Are You a Vegetarian? | Poll & Discussion

[Proton Soup]

This is not true, there have been many studies that have shown that a vegetarian diet meets our nutritional requirements. We've had this discussion before. Just examine the literature, the data is very clear.

Also, if you look at the literature it has been shown that a vegetarian diet has a protective effect on cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, GERD and diabetes. If you examine the literature that list can be made longer.

my beef is mostly with veganism. it is a total crock. a source of infinite woo. now, vegetarians that also eat dairy, that's not so bad. but it would be even better if they would add some fish to get DHA/EPA. even better to add a piece of red meat once in a while to get some heme iron, especially if you're menstruating.

also, if you'll look at literature outside the US, you'll see that nutritional deficiencies are pretty common in the rest of the world. if you can optimize a vegan diet (don't forget your marine algae DHA supps), then great, it means you're wealthy and very educated.

 

[Proton Soup]

I love vegetables. The more, the better. But meat is a must.

yes, yes, and yes.

 

[ArcanaNoir]

I like plants, they are pretty and make oxygen for us. Why people find it okay to senselessly kill them, take their fruit, and subsequently feed off of them is beyond me. I eat meat and try to minimize the pain plants must go through in order for me to survive.

As far as taking their fruit, that's what they WANT us to do. That's the whole point of making sweet tasting fruit- seed dispersal.

Also, what kind of option is "Vegetarian but I eat some kinds of meat"? THEN YOU'RE NOT VEGETARIAN. That's like saying you're a mathematician but you also do useful things.

Lol

 

[Evo]

I believe the 3rd option would be pescatarians & chicken eaters would be pollotarians. Pollo-pescetarians eat poultry and fish, or "white meat."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-vegetarianism#Types

 

[rootX]

While we are on the topic on meat and growing meat home ...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15402552

 

[turbo]

My next-door neighbor (but thankfully about 100 yards away) raises Boston terriers and Boston/French bull mixes. They are very loud yappy dogs. The neighbors on the other side of her are quite close and have to put up with all the noise. Also, their adult daughter has invited slacker friends to live in their home. I can think of an easy way to feed the extra mouths and cut back on the noise, but one of the neighbors wouldn't like it. Her dogs are $$$$

 

[turbo]

I tease Duke by threatening him to "Wok my dog", but he is oblivious to the humor and always hops all around the house until we go outside.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I'm not, but I don't eat red meat.

 

[Adyssa]

my beef is mostly with veganism.

<3 lol

 

[Evo]

I'm surprised that there are only 4 vegetarians.

I know that in recent years if I don't eat meat a few times a week, I feel terrible and I don't feel satisfied. When I was younger, it didn't bother me.

 

[dacruick]

I am a vegetarian 4-5 days a week.

I've been a vegetarian most of my life. On average I only spend a few hours a week eating meat.

EDIT: Whoops sorry, I thought this was the lame jokes thread.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I believe the 3rd option would be pescatarians & chicken eaters would be pollotarians. Pollo-pescetarians eat poultry and fish, or "white meat."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semi-vegetarianism#Types

I didn't see my eating habits on that list. I'm an unethical pollo-vegan-bovine-pesca-shrimp-lamb-spaghetti-arugulatarian. But that was last week. This week I'm going to be a steak and potato-sunny side up-pesca-bovine-curry ricean according to my wife.

 

[physics girl phd]

my beef is mostly with veganism.

I first read this as:

my beef is mostly vegan

thinking to myself: You eat vegans?

 

[Pythagorean]

damn it, I was just coming in here to say i eat vegetarians.

 

[turbo]

damn it, I was just coming in here to say i eat vegetarians.

In that case, Hannible, you are a true humanitarian.

 

[Pythagorean]

 

[rootX]

I'm surprised that there are only 4 vegetarians.

I know that in recent years if I don't eat meat a few times a week, I feel terrible and I don't feel satisfied. When I was younger, it didn't bother me.

I guess it might because this thread is bit biased and contains bit harsh tone against vegies.

 

[micromass]

I guess it might because this thread is bit biased and contains bit harsh tone against vegies.

It does?? I didn't notice a hard tone here. A few jokes, but that should be ok...

 

[rootX]

It does?? I didn't notice a hard tone here. A few jokes, but that should be ok...

or you can call those jokes. But I didn't mean OP is biased but I was referring to the overall thread.

