Are you a vegetarian? Vegan?

[Anonymous]

So are you? Or do you eat humanely raised meat? Or just whatever?

If you're a vegetarian, what good things are there to eat? I hate nuts, beans, mushrooms, and lentils. I do love veggies and fruit but is that all? I want to be a vegetarian but do I have to be unhappy the rest of my life to do so? Vegetarian food always feels like it's missing something, it can taste good but it's an empty feeling. I'll probably become one anyways but what are some good things to eat?

Vegetarian

Vegan

Only humanely raised meat

Any meat

[Kiwedin]

I've been vegan for about a year now. If your objective for being vegetarian is animal welfare, then it wouldn't make sense for you to continue to eat dairy, since the dairy industry is just as cruel, if not crueler than the meat industry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS9hh-Npc50

I felt the same way when I was starting out. We're so used to eating an omnivore diet, that when we try going vegan or vegetarian, we're not doing it properly because we're so stuck in that calorie-restriction/sugar is bad mindset. Freelee the Banana Girl on YouTube really helped me learn about how to do it successfully without feeling like your depriving yourself or that you're missing something. There are tons of vegan YouTubers that are just so helpful and can teach you so much about health and nutrition. There's so much information online and such a tight-knit, supportive, vegan community. Start following vegan instagram accounts, YouTube channels, and pinterest accounts. A vegan diet is about abundance, not restriction. Anything you're craving, you can google a vegan version online that tastes just as good, or even better than the real thing, not to mention it's like ten times healthier. :) Watch Gary Yourofsky on YouTube, you'll learn a lot.

[Asker]

I guess I would be going vegan since I wouldn't eat any animal by products. I miswrote lol. I don't even like whole milk, I prefer 1% and I'm not a huge fan of cheese. I don't think that part will be hard for me.
Thanks for all the advice! And I've actually already seen that speech of his. I'm not sure I agree with everything he says but it doesn't matter because I'm doing it for animals.

[Torrie]

I'm a vegetarian. My favorite meals are eggplant, pasta, boca veggie burgers, and rice.
My favorite kind of rice is Spanish rice and pineapple rice.
My favorite pasta dish is backed ziti, veggie lasagna, and my own recipe.
It's pasta, spinach, olive oil, tomatoes, grated garlic, and parmesan cheese.

[Torrie]

If you do cut out meat and fish, I'd suggest taking protein shakes, protein bars, vitamins, etc. You can get sick if you don't have enough protein. Look up protein rich food, see what you like, and try to eat it more often.

[Asker]

Lol aside from meat, protein rich food is all the crap I can't stand. Beans, lentils, nuts, and yogurt. I guess I could try tofu again but I don't know. I guess I'll be stuck with vitamins or something.

[Torrie]

Boca products have a lot of protein. I really like their veggie burgers and soy crumbles.

[Nsinger]

I tried being vegetarian for about a month. I lost 9 pounds in that month, putting me at an unhealthy weight. Its not that I hate animals or anything, its just that I see myself superior to animals, and I am going to take care of myself before I take care of them.

Maybe once my metabolism goes to shit I will try being vegetarian again, it was an interesting experience.

[Asker]

Ever thought about spending extra money to buy meat that wasn't treated so poorly? (for some reason it sounds mean but I swear I'm not trying to be a jerk)

[Nsinger]

Its very expensive, but yes, I do try to get those kinds of meats when I can. I feel like organic foods are overall better for the body. I would eat organic all the time if I was a millionaire, but since I'm not, I will eat cheap processed stuff too...

[Asker]

Well my parents buy it for me so I get off easy but I'll be on my own soon and I plan on just not eating meat too often to try to conserve money. I'm pretty sure organic food is better for you but it's crazy expensive. I can stand the non organic fruits and veggies and just spend all my money on better meat.

[Rahdle]

I'm a dairy farmer and ~800 cows. This means I have unlimited fresh milk and well raised meat. It is amazing and I am in almost perfect shape. I always feel healthy even though I don't get much sleep. If you have any questions about the food, I've got answers

[Asker]

How do you treat your cows? Are you as nice as possible? Are they fed well?

