Are you worried?

Hated the taste of beef as a small child, lamb was greasy, pork made me very sick so all the meat on my plate was scraped to the edge then dropped to my dog. Mum told me several years later that they knew what I was doing but left me to choose what I ate.
Only eat small amount of oily fish now on doctors orders but would rather do without. Reached 74 without too many problems so is right for me.
Maybe all should at least give it a try!

Yes I would.... if not for my husband being ‘ meat and two veg’ man I would’ve done it years ago. No ethical reasons.... just health ones I’m afraid. I’m gradually weaning him of meat and he’s not noticing.... more fish.... more pasta... more salads. He doesn’t really bother as long as he hasn’t gotta get off his bum and cook it!!

I used to be more or less vegetarian but became very anaemic. Iron tablets affected my kidneys so was advised to eat red meat.
I now eat a varied diet but no ready meals takeaways, sausages, ready cooked meats. Make my own bread. Doing well for my 96 years.

How very first world. I buy the best and most local I can and am grateful I am not starving as many are.

Eat what you like, I say. Don't forget many vegetables can be contaminated by fumes from some horrible sources so they could be harmful, too.

I was veggie for 25 years but now but the most gorgeous meat from aocsl butcher who can tell me where to go to see animals he buys. All local, & well looked after. Reason I started eato g meat again 2nd husband refused to eat veggie, & sons decided they prefered to eat meat too & I got fed up preparing 2 lots of food.

That's very good Bijou. I do eat ready meals (good quality ones). That way you get a bit of meat but it's been made very palatable.

Which reminds me, I came on this 'puter to do my Ocado order!!!

I have cut meat further out of our diets. I do like it occasionally. What I do buy is from our butchers now. I dont know if I could give it up entirely. We will see. I think I would struggle more to give fish up than meat

If we did not eat meat there would be enough food to feed the work as the land could be used to grow grains

It's not as simple as that , oddbird.

Not all land is suitable for growing crops. Without livestock to graze and fertilize land will you be willing to eat produce where chemical fertilizer has been used? Will you be happy to see areas of land left unmanaged because livestock is no longer doing the job?

There needs to be a sensible balance.

Haven't had meat for 15 years, have stopped eating fish too. The intensive farming process is too cruel.

I tried being a vegetarian and found it affected my health, so I eat meat in moderation, bought from reputable shops.

I think most people do eat more meat than they need, but that we were never meant to exist on only plant-based food.

I do eat meat, probably about once a fortnight. A friend who went veggie had health problems which turned out to be lack of vitamin B12 and B6 and that convinced me we are omnivores and need as varied a diet as possible. I dont know if I could go veggie anyway because I am lactose intolerant and so many veggie meals feature cheese. I definitely dont think I could cope with vegan, whenever I try to up my vegetable intake I get horrendous wind and indigestion, so most likely I would end up just eating carbs and then have blood sugar issues! How on earth did eating get so complicated?

Yes, hubby and I gave-up meat completely 6-year-ago. We have never missed-it. Quorn products have improved tremendously over the year. There is Quorn mince and chicken which allows for bolognese, chicken Carbonara etc!

I was a strict vegetarian for 7 years back in the 90s before I fell off the wagon towards the late 90 s. I ve never gone back to eating much red meat it’s mostly fish and chicken but I did veganuary this year, successfully, and this has made me think once more about trying to return to a vegetarian way of life. I don t think I ll ever be vegan as I have no desire to give up eggs or honey but I have changed to oat milk which is delicious. I think the seed is now sown and it’s only a matter of time until the meat and fish go, although I would greatly miss smoked salmon.

I've never liked meat mainly because I was brought up in the 50s and my parents were poor so our meat was full of gristle. If in any doubt about meat, just look in a butcher's window and compare it to the vibrant colours of a fruit & veg shop.
If you must buy meat, make it a luxury and only buy organic.

I gave up meat but not for ethical reasons, I just cannot stand the stuff. Never could. Many a time, as a child, I was left on my own, crying at the table because I'd not 'cleared my plate'. Brought up in a family with a Caribbean mum and white working class dad - a meal wasn't considered a meal unless it included meat. The look, the smell, the taste, the texture - absolutely everything about it made me want to vomit.
Like one of the contributors above I prepared meat for my family (my ex husband was a meaty) but when my middle daughter decided at the age of 8 she didn't want to eat it that was fine with me and ditto my youngest a few years back. Lots of chat about the pressure to cut down on meat consumption but I wonder how many folk are living in households where they eat it just because that is what gets foisted on them?

Meat twice a week to keep DH happy, fish once a week (DH hates it but puts up with it). Rest of our main meals are veggie. All home made.

There is no need to give up meat at this time, imho, as British Animal Husbandry is of a high standard. The Farmers were forced to buy cheap food for their cattle because they were paid so little for the cows they produced for the meat market. Just as they are paid so little for the milk they produce. It is the Supermarkets that enforce the bad practices. Please do not blame our Farmers. They were told the fodder was safe. Buy British from a Butcher who can tell you his meat source.

The use of animal products in cattle food has been banned for a long time. As far as I can tell, the possibility of the cattle having the type of prion disease that takes until old-age to express itself is not possible since those cattle would have been slaughtered long ago. The Prion Disease Laboratory in Edinburgh still investigates cases of suspected prion disease. My neighbour was investigated two years ago when he suffered a terrible neurological illness which was not treated early enough because he was admitted at the week-end. Because his symptoms were atypical, his blood and tissue samples were sent to Edinburgh.

If you do give up meat you will not miss it, in my experience. I use lentils, nuts, beans, quorn, cottage cheese, mushrooms... the list is endless!

I rarely eat meat and haven’t done for years.

The programme last night was a reminder that processed food of any sort may not be as safe as we are led to believe.

The Horizon programme “The Honest Supermarket” was also worth a watch.

I would never give up meat. Apart from the fact that I love it.,if we all stopped eating meat we wouldn’t see sheep and cows in fields because they are the farmers’ livelihood.

NO but then I am a farmers wife The regulations are very tight and all meat is traceable !

Quite agree with you GrauntyHelen. I am organic for environmental reasons, not dietary reasons.

Well said GrauntyHelen ! I'm with you on that - I'm a farmer's wife too, we eat meat of all sorts & we know how stringent the regulations now are

I was vegetarian for over 12 years but like someone else here I had health issues and was advised to eat some meat.I dont eat much though ,no fowl ever very little beef and only locally produced, and lamb from my friends farm at the other side of the village milk from a farm I can see from my living room window.Ihave family who are strict vegan BUT will cook meat for thier cats ?My health is much better when my diet is mixed