Dear Vegetarians and Vegans,

alaskaang

Omnis are the majority. Why would omnis be so bothered by a small minority that enjoys sharing information regarding health on a health related site? I just see this as yet another veg bullying thread here on MFP however passive aggressive it might be. This is so unfortunate, unkind, and unnecessary.

I assume you are responding to a recent veg. thread from a new member. That kind of threads is not typical of the veg. members here at MFP. Why start a veg bashing thread under the guise of being offended (as if veg. members are constantly lecturing you and/or as if we have any power over what you choose to consume)? If you really don't care what veg. members think then move on to another thread. Starting this kind of thread is so unsupportive and mean-spirited and in the end you are guilty of the same preachy behavior you are condemning.

I don't think that the OP or most of the comments here from omnis were stating that we "don't care what veg members think". I think the point of the thread and most of the comments are meant to be supportive. As in, even if I don't follow the same lifestyle or way of eating, I respect your choices and will not/do not condemn you for it. The primary condemnation of the preachy behavior in the other thread was due to the OP preaching something she didn't even follow herself.

And VGD, if you were coming to my house I would ask the same because I wouldn't want you to have to "figure it out". Maybe it is because of my own allergy/intollerances and knowing that eating outside of home can be a real PIA, but regardless, whenever we have someone to our home for a meal, the first thing I always ask is if there are any dietary concerns or preferences. It's just part of being a good hostess.

frando

Gah It all started so well!

Yes, it is a response from a recent thread, I just wanted to clear the air in my head. If you're going to present something as fact but with little (or no evidence) then cite biased documentaries (or at times just copy pasting from websites) then say that those that oppose are rude have issues irritates me. That and I was accused with having 'rancor' with vegetarians and vegans o_O

There are people in my life, as I said in my OP, that I love but just so happen to be vegetarians and vegans.

Jerks, unfortunately, appear on both sides of the field. Those that create facts to scare the other into their way of thinking or literally force it upon one another. I don't want that to happen to anyone, if you've made your choice then people should respect you for it.

I just want people to be tolerant; realise people have made this choice for a reason, and that just because I'm not on the same team, as it were, doesn't mean I dislike you.

frando

If I were a lesbian, I would ask you on a date! This was beautifully written. I'm a proud omnivore who really only eats chicken and I don't appreciate organizations like PETA(who by the way kill more animals than they save) using the same lame and pathetic tactics that pro-life extremists use to try to convert others to their cause.

I am a bi-sexual ;D

But yes the last part is exactly what I mean;

Respect is earned, not taken. Respect my choice to eat chicken and I'll respect your choice not to.

watcheronthewall

I don't know why people get so offended by vegetarians and vegans. The majority of them quietly go about their business without bothering with what others chose to do, and somehow end up offending meat eaters and being labelled "self-righteous." Idgi.

LottieLou13

I've been vegetarian for 20 years and tbh only my family really know about it. I don't go round shouting it from the rooftops because I feel no need to. Friends I've eaten out with never seem to notice that I'm not eating meat as there is always something available that I can eat. The same as meat eaters / omnivores feel no need to shout about it. What I choose to eat or don't eat is no ones concern apart from my own. I have my own reasons for eating this way and its a very personal thing. Things only become a big deal when you make a big deal out of it.

Ravepixie87

I'd just like to point out that some people don't eat meat, or at least cut down their consumption due to environmental concern, and while you say its nobody's business but your own what you eat, and that's true to a degree, the state of our planet affects us all.
While I dont think eating meat is wrong, I do think the amount we eat is too much, and everyone could do their part to simple consume less, maybe one day a week. We all seem so aware of environmental issues, so many people I know now use energy saving light bulbs, recycle, try to drive their cars less, yet no one seems to want to address the issue of meat consumption and its effect on climate change, deforestation and land degradation.

