ok .. its official .. i am scared ..

melissalynn · Jul 13, 2006

sometimes i think my life would be soo much easier if i could eat meat .. i have tried .. well, not really .. i should say i have thought about going back to the other side, but i have been a "vegetarian" for so long that i can't .. i just can't stand the thought of eating another life 
now i just read the cheese post .. i am a vegetarian who has always eaten cheese and milk .. A LOT of cheese ... 
i feel ill right now .. 
so the milk & cheese i consume isn't vegetarian friendly? 
now i am like am i even a vegetarian?? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
to me milk isn't a big loss because i often drink soy milk anyway, but i am devastated about cheese .. it has always been the easiest thing to grab .. i mean a vegetarian can't do any fast food (for the most part), but a cheese stick .. i thought that was something we could do .. 
thanks for listening

GhostUser · Jul 13, 2006

I don't think I understand your post. what is it you are scared of? 
there are no rules in veg*nism. if you choose to include cheese in your diet, then that's your choice. it's not about what you are allowed to eat. 
just ask yourself before you purchase or eat something if you are making the best choice according to your own personal ethics. 
and personally, I think being a vegan is easy. what are you finding so difficult?

jeneticallymodified · Jul 13, 2006

if you want to eat cheese, you can get it without animal rennet in it, you just might have to look a bit harder for it if you're in the states, and try a different store to get it in. 
if you don't want to eat cheese any more, then yeah, its sucks giving up something you like the taste of, and you will have less options in the fast food and restaurant sense of things (or pretty much close to the same options, but without the cheese in them). but you don't eat out every day, do you? its an opportunity to try new foods that you've never tried before, perhaps from different cultures and parts of the world too- you can choose to see it as loosing and giving up something, or as changing something for the better, and discovering new things as a result. 
there aren't any fake vegan cheeses that i've found that taste 100% like dairy cheese, just like soya milk doesn't taste just like dairy milk, but there are plenty of vegan cheesey slices, grated cheese alternatives, icecreams, soy yogurts, vegan sour creams and cream cheese alternatives. you can buy or borrow whole books solely on how to make cheesey things without cheese, using things like nutritional yeast and ground cashews. they're all good in their own way, especially once you get used to them being not the same thing as dairy cheese.

melissalynn · Jul 13, 2006

oh wow .. if it is easy for you i am jealous .. 
it is very hard for me since nobody in my family supports or understands it .. 
and i suppose some days when i am prepping my veggie meal and watch my husband quickly eat whatever he is eating i think .. ooh .. that sure would be easier 
ultimately i don't mind .. i don't mind spending a little extra time prepping my food .. i am sure what i am eating is better for my body and soul 
i just went into a bit of a panic thinking of all the years i have been eating lots of cheese with NO CLUE of what might be in it .. i never researched it or thought about it .. 
i suppose scared might not be the right word exactly, but it did freak me out a little .. 
i know it isn't supposed to be about rules or anything and my primary concern isn't that i broke some rule .. just that for what 15 years i have been consuming animal products with out realizing it .. i think that is what scared me or freaked me out or whatever .. 
xoxo

Gita · Jul 13, 2006

According to information obtained from Whole Foods Market, "it is estimated that 70% of domestic cheese (in the United States) is produced with bioengineered chymosin. The producers of bioengineered rennet claim that their process will end the cheese industry's reliance on slaughtered calves. 
Complete article: <a href="http://www.vegparadise.com/news32.html" target="_blank">http://www.vegparadise.com/news32.html</a>

melissalynn · Jul 13, 2006

ooh that is good news!! 
i also just read the ingredients on my cheese and it says vegetable rennet so maybe i am in the clear ... whew .. all that panic

nkace · Jul 13, 2006

Things in life aren't easy. Knowing you aren't suppporting the brutal killing of animals should be satifactory enough. It's not about easy or hard, the choices one makes is more of a spiritual or even moral reason. It's a shame you don't get support from your family. My parents never understood it but 15 yrs later they're used to the meat policy in my house.