[Rahdle]

I can promiss that any milk you buy is from a pampered and spoiled cow. Because cows don't give like any milk unless they are perfectly happy. And as for feed, they get all they want and it's all perfectly made to have all the vitamins and nutrients they need. Again, cows have to be in perfect condition to give milk. This makes cow comfort one of the highest priorities on any dairy farm

[Alcoto12]

I wish raw milk was easier to get your hands on in the USA. I live in a state where selling it directly to the consumer is legal but I have a challenge finding it anywhere besides the Common Ground Fair, meaning i only get it once per year. (I live in Maine btw) Do your cattle have access to pasture or are they kept indoors most of the time?

[Rahdle]

Yeah it would be illegal for me to sell raw milk too (Michigan) but we have just given it to people before. And for pasturing, we used to let all of them pasture in the summer but we've had troubles with them overheating. Now we just let the younger heifers pasture and we built a huge barn for the cows with curtains and giant fans along the whole thing. Its basically a jumbo reinforced shade tree in the summer. It cost quite a bit but they are LOVIN it

[Alcoto12]

You sound like you really care about your animals, thank you for being willing to answer questions. I have met two other dairy farmers as well and they have all been extremely nice. It is unfortunate PETA has given you guys such a bad name. Do you plan to continue farming for the rest of your life?

[Rahdle]

I do. I'm the fourth family generation. I'm gonna see just how far I can make it go

[523206720]

Im not a vegetarian. I feel sorry for the animals that get killed to feed my belly but I need protein to live and my life is more important than theirs. If I knew how to eat a healthy diet without meat I would probably cut meat out of my life altogether but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.

[xHoneyxBeex]

Nope, I eat meat. I am picky about what meat I eat though. I don't eat anything that was grain-fed, pumped with antibiotics, or steroids. I prefer to buy my meat from local farms in which I know how the animal was raised and that it was treated humanely.

[Asker]

That's nice!!

[Elizabeth21__]

If it's not grain fed then how does it get it's fiber, then how does it live, therefore how does it gain wieght.

[xHoneyxBeex]

@Elizabeth21_ Cows naturally eat grass If they're raised in pastures. Lol In my town, there are many beef cattle farms. My dad has even raised several beef cattle on our land for us. They don't have to be fed corn.

[xHoneyxBeex]

@Elizabeth21__

[Alcoto12]

@elizabeth21_ Cattle and sheep can live fine on grass/hay their bodies are actually not designed to be given strictly grain like corn and soy. I have raised pigs on only vegetables and they grew fine the meat had less fat on it but that is preferred by my family anyway. To raise chickens for meat though especially the CornishX type (known for heart failure, and slipped tendons) you do need grain as part of their diet to avoid cannibalism as unlike laying hens they are poor foragers.

[xHoneyxBeex]

Exactly. @Alcoto12 explained it better than me. Of course, I'm sure it just depends on what the individual prefers. I wouldn't be totally opposed to eating grain-fed cattle, I'm more against the antibiotics and hormones that are often given to the animals.

[Elizabeth21__]

No what I meant was aren't they skinny and under fed? Corn makes them grain wieght so there is more meat to eat. I wasn't being mean, sorry if I sounded like that.

[koko124]

@Elizabeth21__

Corn and soy make animals gain weight, yes. That's not necessarily a good thing, though, for the animal's health, or the health of the person consuming it.

The polyunsaturated acids disrupt metabolism. Luckily, ruminants have a way of detoxifying these acids, so they're not problematic for the people who eat the meat. Pigs and chickens though, different story.

[voit3]

I'm not sure whether I'll get to vegan, but right now I only eat free range, antibiotic-free meat. I rarely eat it because it's so expensive. The people that think you need meat to get protein are simply ignorant. There are several ways to get enough protein from plant-based foods.

[aamy811]

I et vegan most of the time, but if I'm put with friends or at a party I'll have some cheese. I didn't start for animal rights reasons, I really just didn't want to be fat (plus I'm lactose intolerant),. But eventually learned about/began to care about animal rights

[Michael_Rc46]

I'm a vegan... it works out fine. At first there's an empty feeling but you don't even notice it after a while. No that's not all you csn eat... anything that doesn't have animal products is off limits but that's it... completely vegan is nearly impossible now but you can get pretty close. I've been one for almost two years now. Try it... it just gets easier and easier everyday... honestly meat is repulsive to me now

[Elizabeth21__]

Where do you get your protein?

[Asker]

What do you eat?

