Are you a vegetarian?

[mvd]

I'm not right now, but I feel bad when I eat meat. So maybe someday I'll take the plunge.

[amazona]

1. no it's much too expensive

The health problem I needed to fix by becoming a vegetarian has been fixed for many years now, knock on wood. I feel sorry for people who are trapped into only eating certain kinds of food. It gets crazy expensive. Chicken is close to the same price it was in the 1960s, while fresh vegetables are through the roof. You just can't get sufficient calories at a reasonable cost any more if you are veggie. It is scary.

[villager]

3. beans? pasta? tofu? etc.?

fresh veggies are great -- but not the only thing we "veggies" eat...

[mark414]

14. try being a vegan

i've had multiple vegan friends find themselves in the hospital once they moved out and their parents stopped paying for their food...

[expatriot]

30. it isn't that hard....

Find about 8 recipes you really like and whallaa--- it doesn't have to be expensive. There are a lot of "accidentally" vegan foods also...

my wife and i love sheperd's pie, vegan chili, burritos, all sorts of pasta dishes, stir fry, the list is really endless.

[flvegan]

49. Very true. My diet has actually expanded since going vegan.

I also have found that I enjoy cooking. It's not the same old "what'll I slather on the chicken this time?" as it was several years ago for me.

[jobycom]

16. That's just goofy

Rice and beans are much less expensive than chicken, and much better on the environment to produce. I don't feel trapped into a certain type of food, but then again, I never liked chicken, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice to give up.

[Bouncy Ball]

32. That's crazy, I spend LESS now that we're vegetarian!

Not buying any meat took a decent-sized chunk out of my food budget.

I was buying vegetables and fruit even before we were vegetarian, so there's no difference there, I basically just took meat OUT, which means my food budget went down.

[Left Is Write]

39. I'm not a vegetarian, but I agree with you.

Whether I'm buying meat or not, I'm still going to be buying lots of fresh produce.

[yewberry]

44. Eating veg is cheaper, period.

Sorry, it just is.

I've been doing this for 19 years.

No offense meant, but it really is cheaper to eat veg.

Questions? Ask away. I've been doing this for a long time.

[sbj405]

46. Plant based protein sources are much cheaper than meat.

I get TVP for $1/lb at the co-op. That rehydrates to make enough chili, sloppy joes, tacos, etc. for many meals.

Tofu is usually under $2/lb, same with tempeh.

Beans are very cheap.

I heard on the radio yesterday that average price of beef is over $4/lb and rising with fuel prices.

[Cha]

2. That's why I "took

the plunge" cause I wasn't feeling well anymore. Some people feel better without meat and some probably do better with it.

[mvd]

7. I love pasta, so maybe I could get away with it

I'll have to give it a lot of thought and planning before such a big change, though.

[jobycom]

20. Pasta's a trap

You can eat it, just don't center your meals around it if you become veg. It's empty carbs, and will leave you without a lot of vitamins and nutrients. You'll have to eat more food to get what you need, and you'll get fatter, and may even develop cholesterol problems, even being a vegetarian. (Been there).

It's not just about giving up meat and eating more of everything else. You do have to learn to balance a vegetarian meal, just as you were raised being taught to balance a meat meal.

[mvd]

23. I understand

Pasta could be a major part, but you really don't want to eat too much of anything. Besides lacking in nutrition, it would get boring.

[Cha]

54. Right! No one would

believe the things I eat to stay healthy being a Vegan.

Organic Millet,Organic Brown Rice, Organic Corn Tortillas, beans, All kinds of organic vegetables, tofu(yes), organic fruits..and I've been doing it for 25 years.

I work in a co-op so it's easy to get things.:P

[flygal]

41. try brown rice

we've been eating more of it - topped with veggies cooked in olive oil - instead of pasta. mmmmmmm. Only problem - you have to cook it longer and I hate the wait.

[deadparrot]

4. No, not technically,

but I'm not a red meat person at all. I rarely eat it.

I eat poultry and seafood, though.

[Floogeldy]

5. I was for about three years

All I ate was cooked whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, nuts and seeds, mostly. I keep threatening to do it again.

I disagree with the above poster who says it is too expensive. It is a very cheap way to eat.

[jobycom]

22. The three year trap

I lot of people lose it around three years, for some reason. I've gone through intense meet cravings all of a sudden at three years. I don't know what causes it, but it's pretty common. A lot of people I meet say they were vegetarian for three years, then quit.

[Floogeldy]

26. Interesting

:)

[Kathleen04]

31. I guess I made it over the hump!

Going on 7 yrs.

[jobycom]

37. Did you feel the hump?

Did you feel a problem at three years? I don't know if it's a psychological or physiological thing.

[Kathleen04]

40. Nope..

Didn't notice anything @ 3 yrs; I still read labels for hidden animal ingredients, lose my appetite and stop eating my meal if I should happen to find a stray piece of meat in it..

