I'm *this* close to eating a steak!!!

I think it's been about 7 or 8 months since i just stuck to fowl/seafood, and i'm up to my eyeballs with chicken, i SWEAR if a baby cow walks past me, i'm going to sink my teeth into its butt!!

I know i know, i changed my meat eating habits for a good reasons. Seeing how the beautiful 4 legged critters were treated before slaughter, how they were slaughtered and the whole after process made me insanely angry and i bawled my eyes out. I had no idea.

But the last few months, taking iron tablets, experimenting with lots of vegetable dishes and seasoning, having turkey chops instead of lamb chops, etcetc, it worked for a while. But i am having the biggest, biggest ever craving. We're going to the pub tomorrow night, and i'm so close to blurting out 'rump steak, well done with garlic butter and veges' i think someone needs to hold me back.

I can't go against all of the reasons i stopped eating fuzzy animals, but my bodies craving for red meat is so bad now, i feel like such a bad person. I can't believe i've held out this long!!!!!!1

I don't know what to DOOOOO. We go to the pub fortnightly, and so far i've grabbed chicken or fish dishes. Some weeks they have specials that suit me, other weeks they just have the usual fowl/seafood dishes which get me bored and even more hungry.

HELP!!!

Go for it! Just order it medium rare with a skillet of sauted mushrooms. YUM!

don't do it!
I haven't eaten pig or pork in many years. But I didn't crave it either after I gave it up. You can get very creative with other dishes. You are doing this out of your want to, not since you have to, right?

Oh just eat it..its gooooooooooooood

I'll admit it...I'm a meat eater.

But there is a middle ground if your reasons for not eating red meat are ethical and related to factory farming. The best thing would be to know where the meat is coming from, i.e. buy it directly from a local small farm that treats their livestock with respect and dignity thoughout their life and death. If you're not in an area where that's possible, there's always natural and organic prepackaged meat. Particularly if bought at a "hippy" type store (that's not meant as an insult, I just don't know how else to describe it! ) where you know they do the homework to ensure that the conditions are humane before they agree to sell it.

But I have to say, in order to stay true to your ethical decision, I wouldn't order meat from a restaurant or pub. You know they get their meat from the cheapest source for the quality they want - which means factory farms. If you do decide you really really want to eat red meat, stick to your ethics and know where it comes from so you aren't supporting inhumane practices.

Well you see, our local pub is in wine and meat country. So i would think they'd get their meat locally and not from a cheap place. Argh!!! Tristan just emailed me back to say that i know he won't judge me no matter my decision.

Why does he have to be neutral! lol

As a meat eater myself i can say i don't agree with how they kill these poor animals or how they transport them what my mum does is as we are from Wales and its full of sheep she buys New Zealand lamb just so she hasn't seen it in a field

Oh Emma... bless your heart for what you're trying to do. I hope you can stand by your principles.

After so long now, I think you may find that when a steak is presented to you, you may have an emotional response that you don't expect. You may think of the intelligence and loyalty and innocence of these animals and just not want it anymore.

I hope so. But you can only do the best you can... and we'll love you either way.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh Emma... bless your heart for what you're trying to do. I hope you can stand by your principles.

After so long now, I think you may find that when a steak is presented to you, you may have an emotional response that you don't expect. You may think of the intelligence and loyalty and innocence of these animals and just not want it anymore.

I hope so. But you can only do the best you can... and we'll love you either way.

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Poop. I was waiting for you to reply. Why do you have to be so nice? Bugger. I'll stick to some chicken pesto pizza.

I hate my body!!! I need chocolate! *rips open a bag of mini m&ms*

Ha! Ah, yes... my dastardly "Be-So-Nice-The-Guilt-Keeps-Her-In-Line" plan is working perrrrrfectly...

