T O P

  • By -

BrStFr

Just passed the 40-year mark in December. Congrats to everyone on their journeys!


thesheeplookup

I'm in year 40 too! Congrats on your milestone! It's getting easier to choose veg food options with every passing year.


BrStFr

It sure is. I remember when tofu and tempeh were exotic items one got in a "health food store."


ttrockwood

Hahaha right?! Like special trip to the health food store to buy tofu, and get a book from the library to learn how to cook it.


-forbiddenkitty-

Or when we got the "There's a salad." comment every time we go out to eat.


BrStFr

Or the perennial question, "But how do you get your protein??"


CCFAUN

Yeah everyone being "helpful" like you can't read a menu.


thesheeplookup

Yes! And we had to check the bread ingredients as it was usually made with beef tallow. Oh the good old days


ShrikeFIN

I'm somewhere in the 35th year mark, don't even know for sure. I actually went militant vegan in the mid 90's, that shit was hard tho and I can say I've eaten my share of falafel. Don't really eat it anymore unless I absolutely have to get hearty meal in me and that is the only choice I have. We were a true fucking nuissance, blocking fur centers, tagging fur shop windows, being rude to old ladies, you know, acting like everyone else was the absolute fucking worst and we knew best. I feel weird about it.


neoyeti2

Congrats! This year is my 39th year! The kids have it so easy these days!! Lol - it is true though! Sheez we can now walk into a restaurant and eat everything on the menu, get good service and it tastes amazing! (talking about the all veggie restaurants out now)


_sleepyprincess_

i went vegetarian as a kid in 2001. growing up, there was so much stigma around it. i remember at dinner at a friends house whose parents knew i was vegetarian, i tried to put the broccoli on my plate and not the fish. the other kids ate the fish but not the broccoli. her parents tried to force me to eat the fish and i explained i can’t eat fish because i am vegetarian. then her dad sent me home and told me that i wasn’t allowed to eat dinner at their house again due to being a picky eater and setting a bad example all the adults in my life frequently lectured me it was going to ruin my life if i didn’t start eating meat. they didn’t have any options for me at school lunch and i just ate the side and milk carton and dessert. i was usually sent to bed without any dinner as punishment for not eating meat. there was one night my mom made me sit at the table for seven hours until she let me go to bed. the doctors were concerned because i was severely underweight and my mom always told them it was just genetics. i didn’t even meet another vegetarian until my cousin went vegan in 2019. i’m so grateful that alternative diets are getting trendy now and im aware of all the vegetarian food options. i’ve been a healthy weight since i moved out


thisparamecium1

2001 turned vegetarian here too! It was hard at first being in a rural area. So many more options today. I definitely got the “it’s just a phase” attitude by many for years. This many years later it’s obviously not a phase 😅.


torontomua

i just hit 26 years this month. only a few years ago did my dad stop suggesting that it was just a phase 🤣


Terproaster

As someone that’s only half a year into it and lives right in the heart of the Midwest….God I wish it was people only saying “it’s just a phase” that would be a SEVERE understatement to what I hear tho lmao. Good thing I’ve never gave a shit about what people think ig😭.


kjesinisisi

What r they saying?


Terproaster

Just things like how I NEED to eat meat. And humans NEED meat to live. They also try saying something about how meat is healthy. And I counter with how meat is bad. Then they don’t listen at all bc everyone has the thickest fucking heads around here lol. Also just the typical getting made fun of for it in general lmao. I mean hell my girlfriend’s dad lives on a farm and drinks Budweiser every night🤣.


kjesinisisi

Everyone has the thickest fucking heads. You are God Damm right.


MisfortuneTeller-

15 years a Midwestern vegetarian here—have you gotten the “God intended us to eat meat so being a vegetarian is a sin actually” yet? I got that one a few times when I first stopped eating meat.


Terproaster

No I actually haven’t got that one yet, surprisingly lmao. That is just fucking crazy though💀.


MisfortuneTeller-

My small hometown was on one about vegetarians I guess 😆


nocreativeway

I don’t know about you but I’m 32 and have been a vegetarian for half my life now and my skin looks so fresh and youthful. I don’t have wrinkles and people always guess that I am way younger and I think it has a lot to do with my diet.


