What is meat?

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With Lent around the corner, I’m planning to give up meat again. But, what exactly is meat? I looked for some definitions, and the best one I could find has two conditions.

  1. *]It has to be warm-blooded.
    *]It has to live on land.

    For instance, by this rule, whale meat is okay - not that I ever had it or plan to have it - because even though it is warm-blooded, it lives in water. Alligator meat is okay, too, since it’s cold-blooded, and spends the majority of its life in water. By this logic, turtle meat and snake meat are okay, too, since they’re reptiles, and all reptiles are cold-blooded. Not that these are everyday foods, but I was just curious.

    Now, what about snails, as in escargot? Or amphibians, like frogs?

    Would love to hear your thoughts.
 
AllSeasons said:
With Lent around the corner, I’m planning to give up meat again. But, what exactly is meat? I looked for some definitions, and the best one I could find has two conditions.

  1. *]It has to be warm-blooded.
    *]It has to live on land.

    For instance, by this rule, whale meat is okay - not that I ever had it or plan to have it - because even though it is warm-blooded, it lives in water. Alligator meat is okay, too, since it’s cold-blooded, and spends the majority of its life in water. By this logic, turtle meat and snake meat are okay, too, since they’re reptiles, and all reptiles are cold-blooded. Not that these are everyday foods, but I was just curious.

    Now, what about snails, as in escargot? Or amphibians, like frogs?

    Would love to hear your thoughts.
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  1. Modern Catholic Dictionary:

    MEAT. The flesh of animals and birds eaten by human beings, as understood in Church law. Its prohibition on days of abstinence and fast has a spiritual value, going back to the Old Testament and practiced since apostolic times. “The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, the products of milk or condiments made of animal fat” (Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini, Norm III, 1).
 
The general definition of meat is “the edible flesh of animals.” In general, it is focused on mammals, and not on poultry or seafood.

When it comes to abstaining from “meat,” I take the easy route: no animal products. That’s not required; just my personal preference.
 
Well, my rule of thumb has always been if it bleeds or has a heart I consider it “meat”- i.e. I never understood people that would identify as “vegetarian” but still consume seafood :confused:. I think the “wildest” thing I ever ate once was a fried frog leg. Did not taste like chicken to me. :nope: Never again.
 
I would say that ‘meat’ is the flesh that comes from a dead animal.

Using obscure animals doesn’t change the fact that it is meat.

In the past, people used to eat blackbirds and sparrows 😦 - they were still eating meat.
 
Grace2013 said:
Well, my rule of thumb has always been if it bleeds or has a heart I consider it “meat”- i.e. I never understood people that would identify as “vegetarian” but still consume seafood :confused:. I think the “wildest” thing I ever ate once was a fried frog leg. Did not taste like chicken to me. :nope: Never again.
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Yes, I am a vegetarian and have been for 6 and a half years. For a few months I continued to eat fish (although feeling guilty about it) and then an experience with a tin of tuna put me off fish completely. Since then I have not (knowingly) eaten any meat or fish (although I have cheated with having gelatine in sweets, but very occasionally and not something I have done for a couple of years)
 
Poultry is definitely considered meat. Seafood is not. Reptiles? I have no idea! Maybe alligator helper is out!

Is there an expert opinion out there?
 
TheWarriorMonk said:
The general definition of meat is “the edible flesh of animals.” In general, it is focused on mammals, and not on poultry or seafood.

When it comes to abstaining from “meat,” I take the easy route: no animal products. That’s not required; just my personal preference.
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You are mistaken. As far as the Church is concerned Abstinance from meat includes poultry as meat, unless the Jebbies who taught me Religion over 60 years ago were wrong!
 
I have eaten alligator and crocodile and rattlesnake, though just in my travels. If it were available (if I lived in areas where it was served), I would abstain during no meat days. I would also abstain from Frogs Legs. Those all just seem like meat. Escargot… not sure. It is a land animal, so I guess I would abstain, even though it is often lumped in with shellfish.

