For those that don't eat meat, explain your reasoning

it_be_asin

I don't eat meat cause it doesn't taste nice. That's my main reason. Vegetarian food just tastes better.

Do you eat fish at all?

Nope. It tastes even worse.

questionablemethods

Question for some of you:

If you're against eating meat because of how the animals are treated, would you consider hunting? Would you eat meat that a hunter shot? What about farms, individuals who slaughter animals quickly and after treating them well?

To tag onto this question, have you considered the animals killed or driven from their homes to plant a field of wheat/corn/soy compared with the life of a properly raised (grass-fed/pastured) and quickly killed animal?

Artemis_Acorn

ETA: We could also feed a ton of people with the grain and corn used to feed the animals... That one is meaningful to me.

Actually, the corn used to feed the animals is Yellow Dent #2 and is not fit for human consumption, and although it fattens the cows up quickly, it makes the cows sick too - hence all the antibiotics they give them.

I did a year-long stint as a vegetarian because I thought it would make me healthier. It didn't. At the time, I didn't realize that I was insulin resistant and needed to eat lower carb. I suppose low-carb is possible as a vegetarian, but it would be difficult, so I eat meat in moderation - red meat far less frequently than poultry and fish. Very little pork. No mutton, lamb or veal.

jennmoore3

I am off for the night, but I would love for someone to explain in like chart form the difference between all the types of the veg. lifestyle, and what they do not eat. I do not know the difference between them.

Jenn

NLG139

Watch the documentary, Food, Inc. (even just the youtube trailor). Will answer a lot of uncertainty and had a huge impact on my diet.

curvygirl512

I eat meat, just not a lot of it, and no longer do I eat beef, unless that's the absolute only option. I eat chicken and a lot of fish, and I only eat egg whites not the yolks. Apparently I inherited high cholesterol from my family. Changing my diet vastly improved my cholesterol profile. I don't want to have to deal with heart disease, diabetes, and stroke in my future--I've seen how it has debilitated my family, and determined to lead a healthier life.

determinedbutlazy

I became vegan a month ago, not for any kind of moral reason but for the need to be healthier. If I impose stricter limits on my diet, I will eat healthier. I can't order a greasy take-out burger or pizza, no slice of cheese on toast at midnight, because I'm on a vegan diet, not just because "it will make me fat". I eat a large volume of vegetables (I dislike fruit) and salads, which also means I take more time to prepare and plan my meals.
Also, I'm a student and can't afford good quality lean meats, so I tended to gorge on cheap nasty things like sausages and burgers etc. Now I can still get my fix but with vegan options that cost the same and are healthier.
Not eating dairy has made me feel a lot less bloated and sickly, and another thing I've noticed (kind of gross) is that my breath is a lot better since stopping both meat and dairy.
I take special "vegetarian" vitamin suppliments, and haven't really noticed any problems with my energy levels, but I DO need to remember to eat on time every day (my MFP calorie limit is 1400 at the moment) or I can start to feel run down.

lisab42

Bump

victoriashea

I lost a bet.

nkziv

Meat production is HORRIBLE for the environment, and that's why I boycott the industry. Plain and simple. Also for animal rights reasons. Pigs are the worst treated, and they are the most intelligent!! We don't eat our pet dogs, so why pigs? Pigs are smarter than dogs.

Also, think of all the grass/ corn/ soybeans/ whatever other crap we feed livestock that goes into the animals--That is a ton of water, fertilizer, transportation fuel, etc. What a waste! If everyone adopted a vegetarian lifestyle we'd get back half the farmland we use and be able to put it to better uses.

Also, livestock FARTS. A LOT. Methane is a greenhouse gas and generally disgusting. I'd rather not have it. Runoff from livestock waste also goes into streams and rivers and commonly pollutes the water. That *kitten* is extremely toxic. People have died falling into vats of it. It's a dirty business. I'd like to see it cleaned up and made more humane before I pay for it again.

Red meat isn't all that good for you anyway!

joejccva71

I lost a bet.

I'm afraid to ask.

Was it the amount of time before this thread got locked?

victoriashea

Juuust kidding.

When I was eight I was sitting in a group of people talking about coffee. One of them said, "I CAN'T live without my coffee." And the group agreed.
The conversation then bled over into everything they COULDN'T live without. Bacon, cheese, chocolate cake, blueberry muffins, t-bone steak, and the like. I was absolutely disgusted, and I sought out to prove to myself that I could eat simply enough to live off of. No indulgences. I was a raw vegan foodist for 9 months. Pretty much just salads, throughout the entire gestation period of a human being. I quit raw foodism because I was starving. Somewhere around 100 pounds. But it was a 9 month epiphany for me. After that I decided I would eat a sustainable but still extremely strict vegan diet.

