Vegan/vegetarian?

I'm vegetarian, but the vast majority of what I eat is vegan. I was raised vegetarian, but for moral reasons pressured my family to reduce/cut out dairy and eggs. I would be vegan if I wasn't opportunistic, or a scavenger as I often think to myself. If I'm out in public and there are no vegan places to eat, I settle for vegetarian food.

More on my moral reasoning, I don't want other species to be subjugated and abused to make products for my consumption. I see factory farming as the greatest evil this planet has ever seen. I believe no animal should be abused, and that we should extend our empathy not just to other people but also to other species. I see the failure to care for other species' wellbeing as a prejudice just like homophobia, transphobia, or racism.

As for practical benefits of being vegetarian vs vegan, I think the two are more similar than different, and the biggest issue would be the possibility of consuming dairy while being lactose intolerant.

 

I went vegetarian for a while, but it didn't last. If you're going to do it, you have to make sure you vary your diet as much as possible and find substitutes for things you don't want to give up.
The reason I'm not a vegetarian anymore is because I realised that I was giving up so many things I liked that it was having a negative effect on me.
I think there's a certain mindset required to being a vegetarian, and I guess I just don't have it.

Anyhoo, you won't know until you try it, so give it a go and if it's not for you, at least you know.

You also have to make sure you are either taking supplements or finding other ways of getting the correct nutrients into your diet, or you'll just be doing yourself more harm than good.
There's also a lot of stigma around the whole subject, as I'm sure you're aware.

 

I'm a vegetarian (I only consume milk and milk products, no eggs though). Everyone in my family is a hearty omnivore, so it was shocking for my parents when I told them that I'm going vegetarian. I still get grilled for being vegetarian, especially my grandad. I went vegetarian when I was 13 because I am not comfortable with meat, cannot bear the thought that I'm eating something that was once alive.

 

Not sure if you're wanting advice from non-vegetarians or not. I think the pros to vegetarianism is there is a lot of healthy options and it may inspire you to eat more beans and other healthy foods. In addition, if you find it wrong to eat animals, there is the bonus of not eating animals . The cons I would say are that it can be difficult to obtain certain nutrients like iron and I think B12. You'll have a less balanced diet, so to speak. Also, I see a lot of vegetarian products that are like "fake" hamburgers, etc... Bet they have a lot of funky stuff in them.

 

Been mostly a pescetarian since my teenager years, and became a vegan a few months ago.
Is it worth it? Only if it works for you, obviously. You'll need to learn how to cook, learn about food, and watch you are getting all the vitamins (including B12). At the beginning you might want to get suplements, while you lean to eat again. Forget about the protein myth, you can get it from lentils and beans, you'll be fine. What everyone (except vegans) never gets enough is fiber.

Now if you are coming from a 'diet' where you eat whatever and don't care (aka 'food as just fuel'), you probably will end up very frustrated.

You need a ton of discipline, be willing to research, plan your meals, perhaps carry some food with you when you are going out, and finally to take your time to get used to it, including where to shop and what. It wasn't easy for me the first two months or so, but the last blood work (and just the way I feel in general) convinced me it's the right choice for me.

If you need information or suggestions, just hit me.

Austin, you want to know what is inside the meat substitutes, you just have to take a look at the ingredients, and if you don't trust what is written there you go ask yourself if you really know what is inside a hamburger. Some brands got better products than others, what you eat is your choice, same as for omnivores.

 

*raises hand* I'm vegetarian. I eat fake meat. Just because I can't live without chicken nuggets. Whenever I see them I'm like, "Ch-chicken...n-nuggets...MINE!"
So, that's how I found out: GUESS WHAT! Pretty much every type of meat you can imagine can also be found as vegetarian fake meat. So...yeah. PEACE OUT!

 

I couldn't be a vegan/vegetarian. Practically all my diet is meat, pretty much to the point where id rather eat just meat than have much else.

 

I've been going back and forth on being a vegetarian; and I feel family pressures are why I stopped. I'd love to go back to being one, but again, family pressures and waiting for the initial scolding, nasty looks, and the other shoe to drop have been stopping me.

 

I would point out, particularly if you are going vegan, you need to watch your diet carefully.

As Michael has touched on, many vegetarians and vegans are deficient in Vitamin B12 (usually produced with fermentation of meat in the gut), Vitamin D3 (the only dietary source is dairy), and protein. Additionally if you aren't eating any fish you probably want to find a good source of Omega oils and EPA/DHA. All in all not a problem if you are happy to supplement though (and there are vegan friendly supplements out there based on mushrooms and what not, can be quite pricey though).

I personally think veganism/vegetarianism is a really admirable effort due to the ethics involved, but it isn't necessarily the most efficient or natural method of eating for humans - it does require some planning and forethought. If health rather than morals is a driving force, a lower meat diet (flexitarianism) or a pescatarian diet may be alternatives.

