Deviled Eggs = Vegetarian Food???

First, understand that there are MANY different types of Vegetarians.

Some will eat eggs but not flesh.
Some will eat no animal by products, at all!

Worcestshire sauce contains anchovies and some vegetarians don't eat fish...some Worcesthire sauces may also contain beef flavor, some vegetarians don't eat anything with any type of meat flavor, cause it's usually flesh based...

I hope this helps...
rH

not a vegetarian and not an expert

 

Ain't nothin' strange about that. Don't confuse vegetarian with vegan.

 

The majority of us vegetarians do eat eggs (myself included). It's usually only the vegans who don't eat eggs, or dairy products and, in some cases, not use honey. Vegans are a fairly small minority of all vegetarians.

I've been a vegetarian for 13 years. There have been a couple of times when I tried to be completely vegan. Alas, I found that life without pizza and chocolate was nearly unbearable.

 

Although they do eat:
Fakin Bacon (Fake Bacon)
Tofurky (Fake Turkey)
Soy Crumbles (Fake Ground Beef)
Soyrizo (Fake Chorizo)
Wonder Dogs (Fake Hotdogs)
Smart Links (Fake Sausage)
Boca Burger (Fake Burger)

That always kills me..er, I mean gets me..hehe!
I'm vegetarian but lemme eat a meat-like thing that tastes like dead animal but without flesh?

 

Don't forget Wham (fake ham).

The only explanation I can offer is my own story. I was raised on a standard midwestern meat and potato diet. I liked eating that food, but I realized that I didn't like that I had to kill an animal to get it. So I stopped eating meat for ethical reasons. It doesn't mean I stopped liking the taste.

If there was a way to get meat without killing an animal (like the replicators on Star Trek, for instance) I would probably induldge from time to time. That being said, however, there are still a whole host of health reasons as to why the fake meats are better for you than the real thing.

 

the proper termanology is:

lactovegetarian for those who eat milk stuffs

and

ovovegetarian for those who eat eggs

(you can combine them for lacto-ovovegetarian)

I was a lacto-ovovegetarian for three years and I can tell you that it is nearly impossible to get enough protein as a true vegan. It's kind of like those idiots who feed cats vegetarian cat food. People are omnivores. Cats are carnivores. You can't escape evolution.

 

Ottoman: Actually, that isn't true. The lack of protein in the vegetarian diet is the biggest myth in health. In reality, there is only one mineral that cannot be obtained through fruits and vegetables alone - B12 - but even that is considered a trace element and is rarely required for a healthy diet. If you eat fresh organic produce, in fact, you will very likely get that element from the dirt that is leftover on the outside of it because it does appear oftentimes in soil. However, because we are in a society where we can buy supplements, that even isn't necessary.

The vast majority of the world is lactose intolerant. Traditional Chinese cultures consider cheese a "rotten" food and they won't eat it. It comes down to what works for you. Some people can handle it and others cannot.

And even if we needed tons of protein, which we don't, animal based proteins come with more problems than solutions. There are far better sources of protein in plants. The best sources of protein in the world, in fact, are in plants. Almonds, like most nuts, and beans are extremely high in protein and one cup of broccali has a higher concentration of protein than a glass of milk. In fact, broccali sprouts are considered one of the healthiest foods all around in the world. Additionally, animal based proteins are calcium inhibitors which decrease the level of calcium intake in the body creating all kinds of problems.

The bottom line is that we eat what works for us. The month after I stopped eating meat, I dropped nearly 20 pounds. The less dairly I eat, the better I feel. For some, that wouldn't work, but for others it works best.

 

Jeff, ditto for me. But...what do you eat in a weeks time? I do well for a while, but then the lack of variety compared to meat-eaters starts to gnaw on me. I'd give up meat in a heartbeat if I could find enough tasty alternatives.

I'm not a real huge fan of the fake meats...

 

The funny thing is, when my wife (then just a first date ) told me she was a vegetarian, I thought, "Where the hell will we eat?" The funny thing is that her diet is WAY more diverse than mine. Since I do eat dairy products, I just omit the meat 9 times out of 10. I'll just have vegetables or a cheese pizza. Tonight I had baked ziti with tomato sauce. There are tons of things to eat. Meat is usually a main course but it doesn't have to be in everything to make your meal complete.

