vegan/vegetarian/fruitarian mers? any one else out there?

[NixieOona]

well the question says it all im just curious :)

[SeaGlass Siren]

Not me but I eat vegan cheese because I'm lactose intolerabt

[NixieOona]

cool that counts ^^

[Mermaid Meara]

This February I will have been a vegetarian for 7 years. I was pescitarian ( I think that's spelled right, I ate fish) for a brief time during recovery.

[NixieOona]

Ed recovery? Me to :)

[Echidna]

I ate only fruit for a few years during highschool.

Been a vegetarian nearly all my life (ever since I could convince my parents to not force me into eating meat), mostly vegan too, but I sometimes add some eggs or cheese, so not completely vegan all the time.

[Mermaid Meara]

Yes ma'am. 3 years coming October.

[NixieOona]

Meara im so proud of u *hugs* im still in recovery so I know how hard it is.
Caltuna im mostly vegan just like you but I wanne go fruitarian its just super hard because im still living at home with my family :/also as said recovery dosnt allow "restrictiv" lifestyles/diets

[NixieOona]

Caltuna im mostly vegan just like you but I wanne go fruitarian its just super hard because im still living at home with my family :/also as said recovery dosnt allow "restrictiv" lifestyles/diets

[Trident True]

I'm a vegetarian. i tried to go Vegan But just couldn't do it, the soy milk just wouldn't go down....

[NixieOona]

Aww haha true I feel you! Soy milk is really not yummy :p ever tried almond ?

[Mermaid Daenerys]

Yup, been veggie all my life, and I now work part-time on a vegan café boat. Life is good.

[NixieOona]

A vegancafe boat omg that is like the dream im so jelly ^_^

[Mermaid Viktoria]

I was a vegetarian/pescetarian for 8 years, for both not wanting to consume animals, and also because red meat is difficult for me to digest.
I've returned to eating white meat, but I'm slowly starting to wean myself off of it. I've never felt as good as I did when I was vegetarian.

[Mermaid Daenerys]

A vegancafe boat omg that is like the dream im so jelly ^_^
IT'S SO MUCH FUN. But the number of conversations that I have that are like this are incredible:
Customer: I'll have a bacon sandwich, please.
Me: Sorry, we don't serve bacon. We're vegetarian and vegan on this boat, and that's what we serve. Can I suggest-?
Customer: What, no bacon at all?
Me: No, sorry, as I said-
Customer: I'll have Coronation Chicken then.

[NixieOona]

Wth haha id just smack em in the face with some tofu like that's disrespectful

[Tail-LessMermaid]

Vegan here, been a pescitarian(not sure if I spelled that right) for a while then moved up.

[Naomi Indigo]

Vegetarian, almost vegan. Anyone here raw?

[NixieOona]

I'm on my way to be high carb raw vegan

[BlueMermaid]

I'm 95% vegan. I consider myself a plant based eater. I don't eat meat but I do eat cheese once in a great while. I am currently doing the Happy Herbivore plan.

[Meronica]

I've been vegetarian since I was 12. (8 years!)

However, I cannot morally justify consuming any animals products (particularly dairy) and try to avoid them whenever possible. The only eggs I eat are from my four happy backyard hens who will all live long lives here with their friends and then die of natural causes. (:

If anyone has any questions about transitioning ("I hate soy milk, what can I drink?" "HOW DO YOU GET PROTEIN/B12/CALCIUM?!") you're always free to shoot me a PM. ♡

[mermaid_lover]

I'm 3 years vegitarian now, just because I don't like the taste of meat and I don't like the breeding in small spaces, the overpopulation...
Especialy since I moved to spain ( and you see them killed before your eyes in my village) I think it's cruel and not fair for the animals.

we all should have respect for the animals :)

[Emmadives]

Vegetarian over 10 years!

[MermaidCelesteFL]

Flexatarian by choice and for religious reasons. I tried going vegetarian for about a year or so, but I kept getting sick more often.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Omnivore. I tried going vegetarian in high school but missed eating stir fry beef!

[SirenaEma]

Pescitarian ^-^
feels funny to say that here, its kind of cannibalistic XD

[Lorayne]

I myself am vegan and have been for a couple of years already (eventually I lost count). Honestly I wanted to say a bit more about the topic, but after writing and deleting it for what feels like the millionth time I'm just giving up. I couldn't really ad anything new anyways.

