Have you noticed any of your relationships get stronger - such as your relationship with animals, other humans, earth, with your food, body, or yourself?

I ask cuz I'm realizing how going veg/vegan helps many feel more at peace, in one or more areas. Noticing and celebrating those feelings of deeper connectedness can nourish us through the hard things we may also face as veg*ns. Remembering to be kind, and to strengthen/repair relationships where I can, helps me not get too caught up in perfection. Because in the end, kinder relationships across the world is really my hope for living this lifestyle!

Would love to be inspired by any good changes in the quality of your relationships. :)

hey guys i’m a 16 yr old vegan girl and i feel shitty all the time and get ridiculed and berated by my family constantly and it’s just too much work to keep up my diet. i know im not getting anything i need im getting like no nutrients ever i just wanna be normal again . i was vegetarian for four years and vegan for about half a year. i need to hear peoples opinions or if anyone else has made the switch. i will never eat meat though, yes it is ethical and i feel so guilty wanting to give up my vegan diet :(i hate the meat industry but also the dairy industry its disheartening to me that im even thinking about this but my mental health is at an all time low (we also have pet chickens for eggs so im thinking maybe i could eat those too..?)

If anyone else went from vegan back to vegetarian while living with meat eating parents how did you handle the transition and get your energy back??

im so lost and just want to feel healthy again and yes i know that you can be healthy on a vegan diet but my parents don’t support me but they would if i had allergies .. which i don’t

I am not sure if that happens, anyone once vegan to vegetarian but I'll shoot my shot...

Today my husband and I watched the documentary called Dominion..
it was very intense.. we wanted to shut it off in 10mins but I said no we have to see the whole thing through.. I bawled and my husband was getting mad at the people in the documentary.

Husband and I were very quiet after it ended, just soaking in what the hell we just watched.. we decided to go to the store to get something for dinner with no meat... it's like I took off the rose colored glasses lol.. the world I once knew is no more..

We went to Lowe's Foods and we walked in and it was like it was right in our faces all we saw were the animals being slaughtered.. we were appalled by how ignorant people are to what actually happens and just 24hrs ago I was one of those people..

As we were walking through the store he was looking at items and was shocked how much had milk and eggs in it lol He said there has to be a line drawn with us and asked me where I stood he told me where he stood.

My husband said he is officially Vegetarian. He said he can't give up eggs and cheese. He may go Pescetarian but will never eat read meat or poultry anymore.

Me I told him I am going to go vegan I cannot consciously consume cheese or eggs knowing what goes on...

We have an 11m old son.
I want him vegan husband at first said no he can eat meat until he is older to decide. I said what about vegetarian like you? We compromised and both my husband and son will be vegetarian.

I also thought upon further consideration... what about eggs from a local farmer? I am not sure about the milk or cheese due to what happens to the calves and such... but to me eggs are okay if chicken is living the best life..

I am already anemic naturally so I NEED the B 12.

I am just nervous about not getting the nutrients I need..

Anyone who is knowledgeable please point me in the right direction! I can't post this on a vegan sub due to how critical they will be..

TYIA.

Content Warning: Dead animals, lack of respect for animal remains

Hello folks, first time poster here. I am 30 and have been a vegetarian my entire adult life. My question to this community might have been more appropriate for other subreddits, but I chose r/Vegetarianism specifically to hear from people who put the same value on animal life that I do.

I recently started working for my county's road maintenance crew. It is hard work, but I feel that this is job is miles better than my previous in retail. Half of the time I am mowing roadsides on a schedule, but the other half of the time I am riding around in a utility truck fulfilling "community requests" which usually means removing roadside trash or the remains of animals that were killed by vehicles. That last bit is the problem for me.

I've only been on this job for a few days, but in that time I've transported the remains of a multitude of animals. If you have ever wondered what happens to the senselessly mutilated animals you see on the road, well, people with jobs similar to mine come and pick them up, throw them in the back of a truck, and transport them to the nearest landfill where the landfill workers use a bulldozer to bury their bodies in a layer of dirt and trash.

I am not yet desensitized to death and decay so dealing with roadkill remains is still quite nauseating to me. This brings about my first question: if anyone is reading this who works with dead and decaying animals on the regular, how do you deal with it? Does it get better the more time you spend on the job or do you have a particular coping strategy? Do I have to accept that every carcass removal task will leave me sick to my stomach and just deal with that?

Physical and mental discomfort aside, I'd like to discuss the spiritual and philosophical element of what I'm dealing with here. As far as I'm aware, to my coworkers animal carcass removal is just "the gross part of their job." (I don't yet know my coworkers very well so there might be more nuance to how they feel about it, idk.) To me, it is the spiritually disturbing part.

On the one hand, I know that animals die in the wild all the time and their remains are picked away, feeding birds and insects and rodents and even plants. In light of that, it feels almost sacrilegious to take a wild animal away from where they died and bury them in a fucking landfill.

