Vegetarians and vegans. Controversial Topic

Brechin89
Brechin89 Posts: 92
in Health and Weight Loss
Today, after I left the gym I stopped at Jimmy Johns to get a snack. I ordered a #1 which is Applewood Smoked Ham and provolone cheese garnished with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. I sat down minding my own business enjoying my snack. Like a the normal American Male that I am, I take really big bites of my food. Of course their might be a string of lettuce hanging from my mouth or drops back onto tray. Well while doing this I'm approached by a very bitter lady.

"That is so gross" was the first words out of her mouth. At first I was going to say something like "get off my nuts if you don't like the way I eat" but before I could say anything she wasn't talking about the way I eat food. She was referring to my meaty sandwhich. She says to me, "How can you eat that stuff, its disgusting, unhealthy, and just plain wrong. People kill animals for you to eat, god didn't put us on this planet to kill everything" (that wasn't word for word but its the same damn gibberish she was spouting at me)

Being a educated fellow I smiled real big and just knew this was going down right then and there.

My response "What makes you think that this is unhealthy? Because its high in calories? My food is cooked to kill the germs that might be harmful to me. As far as taste goes I believe its very good and I might just get another."

"I'm a vegetarian and vegetarians are just more fit and healthier than those who are not" she said.

Again I smile real big "Lady I'm 5'4" 160lbs, I can run 2 miles in under 13 minutes and at that pace I can maintain a heart rate of 150bpm and a dead rest heart rate of 52bpm. My blood pressure is 116/75. I can benchpress 205lbs. I go to the gym 4 days out of the week. I eat all the nutrients my body needs. Without sacrificing my size. If I were like you and eat only veggies I would be a puny twig that can be pushed over by a strong wind. I like my chances of being healthy without being a vegetarian. I like having protein in my body, it allows me to do hard labor work without being strained, and if I am strained I can recover very quickly. If I were you I'd start eating meat so you can be healthier than you are now"

Baffled and stunned this lady was forced into retreat.
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Replies

  • ler2665
    ler2665 Posts: 22 Member
    I have been a vegetarian for years, but don't mind that other people eat meat and certainly don't bother them about it. It's too bad there are people that would just approach a stranger that way.
  • Brechin89
    Brechin89 Posts: 92
    what is your purpose for being vegetarian? Do they just taste that good to you? Is it about being healthy? WHY!?!? Don't get me wrong I have no problems with it, and everyone is entitled to eat what ever they wish. I however am trying to understand.
  • lilkelg
    lilkelg Posts: 1
    Really?!?!
  • ler2665
    ler2665 Posts: 22 Member
    Started out as a picky eater as a kid & wouldn't want to eat my pets, so why would I eat another animal? I don't have a lot of trouble finding replacement foods (veggie burgers, etc), and after not eating it for almost 18 yrs I dunno what my body would do! Plus the things I've seen/heard about all the weird hormones & 3-headed chickens just freaks me out too much.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    "trying to understand the madness" ?

    Thanks, I'll pass on this topic.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
    vegan.jpg

    This woman clearly wasn't getting enough iron in her diet. I'm a vegetarian, not for any moral/ethical/health reasons, just because I can't stand the texture (I can eat fish, but not really firm textures like swordfish). Human's are omnivores, get your meat on if you see fit :)
  • April4th
    April4th Posts: 140 Member
    I wish more people would adhere to the live-and-let-live policy. It wasn't appropriate for her to approach you like that. In a word--rude.

    They just opened a Jimmy Johns where I live but I haven't tried it yet. Sounds good!
  • marie_2454
    marie_2454 Posts: 881 Member
    I've been a pescetarian for a year, and what I eat now is way healthier that what I ate before. But I pretty much just cut out fried chicken strips and cheeseburgers. I get plenty of protein also, almost always at least 100g a day, but that's not usually the norm. Anyways I think both ways of eating can be either healthy or unhealthy. There are certainly overweight vegans, but not eating meat doesn't automatically make you unhealthy.

    That being said, what she said and did was completely rude and something I would never do. I'm the only one in my family that doesn't eat meat, and living in the Midwest, meat is a pretty big staple lol. My family knows I don't eat meat and they loving rag me about it. It's our family dynamics. But I've never preached to them or gotten all holier than thou either. If they ask then I'll answer questions, other than that it's just kinda whatever.

