My Daughter and her Husband and 3 Children are all Vegetarians. I used to date my Dental Assistant, who is also a Vegetarian. She said she could never eat anything that has a Face. Looking at it that way gives me a small measure of guilt when I eat meat. Hal
That's probably why meats from animals whose faces are most unlike our own are preferred by most people. Although there may well be people who eat monkeys, I think it's safe to say that they are in the minority.
My nephew once told me that of the protein types necessary for nutrition, one could be found only in meat. Whether true or not, a parallel circumstance exists with cats. A veterinarian mentioned that one client told him she was making her cat vegan. He told her the cat would be blind within 6 months, deprived of Taurine, found only in meats. Frank
Actually, the terms “vegetarian” and “vegan” basically only say what the person does NOT eat, and not necessarily what they DO eat, and have come to describe someone who does not eat meat, or sometimes, any animal products. Theoretically, you could have Twinkies and coffee for breakfast, french fries and Coke for lunch, and a peanut butter and jam sandwich for dinner with ice cream for dessert, and still be considered as a vegetarian because you are not eating any meat. Definitely NOT a healthy diet ! There are people who look unhealthy who are vegetarians and ones who look unhealthy who eat meat; so it is not the title that matters, it is whether or not you are eating a diet of healthy foods, regardless of whether you do or do not eat meat with your meals. It is a personal decision, and each person has to choose what they will or will not eat.
@Shirley Martin It is widely thought that a host of common maladies today were of far less consequence back when the U.S. was very young, and most folks raised animals and hunted, eating little bread, sugar, and other carbohydrates. It can be argued, though, that life expectancies were so significantly lower then, that loss of teeth, cancer, and the various other frailties of today, were warded off by earlier death. IOW, they say as we became an agricultural nation, that contributed to a host of problems medically. Long live meat! Frank
I think there are all kinds of reasons not to eat meat. I'd never fit into the thin pasty white stereotype. It never hurts to try some of the meat substitutes but I'll probably get attacked for suggesting it.
Each person has to make the decision on what they are going to eat in their diet, as well as WHY they choose those foods. As incredible as it seems, many people still choose what foods they are going to eat just because that is what tastes good to them, just like we did when we were five years old, and our parents had to tel us to eat our veggies because they were good for us. You would think that as adults, we would have learned to choose food for its health benefits, but that is often just not true. Even when shown that something is a healthier food to eat, we do not want to deprive ourself of foods we are used to eating and enjoying. I think that there is nothing wrong with enjoying any food that we like, but that our main diet should be consisting of food that helps to keep us healthy, unless we simply do not care about our quality of life, or how much pain the wrong foods can cause us physically. As far as the “thin pasty white stereotype” of a vegan, that might still be true if the person is simply avoiding animal products, and not actively consuming a healthy diet; but when a person is choosing to eat healthy, living foods, then their body will also start looking healthier.
Food is very complicated. From just the I want, to like you said what taste good. What's convenient, considered normal, cultural issues. It can go on and on. Unfortunately some do think a vegan diet is the fast track to health. Where I have read more than once on the internet that people changing for ethical reasons stay more than those for health. Not that eating plant based for health isn't a very good thing. Some health people have also said as time progressed they started to think of things in an ethical manner also. Their thought process started to change as they stopped consuming meat and dairy. Most unfortunately there is a good amount of body shaming in the so called vegan community. Not everyone is going to be think and no one will stay young, no matter what they eat. I eat plant based, I don't fit it with it. What's new. I've never fit in anyplace.
I think that you are totally right , that when a person stops eating meat, they feel differently about it ethically, too. For a long time, I have felt that it was terrible the way that our animal food is grown, killed, and processed. It is nothing like what used to be when animals were raised and killed by farmers to feed their own family, or even by hunters . Even that is a terrible thing to do to an animal, but at least most of it was done humanely, and now the animals are raised and killed in horrific conditions. I have known for a while now that if I had to kill every animal that I ate, I would not eat any more meat. I think that, as a nation, we are a long ways from being connected to our food supply nowdays, whether it is meat or vegetables or fruits. We buy it at the store , ready to eat, and people do not relate their Big Mac or Buffalo Wings to once having been a living creature. I actually feel much better not eating all of that meat and grease, too. The protein that I am getting from plant foods is not only healthier, it is not loaded with artery-clogging grease, and it has fiber, which our body desperately needs. I don’t think that you should worry about “fitting in” with any kind of a look, @Kitty Carmel . Just eat the foods that you know are right for you, and take care of yourself. People all have different body builds, and even when we are not overweight, we are not necessarily going to have the build of a model or an athlete.
Although I eat very little meat, mostly chicken breast.....part of how I eat is also calorie based. I don't want to gain weight so to get the amount of protein I want I'd choose the chicken over the beans at times. I cup beans raw is almost 700 calories where I cup cooked chicken is about 250. After I ate a cup of beans I wouldn't have much calories left for the day. Think the protein content is the same...the beans will have less fat but not by much....I don't eat fatty foods at all. Think it has about 5-6 grams fat but more cholesterol. So a salad with chicken breast will leave me more calories than a salad with beans is what I'm saying. Plus and the main thing...although I love veggies and lentils, I don't care for beans too much. When I go to a Mexican restaurant I tell them to keep,the rice and the beans ...ugh. Don't like refried or regular beans too much. I can eat a black bean veggie burger though...those I like... Go figure. I also like hummus but not crazy about eating garbanzo beans. I also don't like the beans in chili. It's quite the challenge for me to maintain my 128-130 weight and get 60 grams protein a day plus everything else...not easy. Also watch my bad carbs and try to eat healthy. I'm not diabetic but I don't want to be so I watch that also almost as much as if I was diabetic. But after all I wrote..I eat fish the most. Then greens.