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Tangential question for HN vegetarians: Would you eat lab-grown meat if it was affordable?

phyrex 7y ago
There are many reasons why people are vegetarian. Environmental, spiritual, ethical, health, digestion issues, etc. So it very much depends on the reason, and on the specifics. Speaking for myself, I'm an ethical vegan and I would probably eat lab-grown meat.
HuShifang 7y ago
Yes. Albeit probably infrequently. My motivations are primarily ethical and environmental, though I have grown more sympathetic to certain of the health arguments too. If it were ethically and environmentally acceptable, then I'd have no moral compunction about eating lab-grown meat (aka "cellular agriculture" products). But I don't "miss" meat, after about six years of (ostro-)veganism, so I'd probably only eat lab-grown poultry and seafood on occasion, and skip red meat altogether insofar as it has (according to my understanding) deleterious health impacts that poultry and seafood probably don't.
makerofspoons 7y ago
That would mostly depend on the environmental impact of such a product, for me.
ikeyany 7y ago
Depends on the vegetarian. As a meat eater, lab-grown meat would convert me into a vegetarian in the sense that'd I'd be fine not eating animals.
- SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
  I'm the same. I've been reducing my meat consumption and buy as ethical and local as I can. I could never see myself going vegetarian / vegan but I'd definitely switch to lab-grown meat.
astura 7y ago
I've been a vegetarian my entire adult life. As a child I would describe my diet as flexitarian. I probably wouldn't. I have personally categorized meat, especially fish, into "eww gross" so I don't think I'd enjoy it and I don't really feel like I have a nutritional need for it.
- corysama 7y ago
  Similarly, my GF is veg not for any ethical reason, but simply because for some reason she can't stand the taste of meat. The improvements to veg meat have been good for her so far. But, if they get much better it will actually be a turn-off for her. So, there's no way she's eating vat meat.
  - astura 7y ago
    For me its probably not the taste, just an aversion to the concept. And the thought of gristle makes me want to vomit.
HeyImAlex 7y ago
I see the "I don't crave meat" take a lot from people who have been vegan for a long time, but among my friends who have all become vegan in the last three years we eat an absolute _ton_ of gardein products. I'd say I buy around three fake meat products a week. I'd definitely eat lab grown meat if it were relatively healthy.
the_pwner224 7y ago
I'm mostly vegetarian - rare chicken consumption only. Last week my company cafeteria had beyond meat burgers as the vegetation option. From what I've read on HN they're reasonably close to the taste of meat, and similar in terms of texture. I don't think I've missed out on anything by restricting myself to a vegetarian diet.
- shaklee3 7y ago
  You really should cook your chicken thoroughly and not rare. I kid!
greglindahl 7y ago
No, never. I have veggie friends who would.
mcv 7y ago
Very likely. It would have to be good of course, and it might get some getting used to, but much of our food is already far more artificial than that, and lab-grown meat might well end up being healthier, more economical, and certainly more animal friendly than real meat.

There are many reasons why people are vegetarian. Environmental, spiritual, ethical, health, digestion issues, etc. So it very much depends on the reason, and on the specifics. Speaking for myself, I'm an ethical vegan and I would probably eat lab-grown meat.

HuShifang 7y ago

Yes. Albeit probably infrequently. My motivations are primarily ethical and environmental, though I have grown more sympathetic to certain of the health arguments too. If it were ethically and environmentally acceptable, then I'd have no moral compunction about eating lab-grown meat (aka "cellular agriculture" products). But I don't "miss" meat, after about six years of (ostro-)veganism, so I'd probably only eat lab-grown poultry and seafood on occasion, and skip red meat altogether insofar as it has (according to my understanding) deleterious health impacts that poultry and seafood probably don't.

makerofspoons 7y ago

That would mostly depend on the environmental impact of such a product, for me.

ikeyany 7y ago

Depends on the vegetarian. As a meat eater, lab-grown meat would convert me into a vegetarian in the sense that'd I'd be fine not eating animals.

SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
I'm the same. I've been reducing my meat consumption and buy as ethical and local as I can. I could never see myself going vegetarian / vegan but I'd definitely switch to lab-grown meat.

astura 7y ago

I've been a vegetarian my entire adult life. As a child I would describe my diet as flexitarian. I probably wouldn't. I have personally categorized meat, especially fish, into "eww gross" so I don't think I'd enjoy it and I don't really feel like I have a nutritional need for it.

corysama 7y ago
Similarly, my GF is veg not for any ethical reason, but simply because for some reason she can't stand the taste of meat. The improvements to veg meat have been good for her so far. But, if they get much better it will actually be a turn-off for her. So, there's no way she's eating vat meat.
- astura 7y ago
  For me its probably not the taste, just an aversion to the concept. And the thought of gristle makes me want to vomit.

HeyImAlex 7y ago

I see the "I don't crave meat" take a lot from people who have been vegan for a long time, but among my friends who have all become vegan in the last three years we eat an absolute _ton_ of gardein products. I'd say I buy around three fake meat products a week. I'd definitely eat lab grown meat if it were relatively healthy.

the_pwner224 7y ago

I'm mostly vegetarian - rare chicken consumption only. Last week my company cafeteria had beyond meat burgers as the vegetation option. From what I've read on HN they're reasonably close to the taste of meat, and similar in terms of texture. I don't think I've missed out on anything by restricting myself to a vegetarian diet.

shaklee3 7y ago
You really should cook your chicken thoroughly and not rare. I kid!

greglindahl 7y ago

No, never. I have veggie friends who would.

mcv 7y ago

Very likely. It would have to be good of course, and it might get some getting used to, but much of our food is already far more artificial than that, and lab-grown meat might well end up being healthier, more economical, and certainly more animal friendly than real meat.