Is it normal to be so grossed out by meat that you can't eat it?!


Question: I can't eat red meat at all, it reminds me of human flesh. I witnessed a friend getting into a very bad accident a few years ago, and human flesh does look a lot like red meat... except, well, bloodier.

I hate seafood and I can eat chicken, but only the white parts without any fat or bones. Maybe. Lately I haven't been able to even stomach that.

I'm not a total vegetarian... I do eat meat (chicken) occasionally, but rarely. People often think that I'm into animal rights because I don't eat meat, but it's not that. I'm simply just repulsed by meat. My friends & family make fun of me for being grossed out by meat, they think it's weird. I hear a lot of, "How can you be grossed out by meat? It's natural and it tastes delicious."

To me, it's like eating any other animal, like a cat or dog or monkey or crocodile. What's the difference, anyway? Even human flesh has a lot of similarities to the kinds of meats people regularly eat.


Answers: I can't eat red meat at all, it reminds me of human flesh. I witnessed a friend getting into a very bad accident a few years ago, and human flesh does look a lot like red meat... except, well, bloodier.

I hate seafood and I can eat chicken, but only the white parts without any fat or bones. Maybe. Lately I haven't been able to even stomach that.

I'm not a total vegetarian... I do eat meat (chicken) occasionally, but rarely. People often think that I'm into animal rights because I don't eat meat, but it's not that. I'm simply just repulsed by meat. My friends & family make fun of me for being grossed out by meat, they think it's weird. I hear a lot of, "How can you be grossed out by meat? It's natural and it tastes delicious."

To me, it's like eating any other animal, like a cat or dog or monkey or crocodile. What's the difference, anyway? Even human flesh has a lot of similarities to the kinds of meats people regularly eat.

I've been vegetarian for almost 5 years and now vegan for just under a year, I find meat nasty too. It does smell, it's full of blood, full of dye, pesticides, hormones....other animals.

Everyone becomes vegetarian for different reasons. Environmental, spiritual, dietary, humanitarian, they are all good reasons and it can be hard for us when people do not respect the choices we make.

I find that the best defense is research and education. There isn't much difference in meats...in some parts of Asian, they eat dolphins and us westerners get angry, we eat cows, in some areas, cows are sacred, they eat dogs in Asia, here we would never. It is all the same...you're right.

Throw out the word "normal".. if you don't want to eat it, if it makes you sick to your stomach that bad, don't eat it. Who cares what other people think about it.

yeah, the idea seems bizarre to me too now that I've habituated myself to a Vegan lifestyle. I don't look down on people who eat meat though, to each his own.

Polo vegetarians generally eat no animal product but chicken, perhaps milk, as well.
Pesco vegetarians, such as myself, only eat fish.
And, you're right. There are many similarities between all types of meat. If you can't stomach it, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Most people have had it drilled into their minds that there's something "different" about human flesh, when really, we're all composed of the same stuff. The only thing thats different is that it came from a sentient mind.
I can see why it's drilled into their heads, though. If we made no distinction, it'd be catastrophic.
More power to you.:)

I am totally grossed out by ground meat! When I was back in high school, I went sleep at a friends. (Back then in the late 80's I ate cooked ground meat) We woke up starving and her mother made us homemade hamburgers. When I cut into my burger, I saw a large clear color squiggly looking thing in my burger. Her mother said it was just a piece of grizzle from the ground up meat. Everyone ate there burgers, I could not eat mine, I actually threw up just from the site of it. And to this day, I do not eat ground meat. I actually inspect all of my food before putting in my mouth. Many people eat the grizzle of all food. YUK! Imagine chewing on a wad of fat. Plus the aroma of fresh meat stinks. It smells of the blood.

My husband eats meat, I am veggie and one day I went to food store to buy him meat, and there was like fleshy meat and it had bllod on it, kinda just wettish!

I have not bought meat since.

I look at bacon and see a little cute piggy.

I would say it is your natural instincts kicking in, which is something most people turn off. Your body knows what is good for it, and you are listening. It can also be the psychological trauma of the car accident and what you experienced. I am a vegan and a psychologist, and meat repulses me to my very core. I've never experienced any trauma to make meat repulse me, and feel it is more biological or an instinct - so I definitely think it can be very normal.

you go too far with it, but i can't eat hamburgers out at restaurants or fast food. not sure why. they freak me out.

As long as you get your protein from other sources then that is your choice. If casseroles have ground up chicken in it, that might be a way to eat it, rather than having the actual meat there staring at you.

I wouldn't say it's "normal", but it's not uncommon at all. Many vegetarians experience feelings like this. There's nothing wrong with it, and there's no need to force yourself to eat something you don't want.

Some people do get "grossed out" by seeing or smelling meat.

We are not all clones, people feel and behave in different ways.

I did once walk out on a first date because the lady in question ordered salmon, i could not stand the smell. I think she was a tad suprised that i would have the cheek to dump her ;-)

Your not alone, I am a vegan. But my roomate will eat anything. So therefore I do get grossed out by the smell of his meat in the house. Don't think I could go back to eating it again.

no its not weird at all to feel that way. Meat is pretty weird and pretty gross. And definitely is no different than eating any other kind of animal, including the human kind.

Im not an in your face type of vegetarian - i really don't care what choice other people make - but i can say that you shouldn't feel weird about feeling that way. We should just be thankful that we have the choice to NOT eat it!

If you don't want to eat it then don't! I used to eat meat a lot and I couldn't eat it anymore (mainly because I love animals and what you described above) so I became a vegetarian. I can understand what you're saying... just think about it and decide what you want to do. :)





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