Vegetarian?

[Jennywrenny]

I was just wondering how many members here on WAB are vegetarian?

I am a vegetarian and have been for nearly 30 years. I just seem to remember finding out where meat came from and didn't want to eat it anymore - I think I was about 10 years old at the time. I haven't eaten meat since and never will again. I don't eat fish either although I do eat dairy products (vegetarian) and milk and although I don't eat eggs that are fried, boiled, etc. I will use them in cooking.

My partner Dave, calls me a carrot muncher (he's a meat eater) and cannot understand why I don't eat meat whereas I don't understand how he can. We wind each other up about it but I know I'll never convert him to my vegetarian ways the same as he'll never convert me to being a meat eater again! My son who's just turned 13 just calls me weird

I'm interested to hear what your views are... any more carrot munchers out there?

Jenny

[Earth Hart]

I'm an omnivorous primate Homo sapiens, have tried being a herbivore but not enough energy intake to cope with pouring 1650 tons of concrete all day, so went back to steaks to break my fast.
An omnivorous diet consists of 90-95% plant material & 5-10% flesh.
I would love to be able to hunt for the pot & grow my own veg. Sadly I have no garden & I'm not allowed to hunt deer and other animals, though I do take the occasional Rabbit, wood pigeon and pheasant. Makes a good game pie.

[Lincs Yellowbelly]

I eat meat i'm of the opinion that if humans where meant to live on vegies solely we'd have grinding pads rather than teeth

[glsammy]

I don't know what category I fit into, awkward would probably cover it. I eat white meat occasionally, virtually anything that comes out of the sea, but no dairy products at all apart from a tiny amount of semi-skimmed milk in coffee if there's no other alternative. No red meats, i.e. beef, pork or lamb. I also hate cheese and pasta!

[Jennywrenny]

Originally Posted by glsammy

I also hate cheese and pasta!

And I thought I was awkward I love pasta in a tomato sauce with loads of lovely cheese and topped with pine nuts (usually burnt - yummy)

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Jennywrenny

And I thought I was awkward I love pasta in a tomato sauce with loads of lovely cheese and topped with pine nuts (usually burnt - yummy)

Sounds like my meal from hell..

[Deer Stalker]

I like chocolate.

[Jennywrenny]

Originally Posted by glsammy

Sounds like my meal from hell..

I also love my home made vegetarian pizza topped with cheese, olives, pineapple, and sweetcorn (thanks to Dave for making the base - it's a shame you have to ruin yours with your meat type products! ) I think this would be my last supper (with garlic bread of course!)

go on then... what would you have for your last supper??

[Earth Hart]

Originally Posted by glsammy

I don't know what category I fit into, awkward would probably cover it. I eat white meat occasionally, virtually anything that comes out of the sea, but no dairy products at all apart from a tiny amount of semi-skimmed milk in coffee if there's no other alternative. No red meats, i.e. beef, pork or lamb. I also hate cheese and pasta!

Well, glsammy; you sure sound a fishy kind of guy

[Duke of York]

Originally Posted by Jennywrenny

And I thought I was awkward I love pasta in a tomato sauce with loads of lovely cheese and topped with pine nuts (usually burnt - yummy)

Originally Posted by glsammy

Sounds like my meal from hell..

So you'd rather not have your nuts burnt then

[Jennywrenny]

Originally Posted by Duke of York

So you'd rather not have your nuts burnt then

As I keep saying to you Dave - just be glad it's my nuts I'm burning and not yours!

[Dan Salter]

as my friend once said ( while stoned i might add) many years ago...."If god didnt want us to eat animals....why did he make them out of meat?"...He kind of has a point ha ha

Yes i eat meat. and although i class myself a conservationist im also pro wild foraging, shootin' and fishin' , self sufficiency ..river cottage stylee.

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by Deer Stalker

I like chocolate.

So do I, but my diabetes hates it

[Wild-Woman]

I love vegetables and wouldn't mind going over to the veg-side but with a family who like their chicken is a bit difficult. So I eat a very small amount of white meat only and fish that's not threatened eg coley. I like cod, but I feel like I'm adding to the problems in the North Sea if I eat it, so I don't. Just my choice. No other reason.
I also try as much as possible to eat home grown vegetables to help out our farmers and cut down on CO2 emmissions from transport. Again, just my choice. Julie

[Susie]

I understand the ethics of giving up meat and respect them, but I am afraid it is not for me.

I love vegetables and could quite happily eat a meal of just veg once in a while but I wouldn't want to go without meat for long. I tried being a veggie when I was in my teens but a nice bit of roast beef or a bacon sarnie always tempted me back to eating meat again.

