Why did you become vegetarian/vegan?

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!

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.

The problem is, I simply don't like most of the substitutes, so it becomes less likely that I will eat them, thus definitely neglecting my protein needs. Tofu is great, but I worry about eating too much soy. I am willing to do protein powders though! Any in particular that are good?

daffodilsoup

The problem is, I simply don't like most of the substitutes, so it becomes less likely that I will eat them, thus definitely neglecting my protein needs. Tofu is great, but I worry about eating too much soy. I am willing to do protein powders though! Any in particular that are good?

I get a gemma pea/brown rice blend from true protein.com - the nutrition facts are pretty great at 118 cals/25g protein per scoop, and no animal ingredients! The price is right too. The cake batter flavor is fabulous! I make a great shake with 1-2 scoops of the powder, almond milk, frozen banana, cocoa powder, greens and peanut butter! Delicious, natural, and chock full of protein!

linbeebee

The problem is, I simply don't like most of the substitutes, so it becomes less likely that I will eat them, thus definitely neglecting my protein needs. Tofu is great, but I worry about eating too much soy. I am willing to do protein powders though! Any in particular that are good?

I get a gemma pea/brown rice blend from true protein.com - the nutrition facts are pretty great at 118 cals/25g protein per scoop, and no animal ingredients! The price is right too. The cake batter flavor is fabulous! I make a great shake with 1-2 scoops of the powder, almond milk, frozen banana, cocoa powder, greens and peanut butter! Delicious, natural, and chock full of protein!

Holy yummy! I will definitely look into this. :-) Thanks!

kbuelo

I went veg a bit over a year ago. I read a lot of books and watched a lot of documentaries and while you can bicker all you want about the health aspects of each type of diet you just cannot deny the cruelty aspect of the meat industry. I can't support that, knowing what I know. I couldn't "unlearn" that if I wanted to, but luckily for me I don't want to. I'm SO happy with my decision - it's changed my life! I have more energy and less guilt, I eat more produce and cook more adventurously. It makes me want to keep up the momentum for doing good and making changes. It really is powerful.

I encourage anyone to give it a try with a real willingness to adapt. It's so worth it. Eventually you won't miss meat {or at least you won't crave it- admittedly I still miss the convenience of being an Omnivore - but convenient food isn't healthy anyway!!!}. Feel free to add me if you'd like. Good luck with your decision!

gingerveg

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.

The problem is, I simply don't like most of the substitutes, so it becomes less likely that I will eat them, thus definitely neglecting my protein needs. Tofu is great, but I worry about eating too much soy. I am willing to do protein powders though! Any in particular that are good?

I don't eat a lot of soy for fear of overdoing it on soy. Nuts, legumes, and quinoa are my best friends. Of course being vegetarian at the moment (not vegan) I also try to eat eggs. I get my eggs from a local small free-range farm here so I am also cutting down on emissions and gas by buying local and supporting my local economy. If you have a local food coop join even if you're not vegetarian. This is a good way to support local farmers/local economy. But do your research, just because it is local does not mean they are not using hormones and nasty chemicals. Usually your coop (if it is good) will do the research about this, but always double check.

MoveTheMountain

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.

Well, technically, I'm not sure 'murder' is ever not wrong, given the definition of the word.

*But* yes, if you're eating meat, you are definitely killing other living things so that you can consume them. I just can't get a handle on the moral part of 'it's wrong to kill to survive' because it's so prevalent across all of human history - and the rest of nature. But then, one can also argue that, sure, but aren't we supposed to be more evolved, and still evolving, into a higher form of life? And shouldn't that create in us the drive not to kill if we don't have to? And clearly, we can survive without meat. I totally get this argument too. So, I'm really stuck on which side of the moral divide I fall to. What I'm more clear on is the horrific nature of the food and meat packing industry - it's one thing to have to kill to survive, but the food production industry is full of torture and utterly inhumane practices.

From a health perspective, I've really reduced the amount of meat that I eat, but I haven't eliminated it, although I've gone for up to a month without meat under some odd travel circumstances that are not easily repeated. Unfortunately, I do like the taste of it; but I also do know better, so I like to think I'm heading in the right direction. My wife, however, really isn't on board, so that makes it really tough. If she were into it, I'd probably be going on year 4 or 5.

if you haven't read "The China Study," definitely pick it up if you need any more convincing:

http://www.amazon.com/The-China-Study-Comprehensive-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340052561&sr=8-1&keywords=the+china+study

Amazing book!!

flyingwrite

I simply stopped liking the taste of meat. I felt heavy and sluggish after eating it. I gave up beef for health reasons a decade ago. Chicken and pork came more recently. I still eat fish, but on a normal week only once. I've seen all the documentaries and I like the fact that it's more sustainable and better for the world in general if I don't eat meat. But at the end of the day, it comes down to how I feel in my body and what works for me. I cook mostly vegan meals and feel the best when I do. I haven't had any issues getting enough protein or having enough energy. Actually, I've never felt better. Feel free to friend me if you'd like support. It's worth it to try. It may not be your thing, but you won't know until you do.

inraptorswetrust

It is pretty difficult to get adequate levels of protein eating a vegetarian diet. You have to be very well educated on it, and very careful, and eat a LOT of beans, quinoa, and other protein-containing grains. I eat vegetarian for lent, and its really tough to eat a healthy vegetarian diet, it gives you a lot of respect for the vegetarians that are actually healthy, and gives you a lot of insight into why so many vegetarians are skinny fat. One year we may try going vegan, but I think that will be even harder!

