Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Yes, there are levels of vegetarianism, but if you are a true vegetarian, you do not eat meat of any type - ever - period.

Lacto-Ovo: Eats eggs & dairy, but no other animal products

Lacto: Eats Dairy, No eggs, No other animal product

Ovo: Eats Eggs, but no dairy or other animal product

Vegan: Eats no animal products, wears no animals, etc.

If you are a vegetarian, you eat nothing that's ever had a face, heartbeat, or nervous system. You lead a compassionate lifestyle with regard to animal rights.

I am vegan and it is hard. I don't even know why that was questioned. There are animal byproducts in almost everything and at restaurants, it is extremely difficult. I have been becoming more lenient as of late bc, quite simply, it is almost impossible to avoid IMO. I give credit to people who can do this.

Things to watch out for:

Casein (milk derivative)
Rennet (in cheeses, cow's stomach lining)
Gelatin (boiled parts; in jello & gummy candies, Altoids, film, among other things)
Whey (This I gave up on; too hard for me)

The other sacrifice is buying all of my shoes at Payless bc I loooooooove shoes. But hey, nice pair of shoes or saving a life? I choose the latter.

I'd love veggie restaurant recommendations if anyone has them. I Think I've hit them all, but you never know....

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

If anyone can suggest vegetarian restaurants, please do! My friend and his fiancee (she is vegetarian) are coming to visit and I'd like to take them to dinner.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I gave up meat for a long time, (in 1990) and was pretty much a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I didn't do it for animal rights reasons, however, but more for environmental reasons. I learned a lot about the clear-cutting of rainforests and other land to make room for cattle ranching. Also, as I learned more about how much waste is involved in raising beef, I decided not to eat it anymore. I did also give up other types of meat at the time.

I did start eating poultry again in the last few years but still don't eat red meat. For one thing, I never really had a taste for it. The other thing that keeps me away is a program I saw on Mad Cow Disease. I think by not eating red meat, I avoid getting mad cow or ecoli or any of those other nasty diseases.

As other people have mentioned, the hardest part for me was eating out, or at other people's homes. At the time that I gave up meat there were very few options besides salad and things that had cheese in them. I remember ordering many things also that seemed like a vegetarian choice, but had meat in them, even though it wasn't mentioned anywhere on the menu There are a lot more options now.

Message edited 2/9/2006 7:45:22 PM.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Zen Palate is a great vegetarian restaurant....I am not a vegetarian and I think it is great! I think they also have vegan entrees as well but not positive.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

There used to be a great vegetarian restaurant called Santosha -- right here on the island -- but it has closed down. The only other good veggie restaurants I know of are in the city:

Kate's Joint - Ave B and 4th St.
Angelica's Kitchen - 11th St I think?
Zen Palate - Union Sq.
VP2 (Vegetarians Paradise 2) - W4th near 6th Ave
Candela - uptown
Zenith - 53rd St.

Tons more; can't remember their names. My all time faves were Kate's (try their wings) and VP2 (Chinese, Yum!) If you go to Angelica's, eat their tempeh reuben.

On LI, there's tons of chinese restaurants with veggie menus now too.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I have been a lacto ovo vegetarian since I was about 20/21... But I have been some form of vegetarian my whole life.

The last time I ate fish I was little. Even as a kid I did not like eating something that swam in the ocean. Plus, I never really liked fish.

There was a time when I was about 5 years old that my brother started clucking like a chicken-- this was the first time I realized what "chicken" was-- I stopped eating it for a while.

I never really liked or ate red meat. Nor would I ever touch the more "gamier" meats.

I guess- it has always been a part of me. I really just don't like the idea of eating animals. I wear leather-- I just don't like eating something that was once living. The rule is- nothing with a face!

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Message edited 2/9/2006 8:49:56 PM.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Caravan of Dreams in the East Village

I also love GoBo

caravan

Message edited 2/9/2006 9:38:34 PM.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Thank you!

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I'm so excited with these new veggie restaurant options -- esp the veggie Korean one bc I'm adopting a Korean baby! Caravan of Dreams is the one with the reuben I think. I'm mixing all of my restaurants up bc I stopped working in the city in '02. I miss my Veggie Restaurant Options.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I do not eat red meat at all, I stopped about 12 years ago. I don't eat pig either. At first I stopped eating all poultry and fish too, but I started passing out due to lack of nutrients and started eating fish. A few years later I started eating chicken and turkey.

