Training & Nutrition - Vegetarian Riders

I've become a vegan after spending a good portion of my life eating meat. I missed it for awhile and now I don't really even crave it when my family sits down for dinner to eat their meat while I eat my beans and rice or whatever it is that I am having.

Do many of you eat vegan or lacto-ovo vegetarian? Are you feeling as strong and rejuvenated as I have felt in the six months since I quit the meat? I'd like to hear from you.

I am not a vegetarian but I have switched the focus of my diet from meat to plant based foods. I try have the focus of my meals on non meat, with a side of meat. I have tried to go a week or so without but I can not go longer than that. I find myself craving meat if I do not get any.

Of course I eat alot less meat than I did before and I feel better than I have in a long time. I have more energy and am much sharper upstairs, I even have the marks to prove it. I am hoping one day I will be able to eat without craving meat, but for me it is one step at a time. At least I have reduced my dependancy, and my grocery bill is much lower than before.

Thank you

I've been vegetarian since 1-jan-05 and haven't had any issues that I can pinpoint to that diet. I'll have eggs, but no dairy (it makes my asthma worse). I've also cut out wheat/gluten as much as I can as well.

Energy-levels for me has really to do with sufficient recovery-meals after rides; sometimes I need to eat up to 5000-calories/day with 30-40% of that coming after the ride. Keeping up with electrolytes and vitamins is critical as well. Muscle-fatigue hasn't really been an issue as I'm a very stocky mesomorph/endomorph that can pile on muscle & fat easily. Nice thing about going from 245lbs to 180lbs is that I'm looking a lot less like a round Jabba-the-hut and more like a built wrestler.

I was a vegetarian for 22 years up until 2003. I still don't eat lots of red meat, but it sure is easier being an omnivore!

The unusual thing was that my cholesterol dropped after starting to eat red meat again... I would've thought that the reverse would be true.

Az

I was a vegetarian for 22 years up until 2003. I still don't eat lots of red meat, but it sure is easier being an omnivore!

The unusual thing was that my cholesterol dropped after starting to eat red meat again... I would've thought that the reverse would be true.

Az

This is especially true if you have to eat out and can't make it to a grocery store. Some places have no choices for vegetarians.

I went vegetarian for nearly 4 years from 1999-2003 because of weight issues. I stopped living vegetarian because of deployment to Iraq where meal choices were not of my making. Many days I really long to go back to vegetarian because my energy while being a vegetarian was much higher than what it is now. I think that's primarily because of the amount of focus you give your diet as a vegetarian. I was more diet conscious overall, whether it be junk food or meat, than I am now.

It certainly is a more challenging lifestyle, especially when you have a wife and kids that are not partakers of the same lifestyle choice. I still avoid red meat when at all possible, and love my veggie burgers, veggie dogs, and anything else veggie I can get.

while i indulge in meat about once every couple weeks, and i'm not strict about things like chicken broth in a vegetarian soup, i'm basically ovo-vegetarian. unlike others here, though, i've found that i have a lower energy level and get tired faster than i did before. i feel all-around better, just less energetic. i still eat plenty of protein, so i'm not sure what the problem with my diet is - i'm going to see a dietician soon to see if i can figure out the trouble.

I've become a vegan after spending a good portion of my life eating meat. I missed it for awhile and now I don't really even crave it when my family sits down for dinner to eat their meat while I eat my beans and rice or whatever it is that I am having.

Do many of you eat vegan or lacto-ovo vegetarian? Are you feeling as strong and rejuvenated as I have felt in the six months since I quit the meat? I'd like to hear from you.


Ive been a Vegitarian since '77. I do eat Pizza so I guess Im not militant veggie.
Obviously Im biased but but there is absolutely no reason to believe any of the
"you're not getting protien", "you need vitamins" stuff that people say.
I have more energy than most of the 30 year olds I know and dont feel any signs
of slowing down. My fat % is very low for my height and weight and I feel confident
enough in my strenght to ride the hills in Vermont on a fixie Im currently building.
I never get sick and as an added bonus, I never give off body odor. Meat and its
latent toxicities are a source of body odor for carnivors. I rode 14 miles into my job
every day last year and never had to worry about offending people.
Im sure people will disagree with me but there is no other way to eat if you are a
normal persn interested in attaining a higher level of 'bodily concience' (??)

