AIBU to become vegetarian?

[comoneileen]

I recently came across post on Facebook about cruelty in the abattoirs.
Just thinking about it make me feel sick.
We have dogs as our best friends. They share our beds and become full family members.
Meanwhile pigs who have a very similar and playful character are being slaughtered for meat. More than 900 million farm animals are killed for food each year in Britain (www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/28/fsa-4000-breaches-animal-welfare-laws-uk-abattoirs-two-years).

I have dairy intolerance and so has DD. And she is intolerant to soya too.
It is going to be very complicated to feed us on vegetarian meals and get a balanced diet! AiBU to become vegetarian?

I decided to become a responsible meat eater and reduce my meat consumption but due to the limits of my budget I still buy cheap meat and wonder what kind of cruelty was used against this animal killed for my dinner. And doing this does not feel enough.

[AntiHop]

It will be tougher with a diary intolerance. Soya is less of a problem now there's so many meat alternatives. But as a vegetarian, I'd say give it a go.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

Vegans can manage to avoid dairy so it should be reasonably straightforward for you.
Depending on dd's age I wonder if she'd struggle with another restriction. In which case you could spend a little more on properly sourced meat or fish for her?

[WorraLiberty]

Entirely up to you of course.

But if animal cruelty is what you're doing it for, you'll be going vegan surely?

[comoneileen]

Vegan makes sense. But I am not sure I could cope with it right now. We can have least have eggs. We have hens running around the garden. They are tame as anything and I dare say they live a happy life.

[Hastalapasta]

You can always go back.... as a veggie I say go for it, as long as you do eat plenty of veg..... if you decide that it is not working for you then seek out responsibly sourced meat and fish. Loads of great websites for recipes, you can even have recipe boxes delivered www.riverford.co.uk/?gclid=CPusra_5jtACFRPjGwodBWAC5gdo a great range.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Not unreasonable at all, lots of information online (unlike when I set off on my venture in 1980.......... 1980 I was 14. That seems like forever ago )
It was all HealthFood Shops and lentils back then .

Cut out things to begin with, buy a couple of books .

Quorn absolutely scuppers my bowels so I cannot eat much.
I don't eat much in the way of cheddar.
I'm not vegan but I use soya milk (I drink a lot of coffee) its an aquired taste, bit sweet.

I will get GF who say "Why aren't you vegan"? I think Why don't you go fuck off I don't have to explain. I don't preach, I don't want preached to.

You'll get onto a slippery slope.... animal testing is far more vicious than the end of life for some farm animals.
Leather - yes its a byproduct of the meat trade but are you sure how it was produced.
Fur
Angora Rabbits

[comoneileen]

I wish more people would do their bit!

[InTheseFlipFlops]

Ive thought about it and am consciously eating less, but its worked out more expensive, I don't eat fish either so it also makes eating out really tricky.
The statement that really got me was:
Tomorrow you will have a poo without any regard for the life that was lost.

[ThymeLord]

Not unreasonable at all and it is a lot easier now than it was when I became vegetarian 30 years ago.

There is a lot of free information on the Vegetarian Society website so definitely have a look on there.

Be prepared for people to tell you its pointless unless you become vegan.

[BikeRunSki]

YANBU

I have been veggie for 30 years and am considering veganism.

[ThymeLord]

"You can do your bit, but you cannot change the world"

This, with bells on. This is how you have to look at it. It's like recycling (bear with me here!), I recycle everything I can whenever I can. Zillions of people don't bother at all so my actions won't change the world in any way. I'm doing my bit though and that's how I look at it with vegetarianism.

[RockinHippy]

If you do go Vegan, please make sure you both take a B12 supplement or you risk serious health problems


How about eating fish, but no meat?? Its a very healthy way to eat & would be much easier to get a full balanced diet without diary too

[comoneileen]

Our limitless hunger for meat destroys the planet. A lion only takes his share. But we are responsible for the disappearance of so many animal species.

[RockinHippy]

Oh & well done


We don't eat meat here either, none of us do, DD & DH never have, I haven't since 6 yrs old, we do eat fish though

[Andrewofgg]

How old is DD? Old enough to expect a say?

Do it if you want but please don't evangelise about it.

[00100001]

Why not just have high welfare meat?

[SpuriouserAndSpuriouser]

Not unreasonable at all. Have a look at the vegetarian society website for advice, and I would recommend bbc good food for recipes.

[BarbaraofSeville]

Why not just eat vegan as much as possible, eggs from your own hens and high welfare meat very occasionally. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

If more people cut down significantly from the mindset of 'large portion of meat every day and as cheap as possible if you don't mind' that would be 90% of the battle won because then intensive farming wouldn't be necessary and 'standard' meat production could be much higher welfare because demand would be so much lower.

[Diemme]

I also started to feel increasingly uncomfortable with slaughter practices 4 months ago. I decided to give vegetarianism a go and haven't looked back. Really don't miss meat at all. If you need a final nudge then youtube paul McCartney 'if slaughterhouses had glass walls everyone would be vegetarian'.

[comoneileen]

What is your cooking bible if you are vegan?

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

I've said before that you can't go around saying I won't go veggie because I should be vegan to do it properly. We have solar hot water and a boiler. That's better than not having solar hot water.
I've been veggie for over 30 years. Dd is making noises about it now so she'll probably choose it too.
No it hasn't changed the world but I didn't want to support that industry.

[comoneileen]

Barbara I am on board with you about the farming practices.
Diemme I will google Paul Mc Cartney and I am getting the tissues out!

[devilinmyshoes]

These issues are all really bothering me at the moment, and the bykill of fish can be awful - e.g. for each kg of intended catch there can be many times that of other species. I'm about halfway through a 30 day vegan pledge (which I recommend, vegan society uk, daily emails) in which the emphasis is on doing what is practical and possible to reduce your own use of or reliance upon dairy etc

[TaterTots]

I'm vegetarian rather than vegan, but I was thinking the other day about how much I cook that is vegan by accident rather than design. Vegetable curries, chillis and casseroles are all very easy and don't require dairy.