Here are a few journal articles to look through, if it interests you, and if not, dont worry about it! Not trying to make enemy or convert anyone to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, just trying to raise peoples awareness that what out put into your mouth affects more that just yourself

Fiala (2009) "How Meat Contributes to Global Warming" [available at: www.environmentportal.in/files/Global%20warming.doc]
Koneswaran & Nierenberg (2008) "Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change" [available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367646/]
****son-Hoyle & Reenberg (2009) "The shrinking globe: Globalization of food systems and the changing geographies of livestock production" [available at: http://rdgs.dk/djg/pdfs/109/1/GEO_109_1_8.pdf]
Ilea (2009) "Intensive Livestock Farming: Global Trends, Increased Environmental Concerns, and Ethical Solutions" [available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-008-9136-3?LI=true]

frando

I'd just like to point out that some people don't eat meat, or at least cut down their consumption due to environmental concern, and while you say its nobody's business but your own what you eat, and that's true to a degree, the state of our planet affects us all.
While I dont think eating meat is wrong, I do think the amount we eat is too much, and everyone could do their part to simple consume less, maybe one day a week. We all seem so aware of environmental issues, so many people I know now use energy saving light bulbs, recycle, try to drive their cars less, yet no one seems to want to address the issue of meat consumption and its effect on climate change, deforestation and land degradation.

Here are a few journal articles to look through, if it interests you, and if not, dont worry about it! Not trying to make enemy or convert anyone to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, just trying to raise peoples awareness that what out put into your mouth affects more that just yourself

Fiala (2009) "How Meat Contributes to Global Warming" [available at: www.environmentportal.in/files/Global%20warming.doc]
Koneswaran & Nierenberg (2008) "Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change" [available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367646/]
****son-Hoyle & Reenberg (2009) "The shrinking globe: Globalization of food systems and the changing geographies of livestock production" [available at: http://rdgs.dk/djg/pdfs/109/1/GEO_109_1_8.pdf]
Ilea (2009) "Intensive Livestock Farming: Global Trends, Increased Environmental Concerns, and Ethical Solutions" [available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-008-9136-3?LI=true]

Personally I'd put you under the moral grouping, but I hadn't thought of it like that. I do remember reading somewhere something about cows making more methane then the average human.

RawrWolfie

I dont know how people survive on such low amounts of protein, good luck!

brevislux

Luckily all the information is out there. If anyone actually wanted to know about what farm animals go through in their area, they can find it out with a click of a button. Most people with whom I've spoken about this issue (this only happened because they were asking me questions about my lifestyle) claimed they know that animals get a bad treatment in industrialized farms but choose to keep eating meet anyway, and that's the choice they make as fully aware adults.

I object people shoving any opinion down anyone's throat. I give the people around me enough credit and believe they are intelligent people; those who aren't aren't worth talking to anyway.

Ravepixie87

I'd just like to point out that some people don't eat meat, or at least cut down their consumption due to environmental concern, and while you say its nobody's business but your own what you eat, and that's true to a degree, the state of our planet affects us all.
While I dont think eating meat is wrong, I do think the amount we eat is too much, and everyone could do their part to simple consume less, maybe one day a week. We all seem so aware of environmental issues, so many people I know now use energy saving light bulbs, recycle, try to drive their cars less, yet no one seems to want to address the issue of meat consumption and its effect on climate change, deforestation and land degradation.

Here are a few journal articles to look through, if it interests you, and if not, dont worry about it! Not trying to make enemy or convert anyone to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, just trying to raise peoples awareness that what out put into your mouth affects more that just yourself

Fiala (2009) "How Meat Contributes to Global Warming" [available at: www.environmentportal.in/files/Global%20warming.doc]
Koneswaran & Nierenberg (2008) "Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change" [available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367646/]
****son-Hoyle & Reenberg (2009) "The shrinking globe: Globalization of food systems and the changing geographies of livestock production" [available at: http://rdgs.dk/djg/pdfs/109/1/GEO_109_1_8.pdf]
Ilea (2009) "Intensive Livestock Farming: Global Trends, Increased Environmental Concerns, and Ethical Solutions" [available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-008-9136-3?LI=true]

Personally I'd put you under the moral grouping, but I hadn't thought of it like that. I do remember reading somewhere something about cows making more methane then the average human.

yeah plus it takes alot of land and water to grow food to feed a cow who then feeds a human. The thinking is why not eat the crop yourself. Guess it doesnt work if you like a nice juicy stake tho.

I'm just a massive tree hugger incase you didnt notice

vypeters

I dont know how people survive on such low amounts of protein, good luck!

