Anyone out there a Vegetarian or Vegan ?

[The Clamp]

She is not a Vegan Nazi but she is absoulely resoslutely in her beliefs. Even takes the soya milk to cafes

That is going to get really annoying in the future. Get out now.

 

[Braggfan]

I am seeing a Vegan atm and never eat meat in front in front of her out of respect and thinking of going veggie. The least I can do really

I've been veggie for 20 years now and I've always been amazed by how much interest everyone else takes in what I eat. I also find non vegetarians or non vegans seem really keen to put a label on us, and make us conform to their definitions/concept of things. My view is that we all make our decisions based on what's right for us and it's no one else's business. If you want to go veggie or vegan great. If you want to eat fish that's your choice. If you want to eat meat from time to time, that's your choice no one else's. I have a friend who's wife is vegetarian, and he's not veggie but has spent the last 15 years eating a largely vegetarian diet, probably 80% out of convenience, 20% out of agreeing with his wife's views. But he still eats meat when he wants to.
I think it's great that you feel like you're learning something from your partner, and want to share her experience and views. Like I say, do what you want to and for the reasons you want to, you don't have to justify yourself to anyone.

 

[Gwylan]

Me. Bacon was one of the main triggers for my road to be a vegetarian.

Me too, I loathe the smell of bacon, I try to avoid any place where it's being cooked. Next year I'll have been veggie for 40 years: I'm pretty healthy, pretty fit and certainly not skinny or pale . I'm not evangelical about it, my wife and kids aren't veggie (although meat is not often on the menu in our house) but I just couldn't imagine ever wanting to eat meat again.

 

[knocky1]

Me too, I loathe the smell of bacon, I try to avoid any place where it's being cooked. Next year I'll have been veggie for 40 years: I'm pretty healthy, pretty fit and certainly not skinny or pale . I'm not evangelical about it, my wife and kids aren't veggie (although meat is not often on the menu in our house) but I just couldn't imagine ever wanting to eat meat again.

I remember 15 years or so back when bacon used to smell of fish because of the fish meal put in their feed.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

That is going to get really annoying in the future. Get out now.

I suppose you have to make some effort in any relationship for it to work. I will try veggie for a month and see how it goes. I will not be forced to do something though as that is a dealbreaker

 

[RandyWanger]

I don't do dairy as it gives me the shits and often when training I go vegan for periods as my body responds better. I wouldn't want to go full veggie/vegan. Love meat, fish and eggs too much.

 

[beorhthelm]

You do realise most soya is fed to livestock don't you? Animal agriculture is one of the most damaging forces on the planet, from deforestation, habitat destruction, polluted waters in both rivers and the release of methane into the air. Not too mention the incredible amount of water used in maintainence of the animal agriculture industry.

If you call yourself an environmentalist but eat still eat meat, you really need to do some research. The two footprints are not even remotely close.

i wouldn't call myself an environmentalist. its been my experience that many people ive met who are vegetarian and certainly all vegans have been strong on environmental concerns, and its often cited as a reason for not eating meat (as highlighted, use of land, use of feeds). on the matter of research i wonder if you knew how much of the propaganda against meat is based on intensive methods in the US, we dont use anywhere near as much feed in the UK and its mostly wheat based. arguments about direct consumption are valid, but that's better than soy feed on a larger view.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

I hav been called piscatarian ( they were not being rude , other people might have called me a piss.........) They meant that I eat fish not meat. Lovely grub!

Even so it is not a strict rule, just a policy.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

She is not a Vegan Nazi but she is absoulely resoslutely in her beliefs. Even takes the soya milk to cafes

Where on earth does she find a café in Brighton that doesn't offer soya milk, itself?

 

[pearl]

Is this true though ?

no it isn't true at all. we have adapted to eating meat. our teeth are not designed to eat meat

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I've been veggie for 20 years now and I've always been amazed by how much interest everyone else takes in what I eat. I also find non vegetarians or non vegans seem really keen to put a label on us

I find those sniping types who think they're clever by pointing out some supposed hypocrisy tedious as well. I prefer to not shop in MacDonalds. I simply think they're a shitty company. And over the years I have had numerous people strike up a debate because I eat Burger King. My rules I'm afraid, none of your business.

 

[pearl]

Evolution would disagree with you. That's how we made it from being monkeys to Homo Erectus, to modern humans.

Meat was essential in that journey.

why?

