cartoon_soldier
Member
I will add, that if you love Indian cuisine, explore the vegetarian part of Indian cuisine. It's wide, big, flavorful and awesome.
Vegetarian |OT| of live and let live
- Thread starter Earl Cazone
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Earl Cazone
Member
there is no doubt that there are different studies regarding the worth of saturated fats. i just used information from wikipedia, to make that clear.
Earl Cazone
Member
btw, what is everyones opinion on industrial vegetarian products like vegetarian schnitzel
They are mostly heavily processed but i have to admit i buy this stuff once in a while. i try to reduce it though, this stuff is expensive as hell.
and they are mostly only vegetarian not vegan.
They are mostly heavily processed but i have to admit i buy this stuff once in a while. i try to reduce it though, this stuff is expensive as hell.
and they are mostly only vegetarian not vegan.
Earl Cazone said:
Really not within the realm of my diet, but if it's fermented soy and natural oils then it's probably way better than what most people eat. Fermentation of soy reduces phytates and has some vitamin K2.
This book is about 75% of the reason Im vegetarian. I did some further research afterwards of course but it definitely started the process. Very good read.Captain Howdy said:
It is pro-veg, but it presents the opinions of a wide range of interesting people in the industry. Definitely worth a read, no matter what your preferred diet includes.
Im a vegetarian for practical reasons moreso than moral. Something or somebody somewhere suffers for many things I own Im sure. This is just a given. Giving up something for such a reason is backwards to me. Im a vegetarian because of how he described food being prepared. This is definitely one of those ignorance is bliss situations.
The more I read about food preparation (like that dirty water they soak all the chickens in at the end of the production line) the more I just didnt want meat anymore. There were many more examples but thats the first one that came to mind.
But Im sure if I were to do more research about how veggies and tofu etc etc are processed Id end up feeling the same way. So I simply remain willfully ignorant in that respect. This may not be permanent for me though. Once I do more research about food preparation I'll more than likely go back to eating meat. But for now, I actually prefer vegetarianism. I never feel as heavy after having a meal. Meat had such a strange effect on me.
As for my contributions:
Amazingly good veggie chili. Add some brown sugar and a bit more chili powder.
Not sure how many of you are familiar with Quinoa but my gf recently got me into it. Its considered a super food. Extremely delicious when prepared correctly.
YES!cartoon_soldier said:
I CHALLENGE any of you to watch this video without your mouth watering
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wai0GR2-8vA#t=182s
Earl Cazone
Member
Mr. Sam said:
and always consider reducing first, having meatless days to see if you can enjoy it. but it is important to have the will to do it, otherwise you crave for meat too much
I have been a vegetarian for over a year. I consume bivalves as they do not violate my ethical concerns and can be beneficial to their environment if harvested sustainably; those were the principal reasons for my eschewing of most meat. Also, I found the transition easy as I am fond of Ethiopian and Gujarati cuisine. Thus, I incorporated Ethiopian and Gujarati elements into my diet. And I tend to refrain from processed vegetarian food, although I occasionally indulge in tempeh or tofu.
06nbarnhill
Member
I was on the verge of going vegetarian a year or so back. Then I watched some vegetarian cooking show for a few weeks to learn what i can make. I then realized I sucked at cooking too much to ever make most of that shit taste good.
My daughter has been a vegetarian for almost a year. I think its really cool that she made the decision to do it. I'm even more proud of her that she's stuck with it. She still eats chicken and turkey but no red meat or pork. I try to be as supportive of her as I can so this thread will give me more recipe ideas to fix for her.
Unfortunately my ex isn't as supportive and constantly pokes fun at her about it and offers her meat everytime they go out to eat. Did I mention she's my ex?
Unfortunately my ex isn't as supportive and constantly pokes fun at her about it and offers her meat everytime they go out to eat. Did I mention she's my ex?
Cosmic Dreams
Member
Have been strongly thinking about switching to a vegetarian lifestyle to supplement my newfound hobby for cycling.