 

[Evo]

or you can call those jokes. But I didn't mean OP is biased but I was referring to the overall thread.

The OP (micro) is a vegetarian.

 

[rootX]

The OP (micro) is a vegetarian.

Yes I noticed it before but you missed my point. I was referring to like post # 9. Most of posts in this thread have been by non-vegetarians.

Could it be vegetarians participation rate in this poll was less than the non-vegetarians? Would it have been far more if first few posts in this thread were in favor of vegetarian than non-vegetarian diet?

 

[micromass]

Yes I noticed it before but you missed my point. I was referring to like post # 9. Most of posts in this thread have been by non-vegetarians.

Could it be vegetarians participation rate in this poll was less than the non-vegetarians? Would it have been far more if first few posts in this thread were in favor of vegetarian than non-vegetarian diet?

OK, Post 9 is a little hard. But it's his opinion. I actually agree with him. I think it's unhealthy for children not to eat meat (although I have no scientific evidence for that).

In any case, there have been some criticism of vegetarians in this thread. And I actually hoped there would be such criticism. I think it's a bit silly if a person can't handle that...

I'm also surprised by the low number of vegetarians here, though...

 

[rootX]

OK, Post 9 is a little hard. But it's his opinion. I actually agree with him. I think it's unhealthy for children not to eat meat (although I have no scientific evidence for that).

In any case, there have been some criticism of vegetarians in this thread. And I actually hoped there would be such criticism. I think it's a bit silly if a person can't handle that...

I'm also surprised by the low number of vegetarians here, though...

Even from past threads, I have generally noticed that PF is more non-vegetarian friendly (i.e. seems to have higher number of non-vegs).

 

[Evo]

Yes I noticed it before but you missed my point. I was referring to like post # 9. Most of posts in this thread have been by non-vegetarians.

Could it be vegetarians participation rate in this poll was less than the non-vegetarians? Would it have been far more if first few posts in this thread were in favor of vegetarian than non-vegetarian diet?

I hope not, I feel that all of the posts were meant to be funny. There is nothing wrong or unusual with a vegetarian diet, it's quite healthy. There are also ethical reasons to not want to eat an animal that has been killed.

It's vegan that is unhealthy and unsustainable without supplements. It also doesn't make sense, what is ethically wrong with an unfertilized egg? Or milk or butter or cheese? These things are part of a normal, healthy diet, unless you are allergic or lactose intolerant.

 

[lisab]

Actually, I wish I could be vegetarian. But like Evo, I don't feel 100% unless I eat meat.

 

[turbo]

Then there is environment, upbringing and cultural influences. There are whole swaths of society all around the world that could not thrive (or even survive) on a vegetarian diet, for instance. Native Americans used pemmican, which was readily adopted by trappers and traders because of its high protein/fat content.

The Inuit could not possibly have survived in the arctic without their reliance on seals, whales, etc. There is just not enough vegetation, nor a long enough growing season to allow them to gather such foods.

I'm sure that there are analogs from all over the planet. Humans transitioned to a more agrarian society relatively recently, with geographically-fixed populations, and that made subsisting on vegetables possible. Before such times (unless you lived in rich tropical zones with year-round availability of fruits and vegetables, IMO) it would have been tough to survive without eating meat.

There is no need for value-judgments in a discussion such as this. We are the product of our history, and there is no right or wrong, IMO.

 

[Pythagorean]

next up, "is vegetarianism genetic or social?"

then, "should vegetarians be allowed to marry each other?"

and finally, "please be sure to attend the vegetarian sensitivity training workshop this Friday."

thank you rootX, very progressive of you.

 

[turbo]

I was brought up in a hunter-gatherer mind-set. Yes, we had a vegetable garden for as far back as I can remember, and I helped in that. My mother loved it when I'd bring home a stringer of brook trout, and we certainly ate lots of deer and moose.

Guess what? I spent a lot more of my time picking wild strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and apples (from abandoned farms) than I ever got to spend fishing for brook trout. The bulk (fruit/vegetable)stuff was a matter of priority for our freezer. When fiddleheads were in season, you'd be forgiven for thinking that my father and I were strict vegetarians, because we worked until dark picking the sprouting ostrich ferns after he got out of work. When we got home, we sat on the front step with my mother cleaning the chaff off the fiddleheads so that they could be blanched and frozen for the next winter's meals.

