honestly, massive respect from me for that.

It’s a lifestyle choice not a religion, I don’t think it’s really that noble gallant or respect-worthy. Same way I would get cider and whisky in for guests at a party even though I can’t stand drinking it myself. You still have to smoke in the garden though.

What is really funny is that whilst I am often curious, I have never ever been able to sneak a cheeky taste of whatever meaty stuff I am cooking in the kitchen whilst no-one is looking. Ridiculous of me since the animal is dead and served to my kids whether I have a sneaky nibble of it or not. 😆

I also tend to over rather than under cook meat these days as its so many years since I made it for myself I worry I might have lost my ‘judgement’. Friends approach my barbecues with some trepidation nowadays!

So why not eat horse? Or a nice juicy kittenburger?

I would eat horse, perhaps not kitten though. I think cats and dogs etc are of higher IQ so life and death means a bit more to them. I ought not eat pigs for that reason, and I don’t eat it very often.

JY if you cooked for me I would look forward to eating a vegan meal. However I do seem to remember I asked for real milk in my tea that one time 🙂 It was cos I am suspicious of soya milk, of course I should have had it black.

frustrated that nobody has mentioned quinoa… a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids… I don’t really see what meat has to offer over that?

The protein content of quinoa is somewhat of a red herring. Yes, it is a complete source of amino acids but you would have to eat huge quantities of it to hit your ideal daily protein intake and in doing so you would also consume massive amounts of non-fibrous carbohydrates. The nutritional profiles of quinoa and meat are massively different, surely you must be aware of that? Are you actually saying you personally get a significant amount of your protein from quinoa, every day? Or are you just putting it out there as a “veggie superfood”?

What about availability too? It’s not sufficient for something to simply be in a food, it has to be accessible by your gut. E.g. iron in vegetables – it’s there, but hard to process.

The not so good side of Quinoa is this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa

Ps And before you complain about the source/newspaper, others are available.

“Impact of Carnivory on Human Development and Evolution Revealed by a New Unifying Model of Weaning in Mammals”

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0032452

I’ve a lot more respect for someone whose actions have been thought about.

absolutely. Rusty Spanner’s point is a brilliant example, if you don’t believe animals have rights, then at least treat them with respect. Find out where your food comes from, and how it’s been farmed. I don’t believe for a moment that the cellophane wrapped lumps of white, pink and brown meat on supermarket shelves would pass rusty’s test. Make it your business to find out.

FWIW my eggs come from my neighbours mostly, and milk, well, as a veggie it’s hard enough eating out without restricting your diet further, and chefs seem to have decided that we eat goats cheese in a pastry parcel….

I don’t believe for a moment that the cellophane wrapped lumps of white, pink and brown meat on supermarket shelves would pass rusty’s test.

It’s not necessarily as bad as you think, but it is certainly a valid point. There is meat on the shelves that comes from a long way overseas if you look.

FWIW I just had lamb from a farm 5 miles or so from here. I also had their sausages this morning – they were cellophane wrapped, in a polystyrene tray too.

Mol, you’re probably right, but at least your local butcher can probably tell you more about the provenance of your chosen animal. and if you’re going to eat them, you at least owe them that.

you at least owe them that.

I don’t get the “you owe them stance”. they are a prey animal they get get munched…..I’m more than happy to hunt, kill and prepare my own food. At no point do I think about anthropomorphising my food to think, “thank you mr bunny, I hope you’ve had a jolly life hoppity boppiting about with all you’re little bunny pals, now you’re stew”

😯

Don’t eat too much rabbit or lean meat….

it’s all right nick lean meat starvation won’t get me, my diet is very similar to a chimp, I eat lots of fruit, leafy stuff, insect protein, nuts and anything small and fury I can get my paws on (I do cook it unlike my Darwinian brethren though)

actually, that may also explain excessive hairiness and temptation to fling poo at those who annoy me. 😀

tazzy, cool.

morally there’s everything from “Animals have no rights, and we can do what we want” at one end and “Animals have a right to life, and killing them is morally wrong ” at the other, and everything on the spectrum in between. As long as you’re giving it some thought, and not just blindly picking up chicken ‘product’ off the supermarket shelf, or justifying your meat habit by some hokum about evolution, then happy times.

Are you actually saying you personally get a significant amount of your protein from quinoa, every day?

I dont eat it personally for ethical reasons

Or are you just putting it out there as a “veggie superfood”?

No just trying to counter the we need meat FFS everyone knows its macrobiotic that is the super food 😉

some hokum about evolution,

I studied evolutionary and population genetics for years so I’d be a big fat dobber if I did 😀

Any reason we can’t grow quinoa in Europe?

Any reason we can’t grow quinoa in Europe?

already growing strains of it in the Loire Valley, but not a fantastic tonnage per hectare

So what’s the most ethical way to eat meat in the UK? Do I need to go and get myself an air rifle?

The vast majority of my meat is Waitrose/Duchy/Laverstoke Park (Jody Scheckter) organic or local farm shop (all pastured, some organic). That’s enough to satisfy me the animals have had “a good life” (whatever that means) although the animals’ welfare is a side benefit rather than a primary consideration for me. I appreciate I’m in a reasonably privileged position to be able to do this (as far as the supermarket organic goes – local farm shop meat is not particularly expensive IMO)

Do I need to go and get myself an air rifle?

Might need something a bit more powerful, unless you’re hunting mice.

…which if you are. Best get in a professional.