Have you eaten meat after being vegetarian for years?

[K8Davidson]

If so, how did you find it?

I’ve been a vegetarian for five years, and I’ve tried eaten meat today (tried a pepperoni pizza on a whim.) I feel so guilty, and I doubt I’ll be able to eat meat again. Found it too greasy etc.

No - because I love animals and the thought of eating their flesh is abhorrent!

I had couple friends who reintroduced meat after being veggie for 20 years. She was pg and like others, was craving it. She was fine but when he started eating it he kept have really bad digestive issues. The GP said that its not uncommon for vegetarians to have these problems when they start eating meat as their system has forgotten how to deal with meat so deals with it in the same way as a poison. Apparently can be more common in lifelong veggies rather than those who had previously eaten it and then stopped.

It did settle down eventually but took a while. His wife said he should just stay veggie but he said he had never wanted to be a veggie in the first place, he only did it to impress her in their early days of dating! He was most put out that he, as the reluctant veggie, was the one who suffered most when they started eating meat again!

Yes, I think there are a few liars on this thread, out to prove that vegans and vegetarians are all unhealthy frail things that need a bacon sandwich. 🤣 Same old, these threads always have a few people like that. I find it’s best not to engage too much.

Any diet can be unhealthy. I’ve been vegan for many years and vegetarian before than since I was a teen. I’ve never had low iron, even in pregnancy. I’m fit and healthy, run a lot, play sport and have lots of energy. Some people don’t eat well, others have issues absorbing stuff. A friend of mine eats a well balanced diet including meat and is often anaemic. Her doctor says some people just don’t absorb as well as others unfortunately.

I was veggie for 15 years from about 12 years old. Still eat loads of vegetables but meat too. I feel it’s a more balanced diet for me. I’m not great with dairy or gluten and I can balance my diet better this way.

Yes. I was vegetarian for about 15 years. Stared eating meat for health reasons. Had no issues at all digestion wise. My DS was raised vegetarian and starting eating meat at the same time and again had no issues. This is despite the fact that I have had IBS my entire life (until recently - I did the FODMAP diet and know what my triggers are) and my DS is lactose intolerant and is autistic and gets general gut issues which seems to be associated with autism. But neither of us had any issues introducing meat.

Pepperoni can be quite greasy. There are lots of other meats that aren’t, but if it makes you feel guilty why are you eating it?

I did also start only eating organic meat as we had a local organic butcher at the time. but we moved and it’s also become too costly but I try to buy free range as much as possible. I am very comfortable with my decision.

'Yes, I think there are a few liars on this thread, out to prove that vegans and vegetarians are all unhealthy frail things that need a bacon sandwich'

Exactly. It'll be the meat eaters with their bad breath, gut issues and bloating wondering why they're overweight with all those burgers and bacon butties .

Yes, I returned to meat after several years as a vegetarian. I don't eat a lot of meat though, so it wasn't a massive overall change. Diet is a personal thing - do what works for you.

That's a bit of a sweeping statement.
Vegans can be healthy or unhealthy.
Vegetarians can be healthy or unhealthy.
Omnivores can be healthy or unhealthy.
Anyone can have gut issues or be 'smelly'.
Diet is personal choice.

'My acupuncturist says he’s yet to meet a healthy vegetarian '

Hmm I've never met a meat eater with a healthy bmi, good skin and high energy levels. I doubt an acupuncturist comes across a wide variety of people tbh. They're probs all a bit frail needing that kind of 'treatment'.

Yes it is anecdotal, I haven't carried out a national audit granted. Just ime meat eaters are overweight and unhealthy. Vegetarians care more about what they consume.

Don't you get out much?

Your last sentence is highly inaccurate.

thats very judgmental . I’ve been vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian and omnivore. I very much care what I put into my body, except when it’s a rare bacon butty.

I’d say I’m healthier now than I was when I was vegetarian and certainly when I was vegan.

I still do the vegan thing a few times a year (Greek orthodox) which is also no olive oil but can eat olives 😂 (go figure!). And it definitely affects my energy levels. And I know how to do the vegan thing properly as it’s inbred in me since young.

I also fast every Monday to reboot myself after excesses of a weekend.

I’m pescatarian these days, not vegetarian, but once every six months or so I might accidentally take a bite out of the wrong thing on a buffet table or something.
The thing that puzzles me is that chicken doesn’t really taste of much, so why for some people is there a huge difference between, say, a chicken curry (“real food”) and a vegetarian curry (“not real food”). Red meat obviously has a stronger taste, just not one I’ve ever been a huge fan of myself.

Chicken breast doesn't have a lot of flavour on it's own, but it's a good 'carrier' for other flavours and also often has a tender texture.

i think a bit of crackling was my downfall

Every single time I have a health issue, people tell me it’s because of my diet. These people are usually overweight and unfit.

Every time I get bloods done, everything is perfectly balanced nutrient etc wise and it’s always something different. I’m not an idiot; if I need to, I’ll eat meat but I don’t need to. In fact I’m healthier without it and it’s helped me manage a few long term conditions. But that doesn’t stop people making assumptions and judgements, usually from a place of ignorance

I was vegetarian for 6 years then moved to Japan. It’s not impossible to be vegetarian in Japan (this was 30 years ago) but it was much easier and oh so much more interesting to eat anything that was put in front of me! I’m still very happy if I’m somewhere and veggie is the only option and cook a lot of veggie stuff.

All the time yes thanks.

Chickpeas are also a 'good carrier' for flavours and poor cute chickens don't have to be slaughtered for the carrying of flavours in the process.

I didn’t eat meat for 6 years. I found it laid really heavy on my tummy and was difficult to digest. I’m fine now.

No I would never eat meat again. Been vegetarian for nearly 30 years.

I was vegetarian for 9 years. I started having dreams about fish in my second year of university. After a few weeks of it I decided it was ridiculous and my body was probably trying to tell me I was deficient in something: I was training really hard for sport and studying very hard and think I'd burned myself out a bit. I started having secret tuna sandwiches. I finally confided in my close friends, one of which was an excellent cook, and taught me how to cook "nice fish". His policy was that rather than buying processed meat and fish and eating them routinely, you buy quality pieces and treat them with respect, which I still subscribe to.

I ate just fish for a year (after which I told my parents, lol!), then started eating chicken (BBQ chicken was the only thing I'd really missed, that smell of BBQs in summer evenings...). I started eating red meat after I met my partner about a decade ago, and now eat everything "normal" (not offal or shellfish but I think that's quite usual) apart from lamb that I just can't get on board with the flavour of, even really high quality cuts.

I will eat a pepperoni pizza now, but only a restaurant or "fancy" (like M&S) one. A greasy pizza is not giving you a positive experience of meat.

35 years vegetarian - every decade or so I will try a small piece of unflavoured chicken or a mouthful of ham as I get the urge to 'check'. Even though when I ate meat I really liked it, I don't like anything about meat now, I even don't like the modern meat replacement products - they taste too much like meat!
Occasionally, like every vegetarian, you purchase something or are given something you are told is vegetarian but isn't. I can tell immediately - mostly because to me it just tastes of salt but also it tastes super strong. I can tell if a soup has been cooked in an animal broth too - same reason. Don't get me started on fish - tastes so bad I have thrown up in the past (anchovy butter <shudders>). If I had to I guess I could go back to eating mild meats but don't think I will ever choose to now.

Having said all that - god how I love the smells of kippers and bacon.

I'm not lying about my own experience and I didn't slander veganism or call others names. A vegan and to a lesser extent vegetarian diet wasn't suitable for my body. If you feel great as a vegan more power to you but don't accuse those with other experience as liars.