Another long time vegetarian here - 35 years I think. I don’t think iron issues are related to blood type - it could be something else like super heavy periods, etc. I very occasionally get anemic but more often I’m low on B12 and have to remember to supplement and get it back up to normal. Not a huge deal.

I agree the rise of Impossible has lessened my restaurant choices - I don’t like the taste or texture of meat so I’m not going to eat something that mimics it. Love all the bean and veggie dishes though!

I’ve been vegetarian for over 30 years and don’t ever miss meat. In fact it’s repulsive to me, but that doesn’t mean I judge any one else who does eat it. Some people have aversions to things I like- eggplant, olives, onions, etc. I dislike meat substitutes like beyond and impossible, but those seem to be good alternatives for some.

To the poster who claims their body needs a steak, you probably need to research iron rich plant based foods better. Spinach and almonds are not the best choices. Lentils, other beans, soybeans, seeds, and fortified grains are better. Cooking in a cast iron skillet is also good. If you feel you want to eat a steak, that’s fine, but it’s unlikely that you actually need meat based sources of iron.

It’s also fine to not be all or nothing. I enjoy vegan meals, but am not vegan. You can enjoy vegetarian meals without eating them exclusively.

Anonymous wrote:What I have sometimes missed is the homey, spicy-salty flavor of some meats like salami, which I grew up eating a LOT of.

I haven't eaten meat in 35 years and when I feel dissatisfied it just means I need more variety and flavor and up my savory, umami type dishes.

Agree. I think what most people enjoy about eating meat is the flavoring, seasonings and sauces versus the taste of the actual meat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Don't worry about your blood type, etc. Just notice what makes you feel well, and what doesn't. If your body needs steak, then eat it. There is a lot that science does not yet know about the human body. That's why you are your best resource.

I am a vegetarian precisely because I feel sick when I eat meat, and feel better when I don't. If it were the other way around, I'd eat more meat.

+1 I work in animal welfare so in addition to being a vegetarian, I know a TON of people where the default is vegan. People also feel the need to explain to me all the time why they eat cheese, or meat, or whatever - I think they feel guilty about it in front of me even though I promise I would not give them a hard time. Anyway, I've heard a lot of stories about people who just felt sick while not eating meat.

At the end of the day, you just have this one body - and you have to feed that body what it needs.

I find it so easy to be veg - except even I eat fish once or twice a month. Started when I lived someplace where it was really hard to get meat-free meals - and just kept going.

But if you don't find it that easy to completely cut out meat - because you miss meat that much, or you really feel sick eating a veg diet - then you make the choices that work for you. It doesn't matter what you call yourself, or who's going to judge you for eating animals or who's going to judge you for not eating animals. Someone will always be unhappy with your choices, and let it be someone other than you!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Don't worry about your blood type, etc. Just notice what makes you feel well, and what doesn't. If your body needs steak, then eat it. There is a lot that science does not yet know about the human body. That's why you are your best resource.

I am a vegetarian precisely because I feel sick when I eat meat, and feel better when I don't. If it were the other way around, I'd eat more meat.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Everybody knows this isn’t true. Ludicrous. Can’t =/= don’t want to

People aren’t machines. Our bodies are different. Some people benefit from hiit training and others get more out of yoga. I tried being vegetarian off and on for over a decade. It made me sick. I do much, much better on a paleo diet. I also tried pure barre for threes years, I had no results. The second I tried Hiit, my blood pressure and blood sugar both fell tremendously.

It’s awesome that being a vegetarian works for you. It doesn’t for me. I’m trying to figure out why. I always thought it was blood type. If it’s not that, it’s something else. I’m curious what. There’s no need to be so judgmental. Your arrogant attitude and rigid mindset about other people’s diets is why people don’t like vegetarians, not your personal food choices.

I think a lot of this has to do with your gut microbiome. Meat is easy for your body to digest and get nutrients from. With plants, it needs help from different probiotics in your gut to break down the food into nutrients our body can use. If your gut microbiome is compromised, you may not be able to get proper nutrition from plants.

