How easy is it to be a vegetarian in your culture?

1. 57

   pranav kposted 12 years ago

   How easy is it to be a vegetarian in your culture?
   
   Are there as many dishes in your culture that do not use meat products as those with meat? I am in Kathmandu and if you want to eat out here you have to really do some head scratching before you can come up with a good place that serves those dishes. Is it as bad or even worse in your place? Do you have good vegetarian dishes there?
   
   

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2. 60

   jennyfedeiposted 12 years ago

   Extremely difficult for me.  I tried vegetarianism/veganism and my body did not respond to it very well.  I followed all the proper diet protocol... bought a gambit of books on the subject to learn how to eat properly so as to get all the protein, vitamins and minerals my body needed.  Followed it to the letter of the law and ended up getting sick over time.  My hair fell out, my energy levels dropped, my husband and family members said I became cranky, I developed brain fog and became forgetful.  My HgA1C went from a 6.0 to a 9.4.  According to my doctor, some people are genetically able to do better with a vegetarian diet, but apparently I am not one of those. As soon as I went back to eating a meat diet with lower carbs, my blood sugars went back to normal (HgA1C to 5.7) and I felt 100% better.  I have tried this 'experiment' on my body on 3 different occasions - each time with the same results... and please don't assume that I did something wrong.  I purchased both books "Becoming Vegan" and "Becoming Vegetarian" and studied up on what constitutes a healthy Vegan/Vegetarian diet and it simply did not work for me.  I joined our local Vegetarian Society here in Erie and talked to countless Vegans/Vegetarians who didn't seem to have any issues and were just as perplexed about why this gave me so many problems.  Never could figure it out.  What I have found that works for me is that I follow Paul McCartney's "Meat Free Mondays" once a week, so that I'm able to enjoy a Vegetarian meal once a week.  The diet protocol that I follow which seems to work for me is 'Clean Eating'.  I eat allot of fish and chicken daily with red meat once a week and no pork, plus allot of organic fruits and vegetables (home grown) and limited whole grains (about 3 or 4 servings daily) and I drink green smoothies.  It's working for me this far.  I wish I could be one of those who can exist on a vegetarian diet, but unfortunately I'm not one of them!

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3. 80

   cloverleaffarmposted 12 years ago

   I live in the US, so we have many choices. Much more than we ever did before. When I went vegetarian in the 90's, there wasn't the choices there are now, especially in the prepackaged items.
   I have since started being creative with my own recipes. During the summer, we grow much of our own food, so it's an easy step out the door to get fresh veggies. I usually add a grain to up the protein.
   We don't eat out much, but there are far more choices now than there have been in the past.

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4. 59

   modgirlokposted 12 years ago

   I live in Oklahoma where vegetarianism is very rare and beef is king. If you want to eat vegetarian in most restaurants you have to order sides and even then ask if they contain lard or bacon. Fortunately more business are becoming aware of what vegetarianism is and making some dishes that veggies can eat, but the majority of places aren't vegetarian friendly at all.

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5. 61

   bmukherjiiposted 12 years ago

   its almost impossible. Since we are habituated in bengali cuisine and Bengalis can not even think without a fish platter, so we can not imagine to turn to be a fully vegetarian.

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6. 94

   Faceless39posted 12 years ago

   I live in the US and in my 15 years as a vegetarian I've seen an enormous change in what's available in restaurants.  15 years ago, it was limited to salad and fries.  Now most restaurants have a selection of vegetarian dishes.  I don't eat out often, but luckily vegetarianism is seen as a healthy choice, (and America has obesity issues), so there's more and more out there.
   
   @Jennyfedei, it sounds like your body was detoxing from all the crud and poisons floating around in it.  Seriously.

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7. 70

   onegoodwomanposted 12 years ago

   I live in an area where 'beef is what's for dinner", runners up........chicken and pork............
   
   
   I am not overlooking your plate....................I like veggies too............
   
   Just be a vegetarian without force feeding me guilt for eating meat.
   
   
   Oh, please, I hope we are  not coming to the day when : " vegans" are the next minorty!
   
   
   I simply, do not give a flip, what you like to eat,, just enough already, about telling me how " cruel" I am.....................for eaing meat............
   
   
   There is nothing "humane" about a slaughter house............nothing.   The very best that we know to do, is quick and clean.
   
   I am a daughter of the south...............your "veggie" plate........it was seasoned with the grease of a pig, or breaded in EGG, MIlK and BUTTER. 
   
   You paid compliments to the cook!

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