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Like just now, I'm having this beef/noodle/mushroom casserole thing, and I pushed the piece of beef out of the way and only ate the noodle/mushroom & corn. LOL. I don't know why, it just kind of grossed me out or something :P
Sometimes, when I actually stop to THINK about meat, and what it IS, I do get grossed out and wonder how exactly I can eat it. Then again, some days, the ONLY thing I want to eat is a burger! It's weird...
I eat a 75-80% vegetarian diet and have always said I'd have no problem joining their ranks if the'd give me a free pass the 2-3 times per year a absolutely crave a big juicy rare steak or buttery lobster tail!
I can't help but join in...I'm a vegetarian - been veggie for more years than I ate meat - and you're welcome to join the ranks any time.^^ I started off not eating red meat - i just hit me one day when I was eating shepherd's pie that the yummy ground beef was actually once a living breathing animal. Since then, I've never had a red meat craving. I did that for 1 year before I was ready to take all poultry/fish out of my diet. Lots of people go in stages, and I think there's an increasing amount of people who avoid meat most of the time but eat it if they are served it/have an enormous occasional craving.
My sister recently went vegetarian with vegan leanings, and I think it is kind of sad that there is such judgment that would make you not want to be one for fear that you couldn't give in to the occasional craving. My sister posted on Facebook something about eating buttered toast and a vegan acquaintance (not friend, mind you) jumped on it asking how she could eat butter and call herself a vegan, etc. So of course my sister had to go on the defensive with an explanation. I think people should eat what they want and not judge others or get on soapboxes about it. Food is not only sustaining but a huge part of culture, and just as you wouldn't snub someone for their language or religion, I think that it is unfair to do so about their ways of eating (and this is for non-veggies rolling their eyes at veggies AND veggies shooting a look of disdain at a non-veggie's steak).
And, irony, I will get off my own soapbox now.
okqueenbeee, I don't think you're weird. :)
It doesn't have to be all or nothing, if you want to eat less meat (even if you occasionally have some) you can do that without putting a label on it or telling the world what you're doing.
In my own case - I haven't eaten red meat or poultry in 20 years, but I do eat seafood. I don't call myself a "vegetarian" or talk publicly about my reasons, though, so no one gives me a hard time about it.
I'm pretty much the same -- I eat primarily vegetarian and generally prefer to eat vegetarian, but if I want a burger sometimes, I will have it. I made the mistake of calling myself a vegetarian for work conferences, because I wanted nothing to do with the meat/fish they serve at conference centers, but then later had to explain to my coworkers why I was eating meat that I'd prepared myself. Oh well.
I think if you want to eat mostly veggie, just do it for yourself and no one will think twice if you have a burger now and then.
go team veg! i've also been a vegetarian for more years than I ate meat - started when I was uncomfortable eating meat and asked myself if I could live without meat, and never looked back (I was 11!)...I would be happy to share some delicious recipes if you're interested!
p.s. i am a vegetarian but my fiance is (definitely) not one, I cook meat for him all the time, i have no problem with anyone else eating, it's just not for me!
I was a vegetarian for a few years but I'm such a picky eater that it was too hard to get the nutrients I needed. I don't really eat red meat much (except I love burgers).
You sound like R! I've been a vegetarian since before we started dating, but he ate meat for a long time. He's a huge animal lover, like I am, so meat eating only worked for him when he didn't think about what the meat was. He ended up giving up red meat for quite some time, until one day where he realized it wasn't so hard, and gave up white meat as well.
By the way, I really believe that people who limit their meat intake, or don't eat an excessive amount, are making a huge difference in the lives of animals as well. Any little bit counts, whether it's a day you go without eating meat, or giving up one type of meat, etc.
I was actually raised vegetarian so I've never had red meat or poultry! (My family eats seafood, milk, and eggs -- just how I was raised) I think people overestimate how hard it is, especially now-a-days. You'd be surprised how much of your daily diet is already vegetarian. And what isn't vegetarian can be made vegetarian quite easily. Example: Baked beans -- instead of buying the regular baked beans, just pick up the one next to it that says "vegetarian" 
I personally find that having seafood in my diet makes things a little easier as far as going out to restaurants and whatnot, but you could probably just ask the servers to take the meat out of whatever you order. Some people judge me and say I'm not actually vegetarian since I eat fish and eggs (technically I'm a pescatarian), but I say that you should eat whatever you want to.
I think the easiest way to go "vegetarian" is to just eat what you want. If you don't want beef in a meal, don't put it in there. You don't have to necessarily make a statement with your eating, just eat what you want to. You don't need to label yourself "vegetarian" if you don't want to. That would probably be the easiest first step to take. There are tons of vegetarian websites out there with nutritional information and advice on how to still eat healthy (consider a multivitamin to make up for the nutrition you might not get at first).