[thewanderingme]

what do you mean empty feeling? I've been vegan about 18 years, never had an empty feeling.. 0. O

[Michael_Rc46]

@Elizabeth21_ from the same place that these protein filled animals get theirs
Asker- quinoa, rice, pasta (that isn't made with eggs and stuff) and there are substitutes yk... heard of morning star?

@thewanderingme I mean initially... like the first week or so... of course now I'm pretty used to it.. so there's no empty feeling

[Michael_Rc46]

@Elizabeth21__

[Elizabeth21__]

Grains and fibers aren't what I meant, but whatever.

[Alcoto12]

@elizabeth12_ There is a lot of protein in nuts and beans.

[Alcoto12]

My family raise our own animals or buy pasture raised from a local slaughterhouse. We also grow our own vegetables organic. We have honey bees and have to be very careful about what is on our plants.

[Anonymous]

Tbh if you only like veggies and fruits you can find great recepies online but there's something I would like to suggest.
Instead of going full vegetarian you could always eat anything but avoid meat? Dairy like cheese, milk etc could be allowed but small portions. Surviving on only plants could be bad for your health but do what you feel comfortable with really.

[Asker]

I'm not even a huge fan of cheese, I like meat a lot more. I don't even like whole milk, I prefer 1%. I hear dairy cows are treated much worse anyways. I mean, obviously to produce milk they have to be forcibly impregnated then have their children torn away from them.

[matheus_mb]

If you see you won't be happy being a vegetarian, just don't become one. Well, aren't there any specific vegetarian blogs or sites that you can check to see articles and opinions of specialists about it? You can really find out nice things to eat.

[Asker]

I have but they all include those things I hate! Peanuts, beans, mushrooms, lentils, etc. I just wish I wasn't so picky. So that basically just leaves veggies, pasta, and fruit. Like I don't even know what to do with that.

[matheus_mb]

So maybe becoming a vegetarian won't be good for your health. You'll probably need nutrients that the food you don't like contains. So, don't do it for now. Maybe you should consult a nutritionist and get some more information and ideas before you take this step.

[Brianvv]

I eat food be it meat be it vegie humans are omnivores and are meant to eat both meat and vegetables or we would ether have meat eating teeth or vegetables eating teeth but we have grinders for vegetables and canines for meat plus the human stomach can digest both so I do not limit myself.

[Prettygurl12]

Meat is the way to go. Humanely raised meat? What the hell does that even mean? Meat is meat no matter how it gets on my plate.

[Asker]

Yeah but they were treated better, like not tortured and killed humanely (without pain), so it makes some people feel better.

[Prettygurl12]

Yeah... my family runs a rendering plant/slaughterhouse. I know how they die. Doesn't really bother me. But then again, maybe we do it the "right" way.

[Elizabeth21__]

How does something die without pain?

[Prettygurl12]

It's impossible. But the humane way is a direct shot to the skull. If done correctly, death is instant.

[Asker]

It's very possible... I don't get how you don't know that.

[Prettygurl12]

Okay, yeah, it's possible, but not cost effective.

[aamy811]

When thy say humane it means as quick and painless as possible. Me stabbing you in the leg and letting you bleed out for hours in very painful land slow, me just shooting you is very quick and isn't very painful (if done correctly)

[Asker]

So money is more important than the suffering of living creatures? Nice. Besides it wouldn't even cost that much just more than the way they do it now.

[Prettygurl12]

Well I think we all know if you eat meat. When they arrive at my family's plant they are either deceased or they are shot upon arrival. It's quick, effective, and about as humane as it gets.

[Alcoto12]

@Prettygurl12 Some people are simply not okay with intentionally killing or using animals they view all animal life as equal even insects and worms. Many consumers do not want to eat animals raised on feed lots or inside dark tunnel housing where they require huge amounts of antibiotics just to stay alive until their slaughter date. They want the animals to be able to engage in natural behaviors, see sunlight and not be abused by workers. Some large companies are know to hire illegal workers who are under paid and known to kick and rip apart the live animals out of anger at their employers and frustration with their jobs. I am an animal welfare activist and have nearly punched my own father for kicking around a broiler who took longer than a few seconds to die (we slaughter our own raised from tiny chicks). Not only does abuse cause an animal more pain but causes bruising to the meat.

[Prettygurl12]

I am aware of everything that happens, thank you.

