Why did you become vegetarian/vegan?

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

kjerstenkipp

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!

EXACTLY...I am not a vegetarian but I have friends who are vegetarians (some vegans as well). I have this conversation with them over and over again. What ever process is used to come up with TVP has to be worse for you then just eating grass fed beef or free range chicken...and what on earth are vegan chicken strips made from? Non-dairy cheese? You can't make any of that in your own kitchen.
My cousin is a vegan and honestly she eats more "product" than any meat eater I know.

Of course we are talking about vegetarians and vegans that believe it to be a "healthier" way to eat vice those that are doing it for moral reasons...if you are doing it because you find it morally wrong to eat an animal the, by all means, eat all of the meatless "crumbles" you want...but don't tell me it is healthier...it is just "nicer" :-)

That said, to each his own...but keep your grubbies off my ribeye :-)

tcunbeliever

I became vegan after watching Forks Over Knives and deciding to try the plant-based foods to see if it would help with my migraines. It didn't help, it cured. I have since added back fish since it's NOT a migraine trigger for me, but chicken, eggs, dairy, etc. are all totally out. For me it's not hard. Looking at it and knowing it will put me in pain for 3-5 days is plenty of incentive not to eat it. I try to stay away from processed vegan foods, but I will use them when I need them - like showing up to a cookout with my own vegan burgers, or not-chicken patties. BUT the vast majority of all the processed foods labeled "veggie" are made with milk and eggs, so I have to be really careful what I buy. The allergy warning labels have become my friends because they disguise that stuff under all sorts of crazy names. I just started in January, so I'm still feeling my way around stuff. I was dissappointed at the Pampered Chef vegetarian cookbooks, very heavy on the eggs and cheese in the recipes, and only one little section in the back of the Vegetarian Table that is truly vegan. I bought the Veganomicon - LOVE it...lots of good recipies that real people can make! As for suggestions, just do whatever works best for you, and if you aren't sure what that is just try different things until you find something you like. For me cold-turkey changes have never been difficult, I love switching my world around...not everyone likes that...for some people gradual is better. I do still serve meat to my family, but in reduced quantity, and I only buy local (I live in the country, so for me that's not a challenge). There are lots of recipes online, and I would definitely recommend trying those before investing in cookbooks (unless you are like me and just love collecting new cookbooks). Also, you can change your MFP setting to track anything you are concerned about falling short on. For instance, when I first started I tracked protein, iron, and calcium and kept a close eye on them because I was concerned about being able to get those nutrients in sufficient quantity on a plant-based diet. And I eat plenty of nutritional yeast so I get my B12. It's not hard to do once you get the hang of it, but it is something to keep in mind, particularly in the very beginning. This should be a healthy move, not one that winds up with vitamin defficiencies. Now I'm working on getting ALL the processed foods out of my diet, since I've been swinging back way too far towards pastas and such. Must get back to more whole grains.

carld256

I became a vegetarian over 30 years ago. As with many other people it was just a sudden moment of realization that the meat on my plate wasn't just "meat" it was the flesh of another living breathing animal. It was like flipping a switch to off, and I haven't touched meat since.

Of course it's still possible to eat badly without eating meat, but I do the best I can right now. I'm almost completely vegan, though I may switch back to full vegetarian at some point. I'm waiting to see what my blood work results are and to talk to my Dr. in a couple of weeks.

chloe_1334

I've been vegetarian for five years. I like the fact that a vegetarian diet can be much healthier (I definitely feel it, especially being free from that horrible red meat - so bad for you!) I think that animals shouldn't be exploited in that way. I certainly wouldn't eat my friend's dog, so why would I harm an innocent little chicken or cow?! Apart from that, my focus is now more on eating vegetables as a main part of a meal, rather than meat, which is great (and less fattening!)

My tips: look up loads of vegetarian websites for recipes - there are literally thousands out there! I'm never short of anything to eat There are loads of vegetables, nuts, pulses, beans, grains available to provide you with all nutrients and vitamins you need. Remember, eggs are your friend! And don't be afraid to try vegetarian options such as Quorn or veggie burgers if you don't mind eating processed food. They're very tasty. Good luck!

glamazon

I've decided to transition into eating vegan for health reasons. I notice I have much more energy and generally feel lighter. My husband is also eating this way (as is our toddler under the guidance of our pediatrician, who is all for it) so it makes things easier. Watching Forks Over Knives really inspired us to make the change. We already ate a fairly vegetarian diet to start with so the transition has been fairly easy. We cook a lot and try not to have processed fake meat items no more than twice a week. I'm finding it really fun to find new vegan recipes to try and recipe blogs to follow. Here are a few of my favorite blogs/websites:

http://ohsheglows.com/
I just recently discovered this one. So many great recipes

http://www.vegkitchen.com/
This has vegan and vegetarian recipes. This is Nava Atlas's site who wrote Vegan Express, which is great.

http://www.meettheshannons.net/
This site is a lot of fun. They are cooking their way through the Betty Crocker Cookbook and veganizing all the recipes. Some really delicious stuff here.

http://healthyslowcooking.com/
This is the site of the author of the Vegan Slow Cooker (which I really enjoy)

http://peasandthankyou.com/
She has also written a cookbook that I use quite a bit.

