r/Vegetarianism • • Apr 11 '26

This is a general subreddit for all kinds of vegetarians

148 Upvotes

This has been repeated again and again, but this is a general subreddit for all kinds of vegetarian topics including veganism. I have been seeing a lot of gatekeeping from ovo-lacto vegetarians telling vegans to go somewhere else.

If you're looking for ethics free discussions, you want our sister subreddit r/vegetarian.

Thanks.


r/Vegetarianism • • 15h ago

I've held down my diet for a month

17 Upvotes

I watched a documentary called 'Dominion' and it changed my view on how I see cuts of meat. It looks like gore to me now. A lot of my weight/blood pressure/bowel issues came from the copious amounts of meaty comfort-meals I'd consume in a week/month/whatever. I finally made the decision to just simply cut out meat and see how long I can go without it. I've tried before but I failed exponentially, although, that was before I became medicated.

For context, I'm on Vyvanse and Prozac generic brand. These two medications have helped me with my insatiable ADHD hunger and food impulse buying, while my SSRIs definitely help with decision making and other stuff.

Anyways, after a few weeks of just eating wheat, grains, nuts, vegetables, dairy and a sweet treat every now and then — I'm feeling amazing. Personal stuff came up and I'm down again, but otherwise I am doing great physically?

(TMI?) My bowel movements are much more consistent, I don't really get stomach pain or bloating, a lot of fiber kind of makes me gassy but... hey, it doesn't feel nearly as bad. I'm not fighting for my life anymore in the bathroom.

Besides all of that, I just feel fuller. Meals are more satisfying and I get to try all kinds of new stuff.

My favorite meaty foods before were hamburgers, tacos, chicken, pork, sausage, etc. Now I seem to enjoy things like hummus, salad, oats, cereal (i LOVE cereal), avocado toast, baked brocolli, fried asparagus, veggie burritos, and other shit I won't bother to mention because there's a surprising amount of variety...!

To be clear, this is also a very shocking milestone. I've never been able to hold down any huge changes like this. I'm proud I think?

Thanks for reading.

TLDR; I've cut meat out of my diet for a month and I feel much better. Many improvements have been made energy wise, physically and somewhat mentally.


r/Vegetarianism • • 19h ago

My 6-Month Journey Being Vegetarian... (17M South Africa)

9 Upvotes

Hi. I am 17M from South Africa. It has been nearly 6 months since I became vegetarian in May. It has been a simultaneously fun and tumultuous journey 🤣 I have been wanting to write about this in the hopes of inspiring others, also to keep it for posterity so my descendants can know what I went through.

It all started when I did an intensive 2-3 day digital detox combined with fasting. My vibration increased significantly as my body-mind had a rejuvenating break from digestion and stimulation respectively. I felt very compassionate and thinking about Khandro Tseringma Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist figure who I strongly admire… I decided I didn't want to eat animals anymore.

So on 20 May 2026, instead of eating the burger my mom made for our lunches, I bought a packet of nuts at the school tuckshop to get healthy fats. I didn't actually bring money that day, but when I asked my Bio teacher for a R20 loan, she didn't have cash on her and just wrote a note to the tuckshop lady to give me the said item. That was the first day of my journey. Truly a blessing of the Universe.

For context, if anyone here knows about South Africa, you’ll know we have a big meat culture. Biltong, fried chicken, bunny chow, meat curries, wors rolls, the hallowed braai tradition… so yeah this was going to be an uphill battle for me.

My dad previously looked into plant-based lifestyle years prior seeing those Netflix documentaries on it. However, meat is not unhealthy from a nutritional standpoint. The concern in the yogic tradition is energetic contamination as the trauma, anguish, suffering of the animal at the time of death releases all those lower vibrations into the flesh, which you take on if you eat it. And also just the obvious fact that murdering and eating animals when meat is no longer a biological necessity to survive is completely unethical; not a compassionate thing to do.

It is actually illogical to have a vegetarian diet for health reasons while still eating junk food, seed oils, sugar, etc (which my dad did 🙈) because these things have a far more negative impact on the human body than meat.

