<p>What I don't get is why some people won't eat beef or steak, but will eat chicken or fish. It's not like cows have better personalities than chickens or fish. And also, 1 cow=about 10 steaks+ 20 hamburgers (I think). 1 chicken=2 chicken wings and dinner for two or three people. So to feed 20 people, you would need to kill one or two cows, or seven to ten chickens. That's why I'll eat beef and steak, but not chicken. I also don't eat eggs, because I'm not really into eating any animal's sex cell. Yuck.</p>
<p>I have a friend who is like that. I call him an "animal racist". He won't eat pork or beef because he thinks cows and pigs are "good" animals, but will eat chicken or fish because they are "stupid." That is his reasoning.</p>
<p>People don't eat pork and beef because of religious reasons. Also, those are types of red meat, which is a lot unhealthier. I seriously doubt your friend thinks cows and pigs are "good" animals...</p>
<p>Actually he does, he thinks they are more intelligent and therefore worthy. And calls chickens stupid. The sad part is I am completely serious. I've heard it from him multiple times and from his parents.</p>
<p>My answer is simple: I don't eat meat because it's yucky. When scarletleavy mentioned filet mignon and lobster, I shivered lol. Ew ew ew. Probably has to do with both my parents being vegetarians, but they never pushed it on me. Always gave me meat when I wanted it. One more thing - so many people don't give soy a chance! It's so good! Soy corn dogs, soy candian bacon, soy milk, yum :)</p>
<p>I guess its a personal preference. I love meat. But I couldn't eat soy if I wanted to- I'm allergic.</p>
<p>i don't really understand the whole argument against eating meat. to me, it's just an unnecessary pickiness. think of the starving children in africa. it's doesn't really make sense to me - as confounding as if you were to boycott vegetables.</p>
<p>Well, I stopped eating meat because of the animal cruelty/rights issue. It got to the point where I got sick whenever I ate chicken because of the bone and stuff. Plus, my brother who is 9 years older than me stopped eating meat when he was about 15. I always wanted to be like my older brother (I admit, he's still my hero...I'm such a dork), so when I turned 14, I stopped eating meat...I slowly did so, I didn't just stop out of the blue. </p>
<p>Even though I don't eat meat, I don't think people who do eat meat hate animals. My grandmother is the biggest animal lover I know, and she eats meat. It's just my personal preference. </p>
<p>Also - I lost weight when I became a vegetarian, and I eat a ton of carbs. I personally think the no carb diet is stupid. Meat stays in your stomach - it doesn't all digest as quickly as people eat it - so by not eating meat for months, that meat finally was able to digest and I lost a lot of that weight - plus meat has a ton of fat in it, even when you try to cook the fat out of it. I get plenty of protein from beans and vegetarian products - it's really not that hard to be a vegetarian. I don't worry about my diet, and I'm fine - I get the right amount of stuff and stuff.</p>
<p>i'm really picky with food, so i only eat about three kinds of meat anyway (chicken, steak, and i love lobster) </p>
<p>plus i'm anemic, so if i were to not eat meat at all it would make my situation even worse (i dont like many other sources of iron..)</p>
<p>I'm a vegetarian, for many reasons.</p>
<ul>
<li>Read "Fast Food Nation." The ways in which animals are killed and meat is prepared are extremely unsanitary and put you at risk for so many diseases.</li>
<li>So much STUFF is put into animals and meat. Animals are fed hormones and other chemicals to induce growth at an unhealthy rate.</li>
<li>Animals shouldn't be killed in such inhumane ways. Watch PETA's Meet your Meat video.</li>
<li>It's healthier--Americans get more protein than necessary anyway, and eating a soy burger or some nuts every day is just as good for you as eating red meat.</li>
<li>Meat's sort of gross if you think about it.</li>
<li>While one person not eating meat or wearing leather can be expected to change the world, and the entire world not eating meat might not be the best thing, more and more people are becoming vegetarians and if a few less animals can die each year, then that's a good thing.</li>
<li>Are hamburgers or steaks really so delicious and great that it's worth killing for?</li>
</ul>
<p>I can't talk about being skinny while being a vegetarian. When I first converted, I gained some weight, just 5 or 10 lbs on a sort of skinny frame. I didn't know what to eat to stay healthy, so I did eat a lot of carbs. However, I read some books about vegetarian cooking and talked to one of my friend's parents who is a dietician and now I'm losing that weight. </p>
<p>Being a vegetarian really isn't that hard. It's easy to find things to eat at restaurants, and my friends have been especially supportive about that (they know I am a veggie and they know which places have a wide selection of vegetarian options, and often choose to go there rather than fast food places).</p>
