AVEN Vegetarians and Vegans

[Riven]

Oh hay, just remembered this. I had problems with certain fruit before--plums once made my lips swell up, apples made my mouth itchy and my throat burn. For a while I just avoided them, gave it little thought. Soymilk in cereal sometimes did this to me, as well.

Then I met my current roommate, who has a mother who is very food-conscious, vegetarian, and studying nutrition. She is very eco-conscious and gets organic food from a farm she helps to tend in the summer.

She went "You ever think you're allergic to pesticide?" Never thought about it.

Bought organic apples. Bought organic plums. Not a blessed problem. Same when I switched to Almond milk.

Scary stuff guys.

.... why you should always wash your fruit and veg before eating.

[Ame]

Oh hay, just remembered this. I had problems with certain fruit before--plums once made my lips swell up, apples made my mouth itchy and my throat burn. For a while I just avoided them, gave it little thought. Soymilk in cereal sometimes did this to me, as well.

Then I met my current roommate, who has a mother who is very food-conscious, vegetarian, and studying nutrition. She is very eco-conscious and gets organic food from a farm she helps to tend in the summer.

She went "You ever think you're allergic to pesticide?" Never thought about it.

Bought organic apples. Bought organic plums. Not a blessed problem. Same when I switched to Almond milk.

Scary stuff guys.

.... why you should always wash your fruit and veg before eating.

Funny thing is, I am hyper vigilant about washing. Apparently the shit survives. Surprising? No.

[Synergy]

You can't wash that crap off. It soaks right in.

I brought my daughter up vegan and she was always taller and stronger than the other kids. The other parents would criticize me, saying that veganism was 'child abuse', while their pale-faced, grey-eyed, snotty nosed, wheezing and sneezing stunted kids munched on their burgers and chicken nuggets and shakes and mars bars. Fuck that poisonous shit....I know right from wrong, even if they don't.

[Asexy Existentialist]

Oh hay, just remembered this. I had problems with certain fruit before--plums once made my lips swell up, apples made my mouth itchy and my throat burn. For a while I just avoided them, gave it little thought. Soymilk in cereal sometimes did this to me, as well.

Then I met my current roommate, who has a mother who is very food-conscious, vegetarian, and studying nutrition. She is very eco-conscious and gets organic food from a farm she helps to tend in the summer.

She went "You ever think you're allergic to pesticide?" Never thought about it.

Bought organic apples. Bought organic plums. Not a blessed problem. Same when I switched to Almond milk.

Scary stuff guys.

.... why you should always wash your fruit and veg before eating.

Funny thing is, I am hyper vigilant about washing. Apparently the shit survives. Surprising? No.

Yep. It's not that surprising that if you have pesticides in the dirt with the water and nutrients that plant is absorbing, it's probably going to be filled with pesticides.

[Ame]

Oh hay, just remembered this. I had problems with certain fruit before--plums once made my lips swell up, apples made my mouth itchy and my throat burn. For a while I just avoided them, gave it little thought. Soymilk in cereal sometimes did this to me, as well.

Then I met my current roommate, who has a mother who is very food-conscious, vegetarian, and studying nutrition. She is very eco-conscious and gets organic food from a farm she helps to tend in the summer.

She went "You ever think you're allergic to pesticide?" Never thought about it.

Bought organic apples. Bought organic plums. Not a blessed problem. Same when I switched to Almond milk.

Scary stuff guys.

.... why you should always wash your fruit and veg before eating.

Funny thing is, I am hyper vigilant about washing. Apparently the shit survives. Surprising? No.

Yep. It's not that surprising that if you have pesticides in the dirt with the water and nutrients that plant is absorbing, it's probably going to be filled with pesticides.

AND what about GMOs? Several plants grown in this country are already engineered to produce their own pesticides, cell by cell by cell in their growth process.

The catch is the industry (Read: Monsanto Corp) claim it's safe for human consumption. Long term studies? What is that?

[Riven]

Oh hay, just remembered this. I had problems with certain fruit before--plums once made my lips swell up, apples made my mouth itchy and my throat burn. For a while I just avoided them, gave it little thought. Soymilk in cereal sometimes did this to me, as well.