As Osho says:

"I do not believe in vegetarianism, because I do not believe in anything. My disciples are vegetarian not as a cult, not as a creed. They are vegetarians because their meditations make them more human, more of the heart, and they can see the whole stupidity of people killing living beings for their food. It is their sensitivity, their aesthetic awareness that makes them vegetarians. I don’t teach vegetarianism; it is a by-product of meditation. Wherever meditation has happened, people have become vegetarian, always, for thousands of years."

My health and wellness journey began when I was 15 when I started following Satvic Movement on YouTube. Having totally jettisoned junk food from my diet, I felt so much better and I am still very thankful to the people at the helm for their help in my spiritual journey.

A funny story. My mom made vegetarian curry when my dad was going plant-based, and my maternal uncle humorously quipped “I chowed the roti, and I realized I’m not chowing chicken. So I look and I see… vegetable fucking curry! Jesus, what a waste!” Still being under the misconception (because of my dad) that veg is healthier, I told him he should eat it to help with his asthma, to which he responded “We’re all gonna die anyway, so you might as well go down with proper, meat curry.”

My uncle’s friend couldn’t believe how my mom committed “sacrilege”, as “roti is sacred, don’t do that to roti”. 🙈💀 They went on a tangent about how the Khoisan people ate meat for centuries “trekking for hundreds of kilometres to hunt, and now you wanna come with a Netflix documentary” yet this is another misconception. The bulk of our ancestors’ calories came from collecting berries, roots, and fruits. They did not eat copious amounts of meat like the stereotypical caveman image.

Additionally, this fallacious argument conveniently ignores the ancient history of vegetarianism in the yogic and Daoist traditions of India and China respectively, whose practitioners have UNPARALLELED vitality and longevity; the kind South African uncles can only dream of.

Anyways, back to my story. On that very first day, I contacted a friend of mine who is a monk at the Hare Krishna ashram in my city, and he gave me tips on becoming vegetarian, saying that he has been so for years without any health issues. I updated him after a week, saying how my body did take some time to adjust, how my energies felt more balanced and how I’ll never go back to eating meat again.

Rejoicing in my progress, he sent me this verse from the Mahabharata Anu:

"That man, who having eaten meat, gives it up afterwards wins merit by such a deed that is so great that a study of all the Vedas or a performance, O Bharata, of all the sacrifices [Vedic rituals], cannot give its like." (115.16)

An Indian aunty from our Osho South Africa group -- who happens to also be part of a health club -- told me about a month or two prior to taking my commitment it isn't actually difficult to transition to a plant-based diet, it's just that in westernized societies we aren't used to proper, hearty vegetarian meals. She is actually originally from Gujarat, which is *very* vegetarian, before moving to South Africa.

A Punjabi friend of mine from Pakistan who had been vegetarian for over a year at the time, mentioned how their cuisine is already mostly vegetarian, and that a "hard mindset to overcome" for "westoids" is thinking a meal is somehow incomplete without meat. The underlying misconception is that a vegetarian diet only comprises fruits and cruciferous vegetables i.e. a salad. Incorporating wholewheat products, legumes, and dairy gives one all the possible dietary requirements.

A friend from Puerto Rico who is a follower of Master Ching Hai, a strong proponent of plant-based living, gave me heartfelt encouragement and sent me a short practice on purifying the bad karma created by previously eating meat.. Master Ching Hai has a whole ebook freely available for vegan cooking.

Because I was sincere about this endeavour and literally the last thing I wanted was my family being on my case, who would psychologically start seeing every reason to diagnose me as anaemic, who could even potentially derail my efforts, I decided to keep it under the wraps, in sworn secrecy. It truly was a mentally exhausting time -- having to make excuses for not eating the meat options, removing the chicken and beef pieces from the curry / chow mein / soup my mom made, them not knowing what's going on, etc. However, I successfully managed to keep it up, deceiving them without detection.

After a while of continuing in this way, I celebrated by making a healthy, no-flour, no-sugar fruit cake to mark 1 month of undercover vegetarianism. My online friends celebrated with me.

In July, I went to the Hare Krishna ashram to talk about spiritual topics with my monk friend and luckily I came on a day when they were bulk cooking foodstuffs for their food program where they provide for impoverished communities. So they helped me out that day (as the meals are all vegetarian of course and I was still undercover). He lamented how when attending a function somewhere, someone asked him “Why are you taking so long to choose?” to which he explained he’s vegetarian. Dude was dumbfounded, “Then, what do you eat??”

