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I became a vegetarian almost 5 years ago on my 21st birthday. At first, it was partly out of curiosity (and really just to see if I could do it), as well as because I couldn't ignore all the many, many reasons others had found for giving up meat.

However, now when I am asked about my reasoning, I believe that choosing not to eat meat is simply something that I can do to reduce my impact on the planet. I couldn't be happier about my choice, and have never felt better- mentally or physically.

I've been vegetarian since Jan 1! I got married in December and our best man had become vegan many months before and he looked and felt great. After looking at my family over the holidays and thinking about how everyone has diabetes and heart disease I bought that book Eat For Life and just did it! It's been a lot easier and more fun than I thought it would be. My husband has even stopped eating as much meat. He enjoys the vegetarian restaurants as much or more than I do! We've always like to cook together, now we just do it meatless! So my reason was purely health related and it's been 70 days!

I became a vegetarian when I was 12. I had always eaten a lot of meat up to that point, but one day, it just didn't seem right anymore. My joking way of explaining it is that I see animals as friends, not food. Really, I love animals, and I empathize with them too deeply to enjoy having them killed on my behalf and eating their flesh for fun. The thought is genuinely horrifying to me, actually, the stuff of nightmares. The health, ecological, etc. issues are all side benefits for me. I became vegan when I was 17, and that was over 10 years ago now. If, someday, for some unforeseeable reason, I had to eat meat to survive, I would--but until then, no thank you.

I stopped eating meat 18 years ago when my mother learned she had breast cancer. We decided as a family we would stop eating meat, mostly because of all the hormones and chemicals that were injected into animals, and the effect that these would have on our own bodies. I was only 10 when we decided to stop. My parents gave us the choice to stop or not but let us know they would no longer be serving meat to us. This completely changed how we ate and lived and how our eating habits effected the environment. This brought on a world of information for me. So although it started as a health issue. It grew into and environmental issue and also an ethics issue for myself. I always loved animals and to learn how they were treated and just the mere thought of eating them grew to be more than i could bear. I do eat eggs and milk however i do not eat fish. To me a fish, mussels, scallops all "seafood" is an animal and i do not eat any animals. I do wish that people would stop eating meat or in the very least cut down. However, i do not condone people for eating meat i was always taught it was my choice therefore i believe it is a persons choice as well. I think people should be educated on what they eat and how it affects the world they live in. I do not yell at people for eating meat in front of me and i NEVER lecture anyone. IT is simply not my place. Yes i also understand many people believe they could "never not eat meat" and that is fine. I don't eat it. I won't eat it. My reasons are my own. If you would like me to explain them to you i have no problem just please don't judge me either.

I stopped eating meat a little over a year ago. Before that, I hadn't eaten red meat for years and was "almost vegetarian" for a long time. The decision to give it up was partly for health and partly because I've just never really liked it. I wouldn't feel comfortable slaughtering an animal and I decided that if I was going to let someone else do that for me, the least I could do was really enjoy it - not just eat it halfheartedly to get some protein. I always enjoyed cooking vegetarian meals the most, so now I just do it all the time!

I became a vegetarian when I was 11. At first even my teachers made fun of me but I always hated eating meat. I learned that my grandfather wasn't eating meat and I thought, "Oh, you can do that?" So I stopped too. My mom thought it was great (she thought I would lose weight and she's an advocate for being model thin). My dad was upset because he thought I needed to eat meat, at least fish. I became a vegan a few years ago when my husband suggested it. It's been great and my mom still wishes I would look like a model. Sorry mom.

42 years ago…

Born into a ‘regular’ omnivorous family, Mom would try to feed me baby foods that contained meat and I would get sick every time. Mom told me that the doctor told her to feed me what I was able to keep down and that turned out to be all forms of grains (whole, fruits, veggies, dairy products. As I got older, my parents took me to another doctor to try to figure out why I got sick when eating meat. Apparently, I was missing a digestive enzyme that broke down certain proteins – like those in meats.

Essentially, it seems, my body was rejecting what it wasn’t able to digest properly. I never became a vegetarian, I just am one… often making me the oddball that eats weird.

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “You’re a vegetarian? What do you eat? Can you eat pizza?”

This inspired me to learn a lot about nutrition and a balanced vegetarian diet as well as health & fitness. I’m happy to say my doctor says I am in “phenomenal” physical condition.

I love to cook, and use whole foods, as natural as possible. I’m not opposed to eating meat, it’s just not for me. I will cook meat, chicken or fish for others but very rarely do. Most people (except my Dad who is a BIG carnivore) seem to enjoy my vegetarian cooking.

