The inevitable questions thread

Tar.Aldarion

CathyMoran wrote: »

I would be looking to go vegan though, so that does not work

There are plenty of vegan products that are similar. Fake fish/hot dogs/sausages/ham/turkey/rasher/burgers/etc

CathyMoran

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

There are plenty of vegan products that are similar. Fake fish/hot dogs/sausages/ham/turkey/rasher/burgers/etc

Could you give me names of them, and are they low (no) carbohydrate? They also can not be soy based (medical reasons).

Tar.Aldarion

I dunno, I'd have to look at the packets. There are varying ranges. Will get back to you if I see some. Dunno high protein/low carb foods off hand myself. Maybe ask what possible foods there are in the nutrition and diet forum?

CathyMoran

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

I dunno, I'd have to look at the packets. There are varying ranges. Will get back to you if I see some. Dunno high protein/low carb foods off hand myself. Maybe ask what possible foods there are in the nutrition and diet forum?

I have asked here, and while people were lovely they were unable to help - I studied food in college and I can't think of anything Is fustrating as I would willingly do it as long as my health did not suffer - am also trying for a baby and I need a high calorie (low volume) vegan food. I do feel bad eating fish in particular as I am so fond of our pets who I adore. Sorry, this is not a rant against you but against what I face trying.

Thanks for trying. I should also say that peanuts are out (because of trying for a baby).

-lala-

CathyMoran wrote: »

I would be looking to go vegan though, so that does not work

One thing you could do is go into a good health food shop and have a chat with them - they are generally very knowledgeable about how much protein/carbohydrate/other stuff is in various foods, and will know about all the weird and wonderful "meat substitute" foods as well - and there are an awful lot of these weird new foods (although of course a good few of those foods do contain soya, but not all of them!). I'm sure you'll be able to find something, I know what it's like to have several dietary restrictions, and I still manage to be a perfectly healthy vegan! Sometimes things can really surprise you - I remember being really shocked when I found out that certain types of seaweed are full of protein. Even if you find things that are reasonably high in protein, but not as much as other non-vegan things, you could simply eat more of them, and leave out something else in the meal that's not as nutritionally beneficial. (I'm very tired and I'm not entirely sure if that last sentence makes sense, I do apologise if it doesn't!)

-lala-

CathyMoran wrote: »

I have asked here, and while people were lovely they were unable to help - I studied food in college and I can't think of anything Is fustrating as I would willingly do it as long as my health did not suffer - am also trying for a baby and I need a high calorie (low volume) vegan food. I do feel bad eating fish in particular as I am so fond of our pets who I adore. Sorry, this is not a rant against you but against what I face trying.

Thanks for trying. I should also say that peanuts are out (because of trying for a baby).

Actually one other thing that could help is to make out a list of how much the maximum or minimum amounts of certain things you should be getting is and then try to make out daily food plans (including ALL the nutritional content in absolutely everything you would eat) and see what it adds up to. It may sound like a simple thing that won't show up too many surprises, but it's something I've done in the past that has really helped - and a lot of things really surprised me.

(also, don't worry, avoiding peanuts tends not to cause inconvenience - as a person with an allergy to all kinds of nuts I can tell you that the only one you'll regularly find in vegan dishes is (surprisingly!) coconut!)

CathyMoran

Did I also say that I am the worlds worst eater at the best of times and can not eat large volumes even if I wanted too...(thus the need for a high calorie low volume food)...I like eating protien foods so that I do not have to watch my blood sugar all the time (am supposed to eat all day with my medical condition)...sorry, I have ranted too much - I do have a few food trackers which I could use (good idea, thanks).

Tried to order chinese this evening, nothing was nice I am trying the best I can but fish is still a handy protien.

