Thinking about becoming a vegetarian

[salj]

Oh cool!

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[CHarvey]

Just to let everyone know I'm nearly two weeks in and still going strong. All side effects have subsided and am loving it

 

[kitty78]

I became vegetarian in august. Thought i would find it really hard as i loved meat, but can honestly say i don't miss it at all. My kids and partner still eat meat but nowhere near as much as they used to. Our shopping bills have gone down loads too. Don't know if you have already been reccommended it but i find this book really good River Cottage Veg Every Day! River Cottage Every Day: Amazon.co.uk: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: Books

 

[salj]

Just to let everyone know I'm nearly two weeks in and still going strong. All side effects have subsided and am loving it

Im really glad it's going well. Yay veggies!!

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[LilMissEmmylou]

I'm with Salj, loving reading your progress and seeing that your not finding it a struggle to come to the veggie side of life

I may have missed it in the thread but in the future will you be looking at using animal friendly cosmetics at all? Just curious as that would be an interesting journey to see a thread on

 

[DeLaFemme]

I'm not a vegetarian but I'm constantly thinking about converting. I just don't like meat; the taste, the smell and the fact it used to run around.
MY OH and son are big on meat so I'm worried that it will make mealtimes more hassle (for my OH, I don't cook).
Will be coming back to this thread to see how you get on. Good luck :hug:

 

[JessieJames]

Wow this thread has really inspired me ! I have been thinking about cutting out meat for a long time, but it's never happened
I've got to say it's the occasional steak that I have that I think I will really miss. I don't eat much meat anyways but my OH does and he moans if we don't have some sort of meat regularly and I do all the cooking !
I really love animals and care for their welfare so I'm gong to go for it once and for all
Well done OP for doing so well !

 

[jazmine]

So due to yet another story about the meat in our super markets not being all it seems (horse meat found!!) I am now seriously considering becoming vegetarian! Problem is I really do love meat and have become anaemic several times. I really do not know where to start?!?!?
Also I have three children and a partner who also love meat, out budget is tight and I do the majority of the cooking so don't want to be doing seperate meals etc
Any advice on where to start? Good websites?

Hello I haven't been able to read all post so sorry if I repeat what other have said. I eat meat, love it! But quality is important. We're also on a very tight budget. So at the start of the month I got I a local butchers and see what I can get for £40 this will be our meat for the month. I'd say 3 nights a week we eat meat free (by choice- lentils chickpeas ect)

Butchers are great usually happy to do a deal, cheaper cuts of meat usually just need to be cooked differently. You can get great quality pork for next to nothing. Venison and veal can be bought for a good price and ate ethical meats.

I make my own burgers they really take minutes to make and can be frozen and taste lovely- garlic onion salt pepper and a dribble of oil...

I do a roast chicken or ham once a week as there's always left over for sandwiches! (This I will buy fresh weekly)

Veggie things I cook an extra portion or two and they go in the freezer for another day or for my oh lunch.

Omelettes are a great option also we buy spuds and onions in bulk I got 20k bag of potatoes for £12 which will last us ages and they keep well.

Good luck

 

[salj]

Wow this thread has really inspired me ! I have been thinking about cutting out meat for a long time, but it's never happened
I've got to say it's the occasional steak that I have that I think I will really miss. I don't eat much meat anyways but my OH does and he moans if we don't have some sort of meat regularly and I do all the cooking !
I really love animals and care for their welfare so I'm gong to go for it once and for all
Well done OP for doing so well !

I bet you don't miss your steak after a while! I used to eat really bloody steaks and loads of dairy and I don't miss either. Once you make that choice live with it for a while, the less you start to see meat as food - because it isn't anymore!

I honestly gag a bit now when I walk through the meat and dairy aisles in supermarkets. I never noticed when I ate it how gross dairy / cheese smells!! hahaha.

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

the one thing I miss is tuna. I don't miss any other meat as such although sometimes when i want a ham sandwich and have no quorn but real ham in the fridge i want to kick myself :lol: (No i don't eat it, I couldn't but it frustrates me a wee bit). I will however say I don't miss it enough to want to go out and eat it. That said... if all you would miss is an occasional steak, you could still have the occasional steak and live an otherwise vegetarian lifestyle. it would be healthier and you personally would save a lot of animals with that decision

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

On the back of this thread I actually had a dream about soya milk. I have been toying with consuming less dairy as I am not sure about the ethics of how it is sourced (no issue with dairy in iteself... if i had a cow Id not mind milking it lol). So last night in the shop I impulse bought some alpro - it was almond milk and WOW I totally LOVE it! I am for sure changing to this milk for myself from now on and will perhaps try a few other types of dairy free milk.

