This polling thread is inspired by my very new conversion to vegetarianism. I converted to vegetarianism in order to help fight animal cruelty. It was made “official” by me today, but I haven’t eaten meat since the morning of March 6, 2013 anyways. In one month, we (as in my family and I) will review this change and see how it impacts my life, but most likely, I am going to stick to it.
So with that, I have now decided to create a poll solely for fun (don’t worry, I am not looking to try to “convert” anyone here) and see where Dopers stand on this.
The poll should be up and running very shortly. I will not vote in the poll until this one month trial period is over.
I know a lot of people will probably say you’re too young to make this decision, and certainly there are many young vegetarians who don’t last a long time, but there are many who do. I became a vegetarian over 17 years ago, when I was 10. Good luck, enjoy yourself, & remember that meat-eaters are not the enemy, just people who’ve made a different choice.
I’ve been a vegetarian for about 18 years now, since my younger child was weaned. I never was all that enthusiastic about meat, but that’s when it became “official”. Given that I’m still consuming eggs and dairy, I don’t feel all that virtuous on the animal cruelty front, although I do pay attention to which producers I buy from.
If you treat it as a personal choice rather than an evangelistic religion, people should be fairly accepting, if not supportive. It’s amazing how interested other people can get about other people’s diets.
I was ovo-lacto-vegetarian for about 2.5 years, when I realized about two years ago that continuing to eat factory farmed eggs and dairy was just as bad as eating factory farmed meat. So I went in another direction. Knowing full well the world will never change to vegetarianism, I feel the answer is to support only local family farms that do it right and raise happy, pastured animals. I know my farmer’s name and where the farm is. I buy all the meat and eggs I eat from her and the co-op she runs with three other farms. I have cut all factory farmed animal products from my diet, so eat vegan if I buy food away from home. (everything in my pantry is vegan)
The closest I get to large-scale farmed animal products is dairy from Organic Valley, unless I can get to the nearest locavore store and get really local stuff, or farmer’s markets in the summer. I do miss cheese, and use the vegan substitute stuff on my potatoes if I really get a hankerin’, and get it from the farmer’s market in the summer.
I eat meat, but I don’t have the odd compulsion some meat-eaters seem to, where they feel obligated to eat meat with every meal. In practice, a fair amount of what I make for myself ends up being vegetarian, just because meat can be inconvenient (shorter shelf life, more of a nuisance to cook, etc.).
Perhaps, rather than being an “odd compulsion”, it’s more of a personal preference? Perhaps there are actually people out there who enjoy eating meat with every meal?
I’m a seasonal vegetarian. In the cold days, autumn, winter, early spring, I eat meat once or twice a week. Come full spring, summer, early fall, and meat is out.
There was a time in my life when I was a vegetarian, but it drastically harmed my health. I recovered, but I know other people who have permanently harmed themselves through vegetarianism (severe nerve damage due to B-12 deficiency). It can take years or even decades for the ill effects to show up. Do as you think right, but monitor yourself, and take B-vitamin supplements, especially B-12, folic acid, and folate. Good luck!
This is the way to go if you can not raise your own. That being said, in most cases it really is not an option for a major chunk of the population of the US that live away from agricultural areas that can support the population that want to buy their meat and dairy in this manner.
I am a happy omnivore and am known at my local chinese place for being the only nonvegetarian who orders the tofu versions of most of their menu. I also make my own tofu, which is fun
Last fall I was considering switching either to a vegetarian or vegan diet. I asked my doctor about it and he was not pleased, and for more or less the same reason - concern over my getting inadequate nutrition. He said that if I went through with switching to either diet he’d want to start running blood tests periodically to detect areas where my diet was falling short of my body’s nutritional needs.
So I switched instead to a diet consisting almost solely of fresh fruits and vegetables (cooked for the most part, save for greens), whole grains, nuts, eggs and lean meats. This was last September, and honestly I feel better, younger, and more energetic than I have in decades, and hunger pangs are a thing of the past. What they say about the benefits of eating this way really is true.
I was lacto-ovo veggie for seven years, during which I was vegan for half a year. I worked as a vegan sous chef for a couple of years. I put on unwanted weight due to too many carbs. A Sven and Ole’s pizza ended my veggie life, and my weight returned to normal.
I think the trick is to have a balanced diet, be it veggie, vegan or carnivore. From an ethical position, vegan rocks, but from a health perspective, it did not work for me simply because I deapise eating most veggies.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian. Haven’t eaten dead animal since November 1995. I had also previously been L.O.V. from 1976 to 1985. Additionally, from 2000 to 2006 I was vegan. I have now been vegetarian totaling nearly half my lifespan so far.
That, too. I didn’t say that all meat-eaters were compulsive about it, just that there are some. For example, one time I was at a pizza place with my dad. I say “The Thai pizza here is pretty good”, and point it out on the menu. He looks at the description and says (confused) “But it doesn’t have any meat.”. “Yes, I know, but it’s good.” “But it’s not Friday. We’re allowed to eat meat.”, as if that settled it: If eating meat were an option, it was completely inconceivable to him to not eat meat.
Well, many people may have been raised to see meat as the necessary protein portion of their meal and without it, their meal would be incomplete and nutritionally lacking.
I went vegan + fish a few months ago. I finally figured out what my body did’t like by using elimination diets. Looks like my immune system is in overdrive as I react to mammal and bird meat, mammal milks (including cheese and butter), and olives, garlic, and celery. I do miss a good charred steak with garlic butter and cheddar biscuits.
But now I’m not starving hungry all the time, my bowels have settled down, and I lost 20 pounds easy.