-lala-

CathyMoran wrote: »

Tried to order chinese this evening, nothing was nice

Be careful with Chinese - soy sauce is on EVERYTHING!

maameeo

-lala- wrote: »

Be careful with Chinese - soy sauce is on EVERYTHING!

im new here and just skimmed through the posts so i may have missed it, but whats in soy sauce!!! i tot i knew most sneaky non vege things


on the stupid questions...
i always get "so what do u eat, salad?", i say "no i dont like salad" they say "oh god, do you eat anything???"
*no i starve to death most days!!!* "yea, i eat loads"

or the one that bugs me the most, "but you eat fish right?" or not even asking, just presuming the fish thing! grr
i saw someone said they asked for the veggie option and got fish, that is my biggest fear, i knew it was possible!
lol

CathyMoran

maameeo wrote: »

im new here and just skimmed through the posts so i may have missed it, but whats in soy sauce!!! i tot i knew most sneaky non vege things :(l

lala said about soy as I have to avoid it - dont worry, it is still vegetarian!

maameeo

LOL, thanks, obviously i didnt read through the posts properly, apologies!
think ill get a chinese tonight

maameeo

heard a new one today!!!
ray d'arcy said it on todayfm about vegetarians :

"do you think it happens at a time in your life when you need to exert control on the world?"

think he was asking a girl when and why shed become vegetarian, she replied a young age and that was his reply.

lol

wer just rebelling against the world! i love Ray though

phic

maameeo wrote: »

heard a new one today!!!
ray d'arcy said it on todayfm about vegetarians :

"do you think it happens at a time in your life when you need to exert control on the world?"

think he was asking a girl when and why shed become vegetarian, she replied a young age and that was his reply.

lol

wer just rebelling against the world! i love Ray though

I think he's confusing vegetarian with having an eating disorder...what did she say?

maameeo

phic wrote: »

I think he's confusing vegetarian with having an eating disorder...what did she say?

think it was along the lines of 'eeeeeeh no'

phic

maameeo wrote: »

think it was along the lines of 'eeeeeeh no'

Ha good! I do like Ray D'arcy, but what an obscure reason to become vegetarian!

Thoushaltnot

phic wrote: »

I think he's confusing vegetarian with having an eating disorder...what did she say?

I think he's confusing becoming vegetarian with becoming very possessive about fluffy, white cats.......Meester Bond.

In fairness, I'm sure he was just referring to the recent study linking eating disorders with vegetarianism and the disingenuous reporting of it in the mass media. AFAIR, it actually stated that vegetarianism is one of the many diets that people with eating disorders try on for size.

maameeo

it is a very obscure reason to go veggie, most teens just take up smoking! :P

he didnt mention anything about eating disorders i dont think, mainly teens rebelling against the world and needing to control one part of their existence.
i can see why theyd think it was linked to eating disorders, but id say the reason veggie teens get an eating disorder is due to lack of knowledge of the vegetarian diet and not the diet itself.

Crumble Froo

Thoushaltnot wrote: »

I think he's confusing becoming vegetarian with becoming very possessive about fluffy, white cats.......Meester Bond.

In fairness, I'm sure he was just referring to the recent study linking eating disorders with vegetarianism and the disingenuous reporting of it in the mass media. AFAIR, it actually stated that vegetarianism is one of the many diets that people with eating disorders try on for size.

actually, i'd not heard about that... any links?

would have made the association myself based on personal experience, but had never seen any studies on it.

siobhanher

I'm sick of getting into 'why are you a vegetarian' arguments, so I try and make them like varied.

Someone; "Why are you a vegetarian?"
Me: "I'm a Muslim and where I live I can't get halaal meat."

Someone; "Why are you a vegetarian?"
Me: "Oh this guy I used to work with was a vegetarian, and he told me when their processing the meat all the bodily fluids of the animal stay with them, and then that's what you eat....that's why people get food poisoning"

(as the person has a piece of chicken in their mouth) :D

maameeo

siobhanher wrote: »

I'm sick of getting into 'why are you a vegetarian' arguments, so I try and make them like varied.

Someone; "Why are you a vegetarian?"
Me: "I'm a Muslim and where I live I can't get halaal meat."

Someone; "Why are you a vegetarian?"
Me: "Oh this guy I used to work with was a vegetarian, and he told me when their processing the meat all the bodily fluids of the animal stay with them, and then that's what you eat....that's why people get food poisoning"

(as the person has a piece of chicken in their mouth) :D

LMAO!! deadly, you vary your reasons, lol.i love it!

-lala-

maameeo wrote: »

LMAO!! deadly, you vary your reasons, lol.i love it!

