This is honestly such a refreshing take. I engaged in this exact inner dialogue a year ago because I wanted to have less impact on the planet and knew that eating less meat was a good way to make that happen. I don't buy meat to cook at home, I don't order it during the week when I'm too lazy to cook and get takeout. If I go out to eat and something on the menu looks extra tasty I'll get it, and I won't ask my friends to cater to anything but my actual food intolerances (mushroom and chickpeas, which are sadly the base of lots of veggie meals 🥲). But my meat intake has gone wayyyy down and it feels good and, more importantly, it was a super manageable shift!
I used to fish with my Dad, plus worked in the seafood section of a supermarket chain here in Oz. Got quite adept at preparing fish for consumption and agree with your assessment. I feel okay about catching and preparing fish for food, and so comfortable enough to continue eating seafood. Your post made me go hunting for a book I read a few years ago - 'Killing it, an education' by Camas Davis, who explores in some degree the ethics of raising and slaughtering animals for food, in a culture far removed from this practice.
Thank you for the thoughtful and refreshing perspective. I teach about wild foods and cooking. And in my own diet, I have almost entirely wild proteins from birds, game animals and marine life that I harvest and process myself. I do buy some local seafood from a market that I respect. Other than that I purchase some things direct from farmers or farmers markets. I have consumed mostly plants foods most of my life. I can't abide by much in the market amongst their meat and seafood offerings. I know too much about those supply chains and farming methods.
This is the correct take!!!! A lot of it is about having a real connection to your food too, especially to animal products, as you note in the footnotes. It's just not good for us to think our food appears in the grocery store, and it's just not good for the planet when we behave under that belief system
as someone who used to be a vegetarian for nearly ten years, I am extremely open to this sort of post. I honestly haven't seriously considered becoming a vegetarian again, but your writing is prompting me to do that now. i'm looking forward to your next post!
This is what I do and while it causes some cognitive dissonance (always or frequently eating meat at free lunches, parties, etc. but then ordering veg when I go out to restaurants and trying to be vegan at home) it’s what feels best to me rn! I know cravings for meat and dairy come and go and I’ll be able to adjust as needed. Thanks for normalizing it!
Thanks Kara. I don't agree with everything you wrote, but that's the purpose of everything we do. I completely respect your perspective, values, and angle on all this. I will certainly try your proposal this Spring, it's a fantastic and unique suggestion.
I don’t eat any meat and haven’t done so for several years but I do eat most fish. I’ve cut back on dairy (I drink oat milk, sub tofu for cream cheese and coconut milk for heavy cream) but I’m finding it very hard to do more than that. If you or any readers have any ideas that would help, I would love to hear.
Well, I do love to make quiche to use up leftover veggies but oat milk does not work in quiche. The quiche comes out very watery and I actually have to hold the quiche pan over the sink and drain it. I’ve thought about combining tofu cream cheese and oat milk together for a thicker consistency but maybe there’s a better way?
This is honestly such a refreshing take. I engaged in this exact inner dialogue a year ago because I wanted to have less impact on the planet and knew that eating less meat was a good way to make that happen. I don't buy meat to cook at home, I don't order it during the week when I'm too lazy to cook and get takeout. If I go out to eat and something on the menu looks extra tasty I'll get it, and I won't ask my friends to cater to anything but my actual food intolerances (mushroom and chickpeas, which are sadly the base of lots of veggie meals 🥲). But my meat intake has gone wayyyy down and it feels good and, more importantly, it was a super manageable shift!
Amazing!!
I used to fish with my Dad, plus worked in the seafood section of a supermarket chain here in Oz. Got quite adept at preparing fish for consumption and agree with your assessment. I feel okay about catching and preparing fish for food, and so comfortable enough to continue eating seafood. Your post made me go hunting for a book I read a few years ago - 'Killing it, an education' by Camas Davis, who explores in some degree the ethics of raising and slaughtering animals for food, in a culture far removed from this practice.
Oh, I will have to find that book!
Read every word of this twice 🙏🏻
Thank you for the thoughtful and refreshing perspective. I teach about wild foods and cooking. And in my own diet, I have almost entirely wild proteins from birds, game animals and marine life that I harvest and process myself. I do buy some local seafood from a market that I respect. Other than that I purchase some things direct from farmers or farmers markets. I have consumed mostly plants foods most of my life. I can't abide by much in the market amongst their meat and seafood offerings. I know too much about those supply chains and farming methods.
Thanks again. I appreciate you.
That's amazing :) Thank you for this comment!!
This is the correct take!!!! A lot of it is about having a real connection to your food too, especially to animal products, as you note in the footnotes. It's just not good for us to think our food appears in the grocery store, and it's just not good for the planet when we behave under that belief system
Exactly!
as someone who used to be a vegetarian for nearly ten years, I am extremely open to this sort of post. I honestly haven't seriously considered becoming a vegetarian again, but your writing is prompting me to do that now. i'm looking forward to your next post!
💚💚💚💚
This is what I do and while it causes some cognitive dissonance (always or frequently eating meat at free lunches, parties, etc. but then ordering veg when I go out to restaurants and trying to be vegan at home) it’s what feels best to me rn! I know cravings for meat and dairy come and go and I’ll be able to adjust as needed. Thanks for normalizing it!
Thanks Kara. I don't agree with everything you wrote, but that's the purpose of everything we do. I completely respect your perspective, values, and angle on all this. I will certainly try your proposal this Spring, it's a fantastic and unique suggestion.
I don’t eat any meat and haven’t done so for several years but I do eat most fish. I’ve cut back on dairy (I drink oat milk, sub tofu for cream cheese and coconut milk for heavy cream) but I’m finding it very hard to do more than that. If you or any readers have any ideas that would help, I would love to hear.
Which dairy products are you still struggling to substitute? I feel you! It doesn't come super naturally to me either.
Well, I do love to make quiche to use up leftover veggies but oat milk does not work in quiche. The quiche comes out very watery and I actually have to hold the quiche pan over the sink and drain it. I’ve thought about combining tofu cream cheese and oat milk together for a thicker consistency but maybe there’s a better way?
This has been my approach for about a decade and my husband adopted it too