Vegetarianism - would you try it?

supackofidiots

I'm tempted to go for it after seeing this video which is flying around twitter.

http://hiddenfaceoffood.com/

cowzerp

I did, but it's stupid and unnatural.

Aoifey!

Been veggie for 10 or 11 years now and I love it

supackofidiots

cowzerp wrote: »

I did, but it's stupid and unnatural.

and the treatment of the animals in that video is what exactly....?

MagicMarker

I don't trust youtube videos that have comments and ratings blocked. IMO it usually means they're full of shít and don't want it highlighted.

Scioch

Too expensive and too much work involved.

Immaculate Pasta

Already am one. :cool:

I've been one all my life. My parents gave it up for Lent before I was born and just carried on with it. I don't know what I'm missing because I've never tried it. Not in the slightest bit curious either, I have no intention of eating a dead animal.

Aoifey!

Scioch wrote: »

Too expensive and too much work involved.

Too expensive? I've found vegetarian food is generally cheaper than non-vegetarian food?

donvito99

Hell no. I love my meat.

galwayrush

I love my veggie, always best with meat .:cool:

bogwalrus

Veggie abut 6 years now.

No cravings for meet or fish and i was a bacon & steak addict.


Eating a much larger variety of foods that i would never have known about unless i became a vegetarian.

Cooking skills are pretty good now also.


I would like to get back in to eating fish again but it might be a while before i can get my head around it.


The one negative side i would say to being a veggie is that you really have to transform your eating habits not just your diet or else you will become very unhealthy.

I found for the first year that i ate loads more pizza's and chinese takeaway's as meat was excluded from my diet.

It might be difficult if your cooking skills are terrible.

My two cents anyway

PickledLime

Scioch wrote: »

Too expensive and too much work involved.

Erm, the exact opposite actually.

As for the title of the thread's question, it's about cutting meat out of your diet, not snorting crystal meth!

Raminahobbin

I've been veggie for 12 years now and I love it! Only 2 more years and I will have been veggie for the same amount of time I was a meat eater- I can't wait

Vegetarianism is quite simple once you enjoy cooking (and if you don't now, you'll most likely learn to enjoy gradually :P ) If you don't you'll probably find it a struggle. I've had quite a few vegetarian dinners parties and barbeques where my more carnivorous friends have thoroughly enjoyed the food and haven't missed the meat.

Scioch

Aoifey! wrote: »

Too expensive? I've found vegetarian food is generally cheaper than non-vegetarian food?

Maybe it is, I never investigated it but I figure you'd have to compensate for removing the meat which would end up costing ya. Too much like hard work anyway.

Shinaynay

Im one of 3 kids and my parents brought us up as vegetarians but since age 19 (when I moved out) Ive been regularly eating chicken. In terms of meat I just eat chicken, pudding, bacon and sausages. To be honest if I could replicate my Mums veggie lasagna, shepherds pie and cannaloni I would be probably still be vegetarian ! They are still all vegetarians :-)

Ghandee

Vegetarian?

I couldn't eat a whole one.

Willing to give it a good try though.

Fr_Dougal

I'll be damned if ima gonna get addicted to vegetables!

Benny_Cake

I've been trying it for all of 2 months at this point. Largely motivated by exposure to the meat industry and general health reasons... it's actually surprisingly easy. I feel healthier and it forces you to learn how to cook and try food that I wouldn't otherwise have had.

Aoifey!

Scioch wrote: »

Maybe it is, I never investigated it but I figure you'd have to compensate for removing the meat which would end up costing ya. Too much like hard work anyway.

Well I can tell you that from my experience that vegetarian food is, generally, cheaper.

PickledLime

Scioch wrote: »

Maybe it is, I never investigated it but I figure you'd have to compensate for removing the meat which would end up costing ya. Too much like hard work anyway.

Crikey, wouldn't like to see how you respond to actual hard work :pac:

Risteard

No. Meat's delicious.

Raminahobbin

Aoifey! wrote: »

Well I can tell you that from my experience that vegetarian food is, generally, cheaper.

Exactly My food shopping for the week is down to 20-30 euro and I eat very well. If you prepare food in advance and cook in batches it's so much easier and cheaper.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I'm big meat eater, Vegetarians have their own thing going and that's cool but its not something I'd ever consider.

