Going Veg or Semi-Veg –

When I became a vegetarian, back in 1980, it wasn’t a popular thing to do and I took a lot of criticism. I went veg because someone pointed out to me that if I really love animals, why would I eat them? I realized that it was a valid question and that it had first occurred to me back when I was about five years old. All those years ago, standing in Grandma’s kitchen, I’d asked my mother why we would want to eat animals and she had replied "Oh, they know we will eat them and they are happy to be of help", but I remember that I’d had my doubts about that even then.
I stopped eating red meat in 1980 and have not touched it since. A few years later, I stopped eating fowl. For many years, I went completely veg and opted out of dairy and fish. Now, 30 years after my initial decision, I mindfully allow myself some dairy, an occasional serving of farmed fish or turkey, for protein.

My reasons for eating low on the food chain include my desire to lesson the suffering of so-called food animals (who have nervous systems very similar to ours), to lessen the destruction of the land, caused by modern agri-business and factory farming methods, and to enhance my own health and well-being.

Some vegetarians (including me, at times) find that taking a B-12 supplement is beneficial. Morningstar’s veggie-based foods, found in the freezer section of grocery stores, taste great and offer variety and authentic-tasting products in "burgers", "sausage", and "chicken" to prepare at home. Also, most Burger Kings' drive-throughs have a great-tasting veggie-burger. Going veg or deciding to eat less meat can be a liberating and money-saving idea.