[PhaylennMurúch]

I am interested in vegetarian/vegan recipes if anyone has any favorites. I may be an omnivore but I love a good vegetable as much as the next merson

[Miyu]

Woot, got to grocery shopping, am slowly starting the process of convincing the mertender to let me eat veg more often - I told him I thought it would help me get a little leaner (it's true, I've got a little flab I can't seem to kick without major exercise), and pointed out that eating less meat might help him lose a bit of the belly he's got going on, LOL! :p (It's okay, he's really skinny and only just started getting a belly, so he's pretty good-natured about it!)

I picked up a pack of non-gmo Tofurkey Kielbasa sausages and ate one instead of sharing the steak he bought! It was really tasty, I missed the distinctive Tofurkey taste :) These sausages are pretty big, too, and they were ~$1 each ( just under $4 for a pack of 4). I checked while at the store, and all the "faux meat" in the fresh produce cooler (next to the tofu) at my store was gmo-free... So I can buy any soy-dog and know it doesn't have weird soy in it! I AM SO HAPPY because I adore soy dogs! :yay:Still gotta check on the frozen burgers though. Instead of getting either meatless burgers or actual hamburger patties today, we picked up a couple of portabellas to marinate and grill up... That was actually suggested by my mertender!




I listed some of my fave veg recipe books earlier, but it got moved to the "debate" thread because it was in a bigger post that related to the debate... So I'll post them again :)

The Raw Food Gourmet (http://amzn.com/1556436130) (easily my favorite)
The Raw Transformation (http://amzn.com/1556435894) (beautiful pictures, wonderful recipes)
1000 Vegetarian Recipes From Around The World (http://amzn.com/0752584278) (this one is a hit with my happily-omni friends/bf - there's something in here to tempt even the most meat-and-potatoes person!)

My favorite website for veg*an recipes is chocolatecoveredkatie.com (http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/recipes/)... I am such a fan of the decadent healthy food!

I particularly love making raw vegan "sushi"... I've never actually tried making regular veggie sushi with cooked rice and eggs and such, maybe I should give it a shot!

Overnight Oats (http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/overnightoats) (I like to add in other things, like quinoa and millet, as part of the oats/grain portion) Here's another site (http://food52.com/blog/9844-how-to-make-overnight-oats-without-a-recipe) with an easy explanation!

[Mermaid Sirenia]

Pescitarian ^-^
feels funny to say that here, its kind of cannibalistic XD
Me too! lol I'm mostly vegetarian though I barely eat seafood

[-Annwyn-]

I was vegan for about 9 months a few years ago, but had stopped, mainly due to peer pressure. I felt great on it and now I'm slowly transitioning back into a vegan diet. :)

[Meronica]

Miyu-- two words: cucumber rolls!! I could seriously eat those and avocado with veg cream cheese all day. That's what I call authentic mermaid food. (;

Annwyn-- SCREW peer pressure. Just remember that most people have grown up seeing the "drink milk for strong bones" ads and all of the happy animals in meat commercials. This is the one thing people cannot get me down about because it is clearly the more ethical lifestyle and I have yet to hear a valid argument against it. If anyone puts you down, they're probably jealous of your figure, and what you choose to put into your body is none of their business.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BlueMermaid]

That's great news! Let me know if you need any help or resources. :)


I was vegan for about 9 months a few years ago, but had stopped, mainly due to peer pressure. I felt great on it and now I'm slowly transitioning back into a vegan diet. :)

[Elle]

Is fruitarian a real thing? Like


http://youtu.be/vXIdcA6mlV4

Or less extreme than that? I'd like to hope it's not that extreme.

I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan. I'm not an omnivore either, I'm an om-nom-nom-nom-nom-nivore

[Aquatarian]

Is fruitarian a real thing? Like


http://youtu.be/vXIdcA6mlV4

Or less extreme than that? I'd like to hope it's not that extreme.


OMG. This vid is hilarious.

Yes Fruitiarianism is a real thing. And no people are not like that. I hope you realize that's a scene from a fictional movie and not an accurate depiciton of the lifestyle. ;)




I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan. I'm not an omnivore either, I'm an om-nom-nom-nom-nom-nivore

Omg this vid is hilarious. You're funny ;)

And yes fruititarianism is a real thing.