GhostUser · Jul 13, 2006

noone in my family supports me. but after being veg a long time they don't bother me much about it. what does your family do that is unsupportive? 
when I lived with my ex, his meals took longer than mine to make so I guess i really don't understand why it's so hard... that you were considering eating meat again? 
i'd be happy to give you some tips if you would like on making it easier.

jeneticallymodified · Jul 13, 2006

i think that what you eat and how you prepare it affects how long it takes to eat- not neccesarily if its meat or not- roasting some big slab of cow or chicken or turkey whatever takes hours compared to making a huge salad and hummus and falafels and rice- or whatever. if his dinner is coming out of a packet and your isn't, then yeah, that'll make a difference, but you can buy veggie stuff in a packet too if you wanna go that way- or feel good that your extra 5 minutes cooking makes such a difference in so many ways. 
you'll be ok, don't freak. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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meatless · Jul 13, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melissalynn <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
i know it isn't supposed to be about rules or anything and my primary concern isn't that i broke some rule .. just that for what 15 years i have been consuming animal products with out realizing it ..</div>
</div>
 
Well, to be fair cheese and milk are animal products. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
I didn't know for a while what rennet was either, but by the time I learned about it I was already phasing cheese out of my life. 
Sorry you don't have much support. Just do whatever you heart tells you is right.

Coney · Jul 13, 2006

There are lots of cheeses that don't use animal rennet. It just takes a little more work to find them, but once you do, it'll be easy. 
When I went veg back in 1989 (the first time) it would have been really hard for me not to eat dairy. It was difficult enough to stay away from tuna sandwiches. But now, I don't eat much dairy at all. and now I know about the rennet thing, which I didn't 17 years ago.

melissalynn · Jul 13, 2006

thank you for all the support .. 
it isn't exactly that my family doesn't support me, but they won't eliminate meat EVER .. 
so they are eating while i am in the kitchen prepping and then i eat alone .. 
i love my husband so much, but this is probably our biggest issue because i will spend hours making a meat dish for him and then he is nearly done eating by the time i finish whatever i was making .. i always suggest that since i cooked his meal he could at least wait until mine is also prepared 
as for the quick .. i do suppose we have quick options, too and that is just my choice .. but like i said mine always seems that much longer because i prep for my husband, friends, or whomever first .. 
i don't mean to complain because i do agree my choices are worth the extra time and effort, but i do suppose i am complaining because i thought maybe for the first time ever someone would understand lol .. i do appreciate your listening to me complain .. i promise not to make a habit of it 
i suppose i am a little shocked you don't think it would be easier to be a meat eater .. not to have to worry what type of broth is used in the soup, whole family eat the same meal, and no questions about cookies or other desserts when at a party .. like i said i do think it is worth it and have basically been vegetarian for half of my life, but in many aspects i do think it would be easier .. 
so .. i guess i just went ranting again .. sorry .. my answer i guess would be an emphatic yes to anyone asking if i would like tips on how this could be more simplified .. lol

kpickell · Jul 13, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melissalynn <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
but i am devastated about cheese .. it has always been the easiest thing to grab .. i mean a vegetarian can't do any fast food (for the most part), but a cheese stick .. i thought that was something we could do .. </div>
</div>
 
What do you mean, a vegetarian can't do fast food? Ha! I eat fast food several times per week. Some of my favorites include... Burger King (BK Veggie and fries), Taco Bell (7 Layer Burrito fresco style), any Sub shop (Veggie sub), Wendy's (baked potato and salad)... etc, etc. 
And you're not alone in being alone. heh. I'm the only vegetarian in my family also, and there's no way my parents would ever give up my meat. My dad laughs at the idea. But what does that have to do with me? I eat what I want to eat, and they eat what they want to eat, and everyone's happy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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Why not cook your meals first, or even way ahead of time so they can just be reheated quickly while your husband's food is cooking, if you want to eat at the same time?

troub · Jul 13, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melissalynn <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
just that for what 15 years i have been consuming animal products with out realizing it ..</div>
</div>
 
cheese itself is an animal product.....

