Vegetarians - why?

[Hader]

This is something that I have never been able to fully understand; the reasons some people have for being vegetarians.

So I would just like to ask, to any vegetarian escapists here, why? What are your reasons for it?

I don't necessarily have a problem with it - though I do kinda hate to see people give up meat for the sole reason of animal cruelty and that pandora's box (so please don't open it unless you feel it's much more relevant, this is more for me to explore people's opinions rather than debate).

 

[Hader]

Why not?

Because buffalo burgers.

Next question.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Because animals.

Or because they dislike the taste.

Not one, myself, but totally understand the most popular reasoning.

I mean, I'm apparently in the minority in that I find chocolate ice cream absolutely disgusting and terrible.

 

[Rayne870]

no idea, but i didnt climb the top of the food chain to eat rabbit food

 

[SwimmingRock]

Never personally been a vegetarian, but I knew a girl who turned vegetarian when she started studying to become a veterinarian. Every time she saw meat, she couldn't help but think of the insides of the animal in the non-cooked gross way. It killed her appetite every time, so she gave up meat. Does this help?

 

[BrassButtons]

Why don't you eat insects?

Different tastes, different backgrounds, different diets. 'Tis that simple.

 

[Hader]

Never personally been a vegetarian, but I knew a girl who turned vegetarian when she started studying to become a veterinarian. Every time she saw meat, she couldn't help but think of the insides of the animal in the non-cooked gross way. It killed her appetite every time, so she gave up meat. Does this help?

That I can understand. Going on as an EMT myself I have had my fair share of dissections and whatnot to deal with, and they are definitely not the most pleasant thing to do. But I work well with them and it never really affects me on that level, so I'm good as far as that goes at least.

 

[Bobbity]

Some people dislike the taste of meat, and some find the thought of eating what was once a living creature abhorrent.

I'm a proud eater of meat, but I can kind of see where they're coming from. Or I could, if meat wasn't so bloody delicious

Because animals.

Or because they dislike the taste.

Not one, myself, but totally understand the most popular reasoning.

I mean, I'm apparently in the minority in that I find chocolate ice cream absolutely disgusting and terrible.

Don't worry, you're not alone

 

[Mr Thin]

I mean, I'm apparently in the minority in that I find chocolate ice cream absolutely disgusting and terrible.

You're pure evil and should be burned at the stake.

OT: Because the sight of raw meat is disgusting? Bad enough when all the blood's been drained, and it's just the nice clean stuff you buy in stores.

But if you had to pull the guts out and the skin off... yeah, I can see that making people sick.

 

[Hader]

Why don't you eat insects?

Different tastes, different backgrounds, different diets. 'Tis that simple.

Who's to say I don't?

I ask though because I doubted an overwhelming majority of people are vegetarians simply because they don't like meat. Meat has plenty of variety, especially in taste.

 

[Liudeius]

Some people just don't like meat, it's an acquired taste just like everything else. If you grew up in a society which treated vegetables as meat is treated now, you bet you would like vegetables. Also vegetables are given no attention when meat is give a great deal of attention. Meat is always marinated and cooked to perfection, while vegetables are often low quality to begin with (frozen vegetable medley, yuck) and far over cooked with no spices or marination.

As for why vegetables and not why you prefer meat to vegetables. It's healthier, you've heard all the bad things about meat in sure.
Meat is extremely detrimental to the environment, I'm sure you've heard this too, raising so many cows and how much water and food it takes to produce a single pound of meat. A person who primarily eats meat actually has a bigger carbon footprint if they walk to travel than they do if they drive a car (because of meat calories burned). Yes, more vegetables are necessary for equivalent calories, but the cows needed to eat those plants anyway (and support their own bodies) to generate your meat.

I'm not vegetarian by the way.

Meat has plenty of variety, especially in taste.

That's not true, the main varieties of meat in the US are chicken, cow, and pig. After that Turkey, Duck, and Lamb have some prevalence, but not much else shows up. (I am excluding seafood from this list because I know plenty of people who just avoid land and air meat while eating fish)
Most of the differences are just in how it is cooked, what flavorings are used, and the like. Even different animals can taste quite similar.
Plants have huge variety. How many fruits do you see in the fruit aisle? How many variations do you see of apples alone? Look at corn and rice and wheat and the greens section. There's tofu (don't be hatin', it's good if someone who actually knows how [and doesn't try to imitate meat] to cook makes it.) of many different varieties. You can even make a tofu mousse without sacrificing flavor if you cook with tofu on its own merits.

 

[thiosk]

I eat factory farmed animals because if lions were smarter, they'd be happily factory farming humans.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Two types of Vegetarians:

Type one: They choose not to eat meat, but they don?t preach it. They tend not to mind if you do, and are more open as to why. One type one vegetarian I knew was a hunter. Their husband ate the meat, and they loved shooting the animal

Type two: ?MEAT IS MURDURRRR? will typically be yelled at you if you are munching on beef jerky anywhere within a mile of their ire. They have the sense of humor of a brick, and hate any people who like meat. They are annoying, and I dislike them.