Here's a quick vid I found from a guy on youtube with fruititarian vids...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsuJa5uXhD4

Vegan here! Been vegan for almost 2.5 years now. Been vegetarian for about 4 years. And before that I ate the Standard American Diet.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

I am interested in vegetarian/vegan recipes if anyone has any favorites. I may be an omnivore but I love a good vegetable as much as the next merson

I know I'm taking a break from MerNetwork, but I thought I'd check in and can't let this go unanswered!

Ok, I don't eat meat, fish, eggs, or mushrooms. I know tofu isn't everyone's thing, and lots of recipes call for mushrooms as a "meat replacement." The easiest way I've found to make vegetarian meals is to stop thinking in terms of "replacing" meat. There's a whole lot of freedom and creativity when you can think in terms of meat just not being necessary.

That being said, slices of eggplant are amazing in stir fries, and it has the same kind of "meaty" texture that people miss, and that is found in portebella mushrooms.

The key to cooking tofu and getting a good texture is pressing it, even the extra firm stuff. I have a tofu press that was given to me. If you can find one, they're awesome. After it's pressed, you can sauté it, pan fry it to get nice crispy sides, or bake or grill it. You can also marinate it with just about anything.

One of my favorite vegetarian recipes is what we call Warrior Porridge. It just got that name. I cook quinoa in coconut milk, and there are 2 varieties:

1) Black Warrior Porridge
Quinoa cooked in coconut milk.
Add sesame oil, garlic, tamari or soy sauce, black sesame seeds.
You can also add any fresh chopped veggies you like. I usually add onions and green and red bell peppers (I think they're called capsicum in some places.)
Serve with potatoes, or pineapple, or both. We also like it with steamed broccoli with lemon.

2) Red Warrior Porridge
Cook quinoa in coconut milk and add:
Red curry paste
sesame oil
black or white sesame seeds (toast them if white)
garlic to taste if you like, or as much hot pepper as you want
Chopped veggies.

Serve with:
pineapple
steamed broccoli
grilled tofu seasoned to taste, or dipped in plum or peanut sauce.

You can make coconut quinoa as simple or fancy as you like, and it's delicious, packed full of protein (for those people who freak out that you'll die of insufficient protein if you eat one vegetarian meal- hahaha!) You can add whatever veggies you have in your house, and you can make it more sweet or savory depending on your mood.

Other things to try: Indian-style curry spices, or add some peanut butter to the black warrior porridge recipe, or cook the quinoa in water with tomatoes, olive oil, and Italian seasonings and serve with some melted cheese on top.

1 simple staple food for easy vegetarian meals that you can make a billion ways.
Tofu is the same way, but people find it harder to adapt to sometimes.

Hope that helps!

[Mermaid Saphira]

I was vegetarian during my ED. I'm a passionate plant-based ethical vegan now! I flirt shamelessly with the hclf (high carb low fat) Raw Till 4 concept to :mermaid kiss: haha

[Merperson Danny]

I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan. I'm not an omnivore either, I'm an om-nom-nom-nom-nom-nivore
Hahah! I should start using that term for myself! XD

[Psychiccupid]

Hello! I was a vegetarian for 18 years of my life, pretty religiously. I then had a taste of Orange Chicken >w< and so I currently live a life of bein' Vegetarian and then a few weeks ago, I had some sushi, so I eat Shrimp, too. So I'm still mostly ​a vegetarian, but not entirely!

[Moana.the.mermaid]

I was vegetarian for a while, but I was getting nausea every day, all day, uncontrollable vomiting, etc. Turns out I have a soy and tree nut allergy. So I ended up back eating limited meat, as it's really really hard to maintain my health when I gotta check every food label. So I stick mainly to grains and dairy and fruits/veggies with meat once a day or beans once a day for protein.

It sucks having such a limited diet and trying to go vegetarian. I can't eat at 90%of the vegan/vegetarian restaurants because they don't have anything NOT touched by soy or tree nuts. ugh.

much love, one love - Moana

[Merman Dan]

Ok, I don't eat meat, fish, eggs, or mushrooms. I know tofu isn't everyone's thing, and lots of recipes call for mushrooms as a "meat replacement." The easiest way I've found to make vegetarian meals is to stop thinking in terms of "replacing" meat. There's a whole lot of freedom and creativity when you can think in terms of meat just not being necessary. That being said, slices of eggplant are amazing in stir fries, and it has the same kind of "meaty" texture that people miss, and that is found in portebella mushrooms.

Why eggplant but not mushrooms?

I tell folks that I am a second-hand vegetarian - I only eat animals that eat vegetables. ;) Though in all honesty I am simply a 49-year-old fussy eater.

