Are you a vegetarian? Are you not?

Oops - I meant to say "good for the planet"

NOT GOD! ha ha "GOD FOR THE PLANET" now that's funny to me -

like religion it is usually a choice.

I did it for about 18 months one time and felt great.

But it is not a choice I can make right now.

I eat a lot of veggies, but I also eat a lot of meat and seafood. No, I don't think I'd consider it. I have never known a vegetarian that looked healthy. And I love my ribeyes too much. Humans were meant to be omnivores.

I just don't know enough about vegetarianism to know if I'd contemplate it. I've known people who are and they seem fine with their choice and never tried to "convert" me. I have to admit, I do love my beef and chicken. Some of us are just born carnivores.

I am an old fashioned meat and potatoes American man. My wife tries to mix in a vegetarian meal or two every once in a while.
I have no desire to be a vegetarian. You could say it would be good for the environment since cows are the largest polluter in the world with all of their methane gas production.

Peter, I'll have to disagree with vegetarianism when practised for the purposes stated in your Article and further commentary. IMO, a balanced diet is what's important and it's VERY hard to get all the protein and nutrient the body needs from a veggie only diet - it's not impossible, but very difficult; especially given the busy schedules of most people.

Instead of eating a pound a day of beans; I'll take my protein from the animals that were provided to us, in part, to serve that purpose. I love my steak rare, my hamburger grilled to well-done; my fish with sauce and my chicken with plain salt, a little garlic; some pepper and a good dash of lemon juice baked to delicate and tender perfection.

To which I'll add a fresh veggie salad - rice or potato and fresh fruit.

Now, I'm hungry!! Going to go to the kitchen and make a two egg omelette with feta cheese!!! ttyl! :)

I was a semi-vegetarian for a long time (no red meat or pork, but chicken and fish) and it was a lifestyle choice I made myself. I would say I am not a vegetarian now, but I tend not to eat pork and rarely eat red meat.

This past May I decided to change my "lifestyle" so I can feel good about myself when I turn forty next year. I am eating much more vegetables and whole grains and beans. I can't remember when I last had any red meat, but I do have chicken at least twice a week. The fish is hard because I'm the only one in my home who will eat it.

Giving up my carbs and red meat for a healthier lifestyle (combined with cardio - exercising) so far I am almost 10 lbs. lighter. I still have a way to go, but this is not dieting for me. This is a lifestyle change.

I think with so many people having weight and heart problems, vegetarianism is a good way to go.

Being a vegetarian does take some education so you don't do without certain things. Protein isn't the problem, nowadays, that's very easy to get (and beans are better than you think). You can get all your Omegas from hemp seeds. Lysine is now being bred into corn. There are choices like that out there.

Vegetarians eat eggs and cheese (its the vegans who don't - they need to be the most educated and careful). Eggs have everything meat does.

I'm not a vegetarian because sometimes I'll eat something w/ meat in it. I prefer to not eat meat as the thought turns my stomach. Also, I love cheese. So no I am just a girl who doesn't eat very much meat.

My mother and sister are hard core vegans though. They buy everything from a vegan specialty store and all there produce comes from some vegan farm. They are PETA followers and extreme animal advocates. My husband won't go there for Thanksgiving. He doesn't care to taste my mom's famous Tofurkey.

Good post, Peter!

I'm a carnivore. I don't care how cute they are.



Something has to die in order for something else to live. Even if it's a carrot.

What, just cuz you can't hear a carrot scream?

whatever a 107/mo will buy lol poverty is not conducive to healthy foods

I am an omnivore also. I am allergic to so many foods (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, citrus, vanilla, etc..) that I eat what I still can. If I didn't eat meat, I'd probably starve.

DawnSelena...maybe we should start a plant's rights group...:p

All kidding aside, I am just not fond enough of veggies to want to make them my main dietary staple. But I do try to add fresh fruits as often as I can. I also enjoy a steak or a cheeseburger on occasion. I grew up in an omnivorous family and am adapted to that particular lifestyle. I would imagine that if I had grown up in a vegetarian family, I would probably continue to be a vegetarian because it would be what was ingrained in me.

To sum up, no, I am not a vegetarian...

