What made you Vegan/Vegetarian?

I also, consume the odd sweet or two, even though I know it contains gelatine, and I eat chocolate.

I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I could relate. Ever since I was child I found the taste of meat to be horrible, unless it's been prepared in certain ways that disguise that taste/texture and produce a new taste/texture I like.

I treat food preferences like all personal beliefs, what convinces one person is not necessarily what convinces another, think of it as personal and go from there. My best advice to you is unless your goal is to advocate you beliefs, don't push it on anyone if they don't genuinely ask about it, just state that you are vegan as a fact if a situation arises where you need to let that be known. If you are going out / visiting, let your friend/host know of your preferences to avoid any embarrassing moments for either of you. If someone starts getting defensive as if their existence depends on you consuming animal products, don't add to the fire. I found that when I refuse eating certain types of meat, some of those who didn't know me would start going on and on about how silly it is to be a vegan/vegetarian, I just politely ignore them by just nodding or saying "alright". When you don't give aggressive people attention they tend to calm down and change the topic.

As for food choice, the more home made things the better. You would know exactly what is in your food. Cook things that do well as leftovers, refrigerate or freeze well. Cooking won't sound as daunting if you only have to do it once or twice a week.

I was a vegetarian for a while. But not anymore......What made me not eat meat was the thought of chewing on a piece of an animal....its gross. The blood, veins and all that....uuuugh. Now, I rarely eat meat and when I do, I only can if the thought doesn't hit.

I went vegetarian approximately 17 years ago after watching a program on factory farming and treatment of animals. I have always been an animal lover and what I saw broke my heart. I made the decision never to eat meat again and I have stuck by my choice.

When I switched over I was in my 20's. At this time in my life many friends and family were not accepting of my choice. They thought it was just a fad and I would never stick to it. They mocked me and did some pretty cruel things to me. Over the years I have dealt with people throwing pieces of pepperoni from their pizza onto mine and laughing, shoving meat in my face trying to force me to eat it thinking they are being funny, sending me pictures of slaughtered animals again thinking they are funny, making their burger moo at me while wiggling it in my face the list just goes on and on. Over the years the mocking has subsided somewhat but I still get grief over it on occasion. What I find ironic about the mockery is I am not the type of person who forces my views on other people, I don't make a big deal about me being vegetarian in social situations, I don't challenge people for eating meat but meat eaters find it necessary to do challenge my ways and do cruel things like that then think there is nothing wrong with their actions. :noway: I believe the actions of these people show a great deal of immaturity and insecurity on their part. Like many of you, I do my best to ignore the people who do things like this.

I found as I got older some of my family and friends became accepting of my choices. A few have inquired about vegetarianism and we were able to have had good discussions about it. If they ask I have no problem sharing my recipes with them. When throwing a dinner parties I make options for vegetarians as well as meat eaters. (My husband is a meat eater) Non vegetarians are free to try my meatless meals but I never force it on them. I am grateful for those who are accepting and respectful of my decision to be vegetarian.

I always say.... You eating meat does not offend or bother me, so please don't be offended or bothered by the fact that I don't!

I love this response!

I was never a fan of meat. As a child I naturally didn't want to eat it and would leave most of it in my plate and my mom would get mad. I grew up thinking I had to eat it. I move out and learned how expensive and wasteful it was and tapered off buying it. I read up on how animals are treated and how bad meat is for you and stopped eating it over time and eventually just stopped it altogether. Meat isn't a necessity to health or survival. It's also pretty gross. Since quitting I noticed I don't get acne anymore or as many food babies.

Gary's speech, coupled with learning about the environmental, humanitarian, animal cruelty and health realities of consuming dead animal parts did it for me.