The gateway meat - is it me, or is that a very funny turn of prose?

I'm a veggie and I have been since 1996. I don't miss eating meat at all, probably because I never liked it in the first place. The best example I've been able to come up with is that I think of eating meat the way that omnivores think of eating bugs. ... I know there's protein there, but it really holds no appeal to me.

I might try to force myself to eat fish eventually, but that's only because of all the research that seems to point to our finned friends as being the elixir of life. Last I checked, bacon wasn't at the very top of the list of healthy foods that might prolong your life.

So is bacon tempting to this particular vegetarian? No. Not at all. But I know that a lot of people sure do love it.

Chocolate-covered bacon??? Ew! (Referring to the article)

Well, I'm an omnivore, myself, and I've had my share of bacon, mostly on turkey club sandwiches, but that's hardly the meat product that would keep me from becoming a vegetarian, which is something I've never considered becoming. I guess different smells tempt different people, but I highly doubt the smell and sound of sizzling bacon would temp me to eat meat if I were a vegetarian. I'd be much more tempted by sushi! (Fish counts, right?)

You know, when I was hiking the Appalachian Trail, I was around a few vegetarians. Or, that is, they were vegetarians when they began their more than 2,000-mile treks. But all three were eating meat well before the end of the journey. And all said their bodies craved more protein than they could get from vegetarian sources. I found that in all three cases, they began with tuna, then progressed to chicken. Two of the three were eating red meat by the end of the trail, but in the form of burgers and steaks, not bacon. At least, not that I witnessed or heard about. I know for sure that one of the three continued eating meat after the hike, but she says it's just poultry and fish now, no red meat. I don't know about the other two.

That doesn't really answer your question, I guess, but your question did make me think about that.

As far as the answer that mentions how cruelly animals are treated before slaughter, well, that depends on the source. I lived on a small, organic farm for a while, where the cows were grass-fed with lots of room to roam the hills. And when it was time for them to go from pasture to freezer, the chosen cow was separated from the herd, and the man who was to do the deed simply walked up to the grazing cow, unseen by the other cows, and ... well, boom. I personally didn't want to watch the "boom," but I had no qualms about eating Toffee or Sandy or other cows I new personally, because I knew they lived and essentially died well. And on that farm, the chickens were free-range and the pigs grass- and veggie-fed with lots of room to do all the things pigs like to do. So I was comfortable eating them as well. And, of course, there's game meat from animals that are not contained or raised at all.

Anyhow, that's I how I feel about it. And about bacon, eh, it's tasty, but I'd much rather eat lean meat or a juicy steak from the grill.

First, aaack. I hate bacon. I'm not even a fully-confirmed vegetarian; I eat poultry maybe once every month or two, usually when I'm at a restaurant that doesn't have any good veggie options. But bacon? The temptation is definitely not there.

But there could be something to this. Right off the cuff I can think of two vegetarian friends - real ones for years and years, not someone like me who isn't married to the idea - who've confessed to craving bacon. And both of them caved in, after years of vegetarianism, 'cause they just couldn't take it anymore. As far as I know they were one-time lapses and they both went back to being veggie only...but it was bacon that made them cave.

Now, me? If I'm going to fall off the wagon, it'll be for a big juicy hamburger with ketchup and pickles and lots of raw onions...

I'm a vegetarian too, and I used to eat bacon. When I get the craving now, I microwave half a box of the fake bacon that Morningstar Farms makes. It doesn't taste too much like real bacon, but it's crispy and still really, really good. Most of my favorite fake meat products are made by them.
http://www.morningstarfarms.com/products_veggie-bacon-strips.aspx

I am actually a vegetarian, and have never tasted bacon, and never will. To me, there is no temptation at all. Partly because I have never tasted it, but also because there is no temptation to me to eat animals. Ew. I realize that if you did grow up on it, it would be hard to stop eating it, but if you watch those movies on how the animals are treated before they are slaughtered, then I don't think you would want to eat their meat. It's torture, it's just horrible.

I certainly believe so. I read an article on npr a few days ago discussing this phenomenon specifically. I could go without most other varieties of meat, but i'd cry if i had to go without bacon.

LOL. This is hilarious! I was a vegetarian for 6 years and bacon was what sucked me back into the dark side of eating meat. Oh, sweet bacon. I was just thinking about becoming a vegetarian again today then when in the hall of my apartment building and smelled someone cooking bacon. I immediately reverted my decision to become vegetarian.

yes - even my vegetarian friend couldn't resist bacon-wrapped dates for the super bowl last year!