To renounce my vegetarianism?

[nethunsreject]

I've been veggie all my life. My parents were hippies. Several reasons I want to eat meat occasionally:

1. I eat dairy, which is as bad as the meat industry.
2. I don't have a problem with animals being killed for food. I dislike intensive farming but, as I only want meat once a week, we can buy from the local farm which is high welfare.
3. I feel that life is short, I'm middle aged and I'll be dead one day. I'm blessed in living in modern western world where I have the chance to enjoy very many things.

Anyone gone this way too?

Not exactly - I was a nonmeat eater for two years until I wasn't any more.

Just remember that you don't owe anyone any kind of explanation of your choices and they are unlikely to be very interested

If you want to eat meat, then eat meat. It's not a big deal.

Me-though I made the decision to be veggie aged 8 and renounced aged 22 due to anaemia and realising I wasn't actually that bothered about the ethical stuff ().

I don't eat a huge amount of meat to be fair but I don't regret my decision.

I've never been a veggie, but if you want to eat meat with a decent welfare standard, you can't do much better than venison.
a) Deer need to be culled, since the humans in Britain have wiped out the other predators
b) Anyone who legally shoots deer in the UK has to be properly trained and qualified. The animal dies very quickly, with no stress beforehand.

Usually dies very quickly, that should be. Obviously there is the ocassional cock-up.

Try it. You may or may not like it!

If you are only staying vegetarian out of guilt, or because of what other people will think if you dont, then you are doing it for the wrong reasons. You are an adult. Make your own choices and live with them.

That choice is easy to reverse if you decide you made a mistake. Its really not a big deal.

I couldn't personally, however the thought of eating meat now makes me feel physically sick. If you are wanting to eat meat, then eat it. I wish I could go vegan due to the cruelty of the dairy industry, however I know I couldn't do it.

I was veggie from age 7 for many yrs.

Then I discovered cows are tasty

I went veggie at 15. Went back to meat at 33. I now don't like a lot of meat anyway and still mainly eat veggie. My mum and most family members are still veggie. Now when I do eat meat I mainly eat it whene at home and I know where it's from and that it's been ethically sourced so I feel a bit better about eating it!

My mum made a few comments when I switched back but now no one cares!

Yanbu. Dh has been veggie for 30 years and feels very much like you do. He doesn't disagree with killing animals for food - he disagrees with intensive farming and the low welfare of animals. However, he says he could never actually go back to it.

I was veggie for 3 years and when I went back to eating meat I genuinely found it very difficult to chew for a long time but I persevered

Oh but I do love having loads of choice when I go out rather than just goats cheese tart, mushroom risotto or pasta in tomato sauce!

I grew up vegetarian (hippy parents here too) but started eating meat whilst at university. My mum jokes that lots of teenagers rebel by turning veggie, but if you have hippy parents you rebel by going to McDonald's.

I still eat meat 20 years later, although not every day and I try to make ethical choices.

I was veggie for 17 years (from age 11 in the early 80's due to poor farming practices). Basically loved meat but gave it up on principle. Then when organic/free range became the norm I started eating it again (about 15 years ago) & I love it! Each to their own I say.

Yes, I went back to eating meat after 15 years of vegetarianism for your first and second reasons. I still eat veggie when out and we have a lot of veggie food at home. No-one really asked any questions, to be honest.

I'm practically vegan (I was proper one).

I think you've made completely sound arguments for you eating meat.

I couldn't as my head just can't cope with it. People like yourself who don't try and hide away from what meat is, and can accept it and try to be conscious with their consumption have my complete respect.

Do and eat what you like, but why ask for permission? It's your conscience.

I'm veggie as are my kids, but I don't feel the need to ask for advice as to whether we're doing the right or wrong thing.

Thanks so much for all the replies.
Yes, I do feel a bit, not guilty but weird about it? It's almost, and this is silly, illicit! It was a big thing with my parents. Jings I'm 43 now!

I'm veggie and will be for life. I wouldn't judge you or your choices. Just be careful and reintroduce meat slowly - your body isn't used to digesting it so you might find you have some digestive discomfort.

I was a very strict vegetarian for 8 years then relaxed into pescatarian for 7 years. It was more for health reasons, as I felt my digestive system functioned a lot better when I didn't eat meat.

One day I was out having dinner with my husband and he ordered pork ribs. They smelled so good. I said that if we came back to this restaurant I would order them. I have make the switch back to eating meat, although I'm quite fussy about the quality. I'd prefer to eat meat a few times a week and eat as responsibly as I'm able to.

I'm able to donate blood now, I was always rejected due to low iron levels. There's a odd upside

It's your choice and if anyone says anything tell them to worry about their own meals . I say this as a vegan (a year in January) before going vegan I have been vegetarian for over 20 years since age 10. I will never change but my children make their own choices. Two are vegetarian, one pescatarian and one happy meat eater who has no pressure from me to be a vegetarian

I am a veggie for over 25 years, as much as I would like everyone else to stop eating meat - for ethical reasons, it's entirely up to the individual what they choose to eat.
I too don't have a problem per se with killing animals, we all die in the end, but I do object strongly to intensive farming, if you have to eat meat then it's only fair that the animal has been treated well in life and death, so choosing meat from high animal welfare sources, is the lesser of two evils.
Ultimately it's your choice, the only thing I would take exception to is you stating that eating meat would somehow make you feel that you were living life to the full ? I personally dont feel that I am missing out, but maybe that is because I actively chose to stop eating the stuff as a teenager, whereas it sounds like your parents made that decision for you?

Could you explain what you mean by 'high animal welfare sources' please?

I was a vegetarian for 17 years.

I now eat meat, but only high welfare and only British meat (highest welfare regs in the world).