to consider stopping being vegetarian after 11 years?

[Bluetinkerbell]

I've been a vegetarian for 11 years, out of principle that you can live quite happily without eating animals. I don't eat meat or fish.
The only times I have felt craving for meat or fish was during my both pregnancies.

What are the pro's of being vegetarian and what are the cons?
Is it that much more expensive eating meat/fish etc?
DH isn't vegetarian and only eats meat when eating out or take-away.
DD, 3 is vegetarian, but has asked to try DH's meat when he eats some.

Any people out there who have stopped being vegetarian and can share their experience?

In years to come it will be difficult to feed a growing population on vegetable matter alone. You will all make the planet a barren wasteland with your "ethical principles".

Are you sure QS? I thought vegetarianism was the only long term way to sustain population?

Quintessential, meat eating is the single biggest contributing factor to climate change, so the planet's going to end up in a pretty bad state if we don't stop eating meat. The one best thing you can do to slow climate change is to become vegetarian.

OP, the pros of being vegetarian are that it's healthier, kinder and you know that your food didn't have to suffer.

"DD, 3 is vegetarian, but has asked to try DH's meat when he eats some."

That would be because she is not a vegetarian. She is a small child whose mother refuses to give her meat and fish.

I stopped after 17 years. I eat meat / fish about 3 times a week now.

Two reasons mainly. I have IBS (or something, it's being investigated) and fibrous veggie foods were causing me lots of problems and I'd be on the loo all the time so I had to change the way I ate.

I was finding it hard to cater for my veggie diet and the dc's meat / fish diet. And while they do eat some veggie meals they do eat meat / fish too and I couldn't keep buying and storing separate products.

I would still prefer to be veggie as I hate eating meat and fish but for the time being I need to eat something or else I'll waste away. My pathetic stab at easing my conscience is to only buy organic & free range meat.

One day I would love to go back to being vegetarian.

'OP, the pros of being vegetarian are that it's healthier'

There was a woman who called up a radio station a few weeks ago and said something that caught my attention. She was speaking about a different subject and then the presenter brought up how he liked meat or something and she said that she got cancer and was in hospital recovering and teh nurses told her to eat lots of meat because she needed teh protein. It surprised me because we are often told that vegetarianusm is healthier.

I was veggie for 20 years and now eat fish occasionally.

My DH and DS4 are both meat eaters and I amhappy to prepare and cook meat for them . £££ food budget is down to meat imo.

Personal choice is what it is all about. You can make ethical choices much more easily now.

Forgot to say that she had been a vegetarian for many years and changed to eating meat on teh advice of teh nurses.

CoteDazur so if your DC will ask you tomorrow to stop feeding them meat/fish will you do that?
I don't refuse DD meat/fish... that's why she is allowed to try when she asks. We agreed that when she is old enough to understand how meat/fish ends up on someone's plate she can decide to either stay vegetarian or eat whatever she likes.

I stopped after about 17 years, I think I eat meat almost daily now.
I was veggie for environmental reasons, Diet for a Small Planet was a huge influence. Some of those reasons I came to question when I realised that meat could be produced & sourced more responsibly. Also, I loathed, I mean LOATHED being associated with animal rightists. I find many of their ideas and actions reprehensible. That anyone thought I might share their beliefs came to bother me hugely.

That said, I do agree with some of the AR agenda, like I avoided battery eggs for decades, and in my ideal world I would go milk free because of how terribly daily cows are treated, but I can't face it in practice : too much headache of a change, I have a weakness for real milk in tea, and I love cheese. Have tried to cut down, though. I feel far better about eating meat than I do about consuming milk products.

You decided that she would be vegetarian, since you never fed her meat or fish.

"We agreed that when she is old enough to understand how meat/fish ends up on someone's plate she can decide to either stay vegetarian or eat whatever she likes."

Who is "we"? At the age of 6 months or whenever you were weaning her, was she part of the decision not to have any meat or fish in her purees or finger food? No.

