dont eat meat ever again!

Also, I don't understand why vegetarians have to declare they are vegetarians.

If someone offers you something, can't you just say "no." If you are out to dinner, can't you just say "I don't like meat". Why do you have to put a label on yourself and make it a big deal?

Just simply say "no." It's a lot easier. When I don't want chocolate at work, I say "no.", I don't say "I'm on a diet", "I'm counting my calories", "I'm overweight" etc.

I am not vegetarian but my daughter just went through a long stretch of going without meat for a year. She did it to see if she could not because of some spiritual or ideological philosophy. It was particularly irritating to have her pout when she would come home and smell a roast in the oven like I was torturing her. She is grown and we never know when she is coming home or not. I don't cook based on the assumption that she will be dining with us as she rarely does.
If you want to be a vegetarian, more power to you! Just don't try to impose your lifestyle on others. Same goes with Carnivores if you eat meat great! Don't expect to convert a vegetarian or invite them to your dinner table without meat free options.
I think people are just surprised when someone chooses to do something very differently from what they have done for long periods of time. I do a LOT of cooking and sometimes I ask the question "do you have any diet restrictions or allergies?" because I plan on making something for them or to share at work or a get together. EAT AND LET EAT. Why get offended if someone is curious or being ignorant? Shrug it off and remember why you're making the lifestyle choice you've chosen regardless of what it is.

Yesterday there was a thread where someone was asking why meat eaters don't just substitute morning star products for their meat. That sort of thing doesn't go over well.

I have no problem with vegetarians. I have a problem with anyone who gets evangelical about their food choices, whether they be vegetarian, Paleo, clean eaters, whatever.

^^^THIS!

Also, some people (myself included) cannot go vegetarian for health reasons. I've been told by MULTIPLE doctors now (and confirmed through tests) that I have issues taking in non-animal proteins, so monthly cheeseburgers for me!

Some people consider meat to be pork and cow, and chicken poultry. just depends on how you were taught it..... don't take offense.

I have been a vegetarian all my life. When I was a infant school they were told that I was Vegetarian and that I would not be eating meat. Well, I was made to sit there in the dinner hall one day and eat what was on my plate (sausages) and was told that I would not be leaving until it was all gone. I was about 7 and thought that was true. So I ate it and no sooner had I finished it I threw it all back up over the teacher! Lets just say, what with that and my parents going to the school and having some very strong words with the head teacher, they always made me something else!

I have never told anyone that being Vegetarian is better that not being one and my boyfriend eats meat and that is his choice. However, I will not cook it! At the end of the day it's personal choice and I will not preach and I expect to be treated with the same respect.

I don't care either way...

A lot of veggies however seem to tell everyone like its a badge of honour?

I don't think I've ever declared to people before what I eat when I first meet them, veggies seem however to have to tell people even if food isn't involved!

:laugh:

I agree with Matt, each to their own but I object when people say meat is unhealthy when it isn't. By all means make your own choices but that doesn't make your diet superior to mine.

I was vegetarian for a while, I did get a lot of criticism for it from some friends and family. Usually because I would always have to eat something different to everyone else.

I never pushed it on anyone but I did offer to cook meals for people and they often turned their noses up at it for being meatless until they tried it!

It definitely helped me be more adventurous with food and cooking and still eat very little meat in my diet. People wonder why I do that saying "you should either be vegetarian or not" but I'm happy with my diet and don't make anyone think they should eat the aame way that I do.

I usually feel bad for the vegetarians. In general though they have much better health than 95% of normal people. I attribute this more to getting away from the S.A.D. diet which is really that terrible. If you eat fresh and healthy foods all the time and stay away from all the processed crap you will be just as healthy if not more healthy than vegetarians. Its simply too difficult to fill all nutritional needs of a purely plant based diet. Humans evolved to eat meat, its unnatural to completely avoid consuming it.

My reaction whenever someone tells me that they are a vegetarian or practice any other nutritional protocol isn't something that I typically verbalize, unless it's someone very close to me. In my head, however, I'm thinking: "I hope (s)he is smart enough to know how to properly construct this protocol."

So far this has been a very interesting post, and a very good post. All of the comments are well worth reading and very informative.

I actually respect people that eat vegetarian and are healthy. I tried it once, but it wasn't for me.

It's when they post comments trying to suggest it's healthier or better that will put carnivores on the defense. Vice versa.

I promise not to rub meat in your face... If and only when you get off your damn high horse about being a vegetarian.

Oopsie, double post - sorry

But in all seriousness, when people tell me they're a vegetarian I typically just laugh it off to myself. I've never met anyone who proclaims they're a vegetarian out loud stick with it, because the ones who stick with it don't think it's a big deal.

The only time I mention it is when someone offers me meat. Rather than have them think I just don't want to share their food, I give them a reason.

I am a meat eater.

I have an enormous amount of respect for the vegetarians that eat that way for ethical reasons.

I'm kind of torn over this.

I went veggie in 2011 and made it through for 6 months.
It was hell, I felt weak and hungry a lot of the time and my diet consisted of mainly cheese sandwiches.
This was my own fault though - I didn't educate myself properly on what to eat to replace the protein missing from my diet and I could have tried a lot harder. I want back to eating meat in the end as I found being a veggie too hard.

I am still eating meat but I carry a guilt over it.

I do think it's OK for humans to eat animals but my problem lies with how animals are treated by humans.
Like, chickens being kept in tiny cages and horrific conditions, things like that. I know you can buy free range etc but the reality is most people can't afford to do that so they buy the cheapest meats they can in order to feed their family.
No one ever stops to think - why is this meat so cheap? Oh yeah, it's because the animal was fed cr*p and not kept in very nice conditions, it cost hardly anything to raise this animal before it was slaughtered so therefore the meat people can still make a profit when when selling a whole chicken for 4 pound sterling in Asda.

If we hunted animals like animals hunted each other and only ate to survive, I would be fine with it.
But it breaks my heart when I see meat on the reduced to clear shelf in supermarkets, knowing an animal lost its life for no reason, it will just get thrown away.

I hope to go veggie again in thenear future but I will do it in a much more sensible way this time, so it can be sustainable for me. I need to experiment with some new foods, ie tofu and lentils, pulses etc so I am getting nutrients I need.
The ultimate goal would be to go Vegan, but one step at a time

Edited for spelling and nonsense purposes, I have a tendency to miss out whole words when I'm on a roll! I'm sure I still missed a few corrections, sorry to all the grammar nazis (I am usually one of them :laugh: )