Wilmingtonbelle

bump

KingElessar

About 8 months ago, I had to have my gall bladder removed. Once that happened eating meat was a disaster. Those who don't have a gall bladder can probably relate. I also took it as a sign from my body that my life style needed a change. So with practically no support, I stopped eating meat.

My guy friends ridiculed me for it, picking on me and teasing, but since I stuck with it they are slowly beginning to accept it. Also I found that once meat isn't on the menu, the variety of stuff you find to eat is different. I've been a vegetarion so long now it doesn't even feel odd. Helps keep me from rebounding and gaining weight I lost.

weightlosshippie

I feel better. I feel better internally, I have more energy, and I feel like I'm doing a small part to help protect my planet.

sundancer1966

I have been vegetarian for 14 years now, and almost vegan for 2. My body does not like meat or any animal products, I had a natural dislike for meat. But, growing up was forced to eat it. I read in my baby book that every meat my mother tried to introduce to me, I had serious stomach problems and it took months for me to be able to handle it. Growing up I had very bad allergies and got bronchitis twice a year and many colds.

One day i was out to lunch with a friend who was vegatarian, and I ordered a chicken ceasar salad. Left all the chicken on the bottom of the plate, it did not eat one piece. Since I was out, and did not have my dog with me, it was obvious i did not want or like the chicken. My friend asked why did i even order the chicken, and then I realized I did not have to eat meat. My dog lost 10lbs. LOL.

My allergies are almost non-existent now and I don't feel sick after eating. Since cutting dairy out, my health keeps improving.

A second reason is, I can't stand the thought of a life being lost for every meal I eat. I love animals, and I can't stand the thought of them dieing for food.

chocolateandpb

I never really liked meat very much as a child. I love animals so much and was always bothered by the idea that I was eating "dead flesh". I grew up in a typical Midwestern household, you know, plenty of meat and potatoes, but I still never really liked meat very much--the texture and the idea of what it was always disturbed me. If I was having steak, it had to be WELL done, and if there was any red I couldn't eat it because I knew it was blood and it freaked me out.

When I was 14 I got food poisoning from a Taco Bell beef burrito, and after that I decided I was done with beef. I quickly cut out pork too, and over the next few years, stopped eating poultry and fish as well. At one point I tried to be vegan but it didn't last long - I'm from Wisconsin, cheese does a big butt good! Currently I am a pesco-lacto-ovo-vegetarian (if you want to be really specific), meaning I do eat fish occasionally (just salmon and tuna mostly, I don't like seafood at all), I eat dairy products like cheese, yogurt and butter (I never liked milk, or, as I call it "juice squeezed from a cow"), and I eat eggs, because they're a good, cheap source of protein.

DsAdvocate

Only eating fish does not make you vegetarian. Fish = meat. If you eat fish you are not a vegetarian. Period.

Yvobro

Veg

anaiah

I can't say enough how happy you will feel going vegetarian!
It is the best decision I have ever made health and conscious wise in my life! I actually was very proud of myself. I went cold turkey into being Vegan. I felt wonderful! Since I am now Vegetarian, but I usually don't buy much dairy or eggs anyways and if I do always make it organic / eggs farm fresh. On a very rare occasion I have had some seafood but prefer not to eat anything that has a family.
The documentaries really do provide you with a ton of good science based information. The people that do them are doctors and etc. There are many GREAT books out there too....just google the most popular. The China Study is great....Skinny ***** was the one I first read that made me make the switch.
It is not hard. Just educate yourself, eat as many whole foods as possible. Start out with the meat substitutes, they are very low calorie most the time and are delicious. You will get more than enough protein. Not doing so is a myth unless you eat french fries all day. I usually go over my needed daily intake for protein easily.
Good luck and enjoy the happy/healthy/guilt free feelings to come!

WalkingGirl1985

I want too..but just don't feel like I have the will power just yet. I feel bad for the animals, I really do..but meat--it tastes good..I should feel guilty...maybe someday I'll go down that route. Any inexpensive ideas is welcomed..I thought about doing like Meatless Monday's to start or something and see how good if it feel to eat cleaner for a day.

daffodilsoup

I love the taste of meat, but I made the decision to go vegan because I love animals more.