[Tiger Lily]

Pescetarianism - I'm thinking of going this way from omnivore. I think it would be healthier but I don't think I could drop meat entirely since I love it.

[Merman Dan]

Pescetarianism - I'm thinking of going this way from omnivore. I think it would be healthier but I don't think I could drop meat entirely since I love it.

If you pass through Greensboro be sure to try Ichi Sushi! :)

[Tiger Lily]

Never had sushi before - the raw fish aspect kinda pushed me away but I'll keep my eye out! Especially if its nearby my sis's workplace Golden Corral. =) thank you so much for the tip!

[Merman Dan]

I tend to go for the more unusual fare... conch, octopus, eel, urchin and the like. Though the Friday Fish Fry at Golden Corral will do in a pinch! :)

[Tiger Lily]

Ooh that sounds interesting! I've tried octopus before and rockefeller oysters- delish! So I wouldn't mind trying those - except maybe eel - by the way has anyone tried properly prepared blowfish?

[Gem Stone]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've ben cutting back on my meat. Like we had steaks, and I ended up eating less than a 4 ounce serving. Ive been upping my fruit though, and my seafood. And I respect all of you who are vegan Becuase I could not do it.
However, my friend went vegetarian and helped me appreciate eggplant parm. It's surpringly delicious. And spaghetti squash. And if no one has tried its broccolini is amazing, even if you don't like brocoli

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Why eggplant but not mushrooms?

I tell folks that I am a second-hand vegetarian - I only eat animals that eat vegetables. ;) Though in all honesty I am simply a 49-year-old fussy eater.

Good question. I'm Hindu, and according to the Vedas, there are 3 modes of material existence - ignorance, passion, and goodness. Everything in the material world is composed of all 3, to varying degrees. Foods fall into these categories. Meat is in the mode of ignorance. So are mushrooms. Most fruits, grains, and veggies are in the mode of goodness, but some, like onions and garlic, are passion. When I visit a temple or cook for a formal offering, I only use foods in the mode of goodness, but in daily life, because I don't live in the temple, I also eat onions and garlic.

I used to love mushrooms, but now they give me psychotic nightmares, and I noticed my whole mood would change for the worse after eating them, so I don't. What you eat deeply affects your mood, anger levels, they way you react to things, etc. You only really notice after you've gotten away from the stuff that affects you negatively. I noticed a huge absence of guilt and anger after I gave up meat, fish, and eggs. I never even noticed it was there before giving up those things - it had just become "normal." But it was no way to be.

[Merman Dan]

Excellent information! Thank you!

[SeaGlass Siren]

I'm neither vegan or vegetarian, but i will eat vegan/vegetarian once in a few weeks.

My new favourite: EGGPLANT. if you slice up the pieces but keep the outer layer on it, grill it up, slather teriyaki sauce on it, top it with toasted sesame seeds, it tastes JUST LIKE EFOO NOODLES. none of those unwanted carbs either. makes for an amazing meat substitute.

[Merman Dan]

I love mushrooms and lobster. Seafood is a personal favorite. Once a year I used to get a craving for conch fritters but conch is not a sustainable source of seafood so I may switch to farm-raised abalone.

Many moons ago I went a year without red meat or alcohol, just to prove a point. The day after that year was done I went out for a beer and cheeseburger. Best...meal...ever!

[Tiger Lily]

Not a beer fan but I do love hamburgers! <3

[Ashe]

I tried vegetarianism and eventually planned of heading down the vegan route a few times. I always felt so much healthier and cleaner for the first week or so, but every time I attempted, I would get sick. I always would get the same stomach problems that wouldn't go away until I began eating meat again. And yes, I did ease my way into it. :( However, I eat as little meat as possible, maybe a serving every two days. I've been trying to do research on why my body can't handle a vegetarian diet.

[SeaGlass Siren]

i think if we balance it out we;d be fine.
i cut out gluten, white breads, white rices, and dairy products. most of my meals are small servings of meat (only beef, seafood, and chicken), and the rest are all nuts, fruit and vegetable.

