Vegans/Vegetarians...I have a question

Hello Vegans/Vegetarians!

I am an omnivore and I could never see myself giving up meat.  What I'd like to know is why you chose to become vegetarian/vegan?  There are many reasons and I'm just curious.

Also, I think you should know that I am somewhat familiar with vegan type foods (I think).  I've tried soy milk and rice milk and I find them too sweet.  I have had tofu and felt that it tasted bland and had the texture of a styrofoam peanut.  I have had to shred Veganrella vegan mozz and cheddar cheeses and I think they smell soooo gross.  I have never had a slice of the vegan pizza it goes to make (it doesn't look appetizing).

I figure I've hit on a major reason why vegans/vegetarians don't eat meat...they don't like the taste/texture/etc.

But please, I come with an open curious mind as to why people become vegans or vegetarians.

Thank you,

Mel

I never liked the texture of certain meats (though after being vegetarian for 10 years, I'm perfectly happy to eat meat substitutes that are realistically textured). I mean, I loved things like drumsticks and honey baked ham, but hamburger is the most disgusting thing I've eaten, ever, and I hate steak. And at the time, I was living at home - I wouldn't be allowed to say "I'm not eating hamburger anymore". It was either all vegetarian, or nothing. So, vegetarian. Now that I've moved out, its a mixture of not really liking meat, losing my craving for it over the years, and... well, stubbornness.

Did you have the unsweetened soy milk? Even the kind that says "plain" in the market has added sweetener, you have to get "unsweetened". I didn't like tofu at first, but I've found that it depends how you use it. Plain, silken tofu? Bland and noodley textured. Firm/extra firm tofu that's either been pre-seasoned, or that you've marinated yourself? delicious! (I like Soyboy brand Italian, plus I've got some BBQ flavour in there now that's to die for). Its just in how you cook it. I do agree that the cheese is rather nasty though.

I'm conscious of where meat comes from, and it troubles me.

I was a vegetarian because I read books that hit my conscience really hard, and when my uncle took me to a farm cattle slaughterhouse, I was pretty much disturbed for life.

I'm not one for vegan substitutes of food that have animal components as a prominent ingredient just because I was never into the stuff anyway. I don't think it's that hard if you let yourself ease into it by gradually letting go of animal-based food groups, but I wouldn't recommend going veg simply because you want to lose weight.

I tried to convert someone who tried for a bit (the allure of weight loss was, of course, just a part the actual message I wanted to convey) but never really cared for animals and it drove them crazy. After a year being vegetarian, now it's as if she's just carnivorous.

I've never liked meat, and dairy & eggs are unnatural.  I'm not a fan of eating other animal byproducts either--such as carmine(a crushed insect for red dye), honey, & shellac(an insect lava found in various candies)...just to name a few. Not to mention, some manufactures of white sugar and flour use bone char in the whitening process. 

Similar to lysistrata & tintinity, I am conscious of where meat comes from & I'm disturbed. (read a book such as Skinny Bitch if youre wondering..)

Meat is the decomposing, decaying, rotting flesh of a dead animal.

As for dairy... it's meant for growing calves, not for humans.  Very unnatural.

This is just my opinion.  Don't think I'm trying to convert anybody :) I usually keep my opinions to myself unless asked.  I don't mind that other people eat these things; we all are capable of making our own decisions.

I am a lacto ovo vegetarian, so I eat eggs and dairy. I became a vegetarian because I don't want animals to suffer so I can eat. Meat is, as whatever07 said, a corpse. I cant think of eating something thats dead.

I did eat meat for years before I changed, and I do still like the taste of meat and fish. I do eat some meat substitutes when I get a craving for that.

I'm not sure that the things you mention like tofu or soy milk have a bad taste. What I do know is that knowing how to properly cook and prepare them makes a huge difference to the taste. Well cooked they are delicious, and I'm sure you'd love eating them too. 

Since I became a vego, I have re-learned how to cook away from the meat and 3 vegs routine. I have found vegetarian food has a huge variety and amazing flavours and textures, as long you know how to cook it. Tonight we are having an Indonesian style Rendang curry made with soy protein, Basmati rice and a tomato and cucmber salad. Very yummy!

I tried being vegan last year and I was relatively successful for 2 months, I had a few slip-ups on the way and it was highly difficult for me living in a school where they aren't many vegan friendly foods. I went cold turkey (pun not intended) and gave up meat, fish, poultry, game and dairy.

I found it alright because I liked some of the sub foods you could get. But I found these expensive and difficult to store in college. I also got quite a lot of stick from some people. After the period I was vegan my hair was falling out and my nails were splitting. I felt very haggard and unhealthy.

When I first went back to eating dairy and fish & poultry I was a little ill and had allergic reactions. Now I've incorporated them back into my diet I feel a lot healthier. Yes, I understand why veggies and vegans think the way they do, trust me I can see their point of view. But I must say that after taking everything into consideration having the meat (except red) and low fat dairy in my diet has been the best for me (and I've managed to lose 40lbs even with those food groups).

Hi, I desided to be a vegan as I became very fed up with seeing the world being exploited by everyone, also I feel my diet keeps me healthy.

All that fake meat tastes so horrible because it has been highly processed and isn't good for you. Tofu comes in many different textures from silken to firm, it doesn't have much flavour but is used in dishes because it absorbs flavours from other food. If you ever try it again go for a  marinated flavour.

Well, I am a vegetarian, lacto ovo if you want to get technical. 

