Vegetarians (?) & Venting
Replies
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Ok. So I've got a family member that SWEARS she is a vegetarian now.... Only problem is... She doesn't even eat vegetables!?!?!
Seriously? I told her I was making chicken tacos for the rest of the family (they are coming for a visit) and what would she like to have on hand for HER to eat? She says "Buy a can of beans. I'm going to have beans, cheese, and some lettuce as a taco."
Is this even a meal? I'm NOT a vegetarian. I'm a meat eater, so I honestly have no clue.
While my cupboards are full of dried beans, rice, oatmeal, whole wheat pastas, etc. My fridge is stocked with fresh fruits, veggies, dairy, eggs, and the like & yes. My freezer has meats and frozen veggies.
I know that HER cupboards are full of hostess snack cakes, High sugar cereals (think Fruit Loops, & Captain Crunch) & white bread. Her blender is full of snack size candy bars. The freezer has tater tots, hash browns, toaster waffles, & 4 different half gallon flavors of Ice Cream. The fridge is cheese, corn tortillas, 4 things of mayo, chocolate milk, and Sunny-D.
Now, I already said I'm not vegetarian, but I'm also not completely stupid. She's been eating this way (what she calls her "Healthy Diet") since 2008 when a family member died from heart disease she swears was caused by consumption of meats.
I've TRIED talking to her (this isn't healthy for you. Just LOOK at all the chemicals!!). I've tried setting a good example of things she might like to try (took her to a vegan restaurant- which I thought was actually pretty yummy) she refused to try ANYTHING! At "normal" restaurants ordering something colorful that has one of every food group, taking her shopping with me and reading the labels....
I'm at a loss as to what to DO with her. I'm afraid for her health (she has been sick more in the last 4 years than the rest of the 11 years I've known her), her cholesterol is through the ROOF (and she can't figure out why) and the Dr. is threatening drug therapy, she's gained just shy of 20lbs from the beginning of last summer to now.
I can't approach her eating habits directly (I've tried). She gets defensive and says that I'm "Picking on her because I don't like vegetarians" <-- NOT true.
I try to buy good food for her house(telling her it's for me & my kids, but making sure there will be "left overs") & she gives it away when we leave. Even the KIDS have tried talking to her (Hey, can we have veggies today instead of chocolates?) and she acts like they don't know what they're talking about. Her brother (my husband & her favorite sibling) has tried talking to her about it. Her sisters. Her mother. Her friends.
I am afraid that I may just scream at her the next time she says she's a vegetarian now. HOW can you be a vegetarian if you REFUSE to even EAT Vegetables?!?!?!?!?!
Ok. My rant is done. Thanks for "listening". Any helpful suggestions?
Just give her to eat what she has requested, you asked, she answered, I don't really think she wants a lecture to be honest.
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Well I'm vegetarian and I'm totally in yoru friends boat. I don't eat many vegetables and I eat a lot of sugary foods.
From your profile:
My Inspirations
Size 0
Weighing 112lbs
You may not want judgment, but you realize you're on a site for healthy nutrition right?
Eh my goal weight is around there and I eat sugar foods too. Everyone has their own goals and way to get there0 -
My sister was a vegetarian and vegan for a total of about 15 years. In that time she easily put on well over 100lbs. So much for a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
I consume way more vegtables and natural foods than any vegetarian I've ever known, and that's on a low carb diet.0 -
This happens to a lot of first time vegetarians...I haven't ate meat in 13 years and when I stopped (for no particular reason) I did the same. You go from eating meat, potatoes and pasta to potatoes and pasta. I wasn't even a bean fan....took me many years to stomach tofu! Now with that said I blew up like a balloon...it really is a learning process (just like starting out a new exercise routine) you have to learn your body and what works best for you!