Vegan biker here. Became a vegetarian in 2000, and a vegan in 2002.

I hear people (who are either omnivores or lacto/ovo veggies) say all the time that being a vegan is so hard.

Uh, it's not. It's actually very easy. You just do things a little differently.

In exchange for that little bit of effort, my energy levels have never been higher and my likelihood of being struck by chronic illness has been much reduced.

In addition to the benefits to my health, being vegan also decreases my "environmental footprint". Seeing as how much water, land, and energy is expended to create animal based foods, I feel better not eating them.

Javelina,

You poor thing, I hope you aren't eating just beans and rice for dinner every night and calling that a vegan diet:). The world has so many more vegan options for you. You'd be surprised what foods you can "veganize". If you have ANY questions or want some recipes, etc. please PM me.

Fred

Yeah, rice & beans gets boring pretty quickly. There's a tonne of veggies you can pick up at organic-foods stores or local farmer's markets. An unlimited numbers of recipes you can whip up using any combinations of stuff you want. :) Since I'm cutting out wheat/gluten, I've found that baking with a combination of rice and potato flours actually gives darn good results. :)

Vegetable and seitan curry, banana bread, and Pike Kilt Lifter for me tonight. Nice road ride and some snowboarding planned for tomorrow.

I actually just made the choice to turn vegan... ummm...Tuesday? Before hand, I was completely vegetarian the 2nd of this month. Before that, I was converting to completely vegetarian last month. Before hand, I reduce my meat intake a lot for a year, and before that I would reduce my dairy intake since I did not like cheese or milk until I found soy.

Anyway, I find it easier to recover for me. I also find that I a lot more food conscious. I defiantly did not care much about what was going into my body compare to now. I also NEED to plan everything out now for muscle building. I find my energy is about the same.

Is soy the main protein staple in a vegetarian way of life?

Is soy the main protein staple in a vegetarian way of life?

It can be, but does not have to be.

Other beans like garbanzo (chick peas), kidney beans, and black beans have a fair amount of protein. Many vegetarians also eat cheese, eggs, and milk. A lot of foods have some protein which adds up over the day. The WHO determined that a person needs only 0.2 g of protein for each pound of body weight per day... a lot less than many people think. Even the starving kids in Asia who eat nothing except rice have been determined to NOT have a protein deficiency.

I've been vegetarian for about a year now, I feel like it's been better for me but it's certainly a lot better for the animals I'm not eating anymore. The longer I am vegetarian, the less it makes sense that people still eat meat.

I'd like to become vegan, but what do you use to replace cheese? I already drink soy milk, but have not found soy cheese (and I'm thinking that if there is such a thing, it might be really gross).

^^^^ Myth.
Soy is not good for you.
Especially women. It goofs with hormones and other
such unpleasantries. Whey protien is the best.

Been vegetarian for several years now.
I have no problems with my energy level.....I usually have energy to spare.
I do eat cheese but I avoid drinking milk or eating other dairy products.....including ice cream.
I will eat seafood on occasion though. Fried foods are out too.
+1 on the body odor comment. I have certain friends that eat meat and their breath is always rank.
I really doubt if I'll ever go back to being a carnivore....I don't miss it.
I do supplement my diet with whey protein.

You get cholesterol from two places: your own liver and your diet. Do you think that when your body saw that it was getting some from the outside that it stopped producing as much as it was? That might explain your drop. (But I am only GUESSING, I am not a nurtirionist)

Is soy the main protein staple in a vegetarian way of life?

For the lazier vegetarians it often is, since it's so easy to prepare and found in so many products. There's plenty of other natural protein options out there.

I have tried being a vegetarian twice for a couple of weeks, but have had to go back to red meat for fatigue from lack of iron. I tried iron suplements, but non-heme iron isn't as good, and it gives me terrible constipation. To minimize the badness of eating meat, all my red meat is buffalo farmed and killed 40 miles away by a family I know. They don't use antibiotics, they roam freely, and the meat doesn't travel long distances. Are there any other diagnosed anemics out there who can survive on non-heme supplements?

Way to go new vegetarians and vegans!
Consider keeping track of your food intake on www.fitday.com. I do on occasion and am surprised at how much protein and calcium and everything I get (I'm vegan). The protein in vegatables, fruits and whole grains really add up. Add a few beans or soy here and there and you are easily over 100g/day.

