Part-Time Vegetarians Become More Common

[OPJK]

It seems to me that most people in the world are in some ways hypocrites. Whether based on the doctrines of established religions, general ethics, stated principals, etc., most people seem to exercise a certain level of easy virtue or flexibility in that they rarely absolutely adhere to their supposed philospohies, i.e., they practice hypocrisy. However, most people also don't aggressively attack these hypocrites. You just don't see people piling on so-called Catholics who engage in premarital sex or Jews who eat a tasty cheesesteak or, uh, ethical people who slightly cheat on their taxes. However, once the term vegetarian is used or misused, everyone gets an attitude. Granted, the non-Buddhist (cause Buddhists are trendy and cool and therefore generally above attack) vegetarians have frequently been annoying in their own aggressiveness, but if everyone applied the same approach to most hypocrisy as they do to this particular topic, society would collapse into anarchy in about 15 minutes. I say, let the part-time- or pseudo-vegetarians do whatever it is they're doing and get on with it already. In the end, it just means there will be a little more seared foie gras for the meat eaters.

[sml311]

I too have known a lot of these people and that's mainly who I was talking about with the "it's a college phase thing."

I hate to bash college kids, but aren't some of them sanctimonious in general? I work on a college campus so believe me, I'm talking from experience.

What angers me more is the constant bashing of vegetarians on this board. Even people who I think should know better, think that PETA represents all vegetarians, and that every vegetarian has the time and inclination to lecture you on your daily habits. Also, vegetarians are apparently in a conspiracy to put subliminal messages in ads, blah blah. I have actually been on the receving end of vegetarian bashing by one of the writers on this board. And I'm not even a vegetarian! Being a vegetarian here is almost as bad as being Rick Bayless.

On top of this, even five years ago, it wasn't all that easy to be veggie. Your only options were salads and semi warm tofu dishes at the local health food market (at least in my area). I remember crying at one point. I don't know what happened, but today, being a vegetarian is actually easy. There are lots of options, and not all of them are day old salads.

You don't want vegetarians to push their views on you? Exactly how many vegetarians are coming up to you about eating meat?

What about the friggin Atkins folks? Low carb is everywhere! Atkins crazed friends bore me to tears with their daily diet chatter, though I applaud them for tyring to control their weight and diabetes. I am so sick of Atkins. The most ad coverage vegetarians got was that Superbowl at for Gardenburger.

--edit

When I say not all vegetarians are PETA people, that wasn't a bash on PETA, just to let you know that the two are not necessarily the same thing.

I have had acquaintances approach me and try to convince me that I am a horrible heartless person for not being a vegetarian. (People who know me better know I've made a conscious decision to eat meat and know what happens before it gets to my table.) I haven't had lecturing from the healthy life group, but I tend to eat pretty healthfully anyway, so there wouldn't be much of a reason.

Generally the conversation with the former goes like this:

Them: "You know by eating that meat you're contributing to animals being held in inhumane conditions."

Me: "Yes, I know."

Them: "But you know these animals have a soul and feel pain. Do you want to contribute their suffering?"

Me: "I feel completely comfortable with my choice to eat meat."

It goes on like this until I finallly explain my upbringing and how I know EXACTLY what happens and I am COMPLETELY fine with eating meat.

It wears on you after awhile. Plus, no one is as righteous as the recently converted and I'm in my mid-20s and there are a lot of recently converteds.

I do agree with you that it's a good thing that more meatless options are available and that there is vegetarian bashing here. The bashing is unfair and the meatless options are a good thing. I love saag paneer and bagain bartha and tempeh burritos and meatless chili and gnocchi wth a tomato cream sauce...meatless can be good. But I also wouldn't want to live a life without meat. Hell, it tastes good and I think that's why a lot of the people here are a bit taken aback with the choice of people to voluntarily deny themselves a food type. This is a website for food lovers after all.

