Veg*ns

[LadyFaust]

Any vegans or vegetarians here on Pokecommunity?
I'm vegan myself and have been for about six months now (was vegetarian prior to that).
If so then:
a) What helped you make the decision? Was it health, scientific, philosophical, environmental, etc. reasons?
For me it was a mix of health, scientific and philosophical factors.
b) Is it difficult to find veg*n food?
I found it used to be difficult but not anymore since the university I attend is very open-minded about such things.
etc.
Feel free to share some of your recipes and other perspectives on the matter :)
& if you're not veg*n, has the thought ever crossed your mind? Let's get some discussion happening here~

 

[Esper]

I'm a longtime vegetarian and I choose it because of environmental reasons, and I'd been eating less and less meat in the time before I chose to give it up completely.

I was always a little worried about how it would affect my health, but I'm pretty healthy after years and I don't do anything specific to make sure my diet is balanced or anything. I just vary what I eat. Wonder if I'm lucky in that respect.

 

[Magdalena~]

I'm pescetarian myself. A lot of people think it's silly or ignorant or ask me why I do it, so I'll explain right here:
1.) I don't eat meat other than seafood, however I would be willing to eat molluscs or arthropods, and maybe some reptiles ("pescetarian" defines only seafood, but I've never had the opportunity to eat these things either way). I also steer clear of honey. At a point that I can afford to do so and acquire the proper supplies, I'll also stop consuming dairy and eggs. In the same way, I intend to eat only seafood that's been fished rather than farmed. I also might see myself one day going totally vegan, but I'm really not sure.
2.) The reason I do this is because I don't have a problem with preying on animals--we are predators and that is natural. My issue is with farming as it isolates animals out of their natural habitat, often in cramped or unpleasant conditions.
3.) I don't even eat seafood every day. My diet consists mostly of vegetables, grains, water and junk food (NOT A LOT). xD
4.) I don't look down on anyone or think of them differently for eating or not eating meat. It's just my personal choice and the way I personally feel.
5.) I have other reasons as well for wanting to eat exclusively seafood.

Regarding if it's been hard for me to maintain this diet, it actually hasn't been at all. In fact, I find it's easier for me to make full meals without meat, as strange as that sounds. I love soy and vegetables, and other meat substitutes, so using them creatively has been a huge boost for my cooking ever since I started using tofu.

And just for the heck of it, I'll post this delicious veggie sandwich here. :D

Spoiler:

Lettuce, spinach, jalapeños, banana peppers, carrots, cucumbers, and make sure you have very good warm bread! :D

Omnomnomnom

 

[twocows]

Nope.

I eat meat and love it. I do not see that changing in the foreseeable future.

 

[droomph]

I love meat.

I don't really hate animals and wanted to kill it, but when they are butchered up and packaged I get really hungry.

I don't necessarily agree with farming of the animals, but I there are other ways to help, like buying grass-fed beef. It's healthier and you're helping the animals.

So I'm a mental vegetarian, but I will never give up meat as long as I live.

1,000!

 

[LadyFaust]

Interesting to see all the different perspectives on the matter.
I've personally always detested the taste of meat and could never stand the sight or smell of raw meet so I've always had a certain repulsion to it. However, it was not until I fell sick for a number of months, discovered I was lactose intolerant and delved further into my studies of biology, anatomy and philosophy that I decided to fully make the change. I actually find I'm a lot healthier as a vegan than I ever was as an omni (although I was never big on meat to begin with).

 

[Nihilego]

I asked earlier in the post which I deleted (not too sure why I did that...) why people would choose to be vegan rather than vegetarian. And I'm still curious with regards to that. Sooooo yeah, why do some people choose to be vegan rather than vegetarian?

 

[LadyFaust]

I personally chose vegan over just simply vegetarian as I am lactose intolerant and don't see why humans should be consuming dairy products as cow's milk is essentially made to feed baby calves. And I also don't particularly like eggs and find them almost as offputting as meat :/ Plus dairy and egg consumption has been found to be just as linked to animal cruelty as meat consumption, hence another reason to go vegan.

 

[electro12]

I loved eating meat and pork is my favourite meat. But I do eat my vegetables, especially leafy ones. I will start on pollo-pescetarian diet in the near future.