I've been slowly switching to eating more healthier choices and less meat these days, so how easy/hard might the switch be?
To me, there's nothing like helping our planet, while benefiting my well being in the process!
I've been slowly switching to eating more healthier choices and less meat these days, so how easy/hard might the switch be?
To me, there's nothing like helping our planet, while benefiting my well being in the process!
To contribute a recipe, I submit mesir wat. It is a stew consisting of red lentils. I found it on the internet months ago, and it is similar to the mesir wat I have eaten. Also, you can substitute split green peas for the red lentils. I also enjoy that version, although I prefer red lentils to split green peas. Click on the image for the recipe.
Cosmic Dreams
Member
Shanadeus said:
Awesome, writing this down and try this out. Thanks Shanadeus!
Going to try Meatless Mondays as well since i'm curious about the whole concept. It has me interested.
Also I have some good friends who are vegetarian/vegan so this could probably help me as well.
I have a feeling this might even influence my girlfriend in the future to make the same choice! :lol
Unfortunately, trying to be a vegetarian in the US seems just about impossible unless you actually dedicate some time to cooking. I've simply been far too lazy to cook - and the grocery stores do not have too many ready-made microwavable vegetarian options - you can only eat ready that microwave pasta, mushroom soup, veggie pizza, etc so many times..
Of course, the fast food restaurant selections don't cater to vegetarians either.
Of course, the fast food restaurant selections don't cater to vegetarians either.
Earl Cazone
Member
tnsply100 said:Unfortunately, trying to be a vegetarian in the US seems just about impossible unless you actually dedicate some time to cooking. I've simply been far too lazy to cook - and the grocery stores do not have too many ready-made microwavable vegetarian options - you can only eat ready that microwave pasta, mushroom soup, veggie pizza, etc so many times..
Of course, the fast food restaurant selections don't cater to vegetarians either.
i am not fan of ready made food in general, but i think it is kinda easy to make fast and easy vegetarian meals. check out the recipes in the op, all of them are easy and delicious and not too expensive. it is much more health than eating the processed stuff, anyway (no matter if vegtarian or with meat)
The Friendly Monster
Member
Microwave food is pretty disgusting anyway. Really easy veggie food for people who don't like cooking:tnsply100 said:Unfortunately, trying to be a vegetarian in the US seems just about impossible unless you actually dedicate some time to cooking. I've simply been far too lazy to cook - and the grocery stores do not have too many ready-made microwavable vegetarian options - you can only eat ready that microwave pasta, mushroom soup, veggie pizza, etc so many times..
Of course, the fast food restaurant selections don't cater to vegetarians either.
Oven pizza
Pasta with cheese/veggie pesto/oil and garlic/tomato
Baked potato
Egg and chips
Omelette and salad
Veggie full English breakfast
Stir fry
I'm surprised the fast food places don't have a veggie option in the US.
TheMissingLink
Member
Captain Howdy said:Also, for anyone interested in knowing more about the motivations for vegetarianism, and wanting a fair and logical representation of both sides of the argument, check out this book:
It is pro-veg, but it presents the opinions of a wide range of interesting people in the industry. Definitely worth a read, no matter what your preferred diet includes.
That was the book that was the catalyst in my decision to become vegetarian over a year ago. It's pretty good, but I absolutely wouldn't call it "fair and logical" - it's pretty biased.
Still, a good read.
SciencePilot
Member
I'll never agree with the morality argument, but I do really appreciate vegetarians for the ecology/economy argument. That's the real reason to be a vegetarian, I think.
I still couldn't exactly be a vegetarian myself though, since I hate strict rules and all. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think the lifestyle has to be so black-and-white. See, for me, I've gotten to the point where I don't eat meat every day. I'm at about three meals a week with meat. That's good enough for me.
Just my thoughts.
I still couldn't exactly be a vegetarian myself though, since I hate strict rules and all. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think the lifestyle has to be so black-and-white. See, for me, I've gotten to the point where I don't eat meat every day. I'm at about three meals a week with meat. That's good enough for me.