I have 3 sisters, each of us separated by a year. They were spoiled and lazy, so the reason that I could out-pick my mother in berries might well have been a function of how much time she had to spend keeping an eye on the slackers.

 

[Monique]

I'm sure that there are analogs from all over the planet. Humans transitioned to a more agrarian society relatively recently, with geographically-fixed populations, and that made subsisting on vegetables possible. Before such times (unless you lived in rich tropical zones with year-round availability of fruits and vegetables, IMO) it would have been tough to survive without eating meat.

I agree that meat is a nutritional source of food, an animal has put a lot of energy into making its tissues. However: most of us here on this forum do live in a society where a large variety of nutritional food is readily available. We don't all drink beer the whole day long, just because in the middle ages everyone had to do so.

 

[Pythagorean]

Monique, I'm curious though, should people just go vegetarian without being properly informed about nutritional practices? I've always had the impression you should have a nutritionalist or at least be really informed about how to get the proper ratios of proteins if you're not eating meat.

 

[Ra1n5had0w]

It has been shown that we humans do require certain nutrients in such high quantities as to necessitate the eating of animals - be that flesh from pigs or locusts, worms or whales. Of course, we're pretty clever animals, and we can synthesise these essential nutrients - but just in case the shops run out of vitamin B12 and the sun hides permanently behind a big black cloud, I would like to learn how to catch, kill and cook one fish. Only by honouring the animal in this way would I be prepared to eat it. I am vegan.

 

[Monique]

Monique, I'm curious though, should people just go vegetarian without being properly informed about nutritional practices? I've always had the impression you should have a nutritionalist or at least be really informed about how to get the proper ratios of proteins if you're not eating meat.

Everyone should be informed about healthy eating practices. I know meat-eaters who have a vitamin K deficiency. The finger can be pointed both ways. I'm not aware that the statement you make about ratio of proteins is true.

and we can synthesise these essential nutrients - but just in case the shops run out of vitamin B12

Do you know how easy it is to grow bacteria? As mentioned, that's (one of the sources) where vitamin B12 comes from.

 

[daveb]

I'm vegan, but not because I love animals. I just hate plants.

 

[daveb]

It also doesn't make sense, what is ethically wrong with an unfertilized egg? Or milk or butter or cheese? These things are part of a normal, healthy diet, unless you are allergic or lactose intolerant.

It is the factory farming processes that animals providing these items endure that ethical vegans object to. I'm more into it because of environmental reasons (though the ethical and health reasons are important too).

 

[Norman]

I am not vegetarian. I cannot imagine a plausible scenario where I would go that route. In addition, as turbo and Evo have discussed, I think understanding and appreciating the sacrifice of the animal makes for an important lesson for people. I know when I shot my first (and only) deer, I struggled a bit with the sacrifice of the animal. And butchering up game birds is a slightly sobering experience also. Though I felt less empathy for the birds than the deer.

My wife is reading an interesting book right now called Anticancer, in which it talks about the nutritional differences in the meat of grain fed and grass fed cattle. Turns out what your food eats matters a lot.

We eat mainly white meat (chicken, pork, fish) in our household. Every once in a while we have beef (usually hamburgers). My eldest, a 4 year old boy, is a voracious eater. But he completely prefers vegetables and fruits to meat. I fight with him weakly about his protein consumption at the dinner table. Our discussions are usually quite funny compared to the usual parent-child food discussion at the dinner table. It usually is me telling him he can have more peas or carrots or apples (or something else) if we would just eat his chicken (or whatever). It is a good parenting problem to have.

I have said for the last few years, I would not be surprised if he eventually becomes a vegetarian. He seems to genuinely not enjoy meat as much as vegetables and to a lesser extent fruit. It is just the way he is.

EDIT: on another note - you don't have to just buy your meat from a grocery store. In every place I have ever lived (in the US - did not think of it when I lived abroad), there have been nearby options for fresh meat. Usually they are smaller farms which are involved in organic farming. If you go with beef, you will also need a very large freezer, because you cannot just buy one steak. You typically need to buy at least 1/8 or more (much more typical to go with 1/4) of a steer.