 

[Alice]

I'm working on being a vegetarian. Currently, I still eat seafood and poultry, because they're the healthiest of all the meats out there, and I don't have enough stuff to replace them yet. I'm glad I've given up beef and pork entirely though.

 

[Esper]

Plus dairy and egg consumption has been found to be just as linked to animal cruelty as meat consumption, hence another reason to go vegan.

The eggs I get from my store are all local, organic, free-range and cage-free. I'm vegetarian, but I can't see anything wrong with eating those eggs.

Not to say that there isn't a lot of cruelty in a lot of places when it comes to chicken raising.

 

[LadyFaust]

There's been a heap of talk about battery hens here recently and chickens been given hormones and antibiotics + the effect this can have on chicken consumers :/
& I just find eggs slimy in general so I steer clear.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

I personally chose vegan over just simply vegetarian as I am lactose intolerant and don't see why humans should be consuming dairy products as cow's milk is essentially made to feed baby calves

Because it tastes good?

Granted, I think we're the only species that consumes the milk of another species. So, it is kind of weird.

 

[.:CoralSoda:.]

I was vegetarian for 8 months back in my high school days. It wasn't hard at all for me really, it was much easier than I expected. I quit, not because I was craving meat, more because I just wanted to be able to eat anything again. Like I hated having to check if certain candies had gelatin in them or something, that was annoying.

 

[Yoshikko]

I understand why people would be vegetarian (or vegan), but I could never be one myself. Not because I like meat so much, I actually don't really like red meat at all, but because I don't see a point in restricting myself to a certain type of food. I dislike meat in general, but there are these very few that I do like. Let's say I'd be a vegetarian, and then find a certain type of meat that I like? And then maybe even dislike it just because it's meat and I labeled myself as a vegetarian?? Not all types of meat are the same, there are so many different types that I just don't really get how you can decide that you don't like ANY of them and restrict yourself like that (of course there's exceptions where people don't do it based on taste but on the environment etc, but that aside). Fish for example, fish is meat too but it is completely different from pork, and meat can be prepared in a lot of different ways too, it does not always have the same structure or taste, which is why I don't understand how someone could be so definite.

 

[Legendary Silke]

I'm neither a vegan, nor a vegetarian. Heck, I do love myself some meat. :P

As for why, it's more of a problem of "why not?". It's probably something that is pretty pointless when you think about it, from my perspective. And I don't like missing out on things simply because of my eating habits. (You'd be hard pressed to find a good vegetarian restaurant around here.)

 

[Dreg]

Nope, sorry, only a carnivore. I have been trying some veg, but the only ones that I truly like (When very finely chopped) are Carrots and Onions.

 

[Esper]

Not all types of meat are the same, there are so many different types that I just don't really get how you can decide that you don't like ANY of them and restrict yourself like that (of course there's exceptions where people don't do it based on taste but on the environment etc, but that aside).

Every vegetarian I've ever met has had a reason besides taste for not wanting to eat meat. I don't think many people choose to go vegetarian solely for taste reasons. They would be the exceptions, I think.

 

[Shiny Celebi]

Im not a vegan or vegetarian, but I can undertand why some people are. I applaud them for making the choice to do so if they think it's right. I dont imagine Veganism easy. I dont eat very much meat and wouldnt mind eating meatless vegetarian meals, but I dont see myself becoming totally vegetarian. Humans are not carnivores, they're omnivores. They can choose to not eat meat, I respect vegetarians/vegans choices just as I respect other people's choices to eat meat. You cant force someone to eat something they dont want to. It isnt really about "restricting yourself" its a choice people make because they believe eating meat is wrong or they dont like it or maybe even health reasons.

 

[Ayselipera]

I've only done short cleanse diets that forbid eating meat, but they're only meant to last a week to ten days depending on the diet. I've thought about going pescatarian and I'd like to do it eventually, but it's sort of hard to do with where I'm living now. I usually eat meat about once or twice a week now and it's typically chicken or turkey because I don't eat red meat. Gotta have fish though nearly everyday. I usually have either tuna, crab, scallops, haddock, or cod everyday of the week.