Never needed a probiotic at any time being a vegetarian. There's literally nothing about meat that is easier to digest- in fact the opposite it true, not to mention the disease link- stomach and colon cancers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Everybody knows this isn’t true. Ludicrous. Can’t =/= don’t want to

People aren’t machines. Our bodies are different. Some people benefit from hiit training and others get more out of yoga. I tried being vegetarian off and on for over a decade. It made me sick. I do much, much better on a paleo diet. I also tried pure barre for threes years, I had no results. The second I tried Hiit, my blood pressure and blood sugar both fell tremendously.

It’s awesome that being a vegetarian works for you. It doesn’t for me. I’m trying to figure out why. I always thought it was blood type. If it’s not that, it’s something else. I’m curious what. There’s no need to be so judgmental. Your arrogant attitude and rigid mindset about other people’s diets is why people don’t like vegetarians, not your personal food choices.

I think a lot of this has to do with your gut microbiome. Meat is easy for your body to digest and get nutrients from. With plants, it needs help from different probiotics in your gut to break down the food into nutrients our body can use. If your gut microbiome is compromised, you may not be able to get proper nutrition from plants.

Anonymous wrote:Smoked almonds help w/ missing bacon. A little. LOL

When you get over the initial hump of why you aren't eating meat, and that should be a pretty short window otherwise you haven't really gotten there yet, you don't even want bacon, and the smell is nauseating. Meat substitutes also aren't interesting at all. It's a complete paradigm shift .

Smoked almonds help w/ missing bacon. A little. LOL

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Everybody knows this isn’t true. Ludicrous. Can’t =/= don’t want to

People aren’t machines. Our bodies are different. Some people benefit from hiit training and others get more out of yoga. I tried being vegetarian off and on for over a decade. It made me sick. I do much, much better on a paleo diet. I also tried pure barre for threes years, I had no results. The second I tried Hiit, my blood pressure and blood sugar both fell tremendously.

It’s awesome that being a vegetarian works for you. It doesn’t for me. I’m trying to figure out why. I always thought it was blood type. If it’s not that, it’s something else. I’m curious what. There’s no need to be so judgmental. Your arrogant attitude and rigid mindset about other people’s diets is why people don’t like vegetarians, not your personal food choices.

I'm not the responder here, I was the O+ responder. Yeah,I'm not angry at you. But- with a vegetarian diet, you have to plan your food intake more to maximize nutrients. In a vegan diet, you really have to. Maybe you have an iron issue (?) BTW- i take a 10 mg iron supp about 2x a week just because. Take it with oj- no tummy issues

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Everybody knows this isn’t true. Ludicrous. Can’t =/= don’t want to

People aren’t machines. Our bodies are different. Some people benefit from hiit training and others get more out of yoga. I tried being vegetarian off and on for over a decade. It made me sick. I do much, much better on a paleo diet. I also tried pure barre for threes years, I had no results. The second I tried Hiit, my blood pressure and blood sugar both fell tremendously.

It’s awesome that being a vegetarian works for you. It doesn’t for me. I’m trying to figure out why. I always thought it was blood type. If it’s not that, it’s something else. I’m curious what. There’s no need to be so judgmental. Your arrogant attitude and rigid mindset about other people’s diets is why people don’t like vegetarians, not your personal food choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Everybody knows this isn’t true. Ludicrous. Can’t =/= don’t want to

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Yes, I tried a variety of supplements, but they made me so sick. So, I guess it’s not blood type, it’s something else…I cannot get by without an occasional steak.

Anonymous wrote:I’d like to be a vegetarian because the idea of eating flesh grosses me out. Unfortunately, I just can’t, my body needs meat. The longest I went was one year and I ended up severely anemic. Yeah, the iron in spinach and almond’s doesn’t do it for me. Even fish alone doesn’t cut it. I find myself healthiest when I eat a wide variety of foods.

I wonder if you satisfied vegetarians have a different blood type or something. I’m type O+, the oldest cavemen type. What are you all?

O+, no issues with iron at all.

Take a supplement, but yes there is iron in non heme foods.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A doctor put me on a vegan diet (misdiagnosed) and I missed chicken wings more than anything. It was the first thing I ate after stopping the vegan nightmare.

And? What’s the point of your anecdote?

Every vegan or vegetarian does not secretly miss meat, or think that they’re living in a nightmare because they don’t eat meat products.

Look up videos about how those wings are processed- chicken to plate. Pretty sure you won't enjoy as much.