Vegetarianism - would you try it?

Grayson

bogwalrus wrote: »

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

I found the worst thing about going veggie was the ready meals. There are loads available but half of them just load up with cheese to cover a bland flavour.
The veggie option in the staff canteen here is like that. Or else loaded with spices to cover it up.

It's not that difficult to cook deacent meals with no meat. But it does take a little bit of time to learn (hence the reason I've eaten so many ready meals) and a lot of chefs don't seem to want to bother.

Grayson

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Who's lecturing? To be honest, one thing I've noticed since becoming a vegetarian is the amount of meat-eaters who the second they hear you're a vegetarian are immediately on the defensive.

they're scared you'll be overcome with cravings and eat them.

Benny_Cake

Grayson wrote: »

I found the worst thing about going veggie was the ready meals. There are loads available but half of them just load up with cheese to cover a bland flavour.
The veggie option in the staff canteen here is like that. Or else loaded with spices to cover it up.

It's not that difficult to cook deacent meals with no meat. But it does take a little bit of time to learn (hence the reason I've eaten so many ready meals) and a lot of chefs don't seem to want to bother.

Indeed, one of my favourite local restaurants has become somewhere I go to less since I became vegetarian, largely because there are 3 vegetarian options, all covered in cheese - and in one case that cheese is parmesan, which isn't even vegetarian (that doesn't stop them from putting a little V beside it though). Some places do great veggie alternatives, but the tendency to compensate with cheese is one reason I could never go vegan. It just seems like impossibly hard work.

Grayson

Einhard wrote: »

Cows and sundry animals are slaughtered for more than just food- animal by-products are in a myriad of items we use daily, from jelly babies to leather shoes. Do you also refrain from those things? Just curious. I don't really get why somebody would go vegetarian because of the alleged cruelty, and not go fully vegan.

As for moi- I love meat too much to ever go veggie. I do try to buy free range stuff though, and try to buy as ethically as possible.

I do, and pretty much every vegetarian i know does. So no jaffa cakes etc...

Honestly the only food i miss is bacon. You can get decent quorn chicken substitutes. Their mince is really good. And I use their sausages in butties. But no-one has ever been able to make a good bacon substitute.

I ear bacon fries occasionally. Most of the cheaper ones have no meat substitues at all

And I'm forever grateful that Bisto make a gravy that isn't made from meat. As far as I'm concerned you can remove meat from a roast and something's missing. but without gravy the whole thing is pointless.

mrsoundie

I worked in an abattoir when I was a young fella and every animal that came in was well cared for and kept in as little distress as possible, simply because it meant the animal was not stressed and the meat did not get stressed either.

As for the video one side will show one thing and the other side will show you the opposite, as has been discussed here already Irish animals are well cared for.

As for the health benefits, you will find that vegetarians and vegans are healthier simply because they are more aware of their own health and diet, unfortunately some meat eaters are oblivious to what they put in their mouths. If they put as much thought as people who care where their food comes from (vegan, vegetarian or meat eaters) we would all benefit.

I like a vegetarian option every now and again and did enjoy River Cottage Veg, so much I bought the book.

Everything in moderation and drink plenty of fluids.

crazy cabbage

Have been thinking of trying out the whole weekday vererarian thing, more out of curisoty and learning to cook better than anything else. Will have to read up a bit though.
And will still get sunday roast on... well... sunday.
Think it would be a good experment to go 5 days a week without meat

OneArt

I tried going pescaterian first and then becoming a vegetarian... Just didn't really see the point. I'm not a health nut and I already have enough trouble deciding what to make for dinner without eliminating MORE things. As for the unfortunate animals on the killing floor, if lions had the technology and intelligence to do that, they probably would. It's just the food chain working as always albeit at a higher level.

That being said I enjoy vegan/vegetarian style food and wouldn't turn it down just because there's no meat in it. I just enjoy a barely-cooked steak as well!

Neewbie_noob

When I grow up, I'm going to Bovine University

Tar.Aldarion

Any of the new veggies feel free to pop over to the veggie forum, link under my name.

Been one 8 years now and all I used to eat was meat. Hated veg. Couldn't be happier since, it's not hard at all and it helps you discover so much foods. Vegan is much harder. It's about reducing harm for me, nobody in our society can live without the deaths of animals, no matter what you eat, but I think it is best to reduce it if we can. I feel I should be trying too lessen harm and whatever works for people they should try, no matter how small the reduction.

