Thread: Discussions for any type of Vegetarians, Vegans, or anyone curious about them.

Lol, I'm pretty much a bona fide carnivore. The only plant matter I eat regularly consists of potatoes, onions, grains, tomatoes (sauce/ketchup), other fruits (juice/yogurt), mustard (still counts, I think), and the pickles on my burger. I also eat the veggies in my Hungry Man dinners, but I smother them in butter and swallow them whole in order to avoid tasting them, and I only eat them at all because I don't wanna be wasteful.

I'm not really against vegetarianism, though I find veganism a little extreme (refusing to drink milk because it requires animal labor? C'mon now). I also don't agree that it is morally better.

My fiancée claims that he's a carnivore too . When you say you don't agree that it is morally better, what do you mean exactly?? Genuinely curious

I'm a vegetarian so i'd love to join in!!! Do you enjoy bean curd or fake meats? I love those!!!

I don't like to eat meat cuz i find eating animals gross. I find that being a vegetarian also helps me enjoy fruits and vegetables more easily!!! I wish my brother could be more like me, lol

I've been a vegetarian since age 7 BTW.

Glad you could join! I enjoy soy burgers and tofu. I don't think I have ever eaten bean curd, I'll have to try that.

I noticed that too, after I had been a vegetarian for less then a month vegetable and fruit started tasting 10 times better, although I have always loved green beans and broccoli. I now like things that I never used to like before

I wish that I had started earlier, I started when I was 16 and it's been a process. I had to wean myself off meat because people can get addicted to it. Anything that makes you addicted can't be good, you know? Plus, I love animals too much to eat them

Here's a recipe for you to try if you want, I edited it myself :

Acorn Squash

-1 acorn squash of any preferred size
-honey (the rawest you can find aka avoid store bought)
-white sugar
-water

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your acorn squash in half length wise, or in other words, from stem to bottom. Scoop out all the seeds and discard. Place both halves of acorn squash into a glass casserole dish cut side up. Fill casserole dish with 1/2 of an inch of water. Lightly sprinkle sugar over the squash until entire cut side has an even thin layer. Drizzle one tablespoon of honey per halve (may not use the entire tablespoon) until cut side is mostly covered in a thin layer of honey. Place dish into completely heated oven and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minuets, or until skin of squash is black and the tops of squash are a nice brown color and the pit in the middle has collected a puddle. Scoop out squash onto your plate or cut squash into slices, however you prefer to eat it. Enjoy.

I tried being a vegetarian for about a month once, just to see what it was like, and it was pretty bad for a few reasons. Mostly I just felt like I was being obnoxious to other people, like they thought I thought I was better than them, or making it difficult for them on purpose while at restaurants where we have to order share plates and stuff.

But also, I never felt my hunger was satisfied. I don't eat much meat anyway, probably about one meal with meat in it per day, and that's never the main course. Like I'll eat a wrap, a common staple food of mine, consisting of a whole wheat flour tortilla, ranch, lettuce, tomato, peppers, onions and turkey. Or I'll occasionally have a slice of ham with eggs in the morning. So the meat is never really the main part. But cutting that out and eating nuts instead left me unsatisfied. Like the meat satisfies some core craving... makes the meal substantial in a way nothing else can.

So yeah, I don't eat much meat but it would suck to not be able to eat it at all. There's so much good food that happens to have some meat in it, yet a vegetarian would never be able to eat it unless some special vegetarian dish were prepared. I do have a problem with the living conditions of cows and chickens. Perhaps the right thing would be to protest by stopping. If I could save them by doing so, then I would. But I know it wouldn't accomplish anything unless a large enough amount of people did the same, which they won't, and it would accomplish nothing but making my life more inconvenient.

I also don't like the thought of eating meat. I'll notice this when something is served still attached to parts of the animal. Like if I get calimari or shrimp and notice the faces, or see a pig roasted whole with the ribcage exposed, or a whole chicken. Then suddenly it seems disturbing and it's like I suddenly realize that it's an animal. I guess normally I dissociate the meat I'm eating from the animal it was, which is why eating a cut of steak or a slice of turkey doesn't bother me. Maybe that's stupid and I should be thinking of it as the animal.

People have always been supportive of me. I used to be paranoid about people thinking those things of me, but everyone told me they didn't think that way. I have been in situations like that with other things, and it doesn't feel nice.

