Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with diet and meat

Why did they make me eat fish on Fridays?

tastybrains — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:52:42 -0800

In some religions (at the very least Catholicism), eating fish on Fridays is (or at least was) a requirement and seems to remain a bit of a tradition. I was raised by some strict Catholics, but never understood what the real rule was. Do you have to eat fish, or do you just have to not eat meat? And how exactly is "meat" defined in this situation? This question is one I've wondered for a long time, triggered by my intense dislike of all seafood. Most recently, what triggered this question was the fact that it seems that all corporate cafeterias I know of serve fish every Friday (and stank up the whole place).

As a child, on Fridays during Lent, I was given a lot of shit for refusing to eat fish like everyone else. My question was always "if we can't eat meat, why can't we just order some cheese pizza?!" Really...why? Why is fish the traditional alternative to meat, instead of *real* nonmeat foods like tofu and beans and pasta and the aforementioned cheese pizza?

I also wondered exactly how fish was not meat, but chicken was. I mean, where is the line drawn between meat-dead-animals and non-meat-dead-animals? Is it warm-blooded versus cold-blooded (if so, could I eat amphibians and reptiles on Fridays if I wanted to observe this rule? Are frog legs and alligator fair game?)? Is it land-dwelling versus water-dwelling (if so, could I eat a dolphin or a manatee?)?

What about mealworms? Could I eat those?

Reverse veganization

zenofthefrisbee — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:00:10 -0800

How can I incorporate animal protien and supplemental iron in my vegan diet? That sounds contradictory, I know.

But my doctor just told me that I am protien deficient and anemic, and that I must eat animal protiens and more iron. Every body is different, and apparently mine can't survive on a strict vegan menu alone. Now I am having trouble imagining how to incorporate meats in my meals. I've looked into whey protien mixes, but am interested in ways that I can hide meat (and extra iron) in my diet without, you know, tasting it. Basically I'd like my diet to remain as vegan as possible on the surface, while satisfying my body's protien requirements.

Fish is out; I can't palate it. Chicken, pork, and beef are better.

So, what are some good recipes to hide animal protien in?
Are there any prepared foods (like I'd buy at Whole Foods on my lunch break) that might work?
What are my other options outside of meat? Do eggs count?

What's holding kangaroo meat back?

GIMG — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:54:17 -0800

What are the cultural barriers to kangaroo meat being a popular food in Australia? Some Australians eat kangaroo, but the demand seems low, and a re-branding of the meat as "australus" was even conducted to make the meat more palatable, but has been unsuccessful in drawing more fans of the meat (has it?). Yet tons of kangaroos are slaughtered for dog food...

Is it just fanciful to the Aussie? Or is it disturbing, as they think back to "Skippy" and their childhood, or their coat of arms? Has any research been done on how people determine what meats are acceptable for consumption? How important is the consumption of meat in the Australian lifestyle, and how does the consumption of kangaroo meat conflict with Australian cultural standards?

Should vegetarians eat marine creatures?

jpg15 — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:15:56 -0800

Should vegetarians eat fish? How about shrimp? Mollusks? I'm a recent vegetarian convert, having read Peter Singer's seminal work. It took me about 30 minutes to realize that this is what I needed to do.

Singer only devotes two pages to the subject of marine life, and it lacks the authority that most of his writing carries (he notes this at the beginning of the section). There are a small number of for/against webpages, but I'm very interested hearing in the rationales of practicing vegetarians.

The question, as Singer always puts it, is whether or not the animal in question "has interests" and whether or not it can suffer, in the sense that humans can. Most people agree, for example, that insects do not. What about the various marine creatures? My instinct tells me that they do not, but this is based on scant data.

All we are saying is give meat a chance.

item — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:48:59 -0800

After 13 years of vegetarianism - my entire adult life - I've decided to start eating meat. Looking for advice in the form of books, websites, and personal anecdotes. I stopped eating meat for a number of reasons. Rebellion was certainly one of them, as were health and the fact that I was never crazy about meat to begin with. Though I told myself that politics came into play in my decision, I'm not sure that they ever really did. I flirted with veganism for a few periods as well, but could never really buy into it.

As time wore on, my vegetarianism became mostly an issue of discipline and self control, and I was damn good at it. I never cheated. I actually let myself go hungry a few times rather than eat what was available to me at the time when it contained meat, which, looking back, was not only rude but also a bit dangerous (I'm hypoglycemic).

I've done a lot of thinking about it lately and have had some interesting conversations regarding veganism/vegetarianism being a privileged choice, something that is keeping me from experiencing the whole of cultures I'm interested in. I've also been ridiculously low on energy and my hypoglycemia's not getting any better. For these reasons and a few other personal ones I've decided that I want to try giving meat a place in my diet. I broke the barrier last night in a way that I don't plan on making a habit of - with a cheeseburger from a local chain. Damn. I still feel full today, though not sick or nauseated. I don't plan on eating meat again for one full week, at which time I already know what I'm going to have - BBQ. After that, a few times a week at most. I have no desire to eat it every day and seriously doubt I'll develop one. I really dislike fish, for what it's worth, though some other forms of seafood might end up appealing to me.

