To quit my vegetarianism and become a hypocrite instead?

[OverTheHammer]

Became a veggie back end of June. Had wanted to do it for years but always thought it would be too difficult. Anyway after watching numerous PETA videos the guilt got too much and I became a veggie. I've since shared PETA videos on Facebook trying to encourage others to follow suit.

Anyway it was piss easy at first and I was telling everyone how easy it was but 2 months later I'm struggling. I've totally lost my appetite. The thought of anymore quorn makes me feel sick. I'm anaemic and never even thought about how vegetarianism would effect my (already extremely low) iron levels. I've also joined a gym and am struggling to eat enough calories to actually keep me going.

My appetite has always been dodgy, I'm also a fussy eater, a shit cook and busy person so can't be faffing every night making lentil this and lentil that ...

Most of the recipes I look at call for meat. Restaurant veggie choices are limited and shit - it's just so fucking difficult.
Then to top it all off, I watched a video last night showing how chickens are mistreated when used solely for egg purposes. I still eat eggs. So really, I'm a hypocrite anyway aren't I?

WIBU to go back on everything I've been saying these past two months and just start eating meat again?

Any chance you could keep chickens for eggs or buy them from another back yard/small scale chicken keeper?

You are right that vegetarian choices in restaurants are often shit, but some are better than others. If you go to Italian, Indian, tapas, Thai or middle eastern restaurants, there should be several menu options that are just standard offerings that just happen to be vegetarian, so a good choice.

Tinned pulses or a slow cooker/batch cooking might help on the home cooking front? Macaroni cheese with vegetables in - eat that and I defy you not to get enough calories to keep going .

Or you could try and eat as little as possible high welfare organic meat occasionally? There's no need to tell people or consider yourself vegetarian.

Just make the choices that suit you and feel happy that you are doing your bit. If more people ate a lot less meat without calling themselves bollocks labels like flexitarians we wouldn't need intensive farming and a lot of people would be happier with the ethics of meat production.

And out of fish, chicken and meat like beef/lamb, I would go against the majority and choose beef or lamb, because it's less intensively reared than chicken and a lot of fish, and fishing is not a quick way for a fish to die.

Some people can't take iron tablets. It's very common that they cause stomach upsets, diarrhoea or constipation.

The OP has already pointed this out.

How do you make the mock duck pancakes?? They are were my favourite!

Quorn is definitely not an essential part of a veggie diet!

Take a look at "whole foods, plant based" diets for ideas about nutritious ways to be veggie. It does take more planning to meet your needs, but then I think eating well overall takes planning.

I discovered that if I take my iron supplement at night, it helps avoid the digestive problems (I have a digestive disease too).

If you eat a plant-based diet with a lot of whole foods and beans, there will be an adjustment period as you get used to eating higher fibre.

YABU for sharing PETA videos on fb, join whatever groups you like but don't emotionally blackmail others. YANBU at all to reintroduce meat I've done it twice myself, once after 6 years and another after 9 months. Ultimately I'd be vegan in a moralistic ideal world but a) I like meat a fish and b) I found it expensive with a DH who was adamant every dinner should include it.

You could try spartone in orange juice, increasing vit c and eating plenty of iron rich vegetables and pulses, if you wanted to give it a bit longer.

I used to be vegan, but my iron levels got so low, and didn't recover, despite trying lots of different supplements, so I started eating a small amount of organic high standard meat. Not a lot, just enough to keep me going. I don't have a high income, so we just eat less meat, but really good quality. I've since found out I am a coeliac, so that probably hindered my vitamin absorption.
I still don't eat dairy though, as I find that industry truly horrifying (plus it makes me want to puke!)

I'm not a veggie, but have several friends who are. I've learned to cook lentils in interesting ways, nut roasts and stuffed mushrooms to name but a few. All are easy to cook. I must confess I like an occasion quorn curry too.

Get yourself an easy veggie cook book and have a go.

Or come back to being a carnivore. No-one will mind.

To second pp, spatone iron sachets are brill, got best results from those as easily absorbable iron from a natural source.

You need lots of green leafy vegetables which eat and drink orange juice or with lemon on. The vitamin c helps you absorb the iron. You dont have to have quorn. All the supermarkets have a good range of other stuff with lots of beans and pulses and loads of easy recipies you can do. We dont eat a huge amount of quorn. Its about just working out what works for you. If you want to eat meat eat meat but you can be healthy and vegeterian. I have not eaten meat since young child. Asda have a great range of stuff. Nut roast is easy to make as are things like wraps. I would buy a vegeterian cook book for inspirations. A vegeterian diet is easy once you work out some good recipies. I have done it for 27 years. You do have to do what works for you though.

If you are finding it's taking it's toll on your health, compromise.

Try to buy British meat whenever you can and if it's possible, use a butcher who supplies local meat/ higher than usually accepted standards. The British requirements for animal welfare are substantially higher than most other countries- only three other countries rate a A in animal welfare standards: New Zealand, Switzerland and Austria.

Have 4 meat free days a week- no one will bat an eyelid if you say that medically you had to change your diet.

So cut down on meat rather than cut it out totally. Decide you'll be meat free 5 out of 7, or 4 out of 7, or whatever's achievable. if you're not into cooking I can see it would be tricky to adapt.