Go ahead and let her know how you feel....because you care about her well being! It may go in one ear and out the other but maybe it will eventually sink in, maybe suggest making a game out of it like trying a new vegggie every week. We make mistakes so we can learn from them. 0 -
She's a junk food vegetarian. Invite her over to dinner sometimes and incorporate vegetables into the dishes you prepare. Make a pasta primavera with whole grain pasta and seasonal veggies. Make the bean tacos, but finely chop red or green bell peppers into it. Many people who don't like vegetables just haven't had them prepared in a way that they like. People who are adverse to broccoli probably haven't had it roasted with olive oil and garlic. Just try various ways to incorporate veggies into things that she likes. If she questions it, say that your kids like it that way.0
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I just wanted to put out there that there are some vegetarians out there (myself and my husband included) who eat plenty of fruits and veggies. I also know many omnivores who eat lots of veggies as well. I think how many vegetables has more to do with your overall food choices than whether or not you eat meat.0
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My husband and I were just talking about this! We think there should be a new term for people who simply don't eat meat or very many vegetables.
To me, vegetarian implies 'healthy' and a diet high in processed foods certainly isn't that. Oh, and since it does have vege in the name, it also implies that you actually eat veggies.0 -
Well I'm vegetarian and I'm totally in yoru friends boat. I don't eat many vegetables and I eat a lot of sugary foods.
From your profile:
My Inspirations
Size 0
Weighing 112lbs
You may not want judgment, but you realize you're on a site for healthy nutrition right?
Eh my goal weight is around there and I eat sugar foods too. Everyone has their own goals and way to get there
And my current size is right there. There is nothing unhealthy about it. I've been in a size zero for years, since I stopped wearing childrens in middle school. I would have to pack on some serious muscle (or fat, or both) to move up a pants size. I've been working on adding that muscle, but to move up a pants size would take some serious effort and time.0 -
My sister was a vegetarian and vegan for a total of about 15 years. In that time she easily put on well over 100lbs. So much for a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
Yeah unfortunately this happens a lot - apparently some vegetarians have the impression that portion control doesn't matter if you eat mostly veggies.
I have a coworker who is vegetarian right now and he was surprised to have gained weight. Well, turns out he was eating tons of avocado. Healthy, yes. Low calorie? Not so much!0 -
Anyone can have an unheathy diet no matter the diet.0
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My sister was a vegetarian and vegan for a total of about 15 years. In that time she easily put on well over 100lbs. So much for a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
Yeah unfortunately this happens a lot - apparently some vegetarians have the impression that portion control doesn't matter if you eat mostly veggies.
I have a coworker who is vegetarian right now and he was surprised to have gained weight. Well, turns out he was eating tons of avocado. Healthy, yes. Low calorie? Not so much!
This is commonly known to be a variant of the 'Snackwell Effect.' When people eat something they think is low-calorie (such as fat-reduced Snackwell cookies), they tend to overcompensate by eating more. This happens in all sorts of situations beyond the misdirected vegetarian who loses sight of portion-control.0 -
Well I'm vegetarian and I'm totally in yoru friends boat. I don't eat many vegetables and I eat a lot of sugary foods.
From your profile:
My Inspirations
Size 0
Weighing 112lbs
You may not want judgment, but you realize you're on a site for healthy nutrition right?
Eh my goal weight is around there and I eat sugar foods too. Everyone has their own goals and way to get there
And my current size is right there. There is nothing unhealthy about it. I've been in a size zero for years, since I stopped wearing childrens in middle school. I would have to pack on some serious muscle (or fat, or both) to move up a pants size. I've been working on adding that muscle, but to move up a pants size would take some serious effort and time.
I completely agree with what everyones saying. I notice a lot of girls that are bigger boned and can carry 130, 140, even 150 really well in toned muscle and look fabulous!
Just because some of us are a toned size 0-3 or 115, 110 or even 100, it doesn't make us unhealthy. Nobody has the right to judge how small a person is. Cause last I checked, I haven't judged anybody for being large.
Thanks you. I am done : )
p.s go vegetarians!!!! ha ha ha
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My sister was a vegetarian and vegan for a total of about 15 years. In that time she easily put on well over 100lbs. So much for a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
Yeah unfortunately this happens a lot - apparently some vegetarians have the impression that portion control doesn't matter if you eat mostly veggies.
