[Misc] Are there any vegans on here ?

[Brovion]

What’s the best in your opinion?

*Stands and applauds*

Well done sir! Classic NSC manoeuvre! Turn a thread on veganism into "What's the best steakhouse in Las Vegas?".

 

[jakarta]

First encountered Veganism nearly 20 years ago when I and work colleague had to spend two days in Newark surveying a Factory for Asbestos. Huw had recently married a French girl who was Vegan and seeing in his own words 'I didn't eat much meat anyway' he gave it a whirl.

I wasn't looking forward to our evening meal but in 'orrible dirty Newark we came upon an Asian veggie restaurant which to Huws astonishment was mostly vegan as well. One of the best meals I have ever had. Won't bore you with what we had but was all superb.

I'm still an omnivore but don't eat red meat too often these days (found two venison steaks in freezer the other day which did get disposed of quite fast, ahem). Can't give up Fish or Dairy Products either...

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

We have a 10year old granddaughter who is vegan - her own volition, nothing to do with being in a vegan household because her parents are both meat-eaters. She’s also the environmental champion in her (Welsh) primary school.

We eat far less meat now than we did in the past mainly for health reasons, but still enjoy a steak occasionally.
What I don’t understand is vegetarians who eat fish. If your convictions are good for animals, why not fish?

 

[Kosh]

All but one of my friends are vegetarian, ditto all but one of my family (plus one who is all out vegan). Easy to cope with the veggies, although sometimes the vegan one gets a bit tricky. Happy to eat vegetarian in company, and often do on my own, but still like a bit of chicken breast in my stir fry, or a proper sausage for breakfast (sorry, but no matter what successes veggie food manufactrers have had providing veggie alternatives, sausages ain't one of 'em!)
Less meat rather than no meat. I'm happy to be doing my bit for the planet and animal welfare with that!

Spot on - love reading things like that… balance is absolutely key… that and your well-being and happiness with the diet you’ve chosen.

I think we’re about 4 years in… it’s not always easy, but we’ve discovered the joy of veggie dishes galore… nothing ridiculous or trendy just good old fashioned green goodness!

As a note, having worked with upland farmers - balance is key, as eating sustainably when it comes to meat supports the farming industry, protects generational land management knowledge and keeps a huge part of our economy ticking over…

It’s all about balance.

 

[BN9 BHA]

What I don’t understand is vegetarians who eat fish. If your convictions are good for animals, why not fish?

I will answer this as I don’t eat meat but eat fish, I gave up meat because of an ongoing health issue. I don’t label myself as a vegetarian though.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I will answer this as I don’t eat meat but eat fish, I gave up meat because of an ongoing health issue. I don’t label myself as a vegetarian though.

I appreciate that. Mrs DiS had her gall bladder taken out a year or so ago so that is partly why our diet has changed. We do both like fish very much, though.
What I don’t understand is “conviction” vegetarians for whom fish are fair game. Do fish not count as living breathing beings?

 

[Bakero]

What I don’t understand is vegetarians who eat fish. If your convictions are good for animals, why not fish?

I'm not one a pescatarian but I imagine the reasoning may be as follows:

From an animal welfare perspective, they might feel fish don't experience fear and pain in the same way as mammalian creatures. I'm not sure the evdence bears this out though. However, you could make a good case for the eating of bivalves. I imagine some pescatarians just find lambs cuter than monkfish.

Then there's the environmental factors. No doubt a pescatarian diet has a lower impact than an omnivorous one. Vegetarian/vegan would be better still but it's a step in the right direction, I guess.

Finally, there's the perceived health benefits. Oh, and fish and seafood is tasty. Gochujang mussels on the menu at Casa Bakero this evening. Might throw a few clams and prawns in too.

 

[BN9 BHA]

What I don’t understand is “conviction” vegetarians for whom fish are fair game. Do fish not count as living breathing beings?

You are right and these people shouldn’t be calling themselves vegetarians.

 

[WATFORD zero]

We have a 10year old granddaughter who is vegan - her own volition, nothing to do with being in a vegan household because her parents are both meat-eaters. She’s also the environmental champion in her (Welsh) primary school.

We eat far less meat now than we did in the past mainly for health reasons, but still enjoy a steak occasionally.
What I don’t understand is vegetarians who eat fish. If your convictions are good for animals, why not fish?

Because people should be able to eat what they want for whatever reasons.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'conviction' vegetarians as the only people I have come across who believe that eating meat is wrong have all been vegans

 

[One Love]

I appreciate that. Mrs DiS had her gall bladder taken out a year or so ago so that is partly why our diet has changed. We do both like fish very much, though.
What I don’t understand is “conviction” vegetarians for whom fish are fair game. Do fish not count as living breathing beings?

