I eat meat. There, I said it! :-)
I eat it because I like it. I eat fruit and veggies too, because I like them also.
What I don't like is meat substitute.
My feelings are - either have meat or don't. But don't create something to be meat for those that don't want meat.
If quorn is healthy and good for you, then sell it as something that is healthy and good for you - its QUORN, not chicken without the chicken.
There are some may wonderful and tasty veggie and vegan foods out there, that trying to sell something as meat when it is not, just seems weird to me.
It would be like creating bacon carrots - that taste just like carrots. (but contain no carrots)
We tend to eat small amounts of good quality meat and loads of veggies. My wife will be fasting for Easter (Orthodox) so we will be going vegan for 40 days.
It's no drama. So we won't have meat for a month or so. I'm not going to die because of it. I'm not going to suffer, or get malnutrition or anything.
I'm just going to eat more veggies than normal. Big deal.
I think meat pays an important part in a balanced diet, but I also agree that western countries eat far too much of it.
And I think the science behind evolution is to blame.
it goes something like - our ancestors began eating meat, and because it is more energy dense they had time to sit around and think more so their brains grew bigger and they got smarter.
You can just see Kevin and Tracey sitting in their escort outside Tescos thinking this through....
So eating more meat made our ancestors smarter right. That means if we eat bacon every day, and sausages, then we'll be as smart as Einstein by Christmas.
And so everyone consumes meat thinking it is doing them good.
It actually does work.
They DO get smarter.
About 30 years later when they are diagnosed with bowel cancer they realize just how wrong they were, thus becoming a lot smarter, alas too late.
Meat substitute has its place. I personally don't have it often. Its more aimed at people that are transitioning to a non meat diet and have been used to the taste and texture of meat for so long. Also people that want that taste/texture but don't want to harm animals.
It's good to have a choice in these things. A lot of people are going to buy convenience food and the selection for veggies used to be very limited. We also have soya based foods and I like veg anyway.
Meat can be pretty cheap these days, so it's tempting to eat a lot of it. Some see it as 'proper' food. I do see people glorifying the consumption of meat though. I think they do it partly to troll the veggies.