I've been vegetarian since I was 16 so 5 years now. I did it for ethical reasons, I basically haven't got a problem with people eating meat for survival but I disagree with the intensive farming systems in UK and in the EU and the difficulty in tracking where the meat came from. I study veterinary so am pretty clued up on all sides and nothing has convinced me to eat meat again.

Giving up meat was easy for me since I never really liked it anyway. Since I was little I only ever ate chicken and fish really which are two of the worse industries for animal welfare so I felt hypocritical for preeching animal rights while supporting animal creulty. I admit I do miss fish at times but not enough to convert back and I don't miss chicken at all.

The hardest part about being vegetarian is knowing what to eat. I spent ages emailing companies and checking the vegetarian society website to make such eveeything I bought from toothpaste to chocolate was vegetarian. Eating out is a pain because when I'm with carnivorous friends we have to choose a restaurant with a good veggie and meat choice. I never get takeaways anymore since I don't trust them and when I buy new shoes I have to be careful it's not leather. It is so much more than just not eating meat.

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The pen is mightier than the sword...and considerably easier to write with.

I had some trouble giving up meat at first, but I kicked the habit in stages (first I gave up mammal and bird meat, then I eventually dropped seafood) so that helped a bit. Eventually I went from smelling something meaty and thinking "Yum yum" to being totally indifferent towards meat, and now I'm at a stage (6 years later) where meat makes me queasy and I won't let it in my apartment. I don't recommend going cold turkey.

I first quit because the research I did on factory farming made me feel like crap and I didn't want to support such a system. The more reading I did the clearer it became to me that while humans are capable of eating animals they don't have to to survive; and that with all of the ethical and sustainability issues surrounding the consumption of meat and seafood I can easily avoid having to worry about such dilemmas by simply not eating to the stuff myself. Did my seafood come from the over-fished fishery, or was it "grown" in a sketchy pool on the other side of the world? Not a choice I have to make, I don't eat fish! Did the chicken I ate spend its whole life in a dark room being fed foods unnatural for chickens, shot full of hormones, and not given any time in the sun? Not something I have to think about the grocery store, because I don't eat chicken! etc.& There is enough violence in the world as it is and I don't believe that humans are better or more entitled than animals (not that I have illusions that animals are "innocent" and "peace-loving"), so that plays into my lifestyle decision as well.

Would I eat meat if the world came to an end and I had no other source for getting a complete protein? Yes, I would. That's why I eat plants, even though they are also living creatures: because if I don't, I'll die. But as it stands, the world has not come to an end and I can get a complete protein from sources other than animals, so unless necessity makes it so I'll stick with my seitan, tofu, and tempeh till the day I die. Hurray!

Oh, and CuthienSilmeriel is right: vegetarianism so more than just not eating meat; you really do have to worry about everything from toothpaste to shoes. For me, once I'm aware that there is a problem and that I can do something to change it, then I can't ignore the problem anymore. That's why ignorance is bliss, but knowledge is power. Sounds cheesy, but its so damn true it will blow your little mind. If I knew that factory farming was cruel and wasteful but kept on eating meat I would turn into a nihilist and lead a miserable life (I'm already a pessimist by default). But I'm actually pretty happy to know what the problem is, because at least in my own little world I can do something about it. Okay, I'm done typing now.

Last edited by noisette at 5:45 pm, Dec 18 2009

I'm not currently a vegetarian, though I have spent 8 years as one. I gave it up while doing my masters (I was worried about a low iron count interfering with my ability to do work), and once I finish I'll probably go back to being one.



I gave up meat not for one reason, but for many. I have a hard time ignoring the fact that there are more benefits to being a vegetarian than eating meat. Being a vegetarian lowers your global footprint, saves money, reduces the number of hormones/toxins you consume that are contained in meat, and is also more ethical in some ways. Vegetarians also tend to live longer and be healthier than people who eat meat.

As for how difficult it was to give up - initially it was hard. After a while though your body adjusts and you stop craving meat. Wait even longer and meat even starts to look gross.

Really, the only bad thing about being a vegetarian is that if you don't live in a major urban center it's often difficult to find places to eat that offer vegetarian dishes beyond fries and salad. That and the fact that whenever someone finds out you're a vegetarian you always get the same reaction ("[gasp] I don't know how you do it, I could never give up meat!") I don't particularly care if the guy or gal sitting next to me eats meat, but it gets tedious hearing the same response over and over again.





@ G & S - I know you guys are partially joking, but this "natural" defense of meat-eating comes up so often that I feel like setting it straight. Teeth really don't have that much to do with it. For many years zookeepers assumed gorillas were meat eaters based on the fact that they have some of the largest canines in the animal world. Zookeepers couldn't understand why they had trouble keeping even one of those blood-thirsty monsters alive when they provided them with nice steaks to eat every day. Turns out gorillas are vegetarians - funny how that works huh?