Pumpkinseeds

darlett wrote: »

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!

I don't like tofu but its usually to be found in the chilled veggies section in Dunnes and Tesco. I only tried it once and I hated it, I much prefer quorn.

--LOS--

I generally avoid threads like this because they reek of ignorance, both in terms of the ill-informed opinions of meat-eaters and the abuse they feel the need to dish out to the vegetarians. I am a vegetarian, a strict vegetarian, because being a conscious buyer means more to me than liking the taste of meat and if meat-eaters educated themselves the way most vegetarians do, they might feel the same. It's not just about food, I try to make sure any product I buy is veggie friendly (as best I can). I'm not vegan, I would like to be some day, I cook a lot of vegan food though, but for now I'm doing what I can. I appreciate anyone who tries to do something, not everyone is going to be able to be super strict about it, but there are no 'rules', it's a personal decision, but I think everyone should educate themselves and not kid themselves that they 'need' meat or that it's unhealthy, you're only lying to yourself. I would probably prefer if someone said no I wouldn't go vegetarian coz I like meat too much than come out with nonsense claims like that.

Just want to point out for a lot of people posting in this thread.......vegetarian does not equal eating vegetables! It's about not eating meat, that doesn't mean we eat vegetables morning, noon and night, protein is the part of your diet that will change not your vegetables.

And for anyone saying it's expensive? I can buy a kilo of tofu in the asian supermarkets in town for about €2. In my experience it's a far cheaper diet.

desertcircus

I followed a vegetarian diet for a month a couple of years ago; found it quite restrictive. If you don't have plenty of time to shop and cook for the right ingredients, it can get very monotonous and unhealthy. I'm aware that there are plenty of tasty options, but I don't currently know how to cook them and don't really have the time or patience to spend a couple of months learning how to make new stuff. I can make a vegetarian lentil-and-bean chilli, or a chickpea curry, but beyond that I'm kind of stuck. The meat substitutes I used were uniformly crappy; none of them compared to the real thing. The texture is usually completely wrong, and that kills it; half the joy of good cooked meat is the texture.

Also: I know this is something that seems to disappear with time when you go vegetarian, but good God did I miss red meat for that month. Good rare steak tastes fantastic and simply cannot be replicated; same for bacon and sausages.

I still struggle with the ethical implications of my decision to continue eating meat; it's not something I've been able to justify in terms of ethics. I suspect that there's a decent chance that I'll convert to vegetarianism at some point in the future, but I doubt I'll ever manage to go through Christmas without cider-and-pineapple baked ham or spiced beef slow cooked in Guinness...

positron

When I read the thread title, I came in fully expecting to see a bunch of people going 'but god made animals out of food' etc - but I am pleasantly surprised. I have been pushing the idea of vegetarian to the other half for ages, and we not eat veg at least 4 days of the week, but herself was not convinced if veg food is nutritious enough etc - conditioned by the traditionally meat eating society I suppose (where as I grew up in a traditionally vegetarian society). I am going to ask her to read thru this thread - this is amazing. Thank you all.

desertcircus

positron wrote: »

When I read the thread title, I came in fully expecting to see a bunch of people going 'but god made animals out of food' etc - but I am pleasantly surprised. I have been pushing the idea of vegetarian to the other half for ages, and we not eat veg at least 4 days of the week, but herself was not convinced if veg food is nutritious enough etc - conditioned by the traditionally meat eating society I suppose (where as I grew up in a traditionally vegetarian society). I am going to ask her to read thru this thread - this is amazing. Thank you all.

For what it's worth, David Foster Wallace's article on the Maine Lobster Festival (here: http://www.gourmet.com/magazine/2000s/2004/08/consider_the_lobster) has done more than anything else to make me think hard about the fact that I eat meat. If I ever do make the switch, I suspect it'll be because I can't ignore his argument anymore.

super_furry

Tried it, lasted just under three months it's not for me. In the end the smell of frying bacon got me.

Sgt Hartman

I love my meat way too much to ever become a full veggie. Although in saying that any meal I prepare has to have lots of vegetables in it.
f I made a meat curry I would pile lots of spinach into it and I'd normally eat it with coconut veggie rice. I'd cook the rice with coconut milk, chicken stock, mushrooms, onions, peas, sweetcorn and red pepper. Utterly delicious:)
Also instead of getting meat curries from the local Chinese takeaway I normally get a veggie curry with a portion of chicken balls.

