vegetarianism

[MeadowR]

and don't be offended guys but can we not turn this into a "what meat do you like best?" thread? ... not exactly what i envisioned

Especially when there are already two topics about meat floating about!

I'm not a vegetarian and I doubt I could be. I eat a lot of vegetables, etc., yet on the other side of the coin, we tend to eat some kind of meat with most meals - mainly chicken. I do envy the slimness that a lot of veggies seem to be! But it's not for me.

[naima]

and don't be offended guys but can we not turn this into a "what meat do you like best?" thread? ... not exactly what i envisioned

Especially when there are already two topics about meat floating about!

I'm not a vegetarian and I doubt I could be. I eat a lot of vegetables, etc., yet on the other side of the coin, we tend to eat some kind of meat with most meals - mainly chicken. I do envy the slimness that a lot of veggies seem to be! But it's not for me.

you can potentially just take the meat out of the meal and just eat it like that... when i explain a lot of recipes to people they do tend to say "oh! that's just like something i normally make, but the only difference being that the meat is taken out."

[Dannflower Reguba]

I'm a vegetarian, I've been so for about *counts* 4 or 5 months now. I don't think there is anything wrong with eating meat, I just no longer felt comfortable doing so. I have not regretted the change at all and have never really missed meat, the variety of vegetarian meals is incredible. My brother is a vegan.

I can respect people going vegetarian, but I personally wouldn't be able to stand it, I swear I'm more carnivore than omnivore.  For instance, how do you get Protein in a vegetarian diet? I know things like peanut butter have a nice amount of protein, but is there anything else? 

well... ... where does peanut butter come from? XD

i'm a 6ft7 basketball player, and once i went vegetarian i actually got those last three inches.

protein can be found in -so many- different places other than meat. peanut butter is made from nuts, which are all a fantastic source of protein, as well as beans. quite a few vegetables have second class proteins so if you get creative with the way you combine them you can make a first class protein very quickly. tofu has always been one of my fav things which is just the cheese that you get from soya milk and so is basically a big wad of second-class protein, all you then have to do is eat it with another second class protein like rice and you've got a first class.

why do people see that animals are the only place we can get protein from? i just tipped the iceberg there;

i do acknowledge that human beings have evolved to eat meat, but that doesn't mean we must eat it. i feel as though human beings are in the enviable position in the animal kingdom to be able to see the world around us and think how to improve it.

I'm a vegetarian, I've been so for about *counts* 4 or 5 months now. I don't think there is anything wrong with eating meat, I just no longer felt comfortable doing so. I have not regretted the change at all and have never really missed meat, the variety of vegetarian meals is incredible. My brother is a vegan.

preach it brother.

veganism is something that i really respect. it's not something i feel hugely passionate about (although dairy is something i know i should be cutting out), but the times when i've tried it, it's been so incredibly hard. some of the strangest things have bits of dead animals in them.

Okay, not meaning to sound rude here, but that comes across more on the offensive side than anything else.

First off, I play Basketball as well, and the way things are worded (assuming not what you meant) gives the impression that your view is that vegetarianism is superior (you do realize that people go through growth spurts right?)

Also, though not directly, when you were talking about how people think that animals are our only source of protein, that came across as more, "You're stupid, maybe that's why you eat animals," kind of way than anything else.

Again, not trying to sound rude, but that's just how it comes across when I read the post.


On another note: What does Tofu taste like? I've never had it and it seems to be a huge thing for vegetarians.

[Redwaller]

I've tasted some tofu-banana dessert, and it was disgusting. But I have a friend who says that if it's well prepared, it's delicious.

[naima]

Okay, not meaning to sound rude here, but that comes across more on the offensive side than anything else.

First off, I play Basketball as well, and the way things are worded (assuming not what you meant) gives the impression that your view is that vegetarianism is superior (you do realize that people go through growth spurts right?)

Also, though not directly, when you were talking about how people think that animals are our only source of protein, that came across as more, "You're stupid, maybe that's why you eat animals," kind of way than anything else.

