Any Vegetarians Here?

[rmcbrair]

Okay, I know this is a site about carnivores , but I was wondering how many vegetarians are here. And if you are, when, how and why did you do it? How was the transition for you? I am giving it serious consideration for moral reasons. I really believe I wouldn't have a problem living without meat - I've never eaten a lot of it. However, I am an absolute cheese fanatic, and I see that as a big problem for me. Oddly enough, I'm lactose intolerant, but cheese doesn't bother me. Forget milk and ice cream, but it's never been a big deal to forego those - I just take calcium daily and try to get it in other ways. I also love to bake, and how do you do that without eggs? Just wondering if anyone has any good tips/insights/stories on vegetarianism. (And in case you're wondering, no, I will not inflict this on my dogs!)

[lafsalot]

After reading your post, I assume you are referring to the vegan diet as opposed to a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians will eat eggs and milk because they feel that the animal is not killed in the process of obtainning the product. Vegans, on the other hand, will not because they are opposed to the meat industry as a whole - cows and chickens that are too old to produce will often be sold off for meat, and male calves are raised for veal. BTW, I only know this because my sil is a vegan, and my son, daughter, and grandchildren are vegetarians. ~ Cathy

[tesster]

What you're talking about is actually a step more "extreme" than vegetarianism, it's veganism. My friend's husband is a vegan and she's adjusted fairly well. They replace things traditionally made with cow's milk (i.e. cheese) with products made with soy milk instead. She says that after a while, she doesn't notice the difference.

Do you have a Whole Foods near you? They carry many soy based products.

I'm not a vegan, but I struggle with the moral issue, myself. I've eased my concience a bit by, wherever possible, replacing the meats I eat with free-range meats. I don't have a problem with eating animals, per se. My issue is with the quality of their lives being trucked from one processing farm to the next. I've driven I-5 and witnessed hundreds of cows in tiny areas, living on top of one another one too many times to be OK with it.

The cost is more, but the products are actually much better tasting. I bought free range chicken broth the other day and it was excellent!

I know this doesn't answer your question completely, but here's a website I found on the vegan diet. Hopefully, you'll find it useful.

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm

[Hobart Ave.]

I've been a vegetarian for 2 and a half years now. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian which just means that I do eat dairy and eggs. I decided to stop eating meat for moral reasons and I just completely stopped one day. My little sister is also a vegetarian. We're lucky because our entire immediate and extended family are very supportive. At family gatherings there are always tons of veg- friendly side dishes so we really don't miss out on anything except the meat. Once your mind is made up, it's really not that big of an adjustment to make. If you were to go vegan then it might take more time but in this day and age there are tons of alternatives that don't taste bad at all so even that doesn't have to be as drastic a change as it may seem. It's also really fun to try different ethnic foods as a lot of cultures have great vegetarian fare. Good luck and enjoy!
As a side note, I also don't inflict this on my dogs. Anyone can see that dogs were developed to eat and process meat products. They are carnivores, pure and simple. I can make a moral decision to not put an animal in my mouth but I certainly wouldn't risk my dogs well-being by making them eat a diet that they are not evolutionarily designed to thrive on.

[rmcbrair]

My understanding of vegetarianism has been that "pseudo-vegetarians" still eat dairy products and other products with animal fats; true vegetarians eschew all meat and dairy products; and vegans take it one step further and do not use products or clothing that have any association with animal products.

My problem, as tesster stated, is the conditions in which the animals live and in which they die. I boycotted veal a long time ago. I am not a squeamish nansy-pansy that freaks out over every wrong in life - I grew up on a farm, after all, with a lot of harsh biological realities. But after seeing a video from a slaughterhouse a few months ago, I am haunted every time I think of meat.

I assume free-range means that the animals were allowed to mature in their natural habitat. I would have less of a problem with that than with what I have seen in typical meat-raising facilities. The irony of it is the fact that I did grow up on a dairy farm. I absolutely loved those cows, fed them, named their babies, let the calves suck on my thumb . . . That's what really bothers me about eating meat these days!

[Checkers]

Ive cut down a lot on the amount of meat I eat. If there is a good vege option then ill take it. Next year I am going to a slaughter house for uni and they reckon that once you go there, you will become an instant vegetarian because its pretty horrific.

[rmcbrair]

Originally Posted by Checkers

Ive cut down a lot on the amount of meat I eat. If there is a good vege option then ill take it. Next year I am going to a slaughter house for uni and they reckon that once you go there, you will become an instant vegetarian because its pretty horrific.

I have a friend who owns a jewelry store, and we used to joke about all the Milwaukee festivals because we would work the shows. In fact, I went so far as to invent the "Milwaukee Meat Fest," which would begin with the slaughter tent and end with the burger tent. I wasn't joking about it in the sense that I thought it would be funny - I used to say that it would turn Milwaukee vegetarian. As long as they don't have to give up beer . . .

I wish you luck on your excursion next year. I imagine that it will be a very tough thing to see. I would cry, because I really did get attached to the cows on our farm.

And dozersmommy, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. I started to think at one point it was psychological!