In an ideal world, one with lots of space and minimal humans... that'd be perfect, but unless you want to kill half the human population and demolish civilizations then I'm afraid you can't win this one. Livestock need open space to grow naturally. Space society doesn't have. There are too many people to feed. So. There's you problem. Solve it.

[Asker]

@Alcoto12 Thank you for explaining that, I'm not the best at stuff like that.

Do you live in USA? Because we eat WAY more than our share and also waste a huge percentage of it. We don't need all the meat we have and it's also causing environmental damage due to how much cows shit and because of how many there are. USA is way too indulgent and we should cut back.

[Prettygurl12]

I do live in the US. I've lived here my whole life. I've been involved with the farming industry my whole life. I've worked with livestock my whole life. I've lived in front of a slaughterhouse my whole life. If you don't want to eat meat, good for you, but the odds of anything changing anytime soon are slim. Plants in Mexico and near the boarder are MUCH less humane than plants in the rest of the country. Focus your attention there.

[Asker]

Well I'm talking mostly about developed countries.

[Prettygurl12]

Most of the meat we eat is processed in Mexico and shipped back to the US for packaging and sale. It is very rare to find 100% pure US meat products.

But I can see there is no use in arguing with a vegetarian. Y'all be crazy.

[Elizabeth21__]

^^right

[Alcoto12]

I was explaining what humanely raised meat is. I understand there is a lack of space, in my home town we even have a lack of space because the rich families bought all the farm land around the time the great depression ended leaving te locals with very little. The only solution on a large scale is to reduce the consumption of meat and animal products in western culture, and stop the USDA from closing down all the small family farms.

[MindYourEyes]

Vegetarian! You gotta find other options that you use to enjoy as a meat eater and substitute it with fake chikn or whatever! Gotta make it fun (*˘︶˘*)

[Illusive_Man]

I am a false vegetarian.
I preach plant based diets but I am struggling to do 10% of what I preach lol cos my canteen's food selection is rather... uh... limited.

[IAmMellow]

I went on a Vegan diet for 3 months last year, it was easy for me. But now since I've lost weight, I'm back to my meat eating ways :p

Need mah protein

[musicbrain5]

No, not a vegetarian at all. I don't eat meat all the time, but I enjoy it way too much to give it up completely.

[thewanderingme]

I'm vegan.

if the foods you're eating/making aren't enjoyable, it's probably due to bad texture and/or bad seasoning. work on it! (:

[Prettykangaroos]

I try to eat healthy meats, bit I'm not gonna lie sometimes I slip up and go to Sonic/McDonald's. Try not to do it often though.

[Elizabeth21__]

I love sonic, we have one in my town and I LOVE their shakes and their taters and their chicken sandwich lol.

[mutedaisy]

You get that empty feeling too? I thought I was the only one. ._.

[Asker]

Yes! It's a weird feeling but almost always there in dishes without meat. It sucks. :/

[Canterbury_Bellz]

I eat meat but i want to become vegetarian. I am trying to make arrangements with my family and such but I'm hoping they'll be okay with it and buy me what I need

[CasaNorba]

Yes. Besides vegetables I only eat animals that eat vegetables, so would this count as being a vegetarian?

[Asker]

I think vegetarians, by definition, are people that don't eat meat but I heard since animals being treated better (since that's a big thing with most vegetarians) that some are starting to eat meat again, just spending more money on humanely treated meat. Free range, grass fed, no added hormones, and etc.

[Asker]

There should be a name for people like us.

[JackKerouac77]

I enjoy meat and veggies and meat and veggies and meat and veggies

[Klaatu51]

no but i'm not the type of person that couldn't live without meat.

[palomajoa]

Vegetarian! I eat dairy and eggs, but nothing of any meat

[mistninja314]

Um where is the option of E

"Wolf, who eats snow bunnies" ?

I chose D tho

[Anonymous]

I try to only buy humanly raised meat. But it's way way more expensive, and when times are tough I've got normal meat nd even eggs from caged hens 😳

[Asker]

It really is! Maybe one day it'll be required for all meat to be raised humanely and then the price will go down, but that's very idealistic.

[Opinion Owner]

I think, at least in some countries, that's not so unrealistic. It might actually happen if people keep protesting how they do. It's already changed so much from the olden days, just needs a little more.

[Asker]

Well I live in USA and I think all countries that are as developed as us should do so.

[kangy]

I try to have at least one vegetarian meal in a day. vegetarian meals for two full days in a month.
other times i still eat meat except beef.