Can't beat a nice thick steak, cooked medium rare. *drool*


And that is all I have to have on that topic ... I once got banned from a forum after a rather silly discussion with a wiccan veggie about whether eating carrots was murder. I don't think she appreciated my sense of humour.

[Oy]

Chocolate is made from BEANS - therefore it's a vegetable! SORTED!

Sugar is made from beet or cane - they're plants - therefore it's a vegetable! SORTED!

Beer is made from hops - a plant - therefore it's a vegetable! SORTED!

Yep - a healthy vegetarian diet for me!

[honeybee]

I've never eaten meat in my life, gave up fish when I was 8. Turned vegan at 15 but have lapsed although would like to be one again. Meat is bad for you and intensive farming is barbaric and cruel and terrible for the environment, end of story.

[Jennywrenny]

I have often wondered how many meat eaters would still be so if they had to kill their own - I know there are people out there who actually like hunting and killing defenseless animals but how many would still want to eat meat if they didn't have someone else to do their dirty work for them? Just a thought...

[Owl-Light]

Vegetarian - with an aim to delevop a Vegan diet gradually. Reason: Compassion. I'm more interested in what an animal thinks and feels than what it tastes like.

We have canine teeth so it is natural for us to eat meat. As a species we are designed to be omniverous. We have a choice and since we have no problems living well without killing animals then thats my choice.

Cognac is completely Vegan so thats well sorted!!!

[Owl-Light]

Originally Posted by Susie

I understand the ethics of giving up meat and respect them, but I am afraid it is not for me.

I love vegetables and could quite happily eat a meal of just veg once in a while but I wouldn't want to go without meat for long. I tried being a veggie when I was in my teens but a nice bit of roast beef or a bacon sarnie always tempted me back to eating meat again.

Can't beat a nice thick steak, cooked medium rare. *drool*


And that is all I have to have on that topic ... I once got banned from a forum after a rather silly discussion with a wiccan veggie about whether eating carrots was murder. I don't think she appreciated my sense of humour.

Its an emotive subject I too have seen similar threads deteriorate into foolish arguments. Silly innit? Best not to joke about it some folk are very sensitive.

[Imaginos]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I've never eaten meat in my life, gave up fish when I was 8. Turned vegan at 15 but have lapsed although would like to be one again. Meat is bad for you and intensive farming is barbaric and cruel and terrible for the environment, end of story.

And vegetarians don't contribute to intensive farming? How about all those British species that rely on (farm) animal dung to survive? Or the pastoral habitat in general-not sure many of our upland plants or some of our orchids would survive without grazing for example.
I do think its vaguely amusing that the soya revolution has caused most of the Argentine rainforest to be destroyed...

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by Imaginos

And vegetarians don't contribute to intensive farming? How about all those British species that rely on (farm) animal dung to survive? Or the pastoral habitat in general-not sure many of our upland plants or some of our orchids would survive without grazing for example.
I do think its vaguely amusing that the soya revolution has caused most of the Argentine rainforest to be destroyed...

since stock levels are at unprecedented levels in the UK we must presumably have 'unnaturally' high levels of these insects that are dependent on animal dung? Also grazing doesn't seem to be doing the uplands much good from what I can see. High stock levels have turned large swathes of the Lake District and the Peak District into barren wastelands.

Animal welfare aside, from a purely environmental point of view I would love to see a significant reduction in animal stock levels.

Matt

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

Animal welfare aside, from a purely environmental point of view I would love to see a significant reduction in animal stock levels.

Matt

Yeah this in combination with people eating more deer would be great!!

[speckled wood]

Originally Posted by Imaginos

And vegetarians don't contribute to intensive farming? How about all those British species that rely on (farm) animal dung to survive? Or the pastoral habitat in general-not sure many of our upland plants or some of our orchids would survive without grazing for example.
I do think its vaguely amusing that the soya revolution has caused most of the Argentine rainforest to be destroyed...

Regardless of the vegan issues, the real reason for intensive and excessive farming is over population. For us to return to the environmental conditions of three hundred years ago (and perhaps for long term survival) we need to significantly reduce the human population.

As to whether or not we eat meat, for us in the overfed and overdeveloped west that is a matter of personal choice, for many people elsewhere there is no choice and it is worth remembering that there are peoples in the artic areas especially whose diet is almost entirely animal, would we deny Eskimos and Lapland peoples (who live with the environment rather than destroying it) their right to exist?

[May]

A twenty year long vegetarian with an intolerance to cow dairy here!