The flexitarion diet

[grenfell]

Prepping in it's broadest sense , prepping for a world population of 10billion+

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46865204
I can see how it would keep a person alive but I can also see the odd flaw or two.
I'd like to see a bit more how this would relate to the practicalities of life with the varieties of farming conditions. It also seems to assume that farming will continue in the way it is now with pretty high fossil inputs in the form of fuels and fertilisers . We've already peaked our production of fossil fuels and either way they are a finite resource. Lower inputs from oil would have to mean higher inputs from physical labour and a certain out of that would have to be human labour in which case that diet might be a little lacking in calories . Not impossible of course , we can look at the experience of Cuba for instance where agriculture went from a fairly high oil user to a much lower one and has managed but then they weren't looking at another 30 odd % extra population

[prepfungus]

I think every diet assumes that it will continue this way forever, and hopefully we eventually find other alternative sources of fuel (hemp is one they're looking at using). As for the diet, humans don't need meat at all to survive and get plenty of calories without it.

[Arwen Thebard]

Ditto Grenfells comments, I can see a few flaws in their thinking.
It is good to see big minds, thinking up big picture solutions, to big problems.
Personally we are adapting our own growing and eating practices on a smaller scale, every little helps.

[Deeps]

I've a flexitarian mate, his approach is by choice he's a veggie but if he came round your house and you fed him meat he'd eat it and his missus and kid are meat eaters and he'd rather eat meat than let it go off. It all seems perfectly pragmatic to me, last time we went wild camping I made a big pot of Quorn chicken stew rather than 'real' meat, being married to a veggie its no biggy for me to not eat meat with every meal.

He's looking at it from a personal choice thing rather than the 'big picture' I think, and fair play, I'm not a prolific meat eater (none today) so I get it but I don't like to pigeonhole myself.

[grenfell]

Your mate' s got a good attitude in my view , not eating a piece of meat isn't going to bring it back to life. That's not to say the " it's already dead " argument for stuffing oneself full of pies and steaks is a valid one , as a society I believe we should be consuming less.
I have an few vegatraiian friends and at least one of them does see the problem with dairy products. Male calves are pretty much a waste product and vegatarian cheese doesn't save them . I only have one vegan friend and I'm not as sure its as good as some think especially if bean curds and whatever s being shipped from one side of the planet to the other

[Deeps]

Your mate' s got a good attitude in my view , not eating a piece of meat isn't going to bring it back to life. That's not to say the " it's already dead " argument for stuffing oneself full of pies and steaks is a valid one , as a society I believe we should be consuming less.
I have an few vegatraiian friends and at least one of them does see the problem with dairy products. Male calves are pretty much a waste product and vegatarian cheese doesn't save them . I only have one vegan friend and I'm not as sure its as good as some think especially if bean curds and whatever s being shipped from one side of the planet to the other

Aye, he has his viewpoint, he's a guy I used to go shooting with when we were kids too. He's not not nippy about it, no moralising, just does his thing. Unfortunately what we eat has become another 'battlefield' to point score, I've no problem with what people want to eat (within reason) and on one hand respect people for an ethical diet, on the other hand, if they feel the need to be holier than thou about it, it can get away from the ethics and become 'look at me'. Sadly my vegan daughter falls into the latter category, like a lot of '20 something' lassies, she's playing at it and its for the wrong reasons. I'm glad I'm past the 'follies of youth', any daft calls I make are firmly because I've made an arse of it now.

[Arwen Thebard]

"I'm glad I'm past the 'follies of youth', any daft calls I make are firmly because I've made an arse of it now"

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[prepfungus]

Your mate' s got a good attitude in my view , not eating a piece of meat isn't going to bring it back to life. That's not to say the " it's already dead " argument for stuffing oneself full of pies and steaks is a valid one , as a society I believe we should be consuming less.
I have an few vegetarian friends and at least one of them does see the problem with dairy products. Male calves are pretty much a waste product and vegatarian cheese doesn't save them . I only have one vegan friend and I'm not as sure its as good as some think especially if bean curds and whatever s being shipped from one side of the planet to the other

It is a very easy diet if you have the right mindset and have reasons for being vegan, personally I went vegan a few months ago after being veggie for 4 years and I don't find it that difficult - but I can see where you're coming from in that a lot of the meat substitute bits are shipped all around the place, I'd argue you could say that about a lot of different foods, though. Mainly, I can't speak for every veggie/vegan but my diet has hardly any tofu in and I could easily go without meat substitutes to get protein and carbs in the case of those products not being available. As it stands, in modern times in the UK, we have a booming vegan industry so it's extremely easy and cheap to have this diet and most foods that give us the best nutrition are beans, pulses, grains, veg, nuts etc which I am sure most of us here are stockpiling anyway.

[diamond lil]

You're right Deeps. The few will have really genuine beliefs and concerns that lead them to vegetarianism (is that a word?) - and the many will be silly wee buggers who want to be speshul. I just read a post on a soap group where somebody went mental because they found some ingredient in the soap was not strictly vegan. God almightly, it's a bar of soap, you're not exactly going to eat it are you

[jansman]

Flexitarian was what used to be called Omnivorous before food became political. A person can eat what they like from where I stand, just as long as they don’t get all evangelical about it. Your guts, your choice.

There is an old butcher/ farmer joke.

Q. How do you tell a Vegetarian?
A.You don’t, they tell you!

In many countries a vegetable based diet is the norm. Probably with meat or fish in there when available or affordable. Only in The Land Of Plenty, do people serve food and angst together! As long as you have a meal in your belly, that is what counts.