On eating animals vs. vegetarianism...

Cindy - posted on 08/25/2009

Being the only veggie eater in my home. I'm sorry. But if Vegeterians are going to make a big stink over being a meat hater. It becomes a sport to enjoy meat.



*I could not walk through the meat section of the grocery store with my first Pregnancy. It was damn hard to find meatless options that I could stand. *

I ended up forcing myself to eat salmon just for protien. When I was having my c-section with #1, I wanted meat so bad that the smell of cauterizing the incision made me hungry. Trust me, my husband was horrified.



have a nice meat free day.

Charlie - posted on 08/25/2009

This was posted on DMG but i thought i would get more help here .

Ok i am a MASSIVE meat lover but am seriously considering becoming a pescetarian ( sp*)
For these reasons , i am starting to grow to actually feel bad for animals even though they taste so damn good and i think it would be healthier for me in the long run ( mainly health )
There is no way in hell i am giving up seafood !!!!
Because A . it is my all time fave food
B. my entire family business is fishing and exporting
( yeah , yeah i feel bad for animals but rape and pillage the ocean ive heard that one a million times )

So go ahead i need more info , support and motivation to get me started , convert this carnivore !

Sarah - posted on 08/24/2009

I don't understand why people have to be so rude just because they choose a different lifestyle. I love my meat so vegetarianism would never work for me, but if you don't want to eat it, it doesn't really affect me.



However, there was one occasion recently where I got quite annoyed by a group of vegans.... I am a waitress and I had a 6 top of older individuals come in one day and sit in my section. They spent a long time studying our menu and informed me that they were vegan. I had no problem with this and told them we could leave cheese and other items off of most of our menu items. Well one of the members of the group decided they really want some rice. Unfortunately, our rice pilaf is cooked in beef stock and it enters our restaurant that way so there is no way for us to eliminate the beef from it. They actually got quite rude with me and angry that we couldn't accomodate them and give them rice without beef! I realize that this is NOT typical of all vegans, it was just this individual in particular, but it did really urk me. We are not a vegetarian restaurant but we will try to accomodate you as best we can, but I can not change our product to fit your wants! (FYI we do have various vegetarian items on our menu, but nothing that would be 100% vegan without some modification)



Again though, even in this instance I refrained from being rude to these individuals! It really isn't that hard to just treat people politely and with respect even if you don't understand or agree with them!

Jocelyn - posted on 08/24/2009

i am in between a lacto-ovo vegetarian and a vegan. i don't eat any meat, fish, gelatin, or cochineal and i don't wear leather. i don't often get rude remarks, but i remember going out for dinner with my hubby and his grandma (i was preg) and getting the third degree from her. she basically ended up telling me that my baby wasn't getting the right nutrients and would come out sickly. i wanted to hit her!
i don't often get offended by ppl eating meat in front of me, but my friends and family all know to never eat veal or lamb in front of me unless they want a lecture lol.
oh, i also live in Alberta (Canada) where every second car had the bumper sticker " I heart Alberta beef". it certainly is tricky being a veggie my area. in calgary, with a population of over a million) there are only 3 vegetarian restaurants!
i really could do without everyone asking me why im a veggie tho...

ME - posted on 08/24/2009

Yeah...I've heard both of those as well Crystal...The "I'm going to eat your share of meat, so you're not doing any good" comment happened a lot when I was younger...and I still get the "depriving" myself business all the time!

Crystal - posted on 08/24/2009

Yes, I agree with the mom who said "people get threatened by what they don't understand" (which can go for any topic actually).

I actually did consider myself a "pescaterian" as I would eat fish occasionally. There are even more kinds that I can't remember... but the vegetarian most people think of is a lacto-ova-vegetarian (consumes dairy and eggs).

I did not care one bit when people ate meat in front of me. Didn't spark a second thought in my mind. It's just when people were rude about it. Like, "Well, I'm just going to eat twice as much meat now so it won't matter what you're doing" (how do you know why I'm a vegetarian?) and "OHHHH my GOSSHH I could NEVER dePRIVE myself like that!! That's CRAAAZYYY!!!" - that was so common I stopped telling anyone I was a vegetarian.

ME - posted on 08/24/2009

Yeah...my husband is a meat eater...as I said, I have no problem with people who order what they like and eat it...I don't fix meat in my house (DH sometimes does), but it's more because I'm proud of my cooking ability, and it's been a long time since I cooked anything with meat in it...I'd be embarrassed if it turned out terrible. I don't think all meat eaters are obnoxious, and I would never say such a thing...I simply have had some really bad experiences....which I've never been able to figure out or explain...

Lindsay - posted on 08/24/2009

It seems really immature for a grown adult to make fun of someone for choosing to be vegetarian. I am absolutely not a vegetarian and I doubt I ever will be one but that my own choice, just as your is to be vegetarian. We have been out with a coworker of Josh's and his wife who is vegetarian. I still ordered what I normally would and so did she. We had a nice dinner and (as far as I know) no one got offended by anyone else's dinner choice. Josh, her husband, and I all had our meat and she didn't. And no one tried to shove any in her face. Actually, I need to call her so we can go out again. She was great company! =)

JL - posted on 08/24/2009

I don't care want eating lifestyle an adult chooses for themselves whether it is vegan, vegitarian, meat eater, whatever as long as they are not a canibal.

Jessica - posted on 08/24/2009

I've never considered becoming a vegetarian but I've had friends that were and I can't see that being a reason to be a jerk. It doesn't bother me one bit that they don't eat meat and I think the people who think you're weird because of what you eat are the ones with issues.

