Could you go fully plant based? U

[JC2021]

Any vegans/ strict vegetarians on here? Your views on climate change?

Any meat eaters ready to go green and move to a plant based diet for a better environmentally friendly planet?

Nope. Tried vegetarianism, gave blood. Got told off by the blood nurse for being nearly anaemic because I can’t be bothered to adjust my diet properly.

@LazRaz

Has there ever been a society in history that was 100% vegan ?

No. Only vegetarian.

Not a problem here. Most of the cooking I do is basically vegan, just occasionally garnished with a small amount of cheese. Don't buy dairy milk anymore, don't eat eggs (apart from very occasionally in cakes), haven't eaten meat or fish for thirty years. I sometimes buy a pot of natural yogurt and do generally have cheese available, but it wouldn't kill me to cut those out. I don't really want to put any more rigid restrictions on my diet because it's limited my options for dining out and holidays all my adult life but I would happily cut down further; I don't think I'd miss it much.
Going out places need to make it easier though; it's no fun to dine out as a veggie/vegan family when you're all choosing from the same two V dishes on the menu. Hence we don't do it very often; it's not much of a treat.

@DogCatRabbit

Not a problem here. Most of the cooking I do is basically vegan, just occasionally garnished with a small amount of cheese. Don't buy dairy milk anymore, don't eat eggs (apart from very occasionally in cakes), haven't eaten meat or fish for thirty years. I sometimes buy a pot of natural yogurt and do generally have cheese available, but it wouldn't kill me to cut those out. I don't really want to put any more rigid restrictions on my diet because it's limited my options for dining out and holidays all my adult life but I would happily cut down further; I don't think I'd miss it much. Going out places need to make it easier though; it's no fun to dine out as a veggie/vegan family when you're all choosing from the same two V dishes on the menu. Hence we don't do it very often; it's not much of a treat.

Where do you live? My local pub has 4 vegan options on the main and slightly more non-vegan.

Indian, Chinese and Italian restaurants always have plenty of options (granted vegan might be harder for the last)

We have cut meat consumption significantly. Quality meat once a week or so, and many meals are vegan in our house.
But still have free range eggs and free range milk too.
It would help more if lots of people cut their consumption a fair bit than preaching that more people ought to become vegan. Especially if becoming vegan means relying on over processed fake food

I've been vegan for 2 years and vegetarian for 18 years before that. Mysteriously I have never had any diet related health issues, not even during pregnancy and breastfeeding. I don't even eat avocados or drink almond milk, which some people apparently think is compulsory for vegans.

I assume all these people with profound moral objections to oats being grown for oat milk also boycott porridge, granola, flapjacks etc for the same reason?

I have recently gone plant based. Purely environmental reasons.

I recommend watching What the Health, cowspiracy and seaspiracy on Netflix. Really changed my outlook as to how much better it is health wise and I couldn't get over how much dairy actually causes cancer! With young children it was the final nail in the coffin for my dairy intake.

No.

I'd struggle with dairy more than meat.

In our household, breakfasts and lunches are vegetarian >90% of the time. Mine are often plant based, but DDs usually have yogurts / cheese.

Dinners are plant based once a week, vegetarian once/twice a week and fish once a week.

Meat 3-4 times a week.

No. We have cut down on meat (on average maybe 2-3 meals a week are now meat-based and 4-5 veggie/fish) and buy our meat from a local organic butcher - we are fortunate to be able to pay more for high quality products. We also eat a lot more fish than we used to, although I understand that (while healthier for us) this is not solving the environmental/conservation issues.

But I’d really struggle to say goodbye to dairy and eggs. These form a staple part of our diet, and unfortunately none of the plant-based ‘alternatives’ is cutting it for us. Plus far too many of them are highly processed and not at all appetising from my POV.

No.
We don’t eat a huge amount of meat anyway, and I’m happy to eat plant based majority of the time, but I don’t think Getting rid of animals for food is the way forward.

Where I live there’s a really diverse microclimate area that’s been so successful with rare plants and animals due to people farming here for centuries. It’s at high altitude and traditionally these areas wouldn’t sustain much, yet because farmers have had cows, goats, sheeps up high all summers they have fertilised the ground and kept it in peak condition.

I think mass farming isn’t great, so we do need to eat less. But sustainable farming on a smaller scale does work. This month we have had venison locally that was part of annual cull that’s needed as no predators here ie wolves now, and eggs from neighbour who’s chickens live long happy free range lives

@hamstersarse

Nope.

