Vegetarian Vs Vegan?!
Answers: If someone is a Vegetarian, but still eats animal byproducts - then what is the point? Don't those other products cause cruelty and gross people out the same way eating meat would? I am not trying to judge or be a smartass, this is actually a question. Are things like dairy, eggs, or random substances like gelatin a lot different then eating meat - from a vegartians point of view?
I think that part of the reasoning in this is that people are not aware of the suffering that cow go through to be milked and chickens go through to lay eggs. Our dairy and egg industries are just as bad as the meat industry, but most people don't know that!
I have been a vegetarian for more than 1 year, and I never knew about these things until a week ago, when I watched a video on PETA called "meet your meat". I immediately decided to become vegan. Convincing my family was another journey - one that I am still going through.
Even if people DO know about the suffering caused by the dairy and egg industries, anything helps. Even just cutting out red meat makes a big difference both animal and environment-wise. Imagine if half of our population did that! I think that people don't do things because they don't think that they will make a difference, but the opposite is true! Even just refusing chicken because of vegetarianism will influence others to consider doing so as well.
Of course vegetarianism is not as "good" as veganism, but the point is that at least we are trying. At least we are conscious of suffering. At least we feel compassion and act on it. At least we show others that meat-eating is cruel and unnecesary for a healthy, happy planet, animals, and self.
I'm a vegetarian and eat dairy products (Rennet free) and eggs. I would never eat gelatine because it means the slaughter of the animal. I actually eat gelatine once by mistake in butter and it was the foulest taste I've had. It was weird because before going Veggie, I never even put a taste to gelatine.
All people should eat what they want. It's up to the individual what is morale and what is not.
I'm not vegetarian or vegan, however most of the vegetarians I know, either just don't like the taste of meat - or don't like the thought of an animal being killed to provide them with food - and wouldn't necessarily view a cow being milked for instance in the same way as a cow being killed - therefore, do not have the same issues with dairy, for instance.
There's also the practicalities to consider, in that the majority of restaurants (sometimes poorly) cater for vegetarians, but not necessarily for vegans - so it is not necessarily an 'easy' lifestyle choice to follow. I know some vegetarians that don't like vegetables - so it can be a case of finding something they can eat, to remain healthy!
I guess what you eat is a very individual choice - and everybody has their own reasons! :)
Some people do it just for health.
But at least the animals aren't dead yet.
The point is, EVERYTHING makes a difference. Eliminating beef makes a difference for the rainforests for example.
Not everyone has the resources or the time to avoid all animal ingredients, especially since the easiest way to do that is to personally prepare everything you consume. A daunting task for someone in school, working full time, or chasing after kids!
People should be applauded for becoming vegetarian- if for no other reason than to halt global warming.
its better to take whatever we can to stop cruelty.
Plus, people that are vegetarians sometimes become vegans, so its okay. I use to be vegetarian all my life and then i learnt about being vegan.
vegetarian or vegans are both better then eating animals!
I'm a vegeterian but only because I think that all meat tastes gross && weird. I eat dairy stuff. Not every vegeterian is a vegeterian because of the cruelty to animals.....it's cause meat tastes Gross! Although I'm kind of against the cruelty to animals to but mostly because it don't taste good. So yah
i was a vegan for 7 years, i only stopped because of personal reasons.
a true vegetarian DOES NOT EAT any animal products.
then you have lacto-vegetarians(they use milk)
and ovo-vegetarians (they eat eggs)
some eat both (lacto-ovo-vegetarians)
a vegan is someone who denounces animal products all together...no leather, starburst candy, gummi bears, things like that. no silk clothing. TRUE VEGANS wont even watch TV shows with animals in them, because the animals did not CHOOSE to act in them...it gets really intense.
but back to the ??? from my point of view, it is the same as eating an animal. eggs have an unfertilized fetus in inside (the yolk) as well as other nastiness...i eat meat products now, but only organic things. hope this was helpful.
Vegetarians are not monlithic. They are people who have made certain decisions about how they will nourish themselves. Buddhist monks, who are focused on ending the suffering of all sentient beings, sometimes get their food by begging and decide that they will eat what is given them "without relish or disgust". So sometimes they eat animal products. People who are focused on sustainability may eat animal products from local farmers who they know are treating their animals humanely.
Perhaps, it is best not to be too focused on making everyone else make the same decisions you have made but to encourage everyone to consider their choices in a wider more compassionate context.
