What caused you to go veggie?
I do not want to be misleading with the labels, I went mostly vegetarian, flexitarian or how would you call that, I am not really a stickler for the definition.
I worked in food truck business for the past 5 years and it was a bit sad looking at the 15kg of just chicken breasts, that you know "hundreds" of chicken had to die for. I had way less issues with 15kg of deer that I knew came from that one whole animal that was prepared and fully consumed.
Anyhow, I also watched several documentaries, read some books, saw the twin study on the plant based diets,... Right now I am reading the Ultra Processed People and soon I will not be eating anything
The switch wasnt THAT hard for me. Even before I would incorporate tofu once a week, I would do some sort of legumes twice a week, I would do fish once a week,... I also didnt like buying meat at the supermarket anymore, if I had the option went for some local farms. For sure stopped with any processed meats, as those carry enormous colon cancer risks, which also started slowly, like we would go hiking and quite often staple here would be some sort of liver "pattee" and when you look at any of the brands, the "meat" content is 15%, rest is skin, flour, whatever. Any of the shelf stable options sucked with ingredients, but tofu spreads, heat stable, had lovely ingredient lists. Same with oyster mushroom spreads. Some of the replacements were super easy.
We decided to remain not 100%, because it makes any family gathering easier, I dont have to explain at a family lunch that I will not eat that chicken and that they have to cook specially for me. If I were to go to a restaurant for a special occasion, I would get the meat option if I liked it more than a vegetarian (and since switching, I realized there are not that many vegetarian options at restaurants). It also helped us reduce the ordering of food, as most options are non vegetarian, those that are I cook regularly and can do better. Good timing with how the food got stupid expensive. However, on the occasional pizza, I will go for the ham/proscuitto.
Also, not sure how elsewhere, but in europe it has never been easier. Lidl carries its own vegetarian/vegan brand, and one 200g of tofu is about an euro here, the whole january was sale on all vegan options, as they really went all in with Veganuary. And at least one czech brand is making its name here with easy to serve spreads and meat alternatives and options. Not that I am replacing one processed thing with another, but I am testing the waters, seeing what is there.
Long story short, moral reasons, yes, but not too strict, health reasons and diet reasons, also yes, but again, not at the core. Basically I could and saw no reason why not to. And I am having so much fun, have a new cookbook, am learning so many new things. And all the meals are amazing. But I am in the honeymoon stage yet, all vegetarian have this for the first 6 months according to some forums, and then they can fall off. I dont see that happening though
Our food procurement/distribution system is so messed up in so many ways, it's hard to feel completely good about eating just about anything. (Not to get into politics, boys and girls...) But it works--I can have a ripe tomato at any time of year, and I can eat foods that used to be regularly available only by traveling to another country, and so on. Every blessing has its curse.