[Elizabeth21__]

Why except beef?

[kangy]

@Elizabeth21__ religion purpose

[Illusive_Man]

Hindu?

[kangy]

@Illusive_Man no :D buddhist
but not all buddhist dont take beef

[Elizabeth21__]

Why do you not like the way animals are treated in the meat industry? Just curious. I personally don't mind eating meat because what I eat is home-raised, home-grown. What I tell to all of my "PETA" friends

Plants have lives too.

[Asker]

Because they're treated horribly and killed in very inhumane ways.

[Elizabeth21__]

Killed like how? Shot in the head? They die as soon as they are shot. Heads cut off? They die as soon as they are cut. They aren't treated horribly- just not pampered like pets.

[Asker]

No, while they're alive they're treated horribly. Shoved in tight spaces, fed crappy food, and in a lot of cases beaten for no reason by the people that work there.

animallawcoalition.com/.../gestation-crates.jpg

This is humane to you? They can barely move and it drives them insane.

[Alcoto12]

The large companies who produce almost all of the meat in the USA run very cruel practices. They abuse not only the animals but the workers as well. All they care about is money. On top of that those companies and monsanto have been paying off the USDA to close down family farms so they will have no competition. I am a hobby farmer and constantly live in fear of monsanto suing me.

[Elizabeth21__]

Ok, ok your right, fine.

[douride2]

I could never go vegetarian I like my meat to much.

[Anonymous]

I eat any meat, but I don't eat meat often. Maybe twice a week.

[MirandaSkittlez]

I would prefer to be a vegetarian, but I can't make that decision right now because my parents won't buy meat alternatives for me.

[COCOCHANEL]

i was a vegetarian last weekend

[linkywinky]

I neeeeeeed meat. Need it.

[Littlett25]

I wouldn't be able to become either

[Ihav2fart]

Nopeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, I eat everything!

[Illusive_Man]

Woof lol?

[Ihav2fart]

@Illusive_Man eat those that make woof sounds as well!

[Illusive_Man]

I like them between a bun.

[Ihav2fart]

@Illusive_Man your buns?

[Illusive_Man]

probably not my buns cos that'll be ghey lol

[Ihav2fart]

@Illusive_Man Hey, I ain't hating, whatever floats your boat.

[Illusive_Man]

That boat isn't coming into my docks lol

[koko124]

I don't understand vegetarianism.

[Asker]

Some feel it's more healthy and others feel bad about the way animals are treated in the meat industry (me).

[koko124]

Well, it can't possibly be more healthy, because the simple act of eating animals makes you a non-vegetarian. It is very unlikely that the theoretical "optimal diet" would contain only plant/fungi, and no animals at all.

For example, oysters are an incredibly good source of zinc. There is no vegetarian food source equivalent. So an otherwise vegetarian diet supplemented with a few oysters or a little bit of liver is always more nutrient dense than a totally vegetarian diet.

If you feel badly about the way animals are treated, then you still have to face the fact that you're killing plants to survive. While there's a big difference between a potato and a cow, it gets much smaller with a potato vs. a mussel. Do you kill bugs? If you do, you're cleared to eat all the crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crab, crawfish, etc) as well.

I can see why people would refrain from eating mammals or vertebrates, or why they'd reduce total meat intake, or certain types of meat intake.

[thewanderingme]

@koko124 watermelon seeds are 1 example of an excellent source of zinc from a plant.

[Asker]

I was just telling you how some feel, I don't think it's healthier. I don't want to eat meat because it makes me feel bad.

I don't kill bugs actually. I get extremely upset when people kill them in front of me too. Besides, lobsters and alike are usually boiled alive which I think is disgusting so I've never even had one. I don't necessarily think eating meat is wrong (the way we treat me IS), it just personally makes me feel bad. Also potatoes don't actually do anything, like don't actively move while mussels do. It's a lot harder to feel sympathy for something that does nothing.

[Anonymous]

I'm a Vegetabletarian and a Meatgan

[HappyToBeAlive]

I eat everything except pork

[michanel]

Why do you want to become a vegetarian?

[Asker]

Because of how animals are treated. I love animals and the meat industry treats them like shit.

[Gabby21924]

I love meat too much

[DivaMonae]

No and hell no!

[Anonymous]

I'm a pescetarian. I usually eat meat replacement