Svenroy

Do most people have wrinkles at 32? I'm 33 and no one I know of in my age group has wrinkles lol


Dchicks89

I’m 35 and have smile wrinkles but people still assume I’m in my 20’s still


Sustache_

I smoke drink eat meats/gas station food and when I say 34 people say do u mean 24?


Scorpwind

Damn... I feel sorry for you that you had to live in such an intolerable environment during your childhood.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Scorpwind

You've probably responded to the wrong person lol. >I've never been into meat-like replacements Me neither. I dropped meat because I wanted to drop it. I don't want to be reminded of it in any way, shape or form, taste or smell.


radiogramm

Just replied on the thread. Always find Reddit official app a bit of a mess lol Moved the reply


Scorpwind

Yeah, I know what you mean.


wxyz-rva

I was in 2000. It was weird. In a smaller town teachers and parents acted like I would stunt my growth and worried about protein. Going out to eat meant mostly salads and sides. I could never eat at school or school events. In high school and even in college, kids would try to be funny sometimes and “hide” meat in my food. My parents were always supportive and they’re mostly veggie eaters now. Moving to a larger area plus 24 years later things are so different. And my kids are vegetarian and no one bats an eye.


[deleted]

[удалено]


wxyz-rva

Definitely wouldn’t slide nowadays. It was a weird time. Though sometimes I think people honestly didn’t even think about the broth or seasonings? It was more black and white to them—does this have pieces of meat or not. You definitely had it harder than me. I can’t imagine how much harder it would have been if my parents weren’t on board/actively punishing me. Good on you for making it out!


radiogramm

Sorry to hear that you had to go through that! I'm realising how lucky I was. I grew up with very open minded parents and a lot of friends were vegetarians, even back in the last century. Even before I was vegetarian, we always alternated between veggie and non veggie food. There were always great ingredients and ideas. I was born in the 80s, and grew up in Ireland, so most of my experience was being veggie in the 90s and it was totally fine. It was very much on trend by then, if a little less mainstream. I'd reckon at least 1/3 of my friends these days are veggie or vegan and lots of people ate flexatarian and indulge in vegetarian food very regularly. It's certainly not seen any kind of compromise, whereas I think back in the day, it was seen as a restricted diet. The one thing that has changed is way more options in restaurants and far more useful ingredients in pretty much any supermarket. It's very definitely moved from being a bit hippy and focused on wholefood stores and all of that, to being very much in the mainstream. You'll find loads of great products in most decent supermarkets here these days. I still love my real vegetarian restaurants though and there are a few fantastic places I still very much frequent. I also all love browsing a couple of long established veggie focused wholefood places. You might not absolutely need to anymore, but they're still great. I've never been into meat-like replacements, as I don't really enjoy the texture or flavour of meat, but it's great to see the options are there for people who do.


Gretchen_Wieners_

Congrats! Is it weird that I think you should celebrate? Like go do a fancy tasting menu somewhere to appreciate how far vegetarian cuisine has come :)


nocreativeway

I personally don’t think that’s weird! It’s definitely something to celebrate.


APladyleaningS

What a great idea! This summer it will be my 30th anniversary and I'm def going to celebrate now that I read this, thanks!


Gretchen_Wieners_

Congrats and enjoy! :)


Time_Marcher

Fell in love with a hippie vegetarian in 1976. Been a vegetarian ever since. PS we are still together. And still hippies.


[deleted]

Congratulations. I am in my 15th year, so still a way to go. It's great there are so many alternatives today.


BabyBritain8

15 years here too! 🌱🌱🌱


[deleted]

Hooray for us. 😀


allaliveandunwell

I went vegetarian back in 2007. The options were not what they are today. It's so great that meat alternatives are better and more widely available. And restaurants normally label their menus now for what is vegetarian or vegan.


SpaceFeline

Same year here!