Then I met my current roommate, who has a mother who is very food-conscious, vegetarian, and studying nutrition. She is very eco-conscious and gets organic food from a farm she helps to tend in the summer.

She went "You ever think you're allergic to pesticide?" Never thought about it.

Bought organic apples. Bought organic plums. Not a blessed problem. Same when I switched to Almond milk.

Scary stuff guys.

.... why you should always wash your fruit and veg before eating.

Funny thing is, I am hyper vigilant about washing. Apparently the shit survives. Surprising? No.

Yep. It's not that surprising that if you have pesticides in the dirt with the water and nutrients that plant is absorbing, it's probably going to be filled with pesticides.

AND what about GMOs? Several plants grown in this country are already engineered to produce their own pesticides, cell by cell by cell in their growth process.

The catch is the industry (Read: Monsanto Corp) claim it's safe for human consumption. Long term studies? What is that?

To reply to your second point first; yes, the long term studies are sadly lacking. GM crops might grow in drought-ridden areas, resist all manner of insects and feed us all comfortably, but might also poison the crap out of us in the process. The real question is, do we have the time to perform long term studies into the effects of GMO's? Will we - especially in the West - tolerate millions starving in Africa, Asia, wherever simply to maintain some kind of moral high ground over not using GM crops? Let's hope it doesn't come to that

And to your first point, many plants create pesticides anyway, perfectly naturally. Some even communicate to other plants nearby to produce pesticides when they themselves are attacked by insects.

[Ame]

Oh hay, just remembered this. I had problems with certain fruit before--plums once made my lips swell up, apples made my mouth itchy and my throat burn. For a while I just avoided them, gave it little thought. Soymilk in cereal sometimes did this to me, as well.

Then I met my current roommate, who has a mother who is very food-conscious, vegetarian, and studying nutrition. She is very eco-conscious and gets organic food from a farm she helps to tend in the summer.

She went "You ever think you're allergic to pesticide?" Never thought about it.

Bought organic apples. Bought organic plums. Not a blessed problem. Same when I switched to Almond milk.

Scary stuff guys.

.... why you should always wash your fruit and veg before eating.

Funny thing is, I am hyper vigilant about washing. Apparently the shit survives. Surprising? No.

Yep. It's not that surprising that if you have pesticides in the dirt with the water and nutrients that plant is absorbing, it's probably going to be filled with pesticides.

AND what about GMOs? Several plants grown in this country are already engineered to produce their own pesticides, cell by cell by cell in their growth process.

The catch is the industry (Read: Monsanto Corp) claim it's safe for human consumption. Long term studies? What is that?

To reply to your second point first; yes, the long term studies are sadly lacking. GM crops might grow in drought-ridden areas, resist all manner of insects and feed us all comfortably, but might also poison the crap out of us in the process. The real question is, do we have the time to perform long term studies into the effects of GMO's? Will we - especially in the West - tolerate millions starving in Africa, Asia, wherever simply to maintain some kind of moral high ground over not using GM crops? Let's hope it doesn't come to that

And to your first point, many plants create pesticides anyway, perfectly naturally. Some even communicate to other plants nearby to produce pesticides when they themselves are attacked by insects.

Unfortunately the starving peoples of the world are generally starving due to politics, not lack of supply. This also means Classism. This is a problem when we air-drop aid into disaster area countries, because inevitably the burden lies on the government to do the "right thing" in our eyes and pass on aid to the people. Obviously this doesn't always happen. (In all actuality, especially in this country, we throw out millions of pounds of meat and other foodstuffs a year--nothing to do with lack of GMOS, or starving people. Hell, people are starving in this country and we still have extreme excess of foods.) And on that topic, City Harvest is a company trying to do things to remedy the politics of starvation. And my roommate suggests Diet For A Small Planet, a book on the politics of why people starve.

I will also argue here if we have the "time" to be doing any number of stupid studies-- ("How many times a week to women cry?" Any article in "Cosmopolitan", "Does Meditation actually make you happier?" Take your pick.) then we definitely SHOULD be doing studies on THINGS WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT BUT CONSUME ANYWAY. Of course this is baseless idealism; so long as GMOs can turn a profit there will never be a study done on the off-chance they will link them to cancer or something equally insidious.

