Questionnaire (or Survey) for All Members

[Guest guest]

We'd like ALL members who have not filled in THIS PARTICULAR QUESTIONNAIRE (New

since June 2009 and slightly revised here) to assist your moderators by

answering the following questions. It should only take a few moments.

 

TO RESPOND: simply hit 'RETURN' and scroll down to each question and fill your

answers in as appropriate. But first . . .

 

FIRST SOME DEFINITIONS:

 

VEGETARIAN: abstains from eating all animal flesh (and its products such as

gelatin, stock, etc.) including creatures of the land, sea and air (e.g. 'meat',

fish/seafood and poultry/birds), but may eat eggs and/or dairy products.

 

VEGAN: abstains from eating all animal flesh, as above, but also abstains from

eggs, dairy and usually honey (i.e. eats plants only) and often avoids the use

of animal products such as leather, fur, wool and silk.

 

PESCETARIAN (sometimes called PESCO-VEGETARIAN): abstains from most animal flesh

but sometimes eats fish/seafood. Pescetarians are not considered strictly

vegetarians.

 

OMNIVORES, NON-VEGETARIANS, ETC. - Sometimes do eat animal flesh and/or its

products; by animal flesh is meant any creature of the land, water, and/or air.

 

And NOW for . . .

 

THE QUESTIONS (and there are no right or wrong answers here!):

 

1. Which description BEST fits your situation?

- I am a vegetarian who eats both eggs and dairy (Lacto-ovo-vegetarian)

- I am a vegetarian who eats eggs (Ovo-vegetarian)

- I am a vegetarian who eats dairy (Lacto-vegetarian)

- I am a vegan who eats no eggs, dairy or (usually) no honey

- I am a pescetarian (I am vegetarian except for fish/seafood)

- I am not vegetarian but have to cook for someone who is vegetarian or vegan

(state which)

- I am now in transition to vegetarian or vegan (state which)

- I am planning to make the transition to vegetarian or vegan (state which)

- I am interested in vegetarian food but do not plan to become vegetarian or

vegan.

 

2. What are your reasons for choosing a vegetarian way of life? These might be

one or more of:

- Avoidance of killing animals

- Animal welfare

- Personal health and well-being

- Weight loss

- Concern for the environment

- Religious, spiritual and/or philosophical reasons

- Dislike of the taste of non-vegetarian food

- World economy

- Personal economy

(Please place an X against the ones which apply)

 

Which one is your MAIN reason?

 

3. Do you cook vegetarian food yourself only or also for others in your

household? What about the non-vegetarians in your household?

 

4. Do you find it difficult to ensure no hidden animal ingredients are present

in prepared foods or packaged foods you buy in a store and/or in food you eat in

a restaurant or the home of friends and family?

 

5. Do you ever find you sometimes need to make an exception to your diet for

medical reasons (e.g. taking supplements or medications which have animal origin

or are encased in gelatin capsules) or other reasons? Could you give an example?

 

6. Have you any favourite recipes which you would like to share with our group?

Are you looking for any recipes in particular?

 

7. Do you like hot and spicy food? If so, what is your favourite? If not, what

kinds of food do you enjoy?

 

8. Do you find you read a lot about vegetarian topics (in books, magazines, on

the web)?

 

9. What is your MAIN reason for deciding to be part of our group? (eg. access to

vegetarian recipes, information about vegetarianism, support for your vegetarian

decision, chatting with like-minded people, other.)

 

10. What is your age group? Teens? Over 20? Over 40? Over 65?

 

AND NOW Is there anything else you would like to tell us (such as your country

or region, household pets/companion animals, hobbies, activities, interests,

indoor and outdoor sports, etc.)? Let's hear it!

 

BEFORE YOU HIT 'SEND', PLEASE *SIGN* WITH YOUR NAME OR NICKNAME SO WE WILL KNOW

WHO YOU ARE.

 

Thanks so much - this will help the group a lot!

 

Piers and Pat, Owners of Vegetarian Spice group.

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

And NOW for . . .