I would encourage you not to lose heart and to keep trying! It really isn't that hard once you get into the habit. Like you, I'm quite busy. I tend to rely a lot on slow cooker foods and big batch cooking once a week that I then freeze. There are also a TON of incredibly quick, easy meals you can have that are meat-free: pesto with freshly cooked pasta and some salad takes about 10 mins to prep.

Your anaemia is a separate issue: please do see a doctor about this. It makes you feel absolutely terrible and is probably the reason you're feeling so low in energy. I have had it myself, not because of diet but because of period problems, once these were sorted with surgery, it helped tremendously.

You don't have to eat Quorn, there are plenty of meat substitutes if you want them but you can make curries, "shepherdesses" pies, stirfries pasta sauce, pasta bake stuffed peppers chilli and everything else wit either pules and veg or tofu / soy products. You can have Quorn vegan fish fingers all sorts of sausages, all without eggs or real cheee - violife is excellent.

I would also agree with people above that its unfair to try convert people. Its a personal choice. It can be as irritating to people as when people are trying to shoove political and religious veiws down your throat. My dh and one of my children love their meat and I would never try and convert them

Sorry just saw that you can't take iron tablets. (googled it and it said there are different formulations available that aren't so bad, but I guess you have probably tried various ones already?)

Anyway - mock duck pancakes! Simple!
This is the mock duck - they sell it in Holland & Barrett
www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/granovita-mock-duck-60062253
It looks disgusting in the tin but it will taste amazing, I promise. Pull it apart and put on a baking tray. Put it in the oven for 20 min or so.
The pancakes are available from Ocado or probably from a chinese supermarket if you have one near you.
Hoi sin sauce is vegan. Spring onion + cucumber.

I'm a vegetarian, and have been for a long time (about 17 years now). But I do sometimes contemplate eating meat. If I were to do it my compromise would be to buy meat that has been reared from animals that had been given a decent quality life and killed as humanely as possible, as my 'issue' with meat eating is more to do with factory farming than the consumption of meat per se. The reason I haven't done this is that it's so expensive to buy free-range meat (often about £10-15 a chicken versus more like a £5 for a standard intensively reared chicken). So I've just stuck at vegetarianism. But maybe you could consider having a couple of dinners a week made with non factory-farmed meat so you're not as bored?

Your anaemia is a separate issue

Just because you had heavy periods it doesn't mean everyone is the same. Essentially we are omnivores and we eat meat to get all the nutrients we need.

Surely, if we need to take iron tablets to be healthy our diet isn't healthy?

Whether or not you should remain veggie on ethical grounds is something only you can decide. However don't give up just because you aren't yet really enjoying the food. Even as a lazy, poor cook there are lots of options open to you. There are so many excellent veggie products on the market that can make things so easy. Ready made pasta sauces, falafels, currys, ready meals, tarts and quiches, pizzas, pouches of pre cooked ready to use pulses, veggie burgers etc.
As for restaurants you just need to do your research. Some are shit, some are ace often it's the English restaurants and pubs that are limited, try looking for Indian and Mexican options.

I have no quarrel with vegans, but I will not take advice on food from anyone who says violife is excellent, as it demonstrates that their tastebuds have shrivelled to dust.

It is bloody awful processed muck of coconut oil and starch and is quite unfit for human consumption.

Op i did something similar about 10 years ago. I kept up the pretence in front of certain people for about 3 years after deciding to eat meat again.

My family still take the piss about it.

It's worth it though. Lovely lovely meat.

I've since shared PETA videos on Facebook trying to encourage others to follow suit.

You lost me here. No one likes a preacher. If you want to go veggie fair enough, but there's no need to push your views onto others when they haven't asked for them.

You could just eat less meat and animal products. That way you get the nutrients which you think you are missing out on, yet still eat as meat-free as possible.

I have been vegan and vegetarian more than once - and lapsed each time. The compromise is that i eat meat maybe once a fortnight, fish perhaps once a week. The bulk of our meals is made of vegetables and pulses, lentils etc. Barely any Quorn here - although DS who is away at University likes veggie sausages/burgers etc as they are easy meals for him to prepare.

"Essentially we are omnivores and we eat meat to get all the nutrients we need.

Surely, if we need to take iron tablets to be healthy our diet isn't healthy?"

First of all, this is complete rubbish. There are complete proteins that are vegetarian. Meat is not necessary for a perfectly nutritious and balanced diet.

Second of all, anaemia needs to be properly diagnosed. The potential causes of it are many, and the fact that the OP says she had it BEFORE she became veggie suggests that it's not dietary in origin but that something else is up. Extra iron is often necessary for women who have anaemia, whatever they choose to eat.

I used quorn when I first became veggie, but I soon started to really not look forward to my meals and feel a bit weird eating it. So I don't use it anymore. I make chillis with three different beans or lentils (tinned beans work well) and. Curries with veggies, sweet potato etc. Get yourself a good veggie cookbook and find some new recipes that you are inspired by and really tempt you. Try and find someone with their own hen's or rescue a few ex battery hens yourself if you've room, and know you're eating eggs from happy, healthy creatures. Research food with iron in that you could eat. Find restaurants locally that do do good veggie options - some are great for veggies, others are dreadful, you have to find new options..

After. Ramming Peta videos down everyone's necks you're going to look a bit silly if you give up so quickly!

Do whatever suits you best. But for the love of God, don't consider Quorn a vital component of a vegetarian diet. Green leafy vegetables are important for your iron levels, and will probably help whether you choose to go back to eating meat or not.