I tried it for a week, and hated it. I felt week, tired, and angry.

 

[Hader]

Some people just don't like meat, it's an acquired taste just like everything else. If you grew up in a society which treated vegetables as meat is treated now, you bet you would like vegetables. Also vegetables are given no attention when meat is give a great deal of attention. Meat is always marinated and cooked to perfection, while vegetables are often low quality to begin with (frozen vegetable medley, yuck) and far over cooked with no spices or marination.

As for why vegetables and not why you prefer meat to vegetables. It's healthier, you've heard all the bad things about meat in sure.
Meat is extremely detrimental to the environment, I'm sure you've heard this too, raising so many cows and how much water and food it takes to produce a single pound of meat. A person who primarily eats meat actually has a bigger carbon footprint if they walk to travel than they do if they drive a car (because of meat calories burned). Yes, more vegetables are necessary for equivalent calories, but the cows needed to eat those plants anyway (and support their own bodies) to generate your meat.

I'm not vegetarian by the way.

Yes, but a lot of what humans can eat is simply due to the fact that we take time to cook our food. We really couldn't eat many greens otherwise. Our bodies aren't built for it as a main/only source of nutrition (raw of course).

It's really only detrimental nowadays though, because we have to mass produce it, and that is costly and dirty. Seeing it from say, an old fashioned hunter-gatherer society, and things change quite a bit there.

 

[E-mantheseeker]

no idea, but i didnt climb the top of the food chain to eat rabbit food

Bears, sharks, and many more animals can easily kill and eat humans. I don't think we're at the top of the food chain

OT: I don't eat meat and it started with cows, because I can't help but think of cows as huge animals that eat grass all day and remain fat. With that thought, it doesn't make sense for me to put it in my body.

 

[BrassButtons]

Why don't you eat insects?

Different tastes, different backgrounds, different diets. 'Tis that simple.

Who's to say I don't?

I ask though because I doubted an overwhelming majority of people are vegetarians simply because they don't like meat. Meat has plenty of variety, especially in taste.

The same could probably be said about insects. Yet I doubt you'd ask why so many people don't eat bugs.

 

[Hader]

no idea, but i didnt climb the top of the food chain to eat rabbit food

Bears, sharks, and many more animals can easily kill and eat humans. I don't think we're at the top of the food chain

OT: I don't eat meat and it started with cows, because I can't help but think of cows as huge animals that eat grass all day and remain fat. With that thought, it doesn't make sense for me to put it in my body.

Well humans can pretty much eat anything, if it is cooked/prepared right. Other animals can't say the same. We may be easily preyed on by some big time predators, but that doesn't automatically put us below them in the food chain. Humans are damn versatile eating machines.

That's a weird thought I must say. You aren't eating the fat, just the muscle. Their bodies break down that grass into the most basic molecular components for energy and mass building. It's not the same as what went in.

 

[Liudeius]

Yes, but a lot of what humans can eat is simply due to the fact that we take time to cook our food. We really couldn't eat many greens otherwise. Our bodies aren't built for it as a main/only source of nutrition (raw of course).

It's really only detrimental nowadays though, because we have to mass produce it, and that is costly and dirty. Seeing it from say, an old fashioned hunter-gatherer society, and things change quite a bit there.

Have you never eaten green food (or fruits)? Just about anything in the produce aisle other than artichokes can be bitten into right there. It might not taste great, but nor would raw meat (which also must be cooked by the way to avoid disease and taste good.)

It doesn't matter what was history though, it matters what is now. Our bodies CAN survive on vegetables alone (assuming you ensure you get your protein), and can't survive well on only meat (you miss out on too many vitamins and minerals).

Also I edited my first comment to reply to your variety of meat comment if you care to read it.

 

[Hader]

Why don't you eat insects?

Different tastes, different backgrounds, different diets. 'Tis that simple.

Who's to say I don't?

I ask though because I doubted an overwhelming majority of people are vegetarians simply because they don't like meat. Meat has plenty of variety, especially in taste.

The same could probably be said about insects. Yet I doubt you'd ask why so many people don't eat bugs.

Because that makes more direct sense, IMO. Lots of people are just scared to death of bugs (mostly spiders I guess, but still). While one may not call that the most legit reason to not eat insects, it's certainly a more obvious one.

 

[kaveradeo]

Because animals.

Or because they dislike the taste.

Not one, myself, but totally understand the most popular reasoning.

I mean, I'm apparently in the minority in that I find chocolate ice cream absolutely disgusting and terrible.

i hate chocolate ice cream.