    Sorry you had a bad experience with a nasty vegetarian woman, but she's probably nasty regardless of how she eats :D Not all of us are crazy and/ or rude.
  • littlelaurie14
    littlelaurie14 Posts: 224 Member
    I work at Jimmy John's! And they have a damn good #6 vegetarian :p I am a vegetarian... I would never boast about healthier or more fit than anyone that's not. In fact alot of people believe I'd be healthier if I ate meat. But I just can't I've been a vegetarian for 7 years, and it's just part of me. I believe "to each their own" ...and that was very rude of that lady. I can't stand when vegetarians/vegans shove it in people's faces. Kinda makes me think of religion.. Haha.
    (by the way, I'm new so I don't have a pic or profile or anything, but I thought I'd share my input) :)
  • cherrybomb_77
    cherrybomb_77 Posts: 411 Member
    We raised and butchered our own chickens for awhile, so I spent a lot of time on backyard chicken boards. Some funny trolls in there. My two favorites were "Your children should be taken away by CPS!" and "Why don't you get your meat from the store, WHERE IT'S MADE!" :laugh:
  • brendacs21
    brendacs21 Posts: 180 Member
    Vegetarian also . I never cared much for meat and would always scrape it off my plate to give to my siblings when my parents werent looking. I stopped eating it because i read several books/articles about meat production and i was disgusted. I figured since i never liked meat much anyway and i love animals why not go vegetarian. I'll tell you one thing since giving up meat i have tried so many new foods that i absoloutely love!!! Ive become such a creative person in the kitchen :) I dont force my beliefs on anyone but ive had to deal with people hounding me about NOT eating meat (especially during my pregnancy) so i can understand where you are coming from
  • Brechin89
    Brechin89 Posts: 92
    Started out as a picky eater as a kid & wouldn't want to eat my pets, so why would I eat another animal? I don't have a lot of trouble finding replacement foods (veggie burgers, etc), and after not eating it for almost 18 yrs I dunno what my body would do! Plus the things I've seen/heard about all the weird hormones & 3-headed chickens just freaks me out too much.

    I wouldn't want to eat my pets either, so I can understand that much more than because its a "healthy" decision that they made.

    Textures is also something else I can understand. I hate eating green foods...

    A lot of vegetarians/vegans are PRETENTIOUS.

    So are you saying this lady was trying to make her self sound important and trying to impress me? I give her a 10 for guts for approaching me like that. I can see that as a admirable trait lol!
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    That lady was RUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm vegan just because I wanna be (not to save the world or anything like that....I did it just to try it and it stuck) but never ever ever ever would I approach someone (whether it be a stranger or someone I knew) and say anything about the choices they make.
  • nwrainyday
    nwrainyday Posts: 29
    There are lots of reasons for being vegetarian or vegan. Do you really want to understand? Mine was simply an emotional reaction. It upset me to think I was eating an animal or that an animal had to suffer for me to eat. I was super healthy when I was vegan and I never had a doctor even hint that it was a problem. Since the American diet is not vegan, it takes a lot of research to make sure you are meeting your body's nutritional needs. There are other cultures (and faiths) that avoid meat and those are good diets to look to for balanced meals. That said, it's not for everyone. And since my "reason" wasn't health or cholesterol or environmental reasons, when that feeling of guilt left, I started eating meat again. Everyone's body has different needs and limitations, but a normal healthy adult is capable of eating very healthily whether they eat meat or not. You don't HAVE to eat meat to be healthy. You also don't HAVE to avoid animal products to be healthy either.

    I always said and say that the way the earth works, Humans are the dominant species right now and if we choose to eat other animals, that's our prerogative. For many years I simply didn't exercise that entitlement, but now I do. So do you. That's your business and that vegetarian was out of line.
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    I love meat!
  • hollyeverhart
    hollyeverhart Posts: 397 Member
    Started out as a picky eater as a kid & wouldn't want to eat my pets, so why would I eat another animal? I don't have a lot of trouble finding replacement foods (veggie burgers, etc), and after not eating it for almost 18 yrs I dunno what my body would do! Plus the things I've seen/heard about all the weird hormones & 3-headed chickens just freaks me out too much.

    This^ (my reasons as well!)

