# Meat eaters: Could you be a vegetarian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2015, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768 "2015-11-17T01:42:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/81 "2015-11-19T00:16:07Z")
Nope. There are so, so many foods that give me digestive or GERD type troubles, including things like soy, oats, and rice(!!!), that I am not willing to remove one of the few categories of food that mostly doesn’t. Only pork and hamburger cause me issues, so I’m certainly not willing to cut out all the types of meat that don’t. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/82 "2015-11-19T00:18:07Z")
yeah, probably. though (other than a couple of the Morningstar veggie patties) I’d prefer to avoid fake meat. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/83 "2015-11-19T01:56:45Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I was vegetarian for eight years, and vegaquarian for another 13. I take it that vegaquarian = eating fish / seafood, but not mammals or birds – as in quote from **DrDeth** below. It’s just that I’ve not come across the word before; more used to “pescetarian” to mean this. > [@DrDeth](#): > > And when non-faith based vegetarianism first was popularized in the early 20th century, fish were commonly included. I reckon that I could maybe just about endure a vegaquarian / pescetarian diet; but, oh my, I’d still greatly miss the mammals-and-birds. In such circumstances I could imagine, in desperation, looking into the possibilities of insects… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/84 "2015-11-19T02:14:57Z")
Become a vegetarian? Not voluntarily! Neither could the Buddhist wife, or for that matter the vast majority of Buddhist Thais. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/85 "2015-11-19T02:43:30Z")
We were semi-veg in college. Semi-vegitarian was kind of the term for people who were mostly too poor to eat meat. I’m sure it’s even more common in England than it was in Aus. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/86 "2015-11-19T02:51:08Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > I take it that vegaquarian = eating fish / seafood, but not mammals or birds – as in quote from **DrDeth** below. It’s just that I’ve not come across the word before; more used to “pescetarian” to mean this. “vegaquarian” = “not vegetarian.” if you eat fish/shellfish, you’re not a fucking vegetarian. you’re just a liar. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/87 "2015-11-19T02:57:03Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > “vegaquarian” = “not vegetarian.” if you eat fish/shellfish, you’re not a fucking vegetarian. you’re just a liar. _Sez you_.:rolleyes: Sez others, fish are just fine, and have been for a thousand years. Sez yet others, _you’re_ not a true vegetarian either, you’re a faker. Maybe you can join the Breatharians? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/88 "2015-11-19T03:58:33Z")
**jz78817** , cool it. Your tone is inappropriate for this thread and borderline insulting. > [@jz78817](#): > > “vegaquarian” = “not vegetarian.” if you eat fish/shellfish, you’re not a fucking vegetarian. you’re just a liar. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/89 "2015-11-19T08:35:45Z")
No. It’s not just that meat is so delicious. But I hate, hate, hate vegetables (and don’t care much for fruits). As a kid, having vegetables in my mouth was garanteed to make me gag. It’s not as bad nowadays but really, if I became a vegetarian, I’d probably starve. Or more realistically, lose _a lot_ a weight. And eating would turn into a miserable affair. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/90 "2015-11-19T08:37:30Z")
I’ve had girlfriends that were vegetarian and adapted to it, so I am pretty sure I could do it myself. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/91 "2015-11-19T11:22:44Z")
> [@Melbourne](#): > > We were semi-veg in college. > > Semi-vegitarian was kind of the term for people who were mostly too poor to eat meat. I’m sure it’s even more common in England than it was in Aus. My nephew dated a “vegetarian” once. We had them over for dinner one night. I made hamburgers on the grill as well as a vegetarian offering for her, but she asked for a burger. Turns out she was the kind of vegetarian that eats hamburgers. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/92 "2015-11-19T11:24:05Z")
Sometimes I will end up eating vegetarian for a few days due to the system I use - pre-plan two meals each day that start with huge piles of vegetables. So I may end up with a container of vegetables with leftover dahl or leftover bean chili say if that’s what I’ve got. However I have relatives that are longtime vegetarians. They always seem listless and don’t look like they are in robust good health. They also need vitamins to make up for dietary deficiencies so although I eat vegetarian when I visit them I wouldn’t dream of it as a lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/93 "2015-11-19T11:39:38Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > However I have relatives that are longtime vegetarians. They always seem listless and don’t look like they are in robust good health. They also need vitamins to make up for dietary deficiencies so although I eat vegetarian when I visit them I wouldn’t dream of it as a lifestyle. then it sounds like they believe simply “not eating meat” is how to be healthy, and subsist on junk food. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/94 "2015-11-19T15:38:43Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > then it sounds like they believe simply “not eating meat” is how to be healthy, and subsist on junk food. I’ve known vegetarians like that. One I knew seemed to have a a diet consisting exclusively of potato chips and ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/95 "2015-11-19T17:06:51Z")
I could if someone made all my meals. Eating no meat requires a lot of chopping, slicing, and dicing and I have no patience for that. But really, I don’t want to. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/96 "2015-11-19T17:36:18Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > If I _wanted_ to I’m sure I could. But the thing is, I don’t. Another ‘me too’. The quality of life that the broader food experience brings is easily supported by sustainable livestock practices. I won’t do exploited unsustainable stuff (e.g. no black rhino burgers or blue whale kebabs) but otherwise I have no problems with meat. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768/97 "2015-11-19T18:31:49Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’ve known vegetarians like that. One I knew seemed to have a a diet consisting exclusively of potato chips and ice cream. It’s not eating vegetarian that’s healthy, it’s eating a healthy diet. The best\* healthy\* diet includes a modest amount of meat. Of course some people can’t eat anything in moderation, and have to cut something out 100% rather than 'moderation". [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meat-eaters-could-you-be-a-vegetarian/737768.md?page=4)