“You see, it’s like we’re brainwashed to believe we have to eat meat.”

Departing from the ashram after the 2 hours I spent conversing, I went to stay over by my granny’s house for a few days. My uncle lives with my granny, so I was a little concerned as to how I would pull this off. When he made a dish with onion, tomato and vienna, I just said I can’t eat the vienna because it’s processed meat 🤣 (Context, I am very health conscious, so he thought it was just me being me, a vegetarian right under his nose!) 

My sweet grandmother was the first person I let in on this secret. When my uncle brought home chicken briyani, she secretly took out the chicken pieces for my plate. 

While I was staying on that side of town, I visited my Cape Malay cousins who stay nearby and I was speaking to my cousin…

"Can I tell you something? But just don't tell my family.”
"Oh what’s going on what happened?"
“No it’s nothing bad…”
“Oh okay…”
"I'm vegetarian!"

The ensuing conversation felt like a weight lifted off my shoulder. I finally told someone, and she was supportive. She had full confidence in my knowledge of holistic health, “You wouldn’t do something without knowing what the body needs,” and suggested, "You should secretly record, telling your family "I want to be vegetarian", then they voice all their concerns, then you say "Well, I've already been vegetarian for x amount of time!"" 🤣

The following Saturday, she bought pizzas for everyone (as we have family gatherings on that occasion every week) with a small vegetarian pizza for me. My other cousin and I had a whole 2-hour discussion on religion and spirituality, and upon her asking I told her about the yogic perspective on vegetarianism. I really love them. Yusra and Zainab, your support in the early days of my underground operations shall be remembered 😂 

After 2 months, my mom eventually caught on, seeing how I had been avoiding meat. She was somewhat supportive and told me I could have let her know earlier on, but it was the wisest decision not to. Because for a while she still said how I should leave “this vegetarian crap” to gain weight, and all of a sudden after I told her, I somehow looked thinner and oh my god! That’s EXACTLY WHY I just thought bugger it I’m not telling a soul.

In ayurvedic medicine, there are 3 doshas or body types. I am vata or ectomorph so my stature is naturally skinny. Strength training is the only way a vata can build muscle, which I did previously see great results from but just wasn’t consistent in. I have been doing more strength training though and I look forward to gaining healthy weight.

After my mom found out, I decided to swiftly announce it on our family WhatsApp group, alongside a list of common misconceptions DEBUNKED about plant-based dieting that I prepared beforehand as back-up. It was quiet in the chat; the satisfying sound of victory; they could not lecture me or raise illogical concerns as I was still full of vitality after 2 months and had done thorough research.

Since then, my mom and I have been making more delicious, animal-free dishes. We’ve mainly been making vegetarian curries. I have recently learned that the Tewahedo Church of Ethiopia has a strong tradition of veganism where for over half the year, devotees abstain from meat and dairy. Because about 40% of the country’s population are members of the church, vegetarian dishes are interwoven with Ethiopian culture and according to some people “No one does vegetarian food like Ethiopians!”.

Since becoming vegetarian, I just can’t understand how for so many years of my life I had been eating animal flesh unnecessarily. I am grateful that – after a while of considering it – I finally put my foot down taking the first steps of this journey those months ago. By abstaining from consuming meat, we withdraw support for the animal killing industry, preventing a lot of negative karma from being created.

Love is what made me vegetarian. I think it's impossible to convince people to swap to this lifestyle intellectually, love has to be ignited in them. As Garchen Rinpoche says:

“Love is the only cause of happiness. Its nature is all-pervasive like space. Love is the sunlight of the mind. It does not matter whether one calls oneself a Buddhist or not a Buddhist. The Dharma is love.”

Hope you enjoyed this little account 😎🤣


r/Vegetarianism • • 1d ago

Soon to be vegetarian

35 Upvotes

I've already cut out ordering beef from restaurants but im gonna finish my freezer out and then no more beef for me!! But im really struggling to cut out chicken and pork, Any advice for that?

Ive tried beyond good chicken nuggets and they are delicious!! But what about at restaurants that dont have vegan/vegetarian options? (i assume you can look online if they do, right?)

