Would You Rather Go Vegetarian Or Eat Insects?

[curiousnorway]

In the future people may either be vegetarians or eat insects some people have guessed. So if that's the choice of food, would you rather go full vegetarian or eat insects? Please tell why.

Vegetarians doesn't eat meat or fish, but do eat dairies, eggs etc. In addition they eats vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts etc.

Vegans doesn't eat any animal products included dairies, eggs and meat.

Insect eaters eats insects. In addition they may vegetables, fruits etc. Insects may be worms, ants and grasshoppers for instance. #Environment

Vegetarian (Why)

Insect eater (Why)

Vegan (Explain Why)

[Spiritwander]

I'm still wondering why "Solar" isn't on the menu... 😅

Honestly, we're reaching a point where most likely, the *types* of food might be at least part synthesized; it kind of depends which branch of the family tree you're on. We've reached a point where land is no longer a limiting factor on meat production, only energy and distribution costs.

"Synthetic" meats (although it might inspire a squeamish reaction at first) solves the "spiritual issue" of meat, but it will be awhile until we can get it to approximate "real meat" in nutrient transfer.

In other words, there's a way of "growing" synthetic meats, but those meats will *only* ever have the original animals condition; so there will be a loss of "genetically diverse biological uptake" which may actually be addressed using viral or bacterial cross processing - which is somewhat risky... (think the "Resident Evil" movies; it's a distinct possibility)

But my point is, there's even arguments being made for cybernetic "nutrient packs"... Which, I don't know, sounds kinda cool.
Like, if I had a kangaroo pouch, saddled up to the fridge, pulled out a fresh cartridge, and stuck it in there like I was a Walkman, and I wouldn't need to eat/feel hungry for 72 hrs or longer?

🤔Hmmm... Hundreds of dollars of groceries a month, or... what is essentially like one rack of beer to keep me running all month...🤔

I'm just saying, its wisest not to presage the future; it has a way of "throwing you from the horse" when you do... 😕😔

[EmbraceThePain]

Vegetarian doesn’t sound bad. I already eat plenty of eggs, so I’m glad I don’t have to give them up if I go vegetarian. Of course, I’d have to do more research on this to determine which is the better course of action for me, but I’m most likely not going to opt for eating insects. I understand some can be nutritious and taste good even, but I don’t know if I’d be able to get over the fact that I’m eating an insect. Perhaps overtime, I’ll adapt and won’t be disgusted by eating insects. There’s something about insects that seem to trigger something in our brains. The way they smell, move, and appear triggers some innate, most likely deeply evolutionary response in us to reel back in disgust or fear. I think it might be due to the fact that we associated these creatures with disease and poison, so our body adapted mechanisms of being disgusted and having the urge to kill these things whenever we saw one. It would be interesting to see the deeper evolutionary answer to why humans have grown to become so afraid, disgusted, or creeped out by insects.

[weasley8]

I'm already vegetarian. Nearly vegan, and plan to go full vegan once I'm out of college and no longer living out of the tiny dining hall. So I'd rather go vegan. That was easy. :)

Bugs freak me out. Strangely, I don't feel as bad about them dying as I do about vertebrate animals. I haven't really researched how they think. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's the fact that they don't make as much of a mess. Or the fact that they sneak into my house all the time. Maybe I would feel bad though if people started eating them. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable eating them, even if they aren't my favorite creatures. I don't like birds either, but I still feel uncomfortable with the idea of them being killed, especially for food.

[curiousnorway]

The most common reason for not liking insects equally much as farm animals and pets is because of communication. You're used to see and read bigger animal's feelings, but not insects' although they can feel pain as well. It's also more difficult to read them.

[InTimoreDei]

Strangely? That opinion is actually common among women. Women mostly only care about cute animals like sheep, deer or rabbits. They don't care about insects being killed because they're not cute enough.

[weasley8]

I don’t eat fish either. And I have a bird phobia and definitely don’t think they’re cute. And pigs freak me out because my main association with them is the fact that one of my anscestors’ baby was eaten by one. So I don’t think that’s it.