If anything, I would argue GMO plants are aiding people to starve--nutritionally. A plant is not the sum total of its parts. Change one part and you strip it of anything good for people nutritionally, in exchange for hardy, unlimited capital.

And GMO crops are extremely bad for the environment at large. They leech the soil bone dry, and god help us all if the genes escape into the ecosystem at large. GMOs, if anything, contribute to more land cultivation and more dead spaces of uninhabitable crop areas.

There's a marked difference between naturalistic pesticides and GMO pesticides, which are targeted towards very specific bug species. Also the fact that we're playing with genetic fire with little understanding of how genes link together, even though we think we have a handle. Obviously your body can process naturalistic pesticides, as they are in generalized plants. GMO pesticides are new, toxic chemicals to the intestinal tract.

(Michael Pollan has an excellent account in The Botany of Desire about how we genetically modified poppy plants, and at a certain age on a certain day they all changed to a brilliant color poppies generally are not, and nobody knew why. Apparently the genes they fucked with were linked.)

[Professor Awesome]

Hi, I'm new here.

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I have been for 13 years. I was about 14 when I first went veggie. It was mostly for animal reasons. I had heard a lot from PeTA and decided against my red-neck heritage of eating steak all the time. My reasons for being veggie have changed over the years, but anyone who says you can't live a healthy life and not eat meat has no idea what they're talking about. I'm healthy, I'm halfway through my second pregnancy and I'm doing fine. My son has been veggie his whole life and he's a bit, strong healthy child!

[Asexy Existentialist]

Hi, I'm new here.

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I have been for 13 years. I was about 14 when I first went veggie. It was mostly for animal reasons. I had heard a lot from PeTA and decided against my red-neck heritage of eating steak all the time. My reasons for being veggie have changed over the years, but anyone who says you can't live a healthy life and not eat meat has no idea what they're talking about. I'm healthy, I'm halfway through my second pregnancy and I'm doing fine. My son has been veggie his whole life and he's a bit, strong healthy child!

I think it's awesome that you raised your son veggie! Have other parents (if you've told them) been negative about it?

[Synergy]

Hi, I'm new here.

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I have been for 13 years. I was about 14 when I first went veggie. It was mostly for animal reasons. I had heard a lot from PeTA and decided against my red-neck heritage of eating steak all the time. My reasons for being veggie have changed over the years, but anyone who says you can't live a healthy life and not eat meat has no idea what they're talking about. I'm healthy, I'm halfway through my second pregnancy and I'm doing fine. My son has been veggie his whole life and he's a bit, strong healthy child!

I think it's awesome that you raised your son veggie! Have other parents (if you've told them) been negative about it?

Totally agree. I brought my daughter up vegan.

[Inevitable]

Nasty fishy stuff's not really my thing, but I question occured to me a while ago.

Is caviar vegetarian?

After all, they ARE eggs.

[Synergy]

Nasty fishy stuff's not really my thing, but I question occured to me a while ago.

Is caviar vegetarian?

After all, they ARE eggs.

I've met ovo lacto pesco vegetarians who "don't eat much red meat" but enjoy chicken, fish, eggs. cheese and wear leather jackets.

I never see the point of vegetarianism. I see the point of veganism and I see the point of eating meat, but vegetarianism seems to be entirely pointless.

[Avitus]

Nasty fishy stuff's not really my thing, but I question occured to me a while ago.

Is caviar vegetarian?

After all, they ARE eggs.

You do know the difference between vegetarianism and veganism, right? I think caviar would qualify as vegetarian but not as vegan. That said, the eggs are extracted directly from inside the fish, which, depending on how it's done, may or may not kill the fish in the process.

[Synergy]

Nasty fishy stuff's not really my thing, but I question occured to me a while ago.

Is caviar vegetarian?

After all, they ARE eggs.

You do know the difference between vegetarianism and veganism, right? I think caviar would qualify as vegetarian but not as vegan. That said, the eggs are extracted directly from inside the fish, which, depending on how it's done, may or may not kill the fish in the process.

The old joke about vegans is that we don't eat 'anything with a face'.