I would definitely not eat whale meat under any circumstances as it is both an intelligent mammal and mostly endangered. And it is a warm-blooded mammal, therefore falls into the meat category.

In our family, we lean towards vegetarian for most of Lent. My son is fully vegetarian by choice, and my husband and I try to have meals we can all share. Besides, seafood is a treat so it doesn’t really fit the intent of meat abstention as a sacrifice.
 
George_Stegmeir said:
You are mistaken
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No I’m not; I just don’t make this stuff up. Look up any definition of “meat” in any standard dictionary.
As far as the Church is concerned Abstinance from meat includes poultry as meat, unless the Jebbies who taught me Religion over 60 years ago were wrong!
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Church definitions do not necessarily coincide with common definition. Also, be careful of using 60 year old information regarding this matter; guidance on contemporary applications is from 1966.
 
I don’t have time to look this up now, but for abstinence purposes, the Church defines “meat” as the flesh of warm-blooded animals. So that would include mammals and poultry, but not fish, non-fish seafood, and reptiles (so Alligator Helper is still okay).

That said, there is one aquatic mammal in South America (the nutria? can’t remember) that was also declared to be okay. I don’t know why; I’m just relating what I’ve read in knowledgeable Catholic sources.

However, if eating even fish makes someone feel guilty (meaning that he doesn’t believe/have faith that it’s okay for him’her to eat it), then he needs to abstain from that as well; “whatever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23).

(If when I come back to this someone hasn’t posted the source for my first paragraph, I’ll find it and post it.)
 
Thank you for the responses so far. I understand the basic definition of “meat”. I was really asking about the more “exotic” foods.
 
AllSeasons said:
With Lent around the corner, I’m planning to give up meat again. But, what exactly is meat? I looked for some definitions, and the best one I could find has two conditions.

  1. *]It has to be warm-blooded.
    *]It has to live on land.

    For instance, by this rule, whale meat is okay - not that I ever had it or plan to have it - because even though it is warm-blooded, it lives in water. Alligator meat is okay, too, since it’s cold-blooded, and spends the majority of its life in water. By this logic, turtle meat and snake meat are okay, too, since they’re reptiles, and all reptiles are cold-blooded. Not that these are everyday foods, but I was just curious.

    Now, what about snails, as in escargot? Or amphibians, like frogs?

    Would love to hear your thoughts.
Click to expand...

  1. Traditionally fish is not considered meat according to Church fasts.

    If you fast meat (meat includes dairy and eggs), you may eat fish and shellfish.
    If you fast meat and fish, you may eat shellfish.

    Even the most strictest fast (no meat, no fish, no oil and wine) one is still allowed shellfish (lobster, shrimp etc)
 
sojo said:
I have eaten alligator and crocodile and rattlesnake, though just in my travels. If it were available (if I lived in areas where it was served), I would abstain during no meat days. I would also abstain from Frogs Legs. Those all just seem like meat. Escargot… not sure. It is a land animal, so I guess I would abstain, even though it is often lumped in with shellfish.

I would definitely not eat whale meat under any circumstances as it is both an intelligent mammal and mostly endangered. And it is a warm-blooded mammal, therefore falls into the meat category.

In our family, we lean towards vegetarian for most of Lent. My son is fully vegetarian by choice, and my husband and I try to have meals we can all share. Besides, seafood is a treat so it doesn’t really fit the intent of meat abstention as a sacrifice.
Click to expand...
Interesting post, curious, you did not mention squid.

It’s interesting that the big fast food chains, Arby’s come out with promotions for their fish sandwiches every lenten season. That tells you something.

Unfortunately, I’ve had frog legs, they were good at that but the poor frogs, really, and yes, that is probably too much like meat.

Fish,

Mock Chicken, Duck, are not made from meat and at times, aren’t too bad.

Soy, another product that can be made to taste like meat, those veggie burgers too can be awfully good one finds in grocery stores.
 
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