:] Precisely !

If you dont eat meat at all then you are not a vegitarian you are a vegan. Vegans do not eat anything that comes from animals. Vegitarians only restrain from farm animals, but still eat fish.

I eat meat, but I strongly detest animal cruelty.

I despise certain poultry corporations for beating them alive before killing them or whatnot, and I try to avoid buying my meat from them.

I do enjoy meat, though. But I'd never support such evil.

Originally Posted by Oukan

If you dont eat meat at all then you are not a vegitarian you are a vegan. Vegans do not eat anything that comes from animals. Vegitarians only restrain from farm animals, but still eat fish.

Real Vegetarians don't eat fish. The reasons people decide to become vegetarian aren't always because the way they are raised or because they are animal activists. There are legions of people who chose the vegetarian diet for it's health benefits. A fish is still an animal, if you eat any animal, you are still just an omnivore.

Vegans are vegetarians that also don't eat any product that comes from animals, including milk, eggs, marshmallows(and other things with gelatin(which is actually ground up animal bones)). I'm not really sure who decided that fish weren't considered meat, but they are wrong. Dietarily speaking, fish are just as bad for you as any oter type of meat depending on what type it is.

I eat meat. I don't see anything wrong with it. I'm just another link in the food chain. There are no truly vegetarian animals out there. Even the ones that eat leaves ingest insects. Human beings are meant to be omnivores. I've seen too many vegans that look like they're dying of starvation. Red meat is fine in small amounts. All meat is fine in small amounts. At least humans are a bit more humane than other animals when killing their food. Most animals like their meat fresh and a little wiggly.

Animals eat other animals.
Are they wrong and bad for eating eachother?

Humans NEED meat.
It's what keeps us healthy.

If you are vegetarian.
In a few years you will become quite weak and anemic unless you are taking like 10 different pills of vitamin supplements a day.

Yeah it sucks on how some animals are killed for us to eat meat.
But that's life.
that's how it is.
Eat meat.

Actually, humans can easily live healthily as vegetarians if they have a properly balanced diet. You don't NEED meat. There are other places to get protein besides just meat >_>

Yet the best way to get protein is still through meat. If can, people shouldn't shun it. Among the vegetarians I know, not many know how to take care of themselves. Most of these people are kids - that's not good for their development/health. They tend to do it thinking that they're saving animals, but they're not. The meat is only going to waste for as long as they're not 28 - I believe is the age when you can add your name to the census so your share of meat wont be counted.
Meat has more than just Protein.

Just because it's the best way doesn't mean it's the only way.
And let's not forget just how many people have disgustingly unhealthy diets while eating meat. It's not just the vegetarians that do that. :\

Meat has more than protein. It also has FAT. Today's meats are really, really fatty D:

We started as Herbivores not Carnivores lol
Its not like we ate since the beginning
It is wrong to eat meat
Its affecting everything

FAGGY- What are you talking about
WE DONT need meat, its not that healthy, TRUST!
Whats so great about meat, just protein, wow thats it!
Nothing more nothing less! Meat isnt a miracle food, we can get protein from other foods

I'm vegetarian and I dont take pills, I eat all the foods that will keep me healthy
I noticed people who eat meat and all the crap are overweight and dying, I rarely see a overweight vegetation
Lol!!

I eat meat. I do not dislike those that do not, but, does everyone realize that there is a BALANCE to nature and if we were to suddenly stop ALL slaughter of animals that very very very quickly those animals would take over the world? It is the same reason we need spiders, if not for spiders all the other bugs would quickly over populate. So there is a balance to everything. Yup I'm repeating myself.lol

Humans are not Herbivores, Sith. Humans have always been Omnivores, which means the perfect diet for human bodies includes both vegetable and carnal food.

I think it's extremely dangerous for teenagers to become vegetarians, even though their reasons might be noble and praiseworthy. But their bodies are still in the process of growing, so they are extremely susceptible to malnutrition. I've been keeping track of my nutrients for three years now, and I know how hard it is to give your body everything it needs - and that's especially true when you take away it's main source of protein, iron and a couple of other things you hardly ever find in vegetarian diets.