I've had dreams before where I'm eating a hamburger or something..thinking nothing of it, then get mad at myself for going back on my vegetarianism though I've never done that in real life. :shrug: Strange subconscious..

[Ekirh]

6. Not Right now...

But I'm (Hopefully moving) out of my grand parents at the beginning of fall semester... in which I think I'm going to give it an attempt. I'll be (hopefully) moving in with one of my closest friends who happens to be a vegetarian so I'm pretty sure she would be able to help me along and such. If not full vegetarian... I hope to definitely cut back on the amount of meat I've been "munching" on. Not going to go into huge explantions and/or descriptions but health reasons with a small hint of animal rights on the side is the reason.

[Huckebein the Raven]

8. No

[Beware the Beast Man]

9. I tried years ago so I could lose weight.

Turns out I'm not much of a meateater anyway- carbs are my downfall.

[Deja Q]

10. Considering it, but don't tell that to my pet carrot or cantaloupe!

:scared:

[jobycom]

11. That's how it started for me

I never really took the plunge, I just one day realized I was no longer eating meat.

I quit cooking it a long time ago, but would still eat it when I went out, which at times was weeks apart, and at other times was three or four times a week. Eventually, years later, I stopped that, too.

Read up on it, alter your diet a little to start including more bean and rice dishes, and vegetables, so that if you do quit meat, you'll be ready. What happens is, for two days you feel a little empty, like you're craving meat. Then you feel like someone washed your body from the inside--you're light, energetic, almost hyper, and your brain is suddenly very clear, even if you don't realize now it is dulled by meat. That feeling lasts two weeks, and then, if you haven't started eating properly, you start to feel a bit weaker, then a bit dizzy, as your body runs out of fats and protein stores. A lot of people give up then, claiming they just have to have the meat. But if you have adjusted your diet, or adjust it then, that phase doesn't last long and you get to feeling clean again.

It's nice, especially if you don't feel good eating meat. You'll have more confidence and a sense of rightness, to go with the increased energy, memory, stamina and, dare I say it, sexual functionality.

That was my experience. I've also known people who just fell apart and couldn't handle it. You can't tell to you try it, I guess.

[Bouncy Ball]

34. I never felt weak.

I'm a vegetarian of two months now. So still a newbie to it.

But the thing is, I was never a huge meat-eater anyway. So it wasn't a giant adjustment, just a small one.

:shrug:

In fact, I've never felt more energetic in all my life. I feel "lighter" somehow, even though I've only lost about 2-3 pounds, not a lot, but I can't describe it any other way. I don't feel as weighed down as I did when I ate meat.

Also, I'm not vegan--we still do diary (ORGANIC ONLY) so I still get plenty of protein. Most meat-eating Americans get about twice as much protein as they need, so this puts me at about normal amounts.

I feel great! :hi:

[flygal]

42. We do a protein heavy vegan meal once a day

with beans, nuts, brown rice - yum. We do eat meat about 2-3 times a week but only when we're eating out. I agree, feel so much better and have also dropped a couple of pounds. I'm sticking to this diet better than the low carb thing b/c I'm not depriving myself of something I realy enjoy.

[ghostsofgiants]

12. No

I like the concept, but I'm a weak, weak man who loves his steak.

[Ophelia Rising]

13. I just found out the other day that I'm a "pescatarian"

I used to be a regular ol' veggie for 6 years, but I started to get really sick.....so I started eating fish and I feel a lot better....I try to only eat the fish I catch and clean myself, but I do love me some tuna, and I can't catch that in Iowa! I've been fishing since I could hold my own pole, and it's actually been really good for me spiritualy to take responsibility for catching and cleaning the fish and thanking them for their sacrifice. I still practice a lot of catch and release though, I only keep what I need. Some people think it's crazy, but for me it's the best way to stay healthy and stay connected to nature and my actions at the same time.....

[jobycom]

24. Don't take this wrong, I mean it light-heartedly

I just thought of you thanking the fish for their sacrifice, and had an image of Bush thanking the Iraqi kids he is killing for their sacrifice.

I know what you mean. There is a closer connection of a person to the earth and the life cycle when they are fully involved in killing the animal they eat. It sounds gruesome, but I've heard others describe it as spiritual, too, and I can see why it is.

Sadly, I heard Ted Nugent and his wife say exactly the same thing.

[Ophelia Rising]

27. Yikes!

It's hard to take that "light-heartedly"....for me it's just a natural thing, very much in the ways of my Lakota ancestors....I pray before I go out on the boat, I only take what I feel I need, and I thank the fish and the Great Spirit for providing me with food......however, thinking of doing it to a deer or a buffalo or a cow or a turkey (etc) is just too much for me....and 15-20 fish a year allowing me to have sustanence seems very different than the killing of innocent children, so I have a hard time seeing where you're coming from, no matter how "light-hearted" it is....it actually makes me sick to my stomach to be compared to that.

[jobycom]

28. Sorry, wasn't my intention

It was more an image of Bush being delusional than a comparison to him. You're image made me thing of his darker image.