There are healthy ways to be a vegetarian, but I was too young and didn't really have the resources to do it right.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I'm a vegetarian. Some people say I'm not because I eat fish. But I don't really pay attention because it's a personal choice. I don't try to convert others, or pretend I'm something I'm not. I've been a vegetarian for about 10 years. I started slowly. First I stopped eating pork, then I stopped eating all meats. I remember the last meat I ever ate was some kind of mcdonald's breakfast and right after that i decided I didn't want to eat meat anymore..at first, I guess for the first 6 mos-a year I would still eat foods that contained meat if they weren;t meat. So I would still eat rice a roni and I didn't check ingredients of cookies, snack foods, restaraunt sauces, soups etc. If it didn';t have solid meat I would eat it, but then I stopped that too. Oh I also had a laspe. I became a vegetarian in 8th grade but then I went to camp and there was nothing there to eat as avegetarian so I ate some meat, then when I started 9th grade was when I officially stopped forever.

It is hard sometimes. Just because it's a choice doesn't mean it's not hard. Being kosher is also hard, I'd imagine. For both, you have to check the labels on everything. There are hidden ingredients. "natural flavors" could be anything. going out to eat with friends *****. I remember going to a mexican restaraunt with friends and eating tortilla chips and salsa because that was literally all there was on the menu that I could eat. Europe was awful. Every pizza had meat on it even. I used to wonder why I'd get so sick when I ate mcdonald's and then it came out that their french fries are made with beef. You'd be surprised at how many foods include meat.

I eat at home a lot. I like zen palate and bagel boss. i love knowing that I can order anything on hte menu. I also trust Houstons. Diners are very hard because they cook the food all on the same grill and I almost always end up with chunks of ham or bacon in my eggs. At school, when I order a veggie burger I have to argue with them to microwave it for me, ebcause otherwise they would throw it on the same grill with the meat. It's hard. And also people lie. Friends lie or don't realize, waiters lie, etc..

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I gave it up 12 years ago..i never really liked it and oneday i said I am done and have not touched it since.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

i gave up meat for about 2 years or so becuas eof my love for animals, BUT i got enemic, dizzy spells, blackouts and was contantly fainting.
i dont eat vegetables either, so i had to go back to meat.
i must admit i LOVE meat and could never give it up now, but perhaps if i could have been better about it back in the day i would still be.

*i HATE when "vegetarians" eat Chicken!!!!! its like then youre NOT one!!!!!!!!! Grrrrr that really bugs me.

as for fish, i really dont think veggies should eat it because its still an animal, but whatever. i dont judge peopel that DO. just saying if i ever went back i wouldnt eat fish either.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Posted by baghag

If anyone can suggest vegetarian restaurants, please do! My friend and his fiancee (she is vegetarian) are coming to visit and I'd like to take them to dinner.

Message edited 2/10/2006 3:36:42 PM.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

vegetarian paradise 2
red bamboo

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Just curious...have any of you veggies or vegans had children? Did you have to visit a nutritionist before you conceived to make sure the baby had the proper development in the womb? Or did you just have to make sure to take your daily vitamins?

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Posted by MrChristian

Just curious...have any of you veggies or vegans had children? Did you have to visit a nutritionist before you conceived to make sure the baby had the proper development in the womb? Or did you just have to make sure to take your daily vitamins?

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

I have been slowly leaning towards becoming a vegetarian for the past few years. I rarely eat red meat because it disgusts me. If I do eat it, it has to be practically charbroiled. I am a huge animal lover. I did stop eating meat for a month last year as an experiment. It was hard but worth it. I am slowly trying to do it again. I am on Nutrisystem and I noticed they have a vegetarian diet, I may try it.

Re: If you are a vegetarian...

Posted by Susan

Posted by Lolita4Life

i gave up meat for about 2 years or so becuas eof my love for animals, BUT i got enemic, dizzy spells, blackouts and was contantly fainting.
i dont eat vegetables either, so i had to go back to meat.
i must admit i LOVE meat and could never give it up now, but perhaps if i could have been better about it back in the day i would still be.

*i HATE when "vegetarians" eat Chicken!!!!! its like then youre NOT one!!!!!!!!! Grrrrr that really bugs me.

as for fish, i really dont think veggies should eat it because its still an animal, but whatever. i dont judge peopel that DO. just saying if i ever went back i wouldnt eat fish either.

Sounds like you were starving yourself. There's no way you could get anemic, dizzy, black out and faint just by being a vegetarian. Even if you were to eat salad every day, I have a hard time believing this story. Sorry. I think if you don't eat veggies, maybe it's best you stay a carnivore.