MagiStream

Akebai wrote:So, hey. Forgive me if this question has been asked, but;

Would you eat meat if you'd raised and either killed yourself or be absolutely certain the animal had been humanely killed by others?

I have in the past and will do so again. The meat I raised, which included sheep, cattle, and poultry, had names. They were as we'll cared for and well tended as any pet, no antibiotics aside from needed vet treatment, free range, plenty of feed and grazing, and adequate shelter.

I still thank and bless the animal for fulfilling its purpose and in most cases I pull the bolt myself. With the larger livestock it is no longer practical to slaughter at home but I rode with them to the holding pens, pulled the bolt myself, and saw to it the animal was dead before the carcass was taken.

I did not and do not raise hogs; I don't like them as animals and o will not eat them as meat.

I've lived with a lot of vegetarians and vegans, and I have 4 uncles who fall into one of those categories. I also spent a month living vegan due to a political protest last year (and this is not the forum for that, so don't ask me about it, I won't answer. If you really need to know you can PM me).

One of the things I've learned is that very few people seem to know how to cook vegan or vegetarian meals. Working in hospitality and catering, I've seen so many situations where vegetarians' options are limited to salads and potatoes, and vegans might not even get that much. This seems as good a place as any to ask about something I've been thinking about doing.

I want to write a cookbook, "Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking for Hunters" or possibly "Hippy Food for Carnivores". Something along those lines. The premise behind it is that, over the years, I've flat out refused to give up my favourite foods so instead have adapted them to cater to various housemates and their preferences. As a result I have vegetarian and vegan recipes for things like Butter Chicken and Lime Coconut Curry, as well as soups and stews and other things that aren't made almost entirely from lentils and tofu.

What I'm wanting to know is this: Would anyone be interested in it? I want to aim it predominantly at non-vegetarians and non-vegans so that when you do have herbivorous friends over for dinner, you have options to cook for them that will be accepted by the omnivores at the table as well. Some of my family and friends haven't even noticed that they're eating meat and dairy free food a lot of the time. Any opinions and suggestions would be most welcome.

1: Are you vegetarian or vegan?
No.

4: Would you ever consider going back to eating meat (if vegan/vegetarian)
Would you ever consider becoming vegan/vegetarian (if a meat eater)
I guess I could go vegetarian, but eating meat is part of my life, however, I consider myself an omnivore, not a carnivore. I try not to eat meat often, and I try not to waste any. I also do not like the idea of frog legs or things like that because I feel it is unfair to the frog to eat it just for it's legs and waste the rest. When there is an option, I go for tofu. However, I feel that if I said no to meat entirely I would lose part of who I am. As for going vegan, I feel that I couldn't do that, as much of my diet relies on milk, things made with milk or eggs (cheese, pasta, bread, ect) Also, if I went vegan I would have a hard time finding anything to eat, as I regularly am forced by necessity (aka forgetting my lunch) to eat from the school cafeteria, which has no vegan options, and most of the stuff is meat. That said, I have respect for those vegans and vegetarians who maintain a balanced diet while adhering to their beliefs.

6: How are your energy levels/iron levels etc (i guess both could answer this)
I have no clue whatsoever about my iron levels, but I find that my energy is fine.
7: Do you take a vitamin supplement. (i guess both could answer that too)
I do take vitamins.

However, I have something extra to say.
1. Scientists have been working on "synthetic meat", as in actual meat that is grown in cuts but away from an animal so no animal has to die to give meat to humanity. As I am pressed for time I found this breif article about that http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/scie ... -year.html

2. What does annoy me is that there are many picky eaters (mainly children) who go vegetarian because they are simply picky eaters and just want to eat grilled cheese and pasta and never try anything new. Some do not eat vegetables either, and it is very difficult to get them to eat anything other than bread. While normal vegetarians do not annoy me these "starchetairians" do. (people who will not eat vegtables, meat, only small amounts of fruit, while existing mostly on bread, candy, and pasta, hence the word "starch" in "starchetairians" )

If, however, you read the story you'll find that the process for tank grown meat (it's not synthetic since it is still grown from the cells of rhe animal) is currently cost prohibitive. The cost of the single burger mentioned in the article was approximately 250k Euro (about 330k US). Furthermore, the process according to its creator still involves slaughter because it isn't possible to take enough stem cells from a living ceature and because the process also uses the foetuses of the animal.

I was pescatarian (spelling?) for over 6 months (pretty much vegetarian but you still eat seafood), but I recently went back to eating meat again. At first it was to try and be healthy, but I've always been an animal lover and it sort of morphed into an dislike for meat farms and such. I had to go back to eating meat though because I put on about 20 lbs being vegetarian because I ate so many carbs. (I'm kind of subjected to what is put in the house by my parents and with not eating meat, carbs is what was left).
Yeah... I'm with TxCat on this. I don't have a problem with it if the animal actually had a good life, but to raise them just for food is a horrible thought, and I know it's sad because I know a lot of the animals I eat have that happen to them... It's ridiculous.
I'd be vegetarian if I could... But I can't afford to put on any more weight. Heck, if I don't LOSE some I'm going to kill over any day now. >>;

For those of you who are vegetarian/vegan for heath reasons, here's an article that might be of interest - a connection between tick bites and red meat allergies.