What I'm looking for is personal stories of going back to meat to gain some insight. I'm also interested in books or other resources that'll help me maintain a healthy diet integrating flesh and non-flesh.

One last thing: currently, I am a manager of a very strict vegan restaurant, a successful place that is employed by carnivores and herbivores alike. They know I'm not vegan - should I mention my new, carnivorous ways if it won't hurt my job security? I know, you can't answer that unless you knew every last detail about the place and the people involved, but throw me an opinion if you'd like. Though it hasn't really played into my decision, I've always been for personal choice and have never approved of militant vegans, something I come into contact with now on a daily basis. Any suggestions as to what to say should I 'come out' other than 'it's a personal matter' are also welcome here.

Feeding My Cats Homemade Raw Meat Diet - Good Idea?

billysumday — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:50:59 -0800

I want to make my own homemade, raw meat (chicken and rabbit) cat food. My girlfriend thinks it's a bad idea. Almost everything I can find on the interwebs suggest that feeding a cat a BARF (biologically appropriate raw food) diet is healthy for the cat. This wiki suggests that there is no scientific evidence pointing to a clear resolution - in the references section there are some vets arguing one way or the other, but nothing concrete. Has anyone been there, done that, or have any other advice? Following the advice and instructions of this vet, I'd like to grind up whole pieces of chicken, add the necessary supplements, and feed that mixture to my cats as a supplement to their dry food.

Girlfriend is pragmatic and a Ph.D. student in the sciences and is demanding solid research to support this idea. There is no solid research, so far as I can tell, but there are a lot of supplemental anecdotes by random people on the internet that swear by this diet. Also, online companies selling people raw food to feed to their cats.

I would love any suggestions people have of other, better recipes; advice on how to make homemade cat food; and ideas to convince the g/f to feed the kitties my super awesome Billysumday's special all-natural feline delite raw food diet.

Why does meat make vegetarians vomit?

giggleknickers — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:43:50 -0800

Why do vegetarians vomit if they eat meat? Every time I've seen a vegetarian eat meat, by accident or because they were giving up vegetarianism, they always vomited. I was just curious as to why this is. Does anyone know?

If you're going to answer, please have some knowledge about the subject and preferably have a source. I can come up with guesses myself.

Meat is Murder?

ludwig_van — Mon, 07 Aug 2006 09:42:24 -0800

Is there any ethical justification for eating meat? I eat meat and tend to feel okay about it most of the time, but I am sometimes troubled about the ethicality of it. Is there any sensible justification for eating meat, or am I going to have to feel guilty or give it up?

Eating for ate.

Kickstart70 — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 09:31:03 -0800

What can/will my newly-pregnant, incredibly-picky, wife eat? (there are complications to this question) She won't eat eggs that are in any way detectable (texture or flavour...in a cake would be fine, for example). She won't eat tomatoes. She won't eat onion or garlic if it's detectable. Given the choice, she'd exist without eating green veggies or fruit in any way...there are very few fruits she will eat.

She's not allowed deli meat, things rich in Vitamin A (liver, orange cauliflower, etc), seafood, soft cheeses, pate's or meat spreads...

SO, we need to create a meal plan of some sort with meals that she can eat that she'll enjoy and will be safe for her and the baby, and that she won't get too tired of. She tends to eat pretty crappy in general, and I have to nag her about veggies. Ideally, the meals would be simple and quick to prepare, because time is always at a premium for us (I work a >fulltime job and have side projects that I am trying to build up to supplement our income, she works fulltime right now, but I don't know how long that will last).

If we're eating the same meal, I can't eat dairy products.

Help?

Can a carnivore become a vegetarian?

logovisual — Thu, 02 Jun 2005 12:39:51 -0800

I'm thinking about trying to go vegetarian, if only for a month's experimentation. But for a variety of reasons, I know it will be very difficult indeed. So: suggestions? For one thing, right now, I'm basically a carnivore. I pound down fast-food burgers, fried chicken, etc. like nobody's business -- and I almost never eat fruits and vegetables. In fact, I'd go so far as to say I normally dislike them; but I've learned that if you force yourself to do something unpleasant quite regularly (get up early, for instance), you'll eventually come to appreciate it. For another thing, I'm going through some life turmoil at the moment. And for another another thing, I don't have unlimited cooking / shopping resources (i.e. I live in an apartment with a non-professional kitchen, and the grocery stores out here in Brooklyn don't rock one's socks clean off, though they're adequate).

What I need to hear are tips and suggestions from similar folks who've made the switch -- things to watch out for, tips to stop meat cravings, etc. -- plus ideas about things to eat / cook / etc. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this has been asked before, but I didn't see it when searching. Thanks!

(I'd be doing it primarily for reasons of health and general well-being; I'm not overweight at all, but I do silently fear that the effects of my sat-fat-filled diet are building up catastrophically inside my young body. Plus, it's just an interesting lifehacking challenge, and I haven't done nearly enough of those...)