Vegetarian and/or vegan members of BYC!

[chickensducks&agoose]

1. How long have you been vegetarian?
I have been vegetarian for 20 years, and was Vegan for 5 of those.

2. Why did you choose to go vegetarian?
I like animals, and would rather not eat them.

3. Has raising and caring for poultry changed your opinion of farm animals, or helped affirm your vegetarian lifestyle?
I raised some meat birds, for my family, so that they chicken they were eating, was organic, and had been treated well.
4. What are some of your favorite foods?
popcorn with braggs liquid aminos, nutritional yeast and cayenne. goes great with a glass of chocolate Silk.

 

[Carols Clucks]

Stupid question, what do Braggs Amino Acids taste like? She sent over a bag full of stuff to my mom yesterday and mom sent me home a bottle. (they are friends)

 

[shagbarksilkies]

Quote:
Actually many athletes are vegan. Some athletes will go vegan just while they are in training.

Where did you get that idea from

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Quote:
The perfect tomato is an Oregon Star.

 

[GallusGal]

1. How long have you been vegetarian?
I have been vegan for 11 years, and was vegetarian for a few years prior. I started young, heh.

2. Why did you choose to go vegetarian?
When I first decided to go VEGETARIAN, it was your typical youthful 'I love animals!' thing. When I was older and decided to go vegan, it was due to a greater variety of concerns, but ultimately it boils down to my personal ethics - that, and being able to look at myself in the mirror! I can't think well of myself when I'm causing harm if I can reasonably prevent it. I feel lousy enough about my lot in the inherent ethical issues surrounding plant agriculture and do my best to get around THOSE, but animal agriculture is something I can pretty much avoid altogether. To me it just seems like a no brainer: if I don't have to kill something for survival, if I don't have to contribute to an industry that abuses its workers, if I don't have to support practices that devastate the environment... well, why on earth would I?

3. Has raising and caring for poultry changed your opinion of farm animals, or helped affirm your vegetarian lifestyle?
Having poultry didn't really do much to change my atitude towards farm animals; from a very young age, I never saw much difference between "farm" animals and other animals... which is probably why I'd cut out lamb and veal by age eight and meat in general by age ten. I guess I could say it helps affirm my vegan lifestyle, because there's no way after getting to know chickens as individuals that I could find industrial egg and poultry production remotely acceptable, nor could I ever kill even a well cared for one just because "they taste good."

4. What are some of your favorite foods?
Being a horrible cook, I'm a fan of anything that tastes good raw or simply prepared. I really love fruit - I devour mangos, berries, pomegranites, etc. like there's no tomorrow. I also LOVE wild foraging; edible wild greens make up a decent part of my diet, I think they're just positively delicious. Also a big fan of beans - probably a good thing for my protein intake. My idea of a nice mid-day snack is a whole can of garbanzo beans, haha. I probably eat the way everyone imagines vegans eat and dreads, but honestly, most vegans eat WAY tastier, more "normal" meals that I do.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Quote:
Your reasoning sounds very similar to mine! Wonderful way of phrasing it. I do have trouble with the fact that none of us need to participate in animal agriculture, and yet massive amounts of people do, and therefore there is so much horrifying suffering going on as a result. It's all so needless and pointless, and causes so much harm to animals, humans, and the environment, and yet the industry thrives as always. I know it's hard to give up foods we are used to eating (I myself haven't completely given up dairy yet, something I feel very guilty about, but I do plan to), but should our right to eat these foods be higher than the right of the animals producing them to keep their lives?

Anyway, thanks for joining us in this thread!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
And there it is in a nutshell what upsets me about so many vegetarians......you are positive that only you are right and the rest of us are wrong.

I could care less what a person chooses to eat and believe me I'll never try and "convert" anyone to eat meat, but to condem a whole industry because of your personal beliefs....especially when it is based on falsehoods and half truths....is very offensive to me and anyone else who raises livestock for the meat industry.

 

[herfrds]

I agree with Katy.

I don't care what you eat, but don't try to pass judgement on those of us who do eat meat and raise it for the others who also do so.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
And there it is in a nutshell what upsets me about so many vegetarians......you are positive that only you are right and the rest of us are wrong.

I could care less what a person chooses to eat and believe me I'll never try and "convert" anyone to eat meat, but to condem a whole industry because of your personal beliefs....especially when it is based on falsehoods and half truths....is very offensive to me and anyone else who raises livestock for the meat industry.

I also agree with Katy...

 

[featherz]

Been vegetarian full time for 2 years now, although I rarely ate much meat before that. I eat dairy on occasion and of course I eat my own eggs. Lovin' it!