I know a lot of hunters. Some are just dumb bubbas who think it's cool to off a deer, but some genuinely feel more connected to the earth because they kill their own food, rather than buying it. To me, fish are alive, too, so maybe the difference isn't as apparent to me between killing a fish or killing a turkey.

[Ophelia Rising]

33. So now I made you think of someone delusional?

Geeeeeezzzzz! J/K! I hear what you're saying...it is very hard for me to kill a living animal, so when I started getting sick, I knew I had to find a way to get some protien. When the soy products and other beans weren't doing it for me and I realized I had to start eating a living animal for protien, I had to make a conscious decision to be as responsible for my actions as I could, thus the fishing. It is the most natural for me, I was raised fishing and respecting all living beings. I decided that it is what is best for me, rather than totally seperating myself from the responsibility of my actions by just buying it in a store......I do run into problems with the tuna though, so I may be giving it up soon, I feel really guilty about it.

[RebelOne]

51. I am curious. Why do you feel guilty about tuna?

Why is tuna different from other fish?

[RebelOne]

50. I guess that's what I am also.

I do not eat anything with hair, fur or feathers, but I do eat fish.

[uppityperson]

15. Sometimes ovo-lacto

Will eat vegan or omnivore food too. I recently found out vegan is pronounced vee-gun, not vej-an. Never too old to learn something.

[elshiva]

17. Vegetarian, no fish, but do eat dairy and eggs.

[Lannes]

18. Was for a year in high school

Felt great for a while but eventually I couldnt resist the siren song of the BBQ. :)

[Redstone]

19. Geez, I LOVE that "I will eat fish" category;

I've always been amused but people who call themselves vegetarians, though they eat fish.

Fish are the damnedest vegetables I've ever seen...every year, I plant those mackerels in the garden, water them every day, but they NEVER grow.

Maybe I should try planting trout instead?

Redstone

[jobycom]

25. I make lamb!

The reason Catholics can eat fish on Fridays during lent goes back to the medieval Europe and the attitude that fish was a type of fruit. The French and Italians both call seafood "fruit of the sea," and ages ago it was thought of as a type of fruit. Catholics during the Middle Ages weren' supposed to eat any meat on Fridays, and early on, weren't supposed to eat any meat at all during Lent. This wasn't a big change for most people--it is expensive to produce meat, and most medieval Europeans couldn't afford it very often. The lords would not allow them to hunt, either. They lived off grains and legumes, which is why I think people of northern European descent are better suited to vegetarianism--years of selective breeding--whereas other peoples aren't as suited.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. I'm an omnivore...

But I know and respect folks who are vegetarian/vegan, and I have no problem with what they eat or don't. We all need to make choices based on what's best for each one of us, and without condemnation or criticism of what anyone else is doing.

:hi:

[fujiyama]

29. I only eat

poulty and that too on occassion at a restaurant when the vegetarian items on the menu don't look too appetizing.

At many places there are decent enough vegetarian alternatives so I try to go with those.

I would like some recommendations for vegetarian cooking though. Anyone know where I could get good recipes?

[AmyDeLune]

35. The New Laurel's Kitchen cookbook

Lots of good recipes and lots of good nutrition information.

[Bouncy Ball]

36. I'm a vegetarian.

No seafood. But I do consume diary though organic only is the rule and has been for a while with us.

I've been a vegetarian since April 2 of this year! I feel great! And I thought I'd be limiting myself with foods, but actually I've expanded the types of foods I will eat quite a lot.

[cestpaspossible]

38. No but I like vegetarian food

[Blue_In_AK]

43. No meat since April 10

but I'm getting ready to smoke some king salmon left over in our freezer from last summer. My guess is I'll be eating it ... it's just too damn good.

[DemExpat]

45. No mammal meats for me for over a year....

I do eat some free range organic chicken, and fish.

Since I love beans, and eat cheese and eggs, I do not feel protein deprived at all, and as I get older I find I do need protein and less carbs.

DemEx

[tjwmason]

47. No

I have no personal moral qualms about eating meat per se, modern farming practices raise a large number of question though and I much prefer game or free-range food.

That said, I stick to traditional Catholic food rules which means no meat on Fridays, or during Lent, and on various other days of the year. The typical modern western diet has too much meat in it (and that meat is generally too highly processed), and even if not for religious reasons taking a regular day-off meat is good for one (i.m.o.).

That said, I'm not one of these loons who takes every opportunity to attack vegetarians. Whatever floats your boat (so to speak), I also have an admiration for the strict vegetarians who research things and know their stuff about what contains animal products and not - it's a very strong stand on conscience, and I know that it can be very difficult.

[flvegan]

48. Vegan here.

5 years now. Never felt better.

[liberalpress]

52. I used to be a Lutheran, though....

[jukes]

53. i do not eat the flesh

of any creature. am TOO fond of dairy, & have to perform maintenance on my cholesterol levels.