Vegetarianism? Sort of a mysterious area to me

So just my thoughts out loud on this topic. And some general questions on the issue, on some things that I don’t understand. If there is anyone who actually reads this blog, and who wants to share their views and opinions, please do. I guess my questions are philosophical, not technical. I know every person has their own reasons for doing it.

I know there are several types of vegetarianism, some being more “strict” (if that’s even the right word) than others on what animal products are consumed. I’m not favorable to any certain type.

A common reason I hear from vegetarians around me to eat the way they do is for animal rights. Another one is because they don’t want hormones, etc. in the foods they eat. Another is for diet/nutrition/health reasons.

While I completely agree with not wanting to consume “god knows what” in your chicken and beef from whatever farming practices this country has become accustomed to, there are some ways around this one. Why not buy local organic? I guess the price issue comes up here, and many people don’t care about meat enough to pay the price of organic meats so they just don’t eat it. Justifiable. I also agree that most farming practices have negative impacts on the environmental as well, and really wish as a country we could change our ways in that respect.

The animal rights thing, yes, I agree we should farm differently in this country and provide animals a more humane life/environment, etc. If America adopted more humane ways of farming, like most of the rest of the world, would you still not eat meat? Is it simply executing the animal for your food what bothers you? If that’s the case, do you not agree with how much of the world acquires its food sources? I know that we live in a privileged environment in which we do not have to go find our own food in the wild. So maybe this is the reason many people don’t agree with it—why kill something if it isn’t necessary, and we can eat other things just as easily.

The diet/nutrition/health reason one probably irks the most questions out of me though. For some reason there is a stigma on meat as being “unhealthy”, solely from a nutritional standpoint. Hormones and whatever additives aside, there are cuts of meat that are very healthy. Some of the best sources of lean protein and iron are from certain types of meat. I know meat is not a required food group, but proteins, iron, and minerals are. So what do you eat in place of it to fill in your nutritional needs? I know there’s beans of all types, whole grains that contain protein, nuts, flax, etc.

And I guess this is an extension of the above—WHYYYY do so many vegetarians eat the pre-packaged, frozen foods from grocery store freezers? The most baffling thing to me is that most of these foods MIMIC meat. The fake chicken, sausage, etc. Tofurkey? Really? If you are vegetarian, why do you want your food to mimic the thing you feel strongly enough about to avoid otherwise? I know lots of recipes call for meat and its nice to have a substitute. Why not substitute with, for example, eggplant? Or brussel sprouts? Or lentils? Or anything else non-meat like or related? If you are eating a certain way for health reasons, there must be a better alternative than these frozen, instant foods. And not to mention the packaging for this stuff is pretty wasteful. I know they are probably convenient, but if you are eating this way for any of the above reasons, wouldn’t you feel compelled to acquire foods in their natural, singular state?

Veganism—I’m curious as to what vegans eat to fill their nutritional needs. We live in a modern world and have access to dietary supplements, but something there just doesn’t sit right with me. You shouldn’t have to rely on human-gathered/concentrated pills to achieve a healthy eating lifestyle. So without supplementing your diet with these things, what do you eat instead? I’m interested not only to know what foods contain the same vitamins, minerals, carbs, fats, and proteins as animal food products, but to maybe look for something different at the grocery store cause we tend to get the same general food types every week or so.

Vegetarians that don’t eat meat, but eat fish. What is your individual reasoning? You are still killing an animal to eat it. To me, the greatest issue to not eat fish is the contaminants and/or mercury levels that can be toxic in large quantities, and probably more importantly, overfishing and damage to the environment of catching certain species. But I eat fish, and I know which types to avoid and which types to eat in moderation. I know which species to avoid that are farm-raised. Fish, naturally, are food. I really think God put them on this earth to be eaten. They are a great source of nutrition. Yep.

Vegetarians who do not eat meat but eat animal products such as eggs and dairy. What is the reasoning here? You really can’t be avoiding meat for ethical reasons and eat these things too. They are a product of the same humane/inhumane farming practices that produce the meat (unless you are buying specifically free range, organic sources, etc). They come from the same farms that may or may not be harmful to the environment. Eggs and dairy are high in nutrients. So nutritionally speaking, they are a good choice, so that is reason enough to eat them. But why are you not eating meat as well then?

And lastly, do people who eat in a vegetarian style raise their children to eat this way? Or do they let their children decide the way that they want to eat after they are informed about everything from the ethical, environmental, and nutritional standpoints? I know there’s no set answer to that, just would like some personal opinions maybe.

Not trying to stir anything up here, just legitimate thinkings I have done since there seems to be a growing number of people around me that have taken up this eating lifestyle.