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.

@Home77 I understand from research that dairy has an acidic effect in the body whereas fruits and veg (including acidic fruit like lemons) have an alkaline effect. The former causes calcium to leech from bones.

Some further info on calcium and dairy:

veganuary.com/blog/calcium-from-dairy/

The countries where they eat the least dairy have the lowest incidences of osteoporosis.

@Mississippilessly the problem is you wouldn’t just need the cow, you’d need a bull (or some bull semen and AI equipment) then you’d need to take the calf born away so you can drink the cows milk.

Plant based calcium is more bioavailable, calcium is not a problem on a plant based diet

www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-vegan-diet/#vegan-sources-of-calcium-and-vitamin-d

www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/nutrients/calcium

You'd need two. They like company.

kiki do you have a source for the theory that low dairy consumption correlates with low osteoporosis? Or anything that confirms that the body's pH varies according to diet? Your link doesn't mention these things.

It's funny the whole veggie thing, I worked on farms growing up and honestly I'm more put off Dairy than meat. Dairy cows have a crappy uncomfortable life, beef cows usually run about in a field then get slaughtered - I'd much prefer that! Some are housed yeah so not as fun. Don't try to slap a name on what you eat, avoid dairy if you feel wrong having it, source your meat from local farm shops, try and pick up eggs up from a farm or free range organic. I suppose it depends on budget!

Why not do 5 days veggie, 2 days vegan? And then see how you go. I am not 'vegan' or 'veggie' as I don't like the restrictions or guilt around it, but I have drastically cut back for environmental reasons rather than animal welfare.

I've swapped out all milk for almond milk or oat milk which I love. When you have lots of teas and coffees it makes such a difference. Coconut yoghurt is lovely with fruit.

I still eat the odd bit of cheese but I centre a meal around it to really 'enjoy' it if that makes sense e.g. feta salad, goats cheese, rather than just sprinkling it on stuff without thinking.

If you are eating it and not really enjoying it, then whats the point? Just cut it out and eat the things you enjoy. You can have a perfectly healthy diet as a vegan but it requires planning and some knowledge to ensure you are getting the right balance of nutrients.

@chemenger sure, I don’t have time to get the peer reviewed studies right now but they are referred to here www.viva.org.uk/why-you-dont-need-dairy-health/osteoporosis-dairy-damns-dem-bones

www.water-for-health.co.uk/our-blog/2015/04/high-body-acidity-wreaks-havoc-bones/

@Mississippilessly you’re absolutely right, that’s great you understand the ethical argument. You seem to have already realised that ultimately being vegetarian isn’t enough. If you want any help in going vegan just ask. There are also loads of online resources.

I don’t necessarily think you need to fit the traditional categories completely. We have been vegetarian for years, but are increasingly trying to reduce our consumption of animal products, which, if everyone did this, would have a huge impact. We, for example, only use oat milk at home (generally far more better for the environment than rice and almond) and don’t buy cheese. We only very ocassionally buy eggs. If we are out, however, we may choose a vegetarian, rather than a vegan meal.

Basically, though, any change should be positive.

You can think of it more as a gradual process than a quick change, makes it easier. Even reducing your consumption of animal products makes a difference.

I'm vegetarian but try to choose plant based options whenever possible - for example I don't buy cow's milk anymore, I use hazelnut and oat milk with muesli, in hot drinks etc. Same with yoghurts, 95% of what I buy is soya, almond, coconut based yoghurts now. On the other hand, while I never buy eggs, I still eat some products that contain egg but also buy vegan cake if available and so on...

There's definitely a point op. I was vegetarian for 9 years before I became vegan. You might find that once you're used to being vegetarian you find it easier and easier to cut out animal products.