SERIOUS: Have you ever thought about being vegetarian/vegan?

[ReplacementPelican]

I've taken steps to reduce meat consumption. Think anyone saying they like tasty food or whatever is just being lazy if they can't find or make decent vegetarian food.

Don't think I'd ever stop as a whole though.

 

[Ecotic]

I could never do it. I'm not happy about or proud of eating meat, and I don't feign a moral high ground or obfuscate the damage my meat-eating causes. I just couldn't do it. There's a backlog of mental things I need to devote my energies towards, and using my finite reserves of willpower to avoid eating meat isn't the best use of it to fulfill my life's priorities.

But then I reread the paragraph above I just wrote and think about how many thousands of animals have died just to feed me over my lifetime, and I realize how selfish that viewpoint is. I just love, love eating meat though and can't imagine myself saying "never again". I had a Quarter Pounder with Cheese just a few hours ago and it was bliss.

 

[SwampBastard]

Vegetarian? Sure, I think I could make that work. I dated a vegetarian for three years and mostly lived that lifestyle and it was mostly fine.

Vegan? No fucking way. Absolutely not. I would rather just up and put myself in the cold, damp earth.

 

[Fhtagn]

to everyone saying "I could never do it" I regularly said the same thing 2 years before I became vegetarian for decades

 

[Snarfington]

Not regularly, but a close friend is vegetarian for health reasons, and I typically skip meat when I'm with him.

Every day? I've thought about it in passing and I probably wouldn't have difficulty. I just don't have the drive to try tbh.

 

[Deleted member 41638]

Sometimes I'll have a really good salad or veggie meal and think I can go vegetarian but then I have a good burger, BBQ, or wings and admit I can never stop eating meat.

Granted I would gladly switch over to Impossible meat if that were a cheap alternative to regular meat.

 

[Josh378]

So I've been trying to do the Vegan thing for a few weeks now. Morningside products has been a lifesaver for me when it came to needing a meaty taste in my mouth. Chicken Nuggets, hot Dogs, Sausages...etc. It's different, but I feel a bit better and more energetic since the change.

Been drinking Almond Milk for dairy...been difficult since it's not really a substitute for taste vs Milk. Either too sweet or it taste like nothing unsweetened.

 

[SeanBoocock]

Had been thinking about it 15 years ago, and decided to try going vegetarian. Went vegan shortly afterwards and have never looked back. One of the best decisions I've ever made.

 

[Cheesecakebobby]

If you are open-minded but believe you 'lack willpower', why not see if watching some real footage will help you find that confidence and determination? Earthlings or Dominion would be a good place to start.

In fact, Earthlings is free to watch on YouTube.

 

[Deleted member 2834]

If you are open-minded but believe you 'lack willpower', why not see if watching some real footage will help you find that confidence and determination? Earthlings or Dominion would be a good place to start.

In fact, Earthlings is free to watch on YouTube.

Click to shrink...

Dominion is free as well. Both movies are fantastic.

 

[ShapeDePapa]

Could never go full vegan as I like eggs way too much. I try to eat less meat though.

 

[Droidian]

I've thought about it and even transitioned a major portion of my meals with vegetables and fruit with some chicken and salmon.
One of the biggest issues I have is how expensive these vegan places are (L.A.) I tried one of those impossible burgers, shit tasted like Public school burger.
I'd like to have a majority vegetarian diet but I don't think I could give up the meat. Not for life at least.

 

[Cheesecakebobby]

Dominion is free as well. Both movies are fantastic.

Click to shrink...

Oh awesome. I was probably thinking you needed a license to show it in a public place or something but even that was probably a different movie.

Personally I didn't watch these movies before going vegan, it was just learning the facts - including of course what happens in the industry and seeing the science that proves we can be healthy without any animal products - that led me to the logical conclusion that my taste buds weren't worth more than the suffering and death of countless animals. Seeing it with your own eyes definitely helps remove the abstraction and forces you to confront your cognitive dissonance though.

 

[Zolbrod]

No, absolutely not.
I have several vegetarian and vegan friends, and the food they make is goddamn delicious, but I still wants my meats.

 

[Zukkoyaki]

Beyond just the occasional "I wonder if I could do that?" no not really. I think I could handle being vegetarian but not vegan. Meat is one thing but I use either eggs, cheese or butter in pretty much every single meal.