You just have to know what to eat. It can be tricky when you start, but after you get used to it you can feel as full as when you eat a thing of meat. I make my own food and don't eat fast foods at all, and I go to restaurants very little, but when I do I noticed most places incorporate a vegetarian menu now. My favorite food place when I'm out and it's time to eat is subway. You can make things how you want, though I have to admit sometimes it feels weird ordering no meat when everyone else ahead of me is like chicken or beef right off the bat. I'm like "vege lovers sub please..." lol I mostly make my own food at home, and I noticed when I make things that are supposed to have meat in them, there is always an adequate vegetable substitute. Mornings I usually eat toast with jam and some type of egg dish, and a glass of juice. I try to incorporate at least one grain, fruit, protein, and dairy for breakfast. I had to take supplements until I got it right with my daily intake of vitamins, but once you get used to it it becomes second nature and you get all the vitamins you need. I also noticed that I make more things by hand, like ice cream, pizza, and everything really. I am paranoid about whats in processed things and by making them myself I can control the ingredients, and I love cooking so it's fun. I never eat anything processed, it makes me feel really bad now when I do it, same thing with meat. My stomach hurts for a while and I feel sick.

My fiancée works in a chicken kill plant, and the things he has told me about how the chickens are treated makes me feel so sad. He's not a vegetarian but he doesn't eat chicken if he can help it. He's more of a hamburger, steak, and bacon guy. I wish these companies treated animals better, cows and pigs have it just as bad. Even the places that say they raise their chickens without cages treat their chickens bad. Helping the animals is like an added bonus for me instead of a reason though. I had two friends in high school who became vegetarians just to help animals, and they stuck with it. It's hard to think about slabs of meat coming from animals, so don't worry, it's not stupid.

I think I wouldn't be alive anymore if I wasn't vegetarian, possably.....because being vegetarian if anything encourages me to see animals as human more (and i haven't grown up around a lot of animals. this only makes me feel more emotional over humans...and i'm on several medications over this, too. to avoid insanity....from whatever 'emotions' i could be pleged with, with possably no way out of the extreme darkness, concidering how my aspie brain works at the current moment. So I need medications still. possably for YEARS. its terrifying...).

ANyways...looking at pictures of cats seems to calm my aspie axiety about mean girls/bullies/ext now cuz i see their faces as so person like but without the sadness that they could be going around destroying the planet and making it only sadder and sadder. And, even better, cats are naturally more adorable and cute than most humans are. I would love to own one someday, however, I do not look forward to my dog dying anytime soon (it would be too sad for me to face cuz i'm very attached to him he's been a great friend to me for 6 years now :< ).

However, cats are magical. And i'm making a statement to see it more and more everyday by going out of my way to look up blogs and pictures with them (plus, like i said; really cute. also very funny^^). Maybe one day i'll get a job at a shelter (it better be no-kill!!!) that works with cats a lot. Then i'd be able to be around them a lot without the possablity of my dog maybe having to die first. Though maybe one day when he's older he'll be calm enouth to live peacefully with a cat. That'd be nice...

And I did love cats a lot as a child, and, there was one that did visit us a lot so they're a part of my growing up a little.

I just didn't grow up with a whole lot of pets like some other animal lovers seem to have...

I'm kind of a "conscientious meat eater" I only buy meat from companies that have humane practices, and living here in the south there are lots of small farms around and such so it's easier to buy local meat. I'm also super picky about the meat I eat, as in I don't like big slabs of meat like whole chicken breasts or giant steaks, and I can't bring myself to eat something that has bones in it or still look recognizable as the animal it was part of. I always have it in pieces and I make my fiance do all the meat preparation because I can't bear to see the blood

Basically, I SHOULD be a vegetarian, but I was raised a meat-eater and can't really stomach veggies unless they're covered in cheese (my parents never forced me to eat them as a kid so I never acquired a real taste for them) so I'm just kinda stuck with my current diet haha.

Animals are great they can do so many things and help so many people do things like see. People need to be more appreciative of animals now a days.

Ashikael, you should try being vegetarian for a while and see how you do. You never know unless you try cheese is alright, I eat cheese, but I'm pay very much attention to serving sizes when it comes to those things. That's another reason why I like veges, you don't have to worry about eating too much. You should get one of every type of vege and see which you can stomach the best and concentrate on that until you get a taste for other veges. Fruits are great because they tend to be sweet, but you have to have moderation with fruits, though not as much as other things. Did you know tomatoes are actually fruits.