As for fake meats, you probably haven't had the right stuff. You just have to look around and try different things. Here are my favorites:

Burgers: Amy's or Boca Burgers - both are flame grilled tasting and very good - oftentimes, the seasoning makes the difference, so don't wave 'em, put them on a grill just like a regular burger and they'll taste great.

Hot Dogs: Tofu Pups, without a doubt. Made by LiteLine, these are the BEST vege dogs out there.

Lunchmeat...

Turkey - Lite Line turkey - this is just the best stuff - I have at least a couple of sandwiches every week with it.
Bologna - Bolog-no by Worthington
Ham - Wham by Worthington <--- this is tremendous tasting

Chicken: Veat - it comes in a variety of formats - nuggets, pieces, breats - but I like the breast the best. It looks just like a really large chicken breast and what I like about it is that it is textured like chicken and has the base flavor BUT they don't make it taste fake. You won't want to eat it as is. You season it or marinade it just like regular chicken but it is AWESOME on the grill, sauted or baked. I have chicken sandwiches all the time using it.

That's a few things. Boca also makes meat crumbles meant to replace ground beef that you can use in spaghetti sauce or whatever.

You really have to try things out to find out exactly what you want. Try visitng http://www.nomeat.com/ . They have a wide assortment of the stuff and they'll even ship it to your door. That's how my wife and I get Wham. Good luck.

 

Dude, thanks. I appreciate it. Slipping off really bugged me. I wanted to do it without the fake meats, but maybe I'll use them as I transition...

 

Show me one weight lifter or sports star that doesn't take protein supliments based on either on milk or eggs, and I will be alot more inclined to agree with you.

I think, perhaps, that our definition of 'enough' is different. I guess I was getting enough to be alive, but I lost all muscle mass until I began drinking milk again after about 2 months. Perhaps it's possible, but eating 3 cups of sprouts, or two cups of walnuts every day doesn't seem realistic to me. Also if I remember correctly, the problem is made more dificult by amino distribution in the proteins. Something about tyramine(?) not being present (I believe related to the distribution of those same aminos that inhibit calcium absorbtion?). Anyway, as a pure vegan, I found it perhaps required too much planing in order to stay healthy. My mind always seemed a bit slugish and I had no energy, but perhaps it was just me.

And please tell me you don't feed your cats vegetarian food. I can accept that you believe that people should not eat meat, but cats are clearly designed from the ground up as carnivores and hunters. Making such moral decisions for a cat is not right, IMO.

Also, I found the whole concept of fake meat amazing. It seems to me it seems that it is 'comfort food' for those with a lack of self dicipline to follow through on their convictions.

 

How can you be a vegetarian for ethical reasons yet still eat eggs? It's like vegetarian who are also pro-choice - that has always confused me as well???

 

Question Jeff,

Do these fake meats actually taste like the real thing?

 

Well, I assume if you are pro-choice you don't believe that until a certan point fetuses aren't alive. Therefore, comercialy grown eggs, which aren't fertilised, are not alive, either. That would place them in the same category as milk: Something produced by another living thing that can be harvested without resulting in said animal's death.

 

Hmmm...but that leads to the question of whether or not you can cause something that isnt alive to die. I mean, it seems that regardless of whether or not what is inside the egg is alive, by eating it, you are responsible for it not being alive in the first place. It just seems like such a gray area of argument that being both a vegetarian and pro-choice, or a vegetarian who eats eggs, is odd. I'm not judging anybody and dont care - eat whatever you want - I was just curious.

 

First, BGM, yes, many of them do really taste like meat.

Second, JayZ, ethical problems are inherent in nearly every aspect of living. We do our best. There are contradictions in everything we do. Unfortunately, that is the nature of life. I just try to do the best I can.

Finally...

Ottoman: I said that it works for some and not for others. You don't have to take it personally.

Jack LeLane, the most famous body builder/health expert to ever live is vegan. Robert Parish was a vegan during half his NBA career. But, here's a bigger list: http://veggie.org/veggie/famous.veg.athletes.shtml

Also, the pic below is of Jim Morris, a vegan bodybuilder from England. He is over 60 years old!!!