Good vegan cookbooks:
How it all Vegan by Sarah Kramer
Garden of Vegan by Sarah Kramer
La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer

OVer the past 3 years my wife and I have bought about 20 vegan cookbooks- but most of them were to hard to make. THe ones I cite above are fully of recipes that are pretty quick and easy.

I've become a vegan after spending a good portion of my life eating meat. I missed it for awhile and now I don't really even crave it when my family sits down for dinner to eat their meat while I eat my beans and rice or whatever it is that I am having.

Do many of you eat vegan or lacto-ovo vegetarian? Are you feeling as strong and rejuvenated as I have felt in the six months since I quit the meat? I'd like to hear from you.

Javelina, I don't remember what my energy level was like when I ate meat, it's been 10 years. Among my friends, I'm the most active. I think that has to do more with enjoying bicycling than it does with being a vegetarian. I don't doubt that I'm carrying around fewer toxins though.

edit: Jennings is right, Sarah Kramer writes good books.

Lacto-ovo Vegetarian here. Officially cut out meat in April 2005. I haven't eaten red meat in years and only at chicken. I finally gave up chicken and don't crave it at all. My cravings for meat have diminished completely (its a slow process).

My diet consists of high-fiber meals. Tofu, soy milk, lots of veggies, fruits, beans, SALADS, etc...

It's true that being a vegetarian makes you focus on your diet closely. Translation... you don't stuff your face with whatever you see at a restaurant, thus you loose weight.

I’ve been following the Nutrition Forum for a little while and have decided I’ve come up with the perfect diet. Granted, it may get boring, but if you ate it everyday, you’d get the nutrients you need.

So, (drum roll please…)

Breakfast:

1.5 cups cooked oats
1 pint soymilk
4 pieces whole wheat toast
2 Tbs. Natural Peanut Butter
2 Tsp. Rasperry Jam
1 Banana

Lunch:

1.5 cups Pinto Beans
4 Corn Tortillas
2 green chile peppers
½ ripe tomato
1 Tbs. Onion
1 Tbs. Olive oil
Cilantro
Garlic clove
1 Cup cooked summer squash

Snack:
Apple
¼ cup walnuts

Supper:

1.5 cups Pinto Beans
4 Corn tortillas
2 green chile peppers
½ ripe tomato
1 Tbs. Onion
1 Tbs. Olive oil
Cilantro
Garlic clove
1 Cup cooked summer squash (i like yellow mixed with zuchinni)

Snack:

Orange

This is not the menu, these are the ingredients. It works out to be about 3200 k/cal. For my weight this is a good base menu. As I ride, I can add more good stuff. On days with no riding this would be all I needed to prepare.

Nice thing about most of it is that it can be prepared and will keep very well. The squash should be fried in the olive oil with the onions, cilantro, garlic and peppers just before eating.

I could eat this pretty much 2-3 times a week.

I can't eat that much in single sittings. I gotta break up my intake into about 5-7 meals a day. :)

One of the reasons I became a veggie back in '78 was because I (and some other friends) had noticed that we raced much better on days after eating a large pasta meal than we did after having a lot of red meat, like steak.

That, and I lived with a girl who was a veg and an outstanding cook.

That being said, I think it's part of the reason I got fat. You have to eat a ton of food to be truly satisfied when it's meatless. (Keep in mind I'm a huge glutton) When you incorporate meat into the diet, it's a lot easier to feel satiated after a meal.

At least that's my take on it. I've been veg almost as many years as I've been an omni and I'm pretty old. So I have had a lot of experience both ways.

Az

I’ve been following the Nutrition Forum for a little while and have decided I’ve come up with the perfect diet. Granted, it may get boring, but if you ate it everyday, you’d get the nutrients you need.

Ah, but variety is the spice of life and the essence of good nutrition. ;) This is a fabulous, extremely healthful menu for one day! Whoo! (Albeit about double my target caloric intake!) Just make sure to range wide over the course of a week or a month and get lots of *different* grains, and fruits, and beans, and veggies. :)

*drool* You're making me hungry. :)

Ah, but variety is the spice of life and the essence of good nutrition. ;) This is a fabulous, extremely healthful menu for one day! Whoo! (Albeit about double my target caloric intake!) Just make sure to range wide over the course of a week or a month and get lots of *different* grains, and fruits, and beans, and veggies. :)

*drool* You're making me hungry. :)

Yeah, I figue if I can come up with about 7 menus of this sort I can rotate them and not have to think about it so much.