I know what you mean. It's not the fact that it's an animal thing. It's because I don't like the taste, and all the hormones and other junk they put in the meat. Honestly, I don't know if I really do like meat or not.
Theres TVP you can get it at a lot of markets, some will even special order it for you! A really good friend of mine mixes it with meat in most of her food and you can't tell the difference. Its delicious. TVP stands for textured vegetable protein. She uses half meat, half tvp, try it you might like it!!
I quit eating meat almost 12 years ago, soon after we had the USDA vet speak about slaughterhouse jobs in vet school. He was presenting it as a wonderful job option, so it wasn't like he was trying to convince us there was anything wrong with it, but as he kept talking I kept thinking how wrong it was. My roomies were veg so I rarely ate it anyway and I realized that I could just stop.
I didn't tell anyone for awhile, and I mostly just pick the meat out of things (I am not real concerned about sauces or meat touching my food). FI is a big hunter but he is fine with my veggie ways and is more willing to try veggie food than most.
I don't have a problem with FI's hunting as I know he is an extremely ethical hunter and I occ. will eat venison or other things he has shot. It seems backwards, but that animal lived it's normal life and then was shot and killed (in FI's case, likely in 1 shot) and that seems okay to me. I don't think it is wrong to eat meat; I just think the systemic cruelty of how we raise meat is wrong.
My brother likes to make fun of vegetarians and will ask me if I am "allowed" to eat whatever. I laugh at him and point out that it is not a religion and I am allowed to eat whatever I choose to eat!
Because some associate the word vegetarian with the PETA-type people, I tend to say that I don't eat meat. But FI and others refer to me as a vegetarian and I do not mind.
Being a vegetarian isn't actually all that difficult. I became a vegetarian 5 years ago while in college (which I think is probably the MOST difficult time to convert with all the dining halls and fast food options everywhere). I just stopped cold turkey! But it was the best decision I've ever made and I only regret not starting sooner. Not to mention it was healthier for me as I cut out any and all fast food in college afterwards (not many vegetarian options at Wendy's!). I started with cutting out all meat, then moved toward cutting out foods made with animal ingrediants (not dairy but like chicken stock in foods that you purchase from the grocery store, or gelatin!). You'd be surprised how many foods at the grocery store are made with animal ingredients that don't necessarily have meat in them.
It wouldn't hurt to try ;)
Mr. KM is a pescatarian, meaning he eats fish and seafood but not red or white meat. His is doctor ordered since meat was making his liver disentegrate, but it's been really good for both of us! I've eaten less meat and more fish- including sushi!
I have a lot of (inadvertent) "vegetarian weeks" (or months, or vegan weeks, occasionally). I think your body will tell you what it needs if you're paying attention--maybe it just didn't want the fat and cholesterol that day. ;) I usually eat meat about twice a week; sometimes it just doesn't appeal to me and so I skip it.
Sometimes I think I'd like to go more or less vegetarian--I don't really have an ethical objection to eating meat that is organic/"free range", but I am concerned about environmental effects, but FI isn't totally on-board yet. So I cook veggie when it's my turn, and eat whatever he makes when it's his.
I haven't eaten mammals for over 10 years at this point and don't really see myself going back to it. However I have been told a number of times that I am borderline anemic by Drs so there is a chance that I return to meat when family planning comes around. Yes, I know there are plenty of supplements but I always forget to take them.
I think it is also hard bc FI eats meat and sometimes I feel that I am pushing my beliefs on him since I cook every night, but oh well he can get meat when we eat out. He does really like how I have defined it as "no mammals" though. :)
I'm a relatively new vegetarian, but I hadn't been eating red meat or pork for years before I decided to go all the way. I say if you want to eat mostly vegetarian and have a burger once and a while, go for it! My fiance eats vegetarian meals at home with me, but if we go out somewhere he'll order meat (as a treat he says! lol!) There's a website dedicated to Meatless Mondays (meatlessmonday.com I believe) that has TONS of recipes. That might be a good start for you? :)
I was vegan for a long time because I started to feel that way. Then I started having horrible skin, rapidly decaying teeth and "brain fog" as well as needing a nap every single day. I was instructed by both my regular doc and my naturopath to incorporate a bit of meat/ dairy back into my diet, but I still don't eat a ton of it. I don't think it's strange to not have a huge taste for meat--you don't even need it every day and certainly not for every meal! The serving size should be the size of a deck of cards and not the biggest part of your plate, but the standard American diet doesn't reflect that. I've learned you can't be super strict about it, and the vegan mindset was unhealthy for me because it was so rigid, but instead just listen to your body and develop a really good relationship with it. It's also a great idea to eat clean, organic, hormone free meat/ dairy when you do eat it--clean food just fuels your body best.