Just my thoughts.
kame-sennin
Member
I have a video suggestion for the OP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYYNY2oKVWU
Richard Dawkins interviews Peter Singer about evolution and why it may support the ethics of vegetarianism.
Btw, this is a great thread. I wasn't sure a vegetarian thread could be created on gaf without all the animosity that's typically seen, but this one is pretty peaceful. That's nice to see.
Been vegan since about 2005.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYYNY2oKVWU
Richard Dawkins interviews Peter Singer about evolution and why it may support the ethics of vegetarianism.
Btw, this is a great thread. I wasn't sure a vegetarian thread could be created on gaf without all the animosity that's typically seen, but this one is pretty peaceful. That's nice to see.
Been vegan since about 2005.
reggieandTFE
Member
Jackson50 said:
McDonald's uses beef extract in the production of their fries. A bunch of vegans had to sue them a couple years ago to find out because like the noble corporation they are they were refusing to say what exactly was in their putrid shit.
Zomba13
Member
I'm not a vegetarian but lived with one for 2 years in uni and I think this thread would have been really good for him. He mostly ate things like instant noodles and instant pasta stuff which I suppose isn't the best stuff he could have been eating.
Very nice OP too and I think I'm gonna try and find me some of that bacon salt.
Very nice OP too and I think I'm gonna try and find me some of that bacon salt.
This is a great thread, and probably something that should have existed for a while.
Anyway, lacto-ovo for 6 years now, and lately I've been giving some thought to lightening up. Something like an inverse-meatless Mondays. Like, if I had Alaskan salmon, venison, or pasture beef w/ dinner a few nights a week.
My thinking on this isn't that I'm getting tired of the diet, or have some overwhelming desire to eat meat again. Rather, if my concerns are primarily that I'm unhappy with the production of most agricultural meat production processe, isn't it ideal improve the demand of the good in addition to lowering the demand of the bad? Plus, with my current workout routine, the extent to which I rely on other sources to get enough protein is becoming kind of silly (that is, does the amount of milk I drink really make the world a better place).
I dunno, like I said it's something that I've been giving more thought to than I would have two or three years ago. One problem is that I'm just so USED to avoiding meat and feeling like I shouldn't eat it that it would be a tough habit to break.
Also, seconding the nomination of Bittman's How to Eat Everything Vegetarian.
And in the event that the threat gets too carried away in talking about soy products, I would appreciate it if people tried to keep in mind that tempeh is something that exists, since it's typically just ignored or brushed off whenever the downsides of soy comes up.
Anyway, lacto-ovo for 6 years now, and lately I've been giving some thought to lightening up. Something like an inverse-meatless Mondays. Like, if I had Alaskan salmon, venison, or pasture beef w/ dinner a few nights a week.
My thinking on this isn't that I'm getting tired of the diet, or have some overwhelming desire to eat meat again. Rather, if my concerns are primarily that I'm unhappy with the production of most agricultural meat production processe, isn't it ideal improve the demand of the good in addition to lowering the demand of the bad? Plus, with my current workout routine, the extent to which I rely on other sources to get enough protein is becoming kind of silly (that is, does the amount of milk I drink really make the world a better place).
I dunno, like I said it's something that I've been giving more thought to than I would have two or three years ago. One problem is that I'm just so USED to avoiding meat and feeling like I shouldn't eat it that it would be a tough habit to break.
Also, seconding the nomination of Bittman's How to Eat Everything Vegetarian.
And in the event that the threat gets too carried away in talking about soy products, I would appreciate it if people tried to keep in mind that tempeh is something that exists, since it's typically just ignored or brushed off whenever the downsides of soy comes up.
hawkshockey11
Banned
I love vegan food, but I also love meat. I totally could go vegan (just as easily as I could go meat only) but it is much more expensive.
Thanks for the thread. I think I'm going to start up Meatless Mondays again. My GF and I did it for a while and got on really easily, but got out of the routine a few months ago.