My son became vegetarian at college. Now he actually praises my cooking once in a while! (And no, I'm not vegetarian, but I do enjoy vegetables.)

Besides, soy-anything makes me gag and I can't stand Tofu unless it's fried...

I would make a terrible vegetarian...

How about a wannabe vegan?

TIS ME.

Yet, I can't stop eating bacon!!!!

And that fake bacon is costly and tastes like cardboard!!!

OH WELL MAYBE ONE DAY :)

I read Diet for a Small Planet many years ago, and ate vegetarian for a long time. Then I got lazy. And how I love pork and beef! But about a year ago, I decided that it might be a good idea to "eat like a poor person."

Now, I don't mean "a poor American," but rather, a third-world inhabitant. There are good reasons for such a choice. My health has improved, my grocery bill has gone down, and I've lost weight. I eat a bean-based main meal about 5 times a week. And no, I don't stink.

We have a "sinful" meal, a white-trash bacon-and-eggs grease extravaganza, once a week on Sunday morning. Sometimes weeks go by between meat meals for me. My children are almost grown, so I keep frozen chicken patties and the like for them, but my husband and I don't bother with them. But every once in a while, a nice juicy steak is really enjoyable.

So the short answer is "No, I'm not." but I'm comfortable with my impact on the environment.

Why isn't it talked about on the news? There's a huge meat-producing industry in this country which encourages people to consume meat, and can, through advertising dollars, lower the visibility of news about the detrimental effects of a meat-laden diet. The guys with the gold are making the rules, as always.

Interestingly put question. I have thought about it but it seems too much trouble to be a vegetarian and all your friends get nervious at parties as to take spedcial care of you. Maybe God wants us to eat meat to keep things in balance?

I am starting an ayurvedic diet that includes both meat and vegetables. My meat consumption tends to go down in the summer due to the heat.

I've never had trouble being a vegetarian at dinner parties. I just don't take any meat. If it means I'm mostly just eating their peas, whatever. I'm there for the company, not the food.

(okay, and I'm also there to drink as much of their vegetarian wine as humanly possible!!!)

(((Veggies I love...derserts I love even more)))

I too am a omnivore, but not being a big eater, I don't necessarily eat everything that's put before me. Meat in particular I eat in moderation, probably because I was raised that way. Why?

I think it was because both my parents families were farmers and vegetables are both cheaper to raise and easier to preserve and the main reason for raising some livestock was for their by-products such as eggs and milk.

While I am quite capable of enjoying a vegetarian meal and sometime even order one when eating out, I never considered becoming a vegetarian much less a vegan.

If I had ever considered the later (becoming a vegan) I probably would have discarded thought after participating in a theoretical discussion of what would happen if the entire world were to suddenly turn vegan. An immense number of animals would be slaughtered for humanitarian reasons so they would not die of slow and painful starvation. Many of those species that initially did manage to survive in the wild would fall victim to predators and the elements and eventually some of them probably would become extinct. One of those predators would probably be homo sapiens intent on protecting the crops they needed for their own survival from wild herbivores and omnivores foraging for food.

I am definitely in the omnivore camp, but I try to buy meat from pastured, humanely raised, hand-butchered animals that come from farmers I trust and I get wild fish caught by locals. My vegetables come from nice farmers too. grin

So, Peter, what about you? Are you a vegetarian or vegan? Do you find it is a lot of work?

no...not a vegetarian

I haven't bought meat since I was in college though not for humanitarian reasons. I got the red ass over meat prices (I lived in Wyoming) and refused to buy it. Once in a while I'll eat a steak or prime rib in a restaurant and I still like it.

I tried it for awhile (didn't care for it) and then went back to eating meat.

I'm not. If I could afford to do so and be healthy and not malnourished I more than likely would make the switch. Sadly, our food budget is strained enough as it is without the additional cost of the fruits and veggies (that cost more than other non vegetarian foods do.)

I tried a vegetarian diet when I was younger. I still have the recipe book Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites - I still use it but have not cut out meat 100 %.

Never will be a Vegetarian . Eat some red meat but I am in good control of meat. Like to eat fish as much as possible and cheese is my downfall. I love veggies of all kinds mainly because I grew up in Italy and they know how to make anything taste good. Even my children love veggies and a good salad. We all just hold our red meat consumption to a minimum.

