Vegetarians/Vegans: Eat the Meat or Let It Go to Waste?

[SalixIncendium]

Inspired by another's post, I wonder how other vegetarians or vegans feel about prepared meat being wasted.

Hypothetical: You are invited to an event. The host preparing the food is unaware of your diet and has prepared a dish for you that contains meat. From a moral standpoint, since at this point whether or not the food is eaten has no impact on anything but you, is it better to eat the food or to let it go to waste?

 

[ChristineM]

Pass the meal to my hubby, son or me. Cant let good meat go to waste.

We have had this happen a few times with my pescaterian daighter. Even when they are aware of her dietary choice

 

[JustGeorge]

I'll give mine to @ChristineM .

The animal in question likely doesn't care what happens to its remains. Maybe if it put something in its will that it would like to be consumed...

We bury our dead or cremate. Why not throw up a fuss about waste there, too?

 

[Quintessence]

Whether meat or not, there's no such thing as waste if we practice composting. So... do composting!

 

[Father Heathen]

I've read that some Buddhist monks who are otherwise vegetarian will eat meat offered to them via alms as long as it wasn't slaughtered specifically for them.

 

[ChristineM]

I'll give mine to @ChristineM .

The animal in question likely doesn't care what happens to its remains. Maybe if it put something in its will that it would like to be consumed...

We bury our dead or cremate. Why not throw up a fuss about waste there, too?

I hear Soylent Green is good (well if not good, at least passible)

 

[SalixIncendium]

I've read that some Buddhist monks who are otherwise vegetarian will eat meat offered to them via alms as long as it wasn't slaughtered specifically for them.

It's my understanding that sannyasis in Hinduism may not reject food offered to them as bhiksha whether it contains meat or not, but do not partake in eating the meat.

I'd be interested to learn if this is different in Buddhism.

 

[JustGeorge]

I hear Soylent Green is good (well if not good, at least passible)

I don't desire it, but I don't understand why disposing of some bodies isn't considered wasteful, but throwing out bodies of others is.

 

[ChristineM]

I don't desire it, but I don't understand why disposing of some bodies isn't considered wasteful, but throwing out bodies of others is.

'tiz a conundrum for sure

 

[Subduction Zone]

I am not a vegetarian, but if I an invited guest of mine at a dinner was a vegetarian and I did not know about it, I would not be annoyed if they did not eat the meat that I provided. Also the odds are that the person would have to have been the plus one of another since I usually know what people want to eat. So I would be a bit annoyed at that friend that did not properly inform me ahead of time. At the absolute worst it would be one meal of meat wasted. It would be best not to violate one's ethics merely for a dinner party.

 

[mangalavara]

From a moral standpoint, since at this point whether or not the food is eaten has no impact on anything but you, is it better to eat the food or to let it go to waste?

I have allowed it to go to waste before. One is either a vegetarian or something else.

 

[JustGeorge]

I am not a vegetarian, but if I an invited guest of mine at a dinner was a vegetarian and I did not know about it, I would not be annoyed if they did not eat the meat that I provided. Also the odds are that the person would have to have been the plus one of another since I usually know what people want to eat. So I would be a bit annoyed at that friend that did not properly inform me ahead of time. At the absolute worst it would be one meal of meat wasted. It would be best not to violate one's ethics merely for a dinner party.

I've had the opposite happen... where the host was well aware, but didn't agree with my choices so made what they thought would be acceptable. I went to a relative's house that had prepared a chicken, and was told "you can eat it. Its just an old bird." We were both irritated with each other(and I didn't eat any).

 

[SalixIncendium]

I've had the opposite happen... where the host was well aware, but didn't agree with my choices so made what they thought would be acceptable. I went to a relative's house that had prepared a chicken, and was told "you can eat it. Its just an old bird." We were both irritated with each other(and I didn't eat any).

I'd have left straightaway.

 

[JustGeorge]

I'd have left straightaway.

I didn't return for a long time.

 

[Subduction Zone]

I've had the opposite happen... where the host was well aware, but didn't agree with my choices so made what they thought would be acceptable. I went to a relative's house that had prepared a chicken, and was told "you can eat it. Its just an old bird." We were both irritated with each other(and I didn't eat any).

My brother and his family are Seventh Day Adventist. That means that they follow the same kosher laws that Jews do. My mother changed the way that she made a few things to accommodate them. The main thing that she did that I remember was switching from lard to butter in her pie crusts. Butter is a little trickier, but she had no trouble with the switch. Anyway I have been making the turkey and the stuffing for a while on Thanksgiving. One ingredient that my mother used to add to the store bought bread crumbs was some fresh cornbread and Jiffy cornbread was her brand. And now to the main part of the story. I was driving my car and listening to a cooking show on the radio. This show regularly taste tested goods. This time is was cornbread and one brand that was included was Jiffy. It was rated very highly, better than most. Even though it was by far the least expensive brand. And one of the regulars asked the host why it was so good and his reply was "Oh, that'd be the lard." Just a simple matter of fact tone and I knew that I had to change my stuffing recipe. No "oh they won't notice". I knew that they wouldn't because they had been eating it for years. But I would know.

 

[ChristineM]

I've had the opposite happen... where the host was well aware, but didn't agree with my choices so made what they thought would be acceptable. I went to a relative's house that had prepared a chicken, and was told "you can eat it. Its just an old bird." We were both irritated with each other(and I didn't eat any).

An aunt said "but Sam can eat sausage, it's hardly meat really"

 

[SalixIncendium]

An aunt said "but Sam can eat sausage, it's hardly meat really"

I always find it to be such a blessing when "vegetarian diet experts" such as these tell me what it's okay for me to eat...

 

[Vinayaka]

Inspired by another's post, I wonder how other vegetarians or vegans feel about prepared meat being wasted.

Hypothetical: You are invited to an event. The host preparing the food is unaware of your diet and has prepared a dish for you that contains meat. From a moral standpoint, since at this point whether or not the food is eaten has no impact on anything but you, is it better to eat the food or to let it go to waste?

After a couple of events like that, I stopped going to events like that.

 

[Daemon Sophic]

Having not eaten meat for 6 or 7 years, and then trying to eat some; I got the same reaction that many other vegans have experienced in a similar situation. Which is to say, we become VIOLENTLY ILL.

It's like food poisoning to eat the meat. Vomiting for hours and hours, followed by days of nausea and feeling horrible.
Meat is bad stuff. Asking others, it seems that most people who have seriously avoided meat, diary, etc... for more than 6 months, all have the same reaction to eating meat.

@Quintessence post above (compost it) is probably the best response. But if you've been eating well (no meat) for more than a year, I STRONGLY recommend that you don't jump back into that pit of vomit.

 

[Yerda]

Inspired by another's post, I wonder how other vegetarians or vegans feel about prepared meat being wasted.

Hypothetical: You are invited to an event. The host preparing the food is unaware of your diet and has prepared a dish for you that contains meat. From a moral standpoint, since at this point whether or not the food is eaten has no impact on anything but you, is it better to eat the food or to let it go to waste?

I couldn't bring myself to eat the meat, but morally I suppose it wouldn't make much difference.