 

[asmith906]

I feel like morally being a vegetarian is the right thing to do, but I love meat too much.

 

[Dan Thunder]

I could probably manage it pretty easily and happily if I lived on my own but my wife and son have much simpler tastes so I'd likely have to make 2 different meals each time.

 

[Schreckweg 5000]

When it comes to eating food, basically if you eat red meat you're producing a lot of carbon, as well as dealing with high-water intensity foods.

If you reduce red meat you reduce the impact for local environmental strains as well, but carbon emissions are the paramount issue so it's not a shock people focus on that.

Click to shrink...

We are in 6th great mass extinction, forests get destroyed on a massive pace, we are poisoning our waters with animal farming etc etc

But yeah thanks, I'm aware that we don't pay attention to that.

 

[Swamped]

I was raised vegetarian (no eggs), but recently been thinking about a more vegan diet (for environmental purposes). Giving up dairy seems so challenging, and it's how I imagine meatatarians feel about giving up meat. But my sister transitioned recently, so I really feel like it could be possible for me too. At least, maybe I could start off by having vegan meals on weekdays.

 

[Deleted member 19066]

I don't think I have the schedule or culinary skills to eat vegetarian right now. Until my fiance starts working on the same schedule I do I'm cooking for one. Every "simple" recipe I find is complicated and feeds 3-4.

 

[Radeo]

Not even once

 

[Deleted member 8561]

We are in 6th great mass extinction, forests get destroyed on a massive pace, we are poisoning our waters with animal farming etc etc

But yeah thanks, I'm aware that we don't pay attention to that.

Click to shrink...

Warming the planet by a degree centigrade since the 1900's is a major reason we're in the middle of a mass extinction

 

[Schreckweg 5000]

I don't think I have the schedule or culinary skills to eat vegetarian right now. Until my fiance starts working on the same schedule I do I'm cooking for one. Every "simple" recipe I find is complicated and feeds 3-4.

Click to shrink...

Bought ready made vegan food yesterday. You

1. Boil water

2. Open the package

3. Put the content of the package in a pan

4. Take the hot water

5. Put the hot water on the food

6. Wait 5 minutes

7. Take a spoon

8. Take a bowl

9. Put the food in the bowl

10. Eat (with the spoon!)


Sorry, couldn't resist.

Warming the planet by a degree centigrade since the 1900's is a major reason we're in the middle of a mass extinction

Click to shrink...

And another reason for both is the destruction of forests, which is largely due to agriculture, with livestock being a huge factor. Thanks, I know.

 

[DJ_Lae]

I've thought about it - mostly that I probably couldn't do it. I know that I could never go vegan, as I would give up meat way before anyone managed to pry cheese and eggs out of my hands.

There is no substitute for either. I will eat a vegetarian or vegan meal or two each week but if I'm honest that's more for variety than the intent to cut out meat products. I don't think I could eat that way all the time.

 

[Jacknapes]

I'm 1/2 Vegetarian, i've cut meat out of some meals but not others. It's surprising the choice available, and the food tastes good.

 

[Deleted member 19066]

Bought ready made vegan food yesterday. You

1. Boil water

2. Open the package

3. Put the content of the package in a pan

4. Take the hot water

5. Put the hot water on the food

6. Wait 5 minutes

7. Take a spoon

8. Take a bowl

9. Put the food in the bowl

10. Eat (with the spoon!)


Sorry, couldn't resist.




And another reason for both is the destruction of forests, which is largely due to agriculture, with livestock being a huge factor. Thanks, I know.

Click to shrink...

Is it cheap, tho? I'd go for it if it is. I usually end up replacing meat with carbs, otherwise!

 

[Golden]

I like eating meat, and i think it is unnatural to be a vegetarian (or vegan), so i wild never consider it.
I do try to limit meat intake for health reasons and environmental reasons though.

 

[Auros01]

I've had thoughts about going vegetarian but never vegan. I've never done it, though. I think I've generally reduced my meat consumption over the years but it's definitely nowhere near eliminated from my diet.

I've just never gone too far down the hole of trying to verify that everything I eat is coming from a respectable source or provider. I think that's a good intention but it's very hard and time-consuming.

 

[demosthenes]

No. Every so often I'll go a few days with out eating meat but chicken and turkey are here to stay for me. I have cut back on eating beef to only a couple times a year, if that, same w/ pork.

