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.

Red meat is listed as a carcinogen by the WHO just as smoking is. It's not as healthy for your body to eat meat vs a vegetarian diet, that's a fact despite how you feel while eating meat.

I agree that much can be improved to reduce the environmental impact of growing and selling vegetables or food in general (reduce plastic waste, eat local and seasonal produce) but.. the environmental effects of raising animals to eat far outweighs that of growing wheat, rice, vegetables.

Not vegetarian, but we stopped eating red meat well over a decade ago and don’t miss it.

I won't give up meat. I enjoy eating it and absolutely do not enjoy the alternatives (I'm not talking about vile fake near, but things like chickpeas and tofu). I don't mind them occasionally but it would massively reduce my enjoyment of life to have to eat them all the time.

I'm not convinced a meat free or vegan diet is healthier - I think a bad diet is a bad diet. Lots of vegetables, natural fats, high quality protein is a healthy diet. Lots of processed foods, high salt and sugar foods etc, is a bad diet.

Environmentally, I think seasonal and locally sourced foods are best, whether meat or meat free.

Don't think you would get the same blood taste in a quorn burger v a rare steak.

Anyone think this thread was started by the Meat Marketing Board (if it's still a thing)?
🤣🤣🤣

Rattling Feathers huh?

Lots of people have given up meat, but mostly people don’t want to because they like it / it contains a lot of protein / they aren’t that keen on sacrificing stuff for the environment when big businesses don’t,

😂 😂 😂 😂

@LuckySantangelo35 I think it's what you are used to, really. Childhood food habits are quite hard to break. I have tried meat but the texture did not appeal to me. Just like the texture of veggies or lentils does not appeal to others.

I don't think lecturing people to give up meat will do any good; encouraging a few meat free meals a week would be better.

Plenty of people around the world kill their animals themselves for the meat. They do it as humanely and efficiently as possible because its an awful thing to do badly.

My own niece was a vegetarian for many many years but now has a smallholding on which she raises chickens and kills them herself. She does it as quickly and painlessly as possible because its a horrible thing to do badly. She sleeps fine because she knows she did it right.

2 quorn fillets were £3.50 in tescos the other day so I got 2 chicken breads for £2.50. So it's not always cheaper

I just don’t fancy meat.
Same way some people don’t like sprouts.
I don’t know what the big deal is…
Not giving it up, I just never eat it.

I still don't really understand the link between it being good for the planet to give it up.
Saying that, l don't eat it all the time and could happily not have it

I think you have a point re your diet but why do you feel the need to be so aggressive in your comment calling the OP a hypocrite? Maybe we should do all these things less or not at all if we can. People are so strange when any attempt is made to talk about the environment. Things are pretty awful and we all need to change where we can.

@LuckySantangelo35

It's not the 1950s!

Rib-eye at room temp with local rapeseed oil, sea salt from the Western Isles and imported peppercorns...nothing more. Seared over embers and rested.

❤️

Because the evidence is that it’s not bad for the environment, and unless you only eat local seasonal fruit and veg then you can guarantee that the food you eat has a huge environmental footprint

No Quorn is rank. The spongy texture is extremely off-putting. Plus I tend to eat my meat plain - steamed fish, steak fried with some butter and salt. It's quick and easy. Curries or heavily flavoured foods are for when I have time!

So I'm now beginning to see. Fairly new to MN, first post and I'm already regretting it. absolute novice! 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Because meat tastes so bloody nice. I am sorry to say that, because I fucking despise cruelty to animals, and I hugely admire ethical vegans. I mean the people who give up meat because they hate animal suffering (rather than for health reasons).

I enjoy eating several meat products. I enjoy them so much that giving up is unpalatable to me at present. I pay more for meat that is organic or has been raised ethically. I aim for three vegetarian days per week because I do feel guilt about animal welfare and the impact on the environment.

I cannot see how eating an Avocado farmed in a water shortage area and shipped over here can be more environmentally friendly than the beef I produce sold in the UK.

There are many veggies apart from avocadoes, but somehow these are always brought up as a gotcha. How many avocadoes can one veggie eat? I eat carrots, cabbage, broccoli, aubergines, tomatoes, onions, courgettes, mushrooms, onions, spinach, some other greens, sweet corn, potatoes. there is so much to eat apart from avocadoes.

I’m vegan. Almost everyone I know well is either vegan, vegetarian or has cut their meat intake down a lot over the years.

My mums an ethical vegan (vegan for welfare issues) but if you actually talk to her about it, she's just never really liked meat. Being vegan is extremely easy for her. She also not at all bothered by food, eats to live, not live to eat sort of thing.

Agreed, we would overall use less land for agriculture if we didn’t have to grow animal food. according to the studies I read anyway.

But nevertheless, I look at the mass loss of biodiversity we have lost for the production of wheat, corn and rapeseed. Just as one example, You can drive for an hour through northern france, and see nothing but in every direction. If that’s ‘green’ you can keep it.

I don't enjoy losing "plant-based" food roulette and having an IBS attack. Soya intolerance is a minefield with meat substitutes.

Meat is tasty, nutitious and satiating. The nutrients on meat are more easily metabolised than from plant sources.

Cattle and sheep farming in the UK uses marginal land unsuitable for arable farming. It's good for biodiversity and food webs. Monoculture is environmentally poor. Non-food grade, arable "waste" is utilised in animal foods. It's difficult to eat a balanced, appealing "plant based" diet without a lot of food miles. A lot of the research about the environmental impacts of meat production is not applicable to British methods.

There's money to be made out of encouraging "plant based" food... do those companies pushing it really have our best interests at heart? Have they ever been right before about low-sugar, saturated fats etc...