Is it worth going vegetarian rather than vegan?

[Mississippilessly]

I'm becoming increasingly uncomfortable with eating meat. I absolutely love it but I am quite sensitive to animal welfare - particularly since having a baby.
At the moment I will only eat free range etc but I'm aware that it isnt enough.
However from my (limited) understanding the dairy industry seems as bad. So is going vegetarian just either hypocritical or a waste of time?
Not being goady at all, I'm genuinely wondering what i should do.

I'm being thick with eggs, I live rurally it would be v easy to buy locally

Do what you think you can achieve I say. I gave up eating meat a few years ago, and have since significantly cut down on fish, we now only really have it as a treat. Oatly for coffee, but normal milk for tea as anything else tastes vile. Ethically, would I like to be a vegan? Hell yeah! Practically, do I think I can achieve it when I love cheese and sweet and sour prawns as much as i do? Hell no. I feel better in myself for my choices but I know I'm in absolutely no position to preach to anyone or judge anyone else, and if asked just say '
"erm I don't really eat meat, but I'm not a proper veggie or anything". At some point I might give up fish or dairy completely but I feel like there is no point forcing it...giving up meat came after 40-odd years of eating everything including foie gras. It came naturally and I've not slipped up since. I'll do more when I feel I can make it stick.

I used to work with someone who one day just declared she'd decided to be vegan and spouted off about it constantly. It lasted about 3 weeks, during which she constantly ate non-vegan foods and said it was fine because 'lots of vegans do'. Don't be her!!

Maybe look into something like Mindful eating, instead of cutting out foods, and making organic / free range choices...

I've just talked to DH about it and hes on board. He isnt sure about the milk but says he will give it a go and said he is keen to do vegan or veggie days.

Every meat free meal counts. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Do what you can manage and keep up. Militant abstaining is not sustainable for the vast majority of people in the real world.

I think a lot of people are gradually moving towards a vegetarian diet, I know I am. Not every day and not strict, but there are lots of days of the week now when I don't eat meat. It's not good for us to overload our bodies with constant meat and I am slowly finding I feel better on a more vegetarian diet.

I think the biggest disfavour to vegetarian/veganism are the people who are so evangelical about it and push their views onto others non stop, particularly on FB. Puts me right off the whole idea.

If I could afford high welfare meat then I might feel differently but I would rather change my diet than consume low-welfare, mass produced unethically produced meat.

Milk is not a problem as we have a small local dairy with high standards and eggs are easy to find truly free-range in this area.

Yes of course. Do the best you can. Take it gradually if that works for you.

Im veggie and dont generally drink milk, but I do eat cheese and eggs. I stopped eating meat for environmental reasons and milk for health reasons but I couldnt give up cheese.

I agree with others that cutting down on meat will make a different and your family may surprise you and be happy with a few veggie meals. Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall has some great books (Veg and Much more veg) which have loads of great ideas. Try and get your hands on those if you are looking for inspiration.

Brilliant, thank you I'll get that book

I do find myself wondering the same OP. I stopped eating meat around 2 years ago, I do still eat fish though I’ve reduced that a lot too. I do wish I had the commitment to go vegan, but I haven’t been able to take that step yet. I try to just add more and more vegan meals in, and make substitutions where I can. It’s not the ideal but it’s better than nothing.

Do make sure you shake the carton well, when using milk replacement.

One of my concerns about cutting our milk and cheese would be calcium, we need that don't we to prevent osteoporosis...I'm not sure calcium supplements and additives to other foods are all that good. But happy to be corrected on this.

Hm that's a good point. I wasnt planning on giving up cheese but just assumed that calcium fortified oat milk was as good as cows for calcium.

I think the only logical solution to this is I get myself a cow.

I think the only logical solution to this is I get myself a cow.
Two, they get lonely! 🐄🐄

Two, they get lonely! 🐄 🐄

If the second one only has one teat, that’s not a cow. 😉

Haha thanks for the heads up!

if the second one only has one teat, that’s not a cow. 😉

some of ours have broken down fences to get to their friends, if we've had to put one in a seperate field.

Every bit helps. I would buy organic, particularly for eggs, rather than free range as there is a massive difference in welfare standards. If you're only buying milk for ds then that won't be a major cost.

I get my eggs in the local farmers' market but you need up be careful as they're not all happy hens running around the yard. I know the guy I buy from so, even though they're not organic, I know they are happy hens who are truely free range.

I buy free range and am trying to cut down on meat.

One DC doesn't eat butter, milk, lamb, most pork (except bacon) nor lots of spice. DH doesn't eat chicken or any spice, but does eat fish. Other DC doesn't eat fish, but loves spice.

Meal planning is tricky! We eat a lot of jacket spuds and add our own toppings!

Really, it's small gradual changes, otherwise it will be overwhelming.

@Mississippilessly I'm being thick with eggs, I live rurally it would be v easy to buy locally

Missed that before posting. Just find some hens wandering and you're sorted.

I stopped eating meat eight months ago in my forties and it has been a lot easier than I expected. I eat the occasional bit of fish and once or twice have eaten meat when I wasn’t organised or really thinking about it, but it has definitely been a significant dietary change for me. It is interesting to think of eight months’ worth of processed meat that I would have eaten, even at the fairly low levels of consumption I had before!

I have found it helpful to identify ‘pairings’ of food that can be cooked in a similar way when cooking for my family.

Meatballs - homemade veggie balls
Chicken breast - tofu or Quorn escalope
Mince - vegan grain mince

I’m a vegetarian and my adult daughter is a vegan and I meet up with her a few times during the week.

Whilst it’s getting better all the time we can still go places and there is loads for me to eat but nothing for her. That can put a strain on outings.

The question around calcium is very complex and dairy might not be the best source for it. I recommend you read this article www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-information/health-concerns-about-dairy/preventing-and-reversing-osteoporosis .
I would also try to limit substitute and fakes as their effect on health is controversia. The longest the list of ingredients on a package, the worse it is.

I was veggie for years but have moved to vegan this year.

As PP have said, I focused originally on the health aspects, slowly becoming more informed on the welfare standards.

With regard eggs, I have found a couple of excellent replacements for baking and scrambled/omelettes. Sadly however 'high' the welfare standards of egg laying hens, the male chicks are still disposed of within a day or two of hatching out as they are essentially worthless, so I couldn't continue buying eggs. If we had our own laying chickens, or neighbours did, I wold have considered that as an option, but I've gone beyond the craving stage now and don't miss it (or cheese, which is huge for me!).

Also as PP have said, I'll call my diet plant based, the term vegan seems to trigger a lot of people.

Also remember not to judge others' choices; the downfall of many a vegan it seems, and the reason for their bad rep. If people ask me, I will explain, go into as much detail as they want about what I have seen, experienced and been taught about the meat/dairy industries. Essentially it is everyone's choice what they put into their body from a health and morality point of view.

And I totally agree - Oatly milk is amazing, as is their range of cream and creme fraiche! Hazelnut milk is a real treat on cereal, too!

I have my B vitamins, iron, potassium and Vit D levels checked every 10 weeks due to a health condition, and am well withing healthy level for all, so as long as you have a varied and balanced diet, you'll be fine.

I go through phases of eating meat, being vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian.....

Do what is right for you.

At the moment i'm moving back to vegetarian - i'm using up meat from the freezer, but not buying any more. I use very dairy anyway. I have my own chickens for eggs.