A question about the vegetarian community?

Question

I've been thinking a lot about cutting meat out of my diet, for health reasons mostly, but of course also because I do not want to support the current meat industry.

The last few years I went from regular meat to free range and biological meat, eggs and milk.

I have just one concern. And it's silly. But it's still a concern. I know I won't be able to do it all in one day and I have to take baby steps. My goal is to cut out all meats, but to continue eating dairy and eggs (free range of a local farm). I've been researching and reading a lot about a healthy diet, about the community and have seen a lot of people voice their opinions.

Here's the concern, do vegetarians and/or vegans look down on people who eat meat or on flexitarians or those that eat dairy or eggs? I see some pretty harsh comments around and it's for me a block in taking the step, because I don't judge people and dont want to be part of such a judging community.

I understand and believe in the benefits of a vegetarian diet, I am just worried about some things I have seen in the community.

Maybe I've just had a taste of some of the 'bad apples' when I read some very harsh and judgmental posts, because I know a lot of vegetarians who would never judge anyone for not being a vegetarian.

I will never judge someone for the choices they make in life, I'm hoping most of this community feels the same way.

Answer 1

The first thing you need to do is stop worrying about what other people think. It seems people will always give you their opinions whether or not they are solicited some of them will be constructive and like you have said some will act as a barrier for you doing something. If you are cutting out meat for health reasons (which is what I did) you are doing it for yourself and not for anyone else and this point is what you need to stay focused on.

There are pros and cons of both gradually cutting something out and going cold turkey as it were. and you need to find which way works best for you. It helps to look at the psychology behind why you eat meat are you eating it because its convenient, lack of alternatives, habit etc if you look at the reasons you personally eat meat you can then identify whether they are real reasons or not and make the changes to your diet accordingly. Although not intended as an aid to becoming vegetarian there is a book by Allen Carr (the man who did the stop smoking books) entitled be the exact weight you want to be (or something similar to that) In the book he identifies the reasons we give ourselves for eating certain foods and helps identify the myths behind the stories. one such chapter covers meat and should help to reinforce your health beliefs behind the change.

Good luck. Don't be put of by people judging you

Answer 2

I don't think there is a correlation between judgmental people and what they choose to eat.

I was a vegan in the late '70's and early 80's and a member of our local food co-op. Our store and social events had all kinds of people gathered together without making judgments about who ate what. Everybody was welcomed to enjoy the benefits and camaraderie. Some of the meat eaters didn't care for spinach lasagna and the vegetarians didn't care for whitened flours. So what, we didn't think any less of the others choices, just accepted they were different.

But if you are worried about what other people think about you, well what you choose to eat isn't the problem. Sure some will have strong convictions and want to insist their way is the only right way, but that happens everywhere in every situation. You should focus on what's right for you and forget about what others say. Trust yourself and never regret your decisions. Appreciate the differences because they can be totally opposite, yet complementary to each other.

Answer 3

Every vegetarian and vegan i have met in the real world were kind and supportive of any steps at meat reduction. Meanwhile on this forum some can't even behave themselves when answering a post like this. But anyway, even on yahoo answers i dont think its a judging community so much as one that likes to argue about silly things like word usage and is somewhat frustrated by trolls and misinformation. I like your post, perhaps it might help some of the more hardcore militant vegies on here to see that they are chasing people away and this should be a movement that opens its arms to anyone willing to take any steps toward meat reduction, and i think, for the most part, it is such a movement.

Answer 4

I'm a transitioning vegetarian myself, and I do not look down on people. The way I see it, is that there probably always will be meat-eaters and I should just get used to it. And besides I'm not going to jeoperdize any friendships because people I know eat meat. Although, there are a lot of people that would, I say that you have just met some "harsh" veg. heads. Good Luck To You!

Answer 5

No, I don't look down on people who eat meat. Most veg*ans grew up eating meat, and it took an epiphany and an adjustment to become vegetarian. And almost all of us encounter meat eaters in our lives. Many meat eaters are stuck in a bad habit and have fallen for all the pernicious myths out there (the protein myth, the milk-calcium myth, etc.). And veg*anism isn't for everyone.

Any step you take to reduce your animal product consumption is a positive one. And if you can see the conditions under which the cows from whom you get your milk and the chickens from whom you get your eggs live, you can ensure that they are less cruel than most animal products. I say "less cruel" because there really is no such thing as a humane animal product. Cows kept for their milk and chickens kept for their eggs--even the so-called free-range animals--are killed when production declines, well short of their normal lifespan. And many of us in the veg movement get angry when we hear about "humane" meat because it doesn't matter how nice a life the animal had, s/he is still killed in the same slaughterhouse at the end.

I am not judging the people who eat these products as much as I am those who produce them. They are lying to the people who care about animals but still want to enjoy their meat guilt-free. They are exploiting people who think the animals they eat should be "happy" (they'd be a lot happier if they weren't being raised for food). The people who eat the so-called "free-range" are victims of greenwashing.

Bottom line: You have to make the right decision for you and do so at the pace that is right for you.

Answer 6

The way I see it, any steps you are taking toward reducing the suffering of animals and reducing your economic support for the current animal foods industries, is a good thing. I think the thing that irks the veg*n community is the misuse of the terms "vegetarian" and "vegan." As long as you don't call yourself a vegetarian whilst still eating the flesh of dead animals, nobody can judge you for your dietary choices. And as long as you don't call yourself a flexitarian vegan, which realy puts the moron in oxymoron, you'll be fine. There are always going to be some judgemental veg*ns, but you are already a part of a judging community (surely you've noticed some of the vitriol spewed here towards veg*ns by meat-eaters?) My point is, it's your choice as an individual to rise above that, regardless of which diet you eat.

Answer 7

Well, you can't really lump all vegetarian in one group and ask if they look down en-mass on meat-eaters.

No, most don't.

Also, remember that many of the nasty comments on here are posted by meat-eaters posing as vegetarians ( Ashley being the prime example ) to give the community a bad name.

Try signing up for the veggie society or the IVU, or go and stay in a veggie hotel to get a real flavour of what real vegetarians are about.


I suspect if "Flexitarian" was called "flexist" the word would not be as popular. Many people seem to associate with the word Flexitarian because it sounds like its related to vegetarian, which it is not.

Answer 8

I don't judge people, it's their own choice. People who pretend to be vegetarians or vegans annoy me a bit though, especially when they go around giving people advice on here, most of all the vegetarians or vegans who think that by adding the word flexitarian after vegan/vegetarian means that they can eat anything. Me and my little brother are vegetarians but neither of my parents are, it doesn't bother me at all though that they eat meat around me or anywhere else, they aren't pretending or doing it on purpose to annoy me, they eat meat because they want to. They have no problem with me being a vegetarian and I have no problem with the fact that they eat meat.

Answer 9

I have no problem with people eating meat, and none of my friends do either, most of us are vegetarian, mostly lacto-ovo, so, I wouldn't worry about it. Of course there are some awful people who will probably call you immoral, but I don't think you are. The people you have to watch out for are the crazy ones, like the lady who's mad at her aunt for using yeast in bread, "'cause it's alive and feels the pain while you bake it." So, yes, take baby steps, and try not to think about what other people think of you, I know it's hard, but just try.

Answer 10

If you want to take baby steps into this diet/lifestyle, then do it. That's how I did it. It took me a couple of months, but I gradually cut all meat and fish out of my diet. I still eat dairy products, but that's next on the cutting out list.

It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says. It's your life and your choice, no one elses.

Good luck! :D