melissalynn · Jul 13, 2006

lol about the fast food .. 
i really don't do fast food because i have concerns about eating fries that were cooked in the same oil as chicken or that they would grill my veggie burger on the same grill as the hamburger my husband ordered .. my husband says if it looked at meat i won't eat it .. 
maybe because of the extreme heat this concern isn't valid .. sometimes i really feel like i can taste it .. esp in fries 
i guess i understood cheese is an animal product as in cows produce the milk .. but the fact i didn't realize was about the rennet which is often from the stomach of slaughtered newly-born calves. 
that really disturbed me .. 
i wonder if this would bother people who eat meat? a lot of people who eat meat won't eat veal .. do they have any idea what is in their cheese?? i sure didn't

melissalynn · Jul 13, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Coney <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
There are lots of cheeses that don't use animal rennet. It just takes a little more work to find them, but once you do, it'll be easy. 
When I went veg back in 1989 (the first time) it would have been really hard for me not to eat dairy. It was difficult enough to stay away from tuna sandwiches. But now, I don't eat much dairy at all. and now I know about the rennet thing, which I didn't 17 years ago.</div>
</div>
 
did some research today and it looks like they didn't start using animal rennet until 1990 .. so i think you were probably all good in 89 <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/wink3.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
sure makes you think .. if you have a more humane way to do it that works why change ??? oooh yah .. to get rich .. it says the baby cow way is 10% cheaper <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

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troub · Jul 13, 2006

kpickell · Jul 13, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melissalynn <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
lol about the fast food .. 
i really don't do fast food because i have concerns about eating fries that were cooked in the same oil as chicken or that they would grill my veggie burger on the same grill as the hamburger my husband ordered .. my husband says if it looked at meat i won't eat it .. 
maybe because of the extreme heat this concern isn't valid .. sometimes i really feel like i can taste it .. esp in fries 
i guess i understood cheese is an animal product as in cows produce the milk .. but the fact i didn't realize was about the rennet which is often from the stomach of slaughtered newly-born calves. 
that really disturbed me .. 
i wonder if this would bother people who eat meat? a lot of people who eat meat won't eat veal .. do they have any idea what is in their cheese?? i sure didn't</div>
</div>
 
I doubt it would bother the people who eat meat. Heck it doesn't even bother me, and I still eat cheese and have known about rennet since going vegetarian 7 years ago. Honestly, if you're not concerned about the cruelty that dairy cows undergo, I think there's not much point worrying about the rennet either because that's the least cruel part of the whole process. So, if rennet is your only concern, don't let it worry you too much... or as Bart would say, don't have a cow, man. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/sneaky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":shifty:"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

">

MaryC1999 · Jul 13, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melissalynn <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
i suppose i am a little shocked you don't think it would be easier to be a meat eater .. not to have to worry what type of broth is used in the soup, whole family eat the same meal, and no questions about cookies or other desserts when at a party .. like i said i do think it is worth it and have basically been vegetarian for half of my life, but in many aspects i do think it would be easier .. 
so .. i guess i just went ranting again .. sorry .. my answer i guess would be an emphatic yes to anyone asking if i would like tips on how this could be more simplified .. lol</div>
</div>
 
I just flat out refuse to prepare meat. Why not make dishes and let them add their own meat? That way, you're making one dish and they can add it themselves. 
If my husband was so inconsiderate that he refused to even eat dinner with me after I MADE HIS MEAL, he'd be making his own. 
And eating by himself. 
Sorry but it would be all I could do to not throw his dinner in his face. That's horrible that he refuses to wait and forces you to eat alone. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/hug.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":hug:"> 
As to your question, no I don't think it would be easier for me to eat meat. That said I do the cooking, planning and shopping so we eat vegan here now. If anyone doesn't like my meal they're welcome to make their own. 
I can't think of one vegan meal though that couldn't conceivably have meat just added to it though. Why oh why are you making two meals?? You could simplify your life greatly by making one. 
Oh and make the meat last. Force them to wait for you. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/smiley.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="

"> 
Mary

megveggie · Jul 13, 2006

Look at Trader Joe's. Its website even has a list of where the rennet in all of their cheeses came from!

ok .. its official .. i am scared ..

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