Vegetarians eat substances that come from creatures 'with a face'....therefore, as my friend Avitus has already said....fish eggs are vegetarian. But then, many 'vegetarians' eat chicken, so it's a bit of a moveable feast, to be honest.

[Avitus]

I've met ovo lacto pesco vegetarians who "don't eat much red meat" but enjoy chicken, fish, eggs. cheese and wear leather jackets.

I never see the point of vegetarianism. I see the point of veganism and I see the point of eating meat, but vegetarianism seems to be entirely pointless.

It all depends on why someone is vegetarian. From an animal rights (or similar) perspective, I agree that veganism makes much more sense than vegetarianism: on this basis, the exact same arguments which might persuade someone to become vegetarian can be used to argue for veganism, and I think that this would actually be their most coherent application. (That's why I became vegan after being vegetarian for a few years.) However, this mightn't be the case when someone is vegetarian for other reasons. For instance, some vegetarians in ancient Greece advanced the argument that killing and eating animals is wrong because they provide us with milk and eggs by which we are nourished and do work for us by pulling ploughs and carts, leading us to have obligations towards them in exchange for the good received. This could actually be used as an argument against veganism, because we'd cease to have any obligations towards the animals should we receive nothing from them. (Now it's not a particularly good argument for vegetarianism in the first place since it only involves domestic animals, but that's another matter.) Similarly, people who are vegetarian on another basis may be doing so for reasons which simply don't apply to veganism.

[Synergy]

I've met ovo lacto pesco vegetarians who "don't eat much red meat" but enjoy chicken, fish, eggs. cheese and wear leather jackets.

I never see the point of vegetarianism. I see the point of veganism and I see the point of eating meat, but vegetarianism seems to be entirely pointless.

It all depends on why someone is vegetarian. From an animal rights (or similar) perspective, I agree that veganism makes much more sense than vegetarianism: on this basis, the exact same arguments which might persuade someone to become vegetarian can be used to argue for veganism, and I think that this would actually be their most coherent application. (That's why I became vegan after being vegetarian for a few years.) However, this mightn't be the case when someone is vegetarian for other reasons. For instance, some vegetarians in ancient Greece advanced the argument that killing and eating animals is wrong because they provide us with milk and eggs by which we are nourished and do work for us by pulling ploughs and carts, leading us to have obligations towards them in exchange for the good received. This could actually be used as an argument against veganism, because we'd cease to have any obligations towards the animals should we receive nothing from them. (Now it's not a particularly good argument for vegetarianism in the first place since it only involves domestic animals, but that's another matter.) Similarly, people who are vegetarian on another basis may be doing so for reasons which simply don't apply to veganism.

Yes, it's true...vegetarianism and veganism really aren't close cousins. They aren't stages on the same journey. Most vegans I know couldn't give a toss about vitamins, protein, health etc....it's a political thing about animal rights.

Most vegetarians I've met, on the other hand, are very concerned with nutrition. trace elements, enzymes, and a million other things. They are concerned with their own personal health and believe that vegetarianism will make them live longer/beat cancer/cure their wrinkles/failing eyesight etc etc

It's hard to take seriously a vegetarian spouting about animals while eating cheese and wearing leather shoes and a leather jacket.

[Professor Awesome]

I think it's awesome that you raised your son veggie! Have other parents (if you've told them) been negative about it?

Yes! Especially since I live in Texas. But anyone can look at him and see he's a healthy growing boy. He's happy has been through many checkups with no problems. People can be negative all they want. They're wrong.

[Asexy Existentialist]

Hi, I'm new here.

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I have been for 13 years. I was about 14 when I first went veggie. It was mostly for animal reasons. I had heard a lot from PeTA and decided against my red-neck heritage of eating steak all the time. My reasons for being veggie have changed over the years, but anyone who says you can't live a healthy life and not eat meat has no idea what they're talking about. I'm healthy, I'm halfway through my second pregnancy and I'm doing fine. My son has been veggie his whole life and he's a bit, strong healthy child!

I think it's awesome that you raised your son veggie! Have other parents (if you've told them) been negative about it?

Totally agree. I brought my daughter up vegan.

I know! I read your post. I think that's awesome too. :)

I think it's awesome that you raised your son veggie! Have other parents (if you've told them) been negative about it?