I love meat and seafood far too much to become fully vegetarian, but I try to choose more environmentally sustainable and humanely certified choices whenever I can.
Seachoice has a pretty handy iphone app if you're looking for sustainable seafood and sushi choices. It's not perfect, but it's updated frequently and gives you a rough idea on what's good to have and what to avoid.
I love meat and seafood far too much to become fully vegetarian, but I try to choose more environmentally sustainable and humanely certified choices whenever I can.
Seachoice has a pretty handy iphone app if you're looking for sustainable seafood and sushi choices. It's not perfect, but it's updated frequently and gives you a rough idea on what's good to have and what to avoid.
state-of-the-art
Member
I spent some time on a vegetarian diet and honestly didn't find the transition difficult like some people say it is. I was in the military though at the time and the switch just wasn't very convenient.
I still maintain my preference for a vegetarian diet, I haven't touched any beef in 2 years now, pork about the same. I Still eat chicken and fish though.
So maybe, gradually I'll shift again someday.
I still maintain my preference for a vegetarian diet, I haven't touched any beef in 2 years now, pork about the same. I Still eat chicken and fish though.
So maybe, gradually I'll shift again someday.
I've been a vegan for over 2.5 years now, and I have to say that it has been simultaneously very easy and very difficult.
First, here's some backstory. My brother's wife has been vegetarian for the 20+ years I've known her. When I was around 10, I started questioning the ethics of eating animals. From that time on, I spent the next decade occasionally attempting vegetarianism. This would normally end abruptly when I'd find myself casually munching on a fast food burger. My mom, who initially wasn't quite supportive of a vegetarian diet, quietly switched to one herself when I was 20. The next year, I was moving away from home, and decided to make the switch myself. I was moving in temporarily with the same brother and his wife that I had referred to at the start, and in their guest room was several books on veganism (I would later confirm that my sister had become vegan a few months prior).
At this point, my only run in with vegans was a reference on The Simpsons. However, after reading through many of the arguments presented, I found that a vegan lifestyle more correctly supported my feelings towards the treatment of animals.
Fast forward about 1.5 months. I've just finished watching The Dark Knight with some friends, and am going to Chili's with them afterwards. Staring at the menu to decide what to eat, I decided that I'm done making excuses, and I order a garden salad minus the cheese and croutons.
I decide that it would be best to transition instead of stopping cold turkey, and so I continue to eat leftovers at the pizza place I was currently employed. This lasted about 2 weeks. At that point, my appetite for non vegan food had diminished greatly, and I finally went completely vegan. One thing that I have failed to mention up to this point is that I was significantly overweight when I decided to transition (5'10'', 230 lbs, no muscle). Well, it takes less than 2 months for two major changes to occur. First, I had TONS of energy. I was still out of shape, but I was finding my urge to just get up and move around to be much higher. Second, I was losing weight, and fast. I would say that by late September, I was probably between 180-190 lbs. Transitioning away from an omnivorous diet proved to be easy, and I was reaping some serious rewards.
Now today, I still have some major issues holding me back. After the initial loss, my weight mostly stabilized around 160 lbs. It's not going anywhere unless I begin to eat more healthily, but I can't find the same motivation to do so as when my ethics drove me to veganism. Ever since then, I've largely sustained myself on vegan fast food and heavily processed goods. I have two main goals that I've had difficulty with: learning to cook, and giving up soda. The soda thing is its own issue, but more importantly, I can't find the motivation to learn cooking. I was wondering if anyone here had some tips, because it's become a point of embarrassment for myself.
TLDR: Vegan can't find the same motivation to learn to cook as he did to give up animal products, help!
