How many here are former vegans or former vegetarians?

#21

I had to eat tripe as a kid… nuff said. :grimacing:

(Brian) #22

That explains some stuff… LOL!!

Just funnin’ with ya. :smiley:

Funny thing is, tofu never bothered me all that much, especially in something like a stir fry. It pretty much has no taste so it’ll take on whatever you cook it or season it with. Texture kinda depends on how it’s cooked. It’s still not something I want to make a food group, though. To me, it’s kinda like okra. When made really well, I like it. When made poorly, it’s torture to even think about eating.

#23

I became a “semi” vegetarian at 11 when I moved onto a farm. I did eat tuna, the occasional fish I caught as a kid, and occasionally chicken. I maintained that way of eating with the addition of a burger once a year until i became pregnant at 37 and my body craved red meat. While always a high “normal” weight I always tried to be thinner so I kept calories low and never missed a workout. I lived my entire life with orthostatic hypotension and thought blacking out and seeing stars was normal upon standing or moving quickly. I often felt queasy and was chronically in the subpar hemoglobin level. I once asked about the iron levels and my version of vegetarianism when i was in college and was told to exercise more. I wish I had been smart enough to try Atkins when I first heard of it. It would have been so much easier. When I got pregnant I was walking 5 miles a day, spending 90 to 120 minutes on my nordic track per day, and doing body weight exercises, and 100’'s of sit ups and crunches daily. It was absurd now that I think of it. I also barely ate anything but lots of healthy fruit, some whole wheat pasta, and salads. Sigh

#24

Ha! Yeah, it kinda does. :smile:

I love okra. I’m a Southerner so okra, collards, and fried chicken are all time favorites.

(Brian) #25

I grew up all around the Pennsylvania Dutch, which are known for having really good quality food but bland cooking. Lived there for over 30 years. And then, fate would have it… and an internet connection… that I would meet and fall in love with an Alabama girl living near New Orleans. That was 17 years ago.

Found out that I love Cajun spices. I like things more spicy than my wife, even. And oh yeah, the okra, collards and fried chicken are some good eats. I had to quit the sweet tea, though, which I could drink by the gallon on a hot summer day.

Ended up in Tennessee, which is kinda in the middle but they still have that southern mentality and know all about okra, collards and fried chicken. :wink: And it’s nice to be able to eat the skin without any guilt! I always liked it anyway.

(Sophie) #26

You and @Bellyman can have all my okra…that slimy shit is beyond nasty! And I don’t care how you cook it! :confounded::nauseated_face::face_vomiting:

#27

Ah dangit… I guess you won’t road tripping it to Irmo for the Okra Strut festival.
:laughing:

(Darlene Horsley) #28

It helps if you don’t name them. :wink:

(Brian) #29

It may not be quite so keto friendly (probably depends a lot on what kind of flour you use) but fried okra is what I like so well. Don’t want none of that slimy boiled okra, no, but fried, I can deal with that. :slight_smile:

#30

I haven’t had fried in a while. I wonder how finely crushed pork rinds would do for breading. Might be worth a try. If it works out I’ll let you know.

(Lonnie Hedley) #31

Lots of breading options. Almond flour, coconut flour, xanthum gum, and of course your suggested pork rinds.

(Sheri Knauer) #32

I was a vegetarian for a few years back in the early 90’s. It wasn’t for health reasons but because of a book I read called, “Old MacDonalds Factory Farm.” I had no idea about factory farming and those words and pictures haunted me for years. Then I missed meat and started eating it again…I still don’t support factory farming. I buy as much local meat as I can or organic and grass fed meat as much as possible.

(Lonnie Hedley) #33

Had a roommate in college that was vegetarian until he saw a squirrel get ran over in front of the house. Grabbed the squirrel and made stew (didn’t try, but heard he used too much pepper). Seemed like he was desperate for any excuse to start eating meat.

(Brian) #34

Unless it was a very large squirrel, he wouldn’t have gotten a whole lot off of it. They’re about half hair.

(Sheri Knauer) #35

Lol! Now thats desperate!

(SleepyMotherOf3 🇬🇧) #36

Been lacto ovo vegetarian for twenty five years, in past month started trying to eat meat. Trying bacon etc, it’s not easy but I worry I am missing out on nutrients without it.

(Sophie) #37

You can try but I doubt anything will stick to it unless you use a binder like an egg wash or something. My mom an dad used to love fried okra. I still think it’s nasty besides being prickly! And you’re right, I’ll never grace the Orka-fest. :smile:

#38

Was lacto-ovo vegetarian (lots of ayurvedic style) for 25 years - with lots of eastern philosophy behind it.

Three big factors were involved in my return to more traditional meat/fat eating: .

  1. nutrient labs results,
  2. reading the book The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability by Lierre Keith (who was vegan for 25 years and got serious health issues because of it),
  3. and an expected, loving nudge from the universe which I’ll explain below.

My functional medicine nutrients test results (the Genova Labs panel) were not all bad, but neither were they all good. I was chagrined to discover some serious deficiencies including COQ10 which is really only in meat/organs - and is impt for healthy cellular function (and being midlife with a family of origin who are all suffering the usual American pathologies, that got my attention).

All in all, the recommend supplements I needed added up to about $75 per six weeks (and no, the MD I went to wasn’t pushing her brand on me - this was my own research of my favorite economical sources) - I bought the first batch and started taking them, while it slowly dawned on me that high quality meat-eating would be less industrial, more tasty, and more economical than my fancy supplements…

Then, just when I was about to run out of supplements and needed to go shopping for more - one later evening after work I went through a drive through burger place (that makes their own great veg patties and serves grassfed beef as well as natural chicken) and ordered my usual VEGGIE BURGER and FRIES to take home.

Once home, and very carbo hungry and about to faint - I got settled to eat with my bottle of organic ketchup and sank my jaw into my burger. As I chewed… something felt different and tasted different. “Universe, is this what I think it is?” I thought to myself, as I enjoyed it. Before taking another huge bite, I stopped and examined my burger. It was a CHICKEN patty! Oh. My.

It was quite incredible. My first meat after 25 years was a surprise at just the right time I was ready to change, and I felt super-blessed for the extra help divine delivered to get me over the hump so to speak. The next morning when I woke up, I had no fatigue and a clear mind. I didn’t look back after that, just took my time figuring out how to add tasty meat to my usual veg Indian & Italian food. :wink: and then a few years later went Keto last summer and am feeling fabulous and recomposing my body in ways that are quite amazing.

(Brian) #39

Not a problem, Sophie. I cut up a dozen or so quarts of it to put in the freezer last year. The “slime” it’s famous for makes it very sticky when it gets cut up and it will bind to flour or corn meal or, I would guess, pork rinds very well.

It’s also used as a thickening agent in soups and stews but usually not in sufficient quantities that you’d know it was actually okra in there. It’s an interesting veggie. Not trying to talk you into anything, sounds like you’ve been there, done that, and it’s not for you. LOL!! No worries. More for me & Bob! :smiley:

#40

Well, that’s ok, I love okra and probably wouldn’t go either. Besides I’m jealous TN has a bacon festival.
Of all the little festivals we have here in SC couldn’t one of them have been about bacon??? I mean really. We have festivals for watermelon, rice, grits, flowers, and a bunch of other stuff including chitlins but no one thought to have one for bacon!