On the Adkins thing, even though it is off topic for this thread, that pisses me off too. Again, no one is a righteous as the recently converted. Plus I'm angry that I have to pay more now for my whole wheat tortillas since they added the "low carb" phrase to the front. On the other hand, it has done a lot for making whole wheat foods more reliably available. Just as the rise in vegetarianism has made more meatless options available.

In the end, whatever introduces people to new, good foods and expands their palates is a good thing.

SML

PS Again, what pissed me off in the first place is the silly labeling and people who eat meat calling themselves vegetarians. Not vegetarians themselves.

[Pan]

I couldn't get the link to work but, hey, I kind of enjoyed that rant.

The link still works for me.

I admit I had no idea this article would provoke such a vociferous remarks.

I don't see the problem with "flexitarian" myself, but it's interesting to read all your remarks. So many intelligent, interesting people on eGullet.

[sacre_bleu]

Sacre bleu, I'm scratchin' my head and feeling ignorant at not being able to figure it out....may I ask what your religion is?

I'm a conservative Orthodox Christian (you may know of Greek Orthodox, whose practitioners come in a spectrum of strictness when it comes to fasting). Lent, for people like me, is 40+ days before Easter and Christmas, plus stretches before other observances.

Some Orthodox don't fast, or go with a no-meat-only-fish regimen, sort of like Catholics on Fridays. I adhere to the ancient practice: no meat, fish, dairy products. Shellfish (shrimp, squid) are allowed. Even stricter people keep a no-oil fast too, but that's not something I do.

The idea is to remind you of how your hungers (for food, and other things) influence your behaviors. It really sinks in when you see something like a McDonalds ad and catch yourself thinking "That looks really good." When I would never voluntarily patronize Mickey Ds.

[ingridsf]

Lent, for people like me, is 40+ days before Easter and Christmas, plus stretches before other observances.

Anticipation makes a lovely appetizer.

[ExtraMSG]

These are some pretty interesting surveys mostly from the '90s on the reasons for becoming vegetarian. The plurality of vegetarians claim health reasons. It'd be interesting to see if this has changed much over the decade. I imagine it has. The numbers of radical environmentalists and animal rights activists seem to have grown significantly over the last decade.

http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/Surveys/vegetari.html

Edited March 18, 2004 by ExtraMSG (log)

[lala]

I think that most of you are right...newly converted Anythings are more outspoken in the fervor of their beliefs. I have found that many Vegetarians (to use an example) mellow out as they get further down the road, and don't lecture others quite so much (with exceptions, of course). I classify myself as an Omnivore, not ruling out any food, but if I were to follow the verbage in that article, I'd be a 'Vegetarian' who sometimes eats meat, too.

It's simply healthier to eat a predominantly veggie/grain diet, but I sure do love a good steak, or piece of fish, or whatever, several times a week. On the other hand, I regularly eat Morningstar soy sausages for breakfast. After eating those, I find meat sausages too fatty. It's also a matter of money. I can't afford to eat meat on a daily basis, especially since the Atkins rage has driven the price of all proteins through the roof. This from a midwestern born girl, who was raised to believe that meat three times a day was a God given right.

[jschyun]

Yeah, I like those Morningstar sausages too. Boca Burger makes an Italian sausage that doesn't taste very good by itself, but when you put it in something fatty, like mac & cheese or something, I really like it. I like it better than regular Italian sausage for this purpose, not as greasy.

--also I love the Chinese soy milk, hot off the...soy milk maker. But as far as American style soy milk is concerned, I love Sun Soy. Has anyone ever tried this? I also tested it on cow milk drinkers and got positive reactions.

Edited March 19, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Hest88]

But as far as American style soy milk is concerned, I love Sun Soy. Has anyone ever tried this?

I've never tried Sun Soy. How different is it from Silk? I love Chinese soy milk--the richness, the depth of flavor--and only drink American-style soy when I feel the need to be healthy.