Article wrote:—In 2009, we reported a novel form of delayed anaphylaxis to red meat, which is
related to serum IgE antibodies to the oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal).
Most of these patients had tolerated meat for many years previously. The implication is that some
exposure in adult life had stimulated the production of these IgE antibodies.
Objectives—To investigate possible causes of this IgE antibody response, focusing on evidence
related to tick bites, which are common in the region where these reactions occur.
Methods—Serum assays were carried out using biotinylated proteins and extracts bound to a
streptavidin ImmunoCAP.
Results—Prospective studies on IgE antibodies in three subjects following tick bites showed an
increase in IgE to alpha-gal of twenty-fold or greater. Other evidence included i) a strong
correlation between histories of tick bites and IgE to alpha-gal (χ
2
=26.8, p<0.001), ii) evidence
that these IgE antibodies are common in areas where the tick Amblyomma americanum is
common, and iii) a significant correlation between IgE antibodies to alpha-gal and IgE antibodies
to proteins derived from A. americanum (r
s=0.75, p<0.001).
Conclusion—The results presented here provide evidence that tick bites are a cause, or possibly
the only cause, of IgE specific for alpha-gal in this area of the United States. Both the number of
subjects becoming sensitized and the titer of IgE antibodies to alpha-gal are striking. Here we
report the first example of a response to an ectoparasite giving rise to an important form of food
allergy.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/article ... 273885.pdf

1: Are you vegetarian or vegan? Sort of, I am trying as best I can. ((I cannot eat beans because my mom is DEATHLY allergic to beans and peas. ))

2: If yes WHY did you decide to become vegetarian/vegan. I don't like the taste of meat.

3:If you are, how long have you been vegetarian/vegan. 1-2

4: Would you ever consider going back to eating meat (if vegan/vegetarian)
Would you ever consider becoming vegan/vegetarian (if a meat eater) Yes to both. ((I'm kinda in between both. I'll eat meat if I have to. ))

5: Do you feel healthier/less healthy since going vegetarian/vegan (if vegetarian/vegan) I think I'll be a whole lot healthier.

6: How are your energy levels/iron levels etc (i guess both could answer this) I'm hypoglycemic, so it's going to be hard to keep my energy levels a-ok. I like a challenge, though.

7: Do you take a vitamin suppliment. (i guess both could answer that too) No. I'm supposed to, but I don't.

1: Are you vegetarian or vegan?
Yup, I'm vegetarian
2: If yes WHY did you decide to become vegetarian/vegan.
My mum raised me veg, but I wish to stay because a) it's healthier, and b) I don't like the way that animals are treated and killed
3:If you are, how long have you been vegetarian/vegan.
I have been all my life, my mum's a pescatarian but used to be veg. The first time I made a choice not to eat meat was when I was 6. I was at a party, and someone offered me party sausages. I basically said they look disgusting...
4: Would you ever consider going back to eating meat (if vegan/vegetarian)
Would you ever consider becoming vegan/vegetarian (if a meat eater)
I would never consider it, although recently I've had cravings for meat which I will resist.
5: Do you feel healthier/less healthy since going vegetarian/vegan (if vegetarian/vegan)
I've been veg all my life, but I'm healthier than many people in my year at school. Just not as fit. But that's nothing to do with vegetarianism.
6: How are your energy levels/iron levels etc (i guess both could answer this)
As good/better than a lot of meat eaters' levels. I eat healthily, and my levels are fine.
7: Do you take a vitamin suppliment. (i guess both could answer that too)
Nope, and my levels are still fine.

I'd love to go through all my opinions, but you didn't ask for that. If you want to know them, basically go to Onision's OnisionSpeaks channel and watch the videos about vegetarianism. I basically agree with him.

1: Are you vegetarian or vegan?

I'm Vegetarian, planning to become Vegan.

2: If yes WHY did you decide to become vegetarian/vegan.

Because, well, I love animals and I think eating them is wrong.

3:If you are, how long have you been vegetarian/vegan.

Only a year...

4: Would you ever consider going back to eating meat (if vegan/vegetarian)

I would never, ever, do it in my life. Even if it was about life or death.

5: Do you feel healthier/less healthy since going vegetarian/vegan (if vegetarian/vegan)

I feel alot healthier.

6: How are your energy levels/iron levels etc (i guess both could answer this)

Well, since I'm ill right now and haven't been able to go to sleep, low, but normally it's normal.

7: Do you take a vitamin suppliment. (i guess both could answer that too)

Yep, I eat vitamin tablets.

1: Are you vegetarian or vegan?
- I am neither vegetarian nor vegan.

2: If yes WHY did you decide to become vegetarian/vegan.
- N/A

3: If you are, how long have you been vegetarian/vegan.
- N/A

4: Would you ever consider going back to eating meat (if vegan/vegetarian)
- N/A

5: Do you feel healthier/less healthy since going vegetarian/vegan (if vegetarian/vegan)
- Although I'm not vegetarian OR vegan, I am very, very healthy thanks to the fact both of my parents are very good cooks and know how to make balanced meals.

6: How are your energy levels/iron levels etc (I guess both could answer this)
- I've been going to sleep later than usual since it's summer, but I still feel like I have normal energy levels. I wouldn't know about my iron because I don't check it, but I'm pretty healthy.

7: Do you take a vitamin suppliment. (I guess both could answer that too)
- I take B-12 supplements to increase my hunger, as normally I don't feel hungry. I also take a multi-purpose vitamin just to help out.