I don’t particularly want to ruin my health and become a burden on the NHS and other services.

Why would you ruin your health? And become a burden on the NHS? There’s plenty of evidence that a plant based diet is associated with lots of health benefits.

Why is this in AMA? Why has OP not given her own opinions. Weird.

[quote daisymoo2]@mayblossominapril what a sensible post. It’s scary the way large plant based food processors seem to be brainwashing people that eating highly processed factory produced foods flown from every corner of the earth is better for the environment than eating local. In the UK eating local means a balanced diet of world leading high welfare meat and dairy, grains and seasonal fruit and veg. Plant based trend is all about the money (and the anti farming crowd) and absolutely zero about the environment. Eat local, minimise waste.[/quote]
You’re setting that out a false dichotomy - eat local as an omnivore or eat processed food from all over as a vegan. Plenty of omnis eat ‘highly processed factory produced foods flown from every corner of the earth’ while lots of vegans eat local/focus on zero waste/plastic free etc.

I do eat a lot of veggie food and happy to cut meat down to a minimum or even give it up, but going all out vegan does not appeal! Some vegans seem to rely on horrible processed stuff. I wonder what the carbon foot print of processed vegan food is like?

Although i respect it, I'm not a vegetarian or vegan politically, but I've always found meat, poultry, eggs and fish textures a bit gross, so with all the plant based alternatives out there now I do find myself leaning that way. I stopped eating pigs and cows years ago. I can't recall the last time I ate fish or poultry. I might chose it on a menu, in my mind it's still an option though I do much prefer nicely prepared healthy vegan meals. I already use oat milk. The only things I still have regularly are butter daily and cheese once to a few times a week. I eat a lot of legumes, vegetables, rice, cous cous, etc. My go to is a quick stir fry and I never get tired of it. Sometimes I add seeds and nuts. My colleagues laugh that I definitely get my "5 a day"!

No. I can and do happily eat vegetarian food and don't have meat with every meal. I often eat veggie with my daughter while my husband and other kids have meat. But I could not do without eggs, milk and cheese. All the vegan alternatives I've tried are horrible.

No, I wouldn’t wasn’t to. I am have cut back on meat a lot and always buy local. I would rather continue that way than rely on some of the super processed things that are sold as plant based which I struggle to see how are good for the environment anyway!

Gosh, vegans don’t have to live off processed food! Just like meat eaters don’t live off hamburgers and Turkey twizzlers.

@TuftyRusty

Gosh, vegans don’t have to live off processed food! Just like meat eaters don’t live off hamburgers and Turkey twizzlers.

No but a lot of the options that places are selling plant based things are very processed and they are the things that people who are doing it and want an easy route will take.

Whether meat or plant based avoiding highly processed foods is going to be a better environmental option.

@Sirzy but it’s such a straw man to take down veganism because some vegan options are processed, as PPs have been doing.

I agree with the eat local sentiment - this is the best diet change you can make for the environment IMO.

Eat in-season vegetables, high welfare local meat, locally produced cheeses, etc

And of course, avoid plastic packaging.

These are my ideals and I don't always stick to them, but I try!

In terms of meat, I only eat it for dinner so breakfast and lunch are always veggie vegan sometimes, but mostly 'by accident'.

LazRaz

Has there ever been a society in history that was 100% vegan ?“

Buddhists?

[quote daisymoo2]@mayblossominapril what a sensible post. It’s scary the way large plant based food processors seem to be brainwashing people that eating highly processed factory produced foods flown from every corner of the earth is better for the environment than eating local. In the UK eating local means a balanced diet of world leading high welfare meat and dairy, grains and seasonal fruit and veg. Plant based trend is all about the money (and the anti farming crowd) and absolutely zero about the environment. Eat local, minimise waste.[/quote]
We can grow pulses etc here in the UK - look at Hodmedods. The UK climate is actually good for this - we got out of the habit.

Chickens in vast industrial sheds is not eco in any way. The majority of the animals we eat in the Uk are NOT raised in a sustainable way. The odd highland cow yes, possibly. But that is a tiny amount of the meat the Uk consume. We actually import a lot.

Im an omnivore, but have cut right down on meat and dairy.
I dont think i could drop it completely.
I eat and enjoy many vegan meals, but once in a while i fancy a beef stew or a pizza.
Id also miss eggs. I dont have them often, but wouldnt want to cut theem out completely.