I decided to become a vegetarian because...I think all along I had this sort of Old MacDonald's farm image in my head that meat comes from animals who had this long happy life in the pasture and died peacefully.  I was really naive about the sort of horrible processes that go into making meat ready for our table.  I don't inherently think it's wrong for humans to eat meat, any more than it is for a lion to eat meat.  But I think it is extremely wrong to make animals suffer in inhumane conditions their entire lives, brutally slaughter them, etc etc.  And it wasn't just that that bothered me.  I found out about all of the artificial preservatives and crap that are being put--not only into the meat after the animal has been slaughtered, but are actually fed to the animal.  Mad Cow disease, for example, comes from the remains of cows being fed to other cows.  Cows do not eat meat, let alone...other cows.  But we have made them cannibals in the interest of creating a more fat and valuable cow for ourselves.  And when they found out that this caused mad cow, did they stop? No.  They just decided to not feed the cows the brains/spinal columns of other dead cows.  BLECH.  There are a lot of incidences of, essentially, making the animals really really unhealthy (obese, cancerous) to try to get a bigger or fatter or whatever type of meat after the animal is slaughtered.  I mean, not every form of meat is made this way--I would probably be okay eating Kosher meat because, correct me if I'm wrong people, I think the animals aren't allowed to feel any pain during the slaughter process.  But the longer I've been a vegetarian, the more it makes me nauseous to even think about. 

Another big reason was realizing the environmental impact of the system.  If the whole world was vegetarian (I recognize that this would cause other problems, but just as an example) there would be plenty of produce to go around.  But because it takes a lot and lot of grains and oats to fatten up a cow, it's a really inefficient system.  I dont' have exact statistics, but I was really surprised at how bad it is for the environment.  Add to the inefficiency is the cost of getting the cows to the slaughterhouse, the slaughtering equipment and...blech whatever they do there, then the cost to keep the meat cool/frozen and ship it all over the country.  I am trying to stick to locally grown produce, not always easy, but it's a lot easier than buying entirely local meat. 

In short, I have a lot of reasons, almost entirely ethical/moral and very little to do with taste.  I ate meat until I was in my early 20s, and I think for the first year or so I craved it sometimes, when I would pass something that smelled delicious.  Now, I don't get cravings for meat.  In fact, the sight and smell of it is a little sickening to me. 

As for tofu--everyone I know that has said they tried it and hated it has tried it with no seasoning or anything.  Duh.  Of course it sucked.  Tofu is like a chameleon of the food world.  On its own it tastes like nothing, but you put it in some herbs or some soy sauce or something, stir fry it, you put it with some yummy noodles and it absorbs the taste of what's around it and can be very good.  Plus, for the lazy veggies out there (me), there are all kinds of veggie burgers and soy products that already have flavoring and just require a zap in the microwave.

I love animals!  People always tell me "but its natural for humans to eat meat, blahblahblah" .. I don't understand why they always try to argue me out of being a vegetarian... as if I'm going to stop.  It's not like I try to convert anyone to be one. Sorry ranting :P

Been vegetarian for about a year and 4 months ish?  I'm slowly trying to go vegan.

Went vegetarian mostly for ethical reasons.  Want to go vegan for ethical, health, and cosmetic reasons (milk->acne, food sensitivies, etc.).  I still eat some milk products, but clothing/shoes/items-wise I no longer buy anything made of animals.

manda182- aaah I HATE when people talk to me like I'm stupid for being vegan.  Like you said.... it's not like I'm trying to convert them!! I respect that they eat meat/animal byproducts... it's their desicion. why do they CARE what I'm eating!?! 

I've been seriously thinking about becoming a vegetarian for moral purposes, but it's so hard because I LOVE meat and also, I know my family would never go along with it.

It did not know that about Kosher meat. Where would you buy kosher meat?

monkey- there are meat substitutes that you can try to see if you like. Your family might even like them too! :) I think you can buy kosher meat in the normal grocery store

Kosher meat can be factory-farmed like all other meat.  There are supposed to be rules for handling the animals, but PETA and other folks have documented the rules being broken.  Personally, I'm skeptical that sawing through an animal's esophagus and trachea and letting it bleed out is all that humane, but for me the bottom line is, killing is killing.

I agree with lysistrata... it can be called "kosher" but really they are trying to make a profit...

so do i. don't trust anything the USDA says, either.

Original Post by trippythings:

so do i. don't trust anything the USDA says, either.

true.

Couple of reasons why I am a vegetarian:

1. Commerical farming & rendering is deeply disturbing to me.

2. The pesticides & antibodic concentration in animals and fish.

3. I think its much healthier to eat less meat and eat mostly whole grains and vegetables.

4. I'm buddhist.

Original Post by lysistrata:

I'm conscious of where meat comes from, and it troubles me.

Lysistrata- I understand completely. That's actually my reason for avoiding sushi (save the california roll) and calamari.

Thank you all for replying and for keeping this relatively free of "soap box"-ing. :)

This comment is not meant to offend anyone, but a few of you mentioned an aversion to meat because it is the "dead corpse" of an animal...logically, couldn't you consider the vegetables you eat "corpses" (albeit nice looking ones) or something once alive that is now dying because it is no longer receiving the nutrients it needs (from the soil/sun)?  To me it all seems relative.

None of you convinced me to go vegetarian/vegan and I would never dream of trying to convert you to meat. :)

Again thank you for your candor.

p.s. the tofu I ate was in miso soup, not on its own...and silk tofu is okay in a fruit smoothie

I don't consider a vegetable a corpse. It doesn't have a face, eyes, ears or breathes in any sense like an animal does. Nor do vegetables have a nervous system like an animal does, capable of feeling fear and pain.

Livestock, is essentially the same as a domestic pet. I couldn't eat my dog. So why would I eat a cow or a sheep? I'm not trying to convert anyone either, what people eat is their decision.