Any other Vegetarians out there?

[Akira]

I'm a vegetarian and I've been one for nearly 8 years, I think I was about 12 or 13 when I decided to do it, I cut out everything except fish cos I liked tuna mayo, but I soon stopped eating the fish too. Because of my age everyone thought it was typical teenage fad vegetarianism - although to my mum's credit she took it seriously, she's wonderful about it bless her! She's not the most imaginative cook but she still manages lots of dishes. Anyway 8 or so years later and I'm still proving them all wrong hehe!

Eating out is ok for me because I will eat anything without a face (except beetroot!!) and I seem to have gotten over my random-mushrooms-making-me-sick thing, so I can eat any veggie dish. In London especially in Soho there are a lot of vegetarian places so it's not too bad, however the lack of dishes at pubs and restaurants up north sometimes frustrates me, but I'm really not that fussy. Like mrs harry, I love Italian, which helps cos I absolutely love cheeses and tomatoes, especially goats cheese! Potatoes are also good, and form a lot of my diet when away from home as microwaved 'cheating' jacket potato is very quick, easy and filling!

Going over to friend's houses has been hard in the past, but now I suggest we just have usual party/get-together food i.e pizza and chips, and make sure one of the pizzas is veggie! My boyfriend's family are very used to me as they've known me for a good few years - was best friends with my boyf for a logn time before we went out - and they are very good at integrating my meals and theres, so they'll cook veggies, sides etc, and then hand me some veggie sausages while they have their meat ones, or a cauliflower cheese grill when they have a steak.
Most people's mums b*tch about having to cook two seperate dinners, but integration is easy, provided you are careful not to contaminate any veggie food by using utensils that have been used for the meat before (something that irritates me tbh!). My mum was fine with it because she was already cooking a meal for me and her and a different one for my ill father, and she's just awesome like that (I can't wait to see her when i go home today! Although we'll probably be arguing in 10 mins haha!).

As for the social side... I have had a bit of stick about it when I was at school but I got badly bullied anyway for other things so it didn't really bother me. What does my head in is people insistent that I am wrong, and convinced they can outwit me and point out how I am wrong, and 'win' and also they think they're doing me a favour by 'making me see the error of my ways' or just by being plain a**eholes. Live and let live guys!! I don't have a go at people who eat meat, so they should leave me the hell alone.
Incidentally, my vegetarianism is on ethical and moral grounds, but I'm not one of those veggies who goes round shouting 'stop eating dead animals!!' cos that's only gonna get people's backs up, and it's rude! I think animals should be treated well before death at the least, and have a right to good living conditions.

People who say they are veggie but eat anything with a face annoy me!

I now have a vegetarian student cookbook, which is great cos the stuff is easy and veggie, and my mates are giving me more veggie cookbooks. Whether I can afford the stuff for the fancy dishes in them is another matter, because my fave meals are ones that take about 15 minutes to cook! My eating is not amazing but it could be a lot worse, I have hardly ever cooked before leaving home but it's been nearly 2 months and no food poisoning or death yet so it's all good! My meals are simple and basic, but becoming more varied, and they're healthy, I don't buy snacks to save money! Being poor is good in a way!

Eep that was a long post - sorry bout that - not been able to talk about it for ages!

[TygerBright]

(23-12-2009 04:16 AM)JHyde Wrote:  Doesn't that make them a pescatarian?

...is that not rather "peskytarian"?

[mrs harry]

ooo I like bein mentioned in someone elses post ! moral and ethical for me too Akira and its lovely to hear you praise your Mum, hope my lot think of me like that.

[JHyde]

No, it's good Akira that's what this thread is for. I'm really interested in how you guys cope when you eat at others' houses, because it's really the main thing holding me back. I have a holy fear of being extra trouble.

[mrs harry]

as long as you don't get bolshy about it, in my experience no-one minds except for my farmer friends of course who believe that people who don't eat meat are an odd species.
I took years to recognize that I actually did not want to eat meat and fish anymore and it got to the stage a few years ago where I realised that every meal I had, I would eat the veg/rice first and leave meat etc till last by which time I was full and just left the meat! that was when I knew it was time and I have not regretted it once, feel I can look animals in the eye now and as Im a rural dweller, thats quite alot.

[YourFutureMuse]

Yay lots and lots of vegetarians
I think going round to places is fine just as long as you let people know in advance nobody in my experience has had a problem with it.
It was hard for me to give up meat at first but now I just can't imagine eating it lol

[JHyde]

Yeah, I've spent a lot of time growing up in the country, I talked about how rural people see vegos earlier on this thread.

[whufan]

I became a veggie in the late 80s when I was in my late teens and shortly after starting college. I'd already attempted it when I was in my early teens but it was difficult persuading my Mum to cook me things without meat. I think my Mum should have heard the alarm bells ringing far earlier. I was about 8 when I went home and told my parents that I'd found out what veal was and how cruel I thought it was. Anyway, for years I was a strict veggie, as far as it was possible then - it is much easier now.

However, I no longer consider myself a vegetarian because I eat fish. When I was pregnant with both my children I craved tinned tuna. After having my eldest I stopped eating it but I didn't after having my youngest - she's nearly 12! I can't justify why I eat fish fingers and tinned tuna (it's all I do eat as I don't really like fish) and am too old to care what others think. I now just say I don't eat meat. Neither of my children are vegetarians - their choice - but I don't cook meat.

I have no problems eating at other people's houses or eating in restaurants. In fact never really been a problem, once I've stated I won't eat meat or fish. My brother and dad becasme veggie shortly after I did so my mother had no choice but to cook veggie food. My OH doesn't eat meat but he's had to compromise on his fish eating as I won't cook fish unless it's battered and has come out of a packet.

I lived on a farm for 2 years when I was at college - I know exactly what animals are pumped full of to get them to stay alive and to get them to a sellable size and quality for people to eat. It's a pity people choose to ignore reality about meat production. But as I eat fish fingers and tuna I'm no longer prepared to point this out to meat eaters. I'm a total hypocrite

[mrs harry]

I'm not sure people ignore reality about meat production as such, more that many just don't care about it. but then that's a problem with many issues isn't it - the lack of caring enough to try to do anything about it albeit in a small or personal way, thats why I joined Greenpeace I think, I wanted to be involved and I'm old enough to feel confident in standing up and being vocal in what I believe in.

[whufan]

well, you're obviously still young enough to stand up for what you believe in. You get a bit worn out by it after a while...Greenpeace, BUAV, CND, Friends of the Earth, Vegetarian Society, Greenpeace - belonged to them all in my teens & early 20's then other things cropped up as my life changed - London Cycling Campaign, National Autistic Society, Dyspraxia Foundation so my fights are elsewhere now but I still believe that if nothing else, we do not need to eat flesh to live a healthy life.