Why did you become vegetarian/vegan?

FungusTrooper

I became a vegetarian when I was 6 because I realised other people actually liked eating meat at Xmas and whatever, and I didn't. I hated the taste.

Last year, at 25, I decided to try meat again since I was living in Texas - didn't hate it anymore. So I'm no longer vegetarian!

You can be healthy no matter if you do or do not eat meat. All the science for and against eating meat can be shoved aside when you think about the fact that people have been both eating and avoiding meat for centuries, and their life expectancies don't seem to vary that much.

So just do whatever you want to do. Just do it healthily.

lukeout007

After watching a few documentaries and thinking about my health, I'm thinking of leaning towards trying to make more vegetarian choices.

What was the reason you became vegetarian or vegan or just started making more vegetarian choices?

Also, as a newbie to all of this, do you have any tips or suggestions for me to help me get started?

While I commend you for wanting to take your health seriously I would highly recommend doing more research than just watching documentaries.

Documentaries are always biased one way or another.

Now that doesn't mean they are wrong...I'm just saying do more research than just watching documentaries. Becoming vegetarian is something I've thought about but I just don't know enough about it...all I know is what I've learned from documentaries and talking to other vegetarians.

n23robinson

I've been a vegetarian for about 15 years. I don't remember why I became a vegetarian but I love it. I do, however, eat meat if my body craves it... that doesn't happen very often but for example, after I ran my first half marathon, I was craving a cheeseburger so I ate one. This is a very rare occasion but it does happen. I started by stopping all meat entirely but became anemic and weak so I added chicken and turkey back into my diet. I've since stopped eating those things too. I love Morningstar Farms veggie burgers and other foods. I've tried many different brands and I think this one is by far the best.

Good luck!

momtokgo

Vegan, for health reasons mostly.

After my last doctors appontment and being told I had IBS and to find my triggers, I found my triggers. The big ones (besides greasy foods) are steak, bacon and dairy. All dairy. Since I only ate steak, bacon and chicken anyway, I just cut it all out. Chicken has been really hard to eat since I had my second child, it was a major morning sickness trigger (I couldn't even look at it in the grocery store) Its just never gotten better, so it was easy to walk away from it.

Then I figured since I was already dairy and meat free, I might as well go egg free as well and go full vegan. I didn't eat eggs anyway unless they were in a baked good, eggs on their own make me pretty sick. Probably a good sign that I shouldn't be eating them.

Honestly I miss steak. I want nothing more then to eat a big half rare bbq'd steak when my husband is bbq'ing, but I know how sick it will make me and its just not worth it.

skinnybearlyndsay

Maybe I'm just ignorant, but do vegetarians eat eggs?

Vegans don't. Some vegetarians do, some don't. I do - since I started working out more and lifting heavier weights, I NEED the protein and eggs are just easy. *shrugs

Ok. I've been going meatless (aka vegetarian) once a week and wanted to make sure. Thanks!

TKHappy

I went vegan because I was tired of feeling bogged down, tired, and just plain blah. That kicked off my healthier eating, but I refuse to be so strict with food so vegetarian it was about 2 weeks after going vegan. I remain vegetarian because I love how I feel - fish makes me happy and I still feel the way I like to feel so I eat fish. Plus I like feeling full when I eat a meal, I don't like to have to eat throughout the day because I'm never full - that's how I felt before adding fish back to the mix. It's probably just me, but that has been my experience. Also, try not to eat a ton of processed "vegetarian" crap - in my opinion, if you're eating a bunch of processed junk you're better off eating organic meat!

For me, food is not something that I have these huge strong beliefs in. If it makes my body feel good, it is allowed. My family still eats meat, but knowing what I know I prefer to buy organic as often as I can. Good luck on your journey! You'll feel great, guaranteed, then you'll decide what works best for you

Just don't become a CARBOtarian - that will make it very hard to get good stuff in, like protein and vitamins. I fell into that trap for a bit

This x's 100!! I can't remember why I started but that was 15 years ago! You have to really think about what you eat, getting complete proteins and enough B vitamins. I know some very unhealthy vegan and vegetarians because they live off processed foods or just carbs! Take it like you would most healthy eating...balance, very little processed foods, lot of fruits, veggies and nuts...and listen to your body!

goncountry

I am going vegan because my doctor suggested that I cut back on dairy and meat due to my multiple sclerosis. He recommended a book called The China Study which I have been reading.

kerri76

Health, animal rights and to get this excess weight off.

msgremmy

I became vegetarian when I was 8 years old because I loved animals. My dad and brother were vegetarian, but my mother ate animals, so I was exposed to both lifestyles. I chose vegetarianism once I really understood what I was eating and was able to ignore my mother's pressure to eat animals.