Everyone can post recipes like I did earlier, I am very interested in new foods. You can even post recipes with meat if you want, I can just incorporate a vege in place of the meat

Haha see I love fruit If it was possible to be a fruitarian I'd be all over that. Veggies are, to me, just so bitter. There are a few I like though! Let's see... potatoes, corn, and cucumbers are delicious, I also like watercress in my sandwiches instead of lettuce because lettuce is just too overpowering to me, cauliflower is pretty good, and I like olives and pickles but I'm not sure if those are considered in the same category, and peas and carrots but only in small amounts usually in my soup. If there are any recipes that involve just those I'd give them a try.

Originally Posted by DarkKiky0

My fiancée claims that he's a carnivore too . When you say you don't agree that it is morally better, what do you mean exactly?? Genuinely curious

Well, many vegetarians/vegans believe that eating meat is wrong and/or count it as animal cruelty. I don't agree with that. I believe that people shouldn't treat their animals cruelly, but I also don't believe that raising animals for food is cruel in itself.

Are you kidding? There are tons of things you can make with those Cauliflower mashed potatoes, regular mashed potatoes, potato cheese casserole, baked potato, baked or fried potato chunks with or without cheese, cucumber sandwich, cucumber slices dipped in ranch, corn on the cob, boiled corn, or just throw a bunch together and make a stir fry. Those are some examples. Olives are fruit, pickles are cucumbers soaked in vinegar and cucumbers are a fruit, corn is a grain, and peas are a seed. Just some fruit for thought, pun intended . Have you tried cabbage? It's good fried. I also like green peppers cut up on toasted bread with cheese on top, and cottage cheese with green pepper slices in it. People usually try vegetarianism for a month before deciding whether they like it or not. If you're interested you should try, but you don't have to if you really don't want to of course

Chinese Kung Pao Tofu - Szechuan Tofu Recipe - Easy Vegetarian Kung Pao - Easy Vegan Chinese Food Recipe - Vegetarian Kung Pao Chicken
Thought i'd share this. Veggie versions of chicken can be quite yummy, ya know! Also tofu can have a very meat-like texture, Ashikael. You may even like to try it sometime! ^^ One thing that can help it to seem more like meat; freeze it, then refrost it, before using and it cuts just like meat. Thats what I remember reading, anyways.....I'm PRETTY SURE you use Extra Ferm Tofu for this but regular ferm tofu might work too I dunno. Expiriment with whichever you find works best for you love! Good luck and i hope you can aquire a taste for tofu, that could be very healthy for ya^^ lots of fiber and protein and other minnerals too.

Well, many vegetarians/vegans believe that eating meat is wrong and/or count it as animal cruelty. I don't agree with that. I believe that people shouldn't treat their animals cruelly, but I also don't believe that raising animals for food is cruel in itself.

Ohhh I see. Ya I have herd of that. That's not why I became vegetarian personally, though I don't like the way animals are being treated to make the meat people eat. I think if the animal is raised humanely then it's fine. My parents raise a steer each year for their meat, and it has it's own pasture and gets fed and watered regularly and always has fresh grass, so I like that. I try to get my meat from them, when they can spare it, for my fiancée. He says it also tastes better then store bought. I have noticed while cooking it that the grease is slightly different and it smells different too, in a good way. They were thinking about raising chickens and turkeys too, and my mom has her own garden and raises honey bees, which is where I get my honey. I've been looking for people who sell eggs from a farm, so that would be great. They also raise pygmy goats, but they don't eat them, they breed and sell them as pets mainly, or for anyone who needs something cleared off their property, like thorn bushes. Goats will eat anything, and they especially love thorn bushes.

Originally Posted by MissyDawhMajii

Though maybe one day when he's older he'll be calm enouth to live peacefully with a cat. That'd be nice...

How do you know he isn't? Many people have both a dog and a cat. All dogs will bark and chase stranger-cats... so it might seem like it could never work. But it does work, more often than not I think, if you get a kitten and introduce the two gradually. The dog is loyal to the person and will eventually understand that the cat is also a pet and shouldn't be chased off. Then they become friends and play and stuff. It happened with my dog and cat! Although the dog is dead now, I can't imagine life without my cat and will probably miss him even more when he dies. Have you tried introducing a cat to the dog? Maybe you could work out some arrangement with an animal shelter or something so that you can test out the cat for a few days to see if it works out with your dog, and give it back if it doesn't.

