# So, after nearly three decades, I decided to kick vegetarianism **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 10, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057 "2014-09-10T07:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/1 "2014-09-10T07:06:14Z")
To begin with, I was raised vegetarian from the day I was born. It was a religious thing at first, and even as I matured and eventually outgrew religion, I retained the diet, first for ethical reasons, then purely through force of habit. I was seldom tempted to transgress; the very idea of consuming flesh of any kind seemed repugnant. So I just stayed the course for a long time. But after a while, one starts to wonder what one is missing, no? I’d gradually come to realize that I didn’t have any _reason_ to continue being vegetarian – after all, I didn’t seem to have any qualms about buying leather shoes or gloves or jackets, so any claims about “ethics” would be pretty hypocritical. I guess I may have also been motivated by occasional ribbing (no pun intended) from friends and coworkers who argued that I was missing out. It was also something of a social burden, always being “that guy” who needed a vegetarian option any time I was part of a group going out to eat. So, recently I’ve just said “to hell with it,” and started expanding my culinary horizons. Like a Mormon schoolgirl making her first inevitable forays into kinky sexual experimentation, I strapped myself in for the ride and started putting meat in my mouth. Some interesting and surprising things I’ve learned: [ul] [li] I don’t like bacon. Really. It’s either tough or crispy and I don’t like either texture, and it’s too salty. Not much flavor otherwise. Odd, because I always assumed I would love it. The smell does nothing for me either.[/li][li] I don’t like chicken. Another big surprise, since loving chicken seems to be a universal characteristic of humanity. The smell and flavor make me a little bit queasy, and the texture is weird. Maybe I haven’t tried enough different preparations yet.[/li][li] Despite looking like pre-chewed barf, Philly cheesesteaks are _awesome_. They were the first real vindication of my experiment.[/li][li] Meat in general is a lot tougher and chewier than I expected it to be. This took some getting used to. My reference point for meat-like foods was generally tofu or garden burgers and the like, all of which are fall-apart tender as a rule. Actually having to chew through muscle tissue for the first time was an interesting experience.[/li][li] Meatballs are great, as are sausages. Don’t tell me what’s in them, I don’t need to know.[/li][li] Ham and pineapple pizza is incredible, but this is mainly because of the pineapple. I already knew that pineapple was awesome.[/li][/ul] So! I’m still very new at this, a freshly de-virgined innocent of the world of carnivory. Does anybody have any advice? I’ve yet to try a real steak. Definitely on my to-eat list. Any recommendations? Now that I’ve pushed across that personal boundary, I feel the need to experience everything. Where’s a good place to try alligator? Rattlesnake? Emu? Panda? _Human??_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/2 "2014-09-10T07:11:22Z")
I recommend [this](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe.html) for steak. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/3 "2014-09-10T07:38:39Z")
I think chicken is worth experimenting with some more. It is not only universally available, which can be very convenient, but it has hidden depths. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/4 "2014-09-10T07:39:46Z")
Sashimi? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/5 "2014-09-10T08:00:38Z")
It sounds like you might like slow-cooked meats - pulled pork, brisket, etc - just find someone/somewhere that cooks them juicy, not dry. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/6 "2014-09-10T08:03:17Z")
Also, take it easy. Your body may need time to adjust to eating meat - the balance of your gut flora, your body’s production of various digestive things, etc - it’s probably a bad idea to binge out (if that was any kind of likelihood). ---
**Author:** ![huitzilopochtli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@huitzilopochtli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/huitzilopochtli)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/7 "2014-09-10T08:21:43Z")
When I first decided to become non-vegetarian, the first thing I remember really enjoying was steak. Filet mignon. Medium rare. It was the first thing that didn’t have the smell or texture of dead animal to me. I remember that bite still. But it was at Ruth’s Chris. Yeah, take it easy on your tummy, especially with pork. It’s tough to digest to begin with, especially if you haven’t had it in a while/ever and you will soon enough be addicted to the taste and smell of bacon if you eat it occasionally. I still think of chicken as a utility food and kinda yucky unless marinated and cooked really well. But bacon… You might also like barbacoa? ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Bragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Stealth\_Bragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Bragg)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/8 "2014-09-10T11:42:48Z")
Did you used to eat fish? Some fish is nice like lemon sole or steamed salmon. A lot of fish is just yuk though, eg. kippers have (IMO) a funny jelly-ish texture. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/9 "2014-09-10T11:48:08Z")
Hate to ask, but how are your bowel movements? Like someone said above your body has to get used to this new food. I wonder if your body knows how to process fats and cholesterol? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/10 "2014-09-10T11:57:28Z")
Is there a White Castle near you? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/11 "2014-09-10T12:12:07Z")
