Eating meat. What is your stance?

[Syaoransbear]

If I had to kill an animal to eat meat I'd become a vegetarian. I just wouldn't be able to kill an animal. It wouldn't be that hard to quit eating meat actually, I don't eat very much meat as it is. My diet is mostly pasta and ice cream.

[Freestep]

Originally Posted by APBTLove

I think people would respect animals in general a lot more if they did their own slaughtering and dressing for food.

Absolutely. People are so disconnected from their food nowadays. They buy "cruelty-free" cosmetics, and think hunting is cruel, but they wear leather shoes and eat steak.

I love animals, but I eat meat. I disapprove of factory farming, so I try to buy meat from local farms, or raise it myself.

The first time I butchered one of my own chickens that I raised from an egg, it was difficult and a bit nerve-wracking for me. I had to have a shot of whiskey before and after. Once the bird was dead I didn't have a problem dressing it out, cooking, and eating it (it was delicious), but killing something I'd raised from a baby was a different paradigm for me, since I didn't grow up around it.

But, I figured, it's hypocritical if I eat meat but can't stand to kill it myself.

And I realized, after I killed my first chicken... no matter where I get chicken, no matter how it's cooked or processed or how well disguised it is, someone somewhere had to kill a living thing in order for me to eat it. It gave me a whole different perspective and a much deeper appreciation for where my food comes from. Not that I didn't understand all that before, on an cognitive level, but I didn't really *get* it on a deeper level until I killed, cooked and ate an animal myself.

[Mary Beth]

Well, it started out that I hate leftovers and didn't want to spend the time cooking the roast, freezing it into meal size portions, washing up all the dishes. And then I found a Briden Wilsen farms (homegrownalmonds.com) - fresh almonds & almond butter. Plus I love eggs, cheese, yogurt. So no meat and I don't miss it.

[marksteven]

Originally Posted by llombardo

I'm probably right in the middle. I can take meat or leave it. I prefer not to eat it. I don't drink milk, but I like cheese. I would probably have no problem becoming a vegetarian.

This is how i am. I dont buy or cook any meat. I only consume it if its in a prepared dish i.e frozen dinner.
I substitue salmon or whitefish for protein. I'm not a vegan by no means however a large part of my diet would be
vegetables, grains , fish and dairy. i bet i'm the only one in my niehborhood without a grille on their deck.

[Gretchen]

I like a good, quality meats. Every once in a while I'll splurge and order some meats from Hearst Castle in CA, they are so tender. I only like to buy organic chickens, there is definitely a difference in taste and I can buy a small chicken 3-4 lbs, vs. a commercial brand that looks like its been on steroids at 6lbs. I believe we were made to eat some meat products, it's just about the only way to get B12. Eating meat is not an issue for me, it is the portions of meat in the typical US diet that is the issue.

[GoSailGo]

I grew up in "the sticks" and we always ate deer meat hunted and killed on our property. Dressing the animal wasn't bad. We would say a prayer, thank the animal and the earth for the meat and leave an offering of tobacco in the forest (my mom's partner was a Native American). Maybe that is a little weird to some, but I think showing respect for the animals is how it should always be done. I love eating meat, and nowadays would LOVE to buy local humanely treated animals. The only issue is everyone else wants to buy the same stuff. Its either not available or worth its weight in gold. The farm I had my eye on to buy a quarter cow from is sold out until the end of next year!

[Kyleigh]

Originally Posted by Greydusk

I eat a primarily plant based diet, though I'm not a strict vegan. I do it for a variety of reasons:
Health-I'm healthier without it.
I have concerns regarding the use of antibiotics and hormones used in commercially produced meat.
I don't like how the animals are raised, treated and the additives they use on them pre and post slaughter.
I don't like what the industrial food system does to the environment.
Because of these reasons I don't support the system with my money. Personal choice.

THIS is exactly why I became a vegetarian over 20 years ago. And I still feel so much healthier than friends of mine that I see.

Mind you, I took mine an extra step ... I eat nothing out of a box, nothing packaged, nothing pre-made. Luckily for me, food isn't really a "thing" and I can take it or leave it! I only eat b/c I get hungry!

However, Ky's on the raw diet and so is the cat, and I make it all, cut it up, etc. by myself ... it's icky for sure, but the health benefits for the dog and cat are awesome (I get their food from the organic butcher - they eat a better quality of meat than most people LOL)

[TommyB681]

I love red meat, fish, poultry anything. I do support humane slaughter (I know talk about an oxymoron) but I generally dont think about aninmal slaughter I just buy the meat, cook it and eat it

[qbchottu]

I am a vegetarian - dogs and other family members eat meat. If I could produce and butcher my own meat, I might start eating meat again. But for now, I am content with my lifestyle choice

[heronponie]

I've been a vegetarian since I was 5. Borderline vegan but not 100%. The rest of my family are not vegetarian/vegan, and have been largely unsupportive of my choices.

I didn't become vegetarian for health or animal welfare, especially not at age 5! I did it because I was and am repulsed by the idea of eating something's dead flesh. The taste, texture, smells, everything is disgusting to me. Where most people see a row of clean, shiny packed meat at the grocery store, I see a pile of bloody, skinless body parts. I don't know why I have always seen things so differently.

I try to be conscious of what I eat. At the same time, I'm not analyzing every single ingredient of everything to make sure there's absolutely zero animal byproducts in it. Instead, I just do my best to eat healthy/ethically and forgive myself if the vegetable lasagna had some cheese baked in.

Like another post mentioned, I do empathize with nature and do my best to stay respectful of it. I'm not perfect.