I’m so happy that vegetarian diets have become something of a ‘movement’ as now I have a lot more options at restaurants and people don’t think my diet is strange anymore and people are often asking for my input on improving their diets.

I was a vegetarian for almost 10 years, starting in the 7th grade (I think I was twelve.)

I started eating meat again after a period of illness when it was a miracle if I wanted to eat ANYTHING. Sometimes that anything was (and still is) meat!

I was 12, so more than half of my life I have been so. It was an ethical thing, and cheesily enough, I was made aware by reading about River Phoenix's vegetarianism.
A few years back, I began eating seafood, which I justify as something that I could catch and kill myself (though that Octopus I ate in Turkey last year made me feel guilty). Surprisingly, it was fish that my family brought home that first inspired the vegetarianism.
As I grew up, it became just a preference and a choice for the environment. And it has certainly had health benefits, as heart disease runs in my family--not that all vegetarians eat well. I just happen to love vegetables. It has broadened my palate tremendously to have to search out new cuisines and ingredients. And now buying from farmer's markets and (soon) growing my own food brings me a lot of joy.

I became a vegetarian at the age of 17 (I'm 26 now). I was a senior in high school and my whole family gave up meat for Lent. I was surprised at how easy it was to go meatless ad how little I missed eat. Given all the health and impact on the world reasons to be vegetarian, I decided to keep going after Lent ended, and I've been a vegetarian ever since.

I've been vegetarian for 17 years, since I was 10.

I don't know if there's a history of fervent vegetarian-preaching here, but the "don't get all huffy, veggies!" warning kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I totally agree that aggressive proselytizing doesn't produce a good discussion, but given that we're presumably not going nuts on the "March is for meat!" posting, I think we vegetarian readers and commenters have shown that we play well with others. =)

Thanks for the feedback, Truculence. Maybe my comment was unnecessary. I certainly don't want to sound self-righteous myself! There has been just a bit of unpleasantness on other threads, though, and it seemed a reminder might be helpful.

And this thread is fascinating - I am enjoying it so much! Carry on!

@Truculence:
I agree with your read of the "vegetarians we KNOW you want to get all preachy" caution note. I thought it was pretty condescending, especially, yes, given the fact that we are apparently reading through the Meats of March posts. I feel like i have gotten at least as much criticism for my vegetarianism over the last 19 years since i stopped eating meat, as i have heard directed towards meat eaters by vegetarians. I am not saying that this is some sort of random sampling, but i do think it's a little presumptuous to write this comment here.
Also, vegetarian (as mentioned) for 19 years, with a 6.5 year veganism stint in the middle. I am veg mostly because i hate animals and think they are gross, and know that meat production increases the number of animals in the world. Also, because i don't agree (ethically, as an anti-capitalist, etc) with the production of animal life to be killed for profit.

I'm sorry that this is not about my own vegetarianism, but I wanted to comment on Mark Bittman's "vegan until 6 pm" approach. I first heard about it in an interview about his book, Food Matters. He talks about what a tremendous negative impact raising animals for food has on the environment, and clarified that any steps toward a solution must include both eating meat from more sustainably raised animals, and eating *less* meat in general. For those reasons, and for his own health reasons, he now eats totally vegan "whole foods" during the day, and eats whatever he wants for dinner. It makes so much sense to me; it was so similar to what I was doing already that I've started eating "vegetarian until 6 pm." Raising animals for food is so bad for the environment that if everyone ate vegetarian just one day a week, it would have a huge effect. So if I eat healthy and vegetarian during the day, and most weeknights as well, I don't feel guilty when I do eat delicious meat at a restaurant. That's what works for me.

I stopped eating meat when I was 13. I gave it up for Lent one year and never went back. Part of it is that I got grossed out by the thought that it was animal flesh, the other part of me was doing it for health reasons, and lastly, I am not a huge fan of fish or seafood, so it was easy to give up that along with meat. I still enjoy the taste of meat-like products like Morningstar or Boca meat substitutes.

I have now been a vegetarian for nearly 12 years.

I'm not vegan though. I like dairy and cheese too much!

I became a vegetarian at age 5, as soon as I made the connection that meat came from animals. I announced my decision at the dinner table one night and have been a vegetarian ever since. (I was also strict vegan in 5th grade and through high school, but now I just eat a reduced dairy/egg diet.) It wasn't easy growing up as a vegetarian in Texas, but I was fortunate to have a very supportive family. Several of them ended up going vegetarian, too.

Almost 19 years, for ethical reasons. All the other reasons are also wonderful and compelling, but that was the reason that put me over the edge after being almost veg for a long while. I love that being vegetarian has greatly contributed to my health effortlessly.

i was raised vegetarian. i eat fish though. i have only eaten meat twice both by mistake.