Scioch

Aoifey! wrote: »

Well I can tell you that from my experience that vegetarian food is, generally, cheaper.

Ok. But its a low more work though right ? I know a couple people and they are kinda whingy about it. Lack of choice in restaurants/takeaways, more cooking involved, checking this and that to make sure its ok to be eatin etc etc. Not a bad thing if it doesnt bother ya. But for the average lazy Joe Soap it would fast become a pain.

Did for the people I know anyway. But then again they could be just missing meat.

Ghandee

Aoifey! wrote: »

Well I can tell you that from my experience that vegetarian food is, generally, cheaper.

Linda McCartney vegetarian burgers, 2 pack, €3.99


Proper quarter pounder burgers from butcher. (pack of four) 3.99€

Veggie stuff, twice as dear.

Scioch

PickledLime wrote: »

Crikey, wouldn't like to see how you respond to actual hard work :pac:

I'm a hard worker but on my time I'm lazy as fcuk. I just like the convenient options when eating and going vegetarian wouldnt suit me I dont think.

Benny_Cake

Aoifey! wrote: »

Scioch wrote: »

Maybe it is, I never investigated it but I figure you'd have to compensate for removing the meat which would end up costing ya. Too much like hard work anyway.

Well I can tell you that from my experience that vegetarian food is, generally, cheaper.

I could see how it might start getting expensive if you ate meat substitutes such as Quorn or the Linda McCartney stuff with every meal. I just eat them occasionally though and I've noticed our grocery bill is a good deal less.

3ndahalfof6

The word dose not look right it is missing some meat.

dlofnep

Some of the veggie-alternative foods are extremely expensive. I buy spice-burgers, and it's like 4 euro for 2 of them.

Aoifey!

Scioch wrote: »

Ok. But its a low more work though right ? I know a couple people and they are kinda whingy about it. Lack of choice in restaurants/takeaways, more cooking involved, checking this and that to make sure its ok to be eatin etc etc. Not a bad thing if it doesnt bother ya. But for the average lazy Joe Soap it would fast become a pain.

Did for the people I know anyway. But then again they could be just missing meat.

Choice in restaurants and takeaways is sometimes an issue alright but there still is a lot of choice out there if you look around. More cooking involved? Not really, no. Maybe it's just me but I don't mind checking things, I rather knowing what's in what I'm about to eat anyway.

Ghandee wrote: »

Linda McCartney vegetarian burgers, 2 pack, €3.99


Proper quarter pounder burgers from butcher. (pack of four) 3.99€

Veggie stuff, twice as dear.

Ya got me there alright, Linda McCartney is pretty expensive...but so damn delicious :P. I was thinking more along the lines of stir frys and that sort of thing.

bbam

We love our meat too much to give it
Up.
We rear our own pork, beef and chicken so we know the animals are kept well.

Canis Lupus

I'm a meativore. Most vegetables I eat because I 'have' to. Excluding the wonderful potato I can't think of any vegetable in any form that would make me,ahem, excited like a steak or a pork belly roast would.

I like to think vegetarians are pleasantly deluding themselves about meat but since their vegetarianism means more meat for me then I'm happy with their hipster lifestyle choice.

leaveiton

My boyfriend's vegan, so whenever I'm over in his I'll have something vegan and we've gone to a few vegan/vegetarian places together and I do really enjoy the food. I could definitely go without meat, but I don't know if I'd be really be bothered enough to be strict about it. Things like checking that chips haven't been fried in the same oil as anything meaty, making sure there aren't any animal products in things you wouldn't expect, stuff like that. It sounds awful, but I just don't know if I'd care enough to go to that extent, but at the same time if I was to do it I wouldn't want to do it by halves.

PickledLime

Scioch wrote: »

I'm a hard worker but on my time I'm lazy as fcuk. I just like the convenient options when eating and going vegetarian wouldnt suit me I dont think.

Haha, fair enough! You'd be surprised though, stuff like stir frys, cous cous with grilled veg, mixed bean curry, can do one from nothing to the plate in about 20 minutes. As someone else has said, if you cook in batches, it's great. I can do up a week's worth of tasty dinners in around an hour. Freeze them, then it's come home in the evening, bang them in the microwave for 5 minutes and you're fed.

