Vegetarians, Gays, and Greenies, VGG

User Comments

1. 

   10/04/07

   absolutelytrue

   I had a veggie burger from Burger King yesterday and it was great. I wish it had more tomato on in though, mine came with 1 half-dollar size slice. Maybe I will ask for extra tomato next time. But it was good, I definitely will be getting them more often when I need a quick meal.

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   1. 

      10/05/07

      Kobus1

      I don't mean to criticize you, maybe you haven't thought about this, but PLEASE consider this: if you buy a veggie burger from a food chain that is in fact one of the largest parties in the sickening polluting bio industry, you might as well take that hamburger. Being vegetarian is not just about YOU not eating meat, it's making a statement against the horrific circumstances the animals 'live' in. I'm not against eating meat as such at all, but I think the way it's produced these days is sick and wrong. Then you don't want to buy vegetarian products from companies that only sell them because there's a market for them, but in the mean time still support that same meat industry. Better buy a piece of organic meat then.
   2. 

      10/06/07

      Zarquon

      Horsehockey! There's lots of other reasons for being a vegetarian that to impress a whiney load of tree hugging hippies. (If you could see what I look like, you'd find it Ironic for me to say that, however ...)
      Health reasons should be more important that looking suave at parties with your veeg-o-slurry burger or elitist soy beverage. Carp! The amounts of lead in seafood these days should be MORE then enough reason to scare any carnivore to the delights of veggie goodness.
      You're deluded if you think that stopping eating at McDonald's or another chain is going to drastically change their income levels. Not only to they spend more money on floor cleaner in a day then the national debts of some small countries, but you'd also have to stop using the banks that support their investment firms, the shopping centres they own, the condoment companies they've aquired and countless other aspects of your life you'd never equate to the parent. Think about it, Proctor and Gamble not only make your toothpaste, but produce dog food, floor cleaner and drugs.
      Short of living half a mile from the farthest point from anywhere and growing your own everything, you're trapped by that corporate society regardless of what you had in your lunch box.
      Being a vegetarian is EXCLUSIVELY about you. Only you. Like all other things in life, you should do it for your own reasons or not at all.
      
      Now that I have that little venting out of the way, I like Taco Bell, because they will change any ground beef item to refried beans if you ask them, and their ready made selection is pretty good (m3897 mentioned most of my favs already).
      McDonalds in many places is still using pork fat (lard) for their deep fry, so it's not entirely veggie even for their fries, depending on how deep and committed you're planning to get. New York Fries uses vegetable oil (and is trans-fat free) if you get that sort of craving.
      
      Do remember to keep a close eye on your health. Not all people can readily break down plant protein in an efficient way. It's much more difficult to extract then the raw proteins in meat. If you find that you are getting tired or frequently ill, chances are you might not be suited for the vegetarian lifestyle and will either have to return to some form meat in your diet or go to the less reliable suppliments.
      At very least, your daily protein intake (in grams) should be about your weight in kilograms as a quick guide or more depending on your activity levels.
      Hope you like beans and spinach and welcome to the club.
2. 

   10/05/07

   m38967

   hi----absolutely: i was out of town this week, so sorry didnt respond sooner. hey, congrats! on going veggie. what prompted the decision? im glad you joined the group, this will be great for everyone, as it will be nice to learn from YOU and what it will be like for a newly minted veg.
   
   as far as veg in fast food, there are quite abit of them. mcdonalds forget it, they are not veg friendly at all.
   
   wendys - baked potato, side salads, fries
   taco bell - bean rice cheese burrito, cheese quesadilla, rice cup, beans cup
   kfc - corn on the cob, mac and cheese, beans, mashed potatoes, cole slaw
   mcdonalds - sucks (not veg friendly at all)
   burger king - veggie burger, fries, salads (sans chicken)
   
   and others. not healthy or ideal, but quick and cheap, as fast food is meant to be.

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3. 

   10/06/07

   Kobus1

   Thanks for that extensive explanation, Zarquon. I actually appreciate that. Of course I'm not so silly to think mine is the only reason to be vegetarian. I know my private little person won't change MacDonalds. Still won't eat fast food. I actually became vegetarian when mad cow disease broke out. It was the most blatant show of how the industry makes animals sick for me. I had been seen years before that for the last time in a fast food restaurant (I vaguely remember having fries in a Burger King).
   By the way my local supermarket has a line of cosmetics and cleaning products that come from a small Dutch company. In fact most shops in Holland sell a variety of 'B' brands or 'unknown' names that come from (relatively) small producers. So even there I feel that I do have a choice, but I don't know if that exists in the US.
   Don't know Taco Bell either. I don't know if we even have them over here.
   Anybody cares to react? I'm curious.

