Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[veggiemad]

Now that we have 3 ex batts I've been trying REALLY hard to buy everything that is chicken or comes from eggs as free range - am finding it quite hard and expensive.

 

I've always bought FR eggs (not now though of course we get our own!) but realise that is just the tip of the iceburg - what about cakes, quiches, sandwiches???????

 

Just wondered what you other omleeters do???

thanks

[Egluntyne]

I make my own.

[veggiemad]

I attempt my own pasta- and failed miserably!!! And i do LOVE egg cutsards!

[docsquid]

We make our own sandwiches, and don't eat cakes or pastry or quiches and only have custard at Christmas. We only occasionally (once a month) eat pasta as it upsets DH, so we tend to eat rice, potatoes or cous-cous instead. We never eat ready meals and only get a takeaway about once a month.

 

I do try and buy free-range pasta where possible, but it isn't always possible. Also always buy FR eggs, but soon we will have our own (this is a hint to my girls - get on with it!).

[Space Chick]

With regard to egg products - I make all my own generally, but on the rare occasions when I have to buy, I will ensure that it has come from free-range hens.

 

When eating out, I boycott most buffets (weddings, work meetings etc) as I can't be sure I am not eaten caged produce, and only eat in restaurants where the provenance can be guaranteed.

 

All the meat I buy is organic from a farmer I know well, or from my butcher that I have dealt with for years and can guarantee the animal welfare. I could never be veggie or vegan, but I like to think that I am being as ethical as possible.

 

I won't even eat in my MILs anymore after I found out she had fed me Tesco Value Chicken

 

OK, I know I may be a little extreme, but I couldn't live with myself if I felt I had any part in animal cruelty.

Edited November 10, 2009 by Guest

[Lydia]

No I don't think it's extreme at all. It's really very hard to keep products that contain battery eggs out of your diet.

 

I always used to think I was terribly ethical with our diet but it wasn't until our first ex-batts arrived and I started to delve deeper into the whole issue that I realised how unethical we actually were. I've never used ready meals and am not a big cake person but I did like jaffa cakes, egg pasta, chocolates with fondant centres sometimes etc etc. Not any more.

 

I find people can be really scathing about it too - you wouldn't question it if someone requested a kosher meal or a vegetarian meal or asked if something contained nuts, but if you ask if a product contains eggs and if those eggs are free range people think you're just being difficult and have no problem letting you know you are a pain.

 

Airline food is particularly difficult and 9 times out of 10 I don't eat on planes because the options are so awful. This is a bit of a drag if it's long haul

 

As for meat, always free range and always from an approved supplier.

[JS1]

I'm veggie and try as far as I can to make sure that I don't eat anything from non-FR eggs - for example, I avoid a certain well-known brand of mayonnaise because it uses non-FR eggs. or used to.

 

When I buy chicken as an occasional treat for the dogs, I make sure it's FR (hence the 'occasional' nature of the treat...)

 

I think M&S is just about the only place where all things like cakes and mayonnaise are definitely FR - I do admire the Co-op, however, for at least being upfront about when things are made with eggs from caged birds.

[coco]

I've looked into what products contain fr eggs and there are a few. Waitrose are very good and Tesco finest range apparently contains free range eggs. I can't afford to buy organic meat all the time but do try to buy British as we have better welfare standards than Europe. I got a lot of info of the Compassion in World Farming website.

[Guest]

if you can't afford free range then barn reared birds are the next best option. I know the Co-op do their own range of barn reared chicken called 'Elmwood'. There's awlays barn eggs too.

[chelsea]

Im vegetarian and OH isn't but he's stopped eating chicken since we've got the girls

 

With regards to anything like quiches, mayo, etc and anything containing egg - we always buy stuff with free range eggs in it (Sainsburys Taste the Difference range, and Marks & Spencers). If it doesn't state FR on the packet I will not buy it and we go without. It's very hard to do because so much contains egg - even stuff you wouldn't think of (like packet sauces for casseroles!) so I am a stickler for reading labels.

 

I always ask out when ordering from menu's also if their ingredients are FR, or e mailing the restaurant ahead of going there.

[BeckyBoo]

I'm a veggie but my children aren't - I used to be all organic until my circumstances changed and I couldn't afford it any more. So I went back to being veggie but had to compromise on the meat the children ate. I can't afford oragnic or free range, the price difference can be huge and it wasn't viable. I went vegan for a while as, if you think the egg issue is bad don't even think of looking at the dairy issue! But vegan was (for me anyway) nigh on impossible, There is milk and egg, either dried or fresh in almost everything! I make most stuff myself, we don't have ready meals as such, and I'm a label reader too. I think you have to do what you can (that's my way of justifying my ethical compromises that I'm not happy about but just have to live with ) I would never knowingly eat non free range eggs and we're lucky that as far as fresh eggs go we have more than enough. Cakes we make although we're not big cake eaters, but, despite having made all their baby food fresh myself etc etc my lot just won't eat homemade fish fingers, or home made chicken nuggets (or any nuggets actually come to that ) they don't like home made biscuits (and I make a mean cookie ) or home made bread unless it's hot out of the oven, and as two of mine are on packed lunches at school they still get crisps, non-veggie cheese, ordinary yoghurts and biscuits, same as most of their mates.

 

At least most of the supermarkets are getting better at labelling even if they keep the most ethical stuff for people with deep pockets.

 

BeckyBoo

[chelsea]

I'm a label reader too. I think you have to do what you can (that's my way of justifying my ethical compromises that I'm not happy about but just have to live with )

 

I agree. We very rarely buy organic, and then if we do it's only cheaper things like organic pasta or bread or if they have an offer on at Sainsburys on veg. If hubby has meat (he's a real carnivore ) I buy beef rather than pork as I am not comfortable with indoor reared pork so he has to make do with lots of casseroles & stews etc and if he does have pork he will have outdoor reared as a special treat.

 

As Becky says - do what you can, even if it's a little.