Meat Eater, Vegetarian or Vegan?

iona_ellen

Hi,
I have friends who eat meat,, vegetarian & vegans. Doing a web search there is lots of sites with different views of which is overall healthier. What's your view? And from the nutrition side why did you choose this way?
Remember we're fitness 'pals' so stay friendly:D!

ForeverSunshine09

I am a meat eater because I have always suffered from low iron and it helped stabilize that. Plus meat is delicious!

lemurcat12

I think they can all be equally healthy.

There are ethical reasons that someone might choose to be a vegan or vegetarian.

nutmegoreo

I think that all can be healthy, but all can also be unhealthy. Meeting macro and micro needs for your body takes some knowledge, time, and practice to find the right mix regardless of your chosen dietary practices.

Nikion901

I am a meat eater, but could easily become a vegetarian. I go in spurts as to how little or much meat I eat, some times none for days, or a small amount at one meal, very rarely meat at two meals ... Nutrition wise, I'm not educated enough to know if one way of eating is better than an other. I just go by what I grew up with and that was a little meat on some days but plenty of vegetables and seafood, fruit and nuts, eggs and dairy products. ... PS, and grains ... lots of buckwheat, barley, millet, etc .. and beans, lentils, peas, some rice, some noodles, and bread. A lot of the items presented as soups, stews, gumbos or stuffed vegetables and dumplings/rolls.

mrsthompson662

Any can be healthy...and all can be unhealthy. I'm a vegan I've done tons of research on what various types of foods do to ones body dairy, meat and so on. I chose vegan for me it is health plus animal cruelty and veganism works for me....its not for everyone....meat eaters are meat eaters and usually don't care as much for veggies....I've always loved veggies so it's easy for me.

970Mikaela1

I eat meat. And whatever else looks good too:)

Whitezombiegirl

Vegetarian for 8 years, vegan for 6 months and paleo for 9 years. Best health with paleo and no issues with reintroducing meat. Im quite a high carb paleo with minimal meat as I dont enjoy eating massive quantities of it- just personal preference.

amusedmonkey

Depends. They can all be equally healthy or equally unhealthy depending on the overall makeup of a person's diet. You can get great nutrition on any diet if that's one of your goals, so it boils down to preference. Personally, I eat meat but sparingly because I like plant-based foods much more. Not eating as much meat as the average person has nothing to do with a certain nutrition stance on meat other than that I just don't like it that much.

JShailen

A varied diet can make meeting nutrition goals easier and is generally what is recommended by health organizations. http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Healthyeating.aspx

With that aside, I echo what others have said. They can all be healthy assuming you educate yourself and make mindful choices.

For myself. I'm a vegetarian for ethical and preference reasons. I enjoyed the taste of meat but hated the texture. Also, as an animal lover I found it hard to differentiate between the meat on my plate and the ducks I would feed at the park.

I've never been a particularly healthy/mindful eater. I was overweight then obese most of my life. I only corrected this about 5 years ago. Now at a healthy size I still struggle to be mindful of my choices. I don't believe vegetarianism has made this easier or harder. Just different.

HeidiMightyRawr

I'm a meat-eater.

I'm slowly learning more veggie / vegan recipes, and while I highly doubt I'd give up meat for good, I see several benefits to moderate consumption instead of having it all the time and relying on it for a decent meal.

booksandchocolate12

Meat eater, vegetarian or vegan? I'll give you a hint:



The reason? Because meat is delicious and I refuse to give up anything delicious.

JShailen

booksandchocolate12 wrote: »

Meat eater, vegetarian or vegan? I'll give you a hint:



The reason? Because meat is delicious and I refuse to give up anything delicious.

lol I have to admit, bacon is the one food I miss. Vegetarian bacon is ok, but not the same.

FunkyTobias

JShailen wrote: »

booksandchocolate12 wrote: »

Meat eater, vegetarian or vegan? I'll give you a hint:



The reason? Because meat is delicious and I refuse to give up anything delicious.

lol I have to admit, bacon is the one food I miss. Vegetarian bacon is ok, but not the same.

Vegetarian bacon is an abomination. Turkey bacon is an abomination. Until recently I thought all non pork bacon was an abomination.


Until I discovered this

cwolfman13

iona_ellen wrote: »

Hi,
I have friends who eat meat,, vegetarian & vegans. Doing a web search there is lots of sites with different views of which is overall healthier. What's your view? And from the nutrition side why did you choose this way?
Remember we're fitness 'pals' so stay friendly:D!

My view is that a balanced diet is healthy...one can be vegan and have a *kitten* diet...one can be vegetarian and have a *kitten* diet...one can eat meat and have a *kitten* diet. Conversely, one can eat meat and have a well balanced and healthy diet...one can be vegan and have a well balanced and healthy diet...one can be vegetarian and have a well balanced and healthy diet.

I eat meat..mostly lean sources...mostly chicken and fish and I like pork tenderloin because it's very lean and relatively inexpensive and I can roast a couple of those and I have lunch for a week...I also eat about 6 servings of veg and a couple of servings of fruit per day...oats, quinoa, brown rice, legumes, lentils, etc. One of my very good friends is a vegetarian...she practically lives off of frozen veggie burgers, french fries, potato chips, and coca cola...she has a salad like once a week so she can say she got her veggies in. You tell me, who of the two of us has the superior diet.