I have a coworker who is vegetarian right now and he was surprised to have gained weight. Well, turns out he was eating tons of avocado. Healthy, yes. Low calorie? Not so much!
This is commonly known to be a variant of the 'Snackwell Effect.' When people eat something they think is low-calorie (such as fat-reduced Snackwell cookies), they tend to overcompensate by eating more. This happens in all sorts of situations beyond the misdirected vegetarian who loses sight of portion-control.
Ahh hah, never heard of that! I'm sure Nabisco is tickled pink to have that named after one of their products.0 -
Well I'm vegetarian and I'm totally in yoru friends boat. I don't eat many vegetables and I eat a lot of sugary foods.
From your profile:
My Inspirations
Size 0
Weighing 112lbs
You may not want judgment, but you realize you're on a site for healthy nutrition right?
Eh my goal weight is around there and I eat sugar foods too. Everyone has their own goals and way to get there
And my current size is right there. There is nothing unhealthy about it. I've been in a size zero for years, since I stopped wearing childrens in middle school. I would have to pack on some serious muscle (or fat, or both) to move up a pants size. I've been working on adding that muscle, but to move up a pants size would take some serious effort and time.
I completely agree with what everyones saying. I notice a lot of girls that are bigger boned and can carry 130, 140, even 150 really well in toned muscle and look fabulous!
Just because some of us are a toned size 0-3 or 115, 110 or even 100, it doesn't make us unhealthy. Nobody has the right to judge how small a person is. Cause last I checked, I haven't judged anybody for being large.
Thanks you. I am done : )
p.s go vegetarians!!!! ha ha ha
This girl proclaims she wants to be "skinny". She is a vegetarian that doesn't eat many vegetables but does eat "a lot of sugary foods". Her username describes her as "starving". If you don't want to be judged, don't post on a public forum about your bad eating habits.0 -
Well I'm vegetarian and I'm totally in yoru friends boat. I don't eat many vegetables and I eat a lot of sugary foods.
From your profile:
My Inspirations
Size 0
Weighing 112lbs
You may not want judgment, but you realize you're on a site for healthy nutrition right?
Eh my goal weight is around there and I eat sugar foods too. Everyone has their own goals and way to get there
And my current size is right there. There is nothing unhealthy about it. I've been in a size zero for years, since I stopped wearing childrens in middle school. I would have to pack on some serious muscle (or fat, or both) to move up a pants size. I've been working on adding that muscle, but to move up a pants size would take some serious effort and time.
I completely agree with what everyones saying. I notice a lot of girls that are bigger boned and can carry 130, 140, even 150 really well in toned muscle and look fabulous!
Just because some of us are a toned size 0-3 or 115, 110 or even 100, it doesn't make us unhealthy. Nobody has the right to judge how small a person is. Cause last I checked, I haven't judged anybody for being large.
Thanks you. I am done : )
p.s go vegetarians!!!! ha ha ha
This girl proclaims she wants to be "skinny". She is a vegetarian that doesn't eat many vegetables but does eat "a lot of sugary foods". Her username describes her as "starving". If you don't want to be judged, don't post on a public forum about your bad eating habits.
I never said I had bad eating habits? Lady i don't even know you. And since when was being skinny a crime? And I honestly I can't believe you just said "If you don't want to be judged, don't post on a public forum about your bad eating habits."
First off, I never said I had bad eating habits in this forum. I said I eat some sugery foods and not a lot of vegetables and I'm still a vegetarian. Some aren't huge vegetable fans. Just because I didn't mention I love eggs, whole grains and milk doesn't mean I have bad eating habits.
And second off, lets all beware you if we're going to admit that we have occasional slips in our diet, (not eating enough good food, eating too much bad food) because apparently then it's alright to get judged about it because we're posting it in a forum.
Seriously I'm done. My eating habits are my own, my goal weight, the choices I make, are my own and I'm in no mood to have somebody belittle me because they are not up to their standards. I'm not shoving them in yours or anybody elses face, I just simply posted in a forum about Vegetarianism so please, just leave it be.0 -
Has she been a vegetarian for long?
