What made you become a vegetarian/vegan?

Question

Personally I became a vegetarian for animal welfare/rights reasons, and then I discovered all the health benefits that came along with vegetarianism. So, what compelled you to become a vegetarian or vegan?

Answer 1

I was watching "Dirty Jobs" on the discovery channel one day and one of the featured dirty jobs was an alligator farmer. Their job was to raise alligators, kill them, and skin them for their meat, then they took the skins and pressure washed them to get any remaining tissue out of the skin to be used for boots or whatever. After watching that, I thought to myself, "How can they do that to some innocent animal? It didn't do anything to him." Then I realized that I was being hypocritical (I think that;s how it is spelled). I was eating other innocent animals. So I decided to stop eating meat because what they were doing to those alligators, I was doing to pigs, cows, and chickens. I've been a vegetarian since October 30, 2006. It really wasn't that hard after the first few days. I feel a lot better to - mentally as well as physically.

Answer 2

Actually I grew up in a very meat "devoted" family. Seems like very week there would be a barbecue picnic of some kind especially during the hunting season where venison would be the main feature. But I never did like the taste of meat all that much and pretty much feasted on the side dishes. My parents took it all in stride. Some of my cousins tease me all the time but that's what cousins do so it never bothered me all that much. My siblings were all fine with it. In fact they liked that there was more of the "good stuff" for them. None of my siblings are vegetarians nor are my parents. I became a "full blown" vegetarian when I turned 18. Why did I do it? For no particular reason at first. It was just a natural progression. though I was already aware of a lot of goings on in the meat industry, it was during this time that I began to empathize more with the suffering that animals have to go through. It was also around this time that I became more active with environmental issues. Since then, I've decided that while meat eating is normal and acceptable for most people, I on the other hand cannot allow another animal to die for me. Not knocking other people's choices especially omnivores. But meat eating is just not for me anymore. I have a daughter and I am raising her as an omnivore until she is old enough to be allowed to make some of her own choices.. My husband is an omni as well.

Answer 3

I have never liked the taste of meat very much, but I never acted on it until I watched a video on PETA's website about the horrible treatment of the animals. Since then, I have discovered that it can often be healthier to be a vegitarian. Also, I have been avoiding greasey fast foods and other such substances as it is against my morals to eat it. It also expands the types of food you eat. No longer can you simply look at all of the meals you previously ate.

Vegitarianism also helps out animals. If more people were vegitarians than the demand for meat would go down and therefore less animals would be killed. People tend to either be opposed to it or, more commonly, in my opinion, think that is is 'cool' that you became a vegitarean, so in that aspect it isn't as difficult as you may think.

Answer 4

I will become a vegetarian once we've managed to kill off all the animals. As human tissue is made of meat, meat is the obvious choice of nutrients, and as plants make oxygen, which we need, we should avoid slaughtering them, in favor of destroying animals for food, as they produce carbon dioxide, which is ruining our environment.

However, I did work as a chef in a camp where there were a lot of vegetarians and vegans. As I feel that I should never make food that I myself cannot eat, I made certain that the vegetarian and vegan meals were ast tasty as I could possibly make them without adding animal products, and I am pleased to say that once we've gotten rid of all the bovines and polutry, the vegetarian option really is rather tasty.

Answer 5

My mom is a vegan, and she's been one for 5 years going on 6. She became a vegan for religious reasons, and she loves being a vegan!

Answer 6

I'd always felt a small amount of guilt over eating soemthing that once was alive, but when I started working at an animal sanctuary and taking care of cows and chickens every day, I can't stomach eating them. It physically upsets my stomach. Even though I know that the animal I'm eating isn't the one that I take care of and know the name of, it's their relative. I can't help but picture their faces when I eat them. I don't stop anyone from eating meat (I used to be one of the biggest steak fans out there), I just physically (because of emotion) can't do it.

Answer 7

I became vegetarian because I could not stand the thought of killing animals. It's seems so barbaric and just so sad.

Answer 8

i became a vegetarian then complete vegan then a raw vegan and lost 72.5 lbs. i became a vegetarian to lose weight.but i noticed my mind and body looked ,felt and worked better than ever.

Answer 9

When I was a little girl I was eating scrambled eggs one morning and out of curosity asked my dad, " Where do eggs come from"? I was shocked to learn that I was eating baby chicks. This led me to question other foods including milk. I just couldn't accept the truth. It horrified me.

Answer 10

I did it because of my love for animals and the idea that eating flesh and blood was just disgusting. Also the extreme cruelty of the factory farms and all that suffering, I just couldn't have any more food that was from all that pain and agony.