting for the shearers during the shearing season and hand feeding poddy calves and lambs. So here’s what I know:
Cattle are bred to be able to live in harsh conditions, such as the hot, dry outback, or the cold, mountainous inlands. A lot of time, knowledge and experience goes into the breeding process. Scientists, vets and agricultural experts spend YEARS researching and developing specific breeds for specific climates. So let’s all be well assured that the cattle (and sheep, and pigs…) can handle the diverse conditions with which they are faced. It’s not like sending a bunch of house cats out into the wilderness to let them fend for themselves.
Ok, onto the “grain fed” thing. For those not aware of the difference between grain fed and grass, or paddock fed beef: basically grain fed cattle grow a lot quicker and thus the farmer has a much higher yield for the 12 months. Grass, or paddock fed cattle take longer to reach maturity. When I worked on a dairy farm, our cows were fed a mixture of paddock feed (for roughage and nutritional content) and Molasses. Molasses kept the cows happy. Happy cows means more milk.
But I wanted to also express my opinion about the constant connecting of Farming Animals with Animal Cruelty. Granted, I am biased when I say this, as I’ve grown up on/in/around farms, but farming animals for food is not, in my opinion, cruel. I grew up knowing and understanding that cows, sheep and pigs are bred for their meat. They are not house pets. And I won’t go into detail because I understand that it is upsetting for some people to hear, but the process of turning the livestock into shelf product is humane, the animals are treated with respect and dignity, and this is evident in the exemplory reputation Australia has with their beef exports. Australian Farmers are very good at what they do. They are often 5th and 6th generation farmers, who have lived and breathed cattle production their entire lives. They know of no other life, and they put everything they have into the quality and consistancy of their product, because their reputation depends on it. They don’t just go and buy some cows and throw them in a paddock and hope for the best. Cattle are put into paddocks depending on the amount of grazing food available. The grazier/farmer then feeds the cattle additional food according to the climate/grazing food situation. The type of food the cattle are receiving is carefully monitored. And bear in mind, graziers can have 50-60 THOUSAND head of cattle. The cattle have to be rotated and moved to ensure they don’t run out of food or water.
And just regarding the sentence in the post about cows not naturally being fed grain? Well, no they’re not naturally fed grain. But sometimes they have to be fed grain. When Australia was crippled with drought for the best part of 10 years, farmers and graziers often had no choice but to feed their cattle grain. It was either that or let them starve, or sell them to market at rock bottom prices. And remembering that these farmers and graziers had families of their own to feed…
I apologise if I’ve come across a little shouty in this (very long) comment. But sometimes, if you’ve not been exposed to this sort of life, it can be easy to forget that it’s not all about happy cows chewing on lovely green grass and mooing happily at the chickens. Because farming/grazing is so much more than that. It’s about making sure your 50000+ head of cattle are going to have enough paddock feed to get through winter. It’s discovering that the draught hasn’t broken and that half the herd is going to have to be sold off in order to keep the farm. It is heartbreaking and tireless and thankless work, and most people don’t see this side of a grazier’s life. They will happily enjoy the spoils of living in a country that boasts a fabulous agricultural trade scheme and the benefits of that huge economical cash cow (pardon the pun), but when words like “cruelty” start getting bandied about when talking about the farming of our livestock, well, I just think that it does our graziers/farmers a huge injustice. They do a wonderful job, and I just wish we could acknowledge that, instead of jumping up and down and accusing them of animal cruelty. I wish you could see what farmers/graziers go through to keep their stock healthy and well fed, because perhaps it would finally give them the kudos and recognition they deserve for doing what they do.
loading...
Benita, you’re not shouty at all, just showing those of us that live and grew up in cities some facts of life…
However while I deride those who disdain meat eating for ethical reasons as being precious, I also recognise that it is their prerogative to eat whatever they want; vitamin B deficiencies aside. Your story tells a much needed truth that inner-city dwellers need to understand. Our food, our goods, or products do not come from magical ducts in the sky, they come from the sweat and strain of hard labour by other humans, usually in other countries, who eat animals for sustenance as they manufacture our processed, perfumed and packaged goods.
Equally, Aussie farmers deserve the highest accolade rather than the derision afforded them by animal activists. While this post was ostensibly about the choice of a vegetarian lifestyle, it reeks of a life lived in the higher altitudes of society; one so far removed from reality that the choice of a zucchini over a chop equates to ethical living.
loading...
Gig your comment made me just want to clarify something: I don’t have any beef (haha) with people choosing to be vegetarian or vegan. But I just think that there is a lot of ignorance in the mindset of the general public, simply because they are not aware of what goes on in a working farm. And it’s the old “animal cruelty” chestnut that gets me everytime. For the people who think farmers are cruel, and farming is a cruel practice…I WISH you could have seen the aftermath of Cyclone Larry in Far North Qld. I WISH you could have seen the lengths that the farming communities had to go to, to ensure their cows didn’t get mastitis because they were unable to be milked by machine (there was no power for weeks, and to power up a dairy station takes a BIG generator). I WISH you could have seen the devastation on the faces of the farming communities when they counted the cost of lost stock. I WISH you’d lived in a community that had been almost obliterated by the ongoing draught; the knockon effect of no rain, no paddock feed, no money, no livlihood. I WISH you would read about the skyrocketing suicide and depression rate in our farmers, before accusing them of unethical farming. These accusations only compound the problem.
Like I said, NO PROBLEM with anyone who chooses not to eat animal products. But please, please be assured…Australia is a Farming Nation. It is a farmer’s life’s work to ensure that his cattle, sheep, pigs – his livlihood – are looked after.
loading...
That’s a huge generalisation that bc I’m a vegeterian I’m some rich city dweller. I am a country girl, I have many farming friends and I agree that farmers get a hard rap regarding animal cruelty. They are merely supplying the demand of the consumer, who want their meat cheaper. The consumer needs to change so farmers can go back to farming NOT factory farming.
And I agree there are many compassionate farmers, however until we have chickens out of battery farms, pigs out of sow stalls etc sadly animal cruelty will still exist in the farming world.
loading...
I’m no expert, but my own family’s experience leads me to feel comfortable eating beef.
My grandfather ran a dairy and then a cattle farm until his death in 2008. He was on his farm for 60+ years. His cows had lots of grass, (and were regularly rotated through his very well kept – no fireweed – paddocks based on consumption/food availability) and when the weather prevented grass growing, hay was provided as a supplement, as well as molasses (which they loved). We’re talking 1000 head of cattle or less, so while I don’t recall ever seeing the cows being grain fed, that doesn’t say it didn’t happen but also, he clearly wasn’t running one of the larger size ranches.(The family farm is in country NSW.)
When the cows were calving and the calves got stuck, Grandad, and on occasion, my uncles and brothers, would have their arm in a glove up the cows nether regions to help the calf out, preventing complications for both.
I’ve been to the stock yard sales and my brothers had been through the abbatoirs in Grandad’s local town. These animals were well treated but were clearly raised, given life etc, to fulfil their destiny as part of our food chain.
Having spent more holidays on that farm than I can remember, I feel quite comfortable about eating beef.
I do feel more comfortable with this part of our food supply (beef + milk) because I have direct experience of where some of these products come from. Making a living off the land involves running a business that has small profit margins at the best of times and is extremely weather dependent.
loading...
Oh Stargirl same here about the saving calves etc. I have seen stockmen up to their waists in mud and shit in the middle of a downpour trying to save animals that have been stranded. I have seen little calves and little lambs with their long spindly legs get stuck, and the workers doing everything they can to save them.
And about them being treated well at the abbitoir…again I won’t go into detail because I do understand it can be upsetting for people to hear about it…but please just hear this bit: Australian stock has a reputation for being tender and well fed. Regarding the “tenderness” bit, if animals are stressed or have high adrenalin, their meat is tough. Especially at the time of going to abbitoir. The fact that our aussie meat is renowned for its tenderness, I think, says a lot..A LOT about the efforts our countrymen and women, the abbitoirs and the transporters go to, to ensure an humane and dignified process is followed.
loading...
Ate meat growing up but then reached a certain age and my empathy for animals took over – no meat now passes my lips.
I dont believe that an animal needs to die for me to fill my stomach and survive. I can get everything derived from meat from veges, lentils, fermented soy etc…
The environmental impact of meat eating is horrendous too. Massive amounts of water consumption, deforestation, run-off blah blah blah. Meat has even been attributed to causing world food shortages and furthermore starvation. I tend to agree…
For me the guilt of eating an animal overtakes my desire to taste it. I love animals too much
loading...
Do you wear leather shoes?
loading...
Yeah actually. I feel hypocritical but then I think well i may as well use the leftovers that meat eaters leave behind – if it wasnt used it would be thrown into landfill.
loading...
Could the ‘anomymouses’ who are commenting continually please use a name instead, any name at all. ‘anonymous’ is for first time posters only…
ain’t that right Lana?
loading...
Fair enough but your name is ‘gigdiary’ not exactly your real name either!
loading...
It’s not using an alias that I was complaining about. That’s a given on this site. It is simply confusing with so many commenters using ‘anonymous’. Even if they each took a number….
btw writers here who use their own names ie Mia and Kerri Sackville, etc, know my real name…
loading...
WHAT?! In all the years I’ve been commenting here I thought Gigdiary was your real name! *Feeling a little ripped off*…
loading...
ummm…did my comment get deleted? Granted, it was only a silly little comment about thinking Gigdiary’s real name was Gigdiary…was just trying to lighten the mood a bit. Oops.
loading...
