Is a meal a meal without meat?

[Hollyberry]

So, is a meal a meal without meat?

 

In other words, do your meals mostly consist of meat or no meat?

[jmp]

Most of my meals have meat, except when I have pasta or something like that. But I love meat on my meals.

[Rabbethan]

I think it can be a meal with no meat, but I'd never do such a thing. Not sure I've ever had a true meal without chicken, beef, fish, or my personal favorite but a rarity, venison. Even my pastas have always at least had beef with them.

 

 

Well, I can think of a couple exceptions I guess, now that I think of it.

[TheDon]

I never have meat with breakfast.

 

Egg whites and multi grain bagel for me.

 

With that said, I don't think I ever have lunch without meat.

[Rabbethan]

I never have meat with breakfast.

 

Egg whites and multi grain bagel for me.

 

With that said, I don't think I ever have lunch without meat.

 

That egg was almost meat, but you got impatient.

[Everlong204]

I can have a meal without meat...but Most of my meals usually have some form of meat. Breakfast is the the meal I would say I eat the least amount of meat in. Dinner is the most.

[Dodge]

Nothing wrong with vegetarian meals but they have to be done right. I think I like cooking meat more than actually eating it, so I almost always will make meat the focus of my dish.

[Schnellders]

Basically always just have cereal for breakfast so no meat other than occasionally a roll and sausage or bacon (often when suffering a hangover)

At lunch I always have some form of sandwich/sub, sometimes with cheese or tuna or ham or ox tongue so probs over half the time it involves meat

And then dinner I would say about 80% of the meals I have have some form of meat, the exceptions being pasta dishes or occasionally soup

[MrMarlinPride]

No it is not but i love chicken.

 

Chicken Soup, chicken stirfry, grilled chicken, fried chicken, chicken sandwhich, chicken fingers, chicken quesadilla, chicken gumbo, chicken pasta, chicken salad and that's about it.

[yenta]

I believe you meant to ask, "Is a meal A meal without meat?"

 

 

I think it depends on your culture. In traditional America (is there such a thing anymore?) breakfast, lunch & dinner are pretty well defined but with the infusion of other cultures, the lines become blurred.

 

When I think of breakfast, I think of the egg as the protein, the toast as the starch and the bacon as the fat. I guess 90% of the meals at my home are structured around that premise- protein, starch & either fat (breakfast) or vegetable (lunch & dinner). I would imagine most other cultures do the same, taken in to account what is plentiful & economically feasible in their region of the world. The Asian countries rely heavily on rice & seafood. Italy has it's pasta. Some Hispanic countries do rice & beans. Americans love their bread.

 

As a long winded, round about answer to your question, no- I don't feel a meal is complete with out meat-the protein.

[Hollyberry]

You are right Yenta, I totally messed up my title. I didnt even notice.

[Puma]

When I say Hillshire, you say farms. Hillshire, farms.

 

GO MEAT!

[mountainfish]

Vegetarian for 17 years and vegan for alot of it. Meals are so much more interesting and varied when meat is not the focus of it. It's just hard breaking the cultural habits that tell us that meat is essential. It's not.

[superfish]

So, is a meal a meal without meat?

 

In other words, do your meals mostly consist of meat or no meat?

 

 

most of my meals have no meat, I was a vegi for 6 years, I dont eat steak, pork, lamb, or beef. Only Chicken and fish.

[Dodge]

Vegetarian for 17 years and vegan for alot of it. Meals are so much more interesting and varied when meat is not the focus of it. It's just hard breaking the cultural habits that tell us that meat is essential. It's not.

 

 

Not really. Not sure how you say that.

[Hollyberry]

I having homemade spinach pizza on pita bread and grapes on the side .

[MillerTime]

I'm a vegentarian. They make so many things out of soy that have the consistency of meat that I never really miss the real stuff.

[mountainfish]

Vegetarian for 17 years and vegan for alot of it. Meals are so much more interesting and varied when meat is not the focus of it. It's just hard breaking the cultural habits that tell us that meat is essential. It's not.

 

Nonsense.

 

I don't cook, but I do enjoy eating. Virtually all of the eclectic dishes of high culture (including the French, arguably the greatest culinary artists of all time) are highly centered upon meat and fish. Most Americans aren't aware of this because they can't always afford eating at fancy restaurants or traveling overseas but arguably the vast majority of the prized dishes are centered upon meat and pescal varieties. There is an art to selecting the perfect cut of meat, preparing the game bird in the perfect way, or netting the delectable species of fish and preparing it in just the right way.

 

I don't think this is debatable. I suppose there is some creativity necessary in trying to make traditional meat dishes with nothing but vegetables, but anyone who lives a vegetarian (or vegan-even worse) lifestyle is missing out on the culinary arts our planet has to offer.

 

I do cook and whether or not "the eclectic dishes of high culture" are centered on meat doesn't really matter to me. Even if you weren't trying to be dismissive of "low culture", which by your implication I would assume you mean non-European, I would argue that culinary preferences are often cultural, often subjective and everchanging, but I would agree not debatable, as that would be like arguing which are better, apples or pears (or if you prefer lamb or pork). My point in response to the question was that perhaps our culture doesn't consider it so, but a meal can still be a meal without meat, and it can be a very satisfying and pleasurable meal with lots of variety.

 

I was not a vegetarian for the first 29 years of my life. I've travelled all over the world (before and after becoming vegetarian) and sampled many different foods that probably most Americans have not had a chance to try and I understand that there are alot of different ways to prepare meat, but there are also thousands of edible plants (fruits,vegetables, grains and herbs) that can be prepared in countless ways. (I'm not talking about meat substitutes either) With the focus away from meat as the center of the meal I have been more inclined to explore and try new, pleasing combinations of foods that I otherwise wouldn't have known about. That's what I mean by more varied. There is just as much if not more art in preparing tasteful dishes from plants as there is from meat. There are myriad combinations of plant-based flavors that can be subtle, bold, artful and emotive.

 

I'm not saying you have to become a vegetarian to enjoy the variety of plant foods but in my experience the meat doesn't make the meal. You don't have to agree with me but don't tell me it's nonsense. I've been living this way for 17 years and I'm pretty happy with it.

[Dodge]

I agree with penguino. Taking meat away from a cuisine does nothing but limit it. It would be the same by taking non-meat things away. It's just an ignorant statement.

[Puma]

The veggie max patties at Subway look frightful

[mountainfish]

I agree with penguino. Taking meat away from a cuisine does nothing but limit it. It would be the same by taking non-meat things away. It's just an ignorant statement.

 

 

Of course taking things away leaves you with fewer absolute choices. Simple math...I get it. But for me, once I gave up meat I began to look at meals from a different pespective- culturally, nutritionally, sensorily-and it exposed me to foods and cuisines that I otherwise wouldn't have known about. The end result being that I found many more new choices, hence, more variety. Again it's a matter of perspective not just quantity. Can you have variety and not be a vegetarian? Sure. I never said you couldn't. But for me once I got away from the routine of meat-starch-vegetable, my meals became much more interesting.

[Dodge]

I mean, I can see how it would work for you mountainfish, but I eat meat and I love to prepare it, and honestly, the only thing you need to explore culinary things you never would have done before is a love of cooking.