Nope she wasn't part of the decision process. Anything wrong with that? :)

I would never make a decision for anything for ever, you should always be open to change.

Minx - no dairy is 100% ethically sound from an animal rights POV, but organic is a much better option - for one thing, you can guarantee the 'surplus' male calves haven't been shipped off to veal farms

Boojum I've taken this from the PETA website.....

Cows on organic dairy farms may be kept in sheds or filthy enclosures, where they spend their lives mired in their own waste, enduring the strain of forced yearly pregnancies and having their calves taken away from them. If their udders become infected from frequent milkings, which often happens, many farmers deny them medicine, because if they medicate the animals, they won't be able to sell the milk as organic

so it seems they do have their calves taken away.

www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/free-range-organic-meat-myth.aspx

Nothing wrong with making decisions for our small children, but you should recognize that you are the vegetarian, not your 3 year old DD. She has no choice but to eat what you put in front of her.

Taken away, yes, but in the UK at least organically-certified farms cannot send the calves to continental veal farms: www.soilassociation.org/Farmersgrowers/Enterpriseinformation/Dairycattle/Dairycalves/tabid/613/Default.aspx

It's not an ideal system of course, but it is better than buying non-organic.

CoteDAzur, quick aside. There is a thread about Scorpios. Are you a Scorpio too?

I am a meat eater on principle that without meat eaters, there would be no lovely cattle in the fields nor sheep on the moors. There is very little cruelty in traditional farming. Yes; cows do call for their calves when they are removed but they soon forget. They have to be weaned at some stage and will holloa at whatever stage that is. Beef is making quite a bit of money at the moment so I would guess that most dairy male calves are being kept for fattening long term at the moment rather than slaughtered when young. I have beef cattle and they have a very good life, currently roaming around 30 acres but they will be yarded when the weather turns. The breeding cows are kept into old age while they can still produce a calf. Sheep are virtually always kept extensively. Battery chickens probably have the worst deal but at least they dont get eaten by the fox!

No. And my favorite color isn't pink.

I stopped being vegetarian when I found a good supplier of ethically farmed & processed meat. We eat meat maybe once a month - it is a big treat and NEVER eat it when we're out (because I don't know where it came from). Also, we never eat chicken or fish - only locally produced bison, venison or pork (sausages. bacon). DS (6) likes meat but I think mainly because he doesn't have it very often. DP would eat nothing but meat if he was left to fend for himself.

I decided that, because I was no longer Vegan and because I know I can kill an animal for food, it was ok for us to eat meat in small amounts.

I still think it is healthier, cheaper & better for the world to eat less meat than most people do.

I thought you might be, but was mistaken. Back to the meat of the issue.

Also, I decided I would eat meat again but don't actually like it very much. I'll eat half a sausage or a little bit of bacon but I don't like the taste/ texture very much and if I eat more than a tiny bit it makes me feel ill. So, although I cook meat and feel ok about that, I still tend to think of myself as veggie.

I think being an eater of good quality animal products is vital for good health. I think veganism is detrimental to health. Vegetarians have to be on top of their game with regards to getting enough good quality dairy and eggs if they'll eat them.

I try to eat organic or at least free range, I consume raw, organic dairy where possible. I won't eat pork as its full of parasites (organic or otherwise) and causes unhealthy changes to your blood after eating it.

Meat doesn't have to be expensive. I don't have a problem with eating offal or fatty meat though. Love pan-fried lambs liver.

I recommend Graig Farm Organics for meat.

Oh I see Boojum that's interesting.

Although it's only 'asking them to put it into practice', at least it's a start.

I hate to say it, but I can't see it really working long term though.

The Soil Association have no power to force them to do anything.

I stopped being veggie (pesce) after 10years during my pregnancy and some health complications. I started slow with a bit of chicken. I didn't find it hard to go back and I wouldn't find it hard to stop again once I'm finished having babies. It does make dinner easier as I used to have to make two meals and my iron levels are much better.