@eryepye - I've found that I can be strict with my vegetarianism and be fine, but I'm too picky (and too enamored with classic baking, I know vegan recipes can be fabulous, but I just don't personally think they're as good) to be a healthy vegan. I'm much like the OP is with vegetarianism, but with veganism - I'll go a day eating totally vegan and not care, but I'm not a vegan and still eat dairy and eggs most days.
I think that knowing what you're putting into your body is the biggest part of the battle, though. My sodium intake was through the roof when I was eating the frozen veggie meals all the time, so we try to pre-make our own versions from straight tofu, seitan, etc.
i agree with everyone above who says it certainly doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing thing. At different points in my life I've cut out all meat, eaten only certain types of meat, etc. and for right now i don't eat dairy, pork, honey, ground meat, and any non-organic animal products. Totally idiosyncratic, I know, but that's what works for me and my ethical and health concerns. I'm guessing too if you asked my friends, they'd have no idea or only a very vague idea that I don't eat certain foods. So, if you want to cut out the meat, just don't eat it!
I worry about this, too. We've been cutting out meat a good deal, but not entirely. I just want to avoid having meat as the centerpiece of every meal. I try to do little or no meat during the week and then whatever we want during the weekends. I worry a lot about hormones and antibiotics and the environmental impact of industrial meat production.
@princessleia: In my experience, most vegetarians aren't "judging" you when you call yourself a vegetarian but still eat meat. Their problem with it is that it creates A LOT of confusion over what a vegetarian can eat (a vegetarian is, by its centuries-old definition, someone who does not eat the flesh of an animal). Vegetarians hate going to an event or their Aunt Marge's house or whatever to find that they're being served a seafood dish because so many people call themselves vegetarians when they eat fish that it causes the general population to be confused.
I've been a vegetarian since age 8 and vegan since thirteen and I never find myself lacking energy, it keeps me slim, I pretty much NEVER break out, and my hair and nails are extremely healthy. People who have trouble staying healthy after making the switch to vegetarian are generally people who are doing it wrong by avoiding major nutrients and only relying a small variety of foods. You can eat an unhealthy diet like this whether you're vegetarian or not! There's a whole world of grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, fungi, herbs, and spices out there waiting to be combined and devoured. I love being vegan. Vegan cooking asks its creator to look outside the box of the standard American hamburger-and-fries (although we have equivalents of that too! I just ate a ridiculously good homemade vegan pepperoni pizza last nighT), "let's rely on animal fat to make this tasty" mentality, and as a trip to any of the wonderful gourmet veg restaurants in this country will show, the results can be phenomenal. Anyone with a basic spice rack and some fresh vegetables can make an awesome vegetarian meal.
@veganglam - I wholeheartedly agree. Some days I think if one more person says, "wait, you don't eat fish?" or "but fish isn't an animal" (um, it's not?) I will explode. General curiosity is great, assumptions that I won't mind chicken broth, lard, gelatin, seafood, etc, are not!
I think like this sometimes, too... Meat can taste funny to me every now and then and I always think about what it would be like to be a vegetarian. But then I like chicken, so that's the toss-up! I don't think I could do it, though sometimes I do feel a little guilty.
I wished I liked veggies...but I dont... or maybe just havent tried them the right way...I recently had grilled asparagus on that DH made me..loved it...if it smells yucky..I won't eat it is my problem....tonight I told him to grill some veggies and I'd try them!
I am not a big meat eater, I prefer fish or just veggies. However, my fi is the biggest red meat eater ever and it totally screws my eating habits up. If I lived alone I think I could probably be a pescatarian. I love me some fish! Never could I have enough will power to be a full on vegan.
