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Thread: Tipping point??

  1. #1
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Tipping point??

    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!
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

  2. #2
    Senior Member William Clough's Avatar
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    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.

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    Master molehill's Avatar
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    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.
    Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.

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    Moderator noel's Avatar
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    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.

  5. #5
    Master molehill's Avatar
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    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.
    Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.

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    Quote Originally Posted by molehill View Post
    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!!!!

  7. #7
    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    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.
    Pete Shakespeare - U/A

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  8. #8
    Master wheezing donkey's Avatar
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    Although not a vegetarian, I can well go along with the overall sentiment of this thread. However, following the link provided by Wheeze:-
    Having developed a succulent, nutritious and well flavoured veggie-burger, why on earth advertise it in the usual Americanised manner? The greens and tomato look great; but the mayo and square of artificial plastic cheese? That just turns my stomach.
    Order a chicken sandwich and the waiter immediately offers you, "Is that with mayo?" The same applies to tuna or egg.
    Why can't we just have a good, plain, old fashioned sandwich without having it smeared in a load of fatty, liquid crap.
    Is it any wonder that Trump and the rest of the US hospitality industry think that they can take over the world?
    I was a bit of an oddball until I was abducted by aliens; but I'm perfectly OK now!

  9. #9
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    I'm definitely of the meat eating variety, but have no issues with vegetarianism/vegans... But I see some things that crop on on Facebook etc (hardly a barometer of sensible thinking, I know), and it's almost like they want to feel superior to everyone else. Probably not the typical view, but who knows.

    Incidentally I do know one vegan well, and she has no real issues with people who eat meat, in fact I ate with her last weekend and quite happily munched a Thai chicken curry...!

    My one issue is the Welsh 3000vk race or whatever it's called. Who are organisers to dictate what you can eat on a race. More to the point what is to stop you chomping on a Cornish pasty half way round anyway... I think the 3000ft course would be excellent for a race, but whilst the organisers hold their viewpoint, I'll stick to the equally excellent Welsh 1000 Metres thank you very much...

  10. #10
    Master shaunaneto's Avatar
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    There are plenty of good winter veg in the UK
    Absolutely, but is the yield, both potential and actual enough? From what some fella called Big Dave told me in the pub, our agricultural system is more about economic effiency than yield per square meter efficiency. So I'm hazarding a guess we don't produce enough to meet food production demand even if we all went local.

    Barely managed 'during the war' why would we manage it now?
    Last edited by shaunaneto; 20-01-2017 at 06:48 PM.
    pies

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