I can still see it. I liked it!
loading...
Kris2040, in the Very Early Days, I actually thought Gig was a woman…in my defence (and Lord knows I need one to explain that stuff up!) I had a newborn, and was veeeery sleep deprived…
loading...
innate gendered thought process alert: i think ‘diary’ i think female. Sexism fail for me.
loading...
Miss Diary does sound right doesn’t it? The Princess Diaries…But Gig has that masculine tone to it, surely. Gig, Big, Dig, if it were German it would be Der Gig, it probably is…
loading...
LOL at you all!
loading...
i’m so calling you Derdig….
loading...
well that’s better than Mr Diary… btw Ms Clarinette, do you play? the instrument I mean….
loading...
jesus i keep liking comments instead of replying, i almost alerted moderator at one point…huh no my name is claire and my late daddy used to call me clarinette…i play the guitar though! and i’m going to leak your real name in 3…2….1….
nah kidding.
loading...
heaps of commenters already know it… but hold that countdown…
‘clarinette’ that’s a lovely name for a Claire…how sweet…
loading...
it is isn’t it? i have to remind you that i am married though. but you’re growing on me….:D
loading...
I recently read The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone (which is excellent) and, as a result, have decided that I want to be a vegan. In practice, it is not so easy. I am gradually weaning myself off meat, and exploring vegan alternatives. It will not happen overnight, but I am determined to embrace veganism from now, into the future.
loading...
I did an assignment for my chef’s course at Tafe and got Vegan. I had to come up with a 3 course dinner for Vegans. It is amazing how much stuff is cut out of a vegan diet! Desserts especially are a nightmare! And before anyone jumps on that comment, yes I know there are probably many fantastic vegan options, but it actually is quite the challenge when you’re an omnivore to do vegan.
Can’t remember exactly what I came up with, but I know I did gazpacho with capsicum confetti as a starter.
loading...
I have a vegetarian mother who is often disappointed in the lack of options for her on menus. She feels with so many vegetarians and so many popular non-meat dishes there really should be vegetarian options. But she is realistic and always checks the menu of places we plan to go to make sure there is something she likes. You can expect restaurants to provide vego options and criticise those that don’t, but still take some responsibility for your own happiness and check ahead.
Vegans are less common and that’s just a fact. In all my years in the hospitality industry numbers are growing but not to the point you should just chance it totally when dining out and expect it to always be fine or expect the chefs to come up with something for you in the middle of service in a snap, it doesn’t excuse sighing grumpily at the waitress who doesn’t automatically know every aspect of eating vegan. A little help would be nice and a little less attitude.
I found some vegans really hard work. With a mum who went vego in a country town loooong before it was a standard i get the struggles of not finding something to eat when you’re out. But waitressing for years i found a real rise in vegan/vegetarians who were intolerant when their needs weren’t automatically catered to. Restaurants are better at dietary requirements now, and should be, but help yourself and have a list of options and a ‘this is vegan’ spiel ready to help your server help you. The group i had one time who all ended up with basic side garden salads at a planned function who couldn’t be bothered to even let us know had only themselves to blame.
loading...
Oh. I think I need to mention. AGAIN, (sigh) that my Mum is vego, I’m not, I’m totally cool with meat and where it comes from, how it is produced. I have even tried to get Mum to eat vego stuff that I like! She didn’t like it. Also this quorn thing – she is allergic to mushies – sounds yum to me, but fucks Mum sideways.
loading...
I eat meat. I always have. I always will. I have no qualms about packages of meat in the supermarket or hanging in a butcher shop. I am pragmatic. This is what humans do. They breed stock for meat. They eat meat. I grew up on a farm, I’ve spent time on a feedlot.
I have been reading everyone’s reasons for not eating meat and while I think what you eat is totally up to you, I do wonder sometimes at the reasoning behind it.
Animal cruelty – certainly I can agree with that, however in some cases what some would class as cruelty I would not. That said, I am all for the correct handling of livestock.
Ethics..here I struggle to understand. Funny thing ethics. I read below: “feelings like guilt and self awareness can motivate the world to become a better place” & “These animals don’t have a voice, they are relying on us as the more powerful species to show compassion”. In reading pretty much all the comments in this post I have come across a similar theme and have immediately wondered (and have tried to stop myself from commenting on)what view the people who have posted such thoughts have on abortion?
I am making a giant assumption and assuming that 100% are pro choice. From that, I then come to the conclusion that the same people who think it is unethical to kill animals to eat, are OK with a woman killing an unborn foetus/embryo/child because it is inconvenient or an accident. And before I get slammed..I think abortion should be available to those who need it..so I am not anti- abortion, and I certainly don’t want to hijack a vegetarian post to make it about abortion.
Have we lost our way when we care more about animals than we do about our own species?
My query is genuine.
loading...
What bizarre and offensive comments.
You say you don’t want to hijack a post about vegetarianism but that’s exactly what you’ve done.
I am in shock about what you’ve written, I really am…
loading...
Explain how?
loading...
One has absolutely NOTHING to do with the other. It’s like going on to the thread about polycystic ovaries and asking if people with the condition believe in the death penalty. It’s offensive and irrelevant!
loading...
are you suggesting that having polycystic ovaries is an ethical choice? now THAT’s bisarre. method people, argumentation requires method….
loading...
Abortion = people see red and missed that it was just making a point about the selective application of ethics.
loading...
No I didn’t miss the point about the selective application of ethics Apples, I was merely illustrating how utterly bizarre it was to link one with the other – about as bizarre and irrelevant as asking other women on another thread about their views on the death penalty or something similar.
loading...
Sue has not hijacked this post, she has put it into some perspective.
loading...
I eat meat and find some of people overdo it on the ethics angle of vegetarianism and laud themselves too much. We can’t be 100% ethical in life (it’s subjective anyway what’s ethical) and if your diet is where you try to be ethical that’s great and a fine reason, just keep it in perspective when ragging on meat eaters that perhaps they are ethical in areas you are not (like the lollies thing people pointed out).
That is the point i feel as a meat eater is somewhat missing. I may not be ‘ethical’ to you in eating but i am sure there are things i do ethically you don’t. It gets tiresome to be ear bashed on ethics by a vegetarian who is blind to how they live the rest of their life and makes no acknowledgement of the many other ethical things you may do.
But most vegetarians are fine and lovely about their choice (my mum is vego) i think this is a small minority and most often put down to the zeal of some of the newly converted, it dies down, they get perspective.
I understand what you are saying about ethics in one area of life v. another, not that i agree with you on abortion. We all have our subject that inspires us to be ethical about, vegetarianism is just one among many.
loading...
Well said, Apples. Although I’d like to emphasise one line of your comment, and that is that it is highly subjective as to what is ethical in this regard. Confusing the ‘ick’ factor of eating meat with ethics is naive. In today’s world everything that arrives on our plate, or everything we use as products has an ‘ick’ factor, if we look closely enough.
We are simply choosing to become precious about one aspect of modern life, or should I say overly precious. While humane treatment of animals is paramount, elevating them to the status of humanity is denying reality.
loading...
Hi Gigdiary, could you expand on your last sentence, I’m not sure I fully understand your point?
loading...
It is not wrong to kill animals for food. They are not people!
loading...
Yeah, I thought that was perhaps what you meant. I happen to agree, but see the argument the other way around.
I don’t believe it is wrong that I eat meat because many animals do. And humans are just animals. I don’t see any difference between me eating meat and a frog eating an insect or mummy lion feeding Bambi to her cubs.
I also believe that if we humans choose to farm our meat we owe it to the animals we eat to give them a stress free life and death, but I don’t feel guilty that an animal dies to feed me.
I just don’t see it from the angle you do; that eating animals is not wrong BECAUSE we are human and they are only animals.
loading...
hey, I agree with you completely, we are saying the same thing…
aren’t we?
loading...
But people have the choice to kill or not to kill animals for food, while other animals kill out of necessity. While I see what you mean, I think that controlling animals’ lives by keeping them in cages and then brutally killing them is wrong. Why should we make animals suffer when we have so many alternatives?
loading...
I think ‘becoming precious about one point of our lives’ is a good way to put it. No problem you choosing food to be precious about, or to tell people ethics not taste is your reason or to try to sway people to your view.
Just remember that some people are precious about other things just as much as you are precious about food and you are no better and they are nor are they instantly some unethical evil person. Maybe they think you are unethical and evil in your behaviour on some other issue, but keep it to themselves. You can discuss ethics on your favoured subject without looking down on someone else or acting as if its the only issue in life we tussle with.
loading...
I have been wondering the exact same things, Sue. The EXACT SAME THINGS.
loading...
I would like to come back to this comment later, because I think it merits a thoughtful and considered response rather than something off the cuff. But having said that, a quick point:
Neither being pro-choice, nor believing it is unethical to eat meat automatically means you feel others should adopt your choices. In fact I think a common theme of any Mamamia discussion on either topic is that many people see both of these issues as coming down to an individual moral code, and would not dream of imposing their own beliefs on someone else.
loading...
