Why are you a vego/vegan?

[stellaj]

Mostly environmental for me as well, it just takes so many resources to produce meat. I also don't like the thought of chewing on flesh. I actually like the taste an I love chicken but for me it isn't worth it. I also very quickly put on weight if I eat meat., I have eaten it whilst pregnant and for a little while afterwards. It was my craving!

[kermi]

For me it started when I was in my early teens.

*Warning - following paragraph could be distressing!*

My friend lived on a small shared family farm and I often rode my pushbike down to visit her. There was a bull called Jack that used to graze in one of the fields on the way (he only really tried to charge me once when I was riding a motorbike a bit too close to him one day ). On one visit I was asked to join in for lunch and they were having steak and salad. Her older brother started talking about the process... and I suddenly realised it was Jack... and I could never stomach meat ever again.

*End of distressing part*

While pregnant, just the smell of red meat raw and or cooking would make me wretch too...

Over the years, I've researched and stayed vego due to the reasons others have given as well as spiritual ones.. (a belief that you take on the soul/spirit if consumed).

[Kat-Pati]

The smell of cooking meat turns me off too.

[Becs999]

For me it was originally for ethical and environmental reasons - I just couldn't get over the idea of killing and chopping up a cute little lamb

16 years later I don't actually need a reason - I'm a veggie, it's just part of who I am. I've been veggie for so long I sometimes forget other people aren't.

[hippi_chick25]

Im contemplating becoming one I dont really have enough info I feel, I worry about a few things, like I suffer badly from Anaemia and have done all my life, so Im not sure what to do about that, I know mushrooms and nettle tea are great but my kids are really fussy when feeding, not fussy just sensitive and I couldnt eat mushrooms with the others and also couldnt take iron tabs when I was feeding because I couldnt eat prunes to help with the constipation, and whilst im not a fussy eater, im allergic to seafood and wonder if this limits my diet too much.....
we eat vego meals probably twice a week now and the family are getting used to lentils and a wider variety of veges, but everything I cook that's vego dp comlpains about and says it would be better with bacon....
I guess im lazy in a way not wanting to cook seperate dishes, my family wont eat sprouts, squah spinach etc etc its all basic.....
great topic just what I needed to make me think about it

[cloud_skye]

An easy way to start is to cook veg stews and then the meat on the side, or add after you've put yours aside. My ex DH used to go out to the BBQ and add his meat to his plate! Then I didn't need to have anything to do with the meat (another reason I don't cook, touch, buy it).

[Obsi]

I used to be when I was a teenager.... and my reason was because I didn't want to contribute to the killing of animals because it was mean. But then a few things occurred to me....

I was living at home at the time, and mum wasn't buying any less meat - everyone else was just getting a larger amount... so my not eating meat wasn't having any effect at all. Obviously that's different when you are in a position to be cooking food yourself/family, but that was the case then.... I had nothing against other people eating meat (so no ideals about world vegetarianism to save all the animals)... it was just something I didn't want to do.

Then I figured (stupid as this probably sounds) that plants have a lifeforce too, they are living things - and I felt it hypocritical to make the distinction between not eating animals because they are alive and have feelings and such, and being happy to have plants grown and their product ripped off their stems to feed me....(you can argue that plants have no feelings, but how do we know? and my religious belief is that plants are sacred). I still can't eat alfalfa or other sprouts because they are actually still growing and I try to avoid picking flowers etc. because I don't think it's right to rip apart plants if it's not serving a purpose (such as for food) So I did a lot of thinking around the idea that we eat what we do to survive, like animals do, and that it's no more mean of me to eat chicken than it is of a bear to eat fish.

Meat products are in so many things - most/many biscuits are made with animal fat...gelatine as has been pointed out... things like oven fries (and fast food places) often are fried in beef fat first, then in vegetable oil.... (more examples at places like here Hidden animal products in foods., Vegetarian Network Victoria - Animal-Derived Food Additives) so if you're going to eliminate all animal products it is quite hard to do.... which depends on why you're not eating meat obviously... if it's for taste then it doesn't really matter if its hidden in things you like to eat (I have a vegetarian aunt who still eats gravy made with pan juices for example - because it's the taste/texture of meat she doesn't like). But if your reasons are for the ethical side (or environmental), then hidden things have an impact too.

And back then there weren't the same food choices as we have now (and we lived in a small town so less variety again), so I wasn't eating well, and I cut myself very badly and it wouldn't stop bleeding, so my parents basically had a big yelling fit at me and basically banned me from being vegetarian (which is stupid, forbidding someone from NOT eating something), but I had been contemplating it for a while at that point, and realised that my ethical stance wasn't having any effect, I had nothing against eating meat from a taste point of view and that I couldn't stop eating plants too... so that brought an end to that

Hubby is a meat fan except fish - he won't eat that. So we probably have no-meat dishes only once a week (that's including chicken and red meat for those who make a distinction). I can sneak in the occasional meat-less stirfry, quiche, stew or something.. and I'm trying to do that more often, but he's generally not a fan of meatless dishes, plus I personally think that meat is full of things that are good for you.