Are there any vegetarians here?

[Voodoo]

Fish is meat people. Remember...fish are friends, not food. Fish are friends, not food.

Seriously, I've have full blown arguments with people who claim to be vegetarians but eat fish. I just don't understand why people think fish isn't meat. Better yet are those who claim that other sea creature (like sea cucumber or clams) aren't meat because they don't really have a face.

Let's make something clear. When you eat an animal (face or no face), you are eating meat. Fish are animals, so eating fish means you are eating meat. LOL. It's not a tough concept.

Vegetarians eat fruits, grains, vegetables, and typically dairy products and honey.

Vegans remove the dairy, honey, or anything that is produced by animals or animal by-products.

 

[tanner123]

well im no where near a vegetarian i don't think i could survive without meat, But, i have a bunch of vegetarian friends and a vegan friend which is hard for her to get food can barely eat anything from any store

 

[Voodoo]

When I visit my chap, it's what I take for the 6 hour journey. He's got used me turning up with stinky coriander breath kisses!

haha. Nothing's better than the sweet stench of stinky coriander breath! :uhoh:

 

[Monger]

<3 meat.

 

[srsb]

I am a vegetarian and have been for about 10 years. My reason is the suffering caused to animals in our farming practices. I do not believe that any animal should be tortured, suffer and die for me to eat. I can not ever see myself going back to eating meat because I could not eat something that I would consider a "friend" if I met him in real life. I am a sucker if we drive by cows, I pet pigs at the fair, I move worms off of the sidewalk.

That being said, I am married to a carnivore and he occasionally goes hunting. We have a deal, though. If he tells me that he killed something, I get to adopt another pet.

As for feeding my snakes: I feed f/t only. I feel it is more humane for the snake and the mouse. Sure, snakes eat live mice in nature, but if I can reduce suffering a bit, I will.

I would LOVE to be a vegan----but I HATE to cook and I am a terrible cook, and to be a vegan takes great care to make sure you get the nutrients you need. I love vegan food when I have had it cooked by a good cook. But, I am a terrible cook. I LOVE tofu when I get it at a restaurant, but if I try to cook the same thing at home, it is gross.

I am also not a PETA type---in fact, I think their approach to animal rights turns people off more than it converts people. I prefer the approach of a group like Compassion Over Killing that says be aware of your choices, and minimize suffering where you can. Every bit helps whether you reduce or eliminate your use of animals for food.

As for recipes..... my "best" recipe is salad. Loaded with lots of different veggies. But, like I said, I can't cook. :rofl:

sonja

 

[kathylove]

Not a vegetarian, BUT...

We have been really trying to eat a more healthful diet this year - and have been actually doing pretty well! We cut out all refined carbs (sugar, flour, pasta, white rice, etc). And severely limit saturated fats. And we are trying to eat moderately of everything else. So far, so good.

I love fruits, nuts, whole grains, and I like lean meat and low fat dairy just fine (but not fish). But I have never been a great veggie lover. I have forced myself to get used to eating huge amounts of mixed dark greens and mild veggies in salads and in "green" fruit smoothies. But it is still kind of a chore. And I really dislike strongly flavored veggies like olives - yuck! (Although we both love onions and bell peppers - go figure!)

So if some of you have great, easy recipes that use lots of healthful veggies (and maybe mask their flavor somehow), I would be interested in seeing them.

 

[wade]

I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain to eat mouse and rabbit food.

 

[Drizzt80]

This thread could really get interesting . . . FAST!! :eek1:

Does half-vegetarian count?

If it does, then I'm a half-vegetarian. I always have potatoe's with my steak!

II had to... my digestive system cannot handle meat at all. It's odd. If I eat meat, I get terrible heartburn... but if I skip the meat, I'm fine.

Interestingly enough, when I've done the Atkins diet at various times over the past several years, my heartburn problems have disappeared. What's that mean?!

Going to have fun watching this one!!
D80

 

[KJUN]

Does half-vegetarian count? LOL
I eat fish (which I don't think is a true meat but everyone else does) and I do eat chicken when my mother makes me.

Why do you not consider fish "not meat?" It's still an animal you kill for its protein. What leads you to call it something other than meat? I'm curious. Really. If it is because the Pop allowed Catholics to eat fish a couple of hundred years ago because fishermen were suffering economic hardships during lent, I DON"T BUY IT. That sounds like a cop-out when I hear it. I respect your beliefs, but I am curious why you hold them. I assume it is OK for me to ask since you posted on them in the first place.

I'm as far from being a vegetarian as possible, and I could never be a vegetarian even if I didn't like meat. Cattle, for example (which I eat very little of), can be raised WITH wildlife in shared habitat. Corn is pretty much an ecological wasteland when habitat is destroyed for row crops. It takes more land to feed a person on beef than it does on grains, but the land being used CAN be managed for wildlife ALL YEAR LONG and for cattle/goat production. Ethically, I support eating meat for that reason. BUT, I eat very little "commercial" meat - including store bought beef, poultry, or fish. We eat some animal protein with every meal, but 90% of those meals are wild animals or eggs (breakfast) that we raised ourselves. (Yes, it is on mainly pre-fab feed, so that isn't perfect but I can't free range chickens YET! We will, though.)

