It Must Be Hard to Be a Vegetarian

 

My point could probably be summed up in one word: Bacon. But this post is not really a discussion of the merits or limitations of any one dietary practice. I have known a few vegetarians over the years and their eating preferences seem to vary widely.

The most strict vegetarian I ever knew was Leon, a fellow resident in my first medical residency. His family was devout Seventh Day Adventist and he claimed to have never knowingly ever eaten meat. He was generally very pleasant to be around, but he did have a type A personality that became almost obsessive when mealtime approached. Everyone accommodated this part of his persona and he was a popular guy.

One weekend my wife and I traveled to Asheville, NC, with Leon and his wife to explore the town and meet some of his family who had recently moved there. So after visiting numerous craft shops and open-air markets, we had dinner in one of the upscale hippie establishments which were taking over the tourist areas of Asheville. The restaurant was unusually dark.

Leon became very quiet and looked troubled. His wife asked him what was wrong and he stood up and said he needed to see the manager. He took his salad with him. When he got to the counter, where there was a little more light, he turned around and came back. When we asked what was going on he threw something from his salad on the table. It was a small banana pepper. He said he thought it was a mouse.

We laughed for many minutes because we knew he was as much offended by a potential rodent in his food as he would have been with any other form of meat.

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  1. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Chowderhead (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    Lots of measured, thoughtful responses here, and it is a credit to Ricochet’s ‘dinner conversation’ policy.

    IOW, boring!

    Vegans are malnourished stick figures who would fall over dead from starvation but that they are animated by smug zealotry. I laugh at their weakness from high atop the food chain. FITE ME!!!!11

    You obviously didn’t watch the meet the meat video TBA

    Ah yes, that’s a classic. 

    • #31
  2. Zafar Member
    Zafar
    @Zafar

    I keep hearing the title of the OP to the tune of I’m Proud to Be An American. It’s distracting. 

    • #32
  3. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    • #33
  4. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Zafar (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Chowderhead (View Comment):

    Zafar (View Comment):

    Misthiocracy has never (View Comment):

    Zafar (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    And eggs. Chicken eggs, that is. Apparently eggs are becoming popular in India.

    In India eggs are not vegetarian. They align with the pro Life position on this.

    If we eat them we are not really vegetarian. Egg consumption rising is more an indicator of rising incomes than of falling levels of vegetarianism.

    Unfertilized eggs are not life.

    Now you‘re being logical.

    Brilliant!

    I was in Aurangabad northeast of Mumbai for 2 weeks. I didn’t have any meat and didn’t miss it. I’m a lifelong carnivore.

    Of course, just because your palate might have been happy, doesn’t mean you were getting all of the important nutrients etc.

    Indian vegetarian food includes a lot of lentils and pulses. (And usually some dairy.) These are good sources of protein, but in my heart I am on your side and remain committed to tandoori chicken. And kebabs.

    Edited to add:

    My grandmother was terribly dismissive of vegetarian food and vegetables in general (she called them ‘ghaas patta’ which means grass and leaves) but I think she was missing out.

    Curried lamb!

    • #34
  5. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Zafar (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Zafar (View Comment):

    Chowderhead (View Comment):
    My niece was a vegetarian for about 10 years. She was having a lot of health issues. I was shocked when I seen her eating a burger. She said she just wasn’t getting what she needs. There’s a reason why we have two canine teeth.

    I think so too. A friend of mine was (is?) vegetarian, and then she fell pregnant and that all went out of the window. Baby needs toes!

    But I think a vegetarian diet can give you what you need – if you include a healthy dose of pulses and imho dairy. I mean just look at India’s population growth. If veggies didn’t suffice it would be a lot lower.

    You don’t have to live to 50s or beyond, or even necessarily be very healthy, just to reproduce.

    Eating a lot of meat doesn’t necessarily make you healthy either. See: cardiac disease, obesity.

    I think we probably evolved (yes, I said it!) to eat a combination of things, but then we didn’t evolve to brush our teeth and that’s still really good for us, so….meh?

    Actually a recent long-term survey showed that meat and diary eaters have lower incidence of cardiac and atherosclerotic disease.  Not counter intuitive, but counter conventional medical wisdom.

    • #35
  6. Zafar Member
    Zafar
    @Zafar

    Something about us not being designed for seed oils?

    • #36
  7. GlennAmurgis Coolidge
    GlennAmurgis
    @GlennAmurgis

    kedavis (View Comment):

    GlennAmurgis (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    I knew an SDA couple and they came back from India saying that the vegetarian food there was the best they’d had ever eaten.

    I travel to India for work for decades – it is good there and is better quality – some of the meat can be sketchy – esp. beef.

    I usually stay vegetarian while in India

    And, don’t drink the water?

    that is true – always remember not to use ice when ordering drinks there

    • #37
  8. Charlotte Member
    Charlotte
    @Charlotte

    Flicker (View Comment):
    meat and diary eaters

    Bibliovores?

    • #38
  9. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Zafar (View Comment):

    Something about us not being designed for seed oils?

    Possibly, I don’t know.  But there is a counter thought that high serum cholesterol is not the cause of atherosclerosis but rather the result vessel wall damage.  And that atherosclerotic buildup is involved in the body’s poor mechanism of treating it.

    • #39
  10. Flicker Coolidge
    Flicker
    @Flicker

    Charlotte (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):
    meat and diary eaters

    Bibliovores?

    Adds ruffage.

    • #40
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