To do that you need to have compassion for where they are at the moment.
First gelatin isn't vegetarian. Anyone who thinks it is needs to check the definition. Vegetarians do more than meat eaters in reducing harm. Vegans do even more than vegetarians. It's a sliding scale, not a black or white issue.
It depends. somebody keeps out all animal related foods such as egg even milk also. somebody use only milk or egg or both. Somebody use chicken also, avoid red meet. So it is according to the mentality, habit etc. etc. But having only vegetable is good to keep healthy. For protein they can use pulses. Refer this site for more details.
http://blossom-healthyfood.blogspot.com/
It doesn't make sense to me when people call themselves vegetarians but eat *slaughter* byproducts, like gelatin and meat broths. It doesn't track that you'd have an objection to dead flesh, but not dead bones, or that you'd abstain from eating dead animals, but think it was OK to drink them. To me, those people are not vegetarian.
Eggs and dairy are somewhat different. The majority of vegetarians are lacto-ovo and justify this by the fact that eggs and dairy do not directly result from the death of an animal. This is within the accepted definition of vegetarian and it's a personal choice. I became vegan when I really learned how cruel these industries are and realized that as a lacto-ovo-vegetarian I was still supporting the slaughter of animals for food. But everyone has to draw their own line and vegetarians are still doing far more to reduce animal suffering than the average person.
Well, for me, there are 2 principles that i think you have to recognize:
1: Every little bit helps.
2: It is impossible to do everything while living in this society
So at some point, you are going to have to make a compromise. You may not realize you are doing it, but you are doing it. Driving a car is a compromise, getting on a computer is a compromise. I avoid egg and milk products but i'm ok with them creeping into my diet sometimes. I've just come to realize that this is the level of effort that i am comfortable putting forward.
I very recently became a vegetarian and am coming across the same issues you are asking about. I became vegetarian because I love animals and realized how incredibly cruel the farm animal industry is. I do not eat any red meat, any poultry or fowl, and I don't eat eggs. I've never liked milk so that is not an issue for me. However, two of my favorite things to eat are cheeses, and yogurts and are how I get my calcium supply. The more I research my new lifestyle the more I like the vegan lifestyle, but on the same hand I see how different it is from my current lifestyle. Vegetarian is easy for me, but becoming vegan requires many many changes, not the least of which is my boyfriend is a fabulous pastry chef and I will no longer be able to indulge in his creations, unless he makes them vegan. What I'm trying to say is that I enjoy being vegetarian and I'm happy with the steps I've taken to prevent animal cruelty, as well as global warming, but I do intend to eventually become vegan. I know myself well enough to know that if I do the whole process at once I will feel deprived and overwhelmed and that's not a good thing. I will continue to make small changes in my lifestyle that will lead me to veganism, and I feel at peace with my decision. I don't think it's right to judge others for their lifestyle choices though. Most of my friends and family are still omnivores and that's their choice and to judge them would only make me and vegetarianism look bad in their eyes. Instead I will show them how great being a vegetarian can be!
i have been vegetarian almost all my life and this was because i made a conscientious decision based on ethics and morals and i am talking about a 7 year old kid. so i consider myself an expert. i do not drink milk. i do eat cheese and an occasional egg(yes, i do know eggs mean that u r not veg but doctor's orders), my sister on the other hand has nothing no milk, no ice-cream, etc, however she does have cheese as long as she does not think of it being made from milk and i am not talking about a small kid - she is a 30 year old lawyer.
im a traditional vegetarian meaning i will drinkmilk, eat cheese and eat eggs(only when the allergic kids are far away of course!). milking a cow for cheese and milk and yoghurt isnt considered cruelty to us. becuz not milking the cow is worse then milking it(a cow will get very sick and sore if not milked regularly) as for eggs im a bit biased so not the best person to answer. we dont eat them in my house as my 16 yr old is fatally allergic to them and just being within 10 metres of a cracked egg will make her feel sick. she starts vomiting violently when the smell and the spores of a cookign egg get in the air.
i sort of see eggs as killing chickens, becuz its chickens that arent born, but its also chickens that are unfertilized, its like the way a womens body produces an egg and its come sout in blood, well a chickens egg comes out as..well an egg lol. im half and half, dont eat them anyway but i used to when i was little. i also eat chicken once a month as its traditional to eat chicken on the 1st friday of each month or the last sunday(only one or the other) in our family. (meditteranean diet)