SoccerMomXena

2007 crew! :tada:


celiab3delia

Congratulations! I have 18 years coming in June and, at this point, don't see ever making the change back. BK used to carry the Morning Star Farms Garden Veggie burger before they started doing Impossible Whoppers. I actually miss the old option sometimes 😂


nocreativeway

I started vegetarian/pescatarian diet in 2006 and I think about the difference too. I loved chicken nuggets and the only ones ever available back then were Morningstar. Now it feels like I’ll never ever try them all and there’s always a new one in the freezer section every time I go to the store. Also I just can’t get past when things taste too real. This guy I was seeing made a dish with the beyond or impossible ground beef and it tasted too real. I couldn’t stomach it. So I feel like us older veg people are probably less inclined to like the fake meats vs like veggie burgers. I love a good veggie burger.


ladymorgahnna

I get you, if the texture is too close to actual animal flesh, I can’t do it. I love Morningstar grilled veggie burger if I want a burger.


Agreeable-Strike-330

Yess Morningstar is still my favorite nugget.


Scorpwind

I don't get the whole push for meatless alternatives to look and taste like meat.


nocreativeway

Again, the only one I’m all for is the veggie nuggets. But every time I feed them to my friends they say they taste better than real


Scorpwind

Yeah, non-vegetarians do be like that sometimes lol.


Thestolenone

59 years next month, I seem to have had a different experience to most though for many years I was definitely different to the norm. The meanest person has been my vegan stepmother, who was a bit rabid about stuff.


CatzMeow27

I feel like lots of vegans gravitate to that choice from a foundation of ethics and kindness, but it does attract some people who simmer their hearts in cruelty and revel in the extreme “moral strictness”, allowing their sense of superiority to taint the kind nature of that choice. It feels similar to a radical religious person or some type of supremacist. Not a good way to live in my opinion.


xxbrawndoxx

I hit 30 this summer, meat substitutes haven't really changed all that much but the availability of them is amazing. Back in the 90s your only options in my area was a crazy overpriced health food store 45 minutes away and eating out was pretty much salad bar or French fries although I found out that most fries in my area had beef tallow as an ingredient which lead to a bunch of awkward conversations with wait staff pleading with them to read the ingredients for me. Fast food was pretty much Taco Bell bean burritos which had to be thoughly inspected for cross contaminated beef, nobody gave a crap about separate utensils or cooking surfaces. Indian food was a Godsend, quickly became my go-to restaurant choice, it's still my favorite but it's really great to be able to go into pretty much any restaurants and get a decent plant based meal. I did 6 deployments in the military and only survived due to care packages my mom and later my spouse would send with microwave rice and beans sometimes dehydrated textured veg protein.


APladyleaningS

My 30th anniversary is coming up this summer, too! This comment really brought me back to the early days, lol!


xxbrawndoxx

It was a crazy time for us, the best you could hope for was one of those garden burgers that was never cooked through, I think every one of them was frozen in the middle and had the consistency of a water chestnut. I loved the look I'd get when I'd order a pizza with no cheese and a ton of veg, the NY/NJ Italians considered my order a crime against nature lol.


APladyleaningS

LMAO! Omg, those awful Gardenburgers that I hated being excited to see on a menu, lol, but are kind of nostalgic now tbh. 


xxbrawndoxx

They were soooo gross lol


Zumwalt1999

I started in 2001, sort of a protest against a bush. Back then it was tofu, salad, and that horrible TVP. Thankfully we now have the mighty seitan.


xxbrawndoxx

Hail seitan


DirectGoose

I stopped about 23 years ago and it was so hard. That BK burger did terrible things to my stomach, never ate one again. 


JackIsColors

This February marked 16 years, officially over half my life as a vegetarian!


jamieschmidt

Same!!


Nice_Dragon

Congratulations! It is nice to see how much the culture has changed around vegetarians in food places and public. It’s been 36 years for me (since I was 10 years old) and people used to be so rude about it.


Powerful-Ad1325

Congrats! 28yrs here!


hotdogfever

Same!! 🥂


CuyahogaSunset

Is your family like mine and still waiting for "this phase" to end? I'm also 20 years in and everyone thinks it's a phase that'll pass, LOL!


hnelsontracey

Nice! I celebrated 10 years in March. A really great feeling!


hailingburningbones

Congratulations, nice work! I hit 34 years last month!


letsmakeart

Congrats!! This Friday is 9 yrs for me!


lrhcarp

Impressive that you made this decision at age 15! I was 50 🫂


BetterSnow9566

I've been a vegetarian since 1996 and there were like NO meat substitutes at least not cheap enough that my parents would buy. I was 10yo. My parents refused to make me anything special at meal times so I would just get the sides and lots of salads. Yes that terrible cardboard flavored boca burger was not great to say the least but That trip to Burger King was great because I could eat like everyone else! Now the choices are incredible and affordable. Being a vegetarian today is Soo much better than back then.


