I have to admit, my choice to become a vegetarian was not exactly a moral choice. A few months into college and more than a few pounds heavier, I decided to turn my back on our animal friends and embrace their vegetable neighbors. Because this was a decision purely based on health (and boy, was it a good decision...no more freshman 15 for me!), I never really thought of the ethical implications...until a few weeks ago.
The other weekend, as a result of boredom and a new found desire to be more southern, I decided to make biscuits. But, I thought to myself, is that really the best idea? Do you want to sit around all weekend enjoying the buttery results of your hard work? So, I did what any calculating vegetarian would do...I put bacon in them.
Indeed, including bacon was a surefire way to keep me from eating every single golden, delicious biscuit. Unfortunately, no one warned me of how horrific actually cooking bacon is.
First of all, I don't count laying down strips of fat among the joys of cooking. Second of all, I don't like food that attempts to jump out of the pan to give me third-degree burns. Remind me never to cook lobster...
Do you think vegetarians should cook meat-or is it counterproductive? Do any of you vegetarians cook meat for your friends? Do you enjoy it?
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Comments (67)
I used to work at Starbucks, everyone has to work the bar there. My friend Cita was a vegan and she still had to steam milk & make products like the rest of us.
So yes, if you put an application in where you MUST cook products that are meat/or products you don't eat...then that is on you for putting in the app in the first place.
I think vegetarians should do whatever they want. As a vegetarian for eithical reasons, I would never cook meat. If I'm just going to throw it out, then whats the point? But hey, if someone decides they want to do that, it's all up to them. Though I do believe it to be slightly counterproductive, it's really a personal decision.
People can do what they want. If a vegetarian doesn't want to cook meat, they have a right to make that decision.
I'm vegetarian. I prefer not to cook meat. I can't stand the smell, the look, or the slimy "feel" of meat. That's my personal preference.
Re-reading this post, you wasted bacon and the ingredients for biscuits so you wouldn't eat them??
Vegetarians SHOULD not cook meat, as it's something they don't eat. However...if it is your job, then I don't see how you can get past that.
I'm not getting why a vegetarian had bacon in the first place...
When I was a vegan, I worked at both a deli and Starbucks, so um, yes, I've definitely had to prepare food/drinks that contained meat/meat products.
I'm not a vegan anymore... but I do try and limit the amount of meat and dairy that I eat.
@nickiesneon@xanga - Maybe the author has roommates? Or an SO who doesn't share in vegan/vegetarianism? I have plenty of vegan friends whose SOs are as red meat and mashed potatoes as you can get.
I'm confused. Were you making these biscuits for someone else?
Regardless, if you're a vegetarian, I definitely think that it is counterproductive to cook meat. The only exceptions I can think of are if you're working in the food industry or your job requires cooking meat. And even if you are cooking for friends, you shouldn't have to go out of your way to accommodate them. It kind of puts your ethics to shame.
@nickiesneon@xanga - well said! No one should EVER waste good bacon.
I have to ask though: why would a vegetarian be in a position where they are cooking meat??
Thank you for your comments everyone! Just to clarify: the author was, in fact, making the biscuits for her lovely roommates, who are all meat-eaters. Sorry if this was confusing or unclear.
@luci29@xanga - oooh I'm glad you posted that, because I was definitely going to say it was pretty wasteful of her to do that.
If you don't eat the meat, I don't see anything wrong with a vegetarian cooking it for other people.
@AnonymousXGrl@xanga - Agreed.
My sister in law is a vegetarian and she cooks meat for her husband all the time. Its whatever youre comfortable with.
I'm vegetarian and have been all my life, and although it's something that's always been a given for me because of my parents' religious beliefs, I don't think I'd make the choice to eat meat. touching meat disgusts me, as does the thought of cooking it. but since there aren't that many vegetarians and I'll probably end up marrying someone who eats meat, I'd probably try to get used to it.
I don't see anything necessarily wrong with it, but for people like my mom, who is a strict vegetarian and is very religious, she really cannot stand the thought of touching meat AT ALL. it disgusts her and would feel that it's wrong of her to be touching it.
I don't think vegans or vegetarians should cook meat, it seems kind of stupid and hypocritical. "Oh I'm vegan but I cook meat for my husband." Whatever.
@sparkletone1684@xanga - Totally agree. Bacon is the nectar from the gods. Apparently, he/she was cooking for their roommates.
At least the roommates now know a tiny slice of heaven. Home made bicsuits with bacon in them!!
I'm a vegetarian, and I wouldn't cook meat. It smells way too horrible. (I don't know why it smells bad now, because it didn't when I used to eat it. But it does, so, yeah.)
I never enjoyed bacon too much, anyway.
Everything is better with bacon.
If your cooking for non-vegetarians you should give them a meat option.
If you're a vegetarian for ethical issues, I'd think you wouldn't want to even cook meat. But it's kind of necessary sometimes. My mom's a vegetarian and she dislikes the smell but cooks it anyway for my brothers and me because we love meat.
i'm veg, my boyfriend is a meat-eater. i don't usually cook him meat, because i'm not very good at it, but i do make him meat sandwiches, wings, things like that. it doesn't bother me.
I cook meat for my others all the time. I'm not the kind to push other's into becoming a vegetarian. However, since I became vegetarian, my family reduced their meat intake and sometimes we would have vegetarian days. I used to work at a restaurant and for the staff meals, they started eating vegetarian meals as well. I guess, being vegetarian myself, have influenced others to eat less meat. =)
I think in your situation, you were unaware of that contradiction but I agree that it's up to the person.
However, if a person was a vegetarian for ethical, I don't think it's right to cook meat. I am one and I think it totally defeats the purpose because if you're cooking it, you're also buying it and I don't support the meat industry at all. Holding meat is like observing a corpse right in my hands. =[ Even if it's for other people's sake, I'd cook them vegetarian meals or tell them to cook it themselves if they don't want it.
i don't like raw meat. it's yucky ):
I don't know if I could consider myself a vegetarian. I stopped eating meat about a month and a half ago. I, myself, turned to veggies and other food I used to be disguted of. I don't hate it when people eat meat, I just think it's disgusting. :P I don't know, it's just me. Haha.
My mom cooks the meat and I sautee veggies. The smell gets to me so I don't do it. If I could do it without having to smell it, I probably would.