I would like to come back to this comment later, because I think it merits a thoughtful and considered response rather than something off the cuff. But having said that, a quick point:
Neither being pro-choice, nor believing it is unethical to eat meat automatically means you feel others should adopt your choices. In fact I think a common theme of any Mamamia discussion on either topic is that many people see both of these issues as coming down to an individual moral code, and would not dream of imposing their own beliefs on someone else.
loading...
i know i have mainly been only joking around on this post because i think it’s all a bit silly, but here i agree with you totally. i see a lot of anonymous people talking insane talk , twisting nature into evilness, eating animals is not evil…it’s natural. the lion cannot change its diet based on ethical considerations, because it would be reduced to nothingness. the fact that we have more choices in our alimentation,doesn’t mean we can just cut out half of it without consequences. but the main point for me is :
why on earth should we? don’t we have anything more important to fight for than the moral dilemma of “if i eat this prey it will suffer…”yes it will. and when you die so will you. and so do all the rest of the preys in the animal world. we do not live in fantasyland, or am i mistaken? life is pretty harsh, let’s focus on what matters….
loading...
Excellent…
loading...
Excellent…
I mean, that’s a comment I wish I’d made…
loading...
thank you, Dergig.
loading...
cheeky…
loading...
Nice one, Clarinette. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with a P.O.V on here. I got DRILLED for doing so, down yonder on this post, but its good the cavalry have come to the party.
loading...
Drilled? Are you referring to the questions I asked of you? I didn’t realise this was an us versus them situation.
No ones asking anyone to stop eating meat, just to respect where it comes from.
loading...
I presume you mean ‘grilled’? I’m not sure of the post where you got grilled but I think everyone has been very respectful about the views of others so far, bar a couple.
loading...
No, drilled. I felt like that because I dared to stick my head up over the parapet and say that I don’t feel guilt about eating meat and I don’t think others should either.
loading...
Hey Kris, as I responded to one of your comments before I just wanted to let you know it was never my intention to drill you or anyone else regarding the topic.
I don’t expect you or anyone else to feel guilty about eating meat. I really don’t. Every other member of my family (including my husband) eats meat, so I honestly don’t hold grudges or judge those that do.
My only point is and has always been the same as featured in the main post. We are living in a world where most of our meat comes from factory farmed conditions. Factory farming is unfair to the animals, the farmers and the health of those who eat the products.
Many people either don’t know this or choose to ignore the reality.
But as consumers we have two choices, continue to purchase factory farmed products and support this industry OR to stop buying factory farmed products (by buying free range or not at all) and improve things.
Cheers
loading...
If any of you had read my thoughts on eating meat, you would know that I do respect where it comes from. Have a read.
loading...
*shakes hands around* i liked your comments too, the precious point was a good point, we live in a bubble of “humanity”that has hidden from our view our own animality to the point that we are ashamed of it and try to deny it…to each other. i think it’s all a bit ridiculous. oh and the guilt thing, (i read down below) has fallen on deaf ears , the ears of the guilt ridden …anyways i feel less weird now. i’m not alone. pfew
loading...
“people talking insane talk”
So those of us who care about animals are insane?
I think you’re protesting way too much here and guilt is playing a bit part of your attitude.
loading...
guilt for eating meat? it’s like a different language for me, i hear the words but the message is lost…i care about animals…if i own one, i take good care of it and i don’t eat kittens…but food is food.i also care about my plants at home, but i still eat carrots. same thing.
loading...
Do you honestly consider eating carrots in the same way as you do eating meat?
I agree completely about your post below to protest to the right people, but you have to remember that it’s the consumers who make a difference in the way animals are treated. I.e. – buying free range.
loading...
well…the question itself is strange…yes, vegetables and meat go together. on the same plate and in the same mouth.
as for the real question here, i understand why you would want to buy free range meat. i have at times, and the meat tastes better. it’s more expensive though.that might put some consumers off.
loading...
True, it is more expensive but it’s a chicken/egg thing (non pun intended!) – the more consumers buy and demand free range, the more (proper) farmers will supply it and costs will go down for them and then be passed on to consumers.
People need to make the change and it will be reflected in the price. But for me, if I were a meat eater, I would pay twice as much if it meant the end of animals suffering in spaces so small they couldn’t even turn around (not to mention the ill effects it has on your health to eat such ‘stressed’ meat) and so on.
loading...
and by the way. ( i just thought harder about what you said: guilt) guilt: i don’t own any of the places where cattle is produced and slaughtered. humans eat meat. the answer to your guilt is not to change the diet of a whole species, it is to change the way cattle is treated before being eaten. protest to the right people, go change the way it’s handled, but don’t try to make the human species herbivorous: not gonna work….
loading...
This is not a post about abortion in any way shape or form. It is about food. Plain and simple.
Please let’s keep it that way. there are plenty of places on Mamamia where you can air your views on abortion.
loading...
Lana, that issue was resolved a fair way back…and it was a one line part of a larger comment…
no need to haul out the PC police at this time…sanity prevails…
loading...
Thanks Gig. As you know pc police are always about
. Not sure about the sanity prevailing…. But happy to watch
loading...
I got this iphone app today that shows where the Parking Police are, I wonder if they make a mamamia version? I suppose not…
loading...
You don’t need an app Gig, we are always around
loading...
damn…
loading...
With respect Lana your post was about the ethics of the food we choose, and Sue was merely making the point that as a society we sometimes cherry pick our ethical stances.
But I think as Gigdiary has said, we are conscious of the fact that this is already a Incendiary issue and will leave well enough alone.
loading...
thanks
loading...
As long as there is no slandering of people based on what we think they think. And no personal slurs. Thanks
loading...
Believe me, Lana, that wasn’t my intention. I am grateful to those who have responded to my comment and kept to the point I was trying to express.
loading...
Lana please don’t be mad for me replying to Sue. I just wanted to say that I find the comparison between abortion and vegetarianism absolutely bizarre. Vegetarians who abstain because they value animal life do so because animals are conscious beings and have the capacity to suffer. A bunch of almost undifferentiated tissue with an undeveloped nervous system is probably not conscious and does not suffer. So there is no inconsistency with supporting early term abortions. I would guess that most animal rights vegetarians are against (non-medical) late term abortions (which is consistent with their beliefs). Religious people generally believe a human fetus has a soul and so it is a much more complex issue for them. I personally don’t think I could ever have an abortion because I associate the whole process with a bit of almost spiritual awe however as a strict vegetarian I have little issue with another woman making her own decisions about how she sees those budding cells.
loading...
I would find a comparison between the two bizarre as well. I did not do that.
Other people have expressed what I was trying to convey far better than me, so I won’t respond further.
loading...
Wow, there are so many responses to this post, but I’d still like to comment. I was vegetarian on and off since I was 4, I became a strict vegan at 21, and had been vegan for 8 years when I fell pregnant. I never thought about abortion because I had similar feelings about terminating the life of my child to that of killing an animal.
However, it is a complex issue for many women, much more complex than the choice to eat meat or not, and I wouldn’t dare compare my own feelings to anyone else. Nor would I judge them for making what I assume is a very difficult decision (having never been through or considered an abortion myself). Its a very delicate and highly personal choice, and if I was placed in a situation where I was pregnant as a result of rape, for example, I am not sure where I would stand on the issue, so I don’t judge. Can’t put myself in another woman’s shoes. Anyway I hope that answers your question somewhat!
loading...
Sue maybe your comparison would be better suited if you chose to illustrate a baby or small child being ill treated, abused or murdered. Although it would have been in equally bad taste. The abortion comparison makes no sense whatsoever. It is a ridiculous comparison to make and I cannot make heads or tales of how your mind thinks…..
loading...
I understand the poster below who was saying they were tired of the quilt. After all, your own wellbeing and that of your family comes ahead of animal wellbeing. Not everyone is suited to a vegetarian diet. Espcially not children. People with digestive disorders often find it hard to process vegetable protein, especially gluten. Not to mention soy protein (AKA hydrolised vegetable protein) which is simply super unhealthy and potentially cancerogenic.
Good grass feed bef is very healthy. So are eggs, fish; liver has the highest concentration of Vitamin A occuring in nature. Humans were meant to be omnivores, not vegetarians. Nations who are primarily vegetarian have shorter life spans.
Animal fat is much better suited for roasting or fying, as heat transforms vegetable oils into cancerogenic substance. Duck fat is my favourite!
All in all, this is not some utopian society where humans and beasts live in harmony together. Humans eat animals and have always done so.
loading...
Good grass fed beef is expensive and hard to come by.
Which study shows that primarily vegetarian nations have lower life expectancies? I am not being argumentative, I am genuinely curious.
Doing something because it has ‘always been that way’ is a cop out. If that were the case we would still be living in caves, or witches would still be burnt at the stake. Society moves forward, we learn things, lifestyles change. We each make a choice on how to live our lives. If you want to consume meat and feel it is healthier to do so, that is fine and no one else should force their views on you. If you believe that animal suffering is not worth a few minutes of ‘yum’ and that you are healthy without meat, then thats okay too.
Your argument would be pretty logical for the most part if omnivores ate healthy diets. But with Australia being one of the most obese nations on the planet that just is not the case. A balanced vegetarian diet and a balanced omnivorous diet are both pretty healthy. It is hard to attain perfection but many vegetarians put more thought into the health aspects of their food than people who consume meat, purely because they have to.
loading...
I read that statistic in the “Gut and Psychology syndrome” book. The lady who wrote it argued very convincingly for the omnivore’s diet, rather than vegetarian.
And what about dogs/cats? Don’t they NEED meat?
“Has always been this way” is not a cop out in this sense. Human gut/stomach has not evolved, why should diet? Original meat diet was primarily meat and complex carbs – this feels healthiest to me.
I do try to buy free range and never eat veal, but I am realistic about inability to have ALL livestock freerange and also aware of bigger suffering in the world, that of humans.
loading...
