When granny went vegetarian

I am a (nearly) lifelong veggie, having been given meat as a very small child, I remember not liking the 'feel' of meat in my mouth and when I was old to enough to ask what it was, and was told it was animal I decided there and then that I wouldn't eat it. Apparently my Mum was frantic with worry, when the GP told her she had got to make me eat meat because it was good for me and I would ill if I didn't.

Consequently there was a constant battle at meal times, something I remember vividly. Mum used to hide liver under a mountain of mashed potatoes in the hope I wouldn't discover it! I think that was the cause of my anorexia as a young person.

My reason for being vegetarian is that I don't believe that we have a right to kill animals for our own survival.....I know all the arguments about why we should eat meat, but I have lived for 55 years and am perfectly fit and well, I have a well balanced diet and don't think I have missed out.

I am an animal rights campaigner and believe that we should not treat animals the way in which we do for our own gain. So many times I have watched as people order huge burgers and steaks etc., in restaurants then leave most of it on the plate, It angers me to think that beast died in vane! I have often said I would probably eat it if we waited for the animal to die of old age before we ate it! I know not something that would be possible, or appetising!

When I had my own children I gave them the option of eating meat, my husband ate it and so I prepared meat regularly, though often I would use a meat substitute so that I could eat the same meal. Both my sons are carnivores and I respect that is their choice, but they were educated from an early age to understand the processes of meat production.

These days, when eating out, it is much easier to find vegetarian meals at home and abroad, and so I don't have the problems I used to have in the '70s when the only non-meat option was an omelette!

I often wonder why people assume that not eating meat is more healthy than eating it, and what evidence they think exists to support their ideas.
A vegetarian diet which contains what many people would consider a 'normal' amount of sugar is probably more harmful than a diet containing meat, but with a restricted amount of sugar.
Most people have far too high an intake of sugar, and this is responsible for the increase in type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, and other chronic inflammatory conditions.

Why are human meat-eaters called carnivores? I do not know a single human carnivore. I know a few vegetarians and one or two vegans. The rest of the people I know are omnivores. I think it is a deliberate misuse of a word to call people carnivores; it is deliberately negative. I object.

There have been groups of humans who were largely carnivorous, but there were never many of them, they were largely carnivorous because meat was all there was to eat most of the time, and their numbers are shrinking, even in places like the Arctic.

Please, at least use the correct word to refer to people who eat meat as well as every other kind of food.

I usually use "omnivore" for my non veggie family and friends.

Being vegetarian (for about 38 years) is my choice and I do not care to bang a drum about it. I am healthy (apart from the cancer 9 years ago) and happy but there is little to prove that I wouldn't have been anyway!

Thanks, ariadne. I wish more people would include it in their vocabulary instead of behaving as if there is only vegetarian and carnivorous. Some people eat insects as part of their diet; we don't call them insectivores.

I must confess Bags that I use the word 'carnivore' when I am feeling particularly self-righteous - as you know, because you have picked me up about it before . I really do try not to become preachy because I don't want to be boring and I know I won't convert anybody that way.

This blog is really good though for anyone who is interested. She has inspired me after 43 years of vegetarianism to think that maybe I could after all go the whole hog and become a vegan.

Then I really could become preachy (JOKE!!!!)

Perhaps 'go the whole hog' was not very appropriate in this context

nightowl Funny how some expressions are quite apt or not!

Yummygran I was similar to you in that I did not like the feel of meat in my mouth and recently met another vegetarian who said that is how she felt too. I also did not like the idea of eating an animal and have recently cut out most dairy food. I could very easily become a vegan!

I found it interesting that my daughter believed all women became a vegetarian at the age of fourteen because I did. She went onto omit meat at fourteen but ate fish, a few years ago she started eating a bit of chicken though.

I had to laugh recently when cooking a cake with my GD7 and her father started cooking some meat. GD said 'Blah, what is that smell? I am seriously thinking of becoming a vegetarian.

My son was brought up on a vegetarian diet but started eating meat just over a year ago, just before he went to uni. When he came home for the summer he told me he had given up meat, after he had been to the local shop one night when he was rather the worse for wear , and he 'met the friendliest dog' and realised he could no longer eat anything with a face. He told me I should be thankful he was drinking a lot because it had given him more empathy with his fellow creatures!

I've been a vegetarian since I was a tot, initially because I was diagnosed with severe migraines at the age of 2 and vomited during attacks. My mother was advised to cut out fatty meat and I'm told that like YUMMYGRAN I didn't like the taste or feel of meat and spat it out.
Whilst pregnant with my 3 children I was reprimanded by the midwife who thought my babies would be undernourished. They weighed between 8 and 10 pounds at birth, were breast-fed for a year each and now in their 30's have only a couple of times needed to see the doctor.
My sons are 6'4 inches and 6'2 inches, my daughter 5'9 inches. They are all of muscular, athletic build, play Rugby, football and ride horses.
Eating out was always a problem in the past with me being given a plate of lettuce, tomatoes and cheese for my Christmas staff lunch, no dressing etc!
Now things are much improved with veggie options and I enjoy eating out.

NIGHTOWL that made me smile

I like his reasoning NIGHTOWL