The Vegetarian & Vegan Thread

[lizloveslife]

Do any of you have troubles around Christmas with not eating meat? I'm a vegetarian but I usually manage pretty well since we have dinner with my family and they all know. Do you bring your own dishes? Or let them know in advance?

 

[twilight fairy]

Letting the hosts know in advance is good; you don't want it to get awkward when they offer you food, much of which is meat, and you politely refuse it all..

 

[Bixby]

Do any of you have troubles around Christmas with not eating meat? I'm a vegetarian but I usually manage pretty well since we have dinner with my family and they all know. Do you bring your own dishes? Or let them know in advance?

You'd think Thanksgiving would be harder since it revolves around turkey.
But no, I don't have any problems since I don't crave meat. But yeah, if I'm going over to someone's house for dinner I usually let them know in advance that I'll bring some "healthy" dishes--that way they don't have to worry about making something right for me, and I have something to eat.

And for Christmas it's really easy to make delicious vegetarian or vegan dishes. Just take your favorite recipe and alter it to fit your needs.

We should make an extension to this topic where people can post recipes and others can help to "tweak" them into good, vegan dishes. Mmmm!

 

[cardboardboxed]

You'd think Thanksgiving would be harder since it revolves around turkey.
But no, I don't have any problems since I don't crave meat. But yeah, if I'm going over to someone's house for dinner I usually let them know in advance that I'll bring some "healthy" dishes--that way they don't have to worry about making something right for me, and I have something to eat.

And for Christmas it's really easy to make delicious vegetarian or vegan dishes. Just take your favorite recipe and alter it to fit your needs.

We should make an extension to this topic where people can post recipes and others can help to "tweak" them into good, vegan dishes. Mmmm!

Yeah, I don't crave it either. Well I've recently.. like in the last year.. developed a craving for tuna so I have it as a "treat" every so often.

around holidays I usually pig out on sald and other non-meat sides of yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes.. also I might bring a dish of my own if I have the time to prepare one.

 

[J'aime_la_mode]

ok, i have a problem....iv been a vegetarian for a loong time and im completely happy-meat just disgusts me and im appalled at the way animals are treated on factory farms-its really disgusting and i feel strongly about my beliefs. As iv posted earlier, iv become a strict vegan a few months ago- I dont eat any animal products whatsoever and im very happy with my choice. But..heres the problem, today i was walking by a store and i saw the most beautiful coat. It was the perfect kind, that you see and your like wow this is the one thing that would complete my wardrobe!! But when I got to the register, i realized the coat was made of genuine leather. I felt so stupid but for some reason i just didnt care- i wanted that coat so bad. I didnt buy it but you have no idea how bad I wanted to. I would feel like a horrible hypocritical person if i did but when i put it on, its like i completely forget that i was wearing a dead cow. And fake leather always seems so cheap and tacky....sorry this is so long but im very confused and would very much like some input....

 

[Sweets]

i think its one of those things that are just human nature, most people eat meat and never consider it was actually once an ANIMAL, this is the same scenario happening with you. You would rather just ignore what you are actually doing (in this case because the coat was pretty, or in the meat eaters case because meat tastes good to them) than actually think about what you are wearing (or want to wear). Its nothing to feel guilty about, you didnt buy the coat, you didnt support the industry. No worries you are only human

 

[lostinemotion]

i always feel that there is something better out there, you just haven't found it yet. if it were truly "perfect" for you, then it wouldn't be in leather, and wouldn't make you feel conflicted.
i am sort of a vegetarian...not vegan, but don't wear leather, because I feel uneasy about it.

 

[marcy248]

ok, i have a problem....iv been a vegetarian for a loong time and im completely happy-meat just disgusts me and im appalled at the way animals are treated on factory farms-its really disgusting and i feel strongly about my beliefs. As iv posted earlier, iv become a strict vegan a few months ago- I dont eat any animal products whatsoever and im very happy with my choice. But..heres the problem, today i was walking by a store and i saw the most beautiful coat. It was the perfect kind, that you see and your like wow this is the one thing that would complete my wardrobe!! But when I got to the register, i realized the coat was made of genuine leather. I felt so stupid but for some reason i just didnt care- i wanted that coat so bad. I didnt buy it but you have no idea how bad I wanted to. I would feel like a horrible hypocritical person if i did but when i put it on, its like i completely forget that i was wearing a dead cow. And fake leather always seems so cheap and tacky....sorry this is so long but im very confused and would very much like some input....