I actually eat meat, but veggie food is so cheap and handy (and tasty) that meat rarely gets cooked

Fr_Dougal

dlofnep wrote: »

Some of the veggie-alternative foods are extremely expensive. I buy spice-burgers, and it's like 4 euro for 2 of them.

They contain meat...

jonasjones

supackofidiots wrote: »

I'm tempted to go for it after seeing this video which is flying around twitter.

http://hiddenfaceoffood.com/

I went that way for a few (>5) years but ended up going back. People on here will tell you one way is cheaper than the other, but it completely depends on your diet. Will you try to substitute fake meat for real meat, or are you going go hardcore and eat your greens? I was in the former camp and a) it wasn't cheap and b) it was *never* as good. If you're worried about treatment of animals - and it is a valid concern - there are other options (free range etc.) to giving up meat.

Raminahobbin

Scioch wrote: »

Ok. But its a low more work though right ? I know a couple people and they are kinda whingy about it. Lack of choice in restaurants/takeaways, more cooking involved, checking this and that to make sure its ok to be eatin etc etc. Not a bad thing if it doesnt bother ya. But for the average lazy Joe Soap it would fast become a pain.

Did for the people I know anyway. But then again they could be just missing meat.

Well it is a lifestyle choice to be fair, and it's not for everyone. With every lifestyle choice there are sacrifices / extra efforts you need to make, but before long it becomes habit moreso than effort and it isn't a problem at all.

You have to look at it less like work and more like a hobby / fun challenge- people don't mind putting the effort into something they enjoy. If you approach it like a chore then it becomes a chore.

dlofnep

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

They contain meat...

Er, no they don't. They are vegetarian alternatives, made out of beans and what not.

LordSutch

supackofidiots wrote: »

Vegetarianism - would you try it?

Yep, tried liked it and stayed with it! for a few years that is . . . .

You can get nearly everything from a balanced vegeterian diet + some supplements. I felt great too when I was on it, sadly the new missus & kids are not veggies, and it would be too complicated to convert them, so I am back on the meat, although interestingly we have all have cut out Red meat 100%.

kodoherty93

Being a vegetarian on the grounds eating animals due to the abuse of them etc. Is total BS if your meat is Irish.

Has anyone every seen a Irish farm. They're generally tiny about 30 acres is like the average Irish farm size. There is no such as mega farms like the us and mainland Europe here. All Irish farms are small and humane.

Even in the slaughterhouse the person killing the cows is the most experienced person there and the cows barely feels anything.

openup

I've been veggie for almost two years now (though I was **** at it for the first 3 months or so) and really love it! I'm just vegetarian in name but I eat vegan when I'm cooking for myself.

The only issue I have with being vegetarian is the non-veg people being assholes about it! That and when people go to loads of effort to make you something special when you're at their house, I always feel so awkward.

kodoherty93 wrote: »

Being a vegetarian on the grounds eating animals due to the abuse of them etc. Is total BS if your meat is Irish.

Has anyone every seen a Irish farm. They're generally tiny about 30 acres is like the average Irish farm size. There is no such as mega farms like the us and mainland Europe here. All Irish farms are small and humane.

Even in the slaughterhouse the person killing the cows is the most experienced person there and the cows barely feels anything.

Unless you're talking about chickens or pigs, or like most veggies I know, you think killing needlessly is cruelty in itself.

tayto lover

Vegetables are alright if their accompanied by a large well-done steak. It would take a lot of vegetables to fill a hungry man and he would have to eat about 7 times a day.
I would bet that many vegetarians would succumb to the temptation of meat when very hungry.

darlett

Raminahobbin wrote: »

I've had quite a few vegetarian dinners parties and barbeques where my more carnivorous friends have thoroughly enjoyed the food and haven't missed the meat.

Im a meatie. But I like a challenge, and a solution What would you give as an exciting veg BBQ menu apart from corn in the cob in foil (Which I probably still dont do right!)?

