Hi there!
1. Do you follow dietary laws?
2. How do you handle dietary laws in your household?
3. Do you stray from your dietary laws?
Talk generally about this topic and otherwise I have three questions for you all.
Down here are my own ramblings on the subject.
1. Do you follow dietary laws?
As a rule on Fridays I do not eat meat (poultry, beef, pork, sheep, horse) and am vegetarian or pescotarian on these days.
This is informed by my religion, but also because of animal wellbeing and staying away from overindulging. Eating meat to me is a luxury. I often eat vegetarian, pescotarian or eat chicken (to avoid beef f.e.).
In my mind it works thus:
Vegetarian > pescotarian > eating meat of poultry > eating meat of mammals (beef, pork sheep, horse).
I also try to cutback on alcohol intake (in general). Generally do so for stretches of time (1 or 2 months).
I explicitly am not against the eating of meat but do think it could be more scarce. I do not avoid milk or eggs in any shape or form. Most times when I eat meat there's a moment where I reflect upon the life of the animal that was slaughtered.
I avoid meat on Friday out of remembrance of the earthly suffering of Chtist. And when possibly I also try to explicitly do so on wednesdays because of the betrayal Jesus faced at the hands of the apostle Judas.
2. How do you handle dietary laws in your household?
On fridays we avoid meat as a household when cooking evening dinner. My wife goes along with dinner on friday evenings, but otherwise is very much a meat eater. Most of the food for my kid do include meat, if I give him the food, I tend to go for vegetarian options on fridays.
Eating vegetarian or pescotarian on more days would be difficult with my wife, as she is an avid meat eater. I also do not force my way too much on my wife and to a lesser extent also not my kid. I am a practicing catholic and I chose my faith willingly, I do not try to too heavyhandedly impose my religious values on my family.
3. Do you stray from your dietary laws?
Yes. If there's meat that otherwise would get thrown away or is nearing the exporation date. I think it is better to eat the meat. An animal has been slaughtered. I want to honour this animal. To be grown as an animal for food, to go through the whole process and than be discarded is heartbreaking. When I eat meat it is important to me to finish the dish.
Sometimes such as yesterday I have my rule to avoid meat, but there was one little slice of meat from a turkey, that would otherwise get thrownaway. Instead I ate it.
Sometimes I forget my intention of upholding dietary laws.
Sometimes I make an error and do not know the contents of what I ordered.
Sometimes I get food from others and I do not wish to be ungrateful and eat what they serve.
I try to use dietary laws as a guiding principle and try not to be overly legalistic or scrupulous about it.