@veganglam: I think you have to take into consideration the fact that every body is different--each person has different needs and absorbs things differently. When I was vegan, I was VERY dedicated: I read all the books and blogs, bought and tried all the cookbooks, went to the awesome vegan and vegan friendly restaurants, found a supportive community, took all the supplements, drank the green smoothies, ate the fortified foods, rarely ate processed food relying mostly on raw foods, made sure I got my B12, protein, calcium, etc., and I still wasn't healthy. Now that I incorporate a bit of free-range, hormone and antibiotic free meat/ dairy back in, I'm much healthier. It was hard for me to abandon what was supposed to be the "most healthy diet," but for my body it just unfortunately wasn't. I am grateful for my time as a vegan because it did teach me to look at meals as veggie centered vs. meat centered and to think outside of the box and be more creative with my food choices. It taught me to think about from where my food comes and how each bite affects my body and overall health. I still eat a ton of veggie/ vegan foods and love them. Being vegan/ veggie is right for some people, but not for everyone and it's a very personal decision. I support anyone who makes the choice to be veggie/ vegan and i'd be happy to eat with you anytime! :)
eryepye: That's why I said "generally", not "always". Being the token vegetarian my entire life, acquaintances always spoke to me when they started considering vegetarian, so I've known many people who tried to become vegetarians and then, confused over the ways in which they'd have to alter their diet, went to their doctors for advice. Their doctors were unsupportive and suggested that, rather than examining their diets and seeing if they were relying too heavily on certain foods and missing important others, simply told them they should add more animal products into their diet because vegetarianism just wasn't working for them. I find that frustrating.
i don't want to start a controversy - but check out "the vegetarian myth" by Lierre Keith. she was a vegan for over 20 years.
@JuneBride -
I honestly hadn't heard of this book before tonight, so I just read the Amazon description/reviews. So correct me if I get anything wrong here.
The impression I got is that she had health problems while being a vegan related to not consuming enough fat, and that she realized there is cruelty in how most of our supermarket goods are produced.
I really hope there's more to the book because that seems like, well, a giant "duh" to me - people have different systems. A vegan diet, especially one if you're a picky eater or someone who doesn't cook, takes work to maintain. I personally prefer my vegetarian diet, but I fully believe that a vegan diet can be healthy for most people. And the title of the book is just misleading... if she's talking about being a vegan, why call it the vegetarian myth? Eggs and cheese contain fat that probably could have combatted her intake problem easily. Then again, so do many legumes.
As for the cruelty, I think it's extremely short-sighted of her to assume that because there is cruelty in most aspects of our food market, we just throw up our hands and allow animals to be treated cruelly and slaughtered.
And my number one pet peeve... why is it the go to argument against so many things always someone saying "I was this, and it didn't work for me, therefore you're all wrong and don't know what you're talking about?" Personal basis is not the same across the board! Sorry, ranting here, but I feel like this is so common, and I'm not sure why... my dad just had to sit through an "atheist conversion seminar" at my mom's church by a "reformed atheist" who relied on that same logical fallacy - i.e., telling you what you believe instead of listening.
I'm vegan and also stopped eating meat when I started to feel that way. I used to enjoy eating meat, but always hated cooking it. Red meat was the first to go, then chicken. Fish was the hardest thing to give up. I still crave meat very occasionally, but the cravings pass quickly enough. Sometimes if I'm craving meat, I realize that my protein intake has been low, so I make a point of eating more protein. Most of the time I have no desire to eat meat. I still cook it for my FI, but that's another story.
@Lilyfaith - I can see how vegetarians and vegans might have problems not getting enough fat. But the problem is pretty darned easy to remedy, as you pointed out. Healthy fat is actually pretty easy to get, even for vegans - avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, tofu... "Good" fat can add up fast. ;)
lilyfaith - I haven't read the entire book (actually just the stuff on amazon - I am waiting for it to arrive so i can start reading it) but I've heard her interviews on a few podcasts before.
as far as the cruelty thing - while I am a very proud meat eater - I absolutely agree that the way commercialized meat is handled is absolutely incredibly disgusting. I've read many books - seen food, Inc. and totally believe that the way commercialized meat (both beef and chicken) is handeled is beyond rediculous. Personally I try to only buy grass-fed, no-hormones/no-antibiotics fed meat.
And I can also agree personal bias isn't right for EVERYONE. I get that what works for one person does not work for another. To be totally honest - I have learned - for me - I can not eat a high-carb, low-fat diet. When I did that - I weighed 200 pounds and even with exercising 1 hour a day 4 days a week - I couldn't lose weight. (long story short but I found out I'm insulin resistant and carbs/sugar spike insulin which in turn stores fat). I learned that my body NEEDED fat - and FAT does NOT make you fat, sugar makes you fat - and that eating all those grains (which my body didn't deem any different than sugar) were detrimental to MY health. So I switched to a high-fat, low-carb diet and have maintained my 40 pound loss now for close to a year. But that's how MY body responds to food. Yet my MOH can't eat a lot of meat because it physically makes her sick. The one thing though - be you vegan, vegetarian or an atkins-lovin' meat eater (such as myself) - FAT is the one thing people do NEED in their diet. And - such as BubblyBride said - it is very possible to get good healthy fats in even as a vegetarian/vegan. She mentioned "coconut oil" which I am drinking as we speak. Yup - I put 2 tbsp of coconut oil in my coffee every morning and can't begin tell you the benefits of it! (google it it'll AMAZE you how AWESOME coconut oil is!)