One day whilst watching a movie on TV I noticed some bumps on my arms and scalp.
They looked a little like gnat bites, but did not have any puncture marks.
Scratching the ones on my head caused sores to appear, which wept small amounts of clear fluid for an hour or so.
I tried all sorts of shampoos, and soaps. I even thought it was a reaction to laundry liquid, so the washing machine was put on wrinse several times more.
The sores went away, but a month or so later they came back.
Now to cut a long story short, so people will read all this reply.
I discovered that eating pork, beef, or processed meats was the cause of the reaction.
I proved this to myself by cutting out meat, and any products with animal fats in them.
The sores cleared up within 48 hours, and did not come back. Six weeks later, I tried a meat based meal, and instantly noticed my skin itching.
For the past year, I have been experimenting, just to prove to myself that meat is the culprit.
Then I passed this information to my 18 year old 'spotty' teenage son.
Within three days, he looked like a different person. His skin was almost clear, and his tendancy to become angry at the slightest thing disappeared.
This also worked on my 16 year old son, but his love of meat seems to outweigh his personal opinion of his appearance.
The only problem I now face is that there is so much food that includes animal fat in them.
So, although I am not a vegetarian, I certainly try to be one.
Pig, cow, sheep. In that order cause the reactions.
Chicken is ok, but as a rule, I try to limit my intake of any meat.
This reply is getting a bit too long, so that is all for now.

I've always wondered how people who genuinely like to eat meat, could bring themselves to eat only veggies. I'm a meat-eater myself, but I love me some vegetables too! While I can't turn away a good salad, I couldn't commit to eating ONLY vegetables, I'd miss meat to much. I tried to do it on a bet once; my parents bet me I couldn't last a week as a Vegan. They had taco's that night for dinner, so I caved before the day was finished LOL.

Dianeva, my cat and family dog were also best friends, they even shared the dog house and cuddled together :3 My last cat chopin was also best friends with my last dog, they played and sometimes slept next to each other also, and that dog was a pit bull terrier.

TiredPhil that sounds horrible. When I was weaning myself off meat I started off eating only chicken and turkey, then cut out turkey and replaced it with fish, then started eating less and less chicken. Started eating less fish, then cut out chicken. Then eventually I stopped eating fish and I didn't even crave it anymore. Every time I stopped eating meat altogether I failed, because meat is addictive. There are toxic metabolites of animal products flowing through the body, once the consumption of animal products is dramatically lessened or eliminated, the presence of these toxic metabolites creates this hangover feeling. This feeling is similar to that of a hangover from alcohol; a body working towards a healthy life style will always feel this feelings as it heads towards ideal health. Once it's reached, you feel extremely better, and if you stick with it you will never have to feel that feeling again when it comes to food. I remember when I lessened my basic intake of foods altogether, I used to eat tons of food almost all day, and very unhealthy food. I thought I was dying. Now that I'm through it I never want to go through that again. I went through the same thing when I was coming off caffeine drinks. I have never had a worse migraine ever in my life. TheSilverWolf, those toxic metabolites is probably why you feel you can never stop eating meat, its subconscious.

I stopped with the coffee about two weeks ago. To go 'cold turkey' is the biggest mistake anyone could ever make.
The pain in my skull came on quite slowly, but continued to get worse, and worse.
At its peak, the headache was absolute agony, and lasted for several hours.
Cold sweat, nausia, muscle pains, emotional upset. All came with the headache.
Only comparison I can find is a drug addict coming off drugs, but that was exactly what was happening.

@TiredPhil - That sounds awful! I can't imagine suddenly being allergic to meat. Did you hear about that story in the news a month or so ago about the ticks that can make people allergic to meat?

Love Red Meat? Watch Out for Ticks. - WSJ.com

They live all over the eastern half of the US, and it says the cases tend to run in families but can clear up in a few years. I'm not sure about their spread outside of the US though.

I live a little bit further east of the USA.
Quite a bit actualy. I am in the UK.
No ticks over here, but I have noticed some insect bites on my sock line several times.
My allergy started up roughly at the same time as getting a pet cat.
The flea bites could be a link, but nobody over here has made any studies yet.
Thanks again for the information.
Phil

Originally Posted by Dianeva

I tried being a vegetarian for about a month once, just to see what it was like, and it was pretty bad for a few reasons. Mostly I just felt like I was being obnoxious to other people, like they thought I thought I was better than them, or making it difficult for them on purpose while at restaurants where we have to order share plates and stuff.