When I was 12, I became vegan. My dad had me read a magazine article about chickens being bread with beaks and no legs because they go crazy and peck each other to death is coups. After reading that, I headed to my friend the internet to see what I could learn. After determining that I didn't want to consume eggs or milk, I found veganism, and I've been vegan since (about 13 years).

What I've found is that, at least in my experience, you have to have a reason that you truly believe in to maintain veganism. If it's your health, great; if you're like me and it's for animals, great. Either way... being vegan is not for the weak hearted, as there remain challenges, even though it's a lot easier now than a decade ago. Man, I was lucky to have a side salad and plain baked potato in a restaurant when I was little. Now, there are all sorts of options.

noirnatural

I just got turned off from eating meat.

carriempls

I slowly morphed into a veggie over several years. It was mainly due to eating and cooking with vegetarian friends over time. My tastes changed and my health goals changed.

I became a flexitarian first. I’d eat meat if I was served it as a guest at someone’s home and I’d order it when eating out but I never cooked it at home. I did that for about 5 years and realized over time I ate less and less of it. At one point I realized it had been a year since I’d eaten chicken, so I officially called it quits on that and the other emats weren't far behind. Then I called myself pescetarian but realized I was only eating fish once every few months, so I decided to make the commitment fully to lacto-ovo.

My reasons are taste, nutrition, ethical (I believe in reducing the suffering I put into the world) as well as environmental.

My best advice? Start slow. Find a recipe blog and start trying new recipes once or twice a week. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is check out a farmer’s market and find a vegetable you’ve never had (or haven’t had in a long time if you’re already an adventurous eater), go home and google recipes for ideas on how to prepare or what to make with it.

Meat substitutes like Morningstar Farms and Boca are good to use while transitioning to get you used to new tastes and things, but these days I consume them very little as I like to cut out as much processed food as I can. They’re lower cholesterol, fat and calories than meat, though, so still a good transition food.

specialopsnyc

I became a vegetarian 20 years ago after eating meat started to gross me out and I was able to think for myself to make these humane decisions. I am a huge animal lover and biting into one isn't for me. This May I became a vegan after watching Forks over Knives (life changing)and my cholesterol dropped, I have more energy and the fat is melting off. This film really demonstrates that becoming a vegan will change your body and it really did.

kaylurzz

I would only eat chicken nuggets from fast food places or pepperonis. Not the healthiest at all. lol
So about 3 years ago, I decided to cut it out all together. Although I never eat meat that much anyways, so cutting it out was pretty easy.

JTRFS

I watched far too many documentaries about the environmental, economical and health implications. I read The China Study. I became a runner who idolizes Scott Jurek. After being a vegan for over two years, I feel much healthier.

healthyfityoga

Hey! So I was pretty much born into a vegetarian family because my parents were vegetarian and so was my sis. I decided to turn vegan because vegetarian can become fattening if you learn to take advantage of it after being it your whole life. Meat is just gross, harmful, and disgusting.

tomhancock

You're telling me that 29 grams of protein is not enough for a meal?

Yes, I do think 29 grams of protein is very low for what looks like a full meal, but to each their own, maybe you do not eat as much protein as I do. That is the equivalent of less than half a free range chicken breast, the equivalent of like 3 egg whites (60 calories) and has a lot more calories, fat, and processing.

I guess what I should have said was that it is more difficult for vegetarians to get an adequate amount of protein than it is for omnivores. I think most people who read my post probably understood my meaning. That is a credit to so many vegetarians who manage to eat healthy with less options than omnivores. Being a vegetarian requires better meal planning, clever use of beans, etc. to get enough protein.

TheOriginalGinging

About 8 weeks ago, I was eating a Sloppy Joe, a favorite and over-thought things and realized I was eating the flesh of a dead animal. I loved meat, I loved cooking with meat but here I am! I'm a love of animals so on one side, I'm surprised this didn't happen sooner but I loved my beef!! I'm also surprised it's not because of the "suffering". I just don't want to eat dead things. My son is Vegetarian, his fiance is Vegan, my daughter-in-law is Vegetarian so I'm lucky to know how to cook already. There are unhealthy meat eaters and unhealthy Vegan/Vegetarians so like EVERYONE - no matter what you're eating- look to balanced nutrition!

