Do you ever feel guilt when eating meat?

Brian Marwood

Well-known member
That an animal has been killed just for your food. A mother sheep is mourning her lamb being taken away at young age for your Sunday Dinner eating pleasure. It feels barbaric at times when we probably don't even need to eat meat these days.

I do sometimes but never made it yet as a vegetarian despite several attempts.
 
Nope.
I understand vegetarians and vegans way of thinking.
But no don't feel guilty, it's just the natural order of things isn't it? I bet a bear doesn't feel guilty when it kills and eats a hunter in Alaska for example?
 
I certainly do, even if I realise we are omnivores. If I wasn’t for a few particular foods I love I think I could easily go vegetarian. It’s why I hope lab grown meat is a solution, if the taste and texture can be accurately replicated and there’s no death and slaughter (or medical issues), then surely it’s the way forward?
 
I certainly do, even if I realise we are omnivores. If I wasn’t for a few particular foods I love I think I could easily go vegetarian. It’s why I hope lab grown meat is a solution, if the taste and texture can be accurately replicated and there’s no death and slaughter (or medical issues), then surely it’s the way forward?
Yep, the fake 'meat' doesn't really work for me currently but as soon as it does I'll definitely switch over.

I have loads of veggie meals anyway for stuff like curries, bolognese etc but stuff like burgers, bacon sandwiches, the ocasional roast dinner, I'm not at a stage of giving those up yet.
 
Yeah. We are intelligent enough and have the ability to produce food without meat so it's not justifiable really. Future generations (if we survive) will be horrified with us.
 
Yeah. We are intelligent enough and have the ability to produce food without meat so it's not justifiable really. Future generations (if we survive) will be horrified with us.


Yes, I know some people will disagree, but just like we look back at previous generations and think some of their practices were distasteful, future generations might well look back in disgust at our treatment of animals.
 
I doubt we will ever phase out meat. We may eat less of it but you're never going to get crispy bacon, black pudding, fish and chips, a medium rare joint of beef, a tomahawk steak etc. I try the meat alternatives and they're ok, but just ok.

All for animal welfare improvements and always buy free range etc but i'll never not eat meat.
 
That an animal has been killed just for your food. A mother sheep is mourning her lamb being taken away at young age for your Sunday Dinner eating pleasure. It feels barbaric at times when we probably don't even need to eat meat these days.

I do sometimes but never made it yet as a vegetarian despite several attempts.
Yes. Gave up two years ago. Haven’t missed it.
 
That an animal has been killed just for your food. A mother sheep is mourning her lamb being taken away at young age for your Sunday Dinner eating pleasure. It feels barbaric at times when we probably don't even need to eat meat these days.

I do sometimes but never made it yet as a vegetarian despite several attempts.

Yes I do. And I always feel bad when cycling in the Spring and seeing all the baby lambs.
 
Yes quite a lot…I’ve done veganuary for a January 2 years ago which I found alright in the end, but as above mentioned there’s too many foods I enjoy to give up and the replicas aren’t as great yet. Most supermarkets do a plant basked Schwarma called viva era which is actually really good, qourn chicken nuggets taste the same and Richmond sausages vegan versions are very similar..a couple more great alternatives and ill try make a switch. I do however find it hard eating out places that aren’t in a city, where you basically only have 1/2 vegan options that usually aren’t great.

I’ve definitely changed my choice of milk going for almond or oat milk, in my opinion the diary industry is probably the most cruel of them all when you actually look into it.
 
Yes, which is why I'm veggie. The worst guilt I felt though was when staying in a log cabin on a dairy farm in Wiltshire on holiday. The cows were moaning and howling through the night and next day. When I mentioned it to the farmer's wife she explained, somewhat embarrassedly, that it was the mothers mourning their male calves who are routinely taken away from them for slaughter as baby food because they obviously don't produce milk. The cows are then inseminated again. This goes on and on, and all so we can keep having milk on our cornflakes.

I didn't go full vegan but really should. Mrs V did.
 
As I said on the Andrew Tate thread last week, I think we need to move on from the culture of you either go 100% vegan 100% of the time or you don't and therefore eat meat every day. If we all just cut back a bit wherever we feel we can, that's gotta be a good thing.

As above the Richmond vegan sausages are good. Also think Linda McCartney sausages are nice. A lot of the vegan burgers I think are fine. Milks very easy to replace but we all went well over that already. I really think cheese is the hardest thing to get decent substitutes for.
 
My stance on eating meat is that I enjoying eating meat, and I understand where this meat comes from. As such I try to buy from quality providers whenever I can and I try not to waste anything I have purchased. I hate it when you go to all inclusive resorts and see piles of wasted food, which obviously includes meat.
 
No, I don't feel guilty. The animals wouldn't even exist if we didn't eat them. If I felt guilty about eating animals I'd probably have to feel guilty about drinking milk, wearing leather, eating honey, all the land cleared for farming which kills millions of animals, using fossil fuels, building houses, zoos, buying cheap clothes, international shipping, flying, generating energy etc.

It's easier to link a steak to the face of a cow etc but in reality everything we do as humans as the dominant species means destroying animals and their habitats or just damaging environments. If I'm not going to feel guilty about all of them then I'm not going to feel guilty about only one of them.

I'll do my best to minimise my impact where there are reasonable choices. I'll buy free-range, recycle, buy 2nd hand, go electric etc and I'll support the change of the system that is required but in reality anything that really makes a difference requires industries/states to change so until they do I will just play along with the system we are in.

I've yet to have a good meat substitute. I know people have said above that things like the Richmond vegan sausages are good but they aren't. They are not bad compared to a regular Richmond but they are dreadful so that's a low bar. They are not even slightly close to a good proper sausage. Meat substitutes are competing with the value range of meats, not the butchers. Until they are better then I'd rather eat meat or veg than fake rubbish meat.
 
I was vegetarian for 20 years, then had to start eating meat again for a medical reason. I don't eat meat every day, but I really like it. My first meaty meal after going back was a ragu in a Paris restaurant. I was profoundly shocked at the density of meat.
 
Haven’t eaten meat for about 35 years, but occasionally eat fish, so not truly veggie.
They used to say I’d miss the protein for building muscle, but even in my meat eating days I couldn’t take down a silver back and they just eat grass and leaves so…..
 
Back
Top