15 years. About 15.5 years ago I moved in with my current partner. The minute I found the veggie version of my favorite junkfood, I switched to a vegetarian diet and haven't looked back. My partner went veggie at 15 when he had a crush on a veggie classmate.

We'll see what happens with our (still) vegetarian nearly 3 year old and 1 one year old. (I would be very interested in a thread about vegetarian families and kids.).

four years ago, at my coworker July 4th barbeque party, where baby pig roasted on an open fire looked remarkably similar to my new and much adored bulldog puppy. ever since any type of animal product is off the limit as it would be equal to eating my best friend and companion, now four and a half.

I was rubbed a bit wrong by the warning not to get 'preachy' as well. The general attitude that vegetarians will be preachy is, in my opinion, as bad as the vegetarians who are preachy. I don't like to share my story with non-vegetarians for that reason. I don't want to challenge a meat eater unless they ask about specific facts. I stopped reading a lot of food blogs because of their anti-vegetarian barbs. I didn't expect to see it here. It's very sad.

I've never asked a meat eater why they do eat meat.

I've known someone who "went" vegetarian for a while - a few years - and switched back to eating meat (not sure what made her switch back). During the time that she was a vegetarian her mood and overall outlook was a lot more pessimistic and mean. She just wasn't always a great person to be around. This became more apparent once she switched back to eating meat. Not instant or like a light switch noticeable, but still evident.

Can anyone relate/explain why something like this would happen? Has this happened to anyone here?

When I was 10 years old my mom sat a plate of bacon, eggs, sausage... the works down in front of me and it clicked that these were animals on my plate and I thought it would be wrong to eat them. That first year took some getting used to and off and on again vegetarianism but that was 14 years ago and I still feel it's unnecessary and cruel to eat meat.

I am not a true vegetarian but I gave up eating red meat about 2 years ago and cut down on almost all other meat drastically. My decision came about after reading numerous articles on hormones and factory farming. Now if I choose to eat meat, I do my best to support smaller/humane farms. I don't begrudge anyone's decision either way to be a meat or non-meat eater but I do think we should all be aware of how our food is raised, where it comes from, how it has be adulterated and the farmers who are getting it right. AND support those farms every time they go to the store. :)

I became a vegetarian in the latter part of 2007 after reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and seeing animal cruelty videos made by PETA and decided to be even more selective than I already was in terms of what industries I was willing to support with my money.

Initially, I was concerned about variety in my diet, but I find that nowadays I eat a far greater range of foods than I did as a meat-eater. And I don't miss eating meat. In addition to being good for the environment and good for animals, the veggie diet also has another side benefit, in that it has allowed me to easily maintain a steady body weight, which, in the past, would constantly fluctuate up and down.

To Nickel525, the girl who went vegetarian...could it have been that her version of vegetarian was to gorge on pasta and sugary items? I have known this to be the case where the vegetarian wasn't actually eating any vegetables. This kind of eating can wack out your hormones, insulin spikes and zap your energy. If you are incorporating whole grains, vegetables and vegetable protein, there should be no reason to have mood swings. Flax seed oil can also help those with mild depression (or fish oil for non-vegs) so it might be a good idea to incorporate it if you are prone to mood swings. Just a stab-in-the-dark explanation to your question

Oh, and I agree about being a little put off by the warning to play nice, especially since it was only directed at vegetarians. In my experience, it's vegetarians who are bashed most often, not the other way around. I've been gagging a little and quickly scrolling past all the raw meat posts, but I certainly wasn't going to go onto those posts and comment about it.

i have been a vegetarian for 16 years now. i had a friend who was vegetarian, and every day at lunch we would grill her about why she was vegetarian. she finally got sick of us asking and just told us to read the book that had convinced her to be vegetarian ("the vegetarian handbook", i believe). i read it, it went through many of the reasons people are vegetarian, and they all made sense. the ecological and ethical reasons are the main ones that hit home for me. i realized that i didn't *need* to eat meat to live, and i could prob be healthier w/o it. i didn't really love red meat or pork all that much, so that wasn't hard to give up. in the first few weeks, i backslid once on fried chicken. i did eat seafood for about a year, but then i got to the point where the idea of eating a tuna sandwich or shrimp just grossed me out. my omnivore parents have always been really supportive and never made me feel like my diet was odd.

(i will also confess that the admonition to not be preachy about vegetarianism also rubbed me the wrong way. i have known many other vegetarians over the years and have yet to meet one of the preachy, obnoxious ones that we all hear about. the few of them that are out there give the rest of us a bad name! agreed with ejbrammer - i don't ask meat eaters why they eat meat...why do people find this an an acceptable question to ask vegetarians?)