<img src="http://www.vegans.free-online.co.uk/jim.jpg">

It came from this website...http://www.vegans.free-online.co.uk/vbbF.htm

It is becoming more widely recognized that the most common vegetable based protein is cleaner and healthier: soy. Hit any GNC or read any fitness magazine and you'll see plenty of references to and ads for soy protein supplements. Doctors are finding that the soy protein is not only healthier but it has the identical effect in terms of muscle building that animal protein does.

Well, you are right. It depends on what is enough. I am inclined to believe being a body builder doesn't actually make you that healthy. Look at all the former pro athletes now suffering with serious health problems. The constant pounding that comes with that kind of serious training is tough on the body.

Health experts agree that a moderate exercise routine over the course of your life is the healthiest way to live a long life. You don't have to be either a weakling struggling to breathe or Charles Atlas. There is some middle ground in there and, in almost every situation, that middle ground is healthiest.

I looked this up and, apparently, this is not the case. In both vegan and vegetarian studies, the opposite was actually true. The following exerpt is from Indian Dr. O.P.Kapoor's book on the effect of a vegetarian diet on health, specifically the implications surrounding tyramine which influences brain function and effects illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and chronic migrane headaches:

<i>These and many more instances in daily practice, and in the scientific literature, definitely suggest that a vegetarian life style is superior to a non-vegetarian life style from the angle of prevention of disease. Vegetarian diet also plays a good supportive role in the treatment of many chronic, progressive neurological diseases. Hence, taking into consideration the available data, it would not be incorrect to conclude that vegetarianism is beneficial not only for the prevention of many neurological diseases but also in the treatment and support of some of the diseases.</i>

I found numerous other references as well that all came to similar conclusions.

Yes, there is a great deal of planning involved. Just as there is planning in making time to work out or finding time to goof off on the internet. It is just part of the choices you make. I can understand if you felt sluggish. Some do. It isn't for everyone, myself included. But, I know others who are vegans and do just fine.

Why would you think that? I never said I thought people should not eat meat. Not eating meat is <i>MY</i> choice. What other people do is up to them. I have no interest in trying to convert anyone. However, I do want people to have all the correct info on that choice so they can make the decision for themselves. And, yes, I do feed meat-based foods to my cats.

Lack of discipline is giving up on something because it is too difficult. I have not done that. I have simply substituted plant based substances for animal based one's in a form that tastes good to me. I never said I lost my enjoyment of the taste of meat, just my desire to eat it.

I'm not sure why you felt the need to respond so aggressively about this subject. If it doesn't work for you, that's cool. I ate meat for a LONG time. No big deal. Will I eat it again? Who knows! I am choosing not to eat it now for my reasons. My only problem with your original post is that you made false statements about veganism that are common among those who haven't really closely examined the issue. I was the SAME way when my wife tried it. I looked for all kinds of reasons why she shouldn't but I realized that it was unknown to me and made me nervous which is why I was closed off to it.

You should do what makes you feel good and let others do what makes them feel good. If you want to know more great, if not, ok too. But, don't get upset just because people are making choices contrary to your own.

 

Hey, you know it's Human Nature to eat meat? So why not go hunt some wild deer and eat 'em. Or rabbits, I sure love the taste of Rabbit meat. Or Turkey... damn I need some good food right now

 

Sorry, I didn't think I was being agressive. Probably just too much meat.

I do, however, think that the people who feed vegetarian food to cats are guilty of effete, self-indulgant, philosphy-professor, ivory-towerism, as well as animal abuse.

I respect people who have well thought-out views, and have no problem with them. I don't, however, respect people who are meat eaters, but blanche at the thought of a cow being slaughtered, nor people who claim to be vegetarians because they think being a vegetarian is better for the environment and then go smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, throwing the butts out their car window.

Those people make me angry, and you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!

 

Thanks for the list of good-tasting products - some things I've tried really didn't work for me, such as soy milk and some tofu dogs (forgot the brand, but they were just too salty).

I've found that tofu cheese in sandwiches tastes just like normal processed cheese slices, so I've switched over to them.

I'm not really into vegeterianism at all - but I am into eating healthily while enjoying what I eat.

Some people are rather short-sighted about food, and only think about the pleasure they get when it goes in their mouths, but considering how your diet affects how you feel in the 95% of the time you aren't eating, I think it's foolish not to make the best choices that you personally can.