Tipping point??

[Wheeze]

As the years go by, I find my diet evolving. I rarely eat red meat now. I'm just going off it. Meat wise, its just chicken. But I am eating a lot more fish.
But could I go 'veggie'?? I think a combination of animal concern and environmental concern are becoming ever more persuasive.
So, I really like the cut of the jib of these folks:
www.impossiblefoods.com

I think they are onto something by approaching the problem in a mature and questing way and not trying to make meat eaters feel guilty about eating meat. Instead, they have tried to understand why meat eaters like it and replicating that. Smart!

[William Clough]

Mrs Clough is doing the go vegan in January challenge. She is being very strict about it even to the point of refusing ordinary chocolate and having the vegan alternative instead. Whilst not going all the way with her, the meals we've been having are really good. My first thoughts about trying veganism were what on earth can we eat when even honey is off limits. Although only being a part time vegan, it really makes you think about what you eat. Food preparation takes a bit longer which is good as it makes eating a whole experience.

The only downside, if you can call it that, is that your digestive system gets a good work out. That's the polite way of putting it, apparently your body quickly adapts.

I won't be going full time vegan but I'll massively reduce my meat intake and be more aware of my eating habits.

[molehill]

Anyone listen to The Life Scientific on radio 4 this morning? Very interesting, to do with the causes of obesity and how some people crave different foodstuffs (like fat or sugar) which is genetically linked.

[Mike T]

Anyone listen to The Life Scientific on radio 4 this morning? Very interesting, to do with the causes of obesity and how some people crave different foodstuffs (like fat or sugar) which is genetically linked.

I only heard part of it. They found some people who have no leptin - which tells us we have had enough to eat - these poor people are hungry no matter what they eat and become very obese early in life - I am pretty sure she said an 8 year old weighed 86 kg - but apparently such genetic anomalies only explain - so far - about one in a thousand cases of obesity and 1-2% of those who end up at specialist obesity clinics. Those who lack leptin will eat more fatty food rather than sugary food, even if the fat cannot be detected by taste. Interesting. And a genetic link to how much energy we burn at rest was mentioned, some burning much more than others.

Years ago I met a teenage girl who was "educationally subnormal" and had a genetic disorder associated with constant hunger - if left with free access to food she became morbidly obese and diabetic. She did reasonably well in a home for the disabled, where her access to food was closely controlled, but it was decided she was well enough to cope in the community - where she became grossly overweight and died from complications of the resultant diabetes. Very sad.

[molehill]

I have two problems with a vegan diet, the first is the obvious - no bacon sandwich .

But joking apart, I believe that we should be able to survive nutritionally on what is available naturally around us, at least in our country. This means relying on seasonal produce and not imported foodstuffs.

Now I know I eat some imported goods, that's fairly inevitable but I try to keep the quantity down, but I imagine a vegan diet to be very dependant on imported fruits, veg, pulses, lentils, rice, seeds from around the world. I'm far from convinced that this is doing the environment in third world countries good, nor the associated "carbon miles" involved.
I would actually like to see some vegans survive the years healthily, entirely on home produce, I expect it is possible but it isn't something that seems to be mentioned in vegan diets - that would prove a point to me far more than relying so heavily on nutrition that is not natural to the UK.

[noel]

I'm not sure your problem is an actual problem Moley. Why would going vegan mean you'd need to eat foreign food any more than you would as a meat eater? There are lots of fruit and veg that are grown in abundance in the UK if that's your main concern.

[molehill]

My point is that most vegans I have met chose to be vegan based on ethical grounds, not agreeing with animal products. But their diet seems to be heavily weighted towards the importation of alternatives, from all round the globe, so is this really ethically better for the world?

There are plenty of good winter veg in the UK, but would vegans be prepared to eat home produced (or preserved) veg all winter? I think it would be most unappealing, in fact a quick scan of vegan recipes on the net shows very little local winter produce used. I am far from convinced that people would turn vegan if the bulk of their diet was limited to local (UK) sourced produce. So for me a little meat, fish, veg and dairy all mixed in my diet from as local as possible is ethically better and more practical than importing most of my diet from around the world.

[luxinterior]

My point is that most vegans I have met chose to be vegan based on ethical grounds, not agreeing with animal products. But their diet seems to be heavily weighted towards the importation of alternatives, from all round the globe, so is this really ethically better for the world?

There are plenty of good winter veg in the UK, but would vegans be prepared to eat home produced (or preserved) veg all winter? I think it would be most unappealing, in fact a quick scan of vegan recipes on the net shows very little local winter produce used. I am far from convinced that people would turn vegan if the bulk of their diet was limited to local (UK) sourced produce. So for me a little meat, fish, veg and dairy all mixed in my diet from as local as possible is ethically better and more practical than importing most of my diet from around the world.

The whole vegan argument never seems well thought through to me. If we all became vegan there would be no farm animals. No cows, pigs, chickens etc.

Really great for animal welfare!!!!

[shaunaneto]

The whole vegan argument never seems well thought through to me. If we all became vegan there would be no farm animals. No cows, pigs, chickens etc.

Really great for animal welfare!!!!

I think producing animals for short lives and slaughter is worse than extinction in the eyes of vegans. There's a few on the forum who might clarify their personal position.

I'm a pretend vegetarian, as in I don't care about animal welfare but it's a handy habit to eat loads of vegetables. To be fair, I don't eat meat but I'm not giving up cheese.

[PeteS]

Whilst I don't think I could go completely vegetarian, I certainly eat far less meat then any of my colleagues at work. I rarely have anything but vegetarian food before my evening meal and only 4 or 5 of those a week contain meat. As I get older, I guess I have become bored with a lot of meat and am quite happy to replace it with vegs, pulses or some meat substitutes. I'm finding a quorn curry or spag bol is just as tasty and satisfying as a meat one so why bother with the extra saturated fat etc. Of course that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a well aged steak but even there I've found increasingly I'm happy to reduce portion size but up the quality.
I suppose living with a wife and daughter who are both ex-vegetarian but now eat some meat occasionally has meant that its is more convenient, but I don't see at as a bad thing.
On the point of whether British produce alone can satisfy a vegan diet, I'm sure it could. In a previous life, I worked as a chef and have long held a dream to open a small restaurant that only used British ingredients - not necessary indigenous but certainly in cultivation in this country for over say 100 years.
I think that is achievable but to be vegetarian as well will take some ingenuity especially when fresh veg is in short supply.