I've read a couple of thoughtful posts about vegetarianism this week. [One by](https://steemit.com/vegan/@trevor.george/on-veganism-vegetarianism-and-that-whole-meat-thing) @trevor.george and [another by](https://steemit.com/vegan/@trevor.george/on-veganism-vegetarianism-and-that-whole-meat-thing) @trafalgar. I wanted to write some of my own thoughts.

I stopped eating meat in my 20s. I'd considered it for a while and had been cutting down. My own reasons were a mix of health, reducing animal cruelty and saving the planet. I think each of us has our own reasons for changing our diet, but it's going to be because we have thought about it. I believe a lot of people eat what they do out of habit. It's what they were fed as a child and they carry on like that. It may also be influenced by marketing from the massive food industry. I'm not a religious person who needs some old book to tell me what to do. I make my own decisions based on what I think is right for me and the planet.

There are some who argue that we evolved to eat meat and became what we are because we did. When humans had to hunt and gather food it was critical to get the maximum benefit, but now you can get all the nutrition you need for a week in a visit to the supermarket. Meat eaters do not have an evolutionary advantage any more.

If you are a top sports athlete then it may be hard to get the right nutrition without meat, but some do it. For most of us that is not an issue and we're actually seeing massive obesity everywhere as people just eat too much. Food is relatively cheap. We pay a premium for the vegetarian options, e.g. Quorn, and also for some organic produce. I should mention that I do choose to eat some fish. My kids have never had meat and my son stopped eating fish for a couple of years, but now says he may try meat. That's his choice. I just hope he thinks about his actions.

Unless you grow it all yourself that food comes from a massive industry that has a huge impact. Of course feeding billions of humans has to have an impact, but we can try to minimise it. Raising animals for food is very intensive on resources compared with crops. Some plant crops are causing big issues too, e.g. palm oil.

There's also the hypocrisy in our culture of raising kids with books about talking farm animals and then feeding them on those same animals. Our relationship with animals is very strange. I do keep some chickens, but they are not going to be eaten and I'll give them the best life I can. Eggs are part of our protein intake and we know exactly where they come from. Many people will ignore that their eggs come from caged chickens that probably never see the sun.

I don't expect everyone to give up meat, but do hope that they will think about their diet and other aspects of their lives in a larger context. We are the only animal on this planet that can do that, so it's a waste not to.

Bon appetit.

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I'm Steve, the geeky guitarist. </b></p>