Any Other Vegetarians??

[mulroony]

I know it kind of came up on the vegetarian thread before, but I was just wondering how many people here are vegetarian. I am just curious to see if the rate is higher among dog lovers, since the love of dogs was part of a spark of conversion for me among a long list of other things.

[Raised By Wolves]

Omnivore here.

I think if someone wants to be a vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, or whatever, it's their own personal choice. But some folks just get a little too "militant" when it comes to letting others make up their own minds.

Just another "holy" crusade in my book.

I tend to be more of an outdoors, live off the land kind of gal, and definately eat a variety of animal proteins. Mmmm.

The only problem I've ever had with anyone who chooses a specific "path" of food choices, (or any other personal choices), is having their views shoved down my throat or being lectured to and told I'm "evil" for eating meat.

I have found a few of the more hard core folks, to almost use their food choices as an attention getting device or as an "effectation", rather than living by example and educating those who are interested.

A friend of mine had a girlfriend who made every social dining experience a grand dance around her food choices. She had everyone scrambling to find something she could eat, that we could eat, that still tasted good to all of us. I was starting to think vegetarians should just hang with vegetarians.

But, then I had a roommate, who wasn't like this at all. She taught me how to cook some fantastic, healthy, non-meat dishes that were amazing. She never rammed her views down anyone's throat, but was happy to educate others of the values of living meat free. She lived and taught by example, and gained my respect.

Me, I'm still an omnivore, but I don't try and convert anyone or disrupt their meals because I don't believe in their food choices.

[mulroony]

RBW - I can understand where you are coming from and totally agree. Becoming vegetarian was my choice, and I try to make it a point to not let it affect anyone else. I will still buy and cook my girlfriend meat dishes, I will just make something else for myself. I try to not let it affect where we go for food (so far I have only found a very minimal number of restaurants w/ no vegetarian options). The only time I have had to make a little tiff is at family style restaurants, and even then I just sugguest an extra plate of veges or potatos.

The funny thing is when I tell people I am vege some of the get angry and will yell at me for something that does not involve them. Jill is not vege, but she gets amazed how offended people get when I simply mention it.

[Raised By Wolves]

LOL! They probably have had too much contact with "militant" vegetarians!

Maybe they need to hang with you for awhile!

From reading your posts on a variety of topics, I have found you show a lot of compassion for others, along with the passion you feel for the things you believe in.

The balancing of the two, is a rare gift.

[DFrost]

I do tend to eat lots of grain. Although it's by proxy. The proxy is the grain fed Angus. Being a devout member of PETA (People eating tasty animals) I have to have my ribeye, rare please.

DFrost

[mrsgrubby]

D- I loved that PETA comment! I actually had to laugh out loud on that one!!!!


I love pasta and veggies, really love them! And we go out to eat I usually order pasta with veggies on it.

But I also love steak, and love Outback Steak House. I don't eat chicken much by choice, only because I was raised on a farm as a child and hated plucking the feathers off the chickens when my dad butchered them. I have never gotten over that trama. LOL

However Turkey on thanksgiving is my favorite!

I have never know a vegg. in my life other than a gentleman from India at an old job and during potluck luncheons he needed to ask what was in the dishes so he wouldn't accidently eat any animal or animal by-products. I think it was a religious thing for him but I am not sure. I also know a gal from Kyrgyzstan who rarely eats meat because her country is soooo poor raising cattle and sheep is very expensive and it is cheaper to grow the grains to eat than grow than to feed animals and then eat the animals. So her situation makes alot of sense to me.

I do see some benefit to the land from not eating meat, but I would miss the steaks and turkey.

[Raised By Wolves]

Originally Posted by DFrost

I do tend to eat lots of grain. Although it's by proxy. The proxy is the grain fed Angus. Being a devout member of PETA (People eating tasty animals) I have to have my ribeye, rare please.

