Vegetarianism - The Debate

[Stan_Lite]

I never knew that about the states - probably because most of the Americans I know through work are full-blooded rednecks who eat raw deer or bears they've killed themselves (slight exaggeration - but only slight).

Is it the case that there is a higher percentage of the population who are vegetarians or is it because they are simply better catered for, do you think? Never having been there, I'm not familiar with attitudes towards alternative lifestyles. I would imagine it varies from state to state.

[Belmit]

In contrast to the wide range of products you can get in the US, my mum had a hell of a time trying to find a chicken that wasn't 'Enhanced with broth'. Essentially it means pumped full of salty water to make it plumper and more (artificially) flavoursome. In the end the only one she could find that wasn't enhanced in any way was bred by Mormons IIRC.

Whilst the US gives far more options for foods that are free of certain ingredients, or suitable for people with intolerances/differing ethical standpoints, she also found that fresh vegetables were extremely limited. The ends she had to go to to find a red pepper were absurd. Although you don't really notice it, if you go to a restaurant you'll probably find that most meals don't have more than one kind of vegetable, if any at all. When my mum invited friends round for Sunday dinner they were shocked to find three different types of vegetables on their plates (she usually does a minimum of five). The closest type of meal to a traditional British Sunday roast is probably a Thanksgiving meal, but even if you look at the more typical ingredients you can definitely see an absence of veg. Plenty of meat, stuffing, potato, breads etc. but not much more than corn and green beans by way of vegetables. Maybe peas and carrots, but then this is a once a year thing!

I'm sure this is not a country-wide thing, but it seems to be normal for the vast majority. My last Christmas dinner had ten different veg in it - I'd be amazed if the average US diner could name ten veg that would go with a meat and gravy dinner.

[leowyatt]

Originally Posted by Belmit

she also found that fresh vegetables were extremely limited.

Growing methods aside the local safeway veg department is massive I mean enormous so not sure where she was based

[Belmit]

Northern Kentucky, just over the border from Cincinatti, OH, where my dad worked. Most of the supermarkets nearby seemed only to have a token effort for veg. When you say local where are you referring to?

[Will]

The only meat I trust in the US is beef. They have AMAZING beef.

In Cali they know what veggies are too and have a really good selection of fruit and veg over there. It's great and so easy to have a good balanced diet over there. No wonder most of the Californian's are fit

[BBx]

Originally Posted by Kitten

Is that the one with the crushed beetles in? I avoid red foods because of that too. Drive Leo mad pulling out all the red smarties

I'll do you a swap for my oranges

BB x

[Jonny69]

Yuck, orange smarties taste funny

[semi-pro waster]

Originally Posted by SidewinderINC

I'd like to hear semi-pro wasters viewpoint on this, as he is a vegetarian for the reason of just not liking the taste of meat/just not wanting it. not some ethical "meat is murder" reason.

Sorry, only just getting back to this topic.

I could justify my vegetarianism on ethical grounds as I don't like the way many animals are treated in the food process or that a vegetarian diet is more efficient in terms of use of acreage/energy input to energy output but there isn't really any point. It is a personal choice and I would never wish to deny others the same right to choose, I might politely suggest that considering where their meat is coming from is an option because as consumers there is a certain amount of power but that would be as far as it would ever go - and that is only if I was asked, otherwise I tend not to express any opinion, quite a few of my friends have been rather surprised, if not outright shocked that I'm vegetarian because I try not to make a big deal out of it*.

As for sourcing vegetarian friendly ingredients, it has got a lot easier in the past 10-20 years I believe and is seen as less of an odd choice although I do still get a few comments. I am however less careful than some, because I don't think of being vegetarian as a major issue and it isn't specifically from an ethical stance I do occasionally eat sweets with gelatine in (while I try to get ones without animal products in, sometimes it isn't possible). Another way I could 'justify' it to myself is that gelatine and indeed rennet could be simply byproducts of the meat industry so I should not be contributing to any additional animals deaths - it isn't quite that simple but there you go, I'm stricter than some and less strict than others.

*Slightly embarrassing story time of the first and last time I'd deliberately made an issue of it - when I was about 5 or 6 I went to a neighbours barbeque and they were having fish which was absolutely stinking, I rather stupidly asked if I could just move away from the table as the smell was putting me off my meal and promptly got the piss taken out of me because I wasn't even thinking about how rude that might have appeared. Although even then I was trying not to inconvenience other people, I wanted to move myself rather than upset anyone else but ended up inadvertently making an issue of it anyway.

[leowyatt]

Originally Posted by Belmit

Northern Kentucky, just over the border from Cincinatti, OH, where my dad worked. Most of the supermarkets nearby seemed only to have a token effort for veg. When you say local where are you referring to?

I would have thought they'd have a good veg selection

[Stan_Lite]

Talking of slightly embarrassing moments. When I was a veggie, most of my favourite dishes invloved various types of beans - I'm sure you can all see where there is going

I have many recollections of trouser gas based hilarity and I can assure you my wedding didn't escape the fury of my favourite Adzuki, mung bean and mushroom casserole