I know an ex-vegetarian who used to change her reason every time someone asked her, it was very amusing. When I eventually found out her real reason I understood why - it really is a very bizarre reason!

maameeo

-lala- wrote: »

I know an ex-vegetarian who used to change her reason every time someone asked her, it was very amusing. When I eventually found out her real reason I understood why - it really is a very bizarre reason!

ah now! u cant go teasing us like that!! my head will be melted trying to figure out this bizarre reason to be veggie!!
:P

-lala-

maameeo wrote: »

ah now! u cant go teasing us like that!! my head will be melted trying to figure out this bizarre reason to be veggie!!
:P

Ah go on, you'll figure it out.

maameeo

-lala- wrote: »

Ah go on, you'll figure it out.

eeeeeh, meat gave her thrush?! :cool:

homeOwner

Miss No Name wrote: »

I give up meat purely for moral reasons and still love it. But for the time being I believe we don't need to kill animals to survive and I refuse to eat them. I'm ok about fish as they don't have any nerve endings and can't feel pain anyhow. Whether people believe me or accept this is usually a different story.

Do you weather leather shoes or belts or carry a leather wallet or handbag?

I am not trying to be smart but I genuinely want to know the answer to this as I hear your reasons from other people who are quite happy for animals to be killed for leather but not for meat.

Sapsorrow

Miss No Name wrote: »

I'm ok about fish as they don't have any nerve endings and can't feel pain anyhow.

Sorry but that's totally crazy!

Femke

I've been a vegetarian for three years now and I get way too many questions about it. Mostly it's the why question of course, I used to love telling them how I didn't like the way animals for meat were treated and watch their shocked faces However, I'm getting extremely lazy and really don't feel like explaining anymore so now I just tell them "I was bored," "Thought it was funny," or something like that.

I get the chicken and/or fish question all the time, funny when people don't understand why I don't eat fish (somehow it is accepted that I don't eat chicken when I say I don't :P) Goes something like "So do you eat fish?" "Well no, since fish are animals too" "so you don't eat any animals?" "That's right" "Really not even fish? What about fish sticks?"

And somehow quite a lot of people assume I'm vegan after establishing I don't eat meat OR fish. "So do you eat eggs/dairy?"

I get questions about being unhealthy as well, but I don't like responding cause every piece of evidence I lay out to tell them why a vegetarian meal is more healthy than a meat meal is just not believed by most.

What's kind of cute though is that sometimes when I have dinner with people I don't know too well, they ask me if I don't mind if they eat meat

Most annoying are not the questions though, but the people who are trying to convince me to start eating meat again. I used to have a roommate who thought it was funny to wave his fork (with meat attached) in front of my nose and remarked several times during his meal how fantastic his meat tasted..

Which reminds me of people who keep asking "But don't you like meat?" They're always shocked when I say yes Cause I really used to love love love meat before I turned veggie, I always ordered steaks or spare ribs in restaurants :P

Kooli

Crumble Froo wrote: »

actually, i'd not heard about that... any links?

would have made the association myself based on personal experience, but had never seen any studies on it.

Yes absolutely I had come to this conclusion myself (connection between vegetarianism and eating disorders) from personal experience (I only have three friends who are vegetarian but they all have eating/weight issues) and professional experience (I'm a counsellor). Particularly people who are vegetarian, coeliac AND lactose intolerant (but strangely only realised they were any of these in their mid to late teens or early 20s hmmmmm....)

Anyway, would also be interested in a link - always nice when your opinions are backed up by science!

Black Thorn

'But you eat fish right?' (when they try to eat me first!!)
'But how do you get Iron?' (I suck on gates)
'I suppose you get sick a lot' (yes, that is why I look so thin these days)
'but your putting farmers out of business' (oh god, quick get me a steak!!)
'do you not annoy people when you go to their house?' (if they are my friends they deserve it!)
'do you eat cheese?' (....)
'don't you miss chocolate?' (I save so much money on my dinners I can pay for DECENT chocolate!)

There are so many more but you get the idea. I just wish I could have a hot meal! Cos with all the questions I rarely get to eat any before it cools!!!

Tar.Aldarion

First two answers are great, haha