If anything, I’d say it might be the thing about showing emotion. That, and the fact that they’re not usually killed for food.

[SueShe]

Eating unhealthy vs. eating unhealthy, hmm, the question is a tough one.

Everyone knows that you don't absorb sufficient nutrients by solely eating vegetarian/vegan and that a lot of chemicals are used to grow those fruit/vegetables. Therefore, the reply is no.

Bugs may have a number of proteins but that is about it and again, you lack most of the important nutrients the body needs, therefore the reply is no again.

In that case, it is best for humanity to just disappear and give the planet the rest it needs because we are

a) depleting it faster than it can regenerate
b) we are killing insects that we humans consider harmful but that are actually helpful

[OlderAndWiser]

This is the kind of stuff that makes older people say, "I'm ready to go!"

[Craftsman]

Given the choices, give me broccoli and bananas over beetles other bugs. For me that's cultural, because I know there are places roaches, ants, grasshoppers, and other insects are considered not only edible but delicacies. On the other hand, I like lobster. Those look a bit like Roach-of-the-Ocean, so I'm not all that sure I couldn't make the change if I had to. Thing is, with all the good veggies and fruits, I doubt I would need insects for food. Protein? Cows grow lots of protein eating grass, so I'm pretty sure protein can be obtained from entities that do not have a recognizable face.

[BeMuse]

I’d honestly just raise my own meat. It’s easy enough to raise everything a family of 4 needs to eat (fruits, veggies, herbs, grains, eggs, meat, etc.) on around 5 acres of land so long as it’s not your income source. If factory farms can’t do the job, I’d do it myself (I might do that anyway in the future). None the less I’d eat insects before becoming a vegan. Eggs, milk, cheese, etc. are better than insects, but it’s easier to raise meat from small game like rabbits, chickens, ducks, quail, tilapia, etc. than to raise dairy livestock. Eggs are simple enough, but they come with chicken either way… So if there are eggs, there is chicken, ducks, geese, or some other bird meat to eat. If there is milk to drink and cheese to eat, there is also meat to eat from cows, sheep, goats, etc. So the scenario is unrealistic. It’s basicly vegan logic, because they don’t understand agriculture.

[BeMuse]

For example if you are producing chicken eggs on a farm, most hens will slow down the rate at which they lay eggs after about their second year, but chickens can live for about 10 years if you let them live. If they aren’t doing their job as a layer, you’re going to cull them and replace them with a more productive hen. That means you now have a 2 year old stew chicken to eat. It’s not a young frier, but it’s still meat.

[CaptainSmartass]

I'd give insects a try. However, people can't move towards an exclusively plant-based diet, as it's very land-intensive. Earth's population is also increasing. People need homes and places to work, which will both require land. Land which some scientists (magic Germans) want us to use to grow our food. As such, everyone being vegetarian/vegan would be greatly unsustainable and would lead to vegetables being made very expensive.

Owing to all this, I think the solution is to curb population growth, and just stop having kids for a while. As the population shrinks, then there'll be room for it to grow.

Simples...

[curiousnorway]

Why do vegetarians say it's more environment friendly to go vegetarian then, and is there information they've missed?

[Spiritwander]

*looks around*
Ummm, between ugly, crazy, and homosexual, an increase in technology with a decrease in oversight, and hyper predatorial aliens (& those are the "good guy" aliens, btw), I'd say we've got depopulation covered...😅

As far as lifestyle; yeah, it's going to take a completely different civic infrastructure; as in, doing things *completely differently* than how "it's done so well this far"...

Which means *jobs*...

(Why they're having a problem with layabouts with anger issues while having economic problems is beyond me; I say give them safety goggles and sledgehammers and demolition jobs & start knocking shit down...)

Heck, don't even tell anybody whose building might be next... just tell everyone that they're knocking down old and ugly buildings.