[BlueMermaid]

There is a vegetarian mermaid facebook group, if anyone wants to join us!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/882117625156413/

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Can I ask a question without causing too much drama? Why does every vegetarian thread I've ever seen end up with people coming in and talking about all the different kinds of meat they enjoy? It's fine to come in and say, "I'm not vegetarian, but I'm looking for ideas/help/advice," but to come into a thread specifically intended for vegetarians and start talking about how much you love hamburger is really inappropriate. It's offensive, actually. This isn't a McDonalds, where I would really have no grounds to be offended (why would I even put myself in a place that I would find offensive?). This is a specifically vegetarian thread. Please be respectful of that. You don't have to be a vegetarian, but this is not the place to discuss your meat-eating. If you're here, keep it veg please. Or, go start a bar-be-que thread.

[SeaGlass Siren]

hamburgers can apply to vegan/vegetarian hamburgers as well. but i see what you're saying.


eggplant recipe i discovered

ingredients
- a teaspoon of sesame seeds (toasted)
- a liberal mount of teriyaki sauce
- half a teaspoon of ground ginger
- half a teaspoon of minced garlic
- half a tablespoon of sugar or honey or maple syrup (any kind of sugar or sweetener really)
- eggplant
- liberal amount of salt
- smirnoff ice (no joke)
- water and starch (water down the starch. mix thoroughly)

directions:
prep eggplant first: cut the eggplant into strips or "steaks" or medallions. put them into a bowl and coat them with salt. leave alone for a few minutes so that the salt drains out the bitterness.
prep sauce: mix in a bowl liberal amount teriyaki sauce, sweetener of choice, liberal amount of alcohol. combine.


on the stove: heat the stove on medium to high heat and pour in olive oil.
drain the eggplant and remove the salt by lightly running them under water. in the pan, add in the ginger and garlic. wait for them to brown before putting in the eggplant. brown each side until you see the sides soften. pour in the teriyaki sauce, and then pour in the watered down starch (give the starch a quick mix to redistribute the starch otherwise parts of the sauce will become "gummy". stir the starch into the sauce and toss to coat eggplant. (should take about 10 seconds for the sauce to thicken. add in the sesame seeds once finished.

you can serve this with soba noodles as well ;)

ingredient yield will change depending on your preferred taste and serving size.

[SeaGlass Siren]

and by discovered i mean discovered this morning in the kitchen by myself experimenting for tonight's dinner

[BlueMermaid]

Thank you for saying this.


Can I ask a question without causing too much drama? Why does every vegetarian thread I've ever seen end up with people coming in and talking about all the different kinds of meat they enjoy? It's fine to come in and say, "I'm not vegetarian, but I'm looking for ideas/help/advice," but to come into a thread specifically intended for vegetarians and start talking about how much you love hamburger is really inappropriate. It's offensive, actually. This isn't a McDonalds, where I would really have no grounds to be offended (why would I even put myself in a place that I would find offensive?). This is a specifically vegetarian thread. Please be respectful of that. You don't have to be a vegetarian, but this is not the place to discuss your meat-eating. If you're here, keep it veg please. Or, go start a bar-be-que thread.

[BlueMermaid]

sounds good!


hamburgers can apply to vegan/vegetarian hamburgers as well. but i see what you're saying.


eggplant recipe i discovered

ingredients
- a teaspoon of sesame seeds (toasted)
- a liberal mount of teriyaki sauce
- half a teaspoon of ground ginger
- half a teaspoon of minced garlic
- half a tablespoon of sugar or honey or maple syrup (any kind of sugar or sweetener really)
- eggplant
- liberal amount of salt
- smirnoff ice (no joke)
- water and starch (water down the starch. mix thoroughly)

directions:
prep eggplant first: cut the eggplant into strips or "steaks" or medallions. put them into a bowl and coat them with salt. leave alone for a few minutes so that the salt drains out the bitterness.
prep sauce: mix in a bowl liberal amount teriyaki sauce, sweetener of choice, liberal amount of alcohol. combine.


on the stove: heat the stove on medium to high heat and pour in olive oil.
drain the eggplant and remove the salt by lightly running them under water. in the pan, add in the ginger and garlic. wait for them to brown before putting in the eggplant. brown each side until you see the sides soften. pour in the teriyaki sauce, and then pour in the watered down starch (give the starch a quick mix to redistribute the starch otherwise parts of the sauce will become "gummy". stir the starch into the sauce and toss to coat eggplant. (should take about 10 seconds for the sauce to thicken. add in the sesame seeds once finished.

you can serve this with soba noodles as well ;)

ingredient yield will change depending on your preferred taste and serving size.

[SeaGlass Siren]

new update: and it it freaking delicious cold.