I haven't tried any alternatives for beef or pork yet, So please tell me yalls favorites so i can try it!!


r/Vegetarianism • • 1d ago

I wanna start being vegetarian, any advices ?

9 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I always thought that being vegetarian was something important for the environnement and ethically but never felt sensitive to the cause so I never took the plunge, recently I just thought to myself that I'm just being a douche knowing it's better and not doing it so I decided I'll start.

First, I cook a lot and already use seitan/tofu to cook meals without meat so I guess it's gonna be easier for me than a lot of people, also I know resonably well diet science, I take care a lot of my health and check I eat well which will probably be the same as a vegetarian. But I'm not really used to cooking with a diversity of vegetables, I mostly use the same basic ones, tomato, carot, salad... So I guess that's something I have to improve for the diversity.

I think for today I'll continue to eat meat when I'm invited to peoples house and come back to my hometown as I don't want to bother my relatives about it, for them it's mostly a silly fight.

Also, for those that knows Switzerland, I do a lot of my groceries in Switzerland, i'm used in my hometown to buy "rare" ingredients from asian supermarket or arabic ones, which I can't anymore, I almost only buy supermarket brands as my budget is very tight and I'm not sure I'll be able to find enough ingredients.

Do you have any advice for me ? I'm new and never felt the problems peopme had at first being vegetarian.


r/Vegetarianism • • 1d ago

I have decided myself to be a vegetarian and have fast on every Monday even though I hate it very much and I loved eating nonveg but now I have decided it with strong will and follow it strictly but my father still wants to bring mutton home and eat it. It obviously bothers me

0 Upvotes

I can't fight against my own family what do I do now?


r/Vegetarianism • • 4d ago

"Secretly" vegetarian, the social dynamics are exhausting , how do you go about telling others...

87 Upvotes

I’ve been vegetarian for months now and haven't told my parents yet. Because of our culture EVERY meal revolves around meat.. I've been quietly cooking my own food, but my mum is starting to notice and my dad will soon. They’re going to make a massive deal out of it even though it shouldn't be.

Honestly, quitting meat was easy. Navigating the social dynamics is what's testing my patience. Their questions, family accidentally eating my meal-prepped food and I'm dreading my grandma visiting because she’ll be personally insulted if I don't eat her cooking and I love her too much but still.... Even with friends, I feel like they raise an eyebrow when I just order a falafel wrap when we're going out for shawarma (for example)

I don't want to make a massive public service announcement, but it is getting to that point I have to tell some people and I want them to actually take me seriously...


r/Vegetarianism • • 3d ago

Could it cause depression?

0 Upvotes

I've been reading a few scientific articles, where some suggest there's a correlation between vegetarianism (and others do not).

The reason why I'm looking into it is because I became a vegetarian when I was 10. When I was 12, a lifelong struggle battling depression started (been vegetarian for 25+ years).

I'm grasping for straws really, since I've gone through almost all treatments available. I know my diet turns to absolute shit when I'm in my depressive periods, so I know switching to an omnivours diet wouldn't automatically be better. But I'm just really desperate, thinking what if?

My issue is, I never liked meat or fish or anything as a kid. And the thought of giving up 25+ years of vegetarianism hurts. And the thought of eating a dead animal, contributing to that industry... I don't know how to get past that. It's like asking someone religious to give up their religion.

Maybe this isn't the right reddit for this but I didn't know where else I could get advice on this. Has anyone been through this or know of someone that went through it that can give any advice?


r/Vegetarianism • • 4d ago

Weirdly high b12

6 Upvotes

Hi fellow veggies! I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 3 (I kept throwing meat at my mom when she fed it to me and I eventually just stopped eating it), I love being a vegetarian etc etc.

Recently I’ve been having some symptoms I thought was hypothyroidism (unexplained weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin, worsening allergies, getting sick more often and for longer), and I also have recently developed a scalloped tongue so my dr checked for b12 as well as thyroid.

I expected my b12 to be low, but it came back high (1547). My thyroid was also totally fine (1.47). The only other thing abnormal was a high red blood cell count (5.31), and MCV and MCH that were right on the low border.