I mean ‘original human diet’
loading...
Sorry, but your last sentence touched a nerve “also aware of bigger suffering in the world, that of humans”. Are you saying that because humans are more intelligent than cattle and sheep, their suffering is greater? I’m not saying that we should favour animals over humans, or give animals houses and beds e.t.c., but after seeing the atrocities that farm animals suffer, I think we should give their plight some attention while still paying equal attention to humans who suffer. And please, do your research. Humans do not, and never have, NEEDED meat to survive. Originally humans ate meat because it was more plentiful than vegetables.
Dogs don’t need meat; my childhood dog never ate meat (vegetarian) and lived until he was 15. Cats need a certain enzyme that is in meat so while they are better suited to a meat diet, they are fine with supplements of this enzyme.
Sorry, I really didn’t mean to attack you personally or force my views down your throat. You can ignore my comment (you probably will, since this is very very late
)
p.s. I would recommend this book to anyone : “Thanking the Monkey” by Karen Green
loading...
“Nations who are primarily vegetarian have shorter life spans.”
The Okinawanas have the longest life spans and their diet consists of mainly vegetables, whole grains, soy and some fish. So um, what?
loading...
I thought large parts of India were vegetarian and excepting socio-economic reasons they seem fine.
loading...
Nope, I am married to an Indian and they eat plenty of meat. Generally hindi people don’t eat beef and pork.
loading...
I assume Food Inc. is based on US practices – does anyone know how similar these are to Aus practices?
loading...
A suggestion for Lana and all the other vegos out there…or people wanting to make the switch to meat free days for that matter
Have you ever tried tvp? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein
It’s basically a soy substitute that has the look/consistency of mince. I’ve been into it lately and have cooked fettutice “bolognase” and “mince” tacos and I’m going to try “meatballs” next.
The best thing about it? Not only does it expand your recipe base as you can subsitute any mince dish for TVP, it’s also EXTREMELY cheap, very high in protein and very low in fat.
Like any processed food, it’s best to eat it in moderation but I think a TVP meal once a week adds excellent variety to a vego’s diet
loading...
This is an interesting article from RSPCA
http://kb.rspca.org.au/How-are-beef-cattle-reared_88.html
It says
“Beef cattle are reared outdoors in all Australian states and territories.”
But then
“After weaning, management and feeding practices are fitted to beef production targets, for example to reach a particular age or weight for the domestic or export market. Some cattle may go to a feedlot where the diet is aimed to have the animal reach a high degree of marbling (intramuscular fat) before going to slaughter.”
So… they have a nice life UNTIL we either eat them as veal or send them off to be fattened up…
As sad as that makes me, I am still cooking a beef vindaloo tonight
loading...
Really?
It doesn’t put you off??
Not having a go, just curious.
loading...
Yes, it does put me off a little. But not enough. I am still entirely able to distance myself from it. If I thought about it more it would tear me apart. So I don’t. The power of the mind is very strong. It doesn’t make me feel “right” though…
loading...
We did a ‘killer’ last night (from our ‘killer’ mob of sheep – pun intended). We breed from the ewes (female sheep) and eat the wethers (castrated male sheep). One of our pet lambs (that has grown up but still thinks she is a dog and not a sheep) had a boy lamb this season, so we will eat him next year.
I grew up helping cut up sheep, bagging and freezing the meat. It helped with anatomy! I know where my meat comes from, what it takes to get it on my plate and that the animals are happy, healthy and not full of chemicals. That reconciles it for me.
Nonethless, my husband sometimes carts meat in his job and the stories he tells about damaged carcasses and how the meat is handled put me off supermarket meat. There is one place he delivers to that doesn’t even have a cold room and they deliver meat products all over Sydney. Yikes!
loading...
I’m a meat eater but I would happily pay more for ethically sourced meat. I already buy organic hormone-free chicken, but I’m aware this doesn’t always mean the chickens have been treated any better. I’d love to see regulations come in to identify meat where the animals have been treated humanely.
loading...
Me too, Lea.
At the moment I’m forced to try not to think about it as the regulations aren’t in place to tell us one way or the other.
Would we be happy to eat meat labelled “factory reared”?
I was very pleased when eggs started to be conspicuously labelled “cage” or not (although that “farm cage” sort is very dubious!).
loading...
Yeah farm cage or barn laid just means cage eggs.
Free range is the only way to go…
Plus it’s about 50 cents more, I literally cannot understand how ANYONE could have a problem with that, no matter what their views or budget.
loading...
ACA or TT (either of the “entertainment news shows by one-eyed journalists”) ran a story shortly after the last regulations came into affect. Instead of educating people about the difference between a battery hen’s life and a free range hen’s life and ultimately saying “the educated decision is now yours”, their story’s slant was “the prices you’ll pay once these crazy animal lovers take over and stop all battery hens”. Can everyone say, WTF?!!
Those people (at those shows) are evil.
loading...
OMG! Like I needed another reason to hate those vile shows.
That’s really appalling…
loading...
My husband has been a Vegetarian for almost 20 yrs. He is English and it initially surprised me that he managed to not eat meat for that entire time. Anyway, I still eat meat, although I am selective [organic / free range etc.] but I have to say I’ve been moved along a bit by Lana’s post and subsequent comments.
I cook mostly vegetarian meals at home and cook meat for our kids. Until they are old enough to decide for themselves, we will not force vegetarianism on them.
Someone commented earlier that they wished for more meat-substitutes and I was thrilled to discover [my husband even more so] that a product called Quorn is being sold in Safeway now. They do great veg sausages. We used to eat them a lot in the UK [actually, hubby did, I preferred the Linda McCartney sausages!] and they are quite substantial.
It is hard giving up meat and I think for most it is a gradual process. Good luck to everyone on that road – I think I may have taken a bit of a leap today towards a meat-free diet…
Oh, I wonder what people’s choices are regarding Fairtrade. While I am not so passionatly vocal about free range and cruelty free [even though it is all I will buy] I am far more determined to purchase Fairtrade coffee [Jasper do a great range], sugar, cocoa etc. etc. What do others think?
loading...
You are kidding me?! I loved quorn in the uk!! Now I can only hope it ends up in Perth:)
loading...
Thanks for teaching me something new today, Claudine – I had never heard of Quorn before. Googled. Very interesting! It actually tastes good??
loading...
It’s delicious!
loading...
Yeah I noticed the Quorn stuff in Woolies and Coles too. I really like the Fry’s vego shepherds pie. Very yummy! Expensive though.
loading...
I noticed a heap of Fairtrade stuff when having a poke around Aldi today.
loading...
I don’t eat any meat, occasionally i will have fish but thats it. I do it because i have a conscious ánd cant stand the thought of animal cruelty and because i find it kind of disgusting. I stopped eating all meat about 4 years ago, i went from 60kg to 47kg in a couple months and have never looked or felt better. My skin glows and i just generally feel much healthier. So the health benefits of not eating meat are enourmous too.
loading...
47kg? I hope you are very short and small framed??
loading...
Do you wear leather?
loading...
Who?
I don’t. Do you?
loading...
i eat meat mainly because if i stopped, my dog would smell it on me and figure i’ve become a prey. i want to stay on the predatory side of life tyvm.
loading...
umm ok….well thats a very justified reason isn’t it….. :-/
loading...
Yeah I’m hoping it’s a joke…
loading...
wow i feel sorry for you guys….not having names of your own has made you bitter, and i can understand that. No, it’s not a joke, i reaaally think that my dog would eat me if i was a vegetarian…except i don’t own a dog.
i don’t see how my joke was offensive though, and it is a fact that herbivorous animals are mainly the preys of the carnivourous ones…that’s why eating pig is considered dirty in many cultures and religions: they are omnivorous. like us…
loading...
I don’t understand everyone here saying you want to try better!
I would assume that most people who come here are doing OK. WHY are you beating yourselves up? Eat what you can afford, and don’t feel any guilt about it. I’m cooking Coles snags at the moment. Oh quick! Crucify me! Its The Horror of Horrors! Cheap MEAT! Double whammy! I am totally cool with snags being made of noses and arses. There is a reason this stuff exists. Like I said in my original post on this one, eat what you’re comfortable with, don’t eat what you’re not comfortable with.
DON’T feel guilty about what you’re happy to eat. DON’T feel like you have to be vego! Vego food is awesome, I am a massive fan.
However. I saw a story saying that the best vego cooks are the meat eaters (like me, who actually like vego stuff), because we like meat, and try to make vego gear like meaty stuff! There’s a reason stuff gets sold as meat substitutes, replacements, etc.
loading...
So are you saying that you should just give up on having a conscience about where you food comes from?
loading...
Sorry didn’t mean to be anon.
loading...
No, I am not saying don’t have a conscience. I am saying don’t beat yourself up if you eat what you can afford and what you like, even if others try to. Just really sick of the whole guilt thing!
loading...
But as a rational human being we should question things and sometimes possibly even feel guilty about them.
Sometimes we need guilt to motivate us into making the world a better place, even if in a small way.
Guilt doesn’t always have to be a negative thing, and I think it’s sad if you ignore cruelty due to choosing your feelings over animals.
loading...
choosing your feelings over animals, let me rephrase that: choosing your own health over an animal’s feelings. mind if i do?
loading...
‘eat what you can afford’
I don’t know about others on here but I find being vegetarian significantly reduced my food bill.
For three months I managed to feed myself, my partner (omnivore), 3 dogs and a cat on $60/week. I think it would have been much harder if I was a meat consumer.