One final note on the (side-topic) comments: I edited the post to reflect our true intentions - that omnivores and vegetarians all have a chance to state their preferences with respect. This site's intention has never been to pick on vegetarians.

These (on-topic) comments are all so fascinating. Thank you for being willing to share your personal stories! Onward...

My sister has been a vegetarian since I was about 9, my best friend since she was 12. They both eat healthy balanced diets and say they never really 'miss' meat.
So this summer I went vegetarian, for all of the health/eco-benefits listed above. I only lasted about 3 months.
I just really like to eat, and I hated going to restaurants and having my friends say 'Would you like to try some Sushi?'
Yeah, of COURSE I wanted to try it. But I couldn't. I missed meat. After 3 long painful months I decided vegetarianism isn't for everyone.
So I compromised, I only cook vegetarian in my house, except for the occasional chicken broth for my soups, but when I go out to eat, or to a friends house I'm allowed to eat whatever I want. And even though I go out to eat at least 4-5 times a week I eat vegetarian about half the time.
I've been trying to cut back on red meat and order more vegetarians meals. But when my friends aunt offers me one of her amazing homegrown free-range hamburgers I just can't bring myself to decline.

I see so many comments here about people becoming vegetarian for health reasons. There is nothing inherently healthy about being a vegetarian. I would like to see the proof for these statements.

My mother went back to college and my father began cooking all the time -- all meat. I slowly got sick of hamburgers, ham sandwiches, hot dogs. I never really liked pot roast, roast beef. I only generally liked meat if it was slathered with ketchup or gravy, and then I'd rather even eat the veggies. It was a slow process.

By the time I was 13, I was only eating poultry and fish; by the time I was 16, I only ate fish. Now I'm a complete vegetarian.

I am very curious: do the vegetarians/vegans out there plan on raising their kids the same way (or are you already raising them as such)?

if so, how would you react if your kids said they wanted to eat meat? would you cook it for them? let them try it?

how do you explain it to them and at what age? are you ever concerned with 'demonizing' meat too much so that they don't eat it out of fear rather than because they believe in the principles behind vegetarianism/veganism?

have you ever had doctors/teachers/etc. convinced that you couldn't possibly provide the necessary nutrition for a growing child? has it affected their social interactions-- getting teased at lunch or having trouble eating at friends houses?

have any women given up vegetarianism/veganism during pregnancies because of cravings?

and did anyone else know a lot of people (girls especially) in highschool that went through a rebellious 'vegetarian' phase, (usually brief), which mostly consisted of eating french fries and the like, because there were a ton of them at my school.

okay, enough questions!

Totally agree with truculence and others about the lecture not to be preachy. I NEVER bring up my vegetarianism around people I don't know because I really don't care what others do, but if I mention it, I'll have to spend the next half hour defending myself and answering "can you eat that? how about this? how about that?" questions. If someone is genuinely interested in vegetarianism, that's one thing, but it's usually more like a look at the freak thing. Or worse case scenario, there are people that think it's funny to hold meat in the vegetarian's face or try to trick the vegetarian into eating some kind of animal product. The only reason I am commenting here and in that other post is because the question was asked so I figured I'd answer.

Anyway, I stopped eating meat when I was 8 after my 4th grade class took a field trip to the local grocery and we took a behind the scenes tour of each department. I was totally disgusted. I always love animals and it was at this point that I put the concept together. Like many kids, I was picky and ate chicken nuggets, fish sticks, and other foods that allowed one to eat meat without really thinking about what it was. My family accepted my decision, though they didn't cook separate meals. Rather than eat only sides, I soon learned to cook for myself. Over the next 17 years, I grew to appreciate the many reasons for being a vegetarian. After watching my entire paternal side of the family die one by one from (genetic) heart disease, I especially appreciate the health benefits and hope my cholesterol levels will be easy to manage as I get older. Can you tell I don't talk about this often? I started writing a few sentences and ended up with a book on the subject.

I've been vegetarian a little under two years, although for four or five months as I got used to the diet. In response to nickel525, your friend may not have been eating a healthy diet (there are plenty of vegetarians who eat nothing but junk food, just as there are plenty of omnivores who do the same), or she may simply have missed meat. Since going vegetarian I've felt a lot healthier--my stomach is rarely upset, I've learned a lot more about cooking and as a result have stopped eating the prepared foods that I used to turn to at dinner. For a few years before becoming a vegetarian I hadn't been eating much meat, so the decision to cut it out of my diet felt natural. I think that if someone enjoys eating meat, though (and maybe your friend falls into this category?) she would be in a foul mood after cutting it out of her diet.