I have to have my delicious meaty protein but I need my vitamins, minerals and fibre just as much:)

MaxSteele

Watched the entire video. Must say If was an american, I'd be going vegen right now. Sick, spineless kunts those mega farmers.

But fortunately, we treat our livestock with greater care and humanity than the yanks as far as I know. Those Midwest mega farms need to be done away with. All that misery and unnecessary suffering all for morbidly obese, immobile c*nts to feed their **** diet.

ChopShop

"It's nature" Funny, lots of other things are natural too, but people still manage to avoid them if it suits.


15 years and counting, but was never big into food like some are, so it did make it easier.

1ZRed

Yeah I'd try it out, why not and no harm for a month or two.

I eat well with a good balance of fruit, veg and meat anyway, but it'd force me to look at my diet and eat healthier again, which would be great. So when I'd add the meat back, I'd have a good solid and healthy diet for training.

Getting on with no meat would be torture initially though because I don't like carbs much and eat excessive amounts of protein

eviltwin

Been veggie 16 yrs.

I went off meat after watching a video in school about beef production, I just felt sick every time I looked at raw meat. I never went back. I did get a chicken sandwich by accident once and one bite of it had me nearly throwing up so I think its unlikely I will ever go back.

I don't miss it, I eat well and I'm healthy.

One of my kids is veggie and one eats meat and I have no problem cooking it, I don't try and push my views on other people.

ejmaztec

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.

Not according to the reviews the calves leave on Slaughterhous_advisor.com

Nothing wrong with vegetarianism at all but that video is just scaremongering.

TheFruitarian

jugger0 wrote: »

Vegetarians are always weeds so no.

Yawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6NUAieNsY

dearg lady

darlett wrote: »

Awh bugger! A quick google gave me that as Pescetarianism-which just aint catchy enough!-and dates back as far as 1993. A tasty but culturally insignificant step

Most 'veggies' I know are actually pescetarian. It bugs me when people say I'm vegetarian but I eat fish. I gave up most red meat for 10 years, and I think I could easily do that again. It would be harder for me to cut out fish and chicken. I like the idea of a meat free day a week as a start. I notice a lot of people on here say their initial diet when going veggie wasn't great. As I already have a poor immune system, I couldn't really afford that, but if I could ease into it, slowly improving my veggie cooking skills I could probably do it. I'll start with one day, deffo

telecaster

I live opposite a piggery. The pigs are indoors in cramped smelly conditions all their lives bar the day the door opens and they are hustled on to a truck to meet their humane death.

They have a miserable existence in despicable - though I am sure entirely legal - conditions. Its all well out of sight of the consumer of course, not the kind of clips you're likely to see on a super valu ad with rolling pastures and idyllic production values.

iamstop

I've been veggie for about 12 years. I find it very easy. I became veggie because of living in the US and reading about all the steroids and hormones they get fed. The cruelty doesn't help either.
I rarely get sick.

MJ23

I could never give up batter sausages.

Raminahobbin

dearg lady wrote: »

Most 'veggies' I know are actually pescetarian. It bugs me when people say I'm vegetarian but I eat fish. I gave up most red meat for 10 years, and I think I could easily do that again. It would be harder for me to cut out fish and chicken. I like the idea of a meat free day a week as a start. I notice a lot of people on here say their initial diet when going veggie wasn't great. As I already have a poor immune system, I couldn't really afford that, but if I could ease into it, slowly improving my veggie cooking skills I could probably do it. I'll start with one day, deffo

Yeah, most veggie when they start out are definitely not healthy. I started trying to go veggie when I was 11, finally succeeded when I was 14 (old enough to use the cooker so my mam wasn't cooking separate foods all the time). I lived mainly on meat substitutes and veggie burgers. Lentils and beans were unheard of and not really encouraged in the house, plus I didn't have my own money to buy them. It's only really when I got a job and especially after I moved out that I started enjoying cooking and trying new recipes.

It's a great idea to ease in to it if it's something you want to do. I notice a significant amount of meat eaters view their meat as the main event, and the veggies as a bland 'chore' to scoff down 'cos you have to.' My mother is terrible for this- dinner is typically potatoes / meat / 3-4 spoonfuls of awful frozen veg mix (peas/carrots/sweetcorn/green beans) that I hate with a passion.

Put a bit more effort into your 'sides' and you'll start to enjoy them a little bit more, then experiment with full meat free dishes.