Again, not trying to sound rude, but that's just how it comes across when I read the post.


On another note: What does Tofu taste like? I've never had it and it seems to be a huge thing for vegetarians.

you're alright to pick me up on that;

i didn't intend it to be rude or offensive at all. as i've said before i couldn't really care less about what other people eat or drink. i know very well about growth spurts having had two in my life (one of which, the one before i went vegetarian had me off school for a week because it stretched my muscles. i couldn't get out of bed for a day because it was so painful), and wasn't implying that me going vegetarian made me have the growth-spurt; merely stating that it obvious didn't hamper my growth which is what people sometimes seem to think that it does.

and i definitely didn't intend to imply that everyone was stupid for thinking that animals are our only true source of protein... but i do also feel as though i have to explain that they're not. treading the fine line between telling people they're wrong politely and offending them is hard, and sorry if i made you feel upset.

i hope we're at peace -bows-


and tofu tastes like rubbish in deserts (which answers redwaller's statement); i once had a tofu cheesecake and it was vile.

however, tofu is virtually tasteless but absorbs flavour extremely well so it's an incredibly flexible food stuff, even if it is rather repulsive to the eye. i use it in curries, stir-fries, pretty much any rice dish. i once had it grilled with aubergine (another great source of nutrition) and just flavoured with yogurt. but yeah, you have to know what to do with it otherwise it can go wrong. it's got a very unique texture and can take a while to get used to.

[Dannflower Reguba]

Okay, not meaning to sound rude here, but that comes across more on the offensive side than anything else.

First off, I play Basketball as well, and the way things are worded (assuming not what you meant) gives the impression that your view is that vegetarianism is superior (you do realize that people go through growth spurts right?)

Also, though not directly, when you were talking about how people think that animals are our only source of protein, that came across as more, "You're stupid, maybe that's why you eat animals," kind of way than anything else.

Again, not trying to sound rude, but that's just how it comes across when I read the post.


On another note: What does Tofu taste like? I've never had it and it seems to be a huge thing for vegetarians.

you're alright to pick me up on that;

i didn't intend it to be rude or offensive at all. as i've said before i couldn't really care less about what other people eat or drink. i know very well about growth spurts having had two in my life (one of which, the one before i went vegetarian had me off school for a week because it stretched my muscles. i couldn't get out of bed for a day because it was so painful), and wasn't implying that me going vegetarian made me have the growth-spurt; merely stating that it obvious didn't hamper my growth which is what people sometimes seem to think that it does.

and i definitely didn't intend to imply that everyone was stupid for thinking that animals are our only true source of protein... but i do also feel as though i have to explain that they're not. treading the fine line between telling people they're wrong politely and offending them is hard, and sorry if i made you feel upset.

i hope we're at peace -bows-


and tofu tastes like rubbish in deserts (which answers redwaller's statement); i once had a tofu cheesecake and it was vile.

however, tofu is virtually tasteless but absorbs flavour extremely well so it's an incredibly flexible food stuff, even if it is rather repulsive to the eye. i use it in curries, stir-fries, pretty much any rice dish. i once had it grilled with aubergine (another great source of nutrition) and just flavoured with yogurt. but yeah, you have to know what to do with it otherwise it can go wrong. it's got a very unique texture and can take a while to get used to.

Seeing your previous posts, I was pretty sure what you meant was something besides what came across.  I was actually kind of worried that my reply would come across as offensive.

Things make more sense now, thanks. 

Though I gotta say.... Tasteless? *shivers* Things that other people call tasteless generally carry something disgusting for my buds. 

*returns bow*

[naima]

Seeing your previous posts, I was pretty sure what you meant was something besides what came across.  I was actually kind of worried that my reply would come across as offensive.

Things make more sense now, thanks. 

Though I gotta say.... Tasteless? *shivers* Things that other people call tasteless generally carry something disgusting for my buds. 