 

This is totally what I do with being vegetarian. I eat whatever I want with no concern for nutrition. It just so happens the foods I like are great for me. Still, I think people with my mindset would be fine switching to being vegetarian/vegan, it's just a matter of finding what they like in their new diet.

Yeah, it can take some research. A vegetarian/vegan cookbook is a good idea. There's plenty of delicious vegetarian/vegan recipes out there, and easy to make, too. Making a change to your diet takes some work at first, but it's easy to stick with once you've found new foods you like. It wasn't too hard for me to go from a diet with dairy and eggs to being nearly vegan, and plus my experimentation with vegan recipes led me to find the most delicious food ever, so I'm very happy with the change.

If you want suggestions of where to find recipes, I can give names.

 

I recently went vegan since I don't want to support the abuse of animals. I have no other reasons really. I feel better about what I eat now. There is no guilt. I still worry about getting everything I need though.

It was difficult for me at the beginning to figure out what to cook and what to put on a bread. Bread without cheese felt kind of disappointing at first. "Fake cheese" is too expensive so I can't even use that. Luckily I can now make really good hummus. Compared to a vegetarian my options are very limited. So many products have dairy and/or eggs in them. As a vegetarian I could still get fast food from almost everywhere. Cooking was faster and required less planning when I was a vegetarian. When I visited people there was always stuff I could eat too. Now the situation is very different.

 

I'm vegetarian, when I was really little I just kind of realized that I was eating an animal and it freaked me out, so I stopped. My parents tried to get me to eat meat for a really long time but I refused. So I'm still a vegetarian to this day. Partly because the idea of meat still creeps me out, and party because I just don't like the taste/texture. If its mixed into a dish I will eat some of it.

Honestly, if I could I would eat meat. I think it is better for your overall health. I've always really struggled with getting enough protein, and now that I'm into powerlifting I think that I'd have more progress if I ate meat.

If you're interested in becoming a vegetarian for moral reasons, I would maybe still try to incorporate some lean proteins in your diet, and try to buy them for sources that are more ethical.

 

Basically all the other vegetarians here already posted helpful info, but I wanted to comment about frozen veggie-meat products in stores. It's actually pretty delicious. People make the assumption that it's made out of something gross, but to define it, it's made out of stuff like soy protein (which is in "meat" sausages and burgers from most restaurants,) black beans, eggs, and mixed vegetables. Not too different from a typical American diet. I'd try Morning Star Farms. Their veggie sausage links the bomb. As for burgers, Boca burgers, spicy and flavorful, and more true to veggie burgers from restaurants.
By the by, everyone should avoid the "veggie fish" no matter what, it's horrible.

 

I'm a vegetarian mostly because my parents brought me up that way: I've never been a meat-eater. Because of that I could never start eating meat or fish. The whole idea of it is just disgusting to me, I see meat as animal corpses, not food.

 

Veganism ftw.

As the shark guy in the Nemo movie said - "Fish are friends, not food!"
I want to be able to have my meals without being forced by a rotten system to passively contribute to unimaginable cruelty, suffering, and destruction of our only planet. That's all.

 

I've been a vegetarian for about a year now. For me there aren't really an cons because I never liked the taste of meat anyway. The only con I can think of is how being generally react and the questions I get when I mention I don't eat meat. I don't generally liked being asked questions, so that's just me.

But, for pros? Tons! I have always had some kind of a pet in my house from a very young age, so I am a animal person. It makes me have a clean mind and not feel as guilty at times. I also feel better physically then when I did eat meat.

Being a vegetarian means caring to me. All I know is I am perfectly fine with being a vegetarian and when I move out of my parents house I will probably become Vegan.

 

My parents brought up my sister and me as vegetarians. Our whole family is vegetarian and this is due to religious reasons mainly. My parents frown upon us eating meat or other non-vegetarian products, but I've never had an inclination to taste Meat or Fish or anything else non-vegetarian (even though I had multiple chances to do so).
It's a way of life for me and I know I'm not going to change ever.

As for Veganism, I don't really follow it. I've cut down on the amount of Milk I consume over the years, I don't eat Ice-Cream a lot. I stopped having Butter, Ghee and Cheese a long time ago. The only thing I have three times a week is Buttermilk and Curd (Yogurt)

 

Want to be a vegan, but it's too hard for me ATM because I don't like vegetables and I can't afford to buy all my own food. Been a vegertarian my entire life, at first because my parents were, but later for moral reasons.

 

Vegetarian here! So far only for about two months. I was feeling like I had an obligation to the planet, so I made the switch--I eased into it slowly, though. I started making the transition maybe about six months ago.