Ok, I used to be a vegetarian; I know how you feel about animals; in fact, sitting in Mom's kitchen at age 14, just getting ready to bite into a luscious burger, then hearing the neighbor's cows mooing at just that moment, turned me into a vegetarian (I never totally was one; I couldn't resist those cheeseburgers occasionally!). However, about 11 years ago, my doctor told me I had to start eating red meat--my red blood cell count was dangerously low--I forget how they measure it in the lab, but I saw my lab results: it should have been a MINIMUM of 26 whatsits; mine was 4. And they re-tested twice, as they couldn't believe it! The doc said I was basically walking around as if I were missing a pint of blood, and had been for years. Somehow, I managed to be energetic, etc.--God only knows how I did it with my severe anemia. The problem is, I can't take iron pills; I get very sick. Spinach just doesn't cut it, especially with my anemia being so bad--one needs animal protein. I still don't eat enough meat--only about twice a week--and half portions at that--even though I love the taste of meat--I just can't bring myself to eat it much, and feel guilty every bite I take. Then, I tell myself: "This is why God gave us canine teeth and molars--for tearing and chewing meat--and you know our brain development as a species depended upon animal protein for evolutionary purposes." In other words, humans are meant to be carnivores. Don't feel bad about eating meat!

And I married a HUGE carnivore! It's so hard to cook shared meals for us--he wants greasy, medium-rare slabs o'flesh; I want bunny food.

Eat the steak!!

Or give it to me and I'll eat it for you...with sauteed mushrooms and a loaded baked potato. Mmmmmm....

I guess that's out after I get my lap band. Phooey.

I would have a steak. I've been craving one for a while myself. But our grill is broken.

I haven't been able to go all vegetarian. I only eat meat a few times a week, for dinner usually when I have it. By doing this, I've even been able to get my carnivore hubby to eat less meat.

I don't eat seafood and I don't like a lot of vegetables, only a small number of them, so I would be in trouble if I gave up meat. I wouldn't though, because I LOVE meat!

I just bought 3 lovely strip loin steaks last night for dinner Saturday night. My niece is coming for a visit and I haven't seen her in about 5 years. Our daughter doesn't eat enough red meat and she is paper white and anemic. I would rather see her eat some red meat than be taking the iron pills and other artificial supplements her doctor gives her.

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Our daughter doesn't eat enough red meat and she is paper white and anemic. I would rather see her eat some red meat than be taking the iron pills and other artificial supplements her doctor gives her.

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That is unfortunate. I am not vegetarian but I have chosen not to eat most types of meat since I was a kid but am not in any way sickly, in fact, I rarely get sick and I can't remember the last time I had to go to the doctor due to being sick. I eat a lot of fish and nuts and make a huge effort to eat healthy whole foods every single day. I know a lot of people that are big meat eaters that are not healthy by any means. A lot of people period just don’t know how to eat properly at all.
Just eating red meat isn't the answer to all your daughter's problems, it sounds so simple of course, but some of the healthest people in the world, in terms of cancer and lifespan, don't eat much red meat at all traditionally (the Japanese). When they do it is very small portions, portions most people wouldn't even understand in the US as a real "meal".

Some foods with iron are fish, chicken, nuts, beans, rice, tofu, spinach and other leafy greens - seaweed is good, dried fruits like raisins, whole wheat breads, etc.

Don't do it!

A craving for any type of food is typically your body's way of saying it needs something contained in that food. This is easy to remedy without eating it-- there is nothing in red meat that you can't get someplace else.

I've been a vegetarian for 7 years now, and can't even remember the taste of meat. Don't really want to. But, a couple months ago I started craving it, and it was because I was iron-deficiency anemic (only mildly, I had my sister the dietitian interpret my blood test for me). I started taking a regular old women's multivitamin and felt better within hours.

It's not because I don't eat meat, it's because I just wasn't careful enough about what I was eating. I was too stressed out about school and such and eating cold pizza instead of real food...

Anyway, some people have a harder time giving it up. I missed pepperoni pizza for about five seconds, and that was that. But, if you stick to it, it gets easier and easier. I don't remember it to miss it anymore.

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Don't do it!

A craving for any type of food is typically your body's way of saying it needs something contained in that food. This is easy to remedy without eating it-- there is nothing in red meat that you can't get someplace else.

