Omnivore, Herbivore Or What?

This week has seen the Americans (god love them) coin the term Flexi-tarian. It means people who are mostly vegetarian but eat meat if they feel their body needs it, or to save embarrassment when at someone’s house for dinner who didn’t know you don’t eat meat. Its the new trend. And actually I probably fall into this category, but only because I can’t always be arsed to cook a meat-based meal…or maybe I am more a Lazy-tarian, eating veggie food because its often quick and satisfying and easier to prepare.

So, I’m not gonna have a pop at Flexitarians; or Vegetarians, or Vegans, or Pescetarians for that matter.

What bothers me is meat eaters. Meat eaters with wannabe veggie delusions. Meat eaters who love eating meat but will not let you discuss, even suggest, where that piece of steak actually came from, or that your roast chicken was last week wandering around with his chicken friends in a pen up the road.

‘Don’t say that, its cruel‘. ‘I love fish but I just can’t eat it if it comes with a head because it reminds me what it is’.

Its a sodding fish. What else could you pretend it is?

Some friends of mine have a “farm” shop near Barnsley. They largely rear pigs and then sell them as joints of pork, sausages and bacon. The particular breed escapes me, but they are reared out in the open and free to roam through trees and fields. And they roast really well and taste amazing. But I am considered cruel by some meat-eating friends because I can eat the pork after seeing the cute little piglets.

What’s worse about these meat-eaters, is that they NEVER think twice about ordering a steak, or even veal or foie gras in a restaurant.

‘I want to be a vegetarian, but I could never give up meat (or bacon/burgers/roast chicken).’ But you don’t want to know where the meat you eat comes from? You don’t want to know what your eating is 100% beef, or reared in the open air, or not fed on offal? You don’t want to know that Brand X sausages are made from 90% lips and arseholes, but Brand A are made from 90% pure pork mince? You can only eat fish if white, rectangular and covered in flourescent orange breadcrumbs?

Grow up. Either stick to some definite principles and give up meat altogether, or stop whingeing and accept that you eat animals.

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