In Italy I learned that the human body doesn't need more than 100 grams of meat daily IF they are consuming cheese, eggs, fish, chicken, and veggies/salads. Also drinking milk will take care of the minimum DR of protein. 100 grams of meat is called an etto and doesn't mean a whole lot of quantity. Since 1lb of meat is a little less than 1/2 kilogram one can easily see the rationale in reducing the quantity of meat ingested daily. Can you imagine some of our steaks weigh in at 1/4 to 1/2 lbs. We overeat meat thinking we are taking care of ourselves. Eating more than we need just adds to our body woes . We wonder why we are overweight.

Now I will get off of my Soap Box. Hope it helps someone.
pj

I was vegan for seven years. It never felt right . Type O blood need some meat. I wish I could be vegetarian but I can't.

I was vegetarian for almost 4 years.

I dabbled in vegetarianism while in college, but found that I missed chicken a lot. Of course, a vegetarian diet is healthier for the planet, but it's just not realistic.

I try to make a vegetarian meal once a week for Matt and I.

I've tried veggie diet before. It's not as bad as it seems.

Well, I was a vegetarian for almost 3 months and I want to go back to it after this pregnancy, but I'm real "iffy" about it because when I was a vegetarian, I got severely dehydrated, had headaches and felt lightheaded. I've always been a meat eater, so it was difficult, but I stopped all meat cold turkey and just ate dairy or whatever you call vegetarians that eat just about everything, but meat. My father thought that since I had no clue what I was doing that possibly, I'm not receiving all the nutrients about it and if I want to do that he is fine with it, but next time, find out what it is I need to do. I still don't have a clue about nutrients or why going off meat could make me feel dehydrated and weak, that I had severe diahrea (however u spell it) and have to be in the hospital. It was scary, but I lost weight from being one as well... less fatning and more healthy, I'd have to say! ;)

As for what Carol said, low income and poverty, its hard to buy all ingredients and that would be the only thing stopping me. I would love to eat more vegetables. ANY TIME! But with $50 a week to spend on groceries and having to buy all the vegetables and stuff, I don't see how I could ever afford it, and sometimes that goes to 30-40/week for groceries if that and usually the only cheap foods are frozen ones and I love mine fresh - not frozen! I like to cut them up, make my own salad, etc. Not buy that prepackaged stuff!

There's enough methane in the atmosphere already.......:>)

I simply adore meat! ; }

I did it back in my 20s for about 3 or 4 months, just a phase I went through, but no. I don't love meat, especially red meat, but even when I did do it, I still ate fish. I was never that strict. I love my salted, raw herring, for one thing, too much for that.

Growing up in Europe, we ate almost everything: kidneys, liver, tripe, rabbit, beef, chicken lamb, etc. As I grew older and fully realized what those meats were and where they came from, I started eating less and less, until I only ate chicken breasts from the boneless chicken ranch and perhaps hamburgers. I finally got to the point where it bothered me that I was eating the flesh of an another animal, that I gave up meat completely. I am vegetarian. I am not vegan, because I still eat milk products. But I also only eat milk products that are organic (no rBST, no antibiotics) and from companies that treat their animals well. Between veggies, fruits, grains, pastas and the myriad amounts of fake meats (Boca, GardenBurger, Quorn, Yves, LiteLife), beans, nuts, seeds, I never feel like i am missing anything. I have less trouble maintaining weight and my cholesterol levels have dropped as well.

I'm a vegetarian, and eat more and more vegan only as the days go by.
I know someone who got rid of their cancer by going on a whole foods, vegan diet.

People worry about protein, but most Americans eat WAY more protein than they actually need!!

as a vegetarian.. my uber strict diet saved my life.. i suffer from an inherited disease called malignant hypertension.. i've been a vegetarian for many, MANY years... :D oh and as a vegetarian.. um.. i'm on lipitor because i have an elevated lipid count.. well.. so much for the fear of not getting enough proteins... and i don't really eat that processed junk that is accusedly 'vegetarian'.. (some call me vegan but i can't possibly be.. not in this animal based processed society.. ) anyways, that's all i felt like sharing.