Although I love vegetarians (the reduce the demand on meat meaning prices are less than they COULD be), but I can't stand hypocritical vegetarians. I mean the ones that tell me it is wrong to eat beef, but they eat chicken because they like it! heck, I wouldn't eat beef if I didn't like it, either. Being a vegetarian means giving up the meat - even the meat you DO like - and NOT just giving up the meat you don't like. Heck, even I don't eat meat I don't like. I'm sure there is some meat I don't like. When I find it, I won't eat it. That doesn't make me a vegetarian except I eat the meat I like....lol.

For the record, I eat very little "store bought" meat because it contains too much fat. Wild game is healthier. That's the main reason, but I do like that wild game is not treated as poorly as SOME captive animals come slaughter, is processed MUCH cleaner (since we do it ourselves), it just TASTES better, and all the other minor personal reason I think wild meat is better table fare than captive meat. I don't do it because I think it is unethical or immoral to eat an animal that wasn't "free" or anything whacko like that.

KJ

 

[TandJ]

I have friends that are vegitarians.. Good for them.. Of course they don't give me any grief when I am chowing down on a 4x4 in front of them eithier.. There are times when we eat a large qaunity of fruits and vegi's then there are times when that a t bone or even veal rank supreme.. Balanced diets are probably best, as long as it is done in moderation * over the last few years I have seemed to forgot the moderation part, although the nasty sodas are some of the worst things in my diet... *


Regards.. Tim of T and J

 

[Snake Dave]

Why do you not consider fish "not meat?" It's still an animal you kill for its protein. What leads you to call it something other than meat? I'm curious. Really.

I'm as far from being a vegetarian as possible, and I could never be a vegetarian even if I didn't like meat. Cattle, for example (which I eat very little of), can be raised WITH wildlife in shared habitat. Corn is pretty much an ecological wasteland when habitat is destroyed for row crops. It takes more land to feed a person on beef than it does on grains, but the land being used CAN be managed for wildlife ALL YEAR LONG and for cattle/goat production. Ethically, I support eating meat for that reason. BUT, I eat very little "commercial" meat - including store bought beef, poultry, or fish. We eat some animal protein with every meal, but 90% of those meals are wild animals or eggs (breakfast) that we raised ourselves. (Yes, it is on mainly pre-fab feed, so that isn't perfect but I can't free range chickens YET! We will, though.)

Although I love vegetarians (the reduce the demand on meat meaning prices are less than they COULD be), but I can't stand hypocritical vegetarians. I mean the ones that tell me it is wrong to eat beef, but they eat chicken because they like it! heck, I wouldn't eat beef if I didn't like it, either. Being a vegetarian means giving up the meat - even the meat you DO like - and NOT just giving up the meat you don't like. Heck, even I don't eat meat I don't like. I'm sure there is some meat I don't like. When I find it, I won't eat it. That doesn't make me a vegetarian except I eat the meat I like....lol.

KJ

I don't eat any form of meat, including fish, chicken, etc. as it should be. If you're gonna be a vegetarian you can't create double standards like that, and as you rightly said, they're just hypocrits and I can understand you disliking them. I've got no problem with people eating meat, and I don't force my lifestyle and/or views onto other people. I really respect your views.

I don't eat meat because I love animals, and it felt wrong and hypocritical to love animals but eat them, so I changed. Besides, a vegetarian diet has numerous health benefits, so it's not all about sacrifice.

 

[Morph Collector]

Corn (if not an illegal plant) is a mega cash crop and can be used to make plenty of things INCLUDING PLASTICS. I agree with the ideas of vegetarians, eating healthy is somehting I wish I could afford. I can honestly say some of the Vegi food I have had was better than some of the meats I have had. I had some morningstar blackbean "burger" patties that BLEW MY MIND AWAY one time while camping with a vegi friend. He turned my mind into a literal snowstorm of ideas other than "boca" and crappy tofu. I can't be a vegetarian mostly because my body (or mind) doesn't feel like it had a meal unless I have eaten meat... I am not sure why, but I could be "full" and still feel malnourished, and hungry (for meat).

Ps. I wonder about the Vegetarians that eat fish and justify it as well. But I don't disagree, just wonder their reasoning. Its hard (from what I hear) to get a full array of vitamins and minerals and some people aren't good about nutrition so fish helps them a lot...

 

[Voodoo]

Good points KJUN. ...But I don't eat corn. It has basically no nutritional value and takes up to much precious land. Good point though. I support my meat eating buddies. More veggies for me, more meat for them!