<p>I've thought about it, and my main issue with meat consumption would be the inhumane way animals are kept and killed in this nation. I could just choose to buy free range, organically grown stuff, but I found it's easier to just abstain until I can be sure what I'm eating is in accordance with my beliefs. I'm vegan probably 80-90% of the time, but I don't want to call myself a vegan yet because I know it's such a hassle for my family and my friends if I refused to eat a lot of stuff. I just buy and eat soy milk and cheese when I can, and avoid eggs. It's actually very easy once you get used to it. The hardest part for me has been not buying leather shoes or wallets or bags. There's leather everywhere!</p>
<p>Here's a question for vegetarians and vegans: do you try to convert your friends and family?</p>
<p>I think you are being quite America-centric. I think the way animals in Europe are treated is a lot more humane- perhaps because of the environment crusaders that we have over here. So I think some of those comments are a little unfair.</p>
<p>That is true, the animals in Europe are treated quite a bit more humanely. It still doesn't make me want to walk into a butchery whenever I go to Germany though! </p>
<p>I don't try to convert my friends. I have a few friends who are vegetarian and a few who aren't - we all get along, and my non-vegetarian friends are supportive. Whenever we go out for homecoming/prom/other celebratory dinner, we find some place with good vegetarian options. Every once in a while we get into a "what is healthier" debate, but it's not a fight or converting mechanism. It's just a discussion we get into occasionally. </p>
<p>The only time I have a problem is when meat eaters are like "oh, you're a vegetarian?" and proceed to purposely order a huge steak, and then eat it infront of me and saying "mmm, dead cow! SO DELICIOUS!" I think that is immature and sick.</p>
<p>Of course not. I just get annoyed when people talk about how the animals are treated so so horribly and inhumane, when in a lot of places they are not. And Germany has far fewer vegetarians as well- perhaps that is correlated. But more because Germany is a country of meat eaters. I doubt you could live here without eating meat and drinking beer.</p>
<p>It's not that bad being vegetarian and in Germany - it depends on the location really. Munich I had a terrible time trying to find vegetarian options, but up in Marburg/Frankfurt it was really easy. Suprisingly, it was also easy in Garmisch-Partenkirschen. haha, I actually had vegetarian schnitzel when I was in Frankfurt! That was interesting. Also, beer doesn't interest me whatsoever - I doubt it will change when I study abroad there. Whooo knows. </p>
<p>Completely off-topic, french fries in Germany are delicious - even the ones at mcdonalds. They probably were totally "damn american!" because I ordered french fries everywhere.</p>
<p>Perhaps many vegetarians are being America-centric. I am American, and I have never left the country. I agree with you scarlettleavy--if I did live in Germany with their standards, I might have different views.</p>
<p>I personally don't try to convert, but I have friends who are vegan who do. Talking about how brutally an animal was murdered while someone else is eating a burger is akin to what you were describing, oneiros--obnoxious and immature, a move that won't help anyone. If someone wants to engage me in a debate, then that's fine, but I've found that anyone who would do that is usually more interested in converting me back than converting themselves. </p>
<p>About the "MMMMM--MEAT!" thing: I get that too. One of my friends had a turducken for Thanksgiving, and kept on trying to gross me out by talking about how delicious it was.</p>
<p>turducken? I've never heard of that!</p>
<p>Yeah, my friends and I don't do the whole "well, that burger your eating..." I think occasionally when we joke around, we might be like "you're eating mother nature!!!" whenever someone says "well, your salad lettuce has feelings too!!" But we don't get into the whole hormones and such. Personally, even being a vegetarian, I think that is disgusting, let along get into it while I'm eating!</p>
<p>It's a turkey in a duck in a chicken. All roasted together in perfect harmony.</p>
<p>EDIT: Whoops, got it backwards. The chicken's in the duck, which is in the turkey.</p>
<p>I don't think Munich is so vegetarian friendly. But I am sure parts of N. Germany are different. Bavaria is a really different place. But we treat our animals pretty nicely. They are well taken care of, they run around free. In the field next to my house cows are loose (well sort of, they have fences, but its a pretty big space) All the animals are like that. So I guess it isn't so cruel or anything. </p>
<p>And french fries are so good here. We have really good ones at school. </p>
<p>I really don't like people who try and convert me to vegetarianism just like I don't like people to convert me to a certain religion. It's good when you respect other people. I have complete respect for vegetarians. I just couldn't do it myself.</p>
<p>You're making me miss Germany so much!! I loved Bavaria, but something about Marburg...that is hands down my favorite city in the world, haha. </p>
<p>turducken sounds...interesting, haha.</p>
<p>Sorry. I just love it over here- when I get the opportunity I like to brag on the place.</p>