Getting used to this is probably one of the harder parts of the initial adjustment to a veg*n diet (arguably harder than the diet itself in some cases) but it does get easier. I think it's totally normal to feel self-conscious about "going public" with your new diet at first, but I guess it's kind of like public speaking: the more times you do it, the less and less it seems like any big deal. Once you've done it enough, you learn that pretty much nobody around you really cares to any appreciable extent, and generally that everything is going to be fine.

Even the worst-case-scenario type of reaction that you might have to deal with is not really that bad. This scenario would be one in which someone seems dead-set on confronting you about your diet, they won't leave it alone, and they are clearly looking for an argument. It's best not to give these people what they want. Sometimes you have to be polite but direct: "Look, I understand that you probably don't meet a lot of veg*ns, and I appreciate that you want to talk about my motivations for living this way. But as for me, I have had this discussion so many times that I have long since lost count. Trust me, whatever you're waiting to say, I've heard it before. And I know all the best counter-arguments. I have nothing to gain in participating in this conversation for the 1000th time. So if it's okay with you, I'd rather just drop it."

A more positive and fortunately far more common reaction that I encounter is that someone else has been already considering cutting out meat for some time, and they have some questions about what it's like, would like some advice about things to eat, etc. So sometimes the public outing can end up being a positive social experience.

Originally Posted by Dianeva

But also, I never felt my hunger was satisfied.
[...]
But cutting that out and eating nuts instead left me unsatisfied. Like the meat satisfies some core craving... makes the meal substantial in a way nothing else can.

I know the feeling you're referring to. It does go away if you stop indulging it, but it takes a few months for those tastes to change. For me, the foods that now give me that substantial, satisfied feeling more than any other are beans and lentils. I also like nuts and seeds very much, but they don't quite hit the spot the same way beans and lentils do.

Originally Posted by TheSilverWolf

I couldn't commit to eating ONLY vegetables

Maybe you misunderstand what a vegetarian diet is. It just means not eating meat. It does not mean eating "only vegetables."

I stopped with the coffee about two weeks ago. To go 'cold turkey' is the biggest mistake anyone could ever make.
The pain in my skull came on quite slowly, but continued to get worse, and worse.
At its peak, the headache was absolute agony, and lasted for several hours.
Cold sweat, nausia, muscle pains, emotional upset. All came with the headache.
Only comparison I can find is a drug addict coming off drugs, but that was exactly what was happening.

That's the thought I had when I was going through it. I was thinking "I feel like a drug addict in rehab or something" I probably wasn't far off. I could literally do nothing but lay in my brothers room (he had a king sized bed and I had a twin, the extra room to spread out how I wanted helped ) with all the lights off, no tv or radio on and the door closed so outside noises wouldn't be a problem, and keep the pillow over my head just in case. Even if I wanted to give in and drink caffeine to make it go away I couldn't, because moving was not possible. One of the worst nights of my entire life, and I have almost died from a severe panic attack. I didn't really have a choice though, I found out that I have caffeine sensitivity, and if I drink any more then a can my heart will start palpitating. Not to mention I get nauseous and an upset stomach. At the time I had become basically addicted to mountain dew, the highest soda drink caffeine wise, without going into energy drinks. The next drink up is redbull. It had to be done, and coming off it slowly wasn't really an option because I wasn't very patient for that at that age. If I had to do it again I would definitely take it slowly instead of going through that hell once more.

Hmm, interesting thread. I might find some new ideas here.

Anyhow, though I usually keep this to mineself, I have been a lacto-vegetarian for about six or seven years now. Although, I do not abstain from meat-eating out of morality. Life survives by destroying and devouring other life. Mine vegetarianism stems from a childhood trauma. Personally, I cannot stand the sight or smell of meat. I also avoid restaurants like the plague.

In the morning, I usually have a bowl of quinoa with a cup of Black or Earl Grey Tea. In the afternoon, I usually have either orange juice, a salad, some nuts, a fruit smoothie, a protein shake, or an avocado or some other fruit. Come nighttime, I usually prepare two baked potatoes covered in butter, seasonings, and various vegetables, along with broccoli mixed with black beans & brown rice, and a few slices of soft tofu. If I do not have time to cook, I usually just settle for cereal in the morning, and a vegetable burger with soup at nighttime.

Does anybody here know of any good spices that do not have sodium? The reason I am asking is because I have been practising not putting salt on mine meals, and am just looking for other ways to make mine food taste better. Thanks in advance.