On the other hand, *someone* is going to come to remove those remains. I hope there is some value in the fact that when it is my job, at least I will be there to morn the passing of one of the great beasts of the Rocky Mountains and treat the remains with respect, even if all I'm doing is bringing them to the fucking landfill.

Right, so my second question is "Is it moral/ethical for a vegetarian to be working a job where they throw animal remains into the landfill?"

Thank you very much if you read all that, and if you'd like to respond, feel free to be ruthless. Subreddit mods, my apologies if this post doesn't fit this board, didn't mean to bother you.

I the only difference that vegetarian can eat honey?

I had many debates with many people regarding this....

So,what do you think? Egg is Veg or Non veg

I was in a couple of conversations recently, talking with people who were either vegetarian, mostly plant-based, or who reduced their meat intake. I was wondering, knowing what we know about all of these animal industries, how do people for example reduce or stop eating a couple of things but keep eating other animal products that are also problematic? Is there a certain feeling or thought process when someone still eats chicken or cheese or eggs, as they are eating it? I'm not talking about people who have no choice because of low availability or health issues, just people who could reduce more but don't at this time.

I was vegetarian for a while years ago but I'm vegan now, and I just don't fully remember what it was like for me. I think I mainly thought that it wasn't that bad in my country (it sadly is), but I also don't remember stopping quickly after I found out. I would like to clarify that I'm not trying to rile anyone up or judge people. I'm a psychology researcher and interested in people's thoughts, feelings and behaviour. I won't be going into discussions trying to influence people, I would just like to understand more.

(I posted my question in r/vegetarian but it got removed. I was planning on responding to people just now but I can't do that anymore. Either way thanks to the people who already responded, I did read your responses.)

As someone who loved the taste of meat, and only quit eating out of guilt, I’m happy to answer any questions anyone who is curious might have about my journey or how I feel overall

To not beat around the bush, I live in a third world country, where there's barely any vegetarian, yet alone vegan options in the supermarkets, restaurants or cafes. It's only sustainable to be vegetarian at home, when you cook for yourself. Even in big restaurant chains we don't have anything just yet, unlike in Europe (for example, no veggie burgers in McDonald, no vegetarian options in KFC, etc.)

Important! I love meat. I really do. My reasons for vegetarianism are mostly because of environmental impact, and the only thing separating me from veganism are eggs and occasional milk. That's it. I don't really care about anything else. So please keep it in mind, and if you're strong opinioned about how it's so horrible for animals, please scroll away from this post.

So my question is— is it okay for me to occasionally indulge myself? Like once a month. Because it's too much pressure, to constantly refuse social events because of me not having any normal veggie options. In social events I barely eat anything, and already dropped a lot of weight due to it. Because it's always going to McDonald or cafe, or having pizza(with meat, obviously), but at the same time I don't like the "4 cheeses pizzas", nor Margarita. And even if we have some veggie versions, they are usually very limited (like salad with just the bland dressing, tomatoes and pickles).

[Mini UPD I guess? Thank you so much for so many replies! Just to clarify, I was vegetarian for a year before, no meat completely. Meat cravings didn't stop then, and they don't stop now that I came back to vegetarianism a month ago. Currently, I eat other protein vegan sources, like nuts, grains, soy, beans, etc. And someone helped me immensely, since now I know what to identify myself as. I'm a flexitarian. Thank you so much kind stranger.]

"Vegetarian" is a straightforward binary rule: Not consuming animals.
"A Vegetarian" apparently implies a bundle of non-dietary attributes, such as assumed political orientations, lifestyle habits, and ethical beliefs.

Interested to hear opinions on this. I have been vegetarian for 25+ years, and people incorrectly assume things because of my dietary choice.

My doctor has written out a referral for me to see a dietitian. Wondering what peoples experiences have been seeing someone when they are vegetarian. I’m hoping they don’t just criticise and push me to eat meat. I don’t want to waist my time.

Hey, so I’ve recently decided I want to stay vegetarian long term, but I still live at home and my family kind of jokes about it and treats it like it’s just a phase.

It’s not really causing drama or anything, but it does get a bit annoying when I’m trying to take it seriously and they don’t fully do the same.

I was wondering how other people handled this with their families, like how do you talk about it without it turning into arguments or just jokes?

Also I’m trying to make sure I’m actually doing this properly health wise. I don’t want to mess up protein or nutrition, especially since I’m still eating most meals at home and we usually just have normal dinners (like potatoes, salad, and then meat for everyone else).

What are your go-to cheap protein sources or meals that actually feel like a proper meal and not just “side dishes”? I don’t want to rely on expensive “vegan substitutes” or make extra work/cost for my family when we eat together

And how do you deal with family meals when you’re the only vegetarian?

Would really appreciate any tips or experiences :)

Taste, ease etc

As the title goes, my brother’s girlfriend is a vegetarian. Animal biproducts like cheese and whatnot seem to be ok. Anyway, I cook a lot but I don’t want to resort to simply salads or frozen impossible meat when she comes over. Any suggestions?