If I had to do it all again, I'd do it the same way. I did a lot of research about the horrors of the meat, dairy and egg industries, and I decided that it wasn't something I could support in good conscience. A balanced vegan diet full of whole grains, fruits and veggies brought me physical health and mental and spiritual peace.

Some people like to slowly phase meat out of their lives, but I went "cold turkey" for two weeks and never looked back. I found it easy to live without cheese, yogurt etc. once I actually gave myself the chance to try it out. Experiment with recipes, don't expect "vegan meats" to taste "just like meat" - appreciate them for their own delicious qualities. And don't be afraid to ask for help!

anaiah

"Oh She Glows" blog is fantastic!

EmCarroll1990

Only eating fish does not make you vegetarian. Fish = meat. If you eat fish you are not a vegetarian. Period.

Pretty sure it'd make them a pesco-veg.

linbeebee

I actually ended my 8ish-month veggie run yesterday. Like other people have mentioned, I'm getting progressively more weirded out by the highly processed meat substitutes that I've been eating instead, and now that I'm exercising again I'm a bit more concerned about my protein levels. I'm a bit of a picky eater, so I simply don't like a lot of the higher protein plant-based items like beans and whatnot. My main reason for going veg in the first place was mostly an anti-factory farming move. I'm still going to avoid most meat (beef and pork particularly), but I'm going to try for more humanely raised/slaughtered chicken for now. At the moment I'm dealing with some guilt issues, so I may end up back off the meats by the end of the year. I just wish I had more enterprising taste buds!

daffodilsoup

I actually ended my 8ish-month veggie run yesterday. Like other people have mentioned, I'm getting progressively more weirded out by the highly processed meat substitutes that I've been eating instead, and now that I'm exercising again I'm a bit more concerned about my protein levels. I'm a bit of a picky eater, so I simply don't like a lot of the higher protein plant-based items like beans and whatnot. My main reason for going veg in the first place was mostly an anti-factory farming move. I'm still going to avoid most meat (beef and pork particularly), but I'm going to try for more humanely raised/slaughtered chicken for now. At the moment I'm dealing with some guilt issues, so I may end up back off the meats by the end of the year. I just wish I had more enterprising taste buds!

Weirdly processed meat substitutes aren't the only sources of protein out there for vegetarians and vegans. Have you tried tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans or vegetarian protein powders for protein intake? I understand the concern over protein intake, but there are plenty of ways to get adequate protein without harming other creatures.

gingerveg

I became vegetarian when I was 15 I'm now 39 and still veg. At first I ate a little seafood (actually just shrimp for some reasons so "sea bugs"), then I went vegetarian and I've also been a vegan for a number of years. Throughout that time of almost 25 years there were a lot of reasons I had for staying veg. Really I've probably gone through all of them (compassion, personal health, and environmental being the top 3). I believe doing something you feel is right is better than nothing. As you do something you start to learn and your knowledge will lead the way to making better choices.

One of the worst things I've seen over the years is people knocking other people for their choices. I am not here to "absolve you of your omni-sins" (for some reason there are these group of omnis who need to tell vegetarians "their sins" in what seems to be an attempt at absolution so they can continue to consume flesh. I refuse to give this to anyone, it is not mine to give) but I am also not here to discourage or judge you from any progress (or not) you have made in this area. The bottom line is YOU. What do you think is right?

Critical thinking skills are so important in life. As is being 100% honest (just as you need to be in your food diary to see progress) meat is meat is meat and meat is always murder. I don't think murder is always wrong or unavoidable, but personally I like to choose a compassionate route if I am able. So while oxymoronic I believe there are "more compassionate murders". And there is also the issue of eating local for economic and environmental reasons. The best thing you can do is really think about your choices learn everything you can and the rest will naturally fall into place.

ETA: and last thing. Being vegetarian as long as I have, I've seen the very best intentioned (and vocal) veggies come and go. This is a marathon to me and the proof is in how I have sustained it. For the people who say "it's too hard" or "I was freaked by the meat substitutes" you were approaching it like a sprint. It takes a little time and effort to be vegetarian (but it is SO much easier now than when I first became veg). But really like exercise if your heart is in it there are no really good excuses (I know people who maintain being vegan with celiacs and other health troubles. The person who can't be vegetarian because of health concerns is rare, though some omnis seem to like to use this as an excuse). Give yourself some time to do research, try recipes, buy the VEGANOMICON the best vegan cookbook out there (and if you are veggie you can always add eggs + cheese to these recipes). No excuses, we vegetarians/vegans are not here to absolve you. If you don't want to be vegetarian fine but don't say you can't.