How come just about everything we eat is made out of animals or at least something from them?

Question

How come just about everything we eat is made out of animals or at least something from them?

Answer 1

"That's basically how I see it.. That's just how it has been for thousands of years."

This may be true enough, but isn't that all the more reason to change? We know a lot more than we did as a species thousands of years ago, we've evolved and have developed a better understanding of our bodies and what they need and, also, what they don't need. It's the opinion of certain scientific types that the human body has absolutely NO requirement for animal-based products.  

Also, I've read somewhere that initially early man was actually a herbivore and only began eating meat later, possibly due to climate changes resulting in lower temperatures making plant food hard to come by.

Answer 2

I'm vegetarian and have no problem finding non-animal food!  Cooking your own helps to .. Indian and Mediterranean foods especially have LOADS of non meat or dairy options and are very healthy.

Answer 3

I think because people eat a lot of meat, so there are a lot of by products left over to be used.  It's cheaper and easier to make jelly out of animal products than synthetics or plant extracts, and jelly has a huge range of uses in processed food, as does lard which is often cheaper than oil and butter. The stocks are considered to have distinct flavour, and I guess finally, the vast majority of people don't differentiate or have a problem consuming meat or animal byproducts (or even check to find out).

There are still heaps of foods that don't though, and if you have the time to cook yourself you can make things nicer or just as nice as the crappy processed stuff at the supermarket.

Answer 4

..I don't know about you, but I eat mostly non-animal stuffs.... >.> <.< >.>

Unless carrots took the path less taken..

Several reasons. Being a vegetarian is a luxury. It's "natural" for people to eat meat. Years ago most of the human race wouldn't have survived without meat and it's natural to do whatever it takes to survive. From there we just kinda stuck with it..

Another reason is that these animals will produce things like eggs and milk naturally..babies or not... and not milking a cow will actually cause it to be in great pain.. But then what are we going to do with the milk after we relieve the cow of that horrid pressure? Might as well use it..

*I like milk* waste not :]

That's basically how I see it.. That's just how it has been for thousands of years.

Answer 5

If you go to an organic store like trader joes, there are so many other options of vegetarian foods to choose from.

Answer 6

because they are complete protiens.  It's hard to find complete protiens in anything else (fruit, veg, grain) so we use animals and their byproducts to sustain ourselves.

Answer 7

Who does we refer to? You, yourself, and other Americans might eat mostly animal products, but there are people and places that don't.  

Most people of the world consume  very few animal products.