For those of you from the "guilt" school of vegetarianism, or from the anti-meat industry school, this may seem a little counter-intuitive, but look into buying some local venison, turkey, or squirrel meat. These animals are 100% free range, eat completely organic, and the process used to harvest them is far more humane than commercial slaughterhouses. No hunter wants to chase a deer, so we all ensure they are killed instantly with as little pain as possible, since pain=adrenaline=running=chasing. They are also cheap and leaner than store bought meat, and you can make sure that 100% of the animal is used. Hunting also takes the place of natural predators in the ecosystem and prevents unecessary amounts of roadkill and other accidental animal deaths which are in almost every case more painful ways to die for a deer than a bullet.

That's not even close to true about protein. I often get more protein than I need on the "oh so challenging" vegan diet.

And there is nothing "humane" or "ethical" about murdering another animal for sustenance. It doesn't matter how local it is or how little time it took the animal to die. An animal still died for human pleasure.

inraptorswetrust

what on earth are vegan chicken strips made from? Non-dairy cheese? You can't make any of that in your own kitchen.

Actually that's not true. You can make vegan cheese from nuts in your own kitchen and meat subs with seitan (vital wheat gluten). Mock meats and cheeses from grocery stores really don't work as a long term vegan diet, they are more meant to ease the transition or as a rare "treat," in my opinion.

carld256

It is pretty difficult to get adequate levels of protein eating a vegetarian diet. You have to be very well educated on it, and very careful, and eat a LOT of beans, quinoa, and other protein-containing grains. I eat vegetarian for lent, and its really tough to eat a healthy vegetarian diet, it gives you a lot of respect for the vegetarians that are actually healthy, and gives you a lot of insight into why so many vegetarians are skinny fat. One year we may try going vegan, but I think that will be even harder!

For those of you from the "guilt" school of vegetarianism, or from the anti-meat industry school, this may seem a little counter-intuitive, but look into buying some local venison, turkey, or squirrel meat. These animals are 100% free range, eat completely organic, and the process used to harvest them is far more humane than commercial slaughterhouses. No hunter wants to chase a deer, so we all ensure they are killed instantly with as little pain as possible, since pain=adrenaline=running=chasing. They are also cheap and leaner than store bought meat, and you can make sure that 100% of the animal is used. Hunting also takes the place of natural predators in the ecosystem and prevents unecessary amounts of roadkill and other accidental animal deaths which are in almost every case more painful ways to die for a deer than a bullet.

I don't even know why you'd come into a vegetarian thread to post that stuff. It is NOT hard at all to get adequate protein on a vegetarian diet. As for the rest, it's just mind boggling that you would think that's somehow appropriate for this thread.

daffodilsoup

It is pretty difficult to get adequate levels of protein eating a vegetarian diet. You have to be very well educated on it, and very careful, and eat a LOT of beans, quinoa, and other protein-containing grains. I eat vegetarian for lent, and its really tough to eat a healthy vegetarian diet, it gives you a lot of respect for the vegetarians that are actually healthy, and gives you a lot of insight into why so many vegetarians are skinny fat. One year we may try going vegan, but I think that will be even harder!

It's actually very easy to get protein from vegan sources, considering that protein isn't only found in meat. Seitan, for example, has a nutritional profile similar to skinless, boneless chicken breast. It is also delicious.

With all due respect, just because you personally have difficulty reaching your protein goals without meat doesn't mean that's the case across the board - the world of vegan protein is a vast one, and includes tempeh, seitan, tofu and an assortment of vegan protein powders. Also, just as there are skinny-fat, unhealthy vegans, there are skinny-fat (and just plain fat) omnivores. It comes down to calories in/calories out for weight loss and strength training for achieving a more "firm" look.

For those of you from the "guilt" school of vegetarianism, or from the anti-meat industry school, this may seem a little counter-intuitive, but look into buying some local venison, turkey, or squirrel meat. These animals are 100% free range, eat completely organic, and the process used to harvest them is far more humane than commercial slaughterhouses. No hunter wants to chase a deer, so we all ensure they are killed instantly with as little pain as possible, since pain=adrenaline=running=chasing. They are also cheap and leaner than store bought meat, and you can make sure that 100% of the animal is used. Hunting also takes the place of natural predators in the ecosystem and prevents unecessary amounts of roadkill and other accidental animal deaths which are in almost every case more painful ways to die for a deer than a bullet.

Unfortunately, this assumes that animals are on the planet for the benefit of human beings. Sure, I am abhorrently against factory farming, but for many vegetarians and vegans, it comes down to the fact that I just don't have the right to the life of another sentient being. It's 2012, and easier than ever for humans to not only survive, but thrive, on an animal-free diet - any consumption of animals or their secretions are done out of pure greed and selfishness, be it intentional or not.

daffodilsoup

what on earth are vegan chicken strips made from?

Vital wheat gluten, generally.

Non-dairy cheese?

A variety of ingredients, but most homemade vegan cheeses utilize cashews.

You can't make any of that in your own kitchen.

False. Next question?

toysbigkid

bumping

kddruckenmiller

Because I don't think an animal needs to die simply for my convenience and pleasure. I have been a vegetarian since September 2010 and have been vegan for about a week now after learning about the cruelties of the egg and dairy industries. And as a bonus, I feel great.