Yes! Especially since I live in Texas. But anyone can look at him and see he's a healthy growing boy. He's happy has been through many checkups with no problems. People can be negative all they want. They're wrong.

They are! I hate that "but you need meat" argument. It's like the people that tell asexuals "but you need sex!" No, no I don't.

Anyway, congrats What are your reasons for being veggie?

[Inevitable]

Nasty fishy stuff's not really my thing, but I question occured to me a while ago.

Is caviar vegetarian?

After all, they ARE eggs.

I've met ovo lacto pesco vegetarians who "don't eat much red meat" but enjoy chicken, fish, eggs. cheese and wear leather jackets.

I never see the point of vegetarianism. I see the point of veganism and I see the point of eating meat, but vegetarianism seems to be entirely pointless.

You may want to tell them they aren't vegetarian.

Vegetarian can mean they eat eggs, milk, or both. Fish is Pescatarian. You can't eat chicken or fish and be vegetarian. Its like saying... you're an atheist except you occasionally like to believe in angels.

You do know the difference between vegetarianism and veganism, right? I think caviar would qualify as vegetarian but not as vegan. That said, the eggs are extracted directly from inside the fish, which, depending on how it's done, may or may not kill the fish in the process.

Yes, I do. My question had nothing to do with veganism. I wanted to know if it was suitable for vegetarians.

Actually, I decided there was no conclusion to be found here, so I did what I should have done in the first place and googled it. Got this:

Question: Is caviar vegetarian?

Answer: No...

Caviar eggs, or roe, are taken from within the body of the fish. That is, while the chicken lays its eggs, caviar fish eggs have not yet been laid. In order to get the eggs, the fish is killed in the process, either as the roe-containing ovaries are extracted, or the fish is caught and then the roe is extracted after the fish dies.

So that answers that question.

[PiF]

I'm constantly amazed how many "vegetarians" are actually pescatarians ..so i'll help those out

if you are a vegetarian..you do not eat anything with a face..and yes that does include fish and chicken

and no your not a vegatarian sometimes

[Professor Awesome]

I'm constantly amazed how many "vegetarians" are actually pescatarians ..so i'll help those out

if you are a vegetarian..you do not eat anything with a face..and yes that does include fish and chicken

and no your not a vegatarian sometimes

I never got that "without a face" thing. Potatoes have eyes...corn has ears...

But I'm just being silly.

It's the definition of vegetarianism that worries me about whether or not I should identify myself as asexual. I don't want to be to asexual as some people who don't eat red meat are to vegetarianism.

[PiF]

It's the definition of vegetarianism that worries me about whether or not I should identify myself as asexual. I don't want to be to asexual as some people who don't eat red meat are to vegetarianism.

easy..when someone asks you for a shag.....eat an apple

[Avitus]

Yes, I do. My question had nothing to do with veganism. I wanted to know if it was suitable for vegetarians.

Actually, I decided there was no conclusion to be found here, so I did what I should have done in the first place and googled it. Got this:

Question: Is caviar vegetarian?

Answer: No...

Caviar eggs, or roe, are taken from within the body of the fish. That is, while the chicken lays its eggs, caviar fish eggs have not yet been laid. In order to get the eggs, the fish is killed in the process, either as the roe-containing ovaries are extracted, or the fish is caught and then the roe is extracted after the fish dies.

So that answers that question.

Not to be a fuss, but I don't think the person you've quoted actually understands the distinction between vegetarianism and veganism.

The word "vegetarian" was coined in the 19th century by the Vegetarian Society in the UK. As such, I think their definition carries more weight than that of some random person on the internet like me. Here it is:

* A vegetarian is someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with, or without, the use of dairy products and eggs.

Or

* A vegetarian does not eat meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or by-products of slaughter.

Now, by the second definition caviar are not vegetarian if the fish is killed to extract its roe, since they are the by-products of slaughter. However, it is not strictly necessary to kill a fish to extract its roe, and indeed on fish farms they may remove the roe surgically so that the mature fish may live to produce more roe. If the fish isn't killed, then caviar are vegetarian by the second definition. So, whether caviar are vegetarian here depends entirely on the condition of their source.

