Question for vegetarians and vegans!

[runnyeggontoast]

I’ve been strongly considering going vegan, or at least vegetarian, for a while but my will power just isn’t strong enough.

I don’t eat red meat often (I don’t hate it but I don’t really like it that much anyway) so I only eat chicken but even then I’m not fussed about it. I eat a lot of seafood and fish mainly. I don’t eat much dairy in a pure form so I wouldn’t miss that (cheese, milk, cream etc) but I eat lots of things with dairy in it and I’d struggle to give that up. I eat a lot of eggs too. I’m quite a fussy eater and found I didn’t like a lot of vegetarian or vegan substitutes and it made it even harder for me, never mind the fact my will power is rubbish.

but I love animals. I have dogs, horses and spend a lot of time around cows, sheep and chickens and it breaks my heart to think of what goes on in slaughterhouses and it makes me sick to think of them as food.

I don’t want to eat meat or dairy or eggs but my willpower is rubbish because ultimately I like fish and I like chocolate and I like chicken.

Does anyone have any advice, or does anyone know of any information about it that will convince my brain and upset me enough to stop eating meat and dairy?

TIA 😀

I do have a philosophical belief that we shouldn’t exploit animals. So am I a vegan now?

It's entirely habit. If you genuinely feel strongly, set yourself up with about two weeks of Neal plans. After that it'll be easy.

Still no answer on the Jewish prawn question?

We have 4-5 meat free days out of 7. We won’t ever be vegetarian out of choice, but we are a family who adore animals / have pets.

I have a few vegan friends. Some who quietly and respectfully live with their choice and some who are passive aggressive on SM and in person, stating anyone who is an animal lover would not eat meat.

Our dogs have the best life, we have no intention of eating them - they are walked, played with and well fed.

You can be an animal lover and still eat meat!!

@Pumperthepumper if you consume meat and dairy, even if it is one day a week, you aren't a vegan.

You can call yourself a flexitarian perhaps?

It's not that hard to understand really and I'm a bit worried for whoever you are teaching. Eats meat and vegetables - omnivore. Eats meat and no vegetables - carnivore (not human). Eats vegetables and dairy - vegetarian. Eats animals but says they aren't animals - pescatarian. Eats only vegetables but still wears animals - plant-based. Eats only vegetables and doesn't buy anything that is made from animals or has been tested on animals - vegan. Eats meat occasionally and wants a fancy title - flexitarian. That ladt description sounds a bit like you.

I'm not Jewish. I don't know what their core values are. But I'm sure most religions have a line in the sand regarding what you can and cannot do else what's the point defining any religion a part from another? It would certainly be disrespectful to self identity as Jewish on a whim.

But my point is, what difference does it make? Who would care that much about someone else’s diet that they would quiz them about exactly what they’ve eaten, for how long and why, before deciding that’s it ok if they call themselves something?

Just ditch the labels. Cut out what you can, don't stress over what you can't.
I've been on/off vegetarian since I was 11 (so 40+ years), and vegan for 2yrs at a time. No matter how much attention I pay to macros, I can't stay healthy on a vegan or veggie diet. So I've reduced my consumption. Rarely eat dairy, never red meat, sometimes meat or seafood a few times a week or sometimes no times a week. But I'm not going to stress about it and still eat far less animal produce than many people.

@Pumperthepumper you don't have a point

Maybe you're a flexitarian flexi-teacher.

Watch

Earthlings documentary
101 reasons to go vegan
Land of hope and glory (UK earthlings)

All on YouTube. And check Seaspiracy on Netflix.

these might help to give you some motivation.

I went vegan for a year. It felt good to know I was doing something that I think is pretty much impossible to argue is bad. My little bit for the planet. But yes I ultimately ended up missing the nice treats and snacks, as opposed to meat, far too much. I do still use only vegan milks and a lot less dairy and meat generally though

Jewish people aren’t supposed to eat shellfish.

Id say, you can still be Jewish and eat prawns, because it makes absolutely zero difference to me. I’d still accept that someone was Jewish, even if they ate prawns. I’m guessing you wouldn’t, because then they don’t fit the very rigid definition.

Are you stupid? A vegan is somebody who chooses to abstain from eating or using animal products. If you eat or use animal products you aren’t a vegan. That’s it. There’s no subjectivity to it. If you eat meat or dairy you aren’t vegan. There’s no such thing as a vegan who ‘occasionally eats a bit of Brie.’ That’s why it’s funny when Jez from Peep Show refers to himself as a ‘vegetarian except for chicken and fish and posh bacon.’ It’s funny because he’s actively saying he isn’t vegetarian at all.

I’ve just explained it. You just can’t argue with it. You’re being quite rude too.

@PoseyFlump I highly doubt that is a teacher, but they can give themselves such a title if they want

And as for being Jewish and eating prawns - a better analogy would be can you say you’re Jewish despite not being a practicing Jew and having no Jewish heritage and attending a C of E church faithfully every Sunday? Because that’s what it is saying you’re a vegan who eats animal products.

@Pumperthepumper you have made no valid point at all.

Why not? What difference does it make? How many days in a row do you have to meet before you decide what to call yourself?

😂

I’m a teacher. No I don’t have a uni degree or qualifications and I’ve never worked in a school. But I really think of myself as a teacher so, you know…

You don't need to be 100 percent anything. I think people forget that it's far better to have ten people be vegetarian or vegan 90 percent of the time that one militant vegan 100 percent of the time.

Switch the easy things. There are good ice creams. You have to figure them out though! Oat milk is actually fine in anything. Cereal, bechamel sauce, coffee..I can't taste the difference.

Vegan cheese is uniformly terrible.

Beyond burgers are tasty and terrible for you, Richmond vegan sausages are so good and probably as shit for you as actual sausage. Pasta, beans soups don't need meat.

Every Sunday? Or just occasionally?

People don't bother of they can't be perfect and that a weird way to think about it

I haven’t read the full thread, but I don’t like substitutes either so I never eat them. But I do like cooking.

Do you like to cook? If so, I can recommend bosh! Great recipes. They are on instagram (where I get the recipes from them) youtube and have some cookbooks.

I don’t struggle at all - but I think that’s because I’m not trying to eat a vegetarian / vegan version of a meat-eaters diet.

Exactly. It’s bizarre.