I cooked this for the first time during the week for a few friends I had over for dinner and it went down really well. It's really easy to make, is actually vegan depending on the sausages you use (I used Linda McCartney ones) and some of you on this thread might enjoy it! I'm gonna try a few variations to make it a wee bit more flavoursome, but it's pretty great as it is if any one is curious

Also, check out the vegetarian forum as Tar suggested, there's an amazing thread with tonnes of ideas for veggie dinners!

stateofflux

i want to, i really do...but the smell from that juicy marbled fillet steak on the pan gets me every time

Shenshen

I've been vegetarian for about 4 years now, my husband sort of converted me (he's been vegetarian for well over 20 years now). The difficult bit was more or less forgetting most recipes I knew, and coming up with new ideas. I try and avoid meat substitutes, as they can be pricey.

The only time I'm missing eating meat now is when going out for meals with people, and looking sadly at the only vegetarian option on the menu, usually either pasta boiled to paste or aubergine with goat's cheese, or goat's cheese with aubergine.

I can't imagine eating meat again, there just is no attraction any more. More often than not, the smell of it actually makes me feel slightly sick now.

Fr_Dougal

dlofnep wrote: »

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

If they're Walsh's Spice burgers they definitely contain meat.

Feathers

My girlfriend is vegetarian, so I'm eating veg-only for half my meals at the moment, but don't think it's something I could go to full time.

As well as meat itself, it's the extra things that would get to me — no Guinness, parmesan (jelly babies, etc.) Couldn't do it!

Real Life

i dont think id become full vegetarian but i would certainly like to cut down a lot on the meet i eat, maybe eventually completely but i have a lot of digestive problems and i cant eat fruit & veg or nuts so i dont know what i would eat

mf240

Hi all small irish dairy farmer here.
Found that video upsetting myself people can be so cruel.
I cant speak for everybody but I know animals in ireland are treated a lot better than that. They are on our farm anyway.
There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian (far from it) but if anyone is concerned about animal welfare the best thing to do is make sure to buy irish beef and dairy products and free range irish eggs and poultry.

jugger0

TheFruitarian wrote: »

Yawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk6NUAieNsY

My point stands.

Da Shins Kelly

mf240 wrote: »

Hi all small irish dairy farmer here.
Found that video upsetting myself people can be so cruel.
I cant speak for everybody but I know animals in ireland are treated a lot better than that. They are on our farm anyway.
There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian (far from it) but if anyone is concerned about animal welfare the best thing to do is make sure to buy irish beef and dairy products and free range irish eggs and poultry.

Absolutely, I think that, for the most part, Irish farm animals do get a better quality of life than the factory farm animals in the US. There is a butcher who lives up the road from my parents house and my parents buy all their meat from him. The animals are reared in the fields around our house, so my parents always know where their meat is coming from. I'm still not going to eat it, but at least it isn't mass produced that's being pumped full of hormones and given a horrible quality of life.

bb1234567

Really surprised by the amout of veggies !:eek: I only know about 3 or 4 in real life.

ScumLord

Irish sheep and cattle have as good a life as a domestic animal can expect. They're free roaming and get good care, for the most part they seem to trust and like their farming captors.

I'm against intensive farming, I avoid chicken and pork as much as possible because I think they suffer horrible cruelty so that the consumer can pay a little less for the food they eat. I believe people should be willing to pay a good price for meat to ensure the animal is treated well. I think domestic animals should be treated with a lot of respect almost to the point of idolising them like you had in the past when people knew the value of an animal.

Light Switch

What was in that video is so cruel

Still not going to become a veggie though.

another question

I have been vegetarian for nearly 10 years, lots of people I meet who aren't ask me idiotic questions like why am I vegetariana and exaggerated versions of 'like what do you eat then?' Sorry what? I eat everything else except for meat and fish you tool!

I love animals and always have done even before I was vegetarian but that wasn't my primary reason and neither was health. I just all of a sudden couldn't comprehend eating something that I considered was the same as myself - only a dumber, less intelligent version. Chickens, cows, ducks, lambs, fish, pigs....I consider them 'not people' obviously but as close as....they live, breath, run around, have feelings, communicate in their own way etc...and have no say in the fact that the species above them, kills and eats them because they are more intelligent than them.

On the other hand, I have met alot of 'extreme' vegetarians to say the least, who are embarrassingly vocal in their opinions. I would never, in a million years inflict my opinion on someone else who was a meat eater. People who eat meat/fish do not offend me, it is just not something I would ever be able to do again.