As for the first definition, it says nothing about killing or exploiting animals: caviar, being eggs, are vegetarian by that definition.

EDIT:

They are! I hate that "but you need meat" argument. It's like the people that tell asexuals "but you need sex!" No, no I don't.

I've heard a weirder one than that: "I'm not a vegetarian: I'm only human."

[Hajime]

Hi!

New to AVEN, and I have eaten a vegetarian diet for years. I do eat eggs, cheese, and honey; but not milk because I always disliked milk my whole life. Of course with the eggs and cheese I have to take note of where they came from and how. I am a biology student and became vegetarian under the influence of friends, a girlfriend, health reasons, personal taste, and ethics. I did it the day after I caught a fish while fishing and killed it myself. Now, I won't even squish a spider.

and I don't eat FISH! Those are pescetarians.

It's great to live in New York and have all these vegetarian places to eat available. My family always gave me the hardest time with eating. Hope to meet you all.

[Ame]

On the topic of vegetarianism vs veganism, I am personally vegetarian because when I was vegan I was not physically prepared to be healthy on that diet. I wanted to go all the way for poli-rights reasons, and I still feel this way, but honestly if you don't know what to cook yourself, or where to find vegan options, idealism can go out the window pretty fast. I think it's an admirable thing to do if it's within your financial means and your physical means. As a disclaimer I don't respect vegetarians who use leather, fur, or animal by-product, to me this implies a contradiction in thinking.

I am fully in support of animals rights and health benefits at the same time. I went veggie for rights, not for nutritional reasons, although I found I felt a lot better that way. At the risk of sounding like PETA (Which I hate) or Singer (Also not so good) with regards to personal choice and the choice not to promote animal suffering to any degree I can, I take what I can get.

I am aware of the supposed contradiction in thinking, but I do the best I can while being realistic, such as buying from local organic farms and farmer's markets and not mass-market suppliers. I'm in college and it's not really that easy or affordable to get special stuff all the time. Yes, I know you don't need "special stuff". But when it's between some veggies (surprisingly expensive, especially in this city) and the metal I have to buy for jewelry classes (I'm dropping $400 in silver in a week or so for one project) I have to compromise. I also have to compromise with my family, which doesn't eat anything other than meat and frozen vegetables. Healthy? No. But still.

For me vegetarian is a way for me to figure out how to be vegan in a "safer" net than just making the switch. Hell, I'm only now learning how to eat healthier as a vegetarian--I went veggie at 15, much to the chagrin of my entire family, who just stopped cooking for me and let me find shit to eat on my own. Not the greatest way to get an education on nutrition. The only reason I'm finding my way now is my friend's mom has been vegan for ~20some years, and doubles as a nutritionist who has tons of great recipes.

Obviously I am not saying a vegan diet isn't perfectly healthy. It definitely is if you know how to get all your nutrients.

Also by this logic the average meat-eater's diet (Especially in America with nutrition education is non existent) is abysmal in the nutrition department; most people don't really know what they eat.

As another disclaimer, I eat vegan cheese and milks and such whenever available as I am also lactose intolerant to most untreated dairy. Yar.

Anyway. Veganism is great if you have the education and the means, but if you don't, you can get into trouble.

[ANTI-ALL]

WELL, I'M VEGAN AND PART OF THE A.L.F (THE ANIMAL LIBERATION FRONT), SO I GUESS I'M A RELATIVELY STRIC ONE. AS FAR AS HEALTH CONCERNS GO, IT'S A LOAD OF HOGWASH. I HAVEN'T TAKEN "SPECIAL CARE" TO ENSURE THAT I HAVE A "BALANCED DIET" OR ANYTHING, YET I'VE NEVER HAD ANY HEALTH ISSUES SINCE GOING VEGAN. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FOOLED INTO BELIEVING THAT YOU NEED MEAT TO HAVE ENOUGH PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET. THAT'S CAPITALIST GARBAGE. EVER SINCE FACTORY FARMING STARTED OVER PRODUCING DEAD BODIES (A.K.A MEAT) THEY DIDN'T WIND DOWN THEIR OPERATIONS, BUT INSTEAD THEY ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO EAT MORE MEAT SO THOSE COMPANIES COULD MAKE MORE MONEY. SO MUCH SO THAT PEOPLE THESE DAYS BELIEVE THAT YOU MUST EAT DEAD FLESH TWICE A DAY OR OTHERWISE YOU'LL GET SICK.