[rmcbrair]

Originally Posted by Hobart Ave.

I've been a vegetarian for 2 and a half years now. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian which just means that I do eat dairy and eggs. I decided to stop eating meat for moral reasons and I just completely stopped one day.

Sounds like this is probably the route for me - sort of a middle ground, if you will. I have worried that if I don't go "true" vegetarian, I will seem like a hypocrite if I don't do it all the way simply because I am doing it for moral reasons. But when I think about it, that's like saying I don't recycle because I don't have that much to recycle. Are we humans nuts or what? (Okay, just speaking for myself here!)

I really should consult Tom Cruise about this, because he is an expert on everyting these days . . . NOT!)

[Checkers]

Originally Posted by rmcbrair

I wish you luck on your excursion next year. I imagine that it will be a very tough thing to see. I would cry, because I really did get attached to the cows on our farm.

Im gonna need it I think! From what ive heard most people are just too shocked to cry or speak. Too bad its compulsary!

[boxers4life2001]

I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian and have been one for about 16 years. I decided to stop eating meat for moral reasons. I first stopped eating chicken after I saw a show on 20/20 about chicken farms. About a week later I cut out ALL meat and any meat products. It was not hard to do at all and I do not miss it by any means. I think because I do it for moral issue's, it made it extremly easy for me. I do consider myself a "true vegetarian" eventhough I will eat stuff with cheese. However, I do not consider people who refrain from eating red meat but will still eat seafood, a vegetarian, to me that is not a vegetarian. I will not wear leather, suade, etc. If I know a certain product is tested on animals then I will not use that product. I will not cook meat either, if DH wants any he has to cook it for himself!!

Now a days there is a lot more food to choose to from if you become a vegetarian. There is everything from "fake" bacon, sausage all the way down to "fake" corndogs etcs!!!! Unfortunatly these items are usually a lot more expensive than the "real" things but in my opinion it's well worth it knowing I am not eating an animal!!!!

[garvinsmum]

I have been vegetarian for 10 years, I haven't eaten any dairy for 7 years and I probably will never eat another egg. I don't wear leather or buy anything made from skin, feathers etc.
I try to avoid animal products whever possible. Of course computers, tyres, film, all sorts of things contain animal products so it's not possible to avoid everything.
I stopped eating meat when one day I realised what it was - an animals flesh, just like mine. And I realised that that animal had to die to provide it. Once the 'penny dropped' I didn't have a choice. I did order a steak a week or so after that but I couldn't swallow it. I cannot imagine ever eating meat again. I prepare it for my furfaces but it just doesn't even seem like food to me.
It took a lot longer for me to stop eating dairy - I was a real cheese freak, esp the stinky kind! I was considering stopping dairy because of my respiritory problems and when I read up about the industry and realised how the meat and dairy industries are so closely related I stopped. And went from being sick with bronchitis, lung infections etc every year for 20 years, requiring regular antibiotics and steriods, to not having any more than a few colds in 7 years. So you could say I'm convinced
My advice is to not make a big deal out of 'going veg' if you just start out halving or quartering your meat intake and step up from there as you feel able. Many people find they stop having the desire to eat meat. Trying to give up the whole lot (meat, eggs, dairy) at one go is admirable but probably asking a bit much of yourself. The hardest aspect for most people is learning new dishes to cook. But that doesn't take long to master, particularly with www full of recipes! I don’t worry about calcium, vegetarians require much less as we don’t lose as much so it’s easy for me to get enough. You can buy egg subsitutes from the health food shop for baking, also there are a lot of eggless cake recipes around, many dating from wartime rationing, where no one had eggs.

PS The whole vegan/vegetarian thing is confusing for most people.
If you eat fish or chicken you are not a vegetarian. Vegetarians may eat eggs or dairy.
Vegans avoid the use of any animal product for any reason (whever possible).
The term vegan has a lot of 'baggage' that I am not comfortable with, so I don't describe myself that way.
The best term for someone who doesn't consume animal products but is not a vegan would be 'pure vegetarian'. Or I generally say I'm "herbivorous"

[dharmadoodle]

Both my daughter & I would like to be veggies but it's very hard to know what to eat!! Now I know most people will say, 'Just stop eating meat', but as most of us know, & when you've been raised with it, it's not that easy to find new & exciting ways to cook dinner without the aid of meat.

We don't eat red meat at all. I was put off cows when we had the beef scare over here years ago. My daughter was about 1yr then , so that was the last time she ever ate red meat, & she only had it in a mince form at that age.

I stopped eating lamb a couple of years later. We were on holiday & out of the window I could see the sheep grazing in the field, then my mum plonked the roast lamb on the dinner table, & all I could taste in my mouth was raw lamb - Never ate it again.

All we have in the way of meat now is pork, & chicken, & fish. We eat dairy. I buy free-range.

As we have a bird flu threat now, I'm trying out different dishes without the aid of chicken. That's hard, coz that's the main meat in my house!

But I'm up for all veggie recipes, coz I'm gonna be more off a weaned of meat kinda girl.

Question for the veggies - Do you all take vitamin supplements??