First, here's some backstory. My brother's wife has been vegetarian for the 20+ years I've known her. When I was around 10, I started questioning the ethics of eating animals. From that time on, I spent the next decade occasionally attempting vegetarianism. This would normally end abruptly when I'd find myself casually munching on a fast food burger. My mom, who initially wasn't quite supportive of a vegetarian diet, quietly switched to one herself when I was 20. The next year, I was moving away from home, and decided to make the switch myself. I was moving in temporarily with the same brother and his wife that I had referred to at the start, and in their guest room was several books on veganism (I would later confirm that my sister had become vegan a few months prior).
At this point, my only run in with vegans was a reference on The Simpsons. However, after reading through many of the arguments presented, I found that a vegan lifestyle more correctly supported my feelings towards the treatment of animals.
Fast forward about 1.5 months. I've just finished watching The Dark Knight with some friends, and am going to Chili's with them afterwards. Staring at the menu to decide what to eat, I decided that I'm done making excuses, and I order a garden salad minus the cheese and croutons.
I decide that it would be best to transition instead of stopping cold turkey, and so I continue to eat leftovers at the pizza place I was currently employed. This lasted about 2 weeks. At that point, my appetite for non vegan food had diminished greatly, and I finally went completely vegan. One thing that I have failed to mention up to this point is that I was significantly overweight when I decided to transition (5'10'', 230 lbs, no muscle). Well, it takes less than 2 months for two major changes to occur. First, I had TONS of energy. I was still out of shape, but I was finding my urge to just get up and move around to be much higher. Second, I was losing weight, and fast. I would say that by late September, I was probably between 180-190 lbs. Transitioning away from an omnivorous diet proved to be easy, and I was reaping some serious rewards.
Now today, I still have some major issues holding me back. After the initial loss, my weight mostly stabilized around 160 lbs. It's not going anywhere unless I begin to eat more healthily, but I can't find the same motivation to do so as when my ethics drove me to veganism. Ever since then, I've largely sustained myself on vegan fast food and heavily processed goods. I have two main goals that I've had difficulty with: learning to cook, and giving up soda. The soda thing is its own issue, but more importantly, I can't find the motivation to learn cooking. I was wondering if anyone here had some tips, because it's become a point of embarrassment for myself.
TLDR: Vegan can't find the same motivation to learn to cook as he did to give up animal products, help!
Meat eater here, but I do love my veggies. This is BY FAR my favorite vegan recipe blog. Veggie-GAF, check it out if you haven't ever used it. Also, Photo-GAF and IronGAF will enjoy for the mouthwatering pictures:
Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Her recipes are very low fat and low on sugar. I don't ever plan on giving up meat, but I love that the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle incorporates cooking (which I also love). I love me some vegetarian lasagna also.... mmm, butternut squash. I will follow this thread.
Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Her recipes are very low fat and low on sugar. I don't ever plan on giving up meat, but I love that the vegan and vegetarian lifestyle incorporates cooking (which I also love). I love me some vegetarian lasagna also.... mmm, butternut squash. I will follow this thread.
It's still beyond me how anyone would go vegetarian or vegan because of shock videos, but to each his own.
What I don't understand though is how people find bacon delicious, I've never been able to like it, and trust me I really love meat, so that bacon salt concept in the op is just weird.
But also, I really love vegetables, I've been asked if I'm vegetarian only because my food is always full of vegetables, but I can't stand when they put stuff in them, even lemon, I can't even eat them cooked.
What I don't understand though is how people find bacon delicious, I've never been able to like it, and trust me I really love meat, so that bacon salt concept in the op is just weird.
But also, I really love vegetables, I've been asked if I'm vegetarian only because my food is always full of vegetables, but I can't stand when they put stuff in them, even lemon, I can't even eat them cooked.
I was a vegetarian for two years, but started eating local, organic meat in small quantities again last autumn. The biggest influence behind my decision was probably reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.
