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Vegan/Plant Based Do you ever wonder about the animals you eat eat.

(245 Posts)
Nan99 Sun 09-Apr-23 13:16:50

Is anyone out there a vegan and why, Is it for your health or the animals?
I was a vegetarian for over 25 years and then went vegan nearly 5 years ago. I am ethically a vegan but eat mainly plant-based meals. For me, It is the animals and the suffering they go through on Factory Farms. When you think of the billions of animals on this planet that are raised and killed for food each year, you may scratch your head and wonder why we have this inefficient system of producing food. .

The animals being raised cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and lamb, have to eat too. About 40% of food grown is for the animals plus the water that is needed.

We could simply cut out the middle cow, pig, etc and the food grown could be for people. Even if it is cows grazing on grass they still end up in the slaughterhouse. They are sentient beings and do not want to die.

'Livestock farming has a vast environmental footprint. It contributes to land and water degradation, biodiversity loss, acid rain, coral reef degeneration and deforestation.

Wild animals suffer not only the collateral damage of meat-related deforestation, drought, pollution, and climate change but also direct targeting by the meat industry. From grazing animals to predators, native species are frequently killed to protect meat-production profits.

Eating plant-based can help your health by reversing heart disease and diabetes and some cancers

Would you eat your cat or dog ( I know they do in some countries)

Just something to think about.

Grantanow Mon 12-Jun-23 14:48:23

It is clear than some diets require pill supplements to maintain enough iron and other needs. We moved to wild venison and other wild game a few years ago and now eat much less farmed meat than we did. But I think there are a lot of loose ends in the vegan and veg approach. Leather is not easily replaced for its hard wearing qualities - faux leather is a poor substitute in my experience - and plastic shoes generate a lot of waste in production and difficult to process when discarded. Wool is a far better insulator than much artificial material.

Bella23 Mon 29-May-23 14:16:46

Blossoming

As a cancer survivor I get fed up of ill-informed claims that particular foods or diets will reverse or cure cancer. Peach pips, coffee enemas, broccoli - no doubt there’ll be another one along shortly.

I bet you are Blossoming what will they come up with next I have a friend who is in the same position as you.
If we don't eat meat where do we get our vitamin B12 and iron that we need from? I personally don't like offal or pate with liver in them and got awful lectures from the Dieticians at anti-Natal classes.

Nightsky2 Mon 29-May-23 13:00:46

Nan99

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria, not animals or plants. As such, animals, including humans, must obtain it directly or indirectly from bacteria. It can be found in bacteria-laden manure and unsanitized water, though we obviously should not be consuming either of those things.

Thanks for that. Off to have lunch now.😏

nightowl Mon 29-May-23 12:44:47

I’m afraid most freezers are full of bits of dead bodies, my own included (though not for me). We are including animals in our choices but they have none.

I still say that a heavily meat based diet is neither natural nor healthy for humans. Our digestive system and dentition have not evolved significantly differently away from other primates or from the Hunter gatherers we used to be.

You can say I’m preaching but who defines preaching? All I’m doing is expressing a view that is still a minority view.

Blossoming Mon 29-May-23 12:42:34

As a cancer survivor I get fed up of ill-informed claims that particular foods or diets will reverse or cure cancer. Peach pips, coffee enemas, broccoli - no doubt there’ll be another one along shortly.

Bella23 Mon 29-May-23 11:48:11

By others do you mean animals or do you think I have a freezer full of dead bodies. You make me sound like Birk and Hare.

henetha Mon 29-May-23 11:40:14

Each to his own. Just that.

Gillycats Mon 29-May-23 11:37:40

I feed my rescue cat meat as she is an obligate carnivore . I feed my rescue dog an omnivorous diet. Animals are not killed to be put into pet food. It’s slaughter house and meat factory by products.
I’m a bit baffled by the live and let live comments. Each to their own but if a human is eating meat then they’re hardly letting others live. I think it’s more appropriate to say ‘each to their own’ and leave it at that!

Bella23 Mon 29-May-23 11:26:45

That was just a quick example . Humans eat meat because of evolution .. Darwin's theory", instead of trying to make us feel guilty ask the vegetarians and vegans what they feed their pets,
As I said before each to their own, live and let live.

nightowl Mon 29-May-23 10:54:17

Most primates eat meat very rarely if at all, although they will eat invertebrates. Chimps eat more meat than other primates but still rarely, and less than African Hunter gatherers. Please do not use other primates to support the human rates of meat eating, humans are an anomaly.

Bella23 Mon 29-May-23 09:59:50

Visgir1

MerylStreep

Nan99
Could you give it a rest with your preachy plant based advice
We are all adults here and very aware of how our food is produced. We can make up our own minds.