Thanks for the kick up the bum I needed

 

[salj]

On the back of this thread I actually had a dream about soya milk. I have been toying with consuming less dairy as I am not sure about the ethics of how it is sourced (no issue with dairy in iteself... if i had a cow Id not mind milking it lol). So last night in the shop I impulse bought some alpro - it was almond milk and WOW I totally LOVE it! I am for sure changing to this milk for myself from now on and will perhaps try a few other types of dairy free milk.

Thanks for the kick up the bum I needed

woop! The dairy industry is awful, just awful. YAY for contributing less.

 

[jazmine]

On the back of this thread I actually had a dream about soya milk. I have been toying with consuming less dairy as I am not sure about the ethics of how it is sourced (no issue with dairy in iteself... if i had a cow Id not mind milking it lol). So last night in the shop I impulse bought some alpro - it was almond milk and WOW I totally LOVE it! I am for sure changing to this milk for myself from now on and will perhaps try a few other types of dairy free milk.

Thanks for the kick up the bum I needed

We've gone organic on meat and dairy. I think if your going to eat it you have a responsibility to encourage and support farmers who promote keeping livestock in the right conditions. It does mean it cost more so we eat it less

I couldn't do veggie full time, I've tried on and off and I enjoy eating meat so I am going to carry on doing it responsibly-same with fish we rarely eat it but when we do
I only buy sustainable varieties.

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

Jazmine - that's a good decision to make if your going to eat meat

I guess if I could I would go vegan but I know I couldn't handle it! So reduction of dairy consumption is all I can do for now. I just wish ALL farmers would be respobsible farmers and not over milk etc so I could just eat my damn food without guilt lol

 

[tanfastic]

Jazmine - that's a good decision to make if your going to eat meat

I guess if I could I would go vegan but I know I couldn't handle it! So reduction of dairy consumption is all I can do for now. I just wish ALL farmers would be respobsible farmers and not over milk etc so I could just eat my damn food without guilt lol

Look up "Compassion in world Farming" on facebook, also AELLA they both run posts regularly regarding dairy farming. It is absolutely horrendous, without Calf's there wont be milk, the male calf's get used for veal, the girls get used for food or raised to become milking cows, the babies are taken away and mum is left to be milked for the rest of her productive life.They mourn their young and call for them for ages, the babies don't even get a chance to meet their mum before they are moved on for money. It is wrong and as long as we buy cheap milk that farmers struggle to make a decent living off of, the cruelty will continue.

 

[jazmine]

Look up "Compassion in world Farming" on facebook, also AELLA they both run posts regularly regarding dairy farming. It is absolutely horrendous, without Calf's there wont be milk, the male calf's get used for veal, the girls get used for food or raised to become milking cows, the babies are taken away and mum is left to be milked for the rest of her productive life.They mourn their young and call for them for ages, the babies don't even get a chance to meet their mum before they are moved on for money. It is wrong and as long as we buy cheap milk that farmers struggle to make a decent living off of, the cruelty will continue.

My partners from a farming back ground and my sister in laws husband is from a family of dairy farmers.

I can say from what I see they are passionate and care about the animals. Unfortunately as you say due to the cheap cheap price of milk there are many farmers who have little choice but to keep a substantial amount of animals in unfair conditions and the farmers them selves barely get buy.

As consumers on what ever product you buy it's out responsibility to make sure what were buying has been manufactured ethically or kept ethicall.

We live in a throw away culture and don't care about the journey of the food or the iPod or the clothing has had before it reaches us.

 

[salj]

OK I'm not one to preach so I hope this doesn't come off like that. But there really are good reasons to avoid dairy aside from health reasons....

Organic doesn't really mean anything, only that they can't pump their animals full of hormones like other farmers do.

Cows only produce milk when they have babies, they do not 'need' to be milked! They are artificially inseminated, continually to keep them pregnant / lactating. Cow's milk is meant for their babies, which are taken away from them at birth and sold for veal if they're male and if they're female, forced into the miserable life of a dairy cow. And once they're past it, they are slaughtered anyway.

This is the reason I went vegan as the more I looked into it, the more I realised I wanted no part of something so horrific.

 

[HollyGold]

I saw this and thought about this thread, although I don't think they still make them like this, it's still gross. Had to share x

 

[jazmine]

I saw this and thought about this thread, although I don't think they still make them like this, it's still gross. Had to share x

Gross although for the price do people really expect 100% chicken breast?

 

[xxAmyxx]

Cows only produce milk when they have babies, they do not 'need' to be milked! They are artificially inseminated, continually to keep them pregnant / lactating. Cow's milk is meant for their babies, which are taken away from them at birth and sold for veal if they're male and if they're female, forced into the miserable life of a dairy cow. And once they're past it, they are slaughtered anyway.

This is the reason I went vegan as the more I looked into it, the more I realised I wanted no part of something so horrific.

This is why I am really trying to stay away from milk, also I don't eat eggs. Really trying to become vegan x