SyntonicGarden

I stopped eating meat all together in college, because the sight of it all sectioned out in the supermarket was gross and made me sad. The thought of the hormones in the meat didn't sit well either. I don't eat fish because I couldn't get past seeing fish as pets. That and I don't like the smell. I've been wheat-free for almost 15 years, so sadly a lot of the meat substitutes - and I dislike the "why do you eat meat substitutes when you don't eat meat" argument- contain wheat, so I can't eat them. Things like Morningstar, Quorn, and Tofurkey are out. Adapt and overcome, as they say.

I'm married to a meat eater, so we do a lot of poultry, as my husband does a fair bit of the cooking. He's not big into veggies or things like quinoa. Raw chicken actually skeeves me out and I don't eat pork or beef. If it were just me (and I'm glad it isn't), I would put more effort into being GF and veg. But I work full time, volunteer at the hospital, volunteer as an EMT, and am taking classes, which means that he cooks, which means we eat poultry. I usually take more side dish than meat when the option presents itself though.

rawfull

I was raised in Alaska, we ate a lot of meat and fish. There was very little fresh fruit and vegetables available in the stores, and if it was, it was way too expensive for my family to afford. As an adult, I was extremely busy, and I ate a lot of fast food, and that eventually ruined my health.

So, due to my health being ruined, I started looking at diets and nutrition, to loose weight.
I eventually came across a video on you tube called "Best Speech You Will Ever Hear" by Gary Yourofsky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6U00LMmC4

After watching that, I became vegan the next day.

So why did I become a vegan? It was a combination of, Animal Rights, and Health
I'm now a raw vegan, for health... I love the way I feel eating raw foods...

hollyk57

I went vegetarian almost two years ago - it will be 2 years in July. I did so for a variety of reasons. The most important of which, was for my love of animals and my disgust with the unethical treatment of animals on factory farms. I have always been an animal rights activist and felt it was time that my diet reflected my beliefs. I also fully believe that no animal deserves to lose its life in order to feed me or anyone else. I don't fault anyone for not being a vegetarian - I just like to encourage them to try it. I also went vegetarian as part of my lifestyle change journey here on MFP. I want to lose A LOT of weight, and I knew my diet needed help. By all means - going vegetarian/vegan does not automatically equal healthy! In fact, it's hard work, especially in the beginning, to re-learn how to eat healthy on a whole new diet. It's easy to turn to pastas and starches without paying attention to protein and nutrients. For me, it took some work, but with my newfound determination on MFP, I knew I could do it. MFP is also great for the transition because you can log your food and really make sure you get all you need. I found I now eat more protein than I ever did before my change. I've learned the right foods to eat, and going vegetarian has really opened up a whole new culinary world to me. I also don't impulse eat like I used to - I almost never eat anything from a fast food place (there's not much in the way of vege fare and that's a good thing!) - so I no longer binge on burgers and fries. I feel better - inside and out. I feel healthier, have more energy, and just feel clean. Even my husband, who's an aspiring vegetarian but hasn't been able to make the switch yet - eats mostly vegetarian and said to me that when he eats meat now, he really sees how much it affects him and makes him not feel good.

For suggestions - especially for people who love meat dishes - I really recommend exploring alternative 'meat' sources. My favorites are Seitan (a wheat based produced that can be homemade or store bought - Westsoy is awesome - and can be made or purchased to taste like beef, chicken or fish) and Tempeh (a whole soybean product that's awesome as 'bacon', used on sammies, tossed in stirfy etc.). I also love tofu - when it's properly prepared, and black soybean tofu (available at whole foods) which has a nuttier flavor. As for prepackaged goods - I love Westsoy Seitan, Lightlife Smart Strips (beef or chicken which can be used in anything from stirfrys to tacos, gyros, fajitas, sandwiches); Smokey Tempeh Bacon; Nasoya Black Tofu; Vegetarian Plus frozen foods (Black Pepper Steaks and Ginger Spare Ribs are incredible); Sophie's Kitchen Frozen Products (Vegan Breaded Shrimp, Fish, Calamari and crab cakes that taste so much like the real thing it's almost scary); Quorn Products (my favs are the chikn cutlets with goat cheese and cranberries); Meatless Mushroom Meatballs (I fooled several friends with these who thought they were beef!); Gardenburgers - yumfest; and Boca Chicken Patties. Gardein products are also delish and versatile, and Fieldroast makes a vege Meatloaf that is amazing!

Ok, prob more info than anyone wanted, but I hope it helps!

*hugs* Holly