Gio

Did you know it's world veggie day today? Crack out the carrots et al!!!!! Celebrate with veggies....

Lorna at Vicenza

OH doesn't eat meat so we always use lots of veggies.

My sister is a devout veggie and is bringing up her kid a veggie too - but the playschools and schools etc. in the UK all have veggie options on the menus for kids these days.

Some of the veggie sausages I've had at her house are lovely. Hard to find a meat substitute here though. I've tried some seitan which is okay but OH prefers tofu and there is always loads of great fish here.

There's a company here that makes meat free 'cotolette'. Can't remember the name - they advertise them as being low in cholesterol rather than being okay for vegetarians - they're not bad.

I make some meat dishes for the kids and myself when OH is away - think it will be Shepherd's pie next time he leaves.

PAT M

I have always thought vegetarians must think they are in paradise in Italy, when you think of melanzane alla parmiggiana, peperonata, baked fennel, pasta e ceci, pasta e fagioli, pizza contadina, who needs meat, well I do, but can do without. We were hard up once and I made meatless shepherd's pie using lentils instead of mince.

Gio

UNFORTUNATELY.....when you eat out there are no veggies in site & I have been given Tomatoes, cheese and bread for 3 courses, almost, and still have to pay the same as a meat or fish eater. Unfair what?

indiebird

The guy who was here before dh was a veggie and he always had trouble eating out in new places.... they seem to think that anchovies are not meat here or pancetta either!! I was veggie for years and years but when preggas with my son I went back to bacon mainly and steak cos my iron was really low and I craved it. I still make lasagne here with loads of veggies and no meat and this goes down well with everyone. It is my traditional first night supper now when peeps come to stay. I like meatless days and I must admit I do crave pulses and stuff and am happiest eating chickpeas really but you cannot beat a good bit of steak....

37100

You have to be careful that the chef doesn't use a meat stock. Especially with things like peperonata, pasta & ceci, pasta & fagioli etc. Mum's a veggie and insist the kitchen uses a different grill.

TestaRossa

I make a great chick pea risotto! It is even better with chicken added though......

.Ariel.

I was a veggie for years, sister has been a veggie for even longer, and I have to say I really can't see the point in it. What's so wrong with eating meat?

Gio

Why were you a veggie in the first place Ariel?....I eat veggies cos
1. Never liked the flavour or texture of meat as a child
2. Saw the production of meat, i.e the animals are fed way too many hormones, steroids, antibiotics..which do come through to the end product. Ruminants are fed diseased animal protein. Chickens housed in the most obscene conditions which results in almost guaranteed 100% incidence of Salmonella.
3. Not to mention the cost to the environment
4. Never did like all those tubey bits.
5. I love vegetables

I have no problem with anyone eating which ever way they want but am often grilled about being a vegetarian. I have been a veggie for a very, very long time.
Live & let live....

TestaRossa

Bse was our reason then my OH went Atkins - impossible as a veggie. My son was a veggie until infant school. He changed without telling us! All his mates were on the non-veggie table so he switched over! That said he is a beanpole, a tall beanpole, so those first few years gave him good habits. Mcds really is a treat to him and he has the chicken burger anyway! Can't complain! Antonia is getting best of both - I cannot imagine kids in the UK eating raw fennel salad at school, can you?!

I still like veggie food but my OH is a real pain about having meat, eggs or tuna with every meal. He eats very little fish too. We took him to Japanese place here and all he would eat was salmon sushi and chicken curry! The rest was fish!!

Lorna at Vicenza

My little girl used to say she was a veggie like her daddy - but she loves ragu and salame. When she worked out that ragu and salame were meat she stopped saying she was a veggie.

Now she just says that she hates chicken and ham - and she does. She won't ever eat a ham sandwich but she'll happily have a sarnie with mortadella or salame in it.

One thing I'll say for my OH - he hasn't touched meat for donkey's years but he always said that he didn't mind the kids growing up with a bit of everything. He always said that they could try all kinds of meat and never forced a veggie issue on them but let them choose. He's a veggie really because he doesn't really like meat at all and got sick and tired of his nonna trying to force big bistecca on him and spezzatino when he'd rather eat a nice risotto.

OH doesn't mind meat at all and has no qualms when I order it at a restaurant and eat it in front of him - but he did once tell me that he wouldn't like to open the fridge at home and see a big red, bloody piece of blood dripping steak on a plate.

Lorna at Vicenza

Testarossa - did that Atkins thing work for your OH ?

TestaRossa

Yes it did but it gets really boring after a while for me anyway. Turns out my OH could pretty much live on the maintenance diet anyway! He only really eats meat and vegetables!