I was vegan for a number of years, wouldn't wear fur/leather/wool, etc., no honey, no sugar. One day I realized that it wasn't right for me, and although I don't think I will ever eat meat again, I am okay wearing leather shoes. In the end, you have to do what's right for you. Don't worry about being a hypocrite. You live by your own set of rules and let others live by theirs. If you chose to be vegan in diet and wear leather, it doesn't make you a hypocrite.

 

[lunabella]

J'aime_la_mode,
don't buy the coat. it's just one little coat. if you buy that, you might later buy something else. it's a snowball effect. being vagan (or even vegetarian) is one of the best things you can do for this planet. it shows that you have respect and high morals, plus compassion for the helpless.
however, at the end of the day, it's YOUR CHOICE, no one can make it for you. as long as you can sleep at night, it's all good.

 

[skot4mc]

J'aime_la_mode, just ask yourself, a genuine leather coat is going to make you feel what?

if your having second thoughts, then chances are you will get buyer's remorse after buying it. (thats normally the case with me)

what ever your decision, i hope you spend your money on things that are in line with the truth of who you are, and what you care about.

scott.

 

[Bonchic]

well I don't eat meat and I still wear leather (shoes, etc..) and occasionally fur

 

[Trista]

I've been a vegetarian for almost 5 years now-not vegan. I have actually found the holidays pretty easy because for Thanksgiving, it's just me, my brother, my parents, and my dad's dad so I get whatever I want. I had spring rolls, asparagus, vegetarian stuffing, and tons of other veggies last year but this year we went to a restaurant where there was NOTHING vegetarian on the menu (it was a special menu) so I had a couple slices of a pumpkin pie on whole-wheat crust and then made a Boca burger when I got home. Christmas I'll usually have stir-fry.

I also have chosen to avoid leather, fur, etc. I don't own any leather things besides shoes, but I'm getting rid of them. However I experienced a case of buyers remorse because the local Ross had Tommy Girl stilettos in my size for $10-but I got home and after I clipped the tags was when I realized they had leather on the straps. In addition, I avoid lard and gelatin. Those are easy to avoid but there's so many candies and things I used to eat (marshmallows being the biggest case) that have it. Because I got rid of it, though, I feel like I've rid my body of some toxins.

 

[fab_fifties_fille]

Well I still wear leather gloves/shoes/bags... in the vain hope they're a bi-product of the meat. When I became vegetarian (when I was 9) until I was about 14 I wouldn't eat gelatine...but I do now, there's way too many low fat yoghurts with it in for me to care anymore...but I do only eat vegetarian jelly, and don't eat animal fat (if it's within a product I wouldn't notice but I wouldn't use it to cook with). It's not so much a case of me not liking the thought of animals being killed...it was at first I suppose, but I was always happy with people having other opinions. Now I just couldn't physically bring myself to eat meat...I think I've just conditioned myself. If there wasn't people out there willing to eat meat we'd be overrun by livestock

The only thing that annoys me is when a person who eats meat doesn't want to know anything of the process or where it came from...I think thats very important with all food, and if you're going to eat meat it's a fact of life that it's came from something that was once alive. I know so many people who eat meat, who as soon as they hear anything of the original live animal in relation to what they eat they get all funny and just don't want to know.

 

[lostinemotion]

How long will a tofurkey keep in the freezer? They are on sale at Whole Foods.. and I wanted to get one for Christmas..

 

[skot4mc]

If there wasn't people out there willing to eat meat we'd be overrun by livestock

, but we wouldnt have to breed millions of animals anymore.

