The Why-I-Am-a-Vegetarian Post

[silburygirl]

Because I've had one of those weeks in which people ask me why I'm a vegetarian (and gaze at me as though they've just noticed the second head sprouting from my shoulder) about ten million times and I have a long, rambling answer

Comments

[kribu]

I do wish people would stop telling others what their preferences ought to be. As long as you're not going around forbidding other people to eat meat, I can't see why they should be telling you to eat it!

(I do have to admit that I can understand some of this attitude here: a lot of my generation and older people feel like snubbing food of any kind is offensive, as we grew up in a time when you ate what you had. When food is on coupons and you have to queue for an hour for bread, refusing what you're given is something that a lot of people won't take kindly to. Of course, the youth of today don't have that issue, and when there's plenty of choice for everyone, it shouldn't be a problem any more.)

I have a similar problem - well, not similar on an ethical level, but everyday level - with alcohol. I don't want it, I don't drink it, I never have. I don't go around telling other people to never have a drop. So why do I always have to spend forever explaining that no, I really don't want that shot of vodka or glass of wine or that beer

[silburygirl]

*coughs* Well, my personal theory is that when times are tight, killing animals rather than making them useful is rather counterproductive... But I didn't live then, and my understanding of those sorts of situations is through things that I've read, so who knows how practical that is?

My one major tic, actually, is bacon-if someone wants to cook it, I will leave the building to avoid the smell. There's something about it that is just not on... But otherwise, I know I have no business poking my nose into other people's diets and I avoid it.

I know quite a few people who, for various reasons, don't drink alcohol-it's not something that I would comment on ever (for all I know, the person could be a recovering alcoholic who really doesn't need the reminder).

Oddly, I am way less run-down and irritable than I was before-I make the effort to eat enough protein, and it shows.

[kribu]

*coughs* Well, my personal theory is that when times are tight, killing animals rather than making them useful is rather counterproductive...That theory works with animals who give something - cows for the milk, chickens for the eggs. There is no point (speaking from a purely practical level) in raising pigs for any other reason than meat. And back then, any meat we did get was pork - beef has never been very popular here, precisely because cows are kept for the milk. (And only pork leftovers anyway, fat and internal organs mostly, as the meat, together with most everything else produced here, was taken to Russia anyway

[shiv5468]

Frankly, I suspect that when you give up meat you have to think about what you're eating more, so you eat better. And a lot of junk food is ruled out automatically. Nothing to do with some people's systems needing meat or not.

[kribu]

I am sure that's true for a lot of people. I try to avoid junk food as much as I can anyway (no hamburgers, no fast food, lots of salad and fruit instead, only rye and wholegrain bread and so on), and eat fairly balanced food in general, but... let's just say I became a considerably nicer person again once I started eating as usual, i.e. adding a bit of meat back to the menu every now and then.

[silburygirl]

raising pigs for any other reason than meat.

Because they're adorable? Morale is important!

I'm a little weird as far as nature goes - the trouble is that I consider plants living creatures too.

Have you considered fruititarianism? :P

I eat things on the basis of whether or not they were scurrying around at some point, and try to minimise the environmental impact by buying organic and local things (reason 106,347 that I love where I live-mild climate and therefore lots of things don't have to be imported).

I also live in the land of the hippies and therefore have no problem finding veggie-friendly things wherever I go. Not to mention that when it narrows down my menu choices, I consider it a good thing as I am the least decisive person in the world!

As for you feeling better after giving up meat - I do suspect that people's digestive systems work differently.I think it was mostly that I avoided meat as much as I could before going vegetarian, but didn't think to substitute it with anything else, which is apparently very bad

[kribu]

try to minimise the environmental impact by buying organic and local thingsSee, I want to do that too. ;-) Hence the meat

[silburygirl]

Have you heard of this? Mostly common sense, but interesting nonetheless.

Have I mentioned that I'm glad that I live in a place with lots of different farms and different types of food? Of course, where I grew up, the only food industry to speak of involved beef and wheat, so I know where you're coming from.

but it just doesn't seem to work without any meat products whatsoever.

And if you like it to begin with, there's no need to give it up. I do not judge the carnivores if they do not judge me!

[kribu]

I've heard of the basic concept, yes. It absolutely makes sense, and I'd love to stick to it more.

I eat local as much as possible - anything to do with milk, bread and meat, and potatoes for most of the year; sadly that's about the extent of it. We get rotten apples one month out of the year or so and local strawberries for two weeks, and cucumbers and tomatoes in late summer... I'd be rather fruit-and-veggie-less if it wasn't for all that lovely Polish and Dutch and Spanish and Caucasian stuff on the market. :-D

I do not judge the carnivores if they do not judge me!

That's really the main thing, isn't it? I wish more people on both sides would stick to that! I've never really understood how it's anyone else's business what other people do or do not eat (unless it's other people they eat), especially as there are so many people out there with allergies and/or a genuine intolerance for something.

[silburygirl]

It's hard to eat all local all the time-I love berries more than anything (except perhaps cheese), and the closest place they can be shipped from in the winter is California... Some days, frozen just doesn't cut it, so I buy them fresh (even though they are ridiculously expensive).