Accidentally ate PORK. ugh.

[citymagnolia]

I ordered a vegan roll at a bakery yesterday and they served me a roll full of shredded ham. I'm a vegan and have been vegetarian since I was 6 years old. When I eat I always think of how the food I am eating is creating my cells and becoming my body.  It's nothing I dwell on, I just think about it and enjoy that thought because I eat a whole foods, organic diet and I want those foods to be a part of me. I know it may seem trivial since I only ate about 4 bites, but I am having such a hard time dealing with the idea of someone else' flesh as part of my body. Generally in my life I have to focus on not letting myself become horrified by meat, by the reality of what is on someone's plate. The fact that it is an animal is impossible for me to ignore. Now that I've eaten it I'm really having a hard time. I keep thinking of pigs living in horrible conditions and that those animals are a part of my body. I haven't had any appetite at all since I ate it.

I probably sound neurotic but where else can I vent this where someone else might understand?

[SundayCrepes]

I always figure it's better to eat the meat that's misserved than throw it away. The animal died, let's not let it be in vain. But the reality is, I can't do it. It's just too gross to do.

So surround that poor piggy with white light and love. Send it thoughts for a better next life (if you believe in reincarnation.) Thank it for its sacrifice for the nutrition you are receiving from those four bites.

Eat an apple and channel it to the  pig. Then try and move on. 

[MrsSlocombe]

This has happened to me a couple of times in my eighteen years of not (intentionally!) eating meat.  Once, there actually seemed to be some kind of meat (I think pork) in a brownie dessert I ordered at a chain restaurant.  Clearly, the meat must have fallen in the batter.  (I was not vegan then, though I am now.)  Another time, I ordered a tofu burrito, and it took me a minute to realize that the ultra-chewy white chunks were accidentally chicken, not tofu.

I don't personally think much in terms of body purity, because I do eat sweets and other things that, while vegan, are not good for me.  A tiny bit of meat isn't going to be any worse than a box of Mike and Ike's.  (Yes, Mike and Ike's.)  It sounds like you eat more healthfully than I do, but a bakery that serves ham-filled rolls probably isn't serving vegan food that is organic or even uber-healthful.  (Hey, I'd TOTALLY eat there if they didn't accidentally serve vegans ham, but what I'm saying is that you are probably not one of the 0.0001% of people who eats a purely organic, healthful diet, even if you do try harder than I do, and that's OKAY.)

What the meat experiences were for me, was just plain gross. They made me less eager to eat at omni restaurants, though I still do so.  I will say that, if I am ever ground up and put in a roll, and a vegan ACCIDENTALLY eats me, I will not be mad at that vegan from beyond the grave.  I will be mad at the person who slaughtered me, the person who put me in the roll, and anyone who intentionally buys a me-roll at that bakery.

Ease yourself back into happy eating by making your own vegan food, or going to a vegan restaurant if there is one in your area, so it won't even cross your mind that there might be meat.  Eventually, you'll be back to normal, and eating wherever you reasonably believe you will get good, vegan food.

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by MrsSlocombe 

I will say that, if I am ever ground up and put in a roll, and a vegan ACCIDENTALLY eats me, I will not be mad at that vegan from beyond the grave.  I will be mad at the person who slaughtered me, the person who put me in the roll, and anyone who intentionally buys a me-roll at that bakery.

[Ygle]

When I was about 9yo I had a steak kabob... I was encouraged to try a bite when I was at some celebration with family at a restaurant and no nonmeat options.  I remember being very hungry and when I tried it I actually found it very tasty and ended up eating almost the whole thing.  Later that evening and even for a couple days or so after I kept having this sensation of intense terror, like a bad nightmare gives you.  I just couldn't shake this feeling, it had become a part of me even though it hadn't come from me.  At the time I didn't know anything about hormones or butchering practices but when I did learn more about those things it just made sense to me that I was impacted by that steak I had and it's definitely something I did not want to experience again.  I don't think what you are saying or feeling is trivial at all... it is a shame that we feel compelled to modulate our emotions on this issue in our society today, I can only dream of a time when that would not be so.  Even if debate exists on the practice of eating animals there can be no debate on the treatment given.  It is troubling, there's just no getting around that, nor should we attempt to do so.

I hope you are feeling better!  I bit into a burrito with turkey just before thanksgiving and I'm still really bothered by it.  I'm not much for eating out, but this has been one place I felt good about supporting even though it isn't vegan, I'm very much upset that this mistake was made.  It definitely puts it right in front of you, I don't think that's neurotic to experience some profound emotion after such an experience.  It's human.  It's what makes us beautiful. 

[tank]

I totally understand.  When I had my baby my mom came to visit and we stopped at a local burrido place to get food to bring home.  I was so famished that when my mom handed me my wrapped up burrido I just opened it and took a bite.  It wasn't my veggie one, it was my partner's steak burrido.  I spit immediatly and spit all over my floor.  I was so upset and pissed off and wanted to smack my well meaning mother up side her nogin.  It made me feel awful and sick and pissed and everything in between.  It made me cry for like 4 hours too.  I am sure the post partum hormones didn't help the situation either.  But, yah if you have been vegetarian/vegan that long it feels horrible even if you don't even taste it. 

[citymagnolia]

Thank you for your replies! I still don't even think about it. I never expected to be so affected by just a few bites, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels so strongly about it.

[Arianna1]

Thats awful! You must feel absolutely sickened!

I had a similar experience, but from a well meaning friend who promised me it was that yves soy veggy pattie stuff. About halfway through my piece of lasaunya I started getting a really bad stomach ache. But my family friend was so happy I was eating the food that I thought oh, I guess I'd better finish it. I was almost heaving by the time I finished the food. Then to make matters worse this woman smiled at me and said "congratulations! you just ate beef! would you like another piece?" I was devistated!

That is my only experience with accidently eating meat. I was 13 at the time and had been vegetarian since 10. At the time I was living in an anti-vegatarian town. But now that I no longer live there and now am in a progressive city full of vegatarians I rarely have people get mad at me for my personal choice of being vegetarian.

I have always found that having a good comeback is the most beneficial way of changeing friends strong opinions. I've written a couple of them on here.

"When your vegetarian you don't get protein"

How many times a week to you eat pork?

friend: umm once every week or two..

How else do you get protein?

Hmm eggs.

Yup, you can get protein through eggs, cheese, milk, enriched cereal, beans, lentils, nuts, soy milk, tofu, whole grains, and some other ways.

Oh.

Yes, some vegetarians don't eat eggs, I personally still do.. But if I ever change that I will still have many ways to get protein without eating pork or any other kind of meat.

"Vegetarians are anemic because they don't get Iron"

What are some ways that you can get iron?

friend: beef, and other meats.

yes, that right. are there any other ways?

Umm enriched cereal?

Yes. Also you can get iron from beans, 77% cocoa CHOCOLATE!!!, Broccoli, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, like you said "enriched cereal", I also always take and additional preventative iron pill everyday that is specially formulated for vegetarians. I get 300mg of ferrous sulphate (iron) from the pill everyday. Of course it doesn't all absorb, but it helps.

I find those are people's two main issues with vegetarians. But just having a few responses under your belt can prevent a lot of heartache.

A few other issues to be prepared for if you are a new vegetarian or vegan. (you get lots of dumb questions, they may not even apply to your diet!)

calcium

vitamin C

vitamin B's

vitamin A

Zinc

And a few other vitamins.)