Fad vegetarianism is big here (Victoria is a hippie town). Thing I don't understand is why being vegetarian is cool.
Is it the cute animals? Is it the perceived cruelty to animals and the carefully selected videos PETA ejaculates over the sympathetic masses? Is it for health benefits? Religious reasons?
Most of them can be sidestepped without going vegetarian. Cruelty to animals is easy - buy local meat, avoid fast food. The free-range meat market is huge (and very profitable) because they can take advantage of people who want meat but feel sorry for the poor animals.
Health benefits is equally easy, since most people eat too much meat and too much fat and sugars. Cut back - don't stop. A good steak or chicken breast every day or every other day will give you protein and iron and B12 and also mean that you can eat that much less soy product or legumes and rice. Variety is good, and vegetarian diets (especially vegan) only reduce variety. Eating healthy is not hard.
I eat everything - any meat you can imagine (other than most seafood), tofu, tempeh, fake ground meat (soy), eggs, whatever. I like variety, and could never stop eating meat as nothing offers the same taste and texture no matter how much R&D a company spends tweaking spores or soy.
Religious reasons are the only ones I truly respect when it comes to vegetarianism, mostly because the argument turns to religion and I want no part of that. Everything else boils down to choice, and it being 'cool.' It's not cool, it's silly.
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