I'm not much of a meat-eater myself, but if it wasn't for fish and other seafood, I would be hard stressed to take in all the nutrients I need - and I'm 100% sure no vegetarian can pull off that stunt without keeping track of what they eat.

That said, if they do it responsibly, I'm the first one to cheer them on - that is, as long as they don't try to force their own ethics down my throat. Nature prepared us best to live off of both sources of food, so who are you to tell me it's wrong for me to eat meat?

@Sith again: Just because (you think) you haven't seen any overweight vegetarian doesn't mean there aren't any. Vegetarians have the very same risk of obesity as everybody else, because a high carb intake is just as bad as too much fat. Lots of fruit acutally contain a huge amount of calories, and some of the worst dietary sins are actually meatless - sweets, chips, orange juice.

Neither omnivorous nor vegetarian lifestyles are automatically good or bad for your body, both sides have to take care of what exactly they are taking in and whether they meet their nutritious needs.

Nalah- No we dont, we have a lower risk of obesity lol
Its not like we eat fruits and chips all day
Its a mix of rice, veggies, whole grains, well for me that is

Again, vegetarians have a lower risk of obesity
Vegans have a lower risk of a lot of bad things too
And I know there are overweight vegetarians
Im saying YOU RARELY SEE them. You MOSTLY SEE is overweight people who eat meat. Its a well-known fact

Im one of those that does not eat fish, chicken and beef
There are people who "claim" to be vegetarian but sneak in some meat
My cousin for example
x_x
I do not eat meats at all

Both rice and whole grains contain a lot of calories - so eating them will put you at the same risk of gaining weight as meat does. That you are not is either because you don't eat much or because you're one of those lucky people who burn enough calories to outweigh any extra intake. But in both cases you would just as well keep your weight if you were eating meat, it most definitely has nothing to do with you being vegetarian.

Also, vegetarians do not have a lower risk of "bad things" compared to people who are living on a healthy omnivorous diet. People with a healthy BMI (as in neither too fat nor too thin) have a lower risk than those who are obese, but again: that has nothing to do with whether you're vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian or omnivorous.

And how about you mostly see overweight people who eat meat because... well, most people eat meat? Vegetarians only make up a small percentage of the population, so of course also only a small percentage of overweight people are vegetarians. By the by, how the heck can you tell that the obese lady walking down the street next to you is into eating meat?

Please don't write out your vague guesses as facts.

Also, so what if your cousin "sneaks in" some meat? Is he breaking any law I don't know about, or is it just you forcing your own beliefs onto others again? He has every right to occasionally get his share of animal protein, because it's his own decision to either be a strict vegetarian or not.

Ok first of all, what does a chicken or cow serve a purpose of besides to provide food for other beings? They are not pets, yes they are living things, but so are bacteria and we eat that crap all the time.

My opinion, obviously, is that we should eat meat because that is what it is here for. If someone does not like the taste of meat, then they don't have to eat it. I think meat is the true source of protein our bodies need. If humans were not meant to eat meat, then they would not have been born with canine teeth in their mouths.

I think it is fine for people to be vegetarians, but I don't agree with it. The other thing I hate is when vegetarians eat only some meat, such as fish or eggs. If you are so sad about killing living things, then why would you kill fish? Are they not living? I know that it is not right for the animals to be tortured, but to simply just stop eating meat is not going to prevent that from happening. And with vegans, if you are vegan because you are so upset about the torture and pain of animals, then check your suede wallet and sneakers and such. Those are from cow hunny. I see vegans all the time wearing dead animals and they don't even realize. So do research first please.

Also, vegetarians may have a lower risk of obesity but they have a high risk of iron deficiencies. Especially women who are pregnant, and are vegetarian and do not supply any protein and iron to their unborn child, have an extremely high risk of their baby being born needing a blood transfusion.

Iron deficiency is my greatest concern.
Had it when I was a kid and am prone to it. Most females are anyway.

x ox Is everyone only thinking about the typical beef when I say there's more nutrition than just protein in meats? There is no "protein and thats it" There is more.
Has anyone looked into all the vitamins and minerals eggs contain? How about that Fish Oil (and other vitamins) we get from the fishies?