JustMissTracy

I'm a meat eater......I love the tastes, and love the protein it gives me. I'm pretty healthy, and my fitness level is great for my age, and I feel pretty darned great too!!.....My daughter is a vegetarian, 23, skinny fat....and miserable most of the time.

sunnybeaches105

Humans evolved eating a variety of diets and it's very likely that one of the reasons we have thrived as a species is because of this ability. I eat a balanced diet that consists of plenty of veggies, dairy, grains and meats. It works for me. I'm personally convinced there isn't a single "best" diet for all people, and the search to find one hits me as a bit silly.

ForecasterJason

I've always eat a combination of ample plant based foods and some meat. Over the last few years I've been eating a little more meat than I used to, but certainly not massive amounts. I believe that this is healthiest for me.

kommodevaran

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Omnivore because I love food.

This. I was going to say "can't we have both?". I eat a variety of foods that happen to be some plant parts and some animal parts and some animal products. I don't think that is the best way or the only way, maybe not even for me, but it's a good way; I like it and don't see a reason to change it.

janejellyroll

I'm less concerned with the "healthiest" diet. My concern is: Can I thrive and be healthy while avoiding unnecessary animal exploitation? Since I can, I chose to go vegan.

vivmom2014

I am pescatarian. I kept seafood in my diet because it's an easy way to get protein. But over-fishing bothers me. I don't miss meat; I still eat grocery-store dairy and that bothers me (ethically) too. I quit eating meat because of deplorable industrial farming practices. Had nothing to do with health or weight loss.

AnvilHead

I'll go with the other posters who have said that they can all be healthy or unhealthy. I consider myself an omnivore rather than a "meat eater", as I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. My personal opinion is that a balanced, varied omnivorous diet is the easiest in terms of getting all macro and micronutrients without requiring supplementation or having to tailor my eating toward avoiding specific deficiencies.

kensreboot

Vegetarian for 3.5 years, would prefer to be 100% Vegan. In my adult life I can honestly say that I have never felt better than when I went full vegan for a few months back in 2012. I miss those days. I have now been 99% Vegan for the past 6 weeks and loving it!

SpiderGwens

I was a vegetarian for 8 years, but I gained a lot of weight because I mostly ate carbs. I was definitely an example of an unhealthy vegetarian diet.

I eat meat now, but it's mostly poultry and fish. I'll occasionally eat red meat, but not very often.

andriacheever

I'm a vegetarian since 1998. I chose for religious reasons, but I found that I had a lot more food options as a vegetarian because I never learned to cook meat(thus always had to eat fast food which was expensive!).

I love eating vegetarian and eventually desire to become vegan again. (I was a vegan for 3 years at one point)

I believe from the many doctors that have written about the effect of meat on the body that it's more healthful to be without it, however, as far as religion goes, God did give permission to eat clean meats after the flood and so I will not judge those who do so.

It's interesting to read everyone's posts!

zcb94

HappyCampr1 wrote: »

Omnivore because I love food.

This! As long as I'm not allergic to it, I enjoy it.

pie_eyes

Uhh... I eat meat and am aware that it's unhealthy and risky. But meat in my mind is the centerpiece of a meal.

I don't like the way they kill or treat animals but I can't change other people

scriptie

Pescatarian (Vegetarian+Fish). Easier for me to get protein and make meals for my family that I can be included in on. I don't eat seafood too much because of the price.

I don't like meat for ethical reasons as well as environmental, and I also feel that if I ate meat I'd be pressured more often than not to eat it at every meal which I myself do not find healthy.

Anecdotal evidence to back that up is that my SO had very bad LDL levels when I first met him, as his family ate a lot of red meat at almost every meal. His LDL is now normal levels since we have lived together, because he eats more vegetarian meals or meals with chicken/fish. This was about 2 years difference in getting his LDL levels checked.

Sad note is that his father had a triple bypass at the age of 42... Shows you that what you eat is very important to your health.

Mindfullyjo

The majority of my meals are non meat. I love cooking so enjoy the huge variety of meals available to veggies. When I do eat meat I'm careful of source. No battery hens, only outdoor reared animals. If we all eat less meat we reduce global warming, help feed the whole planet and hand over a safer, kinder world to our children.

ForecasterJason

scriptie wrote: »

Pescatarian (Vegetarian+Fish). Easier for me to get protein and make meals for my family that I can be included in on. I don't eat seafood too much because of the price.

I don't like meat for ethical reasons as well as environmental, and I also feel that if I ate meat I'd be pressured more often than not to eat it at every meal which I myself do not find healthy.

Anecdotal evidence to back that up is that my SO had very bad LDL levels when I first met him, as his family ate a lot of red meat at almost every meal. His LDL is now normal levels since we have lived together, because he eats more vegetarian meals or meals with chicken/fish. This was about 2 years difference in getting his LDL levels checked.

Sad note is that his father had a triple bypass at the age of 42... Shows you that what you eat is very important to your health.

Yeah, there's a lot of research that links excessive red meat consumption to negative health outcomes. I do eat red meat regularly, but the amounts I'm eating are within the guidelines set by most organizations on the amount of red meat that should be consumed.

Carlos_421

pie_eyes wrote: »

Uhh... I eat meat and am aware that it's unhealthy and risky. But meat in my mind is the centerpiece of a meal.

I don't like the way they kill or treat animals but I can't change other people

You've been misinformed. It is neither unhealthy nor risky.

ETA unless you're eating it raw.