I am on my fourth day without meat. I am doing pretty good but I could really use a steak about now. I am still eating eggs and milk though. I don' know what I am supposed to don with all the meat I got packed away in the freezer. I guess I will save it for a special occasion.

I'm not a big meat eater, especially not red meat, but last year my coach (who is also a Sports Medicine M.D.) mentioned that I need to be getting "hemiron" and that red meat was one of the only good sources for it. So now I have some red meat about once a week or so. When I do it's only very good cuts of meat-I figure if I'm going to eat it, it had better be worth it. Fresh sirloin tri-tip is my favorite. Grilled/barbeque'd, or marinated and roasted out of the drippings. I like it medium-rare.

I've become a vegan after spending a good portion of my life eating meat. I missed it for awhile and now I don't really even crave it when my family sits down for dinner to eat their meat while I eat my beans and rice or whatever it is that I am having.

Do many of you eat vegan or lacto-ovo vegetarian? Are you feeling as strong and rejuvenated as I have felt in the six months since I quit the meat? I'd like to hear from you.

Javelina,

Good for you for going vegan! :) I transitioned into veganism (from ovo-lacto veg) about 12 years ago, and have ZERO desire to go back to my unhealthy, carnivorous former lifestyle. At first it seemed difficult, but only because I had not educated myself to all the vegan options out there. In terms of energy level, I have never had so much energy than I do now. For the past 6 years I have been commuting year-round (weather permitting) to work, logging in close to 6,000 miles last year. I also rarely catch colds and have been given an excellent bill of health from my doctor. And being an environmentalist at heart, it's just another way to do something positive for the earth.

And I totally agree with Fred, people just make it seem more difficult than it really is. These days with so many veg products entering the mainstream grocery stores, you can find so much variety, not to mention the delicious recipes available in vegan/veg cookbooks And learning to substitute ingredients for eggs/dairy products is pretty easy.

Eating vegan is just a matter of being more aware of what's actually going into your food, but then again, if everyone were like that, we wouldn't be a country with an obesity epidemic.

Congrats again!

Cynthia

I don' know what I am supposed to don with all the meat I got packed away in the freezer.
Any food bank or soup kitchen would take it.

I'm not a big meat eater, especially not red meat, but last year my coach (who is also a Sports Medicine M.D.) mentioned that I need to be getting "hemiron" and that red meat was one of the only good sources for it.
That's because s/he's indoctrinated in a culture that thinks everyone should be eating meat. There are other sources but I bet s/he has not even tried to look for others because it's normally a safe assumption that someone is willing to eat some red meat.

It does not really sound like you want to be a vegetarian anyway, though.

Hemiron is only found in red meat. The benefit of using hemiron is the fact that it absorb better than other iron sources. Thus, for the same amount of iron in the body, one must eat three times more non-hemiron-based iron compared to herimon, but that does not mean that you need it. If one is very cafefully with their diet or take iron supplements, then can go without hemiron.

I was a vegetarian for a year. In that year alot happened... I became more active, I lost 45 pounds, I became more healthy and disciplined. Along with aware of how I eat. The last few months though I have been having problems of binging, headaches, being tired, bored of food, and of course being hungry.

Thats all changed though. I quit the vegetarian thing about 3 weeks ago and am now enjoying small amounts of any type of meat but base most of my protein intake on turkey breast. I eat that for lunch and dinner, every night. I'm so much happier now! I even switched to healthier carbs... brown rice, dark brown sugar, whole wheat bread, stone ground everything ... oats ect. So much happier. I eat tons and tons of fruit everyday... along with yogurt and I will not drink anything except flavored water. I feel so much energetic, smarter, fuller and happier. I don't feel like I've cut myself off from the rest of the family dinner anymore. There was most of the year where I forgot I was vegetarian because you get so used to it after awhile but it wasn't permanent for me.

Its alot easier for me to fill a balanced and healthy diet with meat in it. Plus with a weight lifting program I've started... I need protein.

Good luck to those who are on the veg diets, and remember to always give what your body needs. Its a great choice for those climbing out of a bad habit into a clean body with better choices.

I wonder how some of you who used to be vegetarian can go back to eating meat. The idea of eating "flesh" disgusts me at this point (vegan for 3 years).