The only thing that annoys me is when a person who eats meat doesn't want to know anything of the process or where it came from

completely agree. i know alot of people, that refuse to watch videos or look at pictures of factory farms, because they know it will put them off meat. But if they cant even watch or look at what happens to livestock, how can they eat it?...so very annoying. they just continue to ignore the truth. THEY CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

 

[lostinemotion]

guys all this meat and leather talk is making me sick.

 

[Hotel de Paris]

ok, i have a problem....iv been a vegetarian for a loong time and im completely happy-meat just disgusts me and im appalled at the way animals are treated on factory farms-its really disgusting and i feel strongly about my beliefs. As iv posted earlier, iv become a strict vegan a few months ago- I dont eat any animal products whatsoever and im very happy with my choice. But..heres the problem, today i was walking by a store and i saw the most beautiful coat. It was the perfect kind, that you see and your like wow this is the one thing that would complete my wardrobe!! But when I got to the register, i realized the coat was made of genuine leather. I felt so stupid but for some reason i just didnt care- i wanted that coat so bad. I didnt buy it but you have no idea how bad I wanted to. I would feel like a horrible hypocritical person if i did but when i put it on, its like i completely forget that i was wearing a dead cow. And fake leather always seems so cheap and tacky....sorry this is so long but im very confused and would very much like some input....

I totally understand you.
I'm not a vegan though. Just a vegetarian. I coudln't live without raviolis and permesan cheese!
But as for leather, i have very little of it in my wardrobe, just a few pairs of shoes. I'll never wear fur, shearling or anything like that. I don't even really wear wool, only wool thing I own is my peacoat.

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

im vegetarian... and still wear/use leather products but would never wear real fur, which is kind of contradictory.

but i believe leather is somewhat a bi-product of meat and since i dont believe in waste i find it ok. although fur the animal is only killed for one purpose and that is its fur, which i find unacceptable.

plus i really like the feel and smell of leather ........

 

[marcy248]

How long will a tofurkey keep in the freezer? They are on sale at Whole Foods.. and I wanted to get one for Christmas..

I think they stay good for a while. Months? I would check the box for an expiration date.

 

[b1ahness]

Hi everyone,
I rarely post mainly because I feel like I dont have anything to contribute but I think that this thread is so fab that I just wanted to thank everyone for such great recipes and ideas! Ive been a vegetarian for 3 years now. I started cutting out meat completely but I found that I was not getting any nutrients. I was always tired and moody. My parents attributed that to the lack of meat im consuming, so eventually I started eating seafood. Although I have actual food to eat instead of just rice and ketchup or eggs, breads, pastas which is what I used to just eat when i first became vegetarian. My parents are meat lovers and they didnt really know what to prepare for me. I agree with what Sweets said earlier about how becoming vegetarian has really opened you up to so many different foods. Now as i get older im fascinated with experimenting with new foods. Ive tried so many different HEALTHY foods that i would have never tried before. Its great! I loveee it . Anyways, I hate that i eat seafood. I really want to become vegan because I feel like its something I want to do for myself. But it really difficult for me because Im dorming at a university right now. The only thing I can eat at the dining hall is rice, pasta and fish. But I cook in my dorm alot more now. I really like Morning stars veggie bacon, veggie buffalo nuggests and spinach nuggets. Soo yummy. I guess i will start with trying to cut out seafood. I hope i can! Jaime_la_mode, I compeltely understand how you feel as I often feel the same way. I feel super guilty for buying leather shoes because I feel that buy leather products is in a way worse then eating meat. At least when you eating meat, nutrients are gained whereas you really gain nothing from leather products other then presentability. Im not sure if i make sense, sorry if i sound stupid. Unless the products are made from cow by products, which i never really thought of. Nonetheless i still buy leather dress shoes from time to time . I do feel like a hypocrite most of the time when i do take that leap. But as my friend would say you should do whatever floats your boat. Just think about it in the long run. If the purchase will make you feel guilty afterwards then you just wasted your money and you feel bad. Sorry for the freakin long post!! I loveee tfs!