Meant to type, for 4 or 5 months I ate fish occasionally as I got used to the diet.

Wow, lots of comments! I became vegetarian at age 12. Back then I was pretty militant, now I'm really not. The real reason I'm a vegetarian is I can't stop thinking about what I'm eating while I'm eating it.

My husband and several friends are what I like to call "Intelligent Omnivores," eating moderate amounts of meat as part of their healthy, balanced diets.

Basically, I think we should all think about what we're eating. I personally don't seem to need meat at all and don't have any desire to eat it. However, if everyone cut out one meat meal a week, or even one a day, the impact on the environment for all of us would be huge. It is more impactful in reducing your carbon footprint than almost anything else you can do.

I should add that supporting organic, free range and local farmers is a great way to eat meat too!

Hi Khurt, I dont think anyone on here is trying to convince you to become a vegetarian so and therefore I don't feel anyone needs to provide you with proof. Its a totally personal decision to become vegetarian. However, if you would like health information on the topic, you can turn to the internet or bookstore for a wealth of information about the benefits of eating a plant based diet. I myself am not totally vegetarian but I read about health/diet ALOT. You may want to look up juicing, raw food, and vegetarianism or genetically modified foods, factory farming, radiation and growth hormones and start from there. Being informed is the only way to make the best decision for yourself.

Oh and Khurt, there have been a lot of studies on asian diets because they typically use meat as "garnish" or in very small amounts compared to the amount of vegetables and soy they consume. The proof is in the studies but also in the health and longevity of Asian cultures.

I was a vegetarian for years! It started when I walked in on my high school boyfriend butchering his pet rabbits. He had never mentioned that they were a food resource! Being spattered with blood of my furry friends was somewhat - off putting. I was one of those "bad" veggies, though. The ones who have horrible nutrition while choosing a lifestyle that has such potential for health. Years later I became omniverous again. Now, ironic to my initial switch to veg, I've made an effort to seriously decrease my meat consumption for political/social/environmental reasons and the bit of meat I do eat comes from local farms.

I became vegetarian at 7, and vegan at 21. I'm now 28.

I rarely talk about my veganism and reasons for it, mostly because I find it exhausting to be asked about it only to be met with defensiveness and attacks. I'm a vegan for ethical reasons, but have also found that my health improved when I cut out milk from my diet.

foodefafa--I was vegan throughout my recent pregnancy, and never had any urges to eat meat, certainly. Some people assured me that I would crave meat, but I can't imagine why something that literally turns my stomach the rest of the time would suddenlt look good during morning sickness, etc.! lol. I did look at some cheesy dishes with longing, but I do that anyway. My OB had no problem with my diet--I took regular prenatal vitamins, plus extra calcium, iron, and flax oil to be safe. Also, I eat a healthy, balanced, and natural diet anyway--I'm not a french fry and pasta vegetarian.

With our kid(s), we have to walk a fine line, because I'm veg and my husband isn't. For now, our daughter is still nursing and just recently started solids, and has only had vegan solids so far. We've agreed that we won't enforce a strict vegetarian diet on her, but I can't see myself buying and/or cooking meats for her, and we almost never have meat in the house, so any meat she gets will likely be her grandmother's cooking, or out with friends, etc. I'm (not so secretly) hoping that she will be grossed out by meat and choose not to eat it, since she won't be used to it at home, but I can't control that. I won't villify eating meat, since DH does it, but when she is old enough to converse about it I will honestly tell her my reasons for not eating it (the whole "animals are our friends" thing, and that cows/pigs/etc. are not really different from the dogs and horses we love, and I wouldn't want to hurt or eat them). We will raise her around animals, and teach her to treat them with respect and love, and let her make her own decisions after that. I do believe that firmly banning something is highly likely to make a child want to do it, so I'm hoping that she'll come to principled choices on her own (whether it's vegetarianism, or eating limited amounts of humanely raised meats, or whatever).

I was raised in a family that prized beef for its meals, I stopped eating it at age 16 as an experiment for several years and then permanently at age 21. I continued eating poultry and pork about 2x a week, stopped eating those over a year ago, I just realized that raising animals for food made no sense (environmentally or ethically, for me personally). And after attending the TED Conference this year, where the oceanographer Sylvia Earle spoke about net-based fishing resulting in 10% of the fish making it to our table and 90% being considered waste (so tossed back, dead, into the ocean), I opted to give up fish until I can draw up a "line caught" "farm raised" list to use when dining out (it's been about 6 weeks and I haven't missed fish in my diet at all). I now get my protein from eggs from cage-free hens, lentils & rice, quinoa, and a limited amount of soy. I still consume some dairy but find it difficult to find rennet-free dairy that I really like (and, depending on the producer, I don't always trust the microbial rennet labels). For me, it was just the next step in a personal evolution, and as a result I find that even in a very stressful World (job, economy, family) I'm better able to manage the stress rollercoaster when I'm not eating (or wearing) animals.

