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Lately I've been thinking about reducing my meat and fish intake. Partly to save the world, partly to save the fluffy bunnies, partly to save my bowels.
I was wondering how I fit in with the rest of the world. I saw a stat that said the average Briton eats around 85Kg of meat a year - which works out to around 1.6Kg a week. (I don't know if that includes kids, or is just adults or whatever). Or about 225g / half a pound a day. That seems like a lot!
I reckon in the last 7 days I've eaten about 800g of meat/fish. Some weeks it's probably more, but I just can't imagine eating twice as much meat as this.
Has anyone else totted it up? Does anyone here chow down 1.6Kg of meat a week? (Presumably as it's an average there are people who eat a lot more)
1/2 pound about one good chicken breast or a small steak, yeah I probably eat that.
Probably about a raccoons worth.
None
I reckon I'd have been there or thereabouts average until the last six months or so when I have made a conscious effort to cut down - mainly due to environmental concerns. I reckon I'd be around the same as the o.p at about 800 grams over the last week now. I reckon I could happily reduce it further still but in a household of meat eaters it's sheer laziness preventing me from doing so.
Probably about a raccoons worth.
Bert?
Cyril Sneer. I enjoy the bitter aftertaste
Cyril Sneer. I enjoy the bitter aftertaste
Wasn't he an Aardvark?
No idea, but I eat it most days, say 29 out of 30 days a month. 225g/8oz doesn't sound like a lot to me
How much actual meat is in a Greggs steak bake?
Wasn’t he an Aardvark?
Maybe, but he was worth as much as any Racoon.
No idea. Had ham in my salad at lunch, but dinner tonight had no meat... pretty unusual that, usually will have chicken, occasionally steak, fish, meatballs. I’m an omnivore and shall always be that way. You can tell by the shape of my teeth apparently.
I tried broccoli once
True story
I get my 5 a day.
Half a pound a day, day in/day out, is a lot. I only hit that if I have a hefty steak and these days that's not very often. Today's meat intake was some scraps of dark meat off the weekend chicken in a broth made from the carcass and loaded with veg. So not much. A typical home made curry might be one chicken thigh per person or 1/4 pound max of lamb mince for a keema. A roast at the weekend certainly won't be half a pound a day.
Clearly I need to get my finger out and scoff more meat.
which works out to around 1.6Kg a week. (I don’t know if that includes kids
I definitely haven't eaten any kids this week.
Well I felt like I ate a weeks worth yesterday as we had a "artisan" burger van @ work yesterday as part of our "global safety week" events!
Had the meat sweats most of the rest of the day so made a 5 bean chilli stew for tea, which now will probably do us for the next 4 nights+
I do like to cook though so interesting meat/fish dishes do tend to feature which is why I seem to be Space Hopper Shape these days 🙁 sadly don't have Drac's metabolism
Half a pound a day, day in/day out, is a lot.
It really isn't, not if you eat meat more or less in every main meal. I probably eat above the average but have never actually worked out the exact amount.
Like a vegetable curry, but interested to know if it's better for the world if I have British chicken or veggies grown in Morocco (or Spain) as the main ingredient?
errr All of it
It really isn’t, not if you eat meat more or less in every main meal.
I think it is! I'm typing this while I'm making a bolognese, and I'm using a 500g pack of mince. There's no way I'd eat half of the whole thing in a single meal!
It's different for different cuts of meat obviously, but still. I reckon 225g is still on the hefty side for a chicken breast or lamb steak for eg. But then I do tend to shop at Tesco.
How much is a big steak? 300g? I tend to have one of those every couple of weeks. In fact, I think it might be time to get another one. Apart from that it’s all pulses, grains and veg.
Agree with the mince thing, I'd probably eat about 150-75g in a portion. Just weighed one of my normal chicken breasts and that was 225g, I'll easily eat a whole one of those even made into a curry. Then there's often meat sandwich fillers for lunch and a weekend cooked breakfast. Normally probably not loads over the average but a bit.
veggies grown in Morocco (or Spain) as the main ingredient?
If only we grew veg.