Duddy

Being veggie's cheap. if you're not a complete tit and buy ready meals all the time. If you can make spag bol, chicken curry or fry some steak then you have all the cooking skills you need to make healthy, cheap veggie meals.

Its strange how there seems to be a much larger proportion of self righteous omnivores than self righteous herbivores...

Feathers

another question wrote: »

I have been vegetarian for nearly 10 years, lots of people I meet who aren't ask me idiotic questions like why am I vegetariana and exaggerated versions of 'like what do you eat then?' Sorry what? I eat everything else except for meat and fish you tool!

'Why are you a vegetarian?' sounds like small-talk rather than an "idiotic question" in fairness Though I'm sure you're sick to the back teeth of it if everyone who comes across you says the same thing. Must be like being a taxi driver :pac:

I can also see why people go for the 'what do you eat then?' A lot of people in Ireland would have meals that are built around meat & that may be fairly plain without it. You can make fantastic vegetarian dishes, but if you're used to a nice bit of chicken with gravy & some boiled veg, it can look very bland when you take away the meat.

Think that attitude should go down a bit though — seems to be more of a move towards Italian/Asian/North African dishes these days which lend themselves a little better to removing meat from your diet.

Aoifey!

Feathers wrote: »

'Why are you a vegetarian?' sounds like small-talk rather than an "idiotic question" in fairness Though I'm sure you're sick to the back teeth of it if everyone who comes across you says the same thing. Must be like being a taxi driver :pac:

I can also see why people go for the 'what do you eat then?' A lot of people in Ireland would have meals that are built around meat & that may be fairly plain without it. You can make fantastic vegetarian dishes, but if you're used to a nice bit of chicken with gravy & some boiled veg, it can look very bland when you take away the meat.

Think that attitude should go down a bit though — seems to be more of a move towards Italian/Asian/North African dishes these days which lend themselves a little better to removing meat from your diet.

I don't mind people asking why I'm vegetarian or what I eat, although I do get asked those a lot :P

What I do mind is when someone comes out with "Vegetables have feelings too ya know" and things like that.

Cork24

Fare enough some ppl have their reasons on going down that road but what I don't get are the

vegan kind.. I only know one vegan and by Christ she looks like the colour of me after a night out every single day and she's taken more pills then a body builder...

dearg lady

Feathers wrote: »

A lot of people in Ireland would have meals that are built around meat & that may be fairly plain without it. You can make fantastic vegetarian dishes, but if you're used to a nice bit of chicken with gravy & some boiled veg, it can look very bland when you take away the meat.

Ha, this just reminded me of being in cuba and asking for a veggie meal in the house we were staying in. I got one boiled egg cut in half and boiled vegetables. they don't really get vegetarianism there!

Feathers

dearg lady wrote: »

Ha, this just reminded me of being in cuba and asking for a veggie meal in the house we were staying in. I got one boiled egg cut in half and boiled vegetables. they don't really get vegetarianism there!

There was a café near where I was in college that did a fantastic full Irish. One of the girls asked for a vegetarian breakfast once — got about 3 eggs, 2 tomatoes & chips

Jimoslimos

TheFruitarian wrote: »

Yawn.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Zk6NUAieNsY

A bodybuilding vid is probably one of the poorest example to use in trying to demonstrate of how veganism can be healthy.

Aoifey! wrote: »

What I do mind is when someone comes out with "Vegetables have feelings too ya know" and things like that.

Nope wouldn't say that, but people claiming that veggies can be cheaper than meat-based meals tend to blissfully unaware of the effect large scale crop farming has on wildlife, y'know animals and stuff.

dearg lady wrote: »

Ha, this just reminded me of being in cuba and asking for a veggie meal in the house we were staying in. I got one boiled egg cut in half and boiled vegetables. they don't really get vegetarianism there!

Was it a fertilised egg? Otherwise I don't think you really get vegetarianism.

Da Shins Kelly

jugger0 wrote: »

My point stands.

Mike Tyson is a vegan, as is Carl Lewis.

dearg lady

Jimoslimos wrote: »

Was it a fertilised egg? Otherwise I don't think you really get vegetarianism.

The point was not that they don't know what vegetarianism is, but that it's just not the done thing, so you actually just get a standard meal, minus the meat.

humbert

Da Shins Kelly wrote: »

Mike Tyson is a vegan, as is Carl Lewis.

Tyson seems to have become a vegan in around 09 and this article isn't encouraging for Lewis.