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4. 

   10/06/07

   absolutelytrue

   Zarquon - thanks! I do enjoy spinach and beans and I think I'm going to really like living a vegetarian lifestyle.
   
   Missy - I decided to go veggie because I just really feel that life is so undervalued, and that the lives of humans and animals alike are important. Also, I never really liked meat that much anyway. I never understood the thrill of steak and I could never eat meat that still looked like the animal it came from.... Thanksgiving is horrific looking to me.
   
   I also decided to give up meat because I think it will be healthier for me. The final straw was smelling chicken wings cooking the other day and feeling like I might vomit. Anywhere that chicken is prepared has that smell.. and it just makes me think.. if it smells like that while it's being prepared, how good can it really be?
   
   I hate how animals raised for food are treated too. I used to love burgers, but I can't see a cow without feeling guilty and sad.
   
   I have always been an animal lover. I have 10 cats, 3 dogs and 1 bird and most of my animals were rescues. I did buy one of my dogs and my bird before I began rescuing animals. I'm also the kind of person that will catch and place a spider outside rather than squash it. I don't like killing anything, however I will spray or swat a mosquito... I just can't help that.
   
   So far I'm not having a problem with not having meat. The only meat that I really enjoyed before was cheeseburgers and the veggie burgers are just as good or even better. I don't particularly like salads so I thought it would be more difficult.. but I do like pizza, some veggies like broccoli and carrots, beans and spinach as well as fruit and watermelon. My sister makes a spinach pasta that is incredible.
   
   Missy, thanks for the fast food list. That will help a lot.
   
   Kobus1 - I don't want to sound like a jerk or be insensitive, but I agree with what Zarquon said. The choice was about me, and I don't think that if I never bought from a fast food place ever again that it would change anything. Also, I have a 3 year old and he does like meat sometimes, although he's really a big fruit and veggie eater so maybe when he's old enough to make the choice he will give up meat as well. I did buy veggie burgers from the grocery store though so that I can fix them to eat at home.
   
   Also, sometimes we have the option of buying from small environmentally friendly companies, and I do when I can.. but usually they are more expensive. I'm a single mom, so I have to cut costs when I can.

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5. 

   10/07/07

   m38967

   Being or choosing to be a veggie is a personal and varied decision, some do it for religious reasons, others because of animal rights, some for health, and some because of the environmental factor. Whatever the decision, it should be commnded and encouraged. That is why i said to absolutelytrue: congrats.
   
   One has to live their life as is best suited for their individual circumstances, their is no "one size fits all". If you feel that eating (and therefore supporting) a fast food chain is wrong for you, then don't do it. That is your choice, but others might not be able or willing to also subscribe to your ideal. It varies by person and ideals.
   
   The one thing that most all vegetarians benefit from is that through their new meatless journey, they become over time (sometimes quickly) quite savvy about ingredients, recipes, labels, and nutrition.
   
   There are many resources available to learn about nutrients and how to best meet the recommended daily allotments and about the different food groups. One such resource i was just reading about today, is www.mypyramid.gov, the governments NEW! food guide that gives recommendations on proper portions and from what food group.
   
   They key word there is PORTIONS. I was just telling my roommmate (just this morning) about how the average person over eats and if they were to switch to this food guide and follow the food portions they would be hungry, because most people (myself included) are used to or were raised on supersize portions. But over time ones body should regulate to the proper food portions.
   
   We eat too much, restaurants are insane with food portions, my god, the other day i was celebrating a friends b-day at an Italian eatery, and my plate of pasta was ridiculous. It was enough for like 3 people.

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6. 

   10/07/07

   absolutelytrue

   There were lots of things that contributed to my decision, but bottom line is I just don't want to eat meat anymore. It's going great so far, I don't miss meat at all.
   
   My main reasons have to do with loving all animals and not wanting them to suffer and die so that I can eat them. That just never seemed right to me. The fringe benefits are great too, if I'm healthier because of this choice, and I help the environment along the way, that is wonderful.

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