The ideal diet is a balance between both. Meats can never be a bad thing to eat.

@Fabby: D: Yes, most meats have lots of fat - of which gross me out. I like lean cuts and well - medium cooked. Nothing less than that. The less grease in it, the better for me - I have a pretty picky stomach.
There is more than just fat too in meats o 3o


.__. I can never give up eggs.

Originally Posted by AutumnLily

Ok first of all, what does a chicken or cow serve a purpose of besides to provide food for other beings? They are not pets, yes they are living things, but so are bacteria and we eat that crap all the time.

Well, if we're looking at it that way... what purpose does anything serve? What purpose do we serve? On a grand scale, humanity is meaningless.
Cows and chickens are part of the ecosystem. If they all died off, bad things would happen, and not just humans having lack of food... they aren't pointless.

@Veiss- You can get fish oil just on its own.
Fatty meat makes me go D: But unfortunately, lean meats tend to be expensive.

. ~ . Yea, my parents do that with the fish oil. Get them in those gel caps.
I'm terrible with pills though. *and whenever they take them, they always end up burping a stenchy fishy breath smell.

=/ They are aren't they?
The most expensive meat - I forget how much again, or what it's called, but its a veal from Japan. They massage their cows everyday by like a personal massager of some sort. To order meat from them, you have to reserve like 4? years prior.
I don't eat veal though. Just for various reasons - first one being flavor. I'm too picky with all sorts of foods in general. Egg is about the only thing that I accept in different varieties.

I don't agree with AutumnLily about being eaten being the only purpose of those species - but being part of the food chain is one of their purposes.
(As it was for humans, before we became all cocky and began to believe that we are the ne plus ultra of the divine creation.)

@Veiss Wynd & Fabby: Are both of you living in the US? I always have problems getting my nutrients when I'm staying there, too. Fish (my main fat and protein source) is three times the price it is over here, lean meat you have to actually search for (I'm like Veiss, both my tongue and my stomach are extremely touchy when it comes to terrestrial animal fat) and even chicken meat (chicken! It's the low-fat dietary suggestion number one over here!) tastes like it had been soused in fat for a couple of days. :(

Well, the sad thing about food here in the US - produce in general is the way its grown. There's so much quantity that the quality in the nutrition, the amount of nutrition that is supposed to be in most things is deluded.

Take eggs for example. By nature, a chicken should lay an egg a day, sometimes every other day, and even as long as 10 days. Here in the US, our chickens lay like at least an egg a day. Less resting time and all.
I visited my parent's home land once when I was young and tried one of their eggs, and HoLy crap, the taste was just sooo intense and strong - I didn't like it at first, lol. Got used to it over time.
The eggs I eat here are much lighter in flavor. Not by ThAt much, but sufficiently that you can tell a difference in quality.

Oh gosh, as for produce in general - all things they do to preserve food here. There's nothing like real fresh food, cooked right from the source. Had a lovely home grown tomato 2 years ago. Never had tasted one so sweet in my life. - Just ate it whole and fresh as you do an apple or a peach.
Apparently, even if eating a normal diet of mixed greens and meats, you still need to take supplements here in the US. I'm not fond of pills at all - Can't stand swallowing them, though eventually I'll have no choice once I'm past that age where I'm just no longer young.

I want to eat meat, so let me eat meat. If you don't, I don't care.
I like eating animals, even the occasional chocolate covered bug. But thats just me.
If you don't like it, don't eat it, and leave me be! I'm tired of vegetarians getting on my case for ordering steak at a restaurant. I know not all vegetarians do this, but seriously, they have no right to dictate what I eat. I don't force feed them meat, so leave me be.

I do not eat meat, or any other animal products. I don't have a problem with eating meat, but I have a problem with how it's produced. I have a problem with how animals are treated prior to being slaughtered. I have a problem with how they're killed when the time comes. I have a problem with the complete lack of responsibility producers show when it comes to consumer safety (people just shouldn't be able to die from some god-awful foodborne illness because they accidentally cooked their steak a few degrees too low) and their impact on the environment.

