Calling all current Vegetarian's and people who want to know more about them!
By vivasuzi
@vivasuzi (4127)
United States
January 3, 2007 11:49am CST
I've been a vegetarian since 1999 and most people I know still look at me weird when I say "I don't eat meat." So I come online to mylot, and other communities, to seek vegetarians and prove I'm not the only one. I hope this discussion will also be interesting for meat-eaters who wonder about us vegetarians. Here are some questions and my answers, so you can either answer these questions or ask me more!
Are you a vegetarian and what type?
I am a pescetarian apparantly - that means I eat fish and seafood (although all I really eat is Salmon and Tuna) as well as dairy.
Why did I quite eating meat?
Honestly it started because my friend in HS would talk and talk about how it's wrong to eat animals and blah blah blah. It really started to gross me out, the thought of eating that cute little cow!
Why do I still not eat meat?
I've gotten over most of the "gross-out" factor, but now I stick to it because I feel healthier because it. I don't crave meat anyway, so why should I eat it?
What are my favorite vegetarian fods?
I still eat dairy so Pasta with cheese of any kind tops my list :) I also love egg salad and could eat that every day. On the healthier side, I love anything with strawberries!
Do you try to force others to be vegetarians?
Nope! So I wish they'd stop trying to talk me into eating meat!
Ok, that's enough to get a discussion going - so have at it, or ask more questions :)
4 people like this
9 responses
@prismrainbow (107)
• United States
4 Jan 07
We have been vegetarians since June 2006. Out of the clear blue, my 10yo son announced he was now going to be a vegetarian. I supported that decision and DH has come along for the ride unless he wants to start doing his own cooking.
We do dairy but not seafood or other meats. I know some vegetarians still do chicken.
It was a challenge fixing meals at first. I never really fixed a lot of prepackaged junk and made most meals from scratch. But at least I knew what I was doing and could whip up a meal in a short time. It was like learning how to cook all over again alot more time consuming - find new recipes, get new ingredients, follow recipes while I'm cooking. I've gotten better but still learning new dishes to expand my choices of "quick to throw together" meals.
Favorites? Pizza (both me and my son's fave) is still at the top of the list and there are so many variations to play with. I don't think we could ever get bored or sick of it. We also do alot of italian.
2 people like this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
4 Jan 07
It is true, it's hard to find healthy, easy to cook, veggie meals! I got stuck making pasta and sauce for awhile before I finally attempted to cook something a little more difficult.
Pizza, mmm, had that for lunch :) Italian is #2 for me, because Mexican will always be #1!! They have lots of vegetarian options since almost every meal can be ordered with beans and cheese instead of meat. Thanks for commenting :)
1 person likes this
@prismrainbow (107)
• United States
5 Jan 07
Sometimes I compromise because of the time factor. For instance, I will prepare someting from a package plus something from scratch for the same meal. Or I will use a package as a starter ingredient and add to it. Like the other day, I started with boxed macaroni & cheese (cooked it with usual directions), added broccoli, and additional fresh cheese, put it in a casserole dish, sprinkled shredded cheese on top, cooked it in the oven until it was heated throughout and the top browned a little and voila! I imagine it would be very tasty with almost any veggie added to it that you like.
2 people like this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
5 Jan 07
Great idea! I eat fish so I have taken Macaroni and Cheese and mixed it with canned tuna for my own version of Tuna Helper. Another one, I take ramon noodles, and put some kind of veggie chicken or veggie steak strips on top with veggies. It's like a stir fry :)
I do the same thing although I'm not quite as creative as you. I try to combine things to make a "meal" that's actually healthy for me. Thanks for the suggestion!
1 person likes this
@cajundharma (641)
• United States
7 Jan 07
We are in the process of going vegetarian, meaning that I stopped buying meat, but we're using up what's in the freezer before giving it up completely. We'll still be eating some dairy; we like soy and almond milk but I don't think we can give up regular cheese or yogurt so easily. It's harder on my 8 year old son, who wants hot dogs and bologna (gag), but overall I think it's going to be much healthier for all of us.
1 person likes this
@cajundharma (641)
• United States
7 Jan 07
Actually, it is true that at most dairy farms the cows are not treated well, and they're pumped full of antiobiotics, steroids, and growth hormones to make them produce more milk. The cows aren't fed the best diet for their health, just what will make them produce the most milk, and they're often kept in small pens and aren't allowed to exercise properly. I always buy organic dairy products that come from grass-fed, free range (meaning they're allowed to roam, not kept in pens) cows. The dairy industry is not a good place for animals.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
7 Jan 07
Good for you. I actually loved bologna and it's one of the things I miss. I admit when my dad buys it, I always take a sniff of it (don't ask why but I like it) so now I buy fake-bologna which works too!
Interesting how you are choosing to go veg. I started slow too. In High School I would try not to eat meat, and at the most would have one or two meat meals a week. It's easier if you do it that way! But since 1999 I haven't had any, other than maybe chicken broth b/c I will still eat chicken soup (just eat around the meat). I hope you all feel better after your new diet :)
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
7 Jan 07
BTW- I'm a cheese addict so there was no way I was gonna give up dairy! I don't like Soy milk at all, and I tried a Soy chocolate bar once and thought it was so gross. I can't live without my milk, cheese, ice cream and yogurt!