Anyway, here's a basic lentil soup that I still make regularly:
1 onion
2 carrots
1 broccoli
red lentils - half a cup maybe?
stock
butter
curry seasoning
salt
Dice the onion. Peel and grate the carrots roughly. Dice the broccoli stem and separate the head into bite-sized florets. Fry the onion, carrots and stem in some butter until soft-ish. Then add the lentils (I always measure this by eye, but I put in roughly half a cup), the curry seasoning and the salt (both to taste: start off with a small amount, you can add more later when the soup's simmering). Stir for about a minute, allowing the seasoning and lentils to mix in properly. Then add enough stock to cover all the ingredients, let it come to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about ten minutes. Finally, pop the broccoli florets in and let it simmer for another five minutes, or until the lentils have soup-ified. Eat.
Sorry for the vague recipe. I've made it so many times now that I sort of do it automatically without paying attention to quantities.
Anyway, here's a basic lentil soup that I still make regularly:
1 onion
2 carrots
1 broccoli
red lentils - half a cup maybe?
stock
butter
curry seasoning
salt
Dice the onion. Peel and grate the carrots roughly. Dice the broccoli stem and separate the head into bite-sized florets. Fry the onion, carrots and stem in some butter until soft-ish. Then add the lentils (I always measure this by eye, but I put in roughly half a cup), the curry seasoning and the salt (both to taste: start off with a small amount, you can add more later when the soup's simmering). Stir for about a minute, allowing the seasoning and lentils to mix in properly. Then add enough stock to cover all the ingredients, let it come to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it simmer for about ten minutes. Finally, pop the broccoli florets in and let it simmer for another five minutes, or until the lentils have soup-ified. Eat.
Sorry for the vague recipe. I've made it so many times now that I sort of do it automatically without paying attention to quantities.
This is my second year as a vegetarian, after putting it off the switch for years. I was convinced I wouldn't be able to do it, since I loved bacon and went to heaven when I had steak. But I figured it was time, and so finally took the leap.
Missed meat terribly for the first two months. Now, don't miss it all. It's amazing how you can substitute things like mushrooms to get your 'meat fix', like I'm doing now with tonight's spaghetti.
So yes, I support this thread. And to those GAFers who think they couldn't live without meat, I once thought the same thing. Still love the smell of a cooking steak, though...
Missed meat terribly for the first two months. Now, don't miss it all. It's amazing how you can substitute things like mushrooms to get your 'meat fix', like I'm doing now with tonight's spaghetti.
So yes, I support this thread. And to those GAFers who think they couldn't live without meat, I once thought the same thing. Still love the smell of a cooking steak, though...
kame-sennin
Member
dvdjamm said:
Before I was vegan, I would go to the supermarket every few weeks and buy a twenty pack of frozen hamburgers. Then, I'd grill two for lunch and two for dinner on my George Foreman. Part of the reason I became vegan was that I started to become really concerned about where my diet was taking me.
Anyway, from someone who obviously ate way too much meat, my honest advice would be to not try too hard. If you try to stop eating meat all at once, or if you make yourself feel guilty for slipping, you're just going to make too big a deal out of it (not saying that this is what you did). I suggest slowly cutting one meat group at a time; work your way down gradually. The first thing I did was cut out the hamburgers, but I continued to eat chicken products for a long time. And I stopped eating chicken in dribs and drabs, going a week, two weeks, and then a month without it. Once you get to the point where it's difficult to remember when you last ate meat, stopping altogether will be easy.
WrenchNinja
Member
I just went a month as a vegetarian. At first it was hard but once I found food I liked, it wasn't as much. I ended up eating a lot more bananas, spinach, croissants and cheese for some reason. Not all at once mind you.
AdventureRacing
Member
I have no intentions of becoming a vegetarian but i would like to find some more vegetarian recipes.
Earl Cazone
Member
I think I share my story too
For most part of my teenage and early twenty-something life I was the archenemy of every vegetarian. Not that I disliked their attitude, I always considered vegetarian lifestyle something noble, but I simply didnt eat any veggies. Sure potatoes, but I didnt even ate hamburgers till the age of 16 because there was some lettuce on them most of the time (and cheese).
I later found myself to like lettuce and some other stuff like cauliflower or spinach, but I did not cook them myself or something, i just accepted them as something you could eat. most of the typical veggie stuff wasnt for me.