 

[Xe4]

I'm more concerned with reducing my (particularly red) meat consumption rather than eliminating it entirely.

But I was a vegetarian for a few years when I was younger, by choice from 5 - 7 ish mostly because my dad was vegetarian and I thought the reasons he gave for why he was (notably better allocation of resources, less CO2 footprint, etc.) were fairly convincing.

But then I found out meat was delicious at a 4th of July party and it's been downhill ever since. Apparently my father never liked red meat very much and was allergic to chicken so it was easy for him.

Still, I'm keenly aware the effect my eating has on the environment which is why I'm trying to reduce consumption and also support candidates who would better regulate ranches and such.

Long term lab grown "cultured" meat is where I'll end up assuming it works out. At that point I see no reason not to given price and quality are the same.

Never gonna be a vegan tho, milk and egg products are way too delicious.

 

[dtcm83]

If so, whats made you stop from going vegetarian/vegan?
If you havent ever, why don't you want to be vegetarian/vegan?

Click to shrink...

I love the taste of meat, simple as that. Grilled steak, hamburgers, holiday roasts, chicken wings, baked chicken thighs, bbq ribs, baked ham, bacon, bison burgers, turkey on Thanksgiving...you name it, I just love it. I also love cheese, so there goes veganism. I tried a vegetarian diet with my wife for maybe 2 weeks. I felt hungry all the time, and when I ate a meal it always felt like I was just eating side dishes and no main course. We both simply missed eating meat, so we ended the experiment.

For the record, I applaud those that can successfully go with a vegetarian/vegan diet. You are doing our world a solid by not contributing to all the horrible things involved in mass meat production.

 

[Wreckord Collection]

Honestly, I really wish I could. Health benefits, ethical arguments, all the "logic" is there in my head. But I just can't do it. For me, the meat-alternatives are just not good *and* convenient enough yet. (and just to be clear, I am in absolute awe of people who can make it work. I'm very impressed by the strength and intelligence required to make and commit to that change given the culture I live in)

I live in San Francisco, a city with more vegetarian and vegan food options than most other US cities. If it's hard for me to find easy/regular/cheap access to vegan options, I can't imagine what it is like for people outside of a major city with sizable vegan/vegetarian populations. Places like Burger King picking up the Impossible burger makes me REALLY optimistic on this front and I try choose this option as often as possible.

Also at play: most vegan food just doesn't taste good yet. Again, I live in SF. There are lots of options here, but most times I've had a meal at a vegan restaurant or a vegan item, I almost always regret it from a taste perspective. This is a little glib, but when vegan friends tell me that "vegan food is delicious!" I usually hear "I have been vegan so long that I have forgotten what bacon tastes like." I fully admit that this is a profoundly shallow excuse. But for folks like me that haven't made that life change yet, it's a huge bridge to cross in terms of supporting a long, lasting dietary change. I wish that more vegetarian/vegan folks would not minimize or handwave the significance of taste differences between these diets. Maybe in their experience, it's not a big deal, but it isn't everyone's experience. And maybe right now that taste difference is real, but things like the Impossible burger really help me see a future when I can make that switch for good.

 

[Ogami Itto]

Cheese and yogurt are probably the two things that will stop me from being vegan.

 

[SpecX]

I enjoy both my veggies and meat and like to have them together in a meal. Going vegetarian or vegan would be too hard for me with the amount of temptation all around. I couldn't see myself doing it unless there was a massive shift and meat prices reached levels I couldn't afford.

I have reduced my meat intake as I try to ear healthier, but not as much as what's needed to curve environmental damage.

 

[BashNasty]

Never even remotely considered it. I like meat in all its forms far, far too much.

 

[Deleted member 18407]

I like eating meat, and i think it is unnatural to be a vegetarian (or vegan), so i wild never consider it.
I do try to limit meat intake for health reasons and environmental reasons though.

Click to shrink...

People do lots of unnatural things. Why is it necessarily bad?

 

[guylikeyouandme]

no i havent.
but im the first one to buy lab grown meat as soon as it becomes available in stores which shouldnt be too too far off now. Afaik you can allready buy it from select companies over the net, but thats not very practical for normal use.
However I havent looked into energy footprint of that but i guess its miles better then cattle farms.