Since you like cheesesteaks, meatballs, and sausages, try an Italian sub/grinder/hoagie. Or just some high quality sliced Italian cold cuts, like mortadella, capicola, salami, proscuitto, and more. Also, what do you think about hot dogs and burgers? Did you eat eggs, milk/cheese, and fish before? ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/12 "2014-09-10T12:13:56Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I think chicken is worth experimenting with some more. It is not only universally available, which can be very convenient, but it has hidden depths. You may well be right; I’m trying to keep an open mind and try new things. My first experience with chicken was grilled chicken at a Portuguese restaurant; and aside from the vaguely unpleasant “chickeny” flavor and an almost disturbingly cheesy texture, it was kinda bland. I’ve tried a couple other things since then (tandoori chicken and a chicken burrito), and had the same impression of the flavor. I haven’t given up on it entirely, though. > [@Stealth\_Bragg](#): > > Did you used to eat fish? Some fish is nice like lemon sole or steamed salmon. A lot of fish is just yuk though, eg. kippers have (IMO) a funny jelly-ish texture. I’d never eaten fish before either. I was a vegetarian vegetarian, not a pescatarian. (Was raised hindu, if that helps explain anything.) So far I’ve tried a sandwich containing fried halibut (gag-inducingly slimy and gross, will not try again) and grilled salmon (not bad). > [@Mangetout](#): > > Also, take it easy. Your body may need time to adjust to eating meat - the balance of your gut flora, your body’s production of various digestive things, etc - it’s probably a bad idea to binge out (if that was any kind of likelihood). > [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Hate to ask, but how are your bowel movements? Like someone said above your body has to get used to this new food. I wonder if your body knows how to process fats and cholesterol? It actually seems to have been no adjustment at all – not even after the cheesesteak. I have not noticed any discomfort or irregularity. But then, I’ve always had a pretty high-protein, high-fat diet. (Not to mention high-carb… high everything, pretty much!) I was never a vegan; cheese and other dairy foods form a not insignificant part of my intake. ---
**Author:** ![Tremblay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e56c9b/32.png) [@Tremblay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tremblay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/13 "2014-09-10T12:19:08Z")
Welcome to the other side! Two words for you: fried chicken. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/14 "2014-09-10T12:20:10Z")
If you didn’t eat eggs, try eggs in every style – soft and hard-boiled, scrambled, fried over hard and easy, sunny side up, omelettes, etc. For fish – try shrimp (boiled, sauteed, fried, and other), other shellfish (crab, oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, even lobster), and fish in all styles. I love fried catfish, grilled tuna and salmon, and most types of sushi. Try a tuna salad sandwich. Tell us what you think of sushi when you try it! Most seafood restaurants have a seafood platter that will give you a little of everything. This is pretty exciting, actually. Please keep us updated! ---
**Author:** ![Stealth\_Potato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Stealth\_Potato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stealth_Potato)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/15 "2014-09-10T12:20:50Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Since you like cheesesteaks, meatballs, and sausages, try an Italian sub/grinder/hoagie. Or just some high quality sliced Italian cold cuts, like mortadella, capicola, salami, proscuitto, and more. Also, what do you think about hot dogs and burgers? I had a meatball sub at a local deli which I have to describe as a kind of religious experience. For starters, I ordered a 12" since my previous experience with sandwich places has been that they tend to slightly exaggerate when they say “footlong.” So I was a little unprepared when they heaved a hot, hard thirteen inches of meaty goodness into my hands. Thing must’ve weighed three pounds, took a monumental effort to get it all inside me… Uhm. Where were we? I’ve tried a couple of burgers, found them quite tasty. My favorite was one with jalapeno and pineapple and barbecue sauce. Haven’t tried a real hot dog yet. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Did you eat eggs, milk/cheese, and fish before? Milk and cheese, very much yes, as I mentioned in my last post. Everything else, no. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/16 "2014-09-10T12:22:45Z")
Eggs are cheap and available at diners everywhere, so I hope you try eggs in every style soon! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/17 "2014-09-10T12:23:45Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > So I was a little unprepared when they heaved a hot, hard thirteen inches of meaty goodness into my hands. Thing must’ve weighed three pounds, took a monumental effort to get it all inside me… TWSS. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/18 "2014-09-10T12:24:17Z")
Welcome to the dark side. We have meat. But you already knew that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/19 "2014-09-10T12:27:51Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > So I was a little unprepared when they heaved a hot, hard thirteen inches of meaty goodness into my hands. Thing must’ve weighed three pounds, took a monumental effort to get it all inside me… Uhm. Where were we? Ummmm… I think porn goes in the secret porn forum? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2014, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057/20 "2014-09-10T12:30:19Z")
> [@Stealth\_Potato](#): > > Now that I’ve pushed across that personal boundary, I feel the need to experience everything. Where’s a good place to try alligator? Rattlesnake? Emu? Panda? _Human??_ 😃 What’s your view on eating insects? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-after-nearly-three-decades-i-decided-to-kick-vegetarianism/698057.md?page=2)