Not really what I am asking, I am fully aware we grow veg in the UK, just wondered on the difference between the environmental impact of home grown chicken compared to the veg supplied by most supermarkets over the winter months that seems to be grown in either Africa or that big greenhouse in Spain. I too have been conscious of where my food comes from over the last 2 years or so, and trying to get an idea of what is actually good for the environment and what isn't...
none as of three years now, managed to cycle about 18,000 miles since then with no noticeable determent to speed/recovery.
I’ve been thinking about reducing my meat and fish intake.
This might be of help?
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/vegetarianism-for-a-meat-lover/
lordmerchant
Member
none as of three years now, managed to cycle about 18,000 miles since then with no noticeable determent to speed/recovery.
I have no problem with that, but the cycling bit has no real bearing on the original question?
And comes over as a bit of militant vegetarian/vegan which is what puts peoples backs up in this debate.
None.
The answer to Lots of Hopes question is probably "The chicken" Still not going to eat one though
not intended to be so what-so-ever, more of an aside - after all were on a cycling website and this is relevant in that context. Not militant in the least, how people choose to live their lives is none of my business/concern.
And comes over as a bit of militant vegetarian/vegan which is what puts peoples backs up in this debate.
Not in the slightest he's just mentioning it has had no effect on his sport. Doesn't mean he won't swear while chucking your wheel set in a lake.
i didn't think it came across as militant at all.
just wondered on the difference between the environmental impact of home grown chicken compared to the veg supplied by most supermarkets over the winter months
so many variables! The veg is probably still better, IMO. But you'd want to know:
where was the chicken reared
was it pumped full of antibiotics
what happened to the rest of the chicken? if half of it went off in some random's fridge then that might affect the overall, uh, environmentability of the other half
how was the chicken processed? ie did it travel a long way between abbatoirs, processing plants, supermarket distribution centres
I had a quick look on google but couldn't find a good article that i liked within about 30 seconds so i gave up.
About 70kgs a year at a guess.
I’ve cut my red meat intake by about 75% in the last year, I’ve also gone dairy free because both cause some discomfort for me and anyone unfortunate enough to come within 10m of me. The sort of arse gas that can linger for hours, literally I farted in my mates car once, it was horrible, we left, went riding for 3 hours, came back, left the windows open for 20 mins and it was still there!
Legions of chickens have give their lives for me though.
I can't recall the last time I had a meal that didn't have meat)fish. I don't even know what it could possibly actually be, well, errrm scrambled eggs then. Maybe
Probably higher than average, especially this week as I am in south Africa, so last night I has a 600g T-bone, tonight was curry (lamb, chicken), and tomorrow will be the biggest rack of pork ribs I can get.
Meat sweats are for amateurs
Ooh a meatitarian thread. What's the opposite of the bacon bullshit bingo comment?😉
I’ve made quite a big change over the last 6 months on ethical and health grounds:
- I now only eat veggie / vegan at work. Aside from the health benefits of eating loads more fruit and veg my main motivator is that a lot of in-house catering is halal and I won’t eat it on humane grounds (yes ... I know, all slaughter is bad but why choose meat where they deliberately make it more distressing to the animals...)
- I only eat veggie when eating out at restaurants unless it’s free range non halal or organic - same reasons as above
- my red meat consumption is now down to 1 meal a week most weeks - and that’s organic lean meat where I’ve bought it from the local organic butchers. Typically it’s mince and I mix it up with two equal sized portions of quorn mince - tastes the same and it’s cheaper and healthier.
So out of 14 meals a week (don’t bother with breakfast):
- pretty much all the meat is organic
- I’m eating loads more veg
- I’m saving money by using more quorn
- the cost of buying organic is easily offset by the cost avoidance of meat every meal
Fever chops the pig population in SE Asia
just wondered on the difference between the environmental impact of home grown chicken compared to the veg supplied by most supermarkets
Depends what the chicken ate.
Typically it’s mince and I mix it up with two equal sized portions of quorn mince – tastes the same and it’s cheaper and healthier.
I have taken to bulking out mince with grated cauliflower I expect its healthier than corn and is another secret veg into my son!!
If only we grew veg.