    **But I cannot believe someone would approach you like that its so rude, who is she to push her beliefs on you! Way to make all vegans/vegetarians look bad.. people that like are so obnoxious!!! We are not all that way!
  • Skinny_Beans
    Skinny_Beans Posts: 405 Member
    Some people don't eat meat for ethical reasons. Some because red meat is supposedly bad, but don't ask me I don't know any facts. Some because they come from a fast-food guzzling lifestyle, and going vegetarian really helped them stay on track. You can be omni-vegetarian too, where you still eat animal products, as well as people who call themselves vegetarian and eat fish claiming it's not meat (healthier and less cute I guess?)
  • heatgal976
    heatgal976 Posts: 53 Member
    what is your purpose for being vegetarian? Do they just taste that good to you? Is it about being healthy? WHY!?!? Don't get me wrong I have no problems with it, and everyone is entitled to eat what ever they wish. I however am trying to understand the madness.

    I eat mostly vegetarian, because meat grosses me out a lot. I will eat meat, but not often. I also suffer from IB and eating meat is harsh for me to digest. I don't know why a complete stranger would approach you like that and throw their opinions at you. I wouldn't do that to others that enjoy meat, but I get a lot of sneer comments for eating vegetarian. The comments come from both sides.
  • violet1993d
    violet1993d Posts: 17 Member
    if you dont mind my input id like to say. that yes overall in America vegetarians may be healthier than most, but thats because a lot of Americans are over weight like me and made a choice not to combine the right meat and fruit?vegetables to make them healthy. you can be healthy and eat meat like yourself. i get that most vegetarians/vegans want to save animals. i was vegetarian for a few months, but i like meat. the real problem is the way they are killed. GOD put the animals on earth to eat. if we could just treat the animals better and not torture them to death then there would probably be less vegetarians. just saying! :)
    P.Speople dont realize that you shouldnt it to much meat. skip out like twice a week on meat. Dr oz says you shouldnt eat animal with for legs more then 3-5 days a week.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    First and foremost, the person who approached you was rude, stupid and annoying. It's appalling that someone would do that.
    Since being on MFP, I've been eating less and less meat because my tastes in food have apparently changed. I just don't want it anymore and prefer tofu and beans to meats. There's no more to it.
  • SueGremlin
    SueGremlin Posts: 1,066 Member
    if you dont mind my input id like to say. that yes overall in America vegetarians may be healthier than most, but thats because a lot of Americans are over weight like me and made a choice not to combine the right meat and fruit?vegetables to make them healthy. you can be healthy and eat meat like yourself. i get that most vegetarians/vegans want to save animals. i was vegetarian for a few months, but i like meat. the real problem is the way they are killed. GOD put the animals on earth to eat. if we could just treat the animals better and not torture them to death then there would probably be less vegetarians. just saying! :)
    P.Speople dont realize that you shouldnt it to much meat. skip out like twice a week on meat. Dr oz says you shouldnt eat animal with for legs more then 3-5 days a week.
    Uh. Animals are humanely killed, they are not "tortured to death". I have been to slaughterhouses and have seen it firsthand.
    I take exception, too, to your claim that animals were put here by God for us to eat.
    We are animals. We love to imagine that we're special, but I think that's bull****. We are no different and have evolved in the same way as anything else.
  • maricash
    maricash Posts: 280 Member
    I was vegetarian for about 12 years and have now been a mostly-vegetarian omnivore for about as long. In my time as a vegetarian I met many, many more preachy meat-eaters than I did preachy vegetarians. As a vegetarian I constantly heard comments like "you eat tofu, gross" and "being a vegetarian is so stupid, we were meant to eat animals," "why would you want to do that to yourself" etc. Since beginning to eat meat again, I have eaten meat in front of any number of vegetarians and vegans and heard not a word of criticism.

    Of course, there are preachy people of all sorts, and that woman you met was incredibly rude. However, since meat-eating is the norm in this country, I think you'll find that it's vegetarians and vegans who are more often accosted for their food choices.

    Edited to add: I love that you call vegetarianism "madness" in a post where you are claiming harassment from a vegetarian for your personal eating choices.
  • KBGirts
    KBGirts Posts: 882 Member
    So.....I'm sure you were not the only person in a Jimmy John's eating meat. Did she tell everyone eating meat they were gross? How did she single you out?
  • angng
    angng Posts: 137 Member
    I've been both. I think it's a good idea for most people to at least try vegetarianism for a while; it forces you to try a lot of new foods (if you do it right--most people I know just eat a lot of processed soy & wheat crap).

