I want to eat meat after 10 years of vegetarianism/veganism

There's increasing evidence that there's a biological / genetic background to whether people are able to sustain a vegetarian diet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/genes_stop_vegetarian

It's completely plausible that your metabolism has evolved after having children and you now need meat.

The study also revealed that quite a few people claiming to be vegetarian actually were not managing to stick to the diet.

Your body’s telling you what you need.
I was a vegetarian for many many years. All I’d say is to only have a small bit to start off with, and maybe chicken or fish. Just to let your tummy get used to it again.

For me, I just wanted a big well done steak with chunky chips and broccoli. Peppercorn sauce on top.

No one will mind or judge or probably even care.

Where did the poster you're responding to say you can ethically kill anything?

You can't, because nothing wants to die.

But you can raise animals with super high welfare standards, and you can kill them quietly, quickly and humanely.

We all have our crosses, our burdens to bear, none of us is born into this world with a guarantee that it will all be fun and frolics without a single struggle, without a single icky thing happening.

If that 'icky' thing is a swift and painless death after a short but happy life, I am ok with that. Its better than 100% of humans will ever get.

What if I decide I want to eat children?

You don’t have to tell anyone and you don’t have to put a label on it. You eat what you want to eat, it’s no one’s business xx

I went back to eating meat (I always ate fish) after about 20 years of not doing so, plus I was brought up as vegetarian (ate meat for about 2 yeas as a teen but then didn't until my youngest was about 3). I've now eaten meat now for 18 years and people sitll think I'm vegetarian! It was weird at first but didnt' take long to get used to. I really only eat chicken though now - v occasionally have a bolognese.

Only two reasons you'll get stick for this.

1/ Your friends are actual arseholes.
2/ you've been an arsehole about being vegan to your friends.

If those are not the case then really, don't worry.

I was veggie for years and we don't eat a lot of meat now, I firmly believe i can have more influence on things by being a consumer, than by not being. So when we buy meat, we buy local, high welfare etc etc.

How do you ethically kill an animal that doesn't want to die?

Eat it and live your life instead of living of misery. Food is one of life’s joy so why suffer to prove a point. And good on you for not forcing this on your child.

I was veggie for about 10 years when I was young, from about 7-17, I was the same as you, I gradually starting thinking about meat again and in the end decided life was to short to want something and not have it.

I started to eat meat again and did do for years. A couple of years ago my husband suddenly announced on new years day that he was going to go veggie for a year. I am prone to FOMO so decided if he was then I was too! We did the year and he eats meat again whereas I very rarely do, though I do eat fish.

As others have said listen to your body and eat meat if you want to :-)

Just do it. I was vegetarian from around 10 to around 25. I also had quite a severe eating disorder during my teens. Once I was pretty much fully recovered (well as much as you ever can be) I started to really crave meat. I think it was my body needing the nutrients. It could be the same for you given you have recently had a baby.

Listen to your body and eat meat when you feel like it. No one will bat an eyelid. No one did with me, apart from my parents and BF who were just relieved tbh.

OP, go for it. I’m 40 now but I was veggie from age 9 (watched Babe, and that was that) until I was 24. The cravings for meat at that stage were so strong I couldn’t ignore them and I realise now it was my body begging for certain nutrients.

I’m ashamed to say I initially caved with a box of 12 McNuggets but I will say they tasted like the nectar of the Gods. I eat meat a couple of times a week now and do my best to stock up at our local farm; pricey, but amazing portions and taste divine.

I was brought up veggie and am late 40’s now. I started eating fish maybe 20 years ago and just this month started eating chicken. Can’t see me ever stomaching red meat. I did eat a fair amount of meat substitutes which I’m not convinced are great. So partly that and partly a bit more freedom. I have one child that’s a complete carnivore and another that eats like me so it feels a good compromise.
My friends don’t give a hoot. And now that I’ve started, neither do I.

Your friends will probably be relieved that they no longer have to consider if there are vegan options on menus when you go out to eat together or that they have vegan snacks/milk substitutes when you go to their house for a cuppa!

You should listen to your body. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Pick something and give it a try. If you have ethical concerns you can still eat a largely plant based diet. Don’t let perfection get in the way of good.

Im currently trying to expand my
own diet and eat some foods I have long set as off-limits. I’ve found the easiest way is just to see something on a restaurant menu where parts look appealing and realize that it would be so very exciting to not have to eat one of my few safe options.

Trying something that is safe for my body to eat but I have simply chosen not to eat means I don’t have to eat yet the same thing from the menu I have to order at every restaurant because it’s the only item that meets both my medical and personal choices. I don’t always love the things I’ve been trying, but it’s new and different and that makes me happy.

Having a baby had the same effect on me, I just don’t want us to eat separate meals so I’ve agreed with DH that I will eat some meat meals as long as the majority of our meals are vegetarian and we don’t give our son processed meats which is working well as a diet compromise.

Fake tuna and tofu egg 😑OP you’ve done your bit. If only for the good of your bones, give in and enjoy some flavours again. We were born to be hunter gatherers after all!

Go for it, but go easy as your digestive system may get overwhelmed

I've not eaten meat for nearly 40 years but get where you are coming from. My household are all meat eaters and sometimes I just want to make 1 meal. Also would be an easy way to up my protein. But I just don't fancy meat anymore but now do ear fish.

If you prefer not to eat meat for ethical reasons, then it might be worth checking you're not running low on something, calcium, B12, iron, and the cravings are telling you something? Then you could supplement if you'd rather stay vegan. If it's about taste, are you getting bored? Could you mix up your menus? Would the fake tuna, tofu egg and vegan gummy sweets help? If you really want to eat meat again, them obviously, go at it, but after all this time I'd ease in gradually starting with prawns, then chicken before hitting the red meat as it might make you feel a bit unwell.

Three of my friends have stopped being vegetarian this year. Unless you've been very loud about your veganism, I don't think anyone will react negatively. Basically my best friend got a dish in a restaurant with mean in it and she just said "I've been re-introducing meat into my diet". Same with others, we were picking what to eat and they said "no need for veggie version for me". Just find a natural moment.

Also, go slowly!

I'm veggie, kids are pescerarian and get hassle from (meat eating) friends. I always say draw the line where it is right for you. You don't need to explain your choices.

could just craving protein, have you tried eating 100g a day of vegan protein (high protein yogurt, scrambled tofu etc)?

I won't repost what I wrote on the other thread, you can read it there. But it's fine. Go ahead.

I will repeat - there is no moral purity. Every position includes compromise.

An ethical meat eater souring meat only from high-animal-welfare sources and avoiding UPFs is probably doing less harm than some vegans whose choices may involve all sorts of complex industrial processes.