Reply #21: There are a lot of variations. I've known a lot of "vegetarians" that eat chicken. [View All]

[HopeHoops]

We do eggs and dairy. We did fish for a couple of years after dropping land critters from our diet but then it just stopped being "food". A can of tuna just seemed like cat food. I grew up on crabs, but the last time I had them they were disgusting. One smelled of oil, the next of ammonia, another like photographic chemicals. I couldn't eat them - and that was TWENTY FUCKING YEARS AGO! I imagine they are worse now. They do consume the dregs (literally) of the waterways. I never remember one that smelled that way as a kid. If it smelled funky, it smelled bad as in "it was dead when it went in the pot".

The worst case of "vegetarian" I know of is one of my wife's friends. She likes iceberg lettuce salads and will have chunked tomato on it, but she doesn't like mushrooms or any other vegetable. She mostly lives on pizza. This, I'm thinking, is not a good diet.

In our 21 years as vegetarians, we have developed a diverse and far more interesting diet than most meat-eaters can even comprehend. It is fun to have them over for a meal. They're usually shocked to find they like things they never would have considered cooking themselves. It takes a little work up front, research, trial and LOTS of error, but before long it seems like you've been that way your entire life. My kids, on the other hand, have been. They 19, 16, and almost 15. The older two have tried small amounts of meat but the youngest was never interested. We decided before they were born that it would be their decision as soon as they knew what they were eating. The eldest tried it at 2 1/2 and her total consumption is probably less than a McD's burger. The middle one barely licked her samples. None of them has touched meat in at least 10 years. They always are complimented on their health by the doctor and have very healthy BMI numbers.

Frankly, getting family to accept it was the hardest part - especially since my wife went through three (healthy) pregnancies while vegetarian. Everyone was concerned about the kids, but nobody would question it now.