Some of the people feeling guilt are probably torn between being told ‘animals are suffering’ and ‘you and your family will be sooooo unhealthy if you cut out meat products’. If society stopped reinforcing the stupid idea that vegetarian diets are unhealthy I think more people would cut out meat products and in doing so they would not feel guilty either way.
And I respectfully disagree with the notion that meat eaters make better vegetarian food. A lot of us genuinely do not like the taste of meat, so gearing veg foods to taste meaty is kind of off-putting. soy/veg alternatives are more of a convenience thing than a meat replacement. For example, I don’t eat spinach and chickpea sausages because I once enjoyed the taste of meat sausages (I didn’t). I eat them because if they weren’t in sausage shapes they’d be mush on a plate and that just makes it trickier to eat. Right? Right.
loading...
I don’t think its a case of making people feeling guilty. The question to ask yourself is would you be happy to raise a pig in a cage so small it can’t turn around, slaughter it yourself and then eat those sausages knowing what life you gave that pig?
The fact is the consumer is the one who can change all of this.
If people continue to put blinkers on and refuse to acknowledge the pain and suffering animals go through to become cheap meat, conditions would never improve.
However if people chose to only eat ethical meat or none at all, the cruel factory farming corporations would go out of business.
Meat used to be respected and referred to as a luxury. It would be good to go back to those days.
loading...
Also you mentioned “there is a reason this stuff exists”. Do you mean that these animals only exist to be our food? Not meaning to sound inflammatory I’m genuinely interested as to what you meant, as when I see a cow or chicken I see them as being put here to enjoy their lives just like us. Would be interesting to see how others think.
loading...
No, actually I meant that stuff like sausages etc exist because they are using the whole animal.
I’m not advocating blinkers at all – like I said, acknowledge where your food comes from, but don’t feel guilty about eating what you do eat if its what you can afford.
loading...
Oh ok I understand what you mean re the sausages. I agree eating all of the animal is much less wasteful.
However what I can’t understand is you saying people should eat what they can afford and not feel guilty. Like I said before meat is a luxury.
If you only have so much money to spend buy rice and veg.
Buying factory farmed meat is supporting animal cruelty. There’s no way to sugar coat it.
loading...
Yes, I agree with you, but if your conscience is cool with what you eat, what is the problem?
loading...
Absolutely, a person’s conscience is their own domain.
But I think Claudia summed it up perfectly above… feelings like guilt and self awareness can motivate the world to become a better place. I think many people do honestly feel guilty because their thoughts tell them they love animals, but their actions (by buying caged eggs or non free range meat) say otherwise and its very hard to reconcile.
These animals don’t have a voice, they are relying on us as the more powerful species to show compassion and thoughtfulness and I think, deep down, most people know this. Hence the guilt.
As Gandhi said “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”
loading...
My stepfathers violence extended from the abattoirs and butcher shops in which he worked and into our living room. To this day I find it very difficult to even see any type of meat. The backdrop of my childhood was carcasses hanging on hooks, congealed blood and animal body parts. I was a pretty sensitive child and the smell at the Footscray markets butchery used to make me throw up. Every day the smell of the abattoir and butcheries was brought home in his boots and his clothes.
When I was very young about four or five I saw a live sheep (on a farm) go into a shed and come out a dead one and made the connection with the carcasses and meat and absolutely refused to eat it for dinner and was force fed. I absolutely adored animals and found it hugely traumatic to be forced to eat them under the threat of violence. The absolute first thing I did when I moved out of home as a teenager was become a vegetarian.
I can’t help but feel a connection that working in such a violent environment everyday looking into the eyes of those frightened animals, before slaughtering them had a psychological effect on my step father and the level of violence that he punished his step children with. I’m not talking about farms or hunting where an animal is occasionally killed for consumption but people that work day in day out, hour in hour out, carrying out the systematic slaughter of animals. Animals clearly have emotions and the capacity to suffer, to be able to non-stop slaughter them I think you have to close down emotionally a bit yourself to what you are doing. And that has repercussions.
It is very difficult to find abbattoir workers in Australia, no one wants to do it, so what we do is go overseas to and find desperate people in poverty and hopelessness and import them in to do the work for us. I met one such young boy whose mother had died, his father ignored him and he was working in the abbattoirs here, already traumatized by his situation from his home country (and self harming) he absolutely hated the abbattoir work but it was his only way to stay in Australia. He was the sweetest and most beautiful boy, once when we were swimming he reflexively scooped his hands down to save a butterfly that had fallen into the water and gently placed it on the side of the pool. I was horrified that this same person could be working in the abbattoirs.
I am not an evangelical vegetarian, as a waiter, I carried out thousands of steaks to people. When people ask me why I am a vegetarian I usually make a joke and side step the question. Yet every now and then when I see a well dressed person eating a finely presented steak in a restaurant, I cannot help but see the violence on their plate and the yet again exploitation of developing world people in its production. And I find it difficult.
loading...
It was not until I watched two shows by Jamie Oliver, one about chickens and one about pigs that I really started thinking about how animals are treated when it comes to food manufacturing.
I’m still a meat eater but my husband and I are very careful about where we sorce all of our meat products from.
loading...
The pig slaughter brought me to tears… And then I cooked bacon for breakfast.
I don’t know how I justify it to myself so easily…
If I lived on a farm and had to kill my own meat I couldn’t. But I could if someone else did it. And the meat I buy, well, “someone else did it”…
loading...
I love meat, except veal and chicken, but i’m also aware that ethically, and environmentally, the meat industry is problematic. generally i try to stick to markets, organic or local product, but i’m a student with money issues and a lazy streak so its hard sometimes. especially when i’m ordering take away…
I keep meaning to try kangaroo instead(much more organic, humane and enviro friendly industry,) but i haven’t got around to it… must do that soon…
loading...
My family loves Kangaroo meat & prefers it to beef! We buy it from Coles!
loading...
I started eating kangaroo for just that reason.
I stopped when I discovered a few things: Russia was the largest customer for Australian kangaroo meat, which they used it in salami production. Then a couple of years ago they stopped all imports due to ongoing problems with contamination. This struck me as strange, I figured kangaroo meat would be subject to the same food production legislation as any other meat, but it turns out it isn’t as kangaroo is classed as game.
Also while it’s true that kangaroos don’t endure the stress of farming and lead a genuinely ‘wild’ existence right up to the moment they are shot, which also avoids abattoir stress, there are issues over the number of joeys which are left to starve to death after mum has been shot.
All of which saddens me greatly, cos it’s yummy.
loading...
I can completely relate. I went on a school excursion to a farm in grade 1 to hold baby chickens and milk a cow etc and came home that night at 6 years old to annouce I was no longer eating meat. Much to my families dislike. I am now 25 and have not eaten meat since. People often ask why and i can never really be bothered explaining but this post explains exactly why.
loading...
You’re amazing to be able to make such an adult decision at six years old – very impressive!
loading...
Overly sensitive nature – me too(++++).
– you to Mia!
But Lana, you’re more than than, you’re sensate, compassionate, kind, and very gifted in your ability to express yourself. Succinctly gifted
You both touch many of us, thanks for sharing this Lana.
In fact, many of the posts lately have been – pardon the pun – food for thought, some of them to “chew over” for re-thought. So today’s was no surprise that it got me focusing even more so than usual on the Hows of the Whats I put in my mouth. Meat most definitely.
While I’ve always been this way due to various (and serious) ongoing and age/stage/stress increasing health issues since Forever – yep, the dreaded allergies, which hardly anyone “had” back then in the late 60′s / early 70′s – chemicals, artificial colourings, flavourings and preservatives – the gamut of “extras” has been a big NoNo for me since the dawning of the fast food decade. Not that I knew it – no one did until the specialists started seeing a radical increase in allergies in kids a generation or two after me.
So this clip and your writing + my susceptibility to food “extras” have a real poignancy for me……. my specialist (Australia’s allergy & nutrician Demigod at RPA) tells me food (all foods in fact – even “naturals” which you’d be dumbfounded about), have certain naturally occurring levels of chemicals and preservatives (in their natural colours and flavourings) in them. These change our neutro-transmitter functions & level of functionability…… I haven’t been able to afford to eat organic food for every item….. yet I do try to wash everything twice or more to rid it of the many chemicals. Hmmmmm. The point I’m mulling all of this over (and openly sharing it) is – me wonders if hormones in animals, particularly the stress hormones (no doubt there’s loads of cortisol being released in the poor creature) that we are ingesting just by having meat in our diets – could very well affect our own stress levels and sensitivities highly while being nonetheless aware of its direct affects on our physiology….. Might just have a word to the good doc next time I have an appointment and talk with him about this very thing.
loading...
addendum: Lana, you’re not only sensate, compassionate, kind and very gifted in your abilty, you’re also a big blast of inspiration on the intellect – thanks!
loading...
I am positively blushing. Thank you for your very kind words
loading...
I gave up meat at 5 years old after on to many sightings of headless chickens running around. I became a zealot, padlocking the chicken cages so dad could kill them, recruiting all my friends. As I got older I got worse, canceling the cattle truck picking up the cows for market. My dad stopped killing chickens until I was a teenager then I found some head in the garden. for revenge I shoved them in his pockets of his best suit. The dog ended up eating a hole in his pockets.
Bet I wasn´t missed when I moved away to uni!