*returns bow*

if i were you, i'd go to the mai thai restaurant in cambridge, england; http://goo.gl/maps/qBhuz ... they do the best tofu i've ever had at a restaurant, though i'm guessing england is a bit of a journey for you? XD

[Dannflower Reguba]

From Green Bay, Wisconsin? ...processing... Yeeeeeeaaah... Just a little far.  I'll have to remember that if I ever go to England. 

[Tam and Martin]

Meat eater here! I couldn't live life without meat!

[MeadowR]

you can potentially just take the meat out of the meal and just eat it like that... when i explain a lot of recipes to people they do tend to say "oh! that's just like something i normally make, but the only difference being that the meat is taken out."

Yeah, I've had a few things where it might usually have meat but have had alternatives. I'd like to have more, it's just a bit difficult when I'm living with my parents to do this as effectively. Although the err... dynamics of this household are a little changed nowadays,of which I won't go into, so I guess at least my mum and I could have more variations of things without meat. We do like to have stir fries without having meat. I'm not too experimental with food myself, so if I looked up more alternatives to foods we could have that aren't too tricky, it would be helpful. I was more free to have a bit less meat (virtually no meat, actually, if it wasn't chicken) when I was at uni and then my months working in London. My sister is very organised and watchful when it comes to food intake - plenty of non-meat things there!

I'm not actually sure if I've had tofu before. Now as I am in England, maybe one day if I get to visit Cambridge I will try and remember to visit that restaurant!

[rachel25]

Meat-eater here, but I can't eat pigs, because of my religion. I couldn't and can't stop eating meat. 1 I love it 2 in my religion at Passover we have to eat lamb. And I won't be complaining  and 3 every Friday, (or day six as I call it) night  because of my family's religion we eat a big roast. 
So a lot of meat-eating is involved in my religion     

[naima]

you can potentially just take the meat out of the meal and just eat it like that... when i explain a lot of recipes to people they do tend to say "oh! that's just like something i normally make, but the only difference being that the meat is taken out."

Yeah, I've had a few things where it might usually have meat but have had alternatives. I'd like to have more, it's just a bit difficult when I'm living with my parents to do this as effectively. Although the err... dynamics of this household are a little changed nowadays,of which I won't go into, so I guess at least my mum and I could have more variations of things without meat. We do like to have stir fries without having meat. I'm not too experimental with food myself, so if I looked up more alternatives to foods we could have that aren't too tricky, it would be helpful. I was more free to have a bit less meat (virtually no meat, actually, if it wasn't chicken) when I was at uni and then my months working in London. My sister is very organised and watchful when it comes to food intake - plenty of non-meat things there!

I'm not actually sure if I've had tofu before. Now as I am in England, maybe one day if I get to visit Cambridge I will try and remember to visit that restaurant!

i was fortunate to have two very liberal and understanding parents who, when i said i wanted to be vegetarian were incredibly supportive (very recently my dad actually went vegetarian himself). i can appreciate how difficult it must be if you don't have that kind of household though. if you ever need any help on recipes or anything, send me a note and i'll see if i can help.

and you're in england now? ... whereabouts?

[Aldeneg]

I've often thought about trying to be vegetarian, but my parents (while very supportive in most areas) don't approve of vegetarianism. They both have the firm belief that humans were made to eat meat.
Who knows though. When I eventually move out and get my own house, I will probably try being a vegetarian for a while. I mean, I can't completely turn my back on it without trying it first, right?

[Rusvul]

Humans were made to eat meat, as much as a wolf is. But we also have the capability to have a healthy diet completely without meat. I've been vegetarian for a while, (At least two years, it might have been three. Maybe even four?) and I haven't knowingly had any meat at all. I'm not so much concerned about meat being healthy, or about not hurting animals. Predator and prey is nature's way. Things eat other things. But we're so disconnected from that, we don't hunt and we aren't hunted. Idk. I, personally, think we should be either a direct part of the food chain, or not a part at all, rather than taking advantage of it. But again, my personal opinion. Disagree or agree, as you will.

[Aldeneg]

Perhaps I should have reworded my post. XD I know humans were made to eat meat. What I meant was that my parents believe someone needs to eat meat or they're not healthy.