I’m confused because I don’t do any of the things that would raise my b12. I looked up coming causes and here’s my list:
\- Barely ever eat nutritional yeast
\- most of my produce is from the small farm my partner works at, so it’s not fortified
\- never taken a b12 supplement
\- haven’t taken a multivitamin in years (oops)
\- don’t drink energy drinks

Has anyone else had this happen to them, and did you happen to figure out what was going on? I have a follow up with my dr but just wanted to see if there’s anything I should make sure to bring up.


r/Vegetarianism • • 5d ago

Am I a bad person for not considering going vegan?

28 Upvotes

Hello everyone!

I have been a vegetarian for a very short amount of time. I’ve gravitated towards reduced meat consumption my whole life but my mom cooks and I was a lazy kid that just accepted it.

I’m a young adult now and have started meal prepping and have slowly transitioned into vegetarian meals due to moral and ethical beliefs.

Yesterday I was a bit shamed by a vegan friend that said I should know better than average people by now how bad the animal industry is. That eating animal products as all was insane considering how bad the dairy industry is.

I agree with him that animal byproducts are gathered unethically, but I have suffered from eating disorders for the vast majority of my life and needed severe mental support to even start a halfway normal relationship with food.

I tried veganism for a tiny bit but I felt all those obsessive, neurotic tendencies of checking labels 24/7, never eating with friends, skipping meals and just feeling really anxious around food. I know ethically veganism is the right thing to do but I don’t think I can take it mentally or physically.

I don’t want to be another person coming up with excuses not to be better and I feel guilty about it, but I think veganism is fully off the table for me. I’m not a vegetarian transitioning into veganism, now or ever.

I think I’m struggling with some level of cognitive dissonance between my morals and the choices I’m making in every day life. It’s similar to when I was a meat eater but still said I loved animals and wanted to be green.

Does anyone else have feelings of inadequacy, and if yes, how do you deal with them?

Thank you in advance for any responses and thank you to anyone who reads this far!


r/Vegetarianism • • 5d ago

Vegetarian children

26 Upvotes

I need some advice please. I’m a life long vegetarian (though not from a veg family) raising my children vegetarian. Like most of you probably, I get pretty grossed by meat and had to work through existing in a meat as normal society. As an adult, it’s fine but as a child it impacted my ability to eat in the cafeteria, visit friend’s houses, etc.
Now my son is in elementary school (low grade) and seems to be having similar anxiety about meat and I feel horrible about it. He recently said he didn’t sit with anyone at lunch because they all had meat. I would obviously love if more kids were as passionate about animals as he is, but that’s also not the case. I don’t want this to impact him socially or even worse, lead to bullying. I’m projecting a bit here based on my own experience FWIW.

Any advice on how to talk to him about this? and normalize something that I personally don’t find normal (eating animals)?


r/Vegetarianism • • 5d ago

My veggie journey

10 Upvotes

Hi veggie friends. So, I was a vegetarian for a few years and I'm embarrassed to admit it wasn't for love of animals, health, or the environment, but because I had a crush on a vegetarian (he who shall not be named). When that fizzled, so did my commitment to vegetarianism. Now, a couple of years later, I started reading on the meat industry and how it affects animals and the environment, and subsequently, human health, and I was convinced that veggie is the way to go. My husband is an omnivore, he loves meat, but he supports me in my vegetarianism. He was a vegetarian years ago before I met him, and only went back to eating meat because he had an injury that wasn't healing properly. He was convinced that eating meat would help. I'm not so sure about that, but I've accepted that he'll never go back to being vegetarian, and as long as he supports me, it's all good. My family eats very meat-heavy meals, but I actually don't live near any of them, we're kind of on our own in the Bay Area. So it's not an issue at the moment. But we will be driving south for my sister's wedding in a couple of months. I haven't told her I'm vegetarian, but I'll have to soon so she can (hopefully) prepare. Anyways, that's me. Grateful for this community! Go veggies!


r/Vegetarianism • • 6d ago

Any love for Bol pots ?

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6 Upvotes

(not a paid for ad or freebies, just a consumer's opinion.)

Recently discovered these Bol pots.

Seriously scrummy, spicey but not so much that I have trouble eating them.

Come in 7 flavours now, I've tried most of them. Very nice.

Serve with coleslaw or seasonal veg or whatever you have to hand.