Now I eat it to be polite at people houses and I will eat fish my father in Law catches. I will also eat the occasional chicken. I´m to embarrassed to let my family and old friends know as I was so militant in my youth! so I´m very strict in front of them- mad I know.
loading...
I’m a long-time vegetarian who is temporarily eating meat. At the age of 8 I became vegetarian, and at 19 began eating meat once more due to my eating disorder and inability to maintain adequate protein levels. I only eat chicken, turkey and rarely tuna. I am gradually cutting these out of my diet. I dislike the idea that my food had eyes and a brain before it sat on my plate.
loading...
Its strange my vegan/ vego friends refuse meat for similar reasons as mentioned above but then chomp down lollies with no shame without realising that they contain gelatine which is made from pig/animal bones that have been crushed.
loading...
so if they know that, then they’re not being hypocrites. instead why not point it out to your friends?
i’m veggo and had no idea that there was a lot of beer and wine that wasn’t veggo or vegan (i had no idea). a meat eating friend told me and i went and looked it up. so now i can avoid those brands which use isinglass in it.
loading...
Also, parmesan cheese isn’t vegetarian as it contains meat by-products.
loading...
There is a couple that are. I think one called pantelica or something. Its in the dairy section at coles
loading...
I actually checked a block of parmesan in my fridge last night, & I think it’s vegetarian – it doesn’t have rennet, at least.
loading...
Most cheeses are not vegetarian. Rennet is yucky- it’s from the stomach linings of calves. I find most hard cheeses contain it. The ones that don’t generally list ‘non animal rennet’ or similar.
And I was unaware of the gelatine thing for a while after becoming vegetarian, I was horrified when I found out!
loading...
I know i should but i feel like i am being the naughty lolly police. I think there is nothing worse than tell someone not eat something that they are obviously enjoying. The lolly is not killing them and they are not kids. They are grown adults, they can read the ingredients and if they are really really active vegans/ vegos then i think they should research. I dont want to be one of those people that ‘you shouldnt do this/that etc…. Again I am not psycho but it makes me laugh secretly…. and yes cheese can be meat based as the rennet enzyme may have animal fats. Also even certain types of medication that come in caps have gelatine. eElevit has animal products in it.
loading...
‘I think there is nothing worse than tell someone not eat something that they are obviously enjoying.’
I think it is worse not to tell them!
It is a minefield out there in terms of additives and very hard to research the origins of all ingredients in foods.
‘I am not psycho but it makes me laugh secretly…’
Lovely.
loading...
I appreciate the honesty and I am also being honest in thinking it’s a bit nasty to laugh at a friends ignorance.
loading...
Oh dont get ur knicker in a knot!!! There are people who have eliminated a food groups because they choose to… be it gluten, dairy, meat etc – there not allergic to it.
Rather, make an informed choice about what you cease to it.
And yes i find it funny that they enjoy lollies with gelatine!!!
loading...
What’s funny about it? Sorry but that is a bit odd…
loading...
i think he or she meant “ironic”.
loading...
This is a really timely post for me as lately I’ve been starting to think more about the life the animal has before it ‘becomes steak’. I’ve been buying mostly organic meat for a while, but just yesterday I bought some tofu and made a yummy stirfry, and realised how easily I could embrace this as an alternative.
I didn’t watch the video above, but having seen Fast Food Nation a few years ago, I can’t believe I was able to continue eating meat after the slaughterhouse scene.
The timeliness of this story might be the universe’s way of telling me that I have a decision to make!
loading...
I found the same thing! At first when hubby became vego, I wondered how we would cook without chicken, beef, etc, but it’s so easy to create alternatives – and our meals have become so much more interesting now that we’re not relying on the “meat” for flavour!
loading...
A genuine question for the vegetarians/vegans who don’t eat meat for ethical reasons:
If you had the space, would you ever consider raising your own stock for food purposes? Would knowing you COULD have the cows and chickens running around happily until it was “time” be an option? Could you do it, or is a death a death regardless of how the animals have lived before hand?
For the record, I couldn’t, I know I would get too attached to the animals. Unfortunately I’m one of those omnivores who largely pretends that meat grows on trees. I DO make a conscious choice to buy products that come from reputable companies/farmers markets/etc. but I try not to think about the process too much as it makes me so sad. And yet I still can’t stop eating it (and honestly, I don’t want to..)
loading...
no.
loading...
Hi Shaezy – no I wouldn’t, mainly because I see meat as dead flesh – it’d be near impossible to get past that thought process. I just love animals too much to want to eat them, even if they were raised ethically.
loading...
no
loading...
probably pretty clear from the above. but just to fit in my two cents worth.
Its a no.
a death is a death. For me, ethically raised or not, they’re still pending for an unnatural death. no human would accept such fate, why should animals deserve so.
(this is not a condemnation on anyone, just my own personal view)
loading...
Its a no for me too. But Im also realistic about the situation and I cant see everyone in my life being vegetarian so I prefer the idea of free range meat. And I only ever have free range eggs in the house.
loading...
Nope, because I don’t need it in my diet and like you I’d get WAY too attached to the animals!
loading...
No, neither would I. They would become pets so I could eat them no more than I could eat my dog. And also, I never really liked meat so it wouldn’t be worth it.
loading...
Thanks for the link to the video. Ended up watching the whole thing on YouTube. Reminded me so much of how the financial system in the USA was unregulated and looked what happened there.
Its like the USA government has no concept of ‘conflict of interest’. Why do they employ ‘regulators’ that used to work/run the actual corporations they then have to go and regulate? Makes no sense at all.
The GFC, the BHP oil spill, and widespread contaminated food supply all lead back to the same thing, no outside unbiased system holding them accountable. There is no strong system of checks and balances.
When profit is king corporations care more about saving money and cutting corners than regulating themselves.
I really loved the farmer guy that exposed some home truths that are just plain common sense. What a breath of fresh air.
All mamamia readers I encourage you to watch the movie and inform yourself because it is starting to happen here in Australia too!
loading...
Brilliant post Lana. I am, and will continue to be a meat eater but you have made me reflect more closely on sourcing it more carefully. Thank you.
loading...
Two years ago I read a lot of books and saw a lot of documentaries that really made me feel sick about eating meat. It was also the health benefits of a vegetarian diet that attracted me – the risk of cancer is raised in those who eat red meat, and so on. So I stopped eating meat for around 6 months, but I started eating it again after my cravings got too much (and my weight dropped too low as well). Partly this was because I eliminated meat and dairy products without putting any thought into protein substitutes like lentils or tofu – I just ate only vegetables, fruit and grains and it ultimately was unhealthy for me.
I aspire to become a vegetarian again for both ethical and health reasons but in practice I find that I struggle with the discipline involved – being vegetarian (because I don’t eat diary products for health reasons I’d be a vegan) involves planning and organisation. Right now I’m about 80% vegetarian – I eat white meat when I’m craving it but never because I can’t think of anything else to eat. I eat red meat maybe once every few weeks, but I really am striving to clean up my diet regarding meat consumption.
loading...
Love hearing people’s meat stories, I havent eaten red or white meat since I was about 12. I grew up on a large property and we farmed cattle..of the meat variety. All of my family ate meat but I just never had the taste buds for it. Then 13 yrs ago a fell in love with a man who’s family owns one of Australia’s largest abattoirs.It’s ironic really because in the meat industry they are’ Royalty’. So the free steaks are all wasted on me.
Even 12 years of marriage his parent’s still can’t fathom the ‘I don’t eat meat’ thing. We dined there on Tuesday night and his father served up my dinner with a piece of pork the size of my head!! When my husband turned to his father and said ‘she doesn’t eat meat, his Dad’s response was ‘But it’s pork’!!! NFI
loading...
Haha, oh dear! I get a similar response from my husband’s nan who has the same conversation with us every time we eat together.
Her: Here, have some ham pizza.
Us: No thanks Nan we don’t eat meat.
Her: But you still eat chicken?
Us: Um, no.
Her: Just scrape the ham off the pizza and eat it.
Us: No thank you Nan.
loading...
Haha my mum will offer me all sorts of things that ‘don’t really have meat in them’
Mum: Want some chicken noodle soup? It doesn’t really have any chicken in it
Me: Noo….
I don’t think she can really comprehend that it’s not so much that I “can’t/am not allowed”, I really just have no desire to!
loading...
Haha reminds me of my big fat greek wedding
loading...
Haha I can relate – hubby’s parents still think his vegetarianism is a phase he will grow out of one day. Five years later they still ask at every meal: “Are you STILL not eating meat??” “Yes ma….”
loading...
I am a habitual chicken eater – couldn’t live without it. I am not that big a red-meat eater, I enjoy it, just not all the time. I don’t think this type of mass production will end, sadly. Too many people buy meat and are keeping the industry alive. More needs to be done so these animals don’t suffer.
How do we know if ‘organic’ meat we buy is truly organic, or they are giving us a whole lot of spin, just like the image we get from the supermarket of the farmer and the red shed?
loading...
I’m a vego. I have been for 10 years, and I’m pretty sure I’ll never go back. I agree with Lana’s point of view, and when I was 18 I started to read a lot of books, and magazines that had articles about vegetarianism, and decided on a date and haven’t (willingly) eaten a bit of meat since.
I have had a few brushes with ‘contaminated’ takeout vegetarian food, and have sent it back… one little piece of meat or not. If you say it is vegetarian and I have clarified it meets my needs, make sure it does! (there’s my gripe over)
I eat free range eggs and drink soy milk, and the meat that does come in my house, for my boyfriend, is ethically killed.