I don't eat meat (unless it's organic and sometimes free-range) because I don't trust the meat processing plants in America. Food safety isn't the #1 concern for these corporations so I don't feel comfortable eating typical, grocery store meat.

Second reason is I don't like how animals are treated like products that don't have pain receptors. I'm morally ok with eating meat, just not when it has been inhumanely treated.

I stopped eating meat because factory farming is so terribly detrimental. It's destructive environmentally, economically, and it has turned farming as a business completely upside-down. I might feel differently about meat once I have my own livestock to raise my own way, but as it is, I don't want to support the industry.

I haven't eaten meat in over 9 years. I could no longer live with the idea that some animals are "meant" to be consumed while others are "meant" to be pets. For some of us, either everything is sacred or nothing is.

Even if I stopped caring about animals, I know too much about the environmental impact of meat production to justify consuming it (for more information, start with "Diet for a Small Planet" by Dr. Frances Moore Lappé). My aim is to do the least harm possible.

For me, it was totally the gross-out factor.
The recipe for a vegetarian:
Take one really squeamish little girl, add a dash of extreme pickiness.
Toss in family members who think it is funny to joke about cows in blenders/piggies being made into bacon.
Cook for 23 years...
Me!
I didn't even like veggies until I went to college. I definitely felt for the animals, but I am just truly disgusted by flesh. and bone. ew...eating something off a bone! Shall I just knaw on your arm perhaps?
I have been a veg for about 12 years now and will never go back. I don't lecture other people about what they like- just look away when they are chewing on a drumstick...

I eat fish though...for some reason it doesn't gross me out.
I don't pretend to know why.

We eat meat frequently but in small quantities. I have no ethical issues with doing so.

I do have ethical issues with factory farming, animal confinement, species-inappropriate diets, and inhumane slaughter. So.. we buy meat and poultry from small farms that raise and kill animals under humane conditions. I believe this is possible. We also eat purely a few times a week for health and budgetary reasons.

I am even pickier about what kind of seafood we eat

I became a vegetarian around the age of 16, which is about 8 years ago now. My mother had been a vegetarian for some years before that, so I suppose that was the inspiration. At the time it was just something I wanted to do-- there wasn't any particular rationale, and it just started one day. Since then I've gone back and forth about why I continue to do it, but my eating in general has also evolved to the point where I'm eating a much better diet than I ever have before, vegetarian or not.

Based on Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal Vegetable Miracle I've been thinking of occasionally eating humanely raised meat. However I'm so used to not eating meat that I've not been able to bring myself to try this new experiment yet, nor do I have any idea how to cook meat. I think it will have to be a restaurant thing.

In May 2008, after reading this

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12kosher-t.html?pagewanted=2&sq=kosher%20slaughterhouse,%20magazine&st=cse&scp=4

and this

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/nyregion/01goat.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

and making a meatloaf that suddenly began to feel obscene in my hands and in my mind.

Although I, too, continue to eat fish from the 'ok to eat' column; although I rarely cook it for myself.

I stopped eating meat when I was in the fourth grade (going on 16 years ago), and I only ate it up to that point because my parents made me...or at least they tried to. I used to eat my vegetables and then chew on one small piece of meat for an extended amount of time, usually until it was nothing more than a flavourless lump and my parents let me get up from the table. I refused to swallow meat despite their best efforts to get me to. There is a rather amusing family video of me at Christmas dinner when I was three and as the turkey comes near me I start to say "no meat, no meat"; when asked if I want turnip I am quick to say "yes, please".
I just don't think that I was intended to eat meat and I have a hard time thinking that my dislike of meat puts me in a position to criticize people who choose to eat it. My boyfriend eats meat and I can't fault him for making that decision but I can make him eat kale and tofu!

I was an on-again, off-again vegan for a decade. I made poor food choices as a vegan and/or vegetarian, like lots of processed fake meats. Last year, I decided to give the Quantum Wellness cleanse a try for three weeks. I felt so good eating vegan, that I haven't stopped. It's been nine months since I last had meat although I have mostly avoided dairy for about ten years.

My daughter eats a little meat, which she prepares for herself, but I still cook full-on meat dishes for my husband. I have, however, incorporated vegan recipes into our menus and he is eating healthier than ever (read: a lot less animal products).