I've been a vegetarian for 7 years now, and can't even remember the taste of meat. Don't really want to. But, a couple months ago I started craving it, and it was because I was iron-deficiency anemic (only mildly, I had my sister the dietitian interpret my blood test for me). I started taking a regular old women's multivitamin and felt better within hours.

It's not because I don't eat meat, it's because I just wasn't careful enough about what I was eating. I was too stressed out about school and such and eating cold pizza instead of real food...

Anyway, some people have a harder time giving it up. I missed pepperoni pizza for about five seconds, and that was that. But, if you stick to it, it gets easier and easier. I don't remember it to miss it anymore.

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All true, and beautifully stated! I haven't eaten a single bite of meat since I was four years old, and my bloodwork has always come back perfectly healthy. When I get a craving, it's almost always for cheese or nuts: my body's way of saying it needs more protein.

As for this idea that our canine teeth indicate we were "meant" to eat meat -- oh, piffle. As far as I can tell, my canine teeth are "meant" to help me rip through the crust on a really crisp French baguette!

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

All true, and beautifully stated! I haven't eaten a single bite of meat since I was four years old, and my bloodwork has always come back perfectly healthy. When I get a craving, it's almost always for cheese or nuts: my body's way of saying it needs more protein.

As for this idea that our canine teeth indicate we were "meant" to eat meat -- oh, piffle. As far as I can tell, my canine teeth are "meant" to help me rip through the crust on a really crisp French baguette!

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Hehe! Yea, you should read this book Vegetarianism: A History about that teeth thing. We have omnivore teeth, and nothing but. Humans were never obligate carnivores, really we were something closer to scavengers adapted to eat whatever was available. As rational beings, we can choose to eat whatever we want.

If you can't ethically eat meat, there's no good reason to!

Originally Posted by Dragoriana

I think it's been about 7 or 8 months since i just stuck to fowl/seafood, and i'm up to my eyeballs with chicken, i SWEAR if a baby cow walks past me, i'm going to sink my teeth into its butt!!

I know i know, i changed my meat eating habits for a good reasons. Seeing how the beautiful 4 legged critters were treated before slaughter, how they were slaughtered and the whole after process made me insanely angry and i bawled my eyes out. I had no idea.

But the last few months, taking iron tablets, experimenting with lots of vegetable dishes and seasoning, having turkey chops instead of lamb chops, etcetc, it worked for a while. But i am having the biggest, biggest ever craving. We're going to the pub tomorrow night, and i'm so close to blurting out 'rump steak, well done with garlic butter and veges' i think someone needs to hold me back.

I can't go against all of the reasons i stopped eating fuzzy animals, but my bodies craving for red meat is so bad now, i feel like such a bad person. I can't believe i've held out this long!!!!!!1

I don't know what to DOOOOO. We go to the pub fortnightly, and so far i've grabbed chicken or fish dishes. Some weeks they have specials that suit me, other weeks they just have the usual fowl/seafood dishes which get me bored and even more hungry.

HELP!!!

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I can't help with the steak, BUT...Have you tried any of the Morningstar Farms products? http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com/home.aspx Its been since 1987 since I've dined on meat other than fish, so maybe I'm wrong, but to me, some of them really taste like meat. If you haven't tried it already you might like the Griller. http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com...ily=363&id=331 The obvious thing is to eat it on a bun like a hamburger, but if you like meatballs - I have a really quick and easy recipe.

Meatless subs
Canola oil
1 pkg grillers, thawed
1 can petite diced tomatoes (not Italian style - they are too sweet)
sliced provolone or mozzatella cheese (optional)
4 sub rolls

Heat canola oil in sautee pan. Add grillers. Add diced tomatoes. Flip grillers to heat through. Cut sub rolls lengthwise and open. Melt cheese in oven on sub rolls. Slice grillers in half and arrange with the diced tomatoes to fit on the sub rolls.

To me, it tastes just like a meatball sub.