I want to be a vegetarian.. but?

Question

I was a vegetarian (vegan, in fact) a few years ago for about a year because I couldn't fathom the idea of animals suffering needlessly for our taste buds. If we could live without it, why not? I was happy with it, and I felt it was the right thing to do.

But, as time wore on, the realization that my actions weren't having the slightest impact on the greater world-- animals were still being butchered by the millions, people who ate meat weren't swayed by my (or any number of other vegetarian's) open refusal to eat meat, and on top of that my doctor was telling me I wasn't getting enough nutrients from a vegan diet (particularly iron, I was becoming anemic) I began to wonder whether the inconvenience and deprivation of a purely plant-based diet was worth it. I am very much in agreement that animals should not be slaughtered for our meals, but if other people aren't going to follow suite, what's the point? Can anyone convince me otherwise?

Answer 1

Strength is numbers is the only solution.

In other words if everyone stopped eating meat then it would work.

But that won't happen. Meat is a staple in most homes.

Man has been eating meat since day one and it's already in our instincts to eat meat.

There would also be consequences if we all suddenly stopped( as there is consequences with most people eating meat).

Vegetarian is a better route ( if you stop) but vegan is a little stringent.( Iron can be easily obtained in other ways).

Spinach is loaded with iron.You can cook with an iron skillet also.

I think the government should have much stricter rules about animal welfare and better slaughtering methods.

I'm a meat eater but don't like to see animals suffer.

I think alot of people would go through the same thing your going through( after years of eating meat and suddenly stopping, where do we get those missing nutrients)?

I think it would also have an impact on nature.

There are people that don't like vegetables( what will they eat)? Not everyone can adapt to a vegan diet.

Answer 2

hey I'm a vegetarian, and i as well have issues with iron cottage cheese is a good source of iron if you're just a vegetarian. Also you can take it slow, like first don't eat red meat, like steak. then the only meat you eat is fish. And think about it if every vegetarian in the world convinced someone to be a vegetarian, all of the meat factories would has to shut down, and eating me would all be in that past.

Answer 3

i choose to be vegetarian because honestly there is no reason to eat meat.  if you choose the right plant-based foods, you can get enough nutrients, even iron.  it is even healthier than eating animal products.  and by spreading the word and getting more people to go veg, we could make a difference.  the meat business would have less customers.

if everyone stopped eating animal prducts we would have a much heathier environment and population.

Answer 4

Most of the world does not eat meat on a regular basis because it is too expensive - beans (black, brown, lentil, garbanzo, etc) are staples in most countries. GANDHI said "Be the change you would like to see in the world" but more importantly, if being a vegetarian is your value then adopt that into your life

Answer 5

The simple fact is that every time someone doesn't eat meat it makes a difference. That's one less animal being slaughtered. That's one more voice saying "we need alternatives."

The last decade has seen a huge surge in options for vegetarians and vegans in terms of restaurants, packaged food, cosmetics, magazines, even vacations aimed specifically at veg*ans.

I am vegan and have helped inspire three people to go vegan and one to go vegetarian. So don't think that what you do doesn't make a difference. Also, you need to do what you think is ethically right, not what makes a visible difference in the moment.

And to the person that said free-range and organic are guilt free, that is false for two reasons. For one, no animal wants to be slaughtered and eaten, no matter how (comparatively) well it is treated. Secondly, there are no standards that must be met for something to be labelled free-range, and those that actually do eshew battery cages often don't provide much better conditions. As well, organic simply means that pesticides aren't being used. Living and slaughterhouse conditions can be (and often are) just as bad as "conventional" (isn't that a laugh and a half) ones.

Finally, the majority of doctors know **** about nutrition. They are under the spell of the beef and dairy industries and all of their knowledge comes from pamphlets put out by these industries and nutrition classes that are sponsored by these industries. Read The China Study (T. Colin Campbell), it will open your eyes to the dangers of meat consumption.

One more thing, I eat a much more interesting and tasty diet than I ever did as either a meat-eater or a vegetarian (I'm vegan). This choice does not automatically equal deprivation. Go get some good veg*an cookbooks and get in the kitchen!

Answer 6

The choice to become veg*n is completely up to you. Unless becoming vegetarian is something that you want, there is probably nothing that anyone can say that will convince you.

I personally think that everyones choices have an impact on the greater world. This impact may not be huge, or life changing, but they are there. How far you go with your vegetarianism is up to you. Some people feel the same way you do, and many of these people choose to do more, such as opening sanctuaries, donating money, rescuing animals, etc. I'm not saying that you need to do these things, but if you are the kind of person that chooses to do more, than go for it.

