I was thinking about writing this yesterday lunchtime as I munched on my sandwiches in the canteen as it’s a question I get asked on average probably every other month. Low and behold, one of my colleagues asked me that very afternoon. It was almost as if it was a sign.
Let’s begin at the beginning. When I was growing up, I wasn’t particulary keen on many meats. There would be some that I’d like, some I’d like occassionally and some I just couldn’t stand (primarily chicken and turkey).
I went to university and studied philosophy. I hated doing exams because I wasn’t very good at them, so I opted to take two dissertations in my final year. Perhaps not what everyone would do but trust me, I was really bad at exams.
One of the dissertations I wrote on the ethics of killing in a variety of settings – war, euthanasia, self-defence and also for food. The conclusion that I came to was that if I could survive without having to force another living creature to die in order for me to do so, then this was an ethically preferable stand point.
It took me a while to become a vegetarian. A couple of months after uni finished, I made myself a lentil shepherd’s pie. It turned out that I’m not really keen on lentils and basically eating a plateful of them put me off going veggie. My housemate got a free meal out of it though.
A while later, I started going out with a vegetarian and this made the transition quite a natural process. I gave up foods one by one, starting with fish and finishing with pepperoni which if anyone still asks, is the thing I miss the most. Although as I’ve been veggie for around 8 years, I can’t say I’ve actually missed it in a long time.
One thing I think about as possibly the most important thing is where I personally draw the line. Some cheese, beers and sweets are not vegetarian because of the way they are produced.
I tend not to be overly fussy about checking which are and are not. The reason for this is that I am fairly sure that the animals weren’t killed for the specific purpose of creating these products. They almost certainly died for other reasons and these products are the offshoot of the fact that a dead animal is available to create them with.
The way I see it, everyone has a point beyond which they won’t eat animals or animal products. There are people like Freddie Starr who are willing to put absolutely anything in their mouths. Others set the line at not eating animals which are pets (e.g. cats and dogs) or perceived as horrid (e.g. snakes, tarantulas) which in other cultures would not be an issue.
I see an individuals stance animal product eating as being somewhere on the line between vegan and Freddie Starr, although admittedly it’s not exactly a straight line. I know exactly where my limits are and I am comfortable with them.
Some answers to freequently asked questions:
Q: Do you eat fish?
A: No. Fish are animals. People who eat fish but no other meat are called pescatarians. Or, as I prefer to call them, cheats.
A: No. Fish are animals. People who eat fish but no other meat are called pescatarians. Or, as I prefer to call them, cheats.
Q: Do you eat meat substitutes?
A: Yes, but it took me a while to get into quorn chicken pieces because the reason I didn’t like white meats was due to their texture. I tend to only eat meat substitutes when they really form an essential part of the dish, for example mince in spaghetti bologonese or chicken pieces in fajitas.
A: Yes, but it took me a while to get into quorn chicken pieces because the reason I didn’t like white meats was due to their texture. I tend to only eat meat substitutes when they really form an essential part of the dish, for example mince in spaghetti bologonese or chicken pieces in fajitas.