But I guess my point is that you likely can't force healthy-eating on her, and likely (or hopefully) she'll come around when she gets enough bad report cards from the doctor, or when the scale keeps going up. You mentioned you bring food to her house. Do you just bring various bulk items or do you bring a dish or meal that's already made? Maybe she's at a loss for how to cook healthy vegetarian meals? Maybe the food at the vegan restaurant you brought her to was weird (often it can be) and if you made her (or for "you and the kids") a vegetarian dish that has some healthy items you know she already likes, she might be willing to try it.
Lastly, the bean thing you mentioned at the start seems ok to me. Beans are a good source of protein. I actually made vegan soft tacos last night but used tofu prepared with taco seasoning instead of beans. Then added on everything else (veggies, vegan cheese, salsa, etc). It ends up being just like the regular thing...
She's been on this "diet" for the last 4 years.
I'm hoping she comes around with her next Dr. visit, but not holding my breath.
I've tried bring prepared foods as well as buying fresh foods and making them in her kitchen (she lives 6 hours away, so making things at her house is an easier option).
Thank you for the tip on the bean taco's. I knew they were good for you, but didn't know it would make a complete meal for her. I feel a little better now. She has these types of taco's frequently.0 -
I feel bad for her kids. I am sure they do want fruits and veggies and for her to deny them that is just terrible parenting. They need those nutrients to grow.
She has to come to the realization that she is doing a great deal of harm to herself due to her eating habits. Would she be willing to read a book about being a vegetarian. There is a lot of there that give advice on what to eat to have a healthy diet.
Sorry. MY kids. She doesn't have any. Just a bunch of nieces and nephews.
I bought her a book (I asked the lady at Barnes & Noble for the most complete one) last year for Christmas. It's still in the plastic I wrapped it in to keep the rain off on her closet floor. I probably over stepped on that one :ohwell:0 -
This is dumb.
It's not like the only foods on the planet are meat and vegetables.
That said, I was vegetarian for 8 years and I got fat on pasta, cheese and butter. I really just do not care for salad.
People would always ask me, "What?! You don't eat salad?! What else can vegetarians eat?!"
::facepalm::
Oh, I dunno. Only an INFINITE number of other non-meat foods.0 -
My sister was a vegetarian and vegan for a total of about 15 years. In that time she easily put on well over 100lbs. So much for a healthy vegetarian lifestyle.
Yeah unfortunately this happens a lot - apparently some vegetarians have the impression that portion control doesn't matter if you eat mostly veggies.
I have a coworker who is vegetarian right now and he was surprised to have gained weight. Well, turns out he was eating tons of avocado. Healthy, yes. Low calorie? Not so much!
I really doubt some avacados caused weight gain. My sister ate normal reasonable portions and kept gaining and gaining. Now she's since switched back to eating meat for her health, and follows a lower carb Paleo/Primal lifestyle and has shed about 80lbs in the last year.0 -
Also, you seem to be questioning that she is a vegetarian "she swears that she's a vegetarian." A vegetarian is, by definition, someone who does not eat meat. Anyone who does not eat meat, regardless of how healthy or unhealthy their diet is, is a vegetarian.
And this is exactly why I should not make a post, post dinner/pre-bed.
Clarification:
She swears she is a vegetarian, but she WILL eat tuna & chicken on occasion.
She also eats eggs. Daily.
I've only known a couple of Vegetarians in my whole life (I worked with one and she took me to her house, showed me her garden, what foods they eat that have high protein, what's got high vitamins, and also their favorite "goodies"- made by Newman's Own & they even cooked me a wonderful dinner. The other was a recent conversion after watching some video on how beef made it to her table) and their diets look NOTHING like hers. That's part of why I'm concerned.0 -
Someone once told me being vegetarian isn't about eating vegetables. It's about NOT eating meat and slaughter byproducts. Take that how you want and rant all you like but you can't make her eat healthy things. She needs to want to do that.0
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Also, you seem to be questioning that she is a vegetarian "she swears that she's a vegetarian." A vegetarian is, by definition, someone who does not eat meat. Anyone who does not eat meat, regardless of how healthy or unhealthy their diet is, is a vegetarian.