Well, uh my family is full of chefs and I hunt sometimes so plucking and skinning animals, one day I was like "why do I eat this? That's gross." Then I stopped. It's been 4 years no iron problems, and it's easy, if you just eat healthy. My friend says quacker oat squares have a ton of iron in them? I drink boathouse farms drinks for protein, the chocolate is really good! Oh, but marshmallows, ramen, starbursts, skittles, you can't eat that. I mean I'm a terrible vegetarian (I hunt, have furs) so i don't mind but my vegeterian friends don't eat them.

Not a vegetarian. Never will be one. I tend to agree with Anthony Bourdain when it comes to vegans and vegetarians. Barring religious custom, it's a "first world luxury." When you're poor as piss, you eat what you can get.

heh heh, i agree.

personally, i'm not a vegetarian, but there are some kinds of meat i don't like to eat (like beef and some seafood) just because it tastes bad to me. but i couldn't go without poultry, never. I need my bird meat.

That is a good opinion Drunkguy, and I agree. It takes less money to feed me with meat than it would with vegetarian friendly foods, if you expand that to my entire house it would take hundreds for each meal.

Still,even if I could I doubt I'd have the will power to stay away from meat. I grew up around delicious livestock.

Oh my! Anthony bourdain is so extreme, if he doesn't have the innovation to make vegetarian dishes he shouldn't cook. I don't consider meat a "first world luxury" though aquiring meat is easier than vegetables in many countries because of drought or high elvation, actually if they could grow crops they would be wealthier. When I'm hiking without a 2 pennies to rub together and no food, this is when I eat meat. Not exactly first class, but cheap when you catch it yourself.

I'm a vegan... mostly raw (going 100% for new years resolution ). I was raised on junk food (3 cans of soda a day, box of cookies, and then steak for dinner), but gave it up easily overnight once I made up my mind. I did be a vegetarian (ovo-lacto) when I was 7, but after a year I quit due to weak childish will power. I won't change back now, though.

I became vegan for both health and moral reasons at the same time.

The "vegans don't get enough protein/B-12" nonsense is complete myth, by the way. Please don't rant to some poor veggie soul that they are going to die from lack of protein, it only shows your lack of education on the subject. Please respect others opinions and follow the golden rule.

And for those who think, "Then what do you eat?!"... I just eat foods I like. xD Fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, all that good stuff. Yummy in my tummy.

EDIT: It might just make more sense to say being vegan for me is easy since I never liked cheese. That is what most vegetarians get stuck on and can't give up (it contains morphine, so that can maybe explain why it's so addictive). I'm also drug/unknown-chemical phobic. Unless I am literally going to die, I won't take medicine or use handsoap without knowing what it is made of.

Last edited by drolemil at 7:56 pm, Dec 18 2009

And if everyone only spoke english we wouldn't need scanlations.

Considering the places he's gone, the stuff he's eaten and the amount of time he spent in the kitchen, I imagine a lack of innovation on his part is not his problem. Its just that he's found while there are good vegetarian cooks and recipes out there, in many cases they could have been improved upon by the addition of meat. Fresh asparagus is good but wrap it in bacon and/or add a hollandaise sauce and it is magic.

My mother, grandmother, and great grandmother are all french chefs! They were shocked when I announced I was a vegetarian. So we tried making food with meat substitues like tofu and eggplant, and you're right it did lack flavor! Then I realized that I needed to make foods that don't need meat, but could rival the dishes and be just as filling. It's completely diffrent pallete and way of cooking that requires alot of innovation! This is what Anthony Bourdain doesn't realize! Sorry, cooking is my passion. . Though I agree vegan cooking is..... ugh... Oh and languages are indicative of their culture, so a world without different languages and cultures would be tres mauvais! but I understand your point!

Have to say I'm a little confused about this Bourdain quote as well. Since when is meat cheaper to produce/buy then a bag of corn or beans? Unless you're hunting something yourself (and I'm assuming that most people on this thread aren't hunters), generally grains and vegetables are cheaper than meat.

I also think it's safe to say that Bourdain has a particular type of vegetarian in mind when he claims that vegetarianism/veganism is a first world luxury - one that probably has a fair bit to do with stereotypes of wealthy / privileged western vegetarians. It's just as easy (and probably more correct) to claim that eating meat is a first world luxury - citizens of "first world" nations certainly eat a lot more of it than those in developing nations.

Well, let's make it simpler then, I'm male and hence my claim for the Meat King title is stronger, so you'll have to contend with tactics for the Meat Queen title.

If in doubt about my claim just check my previous post in this topic. My favorite dish is churrasco, which is one of the local cuisine for my region, and basically it's glorified meat-in-a-stick accompanied by more meat.

Did I mention I love meat?

haha i used to too! In my region we eat alligator! It was so good! We also eat alot of seafood, like crawfish! Crawfish Etouffe is. so. good. And squirrel, but I wasn't ever as fond of that.
Right now though as a vegetarian I'm really excited about tangerine and pommegranate season! I persuaded the landlady to let me grow some, they're so good!

Just curious but where do you live?