 

[Ravensmash]

I have tried reducing my meat intake - opting for a veggie option here and there etc. although haven't really committed myself to it as much as I'd like.

Definitely up for trying a longer vegetarian period though.

I like eating meat, and i think it is unnatural to be a vegetarian (or vegan), so i wild never consider it.
I do try to limit meat intake for health reasons and environmental reasons though.

Click to shrink...

How is it any more unnatural than say, living in a house or using the internet?

We're not carnivores and most people can easily live off a plant based diet.

 

[Splatbang]

My girlfriend went vegetarian last year, so I've severely cut down on my meat consumption as well. I don't really miss it to be honest. She often jokes that I'm probably a closet vegetarian because I like vegetarian meals so much. It's really just something you have to get used to I think. I don't think I'll go full vegetarian any time soon though, I still like eating meat occasionally and it's not a qol thing I want to get rid of right now.

Never thought about going vegan, that's a step too far for both of us.

 

[Ezra]

I'm not even a vegetarian, but I know that sometime in my life I'll become vegan.

If you have the means to go vegan (like I do), consuming animal products is unethical, the literature is so clear on this.

It's astonishing the mental gymnastics people do to argue that there's nothing wrong with eating meat. Just admit that you're wrong and change or not change, but stop trying to defend it.

 

[Allforce]

I've never really considered it, but I'm probably 80% vegetarian anyways since my wife is and she does 90% of the cooking. And if I cook then it's going to be something we can all eat so there's not going to be meat. I still do like to get a burger or wings though.

My kid who is almost 8 has never eaten meat so that's been an interesting thing to be a part of. My wife's choice to start him that way but if he wants to eat a hot dog or something nobody is really going to stop him and that's ok. He basically identifies now as a vegetarian and is proud of it because he likes animals so much.

 

[Zulith]

I've gone months at a time as vegetarian, and some shorter stints on a vegan diet. For me it always comes down to convenience... it takes a lot of effort to stick to the restrictions, especially when you are pressed for time in your schedule which makes it even more difficult. For those strongly inclined they can make it work, but unless there are some major changes in my life to make accommodating the restrictions easier, I can't do it consistently every day.

I'm comfortable being a flexitarian. I'll eat vegetarian or vegan here and there, and eat meat and fish and eggs at other times. This works a lot better for my situation.

 

[SliceSabre]

The thought has never seriously crossed my mind because I have such a love of meat and meat related food. More power to you if you can live that lifestyle, but that isn't for me.

 

[RumbleHumble]

I like meat so much, but, now knowing how it's impacting the environment, I'm cutting back. I'm not sure if I can ever go full vegetarian or anything, but if I can, say, cut beef out of my diet by 90%, it'll be a step in the right direction.

 

[EssBeeVee]

ribs too good. no sub for it for me. i could do away with dairy. i drink almond/cashew milk anyways, and i already limit my cheese intake anyways.

but its not like i don't already do healthier alternatives nowadays.

 

[It’s Time To Go]

I really like meat but since keeping a food diary I'm surprised how little meat I eat. Basically one meal a day is meat, sometimes not even that. On that basis I think I'd be willing to give it a try.

 

[joe1138]

Went vegetarian around this time last year and went vegan back in January.

I've lost over 50 pounds in that year and have never been healthier. Works for me, but everyone's body is different.

That said, I've had meat/dairy on a handful of occasions since then, all of which being family get togethers where my explaining to everyone that I don't eat meat or dairy anymore went over like a lead balloon. So, in an effort to not rock the boat, I ate what was offered. They're getting better about understanding my diet though.

If I'm at a get together with friends, I tow the vegan line since I feel like I can be a bit more stubborn with them. I don't push my diet on anyone but now that they've seen my results, I'm getting more people to ask how I did it.

 

[Yung Coconut]

I did the vegetarian thing for around 3 or 4 years and then just decided I was done with it one day. Shrug.

 

[shenden]

I just came home after being at an vegan restaurant. While I aim to at eat more vegetarian food than usual, I could never go full vegan/vegetarian. The food will never be as good as non vegan/vegetarian, not in my mouth at least.

 

[sbkodama]

I don't eat much and rarely meat, I won't become vegetarian or vegan because to me animal being count as much as vegetal and all others, if I stop one I stop all others too.