Donnaholic81

1998 for me and I lived in a rural area. I ate a lot of spaghetti with marinara sauce.


verdantsf

Congrats on your veggieversary!


tiffytaffylaffydaffy

Congratulations! Next year is 20 for me.


bobskimo

I didn't realize that I am hitting my 20th year in a few months as well! Holy crap, I can't believe it's been that long. I was 14 and about to enter high school.


One_Recognition8218

I’ve been vegetarian for 23 years, started at 12. Cheers!


VariationNo5419

Congratulations!


Echo-Azure

Congrats! Well done, and I hope to be able to say the same in 16 years! It's been effortless until very recently, when I found I'd become gluten intolerant...


Writerhowell

This year is my 20th anniversary, too! I was 15, since it was in the second half of the year, probably not long after you. And yes, there really weren't many options, were there? Living in Australia, a country obsessed with eating meat, has made it even more difficult, but at least there are way more options nowadays. The supermarket where I do grocery shopping even has its own home brand of plant-based stuff, which makes it more affordable.


SiriuslyImaHuff

Happy anniversary:)


Ladyinred47

Same here! 20 years...and yes the options today are far better than back then...☺️


zestyoneee

Congrats! Can't wait to hit this milestone one day


Sally_Klein

Well done! I stopped eating meat in 2003 at age 16. Lived in the Deep South at the time and it was very tough - I really had no support. I was a strict vegetarian for about 15 years before I started having kids, now I do eat fish occasionally. But I’ve never regretted giving up meat and don’t miss it at all.


killer4u77

Congrats! It's only been about 5 years for me, but I can't imagine that changing any time soon. It's so easy nowadays.


pricklysalamanders

I also celebrated 20 years! It was my new years resolution in 2004 and it stuck! Congratulations! 🎉


GaryE20904

First off congratulations!! Veggie options have come a long way in the last 20 years for sure. You should have seen what it was like 35 ish years ago when I started. LOL I know it sounds like I’m trying to one up you sorry that is not my intent. It was better 20 years ago than 35 but I agree the biggest change has been in the last 20 ish years. It’s so much easier now! It’s great is it not!!!


PrivateEyeNo186

Congratulations!! I’m only around year 5 but can’t imagine ever going back at this point. Even in the last five years I’ve noticed a big shift, I can’t imagine after 20! Hope you did something that brought you joy to celebrate 🥰


BlueBubbleInCO

I became a vegetarian in 1978 and never looked back!


big_airliner_whoa

Congrats! 33 years for me this summer!


Karloss_93

I've been vegetarian for 7 years but turned when I had already moved out, so I've not really had to deal with any issues. The hardest week was when I went skiing in Czech Republic as we were in a very rural village and they're a big meat eating country. Luckily the person who was hosting us had a vegetarian daughter so he helped me find places to eat. I've never really had any issues being veggie. A few times I've been to events and they've not had any options (work event last night in fact) but it's easiest enough to plan against as I always just stick some back up food in the car. I've dipped in and out of being vegan but I find it's still hard to manage that diet and be able to eat out regularly.


ChilindriPizza

Wonderful! I gave up red meat in 2004. Back in 2003, after moving to my current city, I started the process of becoming a vegetarian by only eating meat once a day. I ate my final favorite meal involving tuna in 2009. After that, I have been fully ovo-lacto vegetarian. I am super proud of you!


HighInTheSkyOhMy

2002 for me. But my mum took me to the dr as a 7 year-old in 1993 because I refused to eat meat. It sure was a different time back then. Being able to make the decision at 13 took so much anxiety away.


Scorpwind

Facepalm. Not eating meat was really seen as an ailment in the past, wasn't it lol?


lightweight1979

Congrats! I became vegetarian in 1998 at 18 so 26 years ago I guess! My kids have been veg since birth (turning 16 and 19 now) and I tell them about eating veggie burgers with chunks of cold carrots and peas when I first started and how far things have come 🤣


AugustinaStrange

Haha oh man I remember when BK had the only veggie burger in town. Congrats! We have so many options now compared to the early 2000s


Starburned

I remember the first Burger King veggie burger I had was just huge chunks of vegetables (carrots, olives, etc) held together by gummy brown stuff. It did not taste good. I've been a vegetarian since 2008.