Kind of off topic to the thread, but I'm a vegan and get over 100 grams of protein a day. Have to plan it a little more than an omnivore might, but since 100 grams really not strictly necessary for health (just my choice as I try to build muscle, just over half as much would do otherwise) it's generally not an issue. Many foods have protein and a vegan on a sensible diet has no trouble getting enough. Vegetarians, who eat dairy, it's a piece of cake.

T1mH

The way animals are handled and slaughtered and processed in the US is different from the UK. It really is horrendous to know how commercially processed meat is treated and distributed here. I'm not trying to convert anyone, I'm just pointing this out.

This is a perfect example of how veggies are pushing their ideas thru scare tactics and over generalizations on other people. Not everything in the us is horrendous. Some are free range, organic, hormone free, etc. Just like most other developed country's we do have choices.

frando

I'd just like to point out that some people don't eat meat, or at least cut down their consumption due to environmental concern, and while you say its nobody's business but your own what you eat, and that's true to a degree, the state of our planet affects us all.
While I dont think eating meat is wrong, I do think the amount we eat is too much, and everyone could do their part to simple consume less, maybe one day a week. We all seem so aware of environmental issues, so many people I know now use energy saving light bulbs, recycle, try to drive their cars less, yet no one seems to want to address the issue of meat consumption and its effect on climate change, deforestation and land degradation.

Here are a few journal articles to look through, if it interests you, and if not, dont worry about it! Not trying to make enemy or convert anyone to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, just trying to raise peoples awareness that what out put into your mouth affects more that just yourself

Fiala (2009) "How Meat Contributes to Global Warming" [available at: www.environmentportal.in/files/Global%20warming.doc]
Koneswaran & Nierenberg (2008) "Global Farm Animal Production and Global Warming: Impacting and Mitigating Climate Change" [available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2367646/]
****son-Hoyle & Reenberg (2009) "The shrinking globe: Globalization of food systems and the changing geographies of livestock production" [available at: http://rdgs.dk/djg/pdfs/109/1/GEO_109_1_8.pdf]
Ilea (2009) "Intensive Livestock Farming: Global Trends, Increased Environmental Concerns, and Ethical Solutions" [available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-008-9136-3?LI=true]

Personally I'd put you under the moral grouping, but I hadn't thought of it like that. I do remember reading somewhere something about cows making more methane then the average human.

yeah plus it takes alot of land and water to grow food to feed a cow who then feeds a human. The thinking is why not eat the crop yourself. Guess it doesnt work if you like a nice juicy stake tho.

I'm just a massive tree hugger incase you didnt notice

I had an IT teacher who was an outright hippy! They made him tie is hair up as they couldn't make him cut his hair and he hated wearing ties and would only do wear the suit trousers and a shirt. But he was amazing

ShaniWulffe

I agree... People should mind their own business regarding what others eat. I've been a vegetarian for about 8 or so years now and my body just isn't used to meat anymore. Therefore, the only person who I will actively try to get to not eat meat is my boyfriend (and that's only on days we plan on seeing each other), and that's just because I'd feel awful if we were kissing after he had a bacon cheeseburger or something and I started throwing up! (Don't laugh, it's happened before...) Anyway, I understand that there are different diets in the world, and if someone is willing to listen, I'll tell them about why I'm vegetarian, but I won't try to force them or anything. I appreciate when people who do eat meat extend me the same courtesy, which almost never happens.

redraidergirl2009

I dont know how people survive on such low amounts of protein, good luck!

What do you consider low?

redraidergirl2009

The thing that drives me nuts about being a vegetarian is everyone acts like they have to go to great lengths to ensure that I have something to eat. If we are selecting a restaurant someone will always say "We have to go someplace where she can eat something". Even a steakhouse has a baked potato. It slays me.

My mother in law will call and say "What do I need to make special for you for Thanksgiving?" It doesn't matter that every single year I tell her not to worry about it. I will figure it out. I can always eat salad, potatoes, green beans, bread, etc. It's like people think if you are vegetarian you don't actually eat vegetables. You instead eat nothing but soy meat substitutes or something!

ugh I had a friend do that to me. I told her wherever is fine, they will have something. I happen to love baked potatoes