At this point, I can't imagine going back to eating animal in any form. It's what works best for me.

I would like to add that I do sometimes ask someone his or her reasons for becoming a vegetarian before a shared meal. I would like to know if meat is something that the person has eschewed because of preference (taste, texture, etc.), a concern for environment, or a deep moral issue with eating flesh/harming animals, etc.

I do not consume a lot of meat and will gladly choose a vegetarian meal if it means not making my dining companion ill or otherwise uncomfortable.

Something like 5 years ago, I stopped eating meat b/c of the inhumane treatment of animals. Then it branched into other reasons, the impact of it on the environment and on my own personal health (which made me cut out the dairy too).

I don't bother people about their eating choices, though it sometimes bothers people that I refer to meat as carcass (but that's what it is!!)

My dad likes to tell me that he can hear the carrot's scream when I bite into it. Not to be preachy, BUT I'm not the one who's had high cholesterol or blood pressure. so there.

There is a new documentary coming on HBO out about factory farming you might be interested.

http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/deathfactoryfarm/index.html

In 8th grade almost my entire (all-female) lunch table decided to go vegetarian. Ten years later the only ones who are still vegetarian are my best friend and I, and neither of us can quite remember why we did it in the first place. I remember reading Fast Food Nation but that may have been later...I do remember cutting out pork first, reasoning that pigs had been a favorite animal of mine since I was really little and it made no sense for me to eat them, especially since I didn't think they tasted very good in any of their edible forms (I'm the only person I know who has never, ever liked bacon). Then I stopped eating beef...then everything else. My parents didn't care either way, and my mom started teaching me to cook.

Now I keep veggie because I have hereditary high cholesterol, despite being very very small and in great shape. I also have a really fussy digestive system and had chronic stomach aches as a kid, and since meat is not terribly easy to digest I figure it's for the best. The only meat I'm ever really tempted by is fried chicken. It should be illegal for anything to smell that good. And if I could get reservations at a nice enough place (think Michelin stars or a really nice molecular place), I would absolutely try anything they served.

I've never eaten meat; I've been a vegetarian my entire life. My family eats meat; I wasn't raised this way. For some reason I always refused to eat any sort of meat/poultry/fish as a baby and the pediatrician said not to force it, I'd be fine (of course, being a vegetarian is very mainstream in California). Never had any desire to try it, but I don't have any problem being around those who love their meat.

For a year. For health/personal/ethical reasons. I've never been a big meat eater anyways.

I have noticed health changes in myself since I've given it up. For one, my skin has improved dramatically.

I think people have to make sure they're taking B12. That can be linked to depression as well...maybe it could be responsible for the one mention of someone's friend's mood swings?

I'm wondering about everyone else...it seems every time I sit down to eat out I'm asked to explain why I'm vegetarian.

It's such a personal reason. No matter what my explanation is - and I usually simplify it to "I read a lot about it, researched some things that scared me, and decided to give it up" people always get defensive about their own diets. And I often get comments like "Don't you feel you're missing out," the classic "What do you eat" and often "I could never do it."

I ate steak for 25 years BEFORE I gave up meat. I don't care if others eat it. It is my own choice. But it makes me feel insecure when I have to constantly explain myself.

How does everyone else deal with this?

On the parenting/pregnancy topic:
I cannot comment directly on those, but I will share that my parents didn't initially react well at my proclaimed vegetarianism (I was in middle school), even forcing me to eat fish one night. My mom soon took me to my pediatrician, who said it was fine, just to make sure I ate a variety--especially to get protein from beans. That made a tremendous difference.
I find that getting asked about vegetarianism has decreased a lot in the last several years--it is nice! (of course I don't count this survey as an interrogation)

I have been raised eggiterian(vegeterian plus eggs). I tried to eat meat couple of times but could not because I would always start imagining an animal being killed and then could never eat it.
Personally I know I can't eat any form of meat but I am not against eating them. My personal take is whatever you eat eat as fresh as possible be it meat or vegetables because then only you get the benefits out of it. Both these things are/were some form of life and have energy or "Prana" in them.
There are arguments for and against everything.

My husband and I are mostly vegetarian depending on the season, if you can believe that. Starting around late spring through early winter we eat 99% of our meals lacto-ovo vegetarian, with the 1% usually when we eat with family. During winter though, we up our meat consumption to a 75/25 ratio (75 vegetarian, 25 meat). I'm not entirely sure why, but it's been that way for the last 3 years. Meat is primarily used for flavor and protein. I can't wait for full spring through (Seattle/Pacific Northwest region). We're already decreasing the meat we eat in preparation.

i stopped eating meat about 15 years ago, when i was in college. i had never eaten much of it before, anyway; in my parents' house we ate a lot of tofu and only small quantities of meat. i realized i could never "create" my own meat--that is, i would not be able to kill an animal to eat it, so i didn't feel like i deserved to eat it. and i certainly don't need it.

i do miss and crave bacon, though.

