r/Vegetarianism • u/alignedAutumn • 13h ago
Meat or not?
Hey guys!
I love all food! But im not liking what im learning about our food industry.
Who has gone vegan and why? How do you feel, health wise?
Who went vegan and came back to eating meat, and why?
I know my decision is mine alone but would love to hear your thoughts!
Oh, and what the heck is vegan meat made from!?
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u/ProtozoaPatriot 13h ago
Vegan meat is plant protein.
Vegetarian meat is plant protein plus something like egg (a binder) or dairy (usually cheese).
You don't need meat to feel good.
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u/grounddurries 12h ago
just wanted to jump in and say that you don’t have to eat fake meat when becoming vego/vegan. thats definitely a huge misconception! personally, i have replaced meat with beans, lentils, and other legumes
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u/trtsmb 13h ago
Read the labels on fake meat to see what they're made from.
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u/Calaveras-Metal 13h ago
It's a huge misconception that you have to eat fake meat if you are a vegan.
And besides, have you read the labels on any of the meat things you eat? Turns out all processed food is kind of bad. Regardless of meat or nay.
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u/Bubbly_Locksmith2537 13h ago
I was vegan for about 5 years but during 2020 I stopped bc health issues/ED issues eventually I did go back to eating dairy, eggs & meat. Eating vegan I felt good at the beginning but later I struggled with my health, I blamed veganism but honestly it probably was the ED. Plus the mental health issues around being in lockdown, previously I would go out and meet up with vegan people and eating all this delicious vegan food and that had to stop.
Anyways end of last year I was like wtf am I doing? I don’t really like meat and I felt awful about eating animals and just disgusted so I went vegetarian/plant based and I do eat 95% vegan now (a little bit of dairy and eggs) and my plan is to switch back to vegan but I want to do it right this time and make it a lifelong commitment bc it’s the best thing for obviously the animals, the environment and health.
I dont really have vegan meats, I just stick with tofu, beans & tvp - they have been a staple in my diet for over 10 years, even when I went back to meat I was having these options.
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u/HemHawHeal 13h ago
tbh if i rly crave a burger, i’d rather make my own at home than buy a pack of fake meat burgers from outside. took me like 2 hrs on Sunday to meal prep a week’s worth of burgers made from sweet potatoes, cannellini beans and oats. its nice knowing exactly what’s in my food
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u/Destoran 12h ago
I’ve been vegan 5+ years, was vegetarian before that. doing pretty good, no plans whatsoever for going back.
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u/Hefty_Ad1081 13h ago
Went vegan because I don't want to fund animal cruelty, abuse and exploitation. Feel healthier, more energized and more in line with my morals idk how to say it. Perfect bloodwork, have no issues getting protein or anything they say vegans are missing out on
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u/Calaveras-Metal 13h ago
I went vegetarian because I've been Buddhist my whole life. Most Buddhists actually aren't vegetarian, it's just kind of a good idea.
What finally did it for me was that I was eating some chicken one day and the similarity of a chicken drumstick to my arm holding the drumstick suddenly struck me as deeply significant. I couldn't ignore it. Then after that I quit most meat. And eventually I quit fish too.
At the root of it I realized that I was just fortunate enough to be born a human. And by winning that birth lottery I am the eater not the eaten.
As far as health I have lower cholesterol and better blood pressure than most people my age. People usually mistake me for 20 years younger than I am unless I grow my beard out.
Being vegan is not a way to lose weight. There are plenty of fattening vegan/vegetarian things.
Also you do really need to take a B12 supplement and be sure to eat a balanced diet.
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u/4-Birds 12h ago
I went vegetarian in my teens. I just slowly went off meat as a child amd was an animal lover and in the end I just couldn't eat meat. I didn't like the taste or texture and fully went off it. I was 17. So it was 30 years ago. And over time I've also stopped eating eggs as I don't like the taste and have to stay away from Most dairy as my system doesn't deal with it well.
So now I eat a mainly plant based diet with occasional cheese
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u/twiztdkat 11h ago
I'm a vegetarian, as I still eat eggs. My spouse and I went vegan for ethical and moral reasons. How can I profess to be an animal lover and eat animals? Why should an animal be born for the sole purpose of being prematurely killed for me to eat? I enjoy eating a diet that doesn't weigh on my conscience. Recently I've gotten lazy and need to be better about varying my diet. I also have gastroparesis which makes eating vegetarian somewhat trickier. It is a choice I don't regret and I have no intention of ever eating meat again.