Have a cool drink to hand (I like Huel or Dr Witt) to help it down.

Store in freezer, stick in microwave for 3 minutes.


r/Vegetarianism • • 7d ago

Highly recommend these soups from Aldi

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121 Upvotes

They have a beef and chicken variety. Affordable and very tasty. I wouldn’t say it tastes like beef or chicken but it has a very umami flavoring that scratches an itch.


r/Vegetarianism • • 8d ago

My boyfriend wants me to change my diet

28 Upvotes

My boyfriend is a vegetarian. We have been dating for 7 months and on the first date, I ate chicken in front of him. After the fourth month, he called me a murderer and selfish to be able to eat chicken even though I consume meat like once in 4-5 months and I mostly prefer eating vegetarian. He later apologised after a month since these conversations took a toll on our relationship. I read more about animal cruelty to understand his sentiment and decided that I will be more conscious of my actions but can’t guarantee as of now that I will 100% leave eating meat because if I end up in a country where having vegetarian food is extremely difficult then I would have to eat it but I assured him that when I will have the option to eat vegetarian food, I’ll choose that. He also wasn’t ok with me eating eggs so I changed the source of eggs that actually are taken care of in a backyard farm and aren’t kept in a crowded place so they can naturally experience life. He tells me that he eventually wants to become vegan and wants his possible kids to be vegan. I don’t fully agree with the possible kids being vegan. Personally, in my daily diet, I don’t consume milk or dairy products regularly and only once in a while but he consumes more dairy than me. If this was only about eating eggs, I can leave it for him eventually since I choose him over that but the way he spoke to me made me feel like it’s an attack on my autonomy. This made me feel like today it’s about eggs, tomorrow it can be about something else which he would want me to compromise on. He doesn’t want to break up but this has been quite draining.


r/Vegetarianism • • 8d ago

How to tell parents?

15 Upvotes

I’m thinking a lot lately about being vegetarian and I’ve mentioned it a couple of times to my mom and she was like idk laughing at me (we live in a very ‘meaty’ kurdish household) and its not really seen often that you see someone from my family or my people being vegetarian or vegan. And i dont know how to try starting it without being judged by my family. I also have 2 siblings who also eat meat at least 2 times a day.
(Sorry if there are mistakes English isn’t my first language)


r/Vegetarianism • • 7d ago

What could it be?

0 Upvotes

What can that be if I can't stand chicken and eggs anymore?

I am also lactose intolerant

I don't eat beef because I don't like it and pork and fish are quite okay


r/Vegetarianism • • 7d ago

Was kann das sein wenn ich seid neusten kein Huhn und keine Eier mehr vertrage?

0 Upvotes

bin auch Laktose intolerant

Rind esse ich nicht weil es mir nicht schmeckt und Schwein und Fisch sind ganz oke


r/Vegetarianism • • 9d ago

To vegetarians on behalf of vegans

373 Upvotes

I just had a flash of empathy for you guys. I was vegetarian for over 10 years and only went vegans 2 years ago. I was the chillest vegetarian ever. Whenever someone engaged me in conversation about my ethical consumption choices I was always quick to reassure people that any reduction in harm is appreciated. Whether that be eating less meat or only eating some types of meat.

Vegetarians on the whole are good people, for choosing to be vegetarian and reduce the harm you do. None of us have perfect harm free consumption habits. Veganism is just an extra step along the way. Although, I might add, probably the single biggest step in improving our consumption ethics is the switch to fully plant based. I myself slowly cut down on eggs and milk until the last holdouts were milk and ice cream. And it wouldnt have happened without an amazing friend I made who is a filmmaker and animal rights activist and who introduced me to the vefan community in my city. If you dont know vegans its unlikely most people will go that far on their own.


r/Vegetarianism • • 9d ago

I Started Eating Vegetarian because of the Romans

64 Upvotes

Not exactly, but I thought it would make for a good title. I actually started eating vegetarian because of dietary issues (and also the obvious moral issues).

However, I like to use the Romans as an example that people do not need to eat meat to be strong and healthy. The Roman legionnaires marched 20 miles and then built a camp every day, and they got the vast majority of their calories from bread. Obviously they ate some meat, but it was certainly not much per day (and absolutely not with every meal).