For the rest of my life.

cheshirequeen

I became vegan a month ago, not for any kind of moral reason but for the need to be healthier. If I impose stricter limits on my diet, I will eat healthier. I can't order a greasy take-out burger or pizza, no slice of cheese on toast at midnight, because I'm on a vegan diet, not just because "it will make me fat". I eat a large volume of vegetables (I dislike fruit) and salads, which also means I take more time to prepare and plan my meals.
Also, I'm a student and can't afford good quality lean meats, so I tended to gorge on cheap nasty things like sausages and burgers etc. Now I can still get my fix but with vegan options that cost the same and are healthier.
Not eating dairy has made me feel a lot less bloated and sickly, and another thing I've noticed (kind of gross) is that my breath is a lot better since stopping both meat and dairy.
I take special "vegetarian" vitamin suppliments, and haven't really noticed any problems with my energy levels, but I DO need to remember to eat on time every day (my MFP calorie limit is 1400 at the moment) or I can start to feel run down.

its so nice to have somebody else out there that doesnt like fruit and loves veggies. haha.

Rilke

Great thread. Very civil. I am a "flexitarian" -- I don't eat much meat, but when I do eat it I am very careful about the sources. Same for seafood, eggs, and milk.

That leads me to my question for those who don't eat meat because of inhumane treatment and other issues regarding the commercial meat industry. How do you feel about buying meat directly from farmers who raise the animals humanely and treat them very well? This is what we do, and it's pretty cool to drive up to the farm and see the cows, hogs, and chickens so healthy.

UmaB

Actually, our mouths are designed for eating meat. We have canine teeth to grab, incisors for cutting, and bicuspids and molars are designed to masticate. Meat.
[/quote]

Actually that's not true. Dr. Sandra Mclanahan will tell you differently. Our teeth are meant to cut and masticate vegetarian products, they are not as sharp and pointy as true carnivores. Also our intestines are huge! like 10 feet long meant to keep vegetarian fare in their longer to digest them. When we compare our intestinal system to the animal kingdom, it compares to herbivores like cows and elephants as carnivores have a shorter tract to get the meat out faster.

This is the information I received when I lived at an ashram and they only served vegan food. Personally I am trying to get back to that lifestyle. I still eat meat and eggs and drink milk but I realize I felt better in my body, mind and Spirit when I was truly vegan.

victoriashea

Who here has read the Omnivore's Dilemma?! Any ethical omnivores out there?? I love you guys...

anjukins

I'm a veggie (see ALL my above posts, haha) but nevertheless I LOVED 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'. Michael Pollan is a genius. I wish everyone in America was assigned that book in high school. So well written, so witty and articulate and informative...

maura5880

I don't eat any meat, including fish. It's mostly ethical reasons. I'd never push my lifestyle on anyone else (I allow my 8 year old to have meat, she can decide for herself whether or not she wants to be a vegetarian later in life.) However, I do think more people should take time out to educate themselves about the realities of the meat industry, which is pretty gruesome. I'm a huge animal lover & just can't stomach the thought of animals being brutally killed.

I do eat dairy in moderation. I switched from regular cheese to soy cheese, which I love. I still have yogurt & egg whites. I drink soy milk and cow's milk on occasion too.

treehugginpam

Question for some of you:

If you're against eating meat because of how the animals are treated, would you consider hunting? Would you eat meat that a hunter shot? What about farms, individuals who slaughter animals quickly and after treating them well?

Very good question man.

The human race was built for hunting and eating meat, so I'm wondering if the vegans here, if given the opportunity to hunt...would you eat your own kills?

Also speaking hypothetically, if there was only meat left in the world and it was a matter of eating or starvation...what would you do?

(lets remain civil in the conversation)

I'm really curious.

This feels like trolling to me, but in case you're genuinely curious, here's my answer.

I've been veg for almost 15 years now, although in the past year I've added wild caught fish back into my diet. My choice is pretty much just because of the hideous way most animals are treated before they die and how inhumanely most are killed. Because of this, I realized that my reason for excluding fish from my diet just didn't hold up, (unless the fish are factory farm raised), so I added wild caught fish back into my diet for more protein. For the same reason, I eat eggs from cage-free, organic, grain-fed chickens.

So no, I don't have anything against hunters who kill animals for food (hunters who kill animals for fun and let the meat rot have a special place in hell, but that's another story). I wouldn't personally hunt because there is no reason for me to -- I have plenty of other options for food. If I were going to eat meat I'd eat it from a hunter who killed the animal humanely before I'd head out to McDonalds, but I have no desire to eat meat. After 15 years without it, I'm pretty sure the texture would gross me out.

And come on, if meat were the only food left on earth of course I'd eat it rather than starve. What kind of silly question is that? Most of us in the western world live a posh life with numerous food options so meat is not necessary for survival, but if it's apocalyptic America and it's me or the cow I'll be grilling some burgers.


p.s. If you haven't already, watch Food Inc. and read Omnivore's Dilemma or In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. It might change the way you look at food in general, not just meat.

determinedbutlazy

Its so nice to have somebody else out there that doesnt like fruit and loves veggies. haha.

Fruit is just so much EFFORT. I occasionally put grapes in a freezer bag and freeze them for a quick "sorbet" tasting treat, but anything I have to peel or eat off a core is too much effort.