One other thing that had an impact on me was the repeated showing of Sarah Palin's interview while turkeys were being slaughtered in the background. Whenever I think, well, maybe... nope! That interview pops into my mind and replays over and over (it was shown so often that it Really stuck with me).

squiggle: I missed something about bacon too but I just add a bit of chipotle salsa and honey to dishes and for some reason the smoky/sweet combination does the trick. It reminds me of certain types of bacon I'd eat or dishes I'd have with bacon in them. I stir a few drops of each into mayo or yogurt to use as a condiment for sandwiches or veggie burgers, stir a few drops of each into vegetarian chili, etc. It works for me...

regarding the vegetarians/vegans being annoyed by people asking them why:

I can totally understand how it could be so, especially as you've probably given your reasons hundreds of times. though, more often than not, most people are probably genuinely curious! I know I've asked my share of people, though usually only after I've known them a while. since food is such a large part of life, such a major decision about what food you eat and what you don't eat is also pretty important, as would be the beliefs that influenced those decisions. so, when I ask my friends why, I'm just trying to get to know them better. it's like asking them why they chose their profession. so please don't be annoyed if I become your friend and ask you! :)

I think non-veggies tend to get defensive especially when the answer is in the cruelty to animals realm, (a moral issue, versus personal health, for example). meat eaters may think that if a vegetarian thinks eating meat is horrible/selfish/soulless, then they are also judging the people who do it as such. they wonder if vegetarians *really* can separate the action they disapprove of personally from other people who do it. I did know a very vocal vegan who admitted to having less respoect for people who ate meat (though, of course, not all think this way). it really comes down to universal personal insecurity and the fear of being judged by others: veggies think meat eaters are interrogating them in their questions and meat eaters think veggies are judging them when they answer. kind of silly, isn't it?

a question: many people have said that ever since they were little, eating meat never appealed to them. do any of you think it's genetic? or maybe it was just a combintation of random factors: general pickiness, the way your parents prepared it, a dislike of blood? I'm curious because I was an *extremeley* picky child (didn't like pizza, mac'n'cheese, or any of the usual kid foods... and to this day eggs make me sick), but plain meat was one of the few things I liked (along with salad and plain white rice). I wonder how much study has been done on how tastes and food preferences develope?

I became a vegetarian when I was really young - like 7 or 8 - and then stopped being a vegetarian when I was 21. Now, I'm 26 and in love with a vegetarian and vegetarian yet again.....

I am really enjoying reading this thread. I am not a vegetarian. I have read Omnivore's Dilemma, Fast Food Nation, In Defense of Food, The China Study, Eat to Live, Diet for a New America. All these have certainly caused me to radically decrease my meat consumption to the point where most of my meals are vegetarian or vegan.

After reading The China Study, I am considering a recommendation in the book to go vegetarian but be "loose" about it. Meaning, don't stress if I'm out or at a friend's house for dinner, if there's egg in the bread or broth in the soup. But don't knowingly order/make it.

I think it's a legitimate question to ask why people are vegetarian. It could be ethical (don't want to eat something with a face), it could be environmental, it could be health-related.

I've been vegetarian for over 10 years now. I have chosen this lifestyle because it is better for the environment.

I stopped eating meat when i turned 17 and I am now 31.
i didn't dare do it earlier for fear of what my parents would do
while still living with them.

i would have to say i chose to become a vegetarian after a good long look at how we treat the animals in our meat industry particularly the ones in factory farms.
suffice to say I believe that these animals should be treated with the greatest of respect and dignity for the tole we take out on them. and they aren't being given anything near that.
and most of them are being given nothing more then the most deplorably of living conditions through out there lives.


then i started looking at other thing like animal testing and whatnot but that's off the point.

I personally try to avoid any conversation about. it because most of the time someone asks and i answer they start attacking me and my personal beliefs which I find very annoying.

and i try not to push my beliefs on others.
and i respect those around me who eat meat. (not to mention i don't have many other vegetarians in my life.)
and i just do my part to avoid benefiting from a system of human barbarism.
and i try to keep it to that.

from this I also volunteer for animal rescue in disasters (although i have yet to be called for it :P)

well that's my reply hope i didn't offend any one or make it too long winded lol :D