Melissa - posted on 08/24/2009

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that! Ugh.



Really? I'm not too sure, but I think it's a fairly new term. I'm pretty sure vegetarian used to mean that a person refrains from eating all dairy products, then the word 'vegan' came about. So it's not that unlikely. Always new terms surfacing. :) I could be wrong though!



ETA: Just checked....



Pescetarian-1993

Vegan-1944

ME - posted on 08/24/2009

It wasn't just someone, this happens to me all the time...But I do live in "the sausage capital of the country"...so, I guess I'm asking for it...lol...and thanks...i've never heard the term pescetarians in all my time as a veg!

Melissa - posted on 08/24/2009

Pescetarians are the ones who eat fish.



That is disgusting that someone would wave meat in your face. I don't mind people eating it in front of me, but if it was shoved in my face, I'd be pissed. I've had people ask me if I want some of what they're eating. lol. No thanks is what I tell them.

ME - posted on 08/24/2009

Nope...that's the difference! I didn't eat cheese, eggs, milk, ice cream, yogurt, and of course no meat of any kind for about 10 years (that's a vegan). While I was pregnant with my son, I started eating small amounts of dairy and fish again, and I still do. I do not eat beef, pork, poultry, or wear leather...that's a vegetarian (basically, tho many veggies don't eat fish either). I quit eating meat because I could not imagine having to hunt, kill, or dress the meat myself...I figured that if I was incapable of turning it from a living thing into food, I shouldn't be eating it either...it was a very personal choice for me, and that's the main reason why I don't try to "convert" others...

Amie - posted on 08/24/2009

A vegetarian doesn't eat meat. A vegan doesn't eat meat or products from animals. I might be wrong but I think that's the difference.

Sharon - posted on 08/24/2009

That is so nasty mary. I'm sorry you've gone through that. that is just repugnant.



this area of arizona has a lot of issues. welfare fraud, illegal border crossers. but its also a mecca for new wavers and hippies. vegans vegetarians etc abound. I think its very cool. most of them are very healthy. when i'm looking for an alternative meal for our vegetarian night I hit the co-ops and talk to their nutritionist.

Joy - posted on 08/24/2009

I hope you girls don't mind me asking something...I've always wondered and I'm genuinely just curious. What is the difference between vegetarian and vegan?

ME - posted on 08/24/2009

Not just you...I also live in the midwest...or I did when I became a veg, and I do again now...but for 10 years of that time I lived in Boulder, CO...and then in Denver, CO. Not only did people not harrass me in either of those places, but there were dozens of vegetarian friendly places where my hubby and I could eat out together, and several very popular vegan spots as well, were we occasionally went too...I've been a veg since I was 18, and I am almost 33...I've heard it all. It's obnoxious! I have never shared my feelings about vegetartianism with meat eaters without being asked specific questions...Like anything else, people are threatened by what they do not understand. This is way they make fun, belittle, bully, and shove bloody dripping steaks or burgers in my face and ask if I want a bite...(and I'm talking adults here...yes, adults!)

Joy - posted on 08/24/2009

Hmmm sounds like you have some rude friends and have run into some rude people. As a meat eater myself (haven't ever even thought of going vegetarian), I know that the few people I know who do eat meat, I've asked questions. Things like "Where do you get your protein?" and things like that, but I was never rude about it, just curious. If I was ever in a situation where I had to eat around or with my vegetarian friends, knowing me, I would probably go so far as to not eat meat in front of them or at least I would ask if they minded. But I certainly wouldn't eat a big fat hamburger in front of them just to rub it in. The people I know who don't eat meat are some of the healthiest people I know so who am I to judge? I also know some extremely healthy meat eaters as well. I say whatever works for you, do it. Personally, I couldn't live without my meat, red meat especially. Just before my period I always crave it. Well I could LIVE without it but I wouldn't want to lol No offense.....

Melissa - posted on 08/24/2009

No, not just you. I've had people quickly jump on the defensive side just when they hear about how I don't eat meat. I'm not sure why they feel the need to get so upset about it. I'm not at all upset. I hardly ever talk about it because of this reason. If it's brought up, I'll gladly mention some things about my diet. Some people are genuinely curious and mean no harm with their questions. Others get so angry and start spouting off about protein and other things. I don't care enough about what other people eat. I'm just concerned with mine and my family's diet. So I'm not sure why some care about our decisions.

Sharon - posted on 08/24/2009

I can't imagine why someone would want to harrass a vegetarian. I don't harrass carnivores.



Out of curiosity - what sort of rude question could a person ask a vegetarian?



As for whoever this was/is - they sound immature/juvenile. I wouldn't order a huge burger to spite you - although - I swear I don't know why - whenever I hear about vegeterianism I get a craving for steak or artichokes... weird.



As teen I didn't get vegetarianism at all and I mocked it. As a teen. As an adult who understands some people chose that way of life for health, allergies, animal cruelty - veggies have nothing but respect from me.

Sharon - posted on 08/24/2009

I can't imagine why someone would want to harrass a vegetarian. I don't harrass carnivores.



Out of curiosity - what sort of rude question could a person ask a vegetarian?



As for whoever this was/is - they sound immature/juvenile. I wouldn't order a huge burger to spite you - although - I swear I don't know why - whenever I hear about vegeterianism I get a craving for steak or artichokes... weird.



As teen I didn't get vegetarianism at all and I mocked it. As a teen. As an adult who understands some people chose that way of life for health, allergies, animal cruelty - veggies have nothing but respect from me.