 

[Hotchilidog]

i wouldn't call myself an environmentalist. its been my experience that many people ive met who are vegetarian and certainly all vegans have been strong on environmental concerns, and its often cited as a reason for not eating meat (as highlighted, use of land, use of feeds). on the matter of research i wonder if you knew how much of the propaganda against meat is based on intensive methods in the US, we dont use anywhere near as much feed in the UK and its mostly wheat based. arguments about direct consumption are valid, but that's better than soy feed on a larger view.

Nope no intensive farming in the UK. In November 2016 177,000 cows were slaughtered, 1.2 million sheep and 932,000 pigs, in June 2016 the best part of 77million chickens were slaughtered for meat (not including the male chicks who would be ground up and gassed more or less straight away). Go to Defra for the stats.

Ethical concerns aside, Animal agriculture is an environmental nightmare in terms of resource consumption and habitat destruction. It's a global problem and affects everyone.

 

[Braggfan]

I find those sniping types who think they're clever by pointing out some supposed hypocrisy tedious as well.

Yep I find that tedious. It's as if pointing out a perceived contradiction suddenly makes them intellectually superior, and that we should be thankful for their input into how we should live our lives.

 

[pearl]

Actually Humans have more in common with Herbivores than carnivores. Although we have sharp teeth these bear little resemblance to the large, sharp canines of carnivores and we can’t tear flesh or animal skin by hand. Our intestines are long like herbivores whereas carnivores have short intestines, in fact our intestines and stomach cope far better when we cook our meat. We don't have sharp claws to grab and hold down prey, our hands are perfectly formed for grabbing and picking fruits and vegetables.

We have learnt to be meat eaters, made tools to catch prey and cooked our meat to make it more palatable. We may have in the past needed a little meat in our diet in times of scarcity but the fact is now you can walk in to a supermarket and buy whatever you need for a healthy vegetarian diet.

I always think its funny meat eaters comparing themselves with their hunter gatherer ancestors. Nowadays people are separated from the act of killing, they just wander in the supermarket and pick up the pre-packaged meat, all prepared, no blood or guts, just pop it straight in the oven. I have met a number of people who have criticised me for being a vegetarian with a similar argument to yours but openly admit that they couldn't kill an animal themselves or even watch one being killed.

excellent post, humans also waste a lot of energy digesting meat

 

[Braggfan]

I'm running dangerously low on coffee this morning, I can feel myself getting cranky

 

[soistes]

OK - interesting thread, and some predictable themes and theories in it, as well as some strident views on both sides of the fence.

FWIW I've been a vegetarian since 1974 (when I left home, and realised that I could live happily without meat, which I'd never really liked). Whether or not humans are "designed" to eat meat as one poster put it (I thought humans had evolved rather than being designed, but never mind...), it's not caused me any problems at all, and I can't imagine being anything else. I've never learned to cook meat or fish, and apart from not liking the idea of it, wouldn't even consider it as something to buy, cook and eat, when there's so much stuff that I do like eating.

Health wise, I'm a pretty fit 61 year old, the same weight as I was when I was 17 , and being a vegetarian doesn't seem to affect my ability to do most physical activities better than most younger meat-eaters I know (I can still run a 5km race in under 22 min, and expect to run the Brighton half marathon this year in 1hr 45-1hr 50 with no trouble).

I'm not sentimental about animals and don't care particularly if other people eat meat (although I can see the environmental arguments) - my reasons are primarily aesthetic rather than ethical: I don't love animals but equally I don't like the idea of eating their decaying corpses, and neither do I fancy the smell and sight of bits of animal corpse in my fridge. I think there is a fair amount of good scientific evidence from longitudinal studies that vegetarian diets are good for life expectancy and avoidance of some diseases, so that's a bonus, although that's not why I'm a vegetarian.

So I'm very happy to be vegetarian, given that I really don't like the taste, sight or smell of meat or the idea of what it actually is (and the smell of some meats cooking does make me gag a bit), given also that it's really easy to be vegetarian certainly in most places I've lived or travelled to, and given that there are no obvious health downsides (with a balanced vegetarian diet) and there may well be some upsides.

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

Where on earth does she find a café in Brighton that doesn't offer soya milk, itself?

We both live in the time warp of Newhaven

 

[FatSuperman]

The first rule of vegan club; tell everyone about vegan club

This has been a really interesting thread, keeping things moving until our resurgence on Friday

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The first rule of vegan club; tell everyone about vegan club

This has been a really interesting thread, keeping things moving until our resurgence on Friday

Reminds me of that joke

Q: How do you know if you have a vegan around your dinner table?
A: Don't worry, they'll tell you.