THINK ABOUT IT: IN MIDEAVAL TIMES, HOW RICH WOULD YOU HAVE TO BE TO AFFORD TO EAT MEAT 3 TIMES A DAY? YOU'D PROBABALLY ONLY EAT MEAT ONCE A MONTH IF YOU WERE LUCKY. YOU DON'T NEED TO EAT IT AT ALL, AND YES, YOU CAN GO VEGAN WITHOUT GETTING SICK

[Pandoren]

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING??

I think a lot of the reason that new vegetarians/vegans suffer from nutrient deficiencies is not because of the diet, but because of the restrictions of the person. There ARE resources out there- alternative dairy, alternative meats, etc... some people might just cut out the offending articles from their diets without thinking about how they are going to replace certain nutrients and you end up with someone who has put themselves in trouble by not eating correctly and that's what leads to sickness from restricted diet.

[Asexy Existentialist]

WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING??

I think a lot of the reason that new vegetarians/vegans suffer from nutrient deficiencies is not because of the diet, but because of the restrictions of the person. There ARE resources out there- alternative dairy, alternative meats, etc... some people might just cut out the offending articles from their diets without thinking about how they are going to replace certain nutrients and you end up with someone who has put themselves in trouble by not eating correctly and that's what leads to sickness from restricted diet.

Like the teenagers who go vegetarian and still eat potato chips and ice cream and jelly beans? Yeah, they're not really a good example for the rest of us...

Omnivores are still pretty deficient, too, thanks to the current state of the food industry and our general ignorance when it comes to nutrition. Pizza, chili cheese fries, hot dogs... and the things you eat with them, like french fries and mashed potatoes, they don't really have much nutritional benefit.

[SillyLily]

I recently became a vegetarian after meeting a PETA member who taught me about animal cruelty. Then there my other reasons, like believing that I shouldn't eat anything with a soul (I believe animals have souls. It's complicated) and that I don't want chemicals and hormones being in my system.

Ever since I've become a vegetarian, I've noticed that I think clearer, I'm less irritable, and getting sick less. Not sure why. I don't eat junk food anymore, (my typical snacks are peanuts,oranges, and carrot sticks with dressing) so maybe that's why? I just don't see the point in making a decision for my health and then eating junk like that.

I plan to become vegan eventually and I'm working on cutting out animal products entirely, but my family isn't sympathetic to my lifestyle decision as a vegetarian ("We're on the top of the food chain" "Why don't you eat normal food like the rest of us?") so I highly doubt that they let me get away with being vegan.

[Asexy Existentialist]

I recently became a vegetarian after meeting a PETA member who taught me about animal cruelty. Then there my other reasons, like believing that I shouldn't eat anything with a soul (I believe animals have souls. It's complicated) and that I don't want chemicals and hormones being in my system.

Ever since I've become a vegetarian, I've noticed that I think clearer, I'm less irritable, and getting sick less. Not sure why. I don't eat junk food anymore, (my typical snacks are peanuts,oranges, and carrot sticks with dressing) so maybe that's why? I just don't see the point in making a decision for my health and then eating junk like that.

I plan to become vegan eventually and I'm working on cutting out animal products entirely, but my family isn't sympathetic to my lifestyle decision as a vegetarian ("We're on the top of the food chain" "Why don't you eat normal food like the rest of us?") so I highly doubt that they let me get away with being vegan.

I wanna ask you about the souls thing because it's something I've been thinking about too... if you wanna send it in a PM that's cool too. :) I know opinions on here can get controversial. I won't judge though!

My family and everyone else gives me crap about being veg. They just see animals as meat. I don't know how anymore... But don't let that stop you from being vegan. It's especially easy to make the switch these days, with substitutes and soy products and all. :) I wanna go vegan, but I love eggs... so I'm at a conundrum. Maybe I'll just get my own chicken and treat it nice and then I won't feel guilty about it.