Veal is a no goer… it is NEVER coming into my household.
loading...
I tried not eating meat for a while and I did lose about 6 kilos (happy about that!) and then my hair started falling out (not happy about that!)..
loading...
I totally agree where you’re coming from, Lana, I was just wondering how you feel about organic farms?
loading...
Hi, Lana & Mia
Thanks for the article I find this really interesting and helpful as don’t know enough on the topic.
I am interested to know what meats you considered to be ethically raised with respect and humanity as I want to be informed on which meats/brands are best to buy??
Interesting video I saw the other day regarding Australia’s largest chicken meat producers
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/investigations/broiler-chicken-investigation/
The info on the website states Not to buy any chicken produce to help solve the problem.
Personally I buy Lilydale free range chicken, but I guess you never really know the true realities of how the animals have lived their lives before we eat them.
http://www.freerangechicken.com.au/
loading...
Lauren, I buy my meat from a farmers market where I can meet the farmers and get an idea of their practises and beliefs. If I can’t make it to the market I buy my my meat from featherandbone.com.au because I trust them implicitly and I believe that they love animals as much as I do
loading...
Thanks for the info Lana!
loading...
i still don’t get how you can love animals and kill them and eat them. i think thats a total oxymoron and people need to seriously think about what they’re saying and look into their actions vs what they think they love.
loading...
People should be forced to watch Earthlings http://www.earthlings.com and think about it.
loading...
I am a meat-eater and have no intentions to change that, however I really enjoyed reading Lana’s piece. Lana, you are a brilliant writer and I absolutely respect your opinion and views on this topic. The range of opinions on this is fascinating.
I agree with Ruby21 below in that it is entirely up to each person and solely an individual choice.
loading...
Thank you She – that is very kind of you
loading...
Wow I could have written that too! I’m vegetarian, though a fairly new one at a few months old.
My reasons are like all of yours Lana, though the real clincher for me was when I thought: ‘How can I justify killing something, ending its life, for a meal I don’t even really enjoy’ and how if I were to actually be present in many parts of the preparation process (like at the abattoir) I would find it very distressing. And the fact that I know this happens and would find it distressing, I can’t just ignore that.
I also like the fact that plants are more environmentally friendly, and there’s the fact that I just didn’t like most meats already. I don’t miss it.
But I don’t push my thoughts on anyone. I’ve explained to my boyfriend and he actually understands how I feel, but he still thinks I’m nuts
loading...
I’m sixteen and I have been a vegetarian since I was about 8. It’s second nature to me now, and I can’t imagine eating meat now. However, I strongly believe that it is a person’s individual choice what they eat.
loading...
Just a side note, do all the veggies/vegans here wear animal products? Just curious.
loading...
I don’t.. I figure if I wouldn’t eat it, I wouldn’t wear it either..
loading...
Hey Chelsea,
I am totally guilty of this – something I’ve actually struggled with for the past year or so. I own many pairs of leather shoes + jackets… Which is totally at odds with me being a vego, I know.
Was talking to a client at work who said she found out that many types of faux fur and faux leather are made from skinned animals… Eurghhh… Have been wanting to google this but am too scared..
loading...
I’m not a full-on vegetarian, but decided to cut down on my meat for health/environment/animal cruelty reasons. I eat kangaroo for iron boosts, and it is fantastic.
I don’t know how anyone can completely eliminate a ‘bad’ footprint. I do have leather shoes, and also plastic/fabric shoes, but all of these materials have a sad story to tell, whether from the animal or the environment they came from.
I have chosen to reduce my footprint by consuming less meat, and less generally.
loading...
I don’t wear leather but still wear wool and im cutting down on silk…
I think its up to the individual…only you can decide where you feel comfortable.
loading...
I love my vegan boots. Microfibre is higher quality than leather, more durable, breathes better and much easier to take care of. My favourite vegetarian footwear store is Vegan Wares, Smith st Melbourne. They are a little bit expensive but worth it (they are also environmentally friendly and non sweat shop). I used to order them up all the way to Queensland and now I have ended up in Melbourne almost around the corner from them and my favourite cafe Las Vegan. Melbourne is truly a vegetarian paradise.
I find it hard to avoid wool sometimes though because I think Mulesing is horrific I try to avoid it when I can.
loading...
Thank you. This is something I would have liked to have written.
loading...
I have to jump in on this one because it’s been bugging me for years as well. I’m not a full-on vegetarian and eat mostly seafood. I’m not against meat but I agree with Lana, the way meat is produced (for want of a better word) these days disgusts me. My partner has a solution to that: kangaroo meat, which i wholeheartedly support.
Also, the amount of waste occurring daily because people now have to have the best cuts of meat is disturbing. I’m originally from Asia and up until very recently, before industrialism took over meat production, nothing went to waste. NOTHING! I believe this once was the norm in the western world too, before we became so spoilt for choice. You raise animals on farms and when you eat them, you eat everything – pig & cattle intestines, chicken feet, fish heads, bones for soup, etc. Animal dung is used for compost, their skin for clothes, drums, furniture. It was the same for everything else that the earth produces – plants, minerals, animals, air, salt, sunlight. You treasure them, you don’t waste anything.
Animal fat is now supposedly bad for health, and yes, I know it is, but a balance is what we need. Both of my grandfathers passed away last year at 95 and 96 years old, they lived a healthy life eating anything they could find. My maternal grandpa’s favourite food was chicken skin and bones, he even had a saying for it! Cholesterol was unheard of and yet they had to be the fittest people I’ve ever known. These days we tend to overeat, so many things are highly processed and refined, and then we take medication to fix the problems that came from exactly that. It’s just so sad!
As you can tell, the main issue I have is with WASTE. There is just so much waste around these days. Take a look at any eatery and see the amount of perfectly good food going to the dump is sickening! Sometimes I’d like to ask people:
Who makes their own chicken stock with carcasses lately?
Who eats the stem of broccoli?
Who throws away milk that is one day past due date but is still perfectly fine?
Who repeatedly buys grocery and leaves in the fridge until it goes mouldy, (no time for cooking) then chucks them away and replace with new ones?
Who uses the dryer in summer when 2 hours in the backyard and they’ll be dry as crisps?
I can go on…
loading...
Broccoli stems are the best bit of broccoli!
I use milk that is past the use by date that is completely fine. If its not, I chuck it.
I try to buy what I need day to day for veges etc.
Don’t have a dryer, and after being in the navy and NOT being able to hang clothes out, I love being able to do it!
I totally agree with you about the pickiness about cuts of meat etc, too. And I agree with your Grandpa about chicken skin – YUM!
loading...
I totally agree with you on the waste issue. I’m a big fan of charities like Feed Melbourne and Fare Share who work to use leftovers to create yummy meals for those who can’t afford it.
You’re absolutely right about broccoli, milk, etc… if it’s okay to eat, eat it, if not throw it. If it’s a day past it’s use by date and it’s fine, USE IT!!
loading...
*meekly raises hand to No.4* ahh.. But I tend to use milk until it smells bad, regardless if it has expired, I don’t own a dryer, so all my clothing goes either on the line in summer or on a clothes horse in front of the air con in winter.
I don’t like brocolli stems.. sorry! But I love your idea of waste, you are completely correct in that.
loading...
Here is a good video on meat: http://meat.org
loading...
This is why I cook food for my 2 dogs EVERY NIGHT, so nothing in my house gets wasted! Obviously theres a few things they can’t eat, like onions and grapes but they aren’t things we eat huge amounts of/waste anyway.
But leftover vegies, bones, meat (my partner is an omnivore), pasta, whatever… It all goes into the ‘dog pot’ and as a consequence they are very healthy family members too. Processed food is as bad for dogs as it is for humans. They have dog biscuits every week or so to make sure they don’t miss any specific dog nutrients but it’s otherwise a great way to reduce waste.
loading...
I buy less and less meat as the years go by, we eat red meat maybe once or twice a week. I haven’t eaten veal or pork in over a decade (won’t buy it for my kids either) and I rarely have lamb (though when I do I love it, unfortunately)
We eat far too much chicken in our house though…but I do only buy ‘happy’ chook eggs.
It’s a little start I know. I aim to do better.
loading...
Why is it bad that you love Lamb? I’m really interested, cos lots of people are so guilty about liking, wanting, and eating meat. I’m not from Meat n Livestock Aust at all, genuinely curious. Why is a bad thing to like meat? I already said way down below that I don’t have any trouble with it as long as you know and acknowledge where it comes from. Why do you need to do better?
loading...
I gave up eating meat four years ago after I left my career as a chef. To realise the amount of animals that are “processed” to supply just one restaurant on a normal day of trade is truly alarming. The turning point for me was being told by a supplier that they could supply the most tender veal available anywhere, as their veal were slaughtered straight from the womb. Sickening.
I find it amusing that other people are so intrigued by what I choose to fuel my body with. The amount of times I’ve been told “You’ll get sick if you don’t eat meat!” or been asked “You eat bacon though?”. No!
I am by no means a zealot (my partner is very much a country boy and now considers himself a “vego” because he no longer eats meat 3 times a day), but when I happen to venture past the meat aisle at the supermarket I am saddened by the fact that just a few days ago that lump of flesh was a living being.
Having said that, it is truly heartening to read through the comments and see that there are so many committed to a meat free lifestyle!
loading...
“The turning point for me was being told by a supplier that they could supply the most tender veal available anywhere, as their veal were slaughtered straight from the womb”
Oh. My. Gosh.