When I started going to college my meals typically consisted of pizza or other ready made stuff, but I realized that i needed to cook from time to time, so i began to buy some meat and make delicous steaks with rice or comparable simple meals that gave me the illusion of cooking. I think it got healthier as I limited my sodium and fat intake but it still wasnt that great. however,
sometimes, when i was out of rice or pasta i would just eat a few steaks/schnitzels as meal and had no problems with it. i even considered atkins at some point for i was eating meat all the time anyway.
Over the time I had a lot conversations with a girl i knew from school that switched from vegetarian to vegan. We always discussed meatless lifestyle but I always was the one bringing up the typical arguments someone would bring if they are not informed correctly or close their eyes. I, however, got obsessed with the topic and started to do some research myself, trying to avoid radical sources.
I, then, did an experiment. One week vegetarian, no alcohol or sweets. That week was hard and I had no idea what to buy. I was really standing in the market and couldnt buy anything - i still didndt like that many vegetables and most stuff I liked had meat in it. I got me through the week eating cheap pasta and pizza magherita. Didnt like it, at all.
I went back to normal, but I still was obsessed with finding out the truth about it all. I visited some farms but those were only middle sized farms with more or less local meat production.
Then I randomly saw a documentary called "our daily bread" on television. No commentary or anything, it was a bit boring at first but I sticked to it. It left a great impression on me. It gave me an impression of what mass production looks like, not only for animals but also for vegetables and fruits.
I started to eat less and less meat, the meatless monday, i stumbled upon was a great idea. The idea of buying local products appealed to me to get out of the disgusting mass production cycle and shady companies (I also saw a documentary of how contractors of the big meat companies need to buy more and more stuff to keep "up to date" with the new contracts, not being able to pay off their initial investment ).
And someday I said "Ok thats it. No more meat for the rest of the year, and then I see if I liked it or not. That time period was 3 months, so a better indicator than the one week I did earlier. I left the oppurtunity to eat local meat (if possible) once a week, if i needed it. But most of the time, I did not use that, I lost interest in meat. But when I did (for example birthdays where I did not want to be the one with extra wishes) I enjoyed it and did not ruin my lifestyle, since I planned it like that from the start.
And here I am. I still have the choice to eat meat from time to time, but as I said earlier, I lost interest in it and have no cravings at all. The change in my diet also let me lay off my fear of vegetables. I like peppers, cauliflower, spinach, chilis and lots of other stuff. still hate onions though. and lots of other stuff, but it is getting better. And I still wish to become vegan one day but that is going to take a lot time. never eating traditional pizza with cheese? no way. on the other hand, there are cheese alternatives. But lets see what the future brings.
tldr: I hated veggies and mostly ate meat and now am vegetarian that likes a few veggies and loves vegetarian lifestyle.
For most part of my teenage and early twenty-something life I was the archenemy of every vegetarian. Not that I disliked their attitude, I always considered vegetarian lifestyle something noble, but I simply didnt eat any veggies. Sure potatoes, but I didnt even ate hamburgers till the age of 16 because there was some lettuce on them most of the time (and cheese).
I later found myself to like lettuce and some other stuff like cauliflower or spinach, but I did not cook them myself or something, i just accepted them as something you could eat. most of the typical veggie stuff wasnt for me.
When I started going to college my meals typically consisted of pizza or other ready made stuff, but I realized that i needed to cook from time to time, so i began to buy some meat and make delicous steaks with rice or comparable simple meals that gave me the illusion of cooking. I think it got healthier as I limited my sodium and fat intake but it still wasnt that great. however,
sometimes, when i was out of rice or pasta i would just eat a few steaks/schnitzels as meal and had no problems with it. i even considered atkins at some point for i was eating meat all the time anyway.
Over the time I had a lot conversations with a girl i knew from school that switched from vegetarian to vegan. We always discussed meatless lifestyle but I always was the one bringing up the typical arguments someone would bring if they are not informed correctly or close their eyes. I, however, got obsessed with the topic and started to do some research myself, trying to avoid radical sources.