    But seriously. . .if she's so offended by meat-eating, why is she supporting a restaurant that primarily serves meat sandwiches?
  • heatgal976
    heatgal976 Posts: 53 Member
    I was vegetarian for about 12 years and have now been a mostly-vegetarian omnivore for about as long. In my time as a vegetarian I met many, many more preachy meat-eaters than I did preachy vegetarians. As a vegetarian I constantly heard comments like "you eat tofu, gross" and "being a vegetarian is so stupid, we were meant to eat animals," "why would you want to do that to yourself" etc. Since beginning to eat meat again, I have eaten meat in front of any number of vegetarians and vegans and heard not a word of criticism.

    Of course, there are preachy people of all sorts, and that woman you met was incredibly rude. However, since meat-eating is the norm in this country, I think you'll find that it's vegetarians and vegans who are more often accosted for their food choices.

    Edited to add: I love that you call vegetarianism "madness" in a post where you are claiming harassment from a vegetarian for your personal eating choices.

    2nd This ^^
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
    Hi there! I have been vegetarian for a decade or so and make that personal choice for moral purposes mostly and I feel there are some healthy benefits that come along with it. I think many foods are much less healthy and have unhealthy chemical/hormonal/antibiotic...etc included that lessen their value than say 20 years ago. Additionally the industry itself is pretty horrifying.

    I agree that live and let live is the way to go- I have beliefs as does everyone else. I think the woman you encountered was way out of line...but I don't think you took the higher road in your response. I think people can be pretty healthy living many different lifestyles, vegetarian, meat eater, vegan.... I make it a practice not to lecture people about why I think I am right and only engage in educated discussions who engage me in a discussion. I am aware that many of our decisions are trade offs... I can count many occasions that people make obnoxious comments that are, rude/disrespectful or attempts to be taunting about my choice which is unfortunate- there are some in every group.

    Anyway- those are my thoughts.
  • brendacs21
    brendacs21 Posts: 180 Member
    I was vegetarian for about 12 years and have now been a mostly-vegetarian omnivore for about as long. In my time as a vegetarian I met many, many more preachy meat-eaters than I did preachy vegetarians. As a vegetarian I constantly heard comments like "you eat tofu, gross" and "being a vegetarian is so stupid, we were meant to eat animals," "why would you want to do that to yourself" etc. Since beginning to eat meat again, I have eaten meat in front of any number of vegetarians and vegans and heard not a word of criticism.

    Of course, there are preachy people of all sorts, and that woman you met was incredibly rude. However, since meat-eating is the norm in this country, I think you'll find that it's vegetarians and vegans who are more often accosted for their food choices.

    Edited to add: I love that you call vegetarianism "madness" in a post where you are claiming harassment from a vegetarian for your personal eating choices.


    I have this happen all the time. Especially when my orders at restaurants are messed up and i send them back because i ordered something w/o meat. People look at me like omg how are u alive if u dont eat meat.
  • Charlottejogs
    Charlottejogs Posts: 351 Member
    I was vegetarian for about 12 years and have now been a mostly-vegetarian omnivore for about as long. In my time as a vegetarian I met many, many more preachy meat-eaters than I did preachy vegetarians. As a vegetarian I constantly heard comments like "you eat tofu, gross" and "being a vegetarian is so stupid, we were meant to eat animals," "why would you want to do that to yourself" etc. Since beginning to eat meat again, I have eaten meat in front of any number of vegetarians and vegans and heard not a word of criticism.

    Of course, there are preachy people of all sorts, and that woman you met was incredibly rude. However, since meat-eating is the norm in this country, I think you'll find that it's vegetarians and vegans who are more often accosted for their food choices.

    Edited to add: I love that you call vegetarianism "madness" in a post where you are claiming harassment from a vegetarian for your personal eating choices.


    I have this happen all the time. Especially when my orders at restaurants are messed up and i send them back because i ordered something w/o meat. People look at me like omg how are u alive if u dont eat meat.


    Yes- agreed!!!
  • bm99
    bm99 Posts: 597 Member


    A lot of vegetarians/vegans are PRETENTIOUS.

    So are you saying this lady was trying to make her self sound important and trying to impress me? I give her a 10 for guts for approaching me like that. I can see that as a admirable trait lol!

    10 for guts, 0 for social skills
  • gaynorharding
    gaynorharding Posts: 1
    Why can't the people on this board just leave their uninformed opinions to themselves. It seems that the level of discussion is pretty low...really people, picking on vegetarians. Don't yu have something better to do in your lives. It turns me off to join a group like this...

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