Honestly - not that i'm trying to promote my diet here - but it's POSSIBLE to do a vegetarian-atkins diet (even in the book, Dr. Atkins tells you it is and has information on it). It's hard to do - but it is possible. Either way - learning what works for you - both morally, physically and emotionally is what matters.
to the OP - didn't mean to threadjack your thread here. lol - i'm just pretty passionate about my eating lifestyle (would honestly LOVE to be a weight loss counselor/nutritionist if i could have a "dream job"...)
I'm in that not really a vegetarian but I don't really eat meat too much category. My husband had switched to mainly veggie but neither of us like rules to follow. We just found it cheaper and easier to eat veggies and I was starting to get grossed out by all the antibiotics and poor living conditions of the animals, it just seems like it can't result in a healthy product. We have a few farms around here that we know are pretty good so occasionally by chicken from them and I never thought you could taste the difference between chickens but fresh, not over treated chicken is so good. So we do that once in awhile instead of buying meat all the time now. I don't think I'll ever become a 'real' vegetarian because meat is just so tasty sometimes but it's worked for us to cut back.
I used to eat much less meat before DH moved in. Now i eat meat more often, but I do eat small portions of it. Too much protien in your diet can be just as bad as eating too much fat b/c it's dense AND high calorie. And it's not uncommon for me to cook, say, pork for dinner (i hate pork) and not eat it myself, but make it just for DH.
Oh and there is a CRAZY difference between "regular" chicken and that free range, hormone free chicken. The latter is amazingly delicious in comparison, so now all my meats are "good" meats, fresh fish from the fish monger, beef that hasn't been treated and/or from specialty beef houses, that kind of stuff.
I'm one of those high protein/low carb/low sugar/high veggie diet kinds of folks. But I've learned that you can get protein from lots of sources, not just meat.
@JuneBride -
Hmm, I'm not sure what we're even debating about, because from your post it sounds like you disagree with the book on the nutritional aspect, too, since you know it's possible to have a balanced vegan or vegetarian diet. Fat is important to everyone's diet, regardless of it they are vegetarian, vegan, or meat eaters. We should all have an idea of how much we're consuming, and if it's "good" fat or not. While it's probably easier for vegans to accidentally miss out on fat, I still don't get the vegetarian connection, and it's insulting that the author would think that vegans don't understand basic high school nutrition. And fat is not the one thing we need in our diet - it is one of the many things we need in our diet. This is why so many Atkins dieters go wrong, as well - any dramatic change in diet, in the hands of someone who does not understand or look into nutrition, is dangerous. My aunt an
Back to the personal thing... there are many reasons her argument doesn't work, but the biggest, for me, is that I never believe feeding and killing the animals humanely was enough. It's a good start, and preferable to the conditions now - yes, they ARE inexcusable, but my reason for being a vegetarian is that I don't believe animals should be killed for my use or consumption, period. That's not going to change from someone's opinion that there is cruelty everywhere... that kind of logic is a complete fallacy.
Just wanted to join the conversation...I've been a vegetarian for about 6 years (I don't really know since it was gradual for me) and I have eaten meat during that time...not so much now, but especially when I first started...I would eat meat maybe 3 or 4 times a year...it's okay...no one is going to come behind the bushes and beat you up if you eat meat...but being a vegetarian/vegan (to me) is always a healthier choice...make you eat more veggies :)
i just always thought of being vegetarian/vegan was more a nod to animal rights etc.
like just because a person doesnt gravitate to meat normally that doesnt necessarily make them a vegetarian, i think you have to conciously make a choice NOT to eat those items to be considered that.
otherwise i could say i was a vegetarian all thru college because i lived off of mac and cheese and ramen for 4 years because it was all i could afford!
theres nothing wrong with not eating meat sometimes. same way theres nothing wrong with eating it sometimes. its just food! eat what you like and try and be healthy about it - no need to put labels on it....
LOL. What a cute post! I don't know if you'll get a chance to read my comment when there are so many, but I feel the same way.
My fiance is a total meat-eater, though, so the most I do is cut down on my meat intake when I can (like ordering a half-beef, half-cheese pizza-- one half for each of us!).
I also try to support humane treatment of the farm animals... which tends to be healthier for me as a nice by-product. I only buy the eggs of free-range, seed-fed chickens, and I only buy a local, non-hormone-added milk.
These types of things my fiance will concede to, and I feel better about the ethics of my eating.
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