That is truly sickening and appalling. How is it even legal?
loading...
I’ve seen a video of that exact process. One of the saddest most horrifying things I have ever seen (and this is from a country girl who’s school field trip was to a local abbatoir – no joke). I still feel sick and upset when I think of that video.
loading...
I firmly agree with Lana on this topic.
I have mostly eaten vegetarian meals in the past, eating meat only occassionally and choosing to purchase mostly organic or biodynamic meat. Since watching food inc. I have become completely vegetarian as I do not wish to support industrial farming anymore, its disgraceful!
I tend to rant on a bit when telling people why I choose to be vegetarian, but I try not to preach, just emphasise the point that if you eat meat you should choose organic and biodynamic.
I find being vegetarian, I eat much healthier meals as I need to make sure I get the essential nutrients my body needs.
I believe everyone should watch Food Inc even though it is shocking and confronting and I cried a few times while watching it! We need to know how our food came to be on our plate.
loading...
I too tend to ‘go on’ a bit when speaking about vegetarianism. I think in such a meat fixated society, you need to be quite passionate about being a vegetarian, and when you’re truly passionate about something, its hard to resist shouting it from the rooftops…
I would love to convince my friends and boyfriend to watch Food Inc, they are not so keen and I keep saying to them ‘what are you afraid of?’
A book I would like to recommend to everyone: ‘My Year without Meat’ completely brilliant, and not at all ‘preachy’
loading...
Brilliant topic, Lana, one I’ve got my own quirks & sensitivities about. Family meal planning, shopping, and preparation are all fraught. Put simply, I am a wuss. An animal respecting wuss who never managed to achieve full vegetarianism. Like you, I never buy cage eggs (although I’m pretty suss about the prevalence now), and I probably won’t see the film either.
As a mid-teen I pledged to become vego. Stage 1: drop all red meat. No mammals. Stage 2: The rest- never happened. I still consume just some (poultry store) chicken and seafood. But only if it has no face, discernable body parts, offal or bones. Basically, it’s just fillets, mince, soup stock, etc. That doesn’t mean I’m always happy about it though.
The flow-on effect means my family eats the same, so our options are repetitive and somewhat limited. In my kitchen, you’ll never catch me say, with my arm up a roasting chook’s clacker or anything. Because their mother is a weirdo, the grandmothers have taken over in the red-meat dept ‘for the sake of the children’. So far, no dramas from them. They can make their own future choices.
We eat eggs, tofu and quinoa but I wish I could find even more ‘proper’ meat-free options. Just bought a slow cooker and want suggestions please for more nutritionally balanced, tasty meals! (Not just vege mush.) Anyone? Please?
PS Has anyone seen Animal Pharm on TV? Last night they talked about some research into cloning meat(like) food from stem cells, without the animal(!) Yikes- other than freeing up some land and suffering, I don’t even know what to think about that.
loading...
Was that the one with those muscly cows and naked chooks? They were grotesque
Also:
this woman has a brilliant cookbook out. I got it from the library (hit up your local library for cookbooks if you can, it’s an often forgotten resource)
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/
And an aussie site with recipes here
http://whyveg.com/recipes/list.php
I just got a slow cooker too, it’s definitely hard to find veg recipes for it!
loading...
I didn’t catch all of it but yes, there were muscley cows and it was all about cloning. Eg. most apples are cloned (grafting), which we have no probs with, but there is concern re potential long term use in food animals…no history yet. As ALWAYS(!), I am caught between wanting to educate myself and yet not be lying awake at night freaking out either so I’m a little afraid to watch too much more of Animal Pharm. I think it also touched on lab work with animals growing organs for humans…:( (Mummy!)
Thanks for the links Sami, I will def. look at them. I’m hoping someone somewhere has a veg/legume stew recipe that includes a tasty sauce other than tomato as we have that often.
loading...
Yikes, genetic engineering always freaks me out a bit. I agree with growing organs for humans… but now they can do it in labs without using animals so hopefully thats the way it will go from here on. Makes me feel a bit creepy though!
I might give this one a go: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/11796/vegetable+chickpea+stew
Ooh and this one looks yum too: http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/pepper-stew-with-potatoes-and-olives
I don’t tend to make stews much, though I make awesome veg soups and curries. Hmmmm it’s raining today so a curry may be in order for tea tonight…
loading...
I would recommend tvp(textured vegetable protein). It can be used as a replacement for minced meat. Also sanitarium make some great vegetarian products like schnitezels which are sooo yummy! If you’re in Melbourne, there’s a franchise called Lord of the Fries that is 100% vegetarian and makes great nuggets and burgers.
loading...
Yes I am in Melb. Word of mouth is important for me, as I don’t like to buy every new product I see. Thank you.
loading...
Where do you get your quinoa? I’ve been wanting to try it, but whenever I’ve seen it, it seems very expensive (i.e. much more so than the equivalent weight in rice or beans, etc).
loading...
More supermarkets are supplying it now in the healthfood section, and it varies but yes it is much more expensive than other grains. However at this point, I’m happy to pay the $5-6 for 500g of organic, as 1 cup goes a very long way and has 14.2g per 100g.
loading...
14.2g per 100g…of protein
loading...
Does anyone know where you can buy vegefarm chicken nuggets in Perth? I would love you forever
loading...
Not entirely sure if they stock that specifically, but your best bet is PAWS: http://www.paws.org.au/store/
Give them a call or send them an email, if they don’t stock it they can probably get them in or point you in the right direction
loading...
I make my vege pasta sauce in the slow cooker.
1 onion; 1 small eggplant; 1 small capsicum; 1 x 800g tin tomatoes plus 1 x 400g tin tomatoes; about 10 pieces of sundried tomato or a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste; a generous handful of olives; 2 cubes of frozen spinach; mixed or Italian herbs shaken in until it smells ‘herby’ (sorry, I’ve never measured, probably about 2 tablespoons); salt and pepper to taste; some red wine if you like.
Dice all the vegies, mix everything together in the slow cooker (easiest to mix everything but the spinach and just place the cubes on top), turn on to auto, stir once or twice if you’re around, otherwise, come back in about 7-8 hours and serve over whatever pasta you like. I usually get a packet of fresh filled pasta of some variety.
Sorry the measurements get a bit vague. I’ve never had a recipe for this but after experimenting with my own vege pasta sauces for about 5 years I came up with this one and it’s been the only one I make for about 5 years now.
loading...
Hi there,
when you say cubes of spinach do you mean the frozen ‘cubes’ you buy in a packet in the frozen section? Great recipe and I’d like to try it!
loading...
Yes, I get packets of spinach from the frozen veg section and it comes in cubes in the bag.
loading...
Sounds great. If you don’t use the red wine do you use water? I just bought a slow cooker so not quite sure how to use it yet. I assume you need liquid of some sort, and if so how much? Thanks xx
loading...
The tinned tomatoes provide plenty of liquid, the wine is just to taste.
loading...
I too am not quite there, a product I like and even my very carnivorous husband likes are Orgran Falafel mix, it is yummy and not too spicy for the kids! they do heaps of other yummo things, the website is http://www.orgran.com/home/index.php
loading...
Falafel is super easy without the mix. I use about 800g of chickpeas (canned or dried and soaked, whatever takes your fancy) cumin and coriander in the food processor, then mix with a red onion, some mint and garlic, and egg and a bit of plain flour. That gives me 20-25, enough for kebabs and lunches/snacks the next day.
loading...
I have just bought Yottam Ottolenghi’s cookbook Plenty (got it from the book depository for $35!)
It is full of beautiful vegetarian recipes (depending on your type of vegetarianism e.g. some have milk, eggs etc) that look and sound ultra tasty, and most are not carb heavy.
He also makes suggestions for meat that can be added for those who wish to do so.
loading...
At the risk of sounding like one of those crazy non-meat eaters…I have always wondered why budget conscious meat eaters don’t just raise a farm animal in their garden and eat it. They would save money, and they would get a first hand look at where their food comes from. And lets face it, even if they kept the poor animal on their inner city balcony and fed it nothing but leftovers it would still have a better life than the animals that end up in our supermarkets.
loading...
Anyone can grow vegies in their garden. You would need council approval to have a meat-producing animal in your garden. They even get upset when you have a rooster in your suburban backyard.
loading...
Ah but then why not just eat a dog or cat? They are all animals!
(I clearly am not being serious here, but why is the line drawn there?)
loading...
Because I haven’t yet been able to train a cow to bring in my papers off the lawn.
loading...
Try a pig, theyre smarter than dogs AND edible!
loading...
I’ll train mine for truffle hunting and make a small fortune.
loading...
As Jonathan Saffron said – why is there a taboo of eating cats and dogs? …. lol
loading...
Er, I’ll pass on the eating. Would love to own one though, gorgeous little things
Agreed Ady, why indeed!
loading...
Go LPC.
loading...
Practical! I can only assume (and hope) that you are being deliberately farcical.
loading...
Some budget conscious meat eaters buy a cow (from a farm where they can see how it’s cared for) and arrange to have it transported and butchered for them. I can fit half a cow in my deep freeze, lasts me about a year. Haven’t done this recently, but I used to split the costs with another family.
loading...
It is actually illegal to slaughter your own animals at home, due to health regulations. No one gets fined as they cannot police it. It is HIGHLY illegal to slaughter animals for other people, even as a gift. So no-one says, and no one tells – everybody happy. I have yet to come across anyone who has got food poisoning from home-killed meat.
loading...