I just find it very funny when modern people claim that eating meat is necessary for them to function, that is, to drive to their office job and sit in a chair all day. The vast majority of all great accomplishments throughout history have been done on a stomach of mostly bread or rice. Clearly humans can get along just fine without eating a double cheeseburger every day.

(Obviously this is an oversimplification of historical diets, and pre-modern people ate much more than just grains. But, I'd like to think I've made a decent point about how meat was generally seen as a luxury to be enjoyed occasionally, not something that is necessary to be healthy.)


r/Vegetarianism • • 9d ago

Chillis bean patty

3 Upvotes

Has anyone tried it? Is it good? I don't really like beans that much, does it taste strongly of beans?


r/Vegetarianism • • 8d ago

Carnivore vocabulary

0 Upvotes

No agenda here, just
something that occurred to me.
Ordering a vegetarian meal at a restaurant I am often asked what “protein” I want. Sounds so innocuous. Guess I’d be rude if I said “Please do not put a carcass on my dinner.
Another I noted recently
an article justifying deer season that they didn’t say hunt or kill, it was referred to as harvesting.


r/Vegetarianism • • 10d ago

(UK) Organic vs non organic milk

12 Upvotes

Today I learned that in the production of non organic milk, the cows can be kept inside all year round and never see the sun or eat grass.

Organic is a term that is protected by law and so any food with 'organic' on the label has to meet certain standards. One of these standards is that the cows are grass fed and are let outside when the weather allows.

I feel deceived. From now on i'm only going to buy organic milk - i only buy free range eggs so why should it be any different for my milk?


r/Vegetarianism • • 9d ago

Genuine question about vegetarianism and chicken

0 Upvotes

So i'm exploring going vegetarian on at least some level, but for me the sticking point is chicken. Like it's not just the taste but it's also a cultural thing. I'm Ashkenazi Jewish and I love making matzo ball soup from scratch. This involves boiling chicken to make the broth. Like it's not just about the taste (although it is yummy), it's about the cultural connection I feel with my culture and ancestors. So I don't generally want to give that up because it's so integral to my personhood. A lot of other Ashki recipes involve chicken or chicken broth or chicken byproduct. So i guess what i'm asking is , is it okay to go vegetarian, except for chicken. like cut out meat everywhere else and generally reduce chicken consumption (like once a week vs 4-5 times a week) so I can preserve that cultural connection but also try to something to help the environment and all that?

ETA: okay so what i'm trying to say is not coming across. i think what i'm trying to ask is how to people who use food as a form of cultural connection manage to maintain that cultural connection when switching to vegetarianism. Also saying that it's a choice between live animals and dead ancestors as if those ancestors don't mean anything or are less important than animals is tbh hella insulting. like there is a reason I want to honor them and stay connected to my culture ffs.


r/Vegetarianism • • 11d ago

New Vegetarian Here- Looking for Advice!

25 Upvotes

Hello! 🌱

I decided to finally make the switch to being vegetarian after months of consideration, and had a few questions that I’m curious about. I will be discussing this with a doctor and dietician to get professional advice as well, but wanted to see what process other vegetarians followed.

Here’s my list:

- When starting out, is it okay to cut meat out right away as long as I’m substituting it with other sources of protein like egg? Or should I slowly cut it out (ie eat it twice a week, once a week, then stop?) for context, it’s not over missing the taste of anything, I’m more so worried about stomachaches/other gut side effects if that’s a thing that can happen.

- Do you guys have any advice for eating out? I’m not so worried about finding staples for when I’m at home, but how can I be sure the food I’m getting when I’m out is vegetarian like at a diner? Is that something that needs to be planned beforehand? I also have a peanut allergy, would this be an issue at all?

- Any good brand recommendations? I’m compiling a list of brands to replace my non-veg foods with gradually.

- And finally, I’m looking to get as close to being vegan as possible GRADUALLY once my body adjusts to this change (because I have a chronic illness I may not be able to give up egg for my own health but I’m willing to replace milk, butter, etc at home). Anyone have experience with this/how they did it?

Thank you guys so much in advance!

Edit: Thanks all for your suggestions! I'm slowly getting back to everyone as I just got back from vacation :)