Lol I am a pure vegetarian aka vegan. I consider myself pretty lax as I do consume products like Tofurky etc. I would never break veganism though!!! Very important cause to me.

I would add THE ENVIRONMENTALIST. I mostly went vegetarian to reduce my impact on the environment with a little bit of the other three mixed in.

Yes, that too!

Definitely Environmentalist. I'm a marine biologist who researches/teaches about climate change, pollution, etc. I've been sliding lately so really need the motivation to get back to mostly vegan. I do eat eggs (from my local friends who have organic, free range) and occasionally Wild caught Alaska salmon when my body seems to crave it (from my Alaska fisherman friend at the local farmers market). I do want to give up dairy products again. It was once I started letting cheese back into my diet, and a damaged knee for 5 months, that I started putting the weight on. Time to dig deep and find that commitment bone again.

I'm an animal lover/environmentalist first and foremost. After years of humming and hawing about giving up meat I finally did it in college when I found myself with no more excuses.
Now that I have, I stay off for health reasons too. Would love to go vegan but worry that with a nut allergy (peanuts and almonds only OK) and an apparent soya intolerence it would be too difficult thus I make TVP and eggs my main protein sources.
Maybe someday though

The Spiritual Human: Hindu Vegetarians know that it is spiritually damaging to consume the dead bodies of other species

Yup! Raised vegetarian for religious reasons--and as an adult I came to understand the environmental and physical health implications of eating a diet high in meat. While I agree that "preachy" vegetarians and vegans are annoying, I don't think that "health nuts" are necessarily preachy.

Initially it was about 65% taste and 35% animal lover. It's still about 50% taste, 15% animal lover, 25% environmentalist, and 10% health nut. My husband does eat meat, but we try to source his meat from more sustainable and animal-friendly sources.

2: Animal Lover

I'm a vegetarian because I don't like eating dead bodies. :sick:

I dislike when I tell people I'm a vegetarian and they start trying to argue with me or challenge me. My family still think it's a phase I'm going through, I've been a vegetarian for about 25 yrs.:laugh:

I never liked the taste of meat as a child. In my teens became aware of the treatment of factory farm animals and discovered Buddhism. So that was that. Do no harm.

A bit of each. I was raised on slabs of meat and potatoes and butter and gained a lot of weight as a teen. I cut meat and all of the meat-related foods my parents served because I wanted to lose weight, the taste didn't appeal to me, and it seemed kinda gross that there was blood and dead stuff inside of me. I lost something like 50 lbs in 4 months.

Then, college happened and I gained back all of the weight in alcohol and chips with queso. Woooo...

If they're not eating meat, they're alright by me.

I'd endorse the vegetarian diet to anyone for whatever reason suits them best. My step-dad recently decided not to eat meat to be healthier. It would've been fairly stupid of me to judge him on his reasoning whilst ignoring his actions.

Religious/ethical vegetarian-in-the making. I'm transitioning to lacto-ovo, with some fish occasionally. I'm Hindu, and while vegetarianism is not a requirement in Hinduism (or Buddhism), it's an ideal to strive for.

Isn't this a bit inaccurate? There certainly are different classes of vegetarianism ranging to light pescatarian to raw vegan. I myself am an ovo-lacto vegetarian, which simply means that I still eat milk and eggs. However, by your description, I'm a health nut, and I have a bit of an issue with that. I drink green smoothies, I eat organic whenever possible, etc, all for the health benefits. Yes, I promote a mostly meatless lifestyle (I also enjoy the occasional sushi roll), but mostly to people that I personally know and know that they are struggling with their health and perhaps weight as well because this lifestyle change has worked so well for me. I've been diagnosed with a myriad of diseases and chronic illness (none contagious, btw) and eliminating meat from my diet has made a HUGE change in what I'm able to do in my daily life. When I recommend (never preach) this lifestyle to people, it is out of genuine concern for their health. I do not believe that I am above anyone, nor do I believe that vegetarian is the ONLY way for a person to be truly healthy. What I'm getting at is that generalizations like this are very rarely wholly accurate. I am in no way denying that there are militant vegetarians out there, I've had more than my fair share of their judgment and criticism. Just please be mindful the next time you think to make such a large generalization.

I don't consider fear of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (bse) being "a health nut". do you?

I just joined this group and this is the first discussion I've read. I have to say I find your original post interesting, but it was your 2nd post that got to me.

Aurora1525 wrote: »

The reason I asked this question was because I think the "Health Nut Vegetarian" gives vegetarianism a bad name (no offense if this is you). Yesterday someone at the grocery store asked me if I was vegetarian (what gave it away? The fact that there's no meat on the conveyor belt?). I was more than happy to reply, "Yes!" to which the cashier said, "Oh, so what...you only eat vegetables?" UGH. Because that's what people think vegetarianism is --- just a bunch of crazy people who only eat raw vegetables. My belief is that too many carnivores run into the "Health Nut Vegetarian" as opposed to other types and get this sense that yes, that's exactly what vegetarians eat. "Gotta eat healthy!!! Love my green smoothies!!" they tell carnivores. Please, health nut vegetarians, shut up. It drives me absolutely crazy when carnivores respond this way to me and my vegetarianism because of you. (No offense to you, of course.)

I truly found it offensive and it almost made me want to leave the group and keep searching for a Vegetarian group where people didnt split hairs and label others who live and think and eat a little differently than them. By your theory Im a health nut whos "giving vegetarians a bad rep". Wow. Funny Im feeling that about you, no offense to you of course.

Ive been both Vegan and Vegetarian for what started as health reasons. Im now Vegetarian because its what works for me. Im happy, comfortable and much healthier as a Vegetarian. I like smoothies and have shopped at our farmers markets and our local health food store long before becoming vegetarian. I used to be a Diabetic with high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Now I am free of those ailments and the multiple medications for them.
Thank you kortthedork91 for saying it so well,

kortthedork91 wrote: »

I do not believe that I am above anyone, nor do I believe that vegetarian is the ONLY way for a person to be truly healthy. What I'm getting at is that generalizations like this are very rarely wholly accurate. I am in no way denying that there are militant vegetarians out there, I've had more than my fair share of their judgment and criticism. Just please be mindful the next time you think to make such a large generalization.

Isn't a group meant to simply be a place for generally like minded people to support and encourage each other? I don't mind a healthy debate and food for thought, but please dont label and blame others for thinking and living little differently. People who question my choices out of ignorance (lack of knowledge having not yet learned) are not offensive. People who react with stupidity (intolerance, arrogance and rudeness) can offend me. Unfortunately life brings both on a regular basis. Its just the way it is. What perpetuates change is when we respond, not react, to both with common courtesy.
I confess this post may have slipped a bit into the reaction side rather than the response side, but I truly hope it is food for thought. Vegitarian food of course.