I became a pescatarian after I couldn't dissociate what I was actually eating. Too many bloody medium well done steaks in restaurants I think.

That hasn't yet to me when I eat fish. Though chefs who refuse to cook tuna and try to serve me a jelly are trying.

 

[Bakero]

I became a pescatarian after I couldn't dissociate what I was actually eating. Too many bloody medium well done steaks in restaurants I think.

That hasn't yet to me when I eat fish. Though chefs who refuse to cook tuna and try to serve me a jelly are trying.

A well-done steak or over-cooked tuna are enough to turn anyone vegan.

Years ago, I worked in a pub kitchen and the only thing that saddened me more than having to cremate steaks for philistines was the time a woman sent back her tuna as it wasn't cooked enough

 

[GT49er]

You are right and these people shouldn’t be calling themselves vegetarians.

They don't. They call themselves pescatarian.

 

[One Love]

A well-done steak or over-cooked tuna are enough to turn anyone vegan.

Years ago, I worked in a pub kitchen and the only thing that saddened me more than having to cremate steaks for philistines was the time a woman sent back her tuna as it wasn't cooked enough

I guess my idea of food as an art form doesn't involve dripping in blood and yours does.

 

[One Love]

They don't. They call themselves piscatarian.

No they don't

 

[Bakero]

I guess my idea of food as an art form doesn't involve dripping in blood and yours does.

Steak and tuna are both drained of blood so any red you see is myoglobin. Cooking till the red is dead just means the myoglobin has been denatured.

 

[Guinness Boy]

No they don't

Some do. My mate's wife is pescatarian and says that's what she is when asked, otherwise doesn't bother volunteering it at all. She doesn't get on with red meat for health reasons and found chicken bland and that's her reason. It has meant their kids are vegetarian - proper vegetarian - by choice. Matey isn't though but only eats meat away from the house. We're off for a walking holiday in Slovakia in a few weeks and I'm expecting it to be red meat central!

As for vegans, fine if that's how you want to live your life, but can't stand the evangelical ones. No different to evangelical anything else. Stop thinking your lifestyle choice is right for everyone else, especially if it involves eating a piece of fruit and few seeds every day.

 

[GT49er]

No they don't

All the ones I know do. Why do you think the word pescatarian exists and is in common use?

 

[Guinness Boy]

A well-done steak or over-cooked tuna are enough to turn anyone vegan.

Years ago, I worked in a pub kitchen and the only thing that saddened me more than having to cremate steaks for philistines was the time a woman sent back her tuna as it wasn't cooked enough

This. See also people who think 'tuna' is just that canned mush that smells like cat food (or, er, something else....)

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

Because people should be able to eat what they want for whatever reasons.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by 'conviction' vegetarians as the only people I have come across who believe that eating meat is wrong have all been vegans

Back in the day, being jolly old, vegan to me seems a comparatively recent concept. 50 years ago I knew someone at Uni who was vegetaria, but I don’t think I would have been aware of veganism….. if it existed. So by conviction vegetarians I mean people who choose not to eat meat for moral reasons rather than health/diet reasons. And I don’t get how people can think it’s wrong to kill animals for food, but that doesn’t extend to fish.

And don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with whatever dietary regime people want to adopt. When our granddaughter is with us, we will happily eat vegetarian with her. If vegetarians think it’s ok to eat fish, then I am not going to get upset about it. I would just like to know the reasoning behind it. Each to his own!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I'm not one a pescatarian but I imagine the reasoning may be as follows:

From an animal welfare perspective, they might feel fish don't experience fear and pain in the same way as mammalian creatures. I'm not sure the evdence bears this out though. However, you could make a good case for the eating of bivalves. I imagine some pescatarians just find lambs cuter than monkfish.

Then there's the environmental factors. No doubt a pescatarian diet has a lower impact than an omnivorous one. Vegetarian/vegan would be better still but it's a step in the right direction, I guess.

Finally, there's the perceived health benefits. Oh, and fish and seafood is tasty. Gochujang mussels on the menu at Casa Bakero this evening. Might throw a few clams and prawns in too.

Thanks for a thoughtful answer. It’s the thing about fish not experiencing fear or pain that I have always half assumed to be the case.

But the environmental and health benefits aspects just go to show it’s all pretty complicated. One of my main tenets in life is “it’s not as simple as that”. Things aren’t usually black or white.