I could care less what other people eat. I just can't stand it when people call themselves vegetarians, but they still eat fish. LOL. Since when are fish vegetables?

 

[KJUN]

I had some morningstar blackbean "burger" patties that BLEW MY MIND AWAY one time while camping with a vegi friend.

Actually, I like Soybean hamburger patties a LOT. However, I like them stacked on top of a regular meat patty with bacon and cheese, so I don't guess that counts for much. Hmmm, I guess that makes me 33% vegetarian and 25% vegan (if you ignore the mayo and eggs in the bread). Hmmmm, and the yeast in the bread, too. They were alive before we baked them alive. Poor guys.

It is important to remember (at least outside of human society) that "vegetarians are PREY species!"

 

[tom e]

This is something interesting I've found. None of my friends who are vegetarians actually love vegetables the way I do. I have on many occasions tried to entertain veggy friends (mostly ex girlfriends actually) with elaborate veggy dishes only to find that they don't like 'broccoli' or whatever it may be. I think lots of vegetarians should change their food titles to 'non meat eaters', lol. I think that's a shame..

 

[Jrgh17]

My stepmom is a pseudo-vegetarian. I say pseudo because she eats tuna very rarely for health reasons. She has just never liked the taste of meat. :shrugs:

And oh yes, her egg salad is AWESOME. We pretty much had some in the fridge at all times when I was growing up.

1/2 red onion, chopped up
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dillweed
1 teaspoon paprika
8 eggs
salt and pepper

Basically, you boil the eggs, then let them cool. Put everything in a bowl and mash it up with a fork. The thing I like about it is it's less 'mushy' and more chunky than most egg salad. I works really great as a salad dressing (i.e. over lettuce) for lunch, or just on top of triscuits as a snack.

 

[Bobo's Mama]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I do occasionally eat vegetarian meals. I had one for lunch today. It was Tofu Stir-Fry. Here's the recipe. This is just a single serving lunch for one person.

6 oz. of extra firm tofu
1 oz. of shredded cheese
1 cup of fresh chopped onions
1½ cups of fresh chopped broccoli
1½ cups of fresh chopped mushrooms
1 tsp. of olive oil
½ tsp. of fresh garlic
1 small piece of fruit for desert

Drain and crumble tofu. Saute tofu in a skillet. Add onions, broccoli, and mushrooms. Stir-fry on medium heat. Stir in cheese and heat until the cheese is melted.

It was pretty good. I usually use Mozzarella cheese, but you can use whatever kind really. I eat all types of meat, but I try to stick with buffalo or venison for my red meat, and turkey for poultry. Fish is good, except for Sole. That stuff is uke01: nasty.

 

[SnakesRule1234]

Why do you not consider fish "not meat?" It's still an animal you kill for its protein. What leads you to call it something other than meat? I'm curious. Really. If it is because the Pop allowed Catholics to eat fish a couple of hundred years ago because fishermen were suffering economic hardships during lent, I DON"T BUY IT. That sounds like a cop-out when I hear it. I respect your beliefs, but I am curious why you hold them. I assume it is OK for me to ask since you posted on them in the first place.

Because it's from the sea lol. But really, it has nothing to do with religion- I am not catholic nor christian or any religion people worship (I made up my own ). I guess, in my mind, fish is a meat, but not TRUE meat so it's still ok to eat.

Although I love vegetarians (the reduce the demand on meat meaning prices are less than they COULD be), but I can't stand hypocritical vegetarians. I mean the ones that tell me it is wrong to eat beef, but they eat chicken because they like it!

I feel like somehow you put me in that category.. But, I don't tell anybody what they should and shouldn't eat. And I said before that my mother makes me eat some meat because I don't get enough nutrition and blah, blah, blah. Chicken tastes like rubber, at least in the states with all the hormones and crap they put into it.

 

[xerxes]

sry but i honestly don't consider it a full meal if i don't have at least some meat.

 

[desertanimal]

I have a professor friend who eats no meat except for seafood. When asked if he is a vegetarian, he says, "No. I'm a vegaquarian." Works for me. Truth in advertising, so that's what I call those types now.

My wife and I are not vegetarians. But the funny thing about that is that since we are lesbians, everyone assumes that we are. I can't tell you the number of panicked phone calls we have gotten a few days before weddings we've RSVP'd to attend where the people call frantically to find out if we're vegetarians. It seems, from our end, as if they've been sitting around, looking at their guest list, figuring out the table arrangements, and it strikes them. "Oh my GOD we have LESBIANS coming!!!! Do we have anything to FEED them?!?"

I wouldn't necessarily assume that it's because we're lesbians that people seem to think that we're vegetarians, except that the same people will often repeatedly ask if we are, even though we never have been and have told them on several occasions that we are not. It's weird, but kind of funny. We always get the "You guys are vegetarians, right?" or, "Oh! I thought you were vegetarians." from people we know well but are eating with for the first time. :crazy02: