To ask why people are so against giving up meat?

[NewCracker]

Just that really, why are people so against giving up meat?
Without a doubt we know it's better for the environment, we know it's better for our health, we know it's better for animal welfare and it's actually quite expensive. But still as soon as you mention to the greater public about cutting their meat consumption, they get defensive and almost offended.
Would you ever consider giving it up, if you do consume it now? If not, why not?
I'm expecting some hate, this is MN after all, but I am genuinely just curious. Not trying to rattle feathers.

It’s because we’re designed to be meat eaters.

When you say "it's fact", that's quite misleading. I would counter it by saying that

although many humans choose to eat both plants and meat, earning us the dubious title of “omnivore,” we're anatomically herbivorous

that's also fact, if you want to put it like that!

Meat substitutes are rank imo and many veggies including me, wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot barge pole. A lot of the vegan foods that are now mass-produced and distributed in supermarkets are heavily processed and very unpleasant in texture and flavour.

There are many primary ingredients that can be made into delicious dishes without having to have a bacon-like, chicken-like or burger-like appearance - which always seems to be just the marketing muppet thinking that veggies and vegans really miss meat so much they have to have foods that look like meat, no stop being so ridiculous, we can live very well without pretending we're eating something we've active chosen to avoid!

We aren't anatomically herbivorous. We don't have wide, flat teeth adapted to rasping and grinding, our jaws don't have a wide sideways action for the same purpose, and we can't digest cellulose.

Not necessarily “against” giving it up - DS is vegan, so we have eaten many vegan meals with him. However, we limit our meat intake to about 100g per day and that works for the cook (me) and DH (has specific nutritional requirements) most of the time.

We are, after all, omnivores, and our diet in the UK has been developed over many Millenia.

I am genuinely just curious.

Of course you are.
😉😁😁😁

I was vegetarian for years. I then went vegan for a few months.

I'm now trying to fix the health problems caused by that few months. In order to do that, I was strongly advised to reintroduce meat to my diet. I'm getting there, but it has taken over a year - longer than I was plant based in the first place.

I'm not 'against giving up meat' - but I probably won't be doing it again.

There seems to be two types of vegans/vegetarians. Those who like vegetables and/or are skilled cooks. And those who don't/aren't. On both counts.

The meat substitutes seem to be for the latter.

What I eat is my business, and mine alone.

You'll probably find that people get offended when you criticise their eating habits, and that is exactly what you're doing, because they don't like being patronised; being told how bad they are while you're going to save the planet.

There are many more things to give up for environmental reasons before one should restrict one of his basic needs like their natural diet.
I think it's insane that anyone would expect whole mass of people to give up meat entirely, while there's a huge difference between their standard of living, I mean I'm fine without vacations abroad, most cosmetics, new clothes for every season etc, and I'm conciously trying to reduce my overall consumption bc that's what's unnecessary not eating naturally as it's ment for humans.

I don't lie. Or be untruthful.

I may be in the minority but that doesn't mean I'm not telling the truth.

Interesting points on here. I gave up eating meat, poultry,fish over 40 years ago,After watching secret filming of slaughter houses, battery hens. I was also nursing and someone who has been in a bad RTC, looks and smells like raw meat. Ironically, I married a sarf London bloke who hates veg and loves meat. I do cook from scratch, don't like fakey meat products. Never had low bloods, iron,ferritin, HB. I don't aim to stop anyone else eating meat. It's not realistic... better for the planet, what about the animals, the farmers, the whole food chain! We don't produce enough fruit and veg of our own in this country

I'm sorry but if your health suffered in just 'a few months' you must have had an underlying health condition. I've been vegan for over 5 years and had nothing but health benefits. This is verging on scaremongering imo.

People thinking meat is 'unhealthy' is one of the reasons why we have such high levels of obesity and poor health. There's always some sort of weird orthodoxy around food. Eggs have been demonised, fat has been demonised. It's almost like food manufacturers want to scare us off whole foods and keep us addicted to their cheap, processed, convenient sludge.

Plus, I'm getting a little tired of being preached at by all the fat, depressed vegans I know. Stop eating your ultra-processed 'plant-free' muck, and try a nourishing home-cooked dish of meat and veggies.

My ancestors going back tens of thousands of years ate meat. Our bodies are designed for it. It keeps us well, physically and mentally. And for me, it's part of my culture. You don't like that? I don't fucking care.

we know it's better for our health

No. No we don’t. This is disputed. We know eating too much meat is not great but I don’t agree that it is healthy or natural for us to be fully veggie or vegan.

I will continue to eat it for my health, the fact I believe it is a natural part of our diet and that I would feel I was missing out and not enjoy my food if I gave it up entirely.

As I age and lift weights to counter act the ageing process on my muscles and body in general, I feel the protein I get from meat is very important.

If the meat is unprocessed and high quality and eaten in moderation I think it's healthier. Alternatives are heavily processed and filled with wheat and palm oil. Difficult to get vitamins like B12, iron and K2 otherwise as well.

'Plant-free', whoops. I meant 'plant-based'. Although this stuff doesn't seem to have much in the way of plants either.

I don't eat meat and haven't for years. As a kid I was hugely squeamish and wouldn't go into the butchers. And I wouldn't eat anything with fat or bones or skin. So basically my diet was chicken breast, mince or sausages lol. So it wasn't hard to stop all together.

I don't bother with fake meat products and I'm married to a meat eater albeit one that limits himself to meat in a takeaway or when we eat out. I don't want to be cooking meat

I would genuinely like to see the end of intensive meat production. There's no respect for animal welfare.

Why are people using sexist archaic tropes such as "Karen" on a website for women?
Anyway, I digress. Meat does taste good but if i compare a lump of steak to a great salad id take the salad as eating steak us like chewing an old leathery insole!
Vegetables loom vibrant and full of vitamins...meat just looks well "dead "
Do is veggie, i cook mostly veggie but eat lots of fish. Eating meat is only good for you if unprocessed. Bacon, chorizio and other cured meats cause bowel cancer if eaten to excess.

I do enjoy carefully prepared, home cooked vegetarian food, but all that chopping, mixing and stirring takes time. Much easier to bung some meat in the oven and go off and do something else whilst it cooks.
This means that most vegetarians I know eat these disgusting ready meals full of weird ingredients or live off cheese cheese cheese. Not convinced this is very healthy.

Look*

Dp*

More cows do need to go extinct tbh to prevent excess methane production. Is it right that cute, fluffy animals exist just for us? Who actually goes to pet a farm pig or sheep after primary school?

'loom vibrant'... Yeah they look great but for most people who are used to meat veggies just taste like grass. Also, they have less and less vitamins thanks to degrading soil quality.

Most 'veggies' for erm 'British' cooking at least in my experience are just boiled or salad with dressing.

As @Fairyliz maybe more people would be vegetarian if they were exposed to great cooking. But as a culture British people seem to see food as more of fuel, to be prepared and consumed ASAP unlike, say, the Italians.

There are great, quick vegetarian recipes but they are all of a specific texture. My autistic DP cannot stand anything soft or mushy, it's quite a challenge making 'crunchy' , quick and healthy veggie dishes.

Because I would rather eat locally produced grass fed meat than fake stuff made of unpronounceable ingredients flown across the world.