I, then, did an experiment. One week vegetarian, no alcohol or sweets. That week was hard and I had no idea what to buy. I was really standing in the market and couldnt buy anything - i still didndt like that many vegetables and most stuff I liked had meat in it. I got me through the week eating cheap pasta and pizza magherita. Didnt like it, at all.
I went back to normal, but I still was obsessed with finding out the truth about it all. I visited some farms but those were only middle sized farms with more or less local meat production.
Then I randomly saw a documentary called "our daily bread" on television. No commentary or anything, it was a bit boring at first but I sticked to it. It left a great impression on me. It gave me an impression of what mass production looks like, not only for animals but also for vegetables and fruits.
I started to eat less and less meat, the meatless monday, i stumbled upon was a great idea. The idea of buying local products appealed to me to get out of the disgusting mass production cycle and shady companies (I also saw a documentary of how contractors of the big meat companies need to buy more and more stuff to keep "up to date" with the new contracts, not being able to pay off their initial investment ).
And someday I said "Ok thats it. No more meat for the rest of the year, and then I see if I liked it or not. That time period was 3 months, so a better indicator than the one week I did earlier. I left the oppurtunity to eat local meat (if possible) once a week, if i needed it. But most of the time, I did not use that, I lost interest in meat. But when I did (for example birthdays where I did not want to be the one with extra wishes) I enjoyed it and did not ruin my lifestyle, since I planned it like that from the start.
And here I am. I still have the choice to eat meat from time to time, but as I said earlier, I lost interest in it and have no cravings at all. The change in my diet also let me lay off my fear of vegetables. I like peppers, cauliflower, spinach, chilis and lots of other stuff. still hate onions though. and lots of other stuff, but it is getting better. And I still wish to become vegan one day but that is going to take a lot time. never eating traditional pizza with cheese? no way. on the other hand, there are cheese alternatives. But lets see what the future brings.
tldr: I hated veggies and mostly ate meat and now am vegetarian that likes a few veggies and loves vegetarian lifestyle.
Galactic Quail said:Have been strongly thinking about switching to a vegetarian lifestyle to supplement my newfound hobby for cycling.
I've been slowly switching to eating more healthier choices and less meat these days, so how easy/hard might the switch be?
To me, there's nothing like helping our planet, while benefiting my well being in the process!
I respect the moral side of your decision but eating meat is absolutely healthy in normal amounts, healthier than completely avoiding it even. Mind you, I'm talking meat here, not fast food crap. Don't buy in to the saturated fat hoax... teh_pwn had a good post on that on the first page.
My girlfriend is a vegetarian, of the good kind. She's not preachy about it and even bakes me my hamburgers.
I wouldn't mind being veggie, but I know if I was I'd have to go all the way and avoid all the stuff with beef extract, or any single particle of meat product.
It probably helps that the UK is probably one of the best countries to be a veggie in, with Gourmet Burger Kitchen having AMAZING veggie burgers that I actually prefer, even though I'm not vegetarian.
It's just all the technicality bullshit that stops me. Oh, and my metabolism is fast as fuck, so I'd get really skinny if I did.
EDIT: I also found this interesting:
http://www.expatify.com/advice/best-countries-to-be-vegetarian.html
It probably helps that the UK is probably one of the best countries to be a veggie in, with Gourmet Burger Kitchen having AMAZING veggie burgers that I actually prefer, even though I'm not vegetarian.
It's just all the technicality bullshit that stops me. Oh, and my metabolism is fast as fuck, so I'd get really skinny if I did.
EDIT: I also found this interesting:
http://www.expatify.com/advice/best-countries-to-be-vegetarian.html
Earl Cazone
Member
Meadows said:
you could start by just not eating meat directly and forget about "particles" and stuff. You would not need to care about the details but contribute to a good cause. and whenever you are in the mood you can check the ingredients of stuff.
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