Agree.

Agree. We are descended from primates a lot of which eat each other chimps for instance. I don't advocate cannibalism except in extreme circumstances. Neither would I preach to the Vegans and vegetarians in the family how my ways are better.
Each to their own. Leave it alone.

MargotLedbetter Mon 29-May-23 09:03:52

Nan99

Vitamin B12 is produced by bacteria, not animals or plants. As such, animals, including humans, must obtain it directly or indirectly from bacteria. It can be found in bacteria-laden manure and unsanitized water, though we obviously should not be consuming either of those things.

And yet for humans the easiest and most absorbable Vitamin B12 comes from eggs, milk, cheese, meat and fish.

Wittering on about bacteria-laden manure is just silly.

Jaxjacky Fri 12-May-23 14:45:17

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mornigstar12 Fri 12-May-23 14:39:44

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mornigstar12 Fri 12-May-23 14:38:44

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Norah Fri 14-Apr-23 15:40:43

Tweedle24

I am an omnivore, but very careful of origin of the meat I eat.

My sister has been a vegetarian for decades, mainly because she does not like meat. Her current complaint is that it seems to be a trend in a lot of restaurants to take vegetarian choices off the menu and replace with vegan alternatives. Whilst we can appreciate that there are some economic reasons for this, she, like many other vegetarians, often does not like the vegan options.

What do other vegetarians on here think about this?

I think it's fine. Vegan is so close to vegetarian - I assume a good chef can do either, and vegan covers both.

I easily cook extraordinarily tasty vegan food, I'm not sure what the issue between the two - apart leaving out obvious animal/fat?

Chardy Fri 14-Apr-23 11:57:36

Tweedle24

I am an omnivore, but very careful of origin of the meat I eat.

My sister has been a vegetarian for decades, mainly because she does not like meat. Her current complaint is that it seems to be a trend in a lot of restaurants to take vegetarian choices off the menu and replace with vegan alternatives. Whilst we can appreciate that there are some economic reasons for this, she, like many other vegetarians, often does not like the vegan options.

What do other vegetarians on here think about this?

I'm veggie, and have noticed that vegan appears more frequently on a menu. Vegan food is undoubtedly done best by a vegan chef, but most chefs are meat & fish eaters, and not much interested in the 'minorities'. Restaurant veggie food used to grim, but it improved. I expect the same will be true of vegan food.

Personally I'm fairly happy to eat vegan food.

Norah Fri 14-Apr-23 10:45:17

Witzend

If we’re not intended to eat plants, it’s very odd that wheat, rice, maize and potatoes are staple foods for so many millions of people around the world. Or probably ‘billions’ would be more accurate.

Indeed.

Witzend Fri 14-Apr-23 09:51:17

If we’re not intended to eat plants, it’s very odd that wheat, rice, maize and potatoes are staple foods for so many millions of people around the world. Or probably ‘billions’ would be more accurate.

volver3 Fri 14-Apr-23 09:43:09

Is it the first of April again, so soon?

Humans were not meant to eat plants confused

Shropshirelass Fri 14-Apr-23 09:35:18

Humans were not meant to eat plants and we do not get all the nutrients from them that we need to be healthy. Meat, fish, dairy and eggs provide every nutrient the body needs (organic and free range if possible). There is a change in thought now that we should have these important animal fats in our diets and the previous low fat recommendations are wrong. The main culprit for poor health is sugar, highly processed foods and high carbohydrates in our foods. Reduce these and the nations health would improve greatly saving the NHS millions on unnecessary medication. I am in my seventies, eat meat, fish, eggs and dairy and some leafy greens, I am healthy and on no medication at all. Just about to tuck into streaky bacon and eggs.

NotSpaghetti Thu 13-Apr-23 20:53:02

I am another vegetarian who is fed up with the only offering being meat/fish/vegan.
Mainly because so many places don't do vegan well.
Annoying really as vegan can be interesting and delicious. It doesn't have to be a cauliflower "steak" or a mushroom burger.

Chocolatelovinggran Thu 13-Apr-23 20:25:20

Tweedle- I'm a vegetarian, and nowadays I'm often offered the vegan choice. This makes me very, very sad as I get an apple for dessert when my neighbour has a chocolate cake ( sigh).. oh I'm a Christian, too ..( just saying)

HousePlantQueen Thu 13-Apr-23 19:51:32

Germanshepherdsmum

What’s funny?

Indeed. Why do people persist with the 'othering' of vegetarians and vegans? Why should anyone care that I don't eat meat? I am not doing them any harm.

Germanshepherdsmum Thu 13-Apr-23 18:02:30

What’s funny?