I don't think I will ever, EVER eat meat again.

I've been thinking of going vegetarian as the last time I did Slimming world I did all Green days as I prefer carbs to meat, (eating quorn instead) and lost a lot of weight, and I couldnt eat meat when pg and lost weight also.

Anyway, I stumbled onto the PETA website and saw this video about how animals are treated....I feel so sick!!!!!

Bearing in mind I could never, ever afford organic, free range stuff (food bill is enough as it is!) we have always ate cheap meat, although personally I don't eat much red meat, the odd sausage sandwich but usually chicken or fish.

URRGHH I just ... feel....so bad!!!

But I dont know what meals to cook if Im going to go veggie! My repetoire is things like chicken, chips and beans, jacket potato, chicken, and veg! I'm such a boring cook.

Sorry this was a totally pointless post!!! I dont think I could ever cut meat out of Gabe's diet though as he's such a skinny twig!!! We weighed him and he's only 25lb! xx

Hi, I feel the same - me & hubby are just about veggie (we used to be, but have started eating fish in the last couple of years).

We do, however, allow the children to eat meat - I'm just not confident that they would get everything they need otherwise! Besides, I ate meat as a child.

The annoying thing I have found is that when I buy the really good, expensive, free range, etc meat, they don't like it! They say it's chewy! No, they want processed and mechanically recovered crap - rubbish sausages, frankfurters and burgers! I try to limit the amount they eat - but I feel at odds with my own morals and ethics feeding them meat at all. But then if the boys didn't turn into healthy, strapping lads I would feel like it was all my fault! Can't win.

I'm hoping to introduce better meat gradually as they get older - but I feel incredibly guilty buying cheapo meat - deep down I know what it is I am funding. I will be avoiding the PETA video!

hi my oh and i are veggies although we give the girls meat and fish but they love quorn too.i love veggie spag bol with quorn mince we all love it the girls eat it all but they also love quorn burgers.i have been a veggie since i was 10 or 11 cant remember lol but in the year before i became one all i ate was chicken or tuna so it was easy and i have never looked back im 27 now oh has been a veggie for about 16 years. i love being a veggie there are so many different things you can make with the mince spag bol cottage pie, etc and quorn pieces fahitas (sp) stir frys, things are a lot better now than when i became a veggie much more meat free stuff out there.There wasnt even quorn when i became one but stuck to my guns i remember one sunday the week i became a veggie my parents didnt believe me and called me down for sunday lunch a plate of chicken roast was waiting for me i walked in looked at it went to the cooker to see what was left there was loads of veg so i picked up the plate put it on the side and had a plate of veg for lunch they realised i meant i was serious then and i havent even been tempted to go back to eating meat it makes me feel sick.Tesco do lovely meat free hot dogs, sainsburys have a good selection of quorn i guess all the supermarkets do if this is what you want to do then go for it i didnt have any problems during pregnancy or bf from being a veggie either so good luck if you try it

My oh watched this movie food.inc (dont watch it! I think we are better off that we are in europe, it was mainly about how food is prepared in america. Europe does a bit better as it is a bit more close knit and not as many people living there), and my oh was gagging all through out the movie! It was gross! It is not even how the animal is treated but how food is prepared for general public. Since then we hardly ever buy the cheap stuff in store, mainly organic, free range, even for veg. We dont buy organic fruit (xcet berries once in a while) as we d go bankrupt, but we just cannot eat non free range/organic meat. It is just too gross what they put in it!

We also could not go veggie, I love my meat, even though we dont eat that much of it, we also eat quorn, and we eat quite a lot of fish. Pretty well balanced diet in fact.

The mass production side of things is just disgusting!!! And it is us people at fault really, because the growers and manufacturers in the movie basically said they do it because people buy it. The food quality and price would get a lot better if people refused to buy shit (aka better quality lower price).

I keep thinking of going veggie. Im not a big meat eater anyway, never have been (since I was 4 and worked out a lamb in the field was the same as lamb that we ate! Never eaten it since!) and tbh the good stuff is soooo expensive, and the cheap stuff produced in horrible conditions and probably has loads of crap added to it.

I have to admit I've not bought quorn or anything recently, and I'm wondering if it's improved since the last time I tried it!! Had it in veggie bolognese and it was vile

Does quorn provide good nutrition for kids? I know it's a good protein, but not sure how it would work in a child's diet, eg would you need to give them extra iron or anything if you cut out meat?

xxx

My hubby is veggie and for convenience I tend to eat mostly veggie too (although if we get takeaway I do have a meat option). There are so many veggie alternatives out there, most of which I think taste better than meat that its never an issue. Tesco's own brand meat free range is lovely and Farmfoods usually have a large selection too. Pretty much anything you can get meat wise there is a veggie alternative these days, even down to the ham you put in your sandwiches !