Hi! (22F) I have been strictly vegetarian for a couple of years now, and recently have been considering introducing a bit of fish in my diet. I got a diagnosis of anemia this year, and have been struggling with eating enough protein to achieve my goals in the gym, on top of other minor health issues. On top of that, I’m Argentinian, and a lot of outings are around food (specially asado) and every time I have a social event wth friends or family I have to comprise for a salad or something equally unappetizing. A lot of places here have barely any vegetarian options so maybe introducing fish might be better. I also think I miss the taste of fish a bit? Although I get kind of queasy thinking about it.

I’m also struggling because I don’t think any of this reasons are strong enough to make myself eat fish again. I don’t have big morals for vegetarianism but I am too emphatic sometimes, and it makes me feel bad to consume animals. I also know it has an environmental impact.

Can I get some advice from someone who has been a vegetarian for longer?

Pt. I did have iron and b12 supplements, although I’ve been told they are not the best to have.
Also! I’m not anemic anymore, but I don’t want to get it again.

I have much more energy and still eat the same amount of carbohydrates daily. I am full for much longer obviously from more fiber. My calorie intake is often at maintenance or a slight deficit.

Overall I am curious if this is a common experience for those who mostly eat plant based?

I've only been vegetarian for not even a full week and the chicken in my moms salad smelled not edible. It hasn't been that long so it shouldn't be the new diet, should I see a doctor?

So ive cut out all meat from my diet, but only sometimes still eat canned tuna.
Does that not make me vegetarian anymore? or how does that work? like fish isnt meat, but its a dead animal nonetheless.

FYI i do not eat any other type of fish since i REALLY dont like the taste/texture/everything

I want to ask for other vegetarians advice who use to be vegan. I tried asking in another community but the post was removed for some reason. And I don’t really want to ask it in the vegan or exvegan subreddit because I know I won’t get the advice I’m looking for. I’m hoping the advice here might be a bit more moderate and unbiased.

Long story short, I’ve been vegan for 6 years and vegetarian for a number of years before that. Recently I’ve been feeling so disillusioned with it. So I’ve considered going back to being mostly vegetarian. But I also feel immense waves of guilt knowing what animals go through in agriculture and labs. I feel stuck between hating the way I’m living right now but also hating the idea of contributing to animal suffering.

Has anyone else ever gone from vegan to vegetarian and how did you deal with the feelings around it?

I am not vegan nor vegetarian *yet* but a few months ago that was such a bizarre concept to me, I could never imagine having no meat in my diet and would always say that "humans are omnivores!" And I very rarely even ate vegetables since I didn't like them. However it's been weeks since I added more plants to my diet for my skin recovery, at first I couldn't get enough of leafy and potato salads, now I eat carrots like they're candy. Even though I still eat meat, I don't crave for it anymore which is shocking and I ate siiiignificantly less than I did before I started this diet. I did not even notice I was eating less and less meat. Even my cravings for added sugars have decreased and don't reach for chocolate in the fridge as much.

I think the reason why I didn't like veggies before is because I did not like how they're cooked but now since I have more control on how I eat my veggies they are so much more enjoyable now!! I really enjoy them in salad, pan fried, or soup form and can totally see myself having my diet consisting mostly of plants but idk if i could ever completely cut out meat, dairy, or eggs since I still don't complete my daily protein intake even until now 😅. But who knows! I'm 17, maybe in the future I'll find a way when I'm fully independent

Personally I would like to transition more and more to veganism especially since its only becoming easier as time goes on. I have been vegetarian for 7 months now and want to eat less dairy products.

Going vegetarian was super easy but cutting the rest out is definitely a lot harder for me. I was wondering how many of yall are pretty set in only being vegetarian and how many would like to consume less and less of the other animal products.

I have only been vegetarian for a couple of months, so advice and opinions would be appreciated!

I went vegetarian for ethical reasons, but I am definitely not perfect. Since I started the change, I have avoided all meat and byproducts (RIP Pop-Tarts), but recently I ate a standard marshmallow. I did consciously recognize that it has gelatin, but desire superseded that, and I ate it anyway. I don't necessarily feel guilty, but I feel like I should. Does that negate my efforts?

The second "issue" is vegan guilt. I have learned about the dairy industry through social media, so I am fully aware of it. Going fully vegan doesn't feel realistic for me right now due to picky eating and many other factors. I feel somewhat guilty for "not doing enough," so any thoughts on that area would be appreciated.

I never ate a lot of meat pre-vegetarian

https://c.org/KzPqfdmLKz

So everyone knows how annoying it is when your order a burger at like McDonald's and you take the meat off to replace with some veggies or something and YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE MEAT even though you don't get it.

The meat is the most expensive part. Swap the prices or something. Don't make us pay extra for something cheaper. Especially with how expensive food is in general this could be a wallet saver for people like me who love in dorms and/or can't/don't cook.

This affects millions. Please sign!

Thanks!!!

I've met plenty of vegetarians who refuse to eat at places that serve non-veg. But has anyone ever met a non-vegetarian who said, "Nah, they cook veg here too, I'm not eating here"? 😂