We do, for now but not for long. At the rate houses are being built on arable land there'll be none left. Stands to reason we'll need to import more food.
But that's a different thread entirely.
We've along way to go before that happens.
Interesting question. I have always thought that I eat very little, but if I add up the tins of mackerel and tuna that I consume, then it is actually quite a bit.
Beyond that, though, we might have a roast-type meal (chicken normally; seldom lamb) once or twice a month, on top of the incidentals, such as the ham or salami that we buy for the kids’ lunch sandwiches.
Interesting that this topic is coming up more and more these days. I've certainly reduced my meat a lot over the last 5 years. I've become more interested in what I eat in general and how it affects health and the environment. No idea what weight of meat I eat but I usually don't have any meat at breakfast or lunch (maybe a bit of black pudding or bacon once a foutnight)
In an effort to reduce the lower welfare/quality meat I eat I avoid processed meat and meat in takeaway/ready meals so if I grab a sarnie or pizza from a supermarket I choose veggie.
In a week I probably have veggie or fish evening meal 4 to 5 times and usually save eating meat for the weekend and eating out I go for restaurants and pubs that serve high quality local meat so usually not massive portions.
Thinking what I've had this week so far it's a packet of organic chicken pate and 2 mackerel fillets and tonight will be falafel, quinoa, roast veg and salad but pub tomorrow.
At a push I think I could go veggie but vegan would be really tough as I often substitute eggs/halumi to make a meal satifying to me and I love butter. Also I really believe that shopping local and ethical is the answer not importing more and more tropical ingredients such as coconut/avocado and consuming highly processed fake meat products.
We’ve along way to go before that happens.
Ahh right, we'll just sit back & wait then.
Wer'e not just losing fields, we're losing wildlife habitats at an alarming rate.
Ahh right, we’ll just sit back & wait then.
Wer’e not just losing fields, we’re losing wildlife habitats at an alarming rate.
I'm not sure that's what I suggested. 🙄
Zero, absolute zero. Lifelong vegetarian here (parents vegetarian, their parents were too). I should get a flippin tax break or something as in today's attitudes it may appear I've been trying to save the planet for 44 years....
None. Veggie who's slowly cutting down on dairy over here.
about 225g / half a pound a day. That seems like a lot!
I can eat more than that in one meal. If I make a chilli con carne I'll use half the packet which is either 225g/250g depending, but that's only after I've done a long bike ride, say 35-40miles xc. My daily lunch usually has a 130g chicken thigh, then whatever I eat in the evening which is usually about the same, be it fish or chicken/steak. I'll eat veggie occasionally, usually once or twice a week. I'm pretty active, on the bike everyday to and from work plus circuit training & yoga two or three times a week, cross country rides at the w/ends.
Loads, particularly as I've now the outstanding Aldi Kamado...
However to try and partially offset the weekend meatfest; we are now having at least one veggie meal a week.
Not much. On Sundays if we're at my OH's mam and dad's for dinner but otherwise unless we've managed to get some game (usually rabbit) from somewhere we don't eat meat at all. Trying to wean myself off dairy now too but I'm finding that really difficult.
Right I did some calculations based on the chicken we bought at the weekend. It was just over 4lb which apparently yields about 2.5lb of meat (approx 60%). It did 10 servings - 4 meat 'n' veg, 2 salad and 4 chicken broth. So that's 1/4lb per serving on average. Also I bought 6 boneless thighs for curry. I would use 1 per person and they are about 3oz each. The pork chops I've got for the weekend are about 1/2lb each but of course there is bone to subtract (haven't done the sums on that one yet). Given that we don't eat meat every day anyway, I would estimate 1/4lb average per day tops.
My wife has never liked plain meat or large quantities, so I've needed a good repertoire of veggie dishes over the years.
This week - and for an increasing number this year - we are veg only. Staples are veg curries, tagines, chilli etc.
My 9-year-old really took to an Anna Jones cookbook we got earlier this year, which is a sort of not explicitly vegan book! I really like the new ingredients and variety I'm finding through all these recipes, plus my kids are really interested in cooking it.
Anyway, we're not veggies - but we're now not far off.