Lets have some recipes. Hell no I wont convert but I will try

Raminahobbin

darlett wrote: »

Im a meatie. But I like a challenge, and a solution What would you give as an exciting veg BBQ menu apart from corn in the cob in foil (Which I probably still dont do right!)?

Lets have some recipes. Hell no I wont convert but I will try

Well, one of the things people ALWAYS devour and go mental for is actually one of the simplest things I've grilled on the BBQ- tofu skewers with Jerk marinade. I usually hate tofu. It's horrible and jelly like. But the secret is to freeze the tofu and thaw it out again before marinading it- it completely changes the texture of the tofu and it becomes much more palatable- it also absorbs the marinade much better. Give it a go and see what you think

Aoifey!

Raminahobbin wrote: »

Well, one of the things people ALWAYS devour and go mental for is actually one of the simplest things I've grilled on the BBQ- tofu skewers with Jerk marinade. I usually hate tofu. It's horrible and jelly like. But the secret is to freeze the tofu and thaw it out again before marinading it- it completely changes the texture of the tofu and it becomes much more palatable- it also absorbs the marinade much better. Give it a go and see what you think

I've actually never eaten tofu, I really should try it.

tayto lover

Aoifey! wrote: »

I've actually never eaten tofu, I really should try it.

What is Tofu ?

darlett

LordSutch wrote: »

so I am back on the meat, although interestingly we have all have cut out Red meat 100%.

This might seem like a lazy question, but what is red meat and what is the major significance? Is it just like hams and bacons, or beef as well? Today confused things more for me cos a larger amount of red blood seemed to drain from the chicken I was cooking

tayto lover wrote: »

Vegetables are alright if their accompanied by a large well-done steak.

This is a thread about potential food conversion, and i dont believe Im going wholly off topic, but tayto please someday try a large medium to rare done steak. It wont give you a dose of the ****s And its just so much more juicy and tender that way. I used to be a well done man myself

Aoifey!

tayto lover wrote: »

What is Tofu ?

I don't know, I've never eaten it :P but Wikipedia tells me it's bean curd. I've heard it being talked about as a popular vegetarian dish but never bothered actually trying it.

darlett

Raminahobbin wrote: »

Well, one of the things people ALWAYS devour and go mental for is actually one of the simplest things I've grilled on the BBQ- tofu skewers with Jerk marinade. I usually hate tofu. It's horrible and jelly like. But the secret is to freeze the tofu and thaw it out again before marinading it- it completely changes the texture of the tofu and it becomes much more palatable- it also absorbs the marinade much better. Give it a go and see what you think

Well I will! Where do you get your tofu or what type do you go for? Ive had it abroad in various forms, and some actually quite tasty, but very hard (possibly Im looking in all the wrong places) to get good stuff here. Ive never actually bought it-or like Aoifey even eaten in Ireland!

iCosmopolis

Vegetarian myself but only for my own personal ick factor-wouldn't lecture anyone on it, but had to post based on experience today..my husband tends to like stuff that would be extra gross to me (livers etc.), and actually not nessesarily allowed for him(but never pork). He decided to get prepared rabbit to make bhuna with. Got a skype call from his family earlier and he was walking around the kitchen with the web cam on laptop showing the level of childlock we have to do..his sis asked what the hell is that carcass on the sideboard? he said rabbit. She was like, so you say she doesn't eat pork, beef, chicken etc. so if she's vegetarian can she eat rabbit. He say's no. She laughs. His brother comes on..you know rabbits not halal! he says, neither is the bottle of pinot i'm going to drink with it I know I've been mad at this man but feck, he can be cool sometimes and sure makes me laugh!

darlett

tayto lover wrote: »

What is Tofu ?

Aoifey! wrote: »

I don't know, I've never eaten it :P but Wikipedia tells me it's bean curd. I've heard it being talked about as a popular vegetarian dish but never bothered actually trying it.

I spent many months in Indonesia where they love this stuff. In my opinion it must be a bit like Guinness-an acquired taste. Its made from soy bean and available in a mind boggling array of forms, from boiled and fried and other more technically challenging ways of cooking it. I didnt really take to it, but my indonesian friends-who have some delicious foods to choose from- seemed to consider it a great threat so i havent written it off just yet