You'll see who wants to live where real quick.😉

[buttcrackjoe]

Its requires much more water and land to produce animal protein than the equivalent protein produced by plants on the same plot. Cows for instance are very land intensive

[Spiritwander]

Using the "natural" field, yeah. All grazers have the same problem.
Actually, elk and moose (although not mainstream meats) are much leaner and healthier simply because they graze on diverse fresh offshoots (instead of grass monoculture).

Cows are a "cloned meat" that was introduced specifically as livestock, and bred "back to health" as a livestock species; which is why grass is their "tailored food" - it's about as genetically diverse as they are.
It's a "favored meat of clones everywhere"... (personally, it tends to make me ill unless its cooked properly, and even then I know my body is after the grease, not the tissue of the meat.)

[MrHopper]

Vegan, only reason am not one now is i like cheese a lot, so am a veggie who doesn't have eggs, or cows milk.. vegan cheese is nice, but its not the same.. other than that am pretty much Vegan... oh and i can't be bothered to check all the packaging for cows milk when i buy things.. but other than that, i could be a vegan

[Izumiblu]

Well I’ve eaten insects and or bugs or whatever. I’m generally not against them but don’t find them to be particularly tasty.

Although you could argue there are a good number of fast reproducing Arthropods and invertebrates that are quite tasty and fall into the bug classification.

[yucychan]

I have tried living a vegetarian and vegan lifestyle years back, so choosing to be a vegetarian again is fine with me.
Don't think I can handle being a vegan. The lifestyle is not just limited to food choices but also the choices in materials, clothes and even in daily necessities. Even for cosmetics, If I were a vegan, I want it to be totally free from animal testing or animal parts.

[InTimoreDei]

I already eat insects. Western people are so ignorant about its nutritional value because they find insects to be "creepy" or "gross". Insects are incredible creatures, beautiful, and actually taste no different than other things. Crickets taste nutty, ants taste zesty, and scorpions are meaty.

[clampfan101]

I’d rather starve than eat insects!
Being vegetarian doesn’t look too hard if I only need to remove meat from my diet. Removing natural milk would be difficult though because I love things like cheese. Vegan milk products are still a billion times more appealing than insects, though!

[TheKack]

I've eaten bugs before, the spices and oils used make it taste a lot like little crunchy pieces of fried bread or something. It wasn't bad. I'm also willing to try anything once. I eat sushi and shashimi a lot. I don't mind "weird" foods as long as the texture isn't slimy or it tastes like mucus. Beyond that, I'll eat about anything.

[Lman3000]

Insects, I've eaten them before, Yeah they look weird to some but they have a good taste to them, but people will always be weirded out by them which I can't blame them for, I mean I hate spiders and I will never eat those fuckers but anything else I do not care

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

I'm Ostrovegan meaning that I eat animals that don't have a centralized nervous system (clams, mussels and oysters). Like insects these critters are packed with vitamins and minerals not found in plants (in concentrations comparable to insects). Given that an animal needs a CNS to support consciousness, this would be a far more ethical approach than eating insects.

[MajesticTwelve]

Is eating people an option? Because if meat is a gone from my menu, it's going to be soylent green that replaces it, or as they call it on some island some place "Long pig" (too lazy to look it up)

[CarpetDenim]

Vegetarian because I can’t stand insects even when they aren’t near my mouth, and I don’t like most meat or fish anyway. The only thing I would miss would be poultry.

[IslanderSparkle_Siki]

I've eaten an insect but I'll rather choose to be vegetarian because I love vegetables. A large variety of vegetarian food is available everywhere in my country and it's healthier.

[TripleAce]

Im totally fine with a plant based diet lol... no thanks hahah

[Seket]

I can't imagine living without dairies and eggs. I like cookies and cakes so much that I could skip eating anything else for them.

[Nicolette777]

Already veggie. It’s not hard in this day and age but then again I’ve been one since I was 7. You get used to eat. I haven’t craved meat in years

[DarthMeow]

Vegetarian for sure. I must be insane (or extremely starving) if I'm willing eat those disgusting creatures.

[menina]

Vegetarian for sure! It's healthy, the food tastes good and it's environmental friendly. Eating insects is disgusting!