I was brought up as a vegetarian as a child, as my parents were, and have to say that back then being the 80's our diet was VERY limited (i could count the various meals offered on one hand!!) so as soon as I was old enough to decide for myself I started eating meat, and had never tasted such delicious food in my life! For that reason, despite my husband being vegetairian I could not go totally veggie again, but to keep things simple at home and also due to the way meat is produced I only have meat as a treat, no more than once a week, and always make sure I buy free range or organic.
I prefer to have less meat of better quality, and the way it is sold so cheap in places like iceland makes me sick..but thats just my opinion. i think everyone should eat less meat of better quality, whatever their buget as would work out the same in long run.

We do eat quorn occasionally, the pieces are fine if cooked in a curry, or fahjitas for instance, but most of the time I prefer to just use veggies and pulses instead. Couldren tofu sausages are really nice, and wierdly although I've offered meat to Stanley he won't eat it, but loves the veggie stuff!

My health visitor said stanley not having meat was fine, so long as he eats substitues like quorn and some fish too (which he does) as both are high in protein. I do give him vitamin drops too though but thats just for reassurance as he can be so fussy more than anything else!

So I would say don't rule out eating meat completly, but eating vegetarian 80% of the time and buying the best meat you can as a treat may work as a comprimise for you. You will probably find your'll save money doing this too as vegetables and tinned pulses and beans are much cheaper than even the cheapest meat. good luck!xx

Nope, no meat at all from now!! I don't think I'll find it hard. I usually prefer veggie alternatives anyway.

I have always wished we could afford good quality meat but we can't. I dont think I could eat it now anyway....I've been putting off going veggie for a while, not sure why, convenience maybe as eat the same as OH and ds.

I do buy british meat though if it's fresh but tend to forget about frozen stuff eg. Gabe's fish fingers. x

MrsAmanda that's good to know... my dd hates meat and basically has non in her diet other than home made fish fingers once a week. I worry she is suffering because of it (not enough iron etc) but obviously not if children can be vegetarians... why did i never think of this before? dur! :lol: xx

Like loubeelou, I am a meat eater but I do limit the amount of cheap supermarket meat I buy as much as is humanly possible. We are fortunate to have a very good butcher who sources locally and can give chapter and verse on where and how the animals were raised and slaughtered. No, it isn't especially cheap, but that is a price I am willing to pay to support local business. We just limit the amount we buy to suit our budget. The only thing that I do slip up on (guiltily) is bacon which I always seem to need on a Tuesday (when the butcher is shut).

In all honesty, we are probably 50% vegitarian at the moment (I'm a big fan of pulses) and eat more fish than meat the rest of the time. In season we eat quite a lot of game as well (from the same butcher). I do think it is possible to be a responsible omnivore but I do respect those who choose vegitarianism.

I'M not veggie but I can undertsand why people are. I buy free range meat and avoid processed food. That decision was mostly based on a programme I watched about processed food like sausages, hot dogs and chicken Kievs. Hot dogs make me feel physically sick now. I also will not buy pork that's not British as the standards in Europe are shocking. I have always enjoyed veggie food though and there are loads of food you can make. Not everything has to be based on meat substitues either. Veggie curries, veggie enchiladas, stir fry veggies and noodles, macaroni cheese, veggie pizza, minestrone soup with pasta in. Maybe buy a cook book? Also don't panic about iron as a lot of iron comes from vegetables. I think brocolli is the best. If you go on the fsa website it explains about where to get all your nutrition.

Hello! It's going well actually, I haven't missed it, even through the bbqs I've been to. Sainsburys meatfree burgers are nice and I've always liked spicy bean burgers. I've made vegetable curry twice (once from scratch once from a jar) which was OK but I prefer the ready meal versions, I'm not the best cook with lo clinging on me! I tend to prefer vegetable lasagnes, pizzas and curries to meat versions anyway and always have. What I'm finding hardest is cooking for us all - OH is a big meat eater, and loves things like pork chops and beef grills, now I've never liked them but been happy to bung some chicken or fish in the oven for me and Lo instead....but now I've been having the dalepak cheese & onion grills which are very tasty actually! xxx

Oh, i think you may have inspired me to go back to my veggie ways. Sounds like you're doing really well.
I was veggie for years before I went back to meat eating (I had really bad IBS for a while and couldn't eat pasta or bread or anything with wheat so it was too restrictive to be cutting out 2 food groups!) I still don't feel that easy about it though and pretty much avoid red meat - especially cooking it myself. I find it quite disgusting.
How to break it to hubby? He was quite happy when I started eating meat again.
I'm 33 weeks pg at the mo and anaemic so I suppose i'd better wait until baby arrives before i make the change.

Can anyone give me any tips for how to deal with catering for the whole family? I want to keep giving my son meat occasionally, although he doesn't eat that much of it (I prefer him to get his protein and iron from beans, free range eggs etc) but OH is a problem. He doesn't like any beans or pulses and isn't a big vegetable fan either. He doesn't mind when i use quorn in my cooking but gets bored of it pretty quickly.