Besides, although I had a friend who told me "they abuse the cows that make milk for you" I don't believe that. I've seen many stories showing that abused cows made spoiled milk! So I don't believe that you can have good cheese and yogurt and such if the cow was being treated horribly. So I see no problem with dairy.
@astrotink (169)
•
8 Jan 07
My partner me and my daughter are vegetarians. we do not eat meat, fish or chickens! I do not class people that eat chickens as vegetarians because a chicken is a living creature and has feelings...
How can you be a vegetarian yet still eat a meat product??
We also check all the other products like sweets, crisps, gravy, gum etc as alot of these have animal products in them.
If you do not eat things with animal products then there will be no place on the market for it and therefore stop the cruelty to a lot of these animals.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
9 Jan 07
Good points, although the technical word of vegetarian means no animals at all, there are now various variations of the word that apply to people who eat different mixes of foods... with the basic definition being someone who cuts back on meat more than the general population, whether it be cutting out meat and chicken, or cutting out chicken and fish, or any other combination.
@greengal (4286)
• United States
4 Jan 07
Hi, I'm a vegetarian and so is my hubby. But before I say anything more I want to clarify one thing. Back home (India) vegetarians don't eat even seafood and meat is definitely not on the list. But here in the US only if you don't eat meat you are a vegetarian. And is chicken included in "meat"? Sounds like a dumb question..lol..but My husband's colleagues say they are vegetarians and eat seafood and chicken. My husband and I eat chicken only. I don't cook chicken at home, we eat only when we dine out. At home it is always vegetarian cooking. So now, can I be called a vegetarian or not? :)
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
4 Jan 07
Well the technical definition of vegetarian does not include ANY living animal. Then the definition of vegan means not eating any thing that even comes from a living animal. In the us, vegetarion means the same thing as in India, but we have alternative types of vegetarian. I found the phrase pescetarian on the web and that's what I use to describe me. I think if you are eating only chicken, there's probably a word for that too. I always clarrify that I eat fish right away b/c some strict vegetarians take offense to me (a fish eater) claiming to be vegetarian.
Anyway, I would say the same for you. If you tell anyone you are vegetarian just tack on "but I do eat chicken". Either that or say you are a semi-vegetarian or even a "pollo-vegetarian" as I found on the link below. When dealing with meat eaters, I generally just say vegetarian b/c most of them don't know the difference!
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarian
2 people like this
@jesusica (38)
• United States
8 Jan 07
my partner and i are both vegetarians. and i love to cook (which makes life a little easier for us). i am a lacto-vegetarian (meaning i eat dairy, but not eggs or meat). my favorite veg cuisine is indian. because many people in india are vegetarians, there is a WIDE selection and the spices are so intense!
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
8 Jan 07
Hmmm.. I've never tried Indian food. I should check it out, I love spicy food :) I was also watching a commercial for Thai food that looked really good, I might add that to my list also. Thanks for the suggestion, I've been looking to expand my diet to more interesting foods.
@samvedana (59)
• United States
14 Jan 07
Hey! Thats great...I am from India and I love Indian food though I like Thai and other veggie stuff from all over the world. To help you more with the recipes of Indian delicacies, heres the website bawarchi.com. Happy cooking!
@quatelmon (955)
• United States
7 Jan 07
I have been a vegetarian for 15 years. I eat fish and dairy. If I didn't eat diary, that would mean I was vegan. I stopped eating meat because I simply did not like that taste, and now I do it for health reasons. I never try to force other people to be vegetarians, it's their own individual choice. I feel fortunat that I live in a country that allows me to make this kind of choice.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
4 Jan 07
Meat taste good to YOU but maybe not to all of us. I don't have to eat meat just because it's "normal". Also, weird meat substitutes, as you call them, are actually a whole lot healthier than meat most of the time! It has more nutrients, and many other natural ingredients. Meat such as lunch meat is usually preprocessed and full of salt and preservatives.
I don't judge you for eating meat, but I don't appreciate being told that I should. Sorry, you don't get a plus from me!
1 person likes this
@groomtobe23 (635)
• United States
5 Jan 07
Want a hot dog? :) Nah...just kidding... yeah I am of the mindset that I am never going to try and convince someone to go against their beliefs simply because it would be easier to do. It sure seems healthier to not eat meat, but it has become such a large part of my diet, that I probably wouldn't give it up. That doesn't give me the right to force someone else to eat it though, or to try and convince a vegetarian that they need to be like me!
1 person likes this
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
5 Jan 07
Good deal :) I just have a lot of meat-eater acquantances that think I should defend myself all the time. "But why don't you eat meat?" and on and on until I say just leave me alone. I sometimes make up reasons just to apeeze them b/c apparantly you need a good reason. But I would never stop you and say "why do you eat meat? but seriously, why do you eat it even though you know this and that about it?" I will never understand people asking me to defend not eating it, but I guess it's just b/c some people are scared of those that are different :) Glad you are not one of them!
1 person likes this