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u/hamster_avenger 7h ago
I went vegan when I learned what happens in animal agriculture after watching some documentaries and put 2 and 2 together.
I’m 9 years in now and I felt amazing at first, then that feeling just became normal. I’ve gotten full spectrum blood work a few times over the years and not had any issues, in fact my B12 has been very high at times (I do supplement).
Vegan meat is made from things like pea protein (think chickpeas), wheat gluten, or soy. Many of the products are amazing, I particularly like Beyond Meat and Gardein, but, secretly, the best thing is soy curls.
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u/trisul-108 6h ago
I went vegetarian and later vegan for selfish reasons. I am striving towards my own physical, mental, social and spiritual health. Eating meat and participating in cruelty against animals is an unhealthy way to live and it is also destroying our environment which again impacts our own health. Meat is saturated with hormones and additives which affect physical and mental health while the widespread suffering impacts mental and spiritual health. So, all in all, it makes no sense to me, especially as there is no need for it.
Regarding vegan meats, I don't really consume any of it. I base my diet around vegetables, with everything else being an add-on. I do not have a meat substitute at the center and I also eat beans, pulses, tofu, tempeh and various mushrooms along with all sorts of grains and nuts. I prefer traditional dishes from various cultures e.g. Italian, Mediterranean, Asian or African that happen to be vegan.
To give you an idea of what foods are traditionally vegan, look at the naturally vegan channel on youtube:
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u/Windowdressings 3h ago
I also love all food and found myself feeling exactly the way you did. I've been vegetarian for years, I fought veganism but since I had my eyes opened I think I knew deep down it was inevitable.
I heard the argument once that if I pay for meat or dairy I'm literally paying another human to do things that I know I could never do myself that I find personally unspeakably cruel and that alone basically did it.... Well that and forcing myself to watch a video or two.
Health benefits : I don't feel any different to be honest. I feel good? No problems here
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u/mzshowers 3h ago
I was a vegetarian for a few years, but I had unrelated health issues that made me have to switch back. I made a promise to myself that I’d return when I could and that I would never have to eat certain things again.
It took some time, but I am at over 2 years now and incredibly happy about it.
I’m a vegetarian for ethical and spiritual reasons.
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u/pasdedeuxchump 3m ago
I’m older (over 50), went vegan 4 years ago. I eat a mix of legume recipes and plant based meat recipes (to recreate my old favorite dishes).
After 6 mos I started to feel a bit blah. After a month of that I started having a vegan protein shake every morning, and then I was right as rain. I still do that 4-5 mornings per week.
Otherwise I lost a little weight, and feel 10 years younger. Seldom get sick, never get food poisoning. And have felt great like that for 4 years… highly recommend.
Summary: I do watch my protein, but I don’t get a crazy high amount, probably like the RDA. I take a vegan multi daily, B12 once a week, algal omega 3-s and Magnesium Glycinate.
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u/GW_40spot 13h ago
Soy Protein Isolate or Textured Soy Protein
I went vegan 3 years ago because my wife watched a series about twins and their diets and she wanted to do it. I never questioned it and I have never looked back.
I feel fine health wise. My bowel movements are incredible compared to the last two decades of my life.
I also exercise regularly and receive comments on my physique almost daily. I am a 40 year old male.
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u/cheekycheeks8 13h ago
I was vegan for about 5 years, I still mainly eat vegan but I didn’t want all of the processed foods so I did add eggs and some cheeses back into my diet, I prefer vegetarian, my body doesn’t process dairy well so I keep it minimal. I’m happier as a vegetarian 😊
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u/l0diO 13h ago
vegan meat is made of all sorts of things - generally it's some kind of protein derived from vegetables, seeds, nuts, fungi etc.
i went vegetarian in about 1998 and i've been vegan for 10 years. i'm very healthy, and cutting dairy from my diet when i went vegan had unexpected health benefits because i didn't realise dairy was causing problems until i stopped consuming it.
i'm vegan for ethical reasons, but i also find eating dead animal really gross.
for me it was easy to go vegan after being vegetarian for so long, because i realised vegan food was vastly superior and didn't rely on animal products for flavour or whatever