 

THE QUESTIONS (and there are no right or wrong answers here!):

 

1. Which description BEST fits your situation?

- I am a vegetarian who eats both eggs and dairy (Lacto-ovo-vegetari an) - YES,

but trying to gradually cut out most dairy and eggs.  I'm not sure if I will be

able to make a full transition to veganism in the near future)

 

 

2. What are your reasons for choosing a vegetarian way of life? These might be

one or more of:

- Avoidance of killing animals - X

- Animal welfare - X

- Personal health and well-being - X

- Weight loss X (??? I certainly need to lose weight but this was not a factor

in deciding to follow a vegetarian lifestyle)

- Concern for the environment

- Religious, spiritual and/or philosophical reasons

- Dislike of the taste of non-vegetarian food

- World economy

- Personal economy - X

(Please place an X against the ones which apply)

 

Which one is your MAIN reason?

 

Animal welfare

 

3. Do you cook vegetarian food yourself only or also for others in your

household? What about the non-vegetarians in your household?

 

I cook for a two person household consisting of my husband and myself.  We are

both long term vegetarians so the issue of cooking for non-vegetarians in the

household doesn't arise.  Most of our friends are also vegetarians.  Those who

are not vegetarians are well aware that if they eat with us we will serve only

vegetarian food.  We are not vegans but I frequently prepare vegan meals (for

everyone) if we have vegan guests

 

4. Do you find it difficult to ensure no hidden animal ingredients are present

in prepared foods or packaged foods you buy in a store and/or in food you eat in

a restaurant or the home of friends and family?

 

Labels on packaged foods make it very easy to determine if they contain

non-vegetarian ingredients.  I don't buy any manufactured products which do not

have full information about the ingredients.  As most of our friends are

vegetarians, eating in their homes is never a problem.  Other friends and family

are always happy to discuss recipes and menus with us before we go as they want

to be sure they don't inadvertently include non-vegetarian ingredients.  The

greatest difficulties arise in restaurants.  Quite frequently 'vegetarian'

dishes will include non-vegetarian ingredients in sauces and 'vegetarian' soups

often include a meat based stock.  This even applies to items marked on the

printed menu as being vegetarian.  I always ask and if the answer seems vague I

select something else from the menu.  I have had waiters suggest a fish or

chicken dish as a vegetarian alternative.  There still seems to be a lot of

misunderstanding about what

'vegetarian' actually means and a surprisingly large number of people think it

means 'no red meat'. 

               

 

5. Do you ever find you sometimes need to make an exception to your diet for

medical reasons (e.g. taking supplements or medications which have animal origin

or are encased in gelatin capsules) or other reasons? Could you give an example?

 

Luckily I have never had to do this.  I'm not sure that I would be happy to do

so, even if it was medically recommended.

 

6. Have you any favourite recipes which you would like to share with our group?

Are you looking for any recipes in particular?

 

I have already shared most of my special favourites.

 

7. Do you like hot and spicy food? If so, what is your favourite? If not, what

kinds of food do you enjoy?

I love spicy foods, particularly Indian and Middle Eastern.

 

8. Do you find you read a lot about vegetarian topics (in books, magazines, on

the web)?

I do read lots of recipes (books/magazines/web) but probably not as much general

vegetarian information as I should.

 

 

9. What is your MAIN reason for deciding to be part of our group? (eg. access to

vegetarian recipes, information about vegetarianism, support for your vegetarian

decision, chatting with like-minded people, other.)

Reading and sharing recipes

 

10. What is your age group? Teens? Over 20? Over 40? Over 65?

63

 

AND NOW Is there anything else you would like to tell us (such as your country

or region, household pets/companion animals, hobbies, activities, interests,

indoor and outdoor sports, etc.)? Let's hear it!

I am an expat Australian and have lived in the Netherlands since 1998.  I love

travelling to UK and have just returned home from a wonderful 6 weeks in the

Oxford area.  I enjoy reading and collecting cookbooks, mainly vegetarian ones.

 

Marie

 

 

 

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