And this is exactly why I should not make a post, post dinner/pre-bed.
Clarification:
She swears she is a vegetarian, but she WILL eat tuna & chicken on occasion.
She also eats eggs. Daily.
I've only known a couple of Vegetarians in my whole life (I worked with one and she took me to her house, showed me her garden, what foods they eat that have high protein, what's got high vitamins, and also their favorite "goodies"- made by Newman's Own & they even cooked me a wonderful dinner. The other was a recent conversion after watching some video on how beef made it to her table) and their diets look NOTHING like hers. That's part of why I'm concerned.
Eggs aren't meat. They're unfertilized and, therefor, an animal by-product. You don't have to kill anything to eat them.
And, why do you CARE if she eats tuna and chicken on occasion? I ate cheeseburgers twice a year because I craved them. That doesn't mean I was going to stop qualifying myself as a vegetarian. Why do you care so much?
My advice is to stop being concerned about what other people are or are NOT eating.
EDITED TO ADD: Their are a few different tiers of vegetarianism. I argue that vegetarian means you don't eat meat. But lots of people eat fish and call themselves pescatarians. Some go a step further to include dairy (lactovegetarians) or eggs (ovovegetarians) in their self-descriptions. Some combine a few or all three, like, lacto-ovo-pescatarians. Etc.
It's up to the individual.0 -
OMGthat would drive me crazy! She's what you would call an unheathy vegetarian:(0
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Why are you wasting your time worrying about what she's eating, to the point of posting a lengthy post about it here? You should worry about yourself. A lot of meat-eaters are unhealthy, as well as a lot of vegetarians. This has nothing to do with that. Personally, i'm vegetarian because I don't want to eat animals. Period. There are plenty of healthy/unhealthy options either way. Fried foods can be veggie or not, just to mention one example. As for the eggs and the dairy products, if she's only vegetarian that means she eats these foods. A vegan person wouldn't. I think you should worry about your own diet and stop looking elsewhere. This is judgement disguised as caring about her health0
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She's worrying because she's cooking for her. The vegetarians in here seem to get awfully offended, very quickly.Why are you wasting your time worrying about what she's eating, to the point of posting a lengthy post about it here? You should worry about yourself. A lot of meat-eaters are unhealthy, as well as a lot of vegetarians. This has nothing to do with that. Personally, i'm vegetarian because I don't want to eat animals. Period. There are plenty of healthy/unhealthy options either way. Fried foods can be veggie or not, just to mention one example. As for the eggs and the dairy products, if she's only vegetarian that means she eats these foods. A vegan person wouldn't. I think you should worry about your own diet and stop looking elsewhere. This is judgement disguised as caring about her health0 -
Being vegetarian does not mean you are limited to eating nothing but vegetables. I like tacos made form beans and cheese, too.0
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Sorry, Linda, you have no clue what healthy is.0
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She's worrying because she's cooking for her. The vegetarians in here seem to get awfully offended, very quickly.Why are you wasting your time worrying about what she's eating, to the point of posting a lengthy post about it here? You should worry about yourself. A lot of meat-eaters are unhealthy, as well as a lot of vegetarians. This has nothing to do with that. Personally, i'm vegetarian because I don't want to eat animals. Period. There are plenty of healthy/unhealthy options either way. Fried foods can be veggie or not, just to mention one example. As for the eggs and the dairy products, if she's only vegetarian that means she eats these foods. A vegan person wouldn't. I think you should worry about your own diet and stop looking elsewhere. This is judgement disguised as caring about her health
Exactly. And thank you.0 -
I am a vegetarian and I despise vegetables. Do I eat junk? Sometimes. We all do or we wouldn't be on this site. But I DONT eat dead animals. Saying you are a vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean you are a healthy eater. Any more saying than saying you eat meat makes you a healthy eater. And a bean taco sounds great to me!!0
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I think this is a case of "You can't fix stupid".
There's a difference between vegetarian and healthy. You can be both, but vegetarian is often a statement of disagreeing with killing animals. You can still be unhealthy and eat junk food all day.0
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