DFrost

Somehow this brings to mind a kid whacking a hornets nest with a stick. And I have only one thing to say about your comment, D...

Mmmmmmmm, ribeye!!! Pass the stick!

[mrsgrubby]

Originally Posted by Raised By Wolves

Mmmmmmmm, ribeye!!! Pass the stick!

Oh my gosh, you guys, I should be working but instead I am laughing my head off on this site!!!!

I'll meet you all at Outback Steakhouse tonight!!!!

[mulroony]

Originally Posted by Raised By Wolves

Somehow this brings to mind a kid whacking a hornets nest with a stick. And I have only one thing to say about your comment, D...

Mmmmmmmm, ribeye!!! Pass the stick!

Nah, can't argue with that, I personally enjoy the taste of meat as well as do many other veges, which is why they came up w/ the Vege substitutes to it. Most people I have met do it for similar reasons as why Mrs. Grubby does not eat chicken.

[sammy]

LOL at PETA- I'm going to tell my husband that one- he'll love it.

I'm less about not eating meat / animal products and more about trying to eat animals that have been raised humanely and not fed a bunch of byproducts and hormones. Better for me and much better for the animals.

I try to buy only free range eggs and chicken. I buy beef that comes from a rancher friend-- zero hormones, lived on a lovely farm until his trip to the slaughter.- that way I am alos supporting my local farmers and ranchers and supporting the way I hope the meat industry will go.

I have no desire to consume beef from the grocery store that's been packed with prophilactic antibiotics, a poor diet of corn and growth hormone from living at a feed lot -- after all you are what you eat

[mrsgrubby]

Mulroony,
I know I read a while back on another thread about why you switched, but I can't remember. Was it because of the way you saw animal stock poorly treated?

I am sure you are right about many people's choices, I know the chicken thing really grossed me out and if others have had similar experiences I can see why they would make the same choices. I have never been to a cattle farm and don't plan on going, because sometimes ignorance is bliss.

[Raised By Wolves]

Personally, I have little doubt that if we had to raise, kill, and dress the animals we consume, there would be a lot less meat eating.

Buying nice, cleanly packaged "animal parts" from a grocery store, is a far cry from the reality of what it takes to get it there.

I have a flock of hens I raised from chicks, so I could have fresh eggs. I could never kill and eat one of my "gals". They are my pets, and I have a strict policy of never eating my "friends".

And, I do feel a little "funny" eating chicken strips in front of them!

Okay, now I'm getting hungry!

[mulroony]

Mrsgrubby - Not to preach, but I decided for a long list. Tha main ones... I would not eat a dog or cat, and although not exactly the same it was close enough for me... Power of 10 rule, for each step down the food chain you only get on average 10% of the energy out of the step went into the one before it... With all the other options it is very easy to live a healthy normal life... and not to offend anyone, but I just think it is right.

[theGOOCH]

I have never gone vegetarian, but at one time I cut out red meat. It's a great way to lose weight, but since one of my favorite hobbies is weightlifting, I really don't want to lose weight. I lost all kinds of muscle mass when I ate that diet. I was hoping I would just shed some fat and keep the muscle, but it didn't work that way even though I still got a lot of protein. All proteins are not the same.

mmmmm.....(thinking about the beef I have soaking in teriaki marinade for kebabs tonight)

[Schwe]

I said "yes."

I do not eat any meat, but I do eat Seafood...

My choice not to eat meat is very complicated, but it is not because I don't believe in slaughtering animals for food... I'm a realist, I know you have to kill it to eat it. I've been a "vegetarian" for about 5 years now. Unless I mention it, most people don't know that I am a vegetarian. I never impose my dietary preferences on other people. As a matter of fact, I get people pestering me about being a vegetarian and waving steaks in my face (literally) trying to "convert" me. I get it from my family on a daily basis... If I mention that I have a headache or if I ever have a cold I immediately hear from them, "It's because you don't eat meat!!" and "When are you going to get over this phase and start eating meat again?"