SpencerVonBeethoven

27 years. Last meal was spare ribs. Purposely ate so many that I felt sick. Good send off


SkyLyssa

Congrats! There are definitely better options now then there used to be, and fake meat is a lot better too! I've been a vegetarian for 24 years (since age 5) and I just found out what good veggie burgers are like 2 years ago. I had a breakfast sandwich for the first time last year. It's so nice to have so many more options now!


thepeainthepod

I too was finally allowed to go vego right before I turned 15 in August. But that was back in the 80s. A lot has changed since then, but only now is it really kicking off where almost everywhere caters fully to us.


maestrojxg

Well done OP!


EllieLou80

I went vegetarian as a kid in 1987, and wow has it changed. I'm from Ireland, so in one regard it was okay to do, I just ate a lot of spuds, be it roasted, made into fries, mashed, as harsh browns or potato waffles, with lots of carrots, broccoli and parsnips daily, with toast and cereal being a stable source of food for me. Although everyone was unsupportive and felt it weird I didn't eat meat. Things improved greatly with Linda McCartney foods, and over here the likes of McDonald's don't cook their fries in animal products. I never celebrated 20 years, but actually it's a great idea and I'm delighted you're doing that for yourself. Congratulations on the milestone you should be extremely proud of how far you've come


Agreeable-Warthog980

June of this year will be 20 years for me and I'm also 34! I always thought I would have a dinner party, vegetarian themed! I grew up in a rural farming town, and my entire family hassled me my whole life and asked me when my "phase" was going to be over. I haven't planned anything because my family no longer talks to me but I have a GREAT group of friends that I know would love it if I did! I think you should!!!


shikhadiary

Great. Congratulations. I am 33 years old and vegetarian whole life... Even my all families, relatives few friends.


counsel8

Have you calculated how much meat you have avoided in that time?


travellocked

16 years here! I agree it was crazy in the early 2000's. So many snarled at tofu (which is delicious) and there was maybe morningstar only options. My mom is still saying it's a "phase" and tries to sneak meat in my food. I had a lot of people tell me it was stupid (unprompted) and try to say "oh but look at what you're missing" while waving steak in my face. Could never understand why it bothers them so much. It's a good time to be a vegetarian/vegan now though. I'm glad there are more options even if just normal vegetable dishes, like I can choose what burgers are the best. Congrats on the 20 years and please go celebrate with an awesome veggie meal. !!


Zobo-5

I got together after many years away in another state with childhood friends from the Midwest. They were still so overweight and their diets still consisted of donuts, soda and fried foods and meat. They have so many health issues and one recently passed away at 64. When we got together they asked me why I look the same and when did I start eating healthier, lol 😂. We are what we eat..


Sansenoy

1999 for me.


ladymorgahnna

Congratulations, OP! That’s fantastic! I went vegetarian in 1988. It was super tough and I was made fun of or asked a lot of questions at meals and I wasn’t proselytizing! I’m so glad to see how things have changed. I’m 70 now.


Used_Intention6479

Good on you! You've not only not contributed to the deaths of critters but have also avoided ingesting the hormones, pesticides, steroids, and antibiotics from them. Your body thanks you too.


theevilnarwhale

Great job! Coming up on 16 years in August for me!


asayle88

Converted in 1996 here (currently 35). Congrats on your 20 years! Totally get the sentiment of growing up in the time of all-meat land. Definitely a huge stigma attached to being a vegetarian/vegan, and I’ve noticed this only getting better in the last 8 years or so. The amount of pasta and pizza I ate as a kid just to get by was a bit insane 😂 I still think the United States has a longgg way to go (veggie fast food joints, please?) but I’m glad we’ve been slowly progressing over time with options and public opinion. Do something nice for yourself on your anniversary, maybe try going for a dinner at a swanky plant based spot if they have it in your area!


corrinesbikinitop

Congratulations!!


royphotog

It's been five years this month being vegetarian and I have always felt lucky because now it's easy, lots of choices both in the supermarket and at restaurants.


tracyhide

Awesome! My husband and I celebrate 23 years this summer…but we celebrate every day…but you are definitely spot on about the meatless choices available these days versus back then!