Good nutrition info and guidance for eating mostly or all vegan can be found in "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I have recommended to many people and those that have read it have raved - without exception - even those who continued to eat meat.

I wonder how some of you who used to be vegetarian can go back to eating meat. The idea of eating "flesh" disgusts me at this point (vegan for 3 years).

I know what you mean. I started feeling sick one time at a restaurant when a ladybug was on my table and the waitress killed it. I don't even kill cockroaches in my house anymore, I just chase them back outside.

While heme-iron is a form that's more readily absorbed, 5-35%, it's not a significant amount more than from non-heme source 2-20%. The concentrations of heme-iron in meats is actually lower than non-heme iron in many vegetables. You just have to eat more veggies to get the same amount of iron. It's actually not the iron itself, but the surrounding inhibitors that determine the absorption rate. Animal proteins helps facilitate absorption while calcium inhibits it: AJCN - Iron status and exercise (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/72/2/594S)



I know what you mean. I started feeling sick one time at a restaurant when a ladybug was on my table and the waitress killed it. I don't even kill cockroaches in my house anymore, I just chase them back outside.I tried trapping a mouse with tupperware a couple months ago. I aimed the bowl down and swung as the mouse ran across the floor. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough and got caught with its head and torso on the inside and its hind-legs and tail on the outside. I didn't even hit it that hard, but it lay there wriggling and squirming in pain. It was so awful to sit there for 30-seconds watching it die as its twitches got slower and slower and I could see that its breathing slowed as well. When it was dead, I scooped it up and buried it in the backyard, said a little prayer and went to the pubs to drown in liquor. It took a lot of confessions at church and weeks of psychotherapy to get over that one... :(

I tried trapping a mouse with tupperware a couple months ago. I aimed the bowl down and swung as the mouse ran across the floor. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough I got caught with its head and torso on the inside and its hind-legs and tail on the outside. I didn't even hit it that hard, but it lay there wriggling and squirming in pain. I was so awful to sit there for 30-seconds watching it die as its twitches got slower and slower and I could see that its breathing slowed as well. When it was dead, scooped it up and buried it in the backyard, said a little prayer and went to the pubs to drown in liquor. It took a lot of confessions at church and weeks of psychotherapy to get over that one... :(

I can sympathize Danno, as I am a vegan for reasons including both health and ethics(animal rights).

I do not like to see any animals suffer or die, especially due to my actions, however it will not always be unavoidable.

Case in point, one night a couple of years ago I was walking my dog and I happened to see some movement in the grass on the other side of the road. I went over to see what it was and there was a rabbit who had been hit by a car. Upon closer inspection I found that its entire lower body had been crushed by a tire. As it lay there, breathing laboriously, I debated with myself whether to let it suffer (it was obvious the rabbit was in extreme agony), or take it upon myself to relieve that agony. I ultimately decided to do what I felt was the right thing. So I found a substantial sized rock and did what needed to be done.

Did I feel horrible? Absolutely. My wife can attest.

But I thought, how bad would I have felt if I had just left it there?

Granted, not the same cirmcumstances as yours, but I want you to know it's okay to feel those feelings. You can be proud that you were trying to do the right thing and capture the mouse humanely.

I was a vegetarian for a year. In that year alot happened... I became more active, I lost 45 pounds, I became more healthy and disciplined. Along with aware of how I eat. The last few months though I have been having problems of binging, headaches, being tired, bored of food, and of course being hungry.

You describe almost the exact reaction I had when I became a vegetarian two years ago! And just like you, I have been starting to have some of the same problems the last couple of months, and I have been thinking of eating some meat again.

My question is: How do you do it? Did you just start one day, or did you gradually eat more and more? And did you feel sick afterwords, because I've heard rumours of vegetarians getting stomachaches, vomiting, and worse after eating just a tiny bit of meat!

You describe almost the exact reaction I had when I became a vegetarian two years ago! And just like you, I have been starting to have some of the same problems the last couple of months, and I have been thinking of eating some meat again.