I don't have a problem with people eating meat, though. Death is just nonexistence, so there's no problem with that, and most of the animals we eat would be prey species in the wild anyway. However, I do scoff at those who eat meat and then claim to support animal rights because they occasionally volunteer to play with cute widdle puppies, and I don't respect many meat-eaters' perceived right to be ignorant of how their food got to their plate.

Philomel, I wish you could be over here and take a look at the alternatives. A lot of people here share that disgust about how large companies produce "cheap" meat, especially since most of our population are small farmers, and I don't know anybody who didn't spend at least one holiday staying on a farm.

Farmers realised that you can actually make a lot of money by selling "happy" meat, not only because of people's will to pay more when it comes to animal rights, but also because it does taste a lot better. Stress hormones spoil the taste of meat, so the more happy the animal is before being kill, the better the taste. And the more room to move, the more lean the meat. Not to talk about the difference a healthy diet does to the quality of the meat.

Same with eggs. If you pay a little extra (it's not even that much - when I was suffering from a lack of money, I could still afford to get them), you can buy free-range eggs. I'm not sure they have the same advantages of happy meat regarding taste, but people are still buying them thanks to the humane aspect of them.

The bizarre, but at the same time rather mollifying thing about this policy is, products from happy animals are actually tagged with their place of origin - that is, you get the name and address of the farmer this animal belonged to, so you could just get into your car and drive over there to check whether the farmer really treats his animals well. Of course you don't have to, since we have some of the strictest controls worldwide when it comes to food, so you can trust something to be biological food when it's labeled that way. =3

Sure, it's a bit more expensive, but as long as you eat meat in moderation (which you should, anyway, since the human body only needs fairly small amounts of animal nutrients), you can be fairly sure to not eat products from mistreated animals without loosing all your money to it.

I wish I knew farmers >..>
A friend of mine - her dad gets his raw milk from a friend who's farm he's familiar with.
Raw milk is awesome. Never felt the symptoms of lactose intolerance from drinking that milk. Tasty.

So what are free-range eggs? I'm really interested.

Originally Posted by Nalah Sin

Philomel, I wish you could be over here and take a look at the alternatives. A lot of people here share that disgust about how large companies produce "cheap" meat, especially since most of our population are small farmers, and I don't know anybody who didn't spend at least one holiday staying on a farm.

Farmers realised that you can actually make a lot of money by selling "happy" meat, not only because of people's will to pay more when it comes to animal rights, but also because it does taste a lot better. Stress hormones spoil the taste of meat, so the more happy the animal is before being kill, the better the taste. And the more room to move, the more lean the meat. Not to talk about the difference a healthy diet does to the quality of the meat.

Same with eggs. If you pay a little extra (it's not even that much - when I was suffering from a lack of money, I could still afford to get them), you can buy free-range eggs. I'm not sure they have the same advantages of happy meat regarding taste, but people are still buying them thanks to the humane aspect of them.

The bizarre, but at the same time rather mollifying thing about this policy is, products from happy animals are actually tagged with their place of origin - that is, you get the name and address of the farmer this animal belonged to, so you could just get into your car and drive over there to check whether the farmer really treats his animals well. Of course you don't have to, since we have some of the strictest controls worldwide when it comes to food, so you can trust something to be biological food when it's labeled that way. =3

Sure, it's a bit more expensive, but as long as you eat meat in moderation (which you should, anyway, since the human body only needs fairly small amounts of animal nutrients), you can be fairly sure to not eat products from mistreated animals without loosing all your money to it.

The problem with this is that it is not regulated. At all. There are a few very basic criteria required to slap a "free range" label on food, and while your preferred brand may in fact treat its animals well, I can guarantee that most do not because it is so easy to continue the old practices while sticking a new label on it that allows you to not get hassled as much from "nutters" like me and jack up the price. That is, in my opinion, even more dishonourable than just admitting that you treat your animals horribly. It's just not a risk I'm willing to take.

Of course, I'd likely be vegan even if I weren't interested in animal rights. Meat and dairy have always made me feel sick, and if I'm not going to eat them, why not go the rest of the way? :P