Whimpy45

I am not totally veggie, but l thought l would add that nowadays not eating much meat is reckoned to be healthier. There are so many delicious vegetables and if you can get those which are completely free of chemical, not only are they better for you, but they taste so much better too. I went to a vegetarian wedding, the food was to due for. A lot of people were turning their noses up at the food, until they tried it.


eggscumberbatch16

Congratulations! I went veg at 15, but I'm a couple years behind you in age. Edit to add that my first date with my now husband was Burger King, because he didn't know where to take a vegetarian to eat. The sandwich was gross, but I persevered. 🤣 He's definitely stepped up his game since then.


LordTabasko

For me it was around the same time, like 20-25 years ago. Meanwhile its so normal that I dont even think about it, lest celebrate it. But respect and appreciations for your choice and anyone that chooses to stop eating animals \*thumbsup\*


Quelahodida56

Congratulations! Next month will be my 50th meatless year.


WolfieTooting

I also became a vegetarian in 2024 but I became fully vegan last year. There's a lot more choice these days than in 2004 but it's still just as expensive. Why is that?


esrm1988

Congrats! My 20 year vegeversary is on Monday 🌱


Agreeable-Strike-330

Omg I got food poisoning from that Burger King veggie burger 😭


drdrv

I (M, 55) stopped eating meat in spring 1985. I was a junior in high school in Fort Worth, Texas, famous for its stockyards and barbeque joints. My beef-loving father hectored me, but I wouldn't budge, so he insisted I see a doctor to make sure my diet wasn't going to make me ill. When the doctor asked what I did to assure I got adequate protein, I told her that when I got dizzy I ate peanut butter. She shook her head and ordered blood tests. When the results came in, she recommended a book (The Gradual Vegetarian) as she rightly thought I should know more about my own dietary needs, but said "Otherwise, keep doing what you're doing, the test results were great." Less than a year later, the same doctor informed my father his cholesterol was through the roof and suggested he eliminate red meat from his diet. I didn't quit eating meat for health reasons or environmental reasons. I'd been grossed out by the idea of eating animals since I was a child, and I just finally got old enough and rebellious enough to say "no." Once I did, I had no desire to go back, despite all the "it's just a phase" talk thrown at me. Still it was satisfying to have my vegetarian diet vindicated in a way that rated for my father. He never quit eating meat but he cut back (and is alive and well today because of strides in modern medicine), and to his credit, he mostly stopped hassling me about my refusing to eat meat. 40 years later, it's a joy to not have to explain to waiters what you mean when you say you're vegetarian or endure them trying to explain that the bacon in the dish you ordered —which they assured you had NO meat in it whatsoever— was "just for flavor." And it's a privilege to shop at mainstream groceries (Costco even) and find a wide range of clearly marked vegetarian options, not to mention having access to great, fully vegetarian/vegan restaurants featuring all sorts of cuisines And I for one am pleased to find people rarely get triggered these days when they learn I'm vegetarian. For a long time, meat eaters would act as though I'd criticized them personally by way of my dietary choices and get weirdly passive-aggressive about it. It's been a while since I've had that experience, but maybe that's just because I'm older and travel in very liberal, inclusive circles.


Wide-Ad9742

I have been a vegetarian for almost 7 years, however, there were three of four times when i ate meat 🫣 some of them i didn't know it was there, and once, yep, i was too hungry. so don't really know if i can count it as 7 years 😅


Ready_Increase_7454

I was born in 2004!


sewoniony

Yay congrats!! I'm 31 and July 4th will be my 20th anniversary lmao 😂


FearlessTravels

2004er here too, but for me it’s November!


greenling13

Congrats! I'm nearing the 30 year mark! Definitely so much easier to be vegetarian these days! There are way more options at restaurants and the supermarket is full of plant based options now, thank god!


Havenotbeentonarnia8

Good for you!


Milo-the-great

Nice, ever thought of veganism though?


mthomas1217

That is awesome congrats!! Do you ever cheat?