My question is: How do you do it? Did you just start one day, or did you gradually eat more and more? And did you feel sick afterwords, because I've heard rumours of vegetarians getting stomachaches, vomiting, and worse after eating just a tiny bit of meat!

i had the same reaction to both of you - been veggie for five or six months, lost energy, got bored and sluggish. i went to a dietician and found out that what i thought was enough protein was actually about half the amount i needed. servings of vegetarian protein are much larger than servings of meat - two eggs, or half a package of tofu or half a can of beans.. and i don't consume dairy, of which they recommend one serving per meal, so i needed to get that additional protein too, which means i needed to start eating 2 servings of protein per meal - which turns out to be a lot! but since i upped my protein intake, my body's working better, i don't feel bored and weird about my diet anymore, and i'm altogether much happier! so if you want to go back to meat, you should by all means do it, but also know that it's not the only way - you can just increase the protein in your diet and get similar results...

ive been vegan for 5 years, and 5 years ago, when i started off vegetarian, it was no problem for me at all. and it was the strobgest ive ever felt in my life. i havent had any meat cravins or anything., although for the past year ive been having some terrible dreams where im eating meat, and i wake up in a cold sweat. i guess thats what i get for eating it for 14 years of my life

I was in the same boat. I started to feel sluggish and my muscles were not recovering as quickly as before. After a little research, I found out that I needed way more protein then I was taking in. After that, I do not feel sluggish from diet only from lack of sleep, but that is another issue. Yet, in June, I will graduate. Yay.

I know what you mean. I started feeling sick one time at a restaurant when a ladybug was on my table and the waitress killed it. I don't even kill cockroaches in my house anymore, I just chase them back outside.
haha, today at the grocery store there was a moth flying around. It was pretty apparent to everyone and it didn't bug me. Watching it fly around gave me something to do in the long lines.
then an old man swatted it to the ground then stepped on it. I gave him a funny look and replied "...what did you do that for? I mean, was it going to harm you?"

I've been strict vegan for a month (freegan for 6 months before that, vegetarian for 6 months before that, and guilty meat eater before), because I finally had enough money to support my diet completely. Actually, it's the food stamps that help me. But man, I went crazy with soy and tofu. I now have to watch my legume intake because I'm always teetering on the edge of too-much-legumes. Man, beans/legumes interact with a bacteria in your intestines which gives you the foulest gas. Plus I read too much protein is hard on your kidneys.
So, I've been experimenting with alot of whole foods, raw food meals, and macrobiotic meals. Ever since I stopped eating soy-based this or that, I've felt that my diet is very varied.

I can't imagine how unhealthy I would be eating the average American 10%meat diet: cancer, cholestorel, less energy, etc etc

Uh, I think for the average American, it's a lot higher than 10%...

I was thinking the same thing, but maybe he has a source to back up the number.

Funny (annoying) thing happened at work the other day... each family in my department is supposed to bring a "hot meat main dish" to a pot-luck going away party. Does the standard definition of a main dish now require that it contains meat?

They're going to get chili with Morningstar Farms veggie crumbles in it. Not only will it be meatless, it's completely vegan too. I bet no one will even be able to tell.

I know what you mean. I started feeling sick one time at a restaurant when a ladybug was on my table and the waitress killed it. I don't even kill cockroaches in my house anymore, I just chase them back outside.

This... (http://www.amateurdramatics.com/)

should help you fulfil your untapped potential.

highlyselassie:

Ha ha, good one. Your name is not a coincidence, is it.

I never give off body odor. Meat and its
latent toxicities are a source of body odor for carnivors. I rode 14 miles into my job
every day last year and never had to worry about offending people.
Im sure people will disagree with me but there is no other way to eat if you are a
normal persn interested in attaining a higher level of 'bodily concience' (??)
sorry to burst your bubble but you do give off body odor. the source of most body odor is the waste gases released from bacteria. bacteria thrive in the moist warm sweat no matter if u eat meat or not. so you may stink less, but stink nonetheless. shaving also reduces bo, by exposing skin to the air and hence drying the sweat quickly.

We evolved to eat meat! Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. Our genes, our metabolism, our tastes are for this type of diet. It is no wonder you who post your feelings of weakness and hunger on this type of a diet! You are going against eons of evolution.

Uh, I think for the average American, it's a lot higher than 10%...
10% by weight*
And for the average human being it is 2% by weight.


On to the topic of meat cravings, I don't and never had any. there are 2,000 edible plants. I've been too busy being overwhelmed by the possibilities and various cooking methods of so many non-animal foods that I don't have the room in my head to crave meat. If there's anything that I get cravings for it is Tofutti Cuties (when I crave dessert) or avocados (when I wanna eat a meal that will fill me up).