Why become a vegetarian?

I also remember a time of putting two and two together: the meat on my plate was directly related to the animals my primary school teachers had been encouraging me to love by mimicking their noises. That ‘moo’ was sitting right there between the peas and potatoes. Even at a young age, this seemed like a crazy kind of hypocrisy. As an adult, I am still baffled by some people’s response to stories of people eating dog or cat meat in other countries. For some cultures, dogs and cats are the same to us as cows and sheep – describing some animals as ‘stupid’ or ‘less sentient’ than others seems to be a way of avoiding the reality that all creatures are capable of experiencing pain and suffering.

I’m not averse to people eating meat per se, what I find upsetting is our attitude to meat consumption. Almost any stroll through a supermarket will reveal some abandoned packet of meat; someone who changed their mind on the way round and stuffed some chicken legs on the shelf with the cereal. Because it needs to be kept chilled, the meat has to be thrown away. I’ve worked in a supermarket and have seen first-hand how much meat is disposed of at the end of the day. We seem to have become so far removed from the source of – well, everything – in the western world. We forget that that conveniently packaged ready-roasted piece of meat was once a life, and that it had to be fed, watered, raised, killed, cut up and packaged for our consumption. And in our greed for more, we keep animals in shockingly cruel conditions just so that we can enjoy a cheap ham sandwich for lunch, or have chicken three times a week. I have a great deal of respect for my partner, a staunch meat-eater, because he has looked the animal he is going to eat in the eye before killing it, skinned it, gutted it, cut it up, and been grateful for the nourishment it provides. That level of interaction with our food reminds us just what goes into a single mouthful of meat.

Many indigenous cultures, including Native Americans, gave thanks to the spirit of the animal before they killed it. They were actively engaged in the choices they made. Cheap meat is a bit like that covetable dress from Primark: it’s easy to get swept up in the gloss and glamour of the western world, but if we had to engage with and witness every step of the process, there’s a good chance most of us would think twice before eating a chicken drumstick or buying a £5 dress.

Vegetarianism doesn’t have to be the only option, but thinking about our role as consumers is a good start to making more conscious choices. Most vegetarians have had their life choices vilified at one point or another, and at times it’s hard to keep from getting furiously self-righteous about the injustices to both animals, the people who raise them and the land that’s required to do that. So, I asked seven vegetarians/vegans why they chose a meat-free life, partly because I was curious and also because World Vegetarian Day is a chance to stand up and be proud to celebrate a positive life choice. Here are their responses:

“I chose to become vegetarian for health reasons and also I didn’t like the way animals were killed for food. This change happened about 25 years ago and I have never looked back. Alongside being vegetarian I have tried to get locally produced food and even grow some ourselves. This gives me a really good feeling when I put something on the table that has come straight from the garden, knowing it has been grown without any pesticides or chemicals.” Morag

“I recently changed careers, and now work as a full time personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Health, diet and fitness obviously go hand in hand. With my crazy work hours, 5am-9pm some days, and 7 days a week, I really need to be eating right to keep up the energy. So that’s where it began. I cut out red meat, and love to cook vegan. I feel much better sans dairy and heavy food. I basically carry nuts and seeds, and dried fruit with me to eat on the go in between clients and I feel awesome; much better. It’s only been a month or so and every 3-4 days I do crave chicken or fish, but those days are getting few and far between. I’ve become more conscious about how animals are treated and it turns my stomach to be honest – a few more animal cruelty videos and I am out for good!” Buffi

“At age 12 I opened our freezer door and a pig’s trotter fell out. My mum had got it for a friend’s dog so was not a usual occurrence. I examined it in detail. Each little hair, the toes and nails and the bone going through it. I understood animals were meat but it wasn’t until this point I really understood meat is flesh the same as ours, it was no different or less macabre than having a human foot in the freezer. To follow on from the flesh is flesh perspective, irrespective of which animal it comes from, I did a short stint in a mortuary as part of nurse training and was involved in a few autopsies. I was surprised and revolted to find the smell was the same as a butcher’s shop. Meat is the flesh of a dead animal and not appetising food for me.” Sandra

“I became a vegetarian when it seemed to me that I no longer needed to eat meat as alternatives were readily available and easy for other people (like at school and other people’s homes etc) to use and access. This meant I felt able to stop eating meat for ethical and environmental reasons without detriment to my health and nutritional needs. In fact, now I think it is probably healthier to be a vegetarian.” Matt

“I was inspired by people I knew as role models who spoke passionately about animal suffering and the horrors of the meat industry and deeply influenced by the writings of a punk band called ‘Flux of Pink Indians’. It was only after becoming vegetarian that I began to switch on to the health benefits, both physical and spiritual…” Malcolm

“I lived on a farm when I was growing up and saw the farming industry in raw detail and did not want to contribute to that. I also had a friend who was veggie who inspired me to make the decision to stop eating meat when I was nine. (Although my mum would not let me give up seafood as I didn’t really eat vegetables at the time!) I am not against humans eating meat but against the industry that treats animals as commodities and does horrific things to feed us too much meat at too cheap a price.” Chas

“I am resigned to the fact that there is suffering and death in the world, and in a rather nihilistic way I feel that nothing really matters, indeed that ‘there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so’. That said, I have a strong emotional reaction to cruelty and suffering, so I want not to be a cause of it. If I were truly moral though, I would be a vegan rather than a vegetarian.” Tim