Comment on spoopy figs
Manticore@lemmy.nz 15 hours agoYour point about the tick is correct, but I’m not sure if that counts as veganism? Theres a significant difference between vegetarianism and veganism beyond the diet itself.
Vegetarianism is a dietary restriction around consuming flesh, whereas veganism is a philosophical restriction around animal suffering/exploitation. But even that philosophy can have different interpretations (what counts as suffering? What counts as exploitation?).
Thus vegans having a reputation of being inflexible, because eating nonvegan is a violation of their personal principles; whereas most vegetarians won’t care what you eat so long as you still provide something they can eat.
Therefore I’d expect vegetarians don’t eat lab meat (it’s flesh) but many vegans may (if they believe it is developed ethically, and doesn’t incentivise unethical practice).
But IMO both of the terms are pretty absolute and inflexible. An increasingly large number of people ate ‘vegan except for X’, or vegetarian [98]% of the time’, and we don’t have words to distinguish them from those who don’t plan to reduce animal products at all. I’d like if there was, to encourage people to have more varied diets without seeing it as ‘all or nothing’. Significantly reducing animal intake is still an environmental win even if they can’t eliminate it.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 hours ago
First of, vegetarianism means not eating meat while veganism means not using animal products including eggs, honey, milk, leather, wool, etc. As someone else noted, apparently Wikipedia and other sources state there’s a difference between vegan diet and vegan philosophy. Although imo if you just do not eat animal products but still use leather you’re just following a plant based diet while not being vegan. Like some pro athletes, they have a plant based diet just because of sports and health, not because they care so much about animals and/or the environment.
But in the end it’s just a matter of labeling. I don’t really care about that, or whether people become full vegan. A sling as people become more aware of what they consume and reduce it a bit, that’s already a win imo. People should find the way which works the best for them.
I’m would be a full vegan if not for one thing: cheese. I have barely no non-sugar alternatives to put daily on my bread so I still consume some cheese (which technically isn’t even vegetarian). This works for me. Anyone who doesn’t like it can suck it, I do so much but I need this thing in my life.
Some vegans might eat lab grown meat because it would fit in their life philosophy, some wouldn’t. It all depends on why people chose to be vegan and what they are comfortable with.
Manticore@lemmy.nz 3 hours ago
Much agreed. Humans are the only species were aware of that can make ethical considerations in their diet, and there are so many ways to do that.
My preference is towards sustainably and environmentalism, as limited by my income bracket. So I love mushrooms, love vegetarian dishes, eat in season; but still eat eggs, dairy, and cheap meat for affordable protein. But I prefer sustainable farming practices, and using low-cost cuts like sausagemeat that might otherwise be wasted. I can’t afford most plant-based alternatives because they’re considered ‘lifestyle’ luxuries, so I have to have whey protein instead of pea, etc. But eggs are cheap enough I can splurge on free range with SPCA cert, and I love me a sweet-potato-mushroom burger patty if I can afford one. Nut mince is also great for nachos.
This means I support insect farms for future protein sources, since they use far less resources than even plant-based alternatives and are much cheaper and more land efficient. That makes me different from most vegetarians and vegans it seems, but I don’t consider our philosophies to be in conflict. Ultimately we share a common goal in maintaining more ethical diets that limit the harm we cause, and there are several approaches to do that. Every step we can affordable maintain is progress to a kinder and more sustainable world.
TigerAce@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 hours ago
I don’t eat expensive heavily processed meat alternatives. I use beans and cheap tofu to replace proteins. Canned beans are cheap AF. Chickpeas are super rich in protein and super healthy. Thankfully there’s a wide variety of beans and tofu is rather tasteless, so just like chicken can be marinated and spiced any way you like. It’s cheaper than adding meat to your dish.
And if you can’t eat that every day, you maybe could some days, meaning a few days less of meat consumption. Cheaper and better for the environment. Win win :)
But do what works best for you.
Manticore@lemmy.nz 2 hours ago
Absolutely, am a pan of tofu in pan fries. I also use less meat and then bulk put with red lentils, chickpeas, or mixed beans. But the only pure-lentil protein meal I’ve managed to keep on is the Butternut squash curry, because the squash masks the chickpeas. The mealy texture of lentils makes them hard for me to appreciate solo (I can’t eat peas for similar reasons) so I tend to half-and-half. A single chicken breast feeds four people if bulked right.
Unfortunately tofu is not cheap here, it costs about as much/slightly more than chicken. :( Regional pricing I suppose, I’m from an isolated farming nation so luxury goods have to be imported at large mark-up. Anything we don’t grow here gets priced to match :/ Lentils are cheap though, and you can also do a lot with a baked potato!