I know for some people, they like to see their actions directly making the difference. However, sometimes being a small piece of the change is better than doing nothing. All of us vegetarians together make an impact. For the most part, united as a group we make an impact on the cause.

I cannot speak for anyone else, or tell you how to feel. I only know how I look at the situation and what I feel about it. Whenever I think about "why" or if I am doing enough to change things, I think about a quote from a song which goes:

"It's not the world that I am changing, what I do is so, this world will know that is will not change me." I truly think this quote sums it up for me, the things I do are for myself, I'm not looking to change the world. I know that no matter what, there is nothing that can change who I am, how I feel, or what I do.

Answer 7

Ok i am becoming vegan as well but i would take a vitiamin supplement everyday to get the nutrients and i would also eat a lot of dark leafy greens and beans because they have a lot amounts of iron also just because animals are still getting eating doesnt mean you dont have to eat them..... an animal life's have been saved if you havnt eaten one.... there are more people who eat animals than vegans but vegans can clear the consiouncis by not eating that was once a living animal anyway good luck and talk to your doctor what you could do if you become a vegan to get the nutrients that you need

Answer 8

If you firmly believe that slaughtering animals is not right, thebn it does not matter if others slaughter animals and eat them. Let them. It is violence you are against. You are not preaching non-violence and so it should not worry you. In much wider sense of non-violence Gandhi was able to convert millions to non-violence.

Some vegeterians sometimes suffer from certain deficiencies. In your case, it is iron. There are vegetables which have a lot of iron,such as spinach, apples and banana. As a last resort there are substitutes and medicines such as floric (spelling may not be correct.) In short you do not have to eat meat. There are millions of Indians who are vegeterians.

Answer 9

yes, it seems so often that our good actions are useless in this world, when surrounded by so many others who don't follow suite. and this, with anything, even with small gestures such as throwing trash in a trash can not in the street, while others continue to do mess...

a vegetarian diet is quite controversial, there are lots of strong arguments on both sides...

Answer 10

You will not become anemic, if you

(1) eat enought and eat variety of foods

(2) eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 or B12 supplements.

(note: although apple does contain a lot of iron, if you don't take vitamin B12, you still will become anemic even you eat a lot of apple)

Don't  you feel happy that no more death body tissue going into your stomach?

Answer 11

Don't give up being a vegetarian. If you stop, then there is no way for you to cinvince the people around you that it is the right thing to do. Actions speak louder than words, and people will be more likely to follow the example you are setting. As for the whole lack of iron thing, I had the same problem only with Protein. They have vitamins that have iron in them. I suggest those, but it would be wise for you to consult your doctor if you find any. :-)

Answer 12

I think you should do what you want to do. I am a vegetarian my self and what i do is if someone asks me if I'm a vegetarian i say yes because i believe slaughtering animals is wrong. So yea do what you want. Another thing you can do is eat vegetarian foods and some meat foods.

Answer 13

If you want to be a vege just do it.  You seem not to have great convictions about it though.

Answer 14

Animals are here for us to be eaten, I have the same issues with thinking about how animals are slaughtered and find it hard for myself to eat meat. But eventually I do because I know I need to. Why don't you try eat free-range and organic. I know it's expensive at times but it won't have you feeling guilty. You have to understand that these animals are food, as is most everything else in the world. Just try get some information about the way certain meats are farmed and slaughtered in your area and make a conscience choice on which meat you're going to eat and which you aren't.

Answer 15

Yes it's true, the rewards for being veggie/vegan are mostly intrinsic. But bear in mind: what you do as a veggie has effects that you might not consider. If you influence even one person to follow suit from your actions, there's a good chance that person is going to eat healthier, have a longer life, and work to stop cruelty and violence when they see it, rather than turn a blind eye as they might otherwise have done. That's something anyone can be proud of.

Since millions of people worldwide have turned veggie, it may not be visible, but think how many animals have been saved from being raised and slaughtered cruelly due to the actions of these individuals. Yes, it's a lot, even if we aren't aware of these lives on a day to day basis.

I doubt the world will ever be free of cruelty and pain entirely, but trying to reduce this, even in a small way, I think is a very worthwhile goal. Also, think of the human suffering connected with animal agriculture: diseases of affluence e.g. higher rates of cancer, diabetes etc; the dangerous work and abused immigrant labour in slaughterhouses; and environmental damage caused by factory farming, and it's clear - that "inconvenience and deprivation" can actually do a whole lot of good. For me, it's only inconvenience and deprivation if there's no benefits for abstention. And there certainly are benefits.

I'd encourage you, please give it another try. Visit veganhealth.org, and/or see a vegan certified nutritionist if worries about your iron levels - most doctors, while well intentioned, have very little training in nutrition, and are susceptible to the same biases and misinformation as your average joe on the street when it comes to diet.. Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.