i would say for this reason that it's more important to keep the precepts, to not use drugs, lie, steal, kill, or commit sexual crimes against yourself or others, in some cultures keep vegetarian, than it is to meditate or study sutras to consider yourself buddhist. my hangups with the stealing and vegetarianism are why i don't consider myself buddhist, but even in the attempt to practice the other precepts, i've come to realize that stealing regularly makes me more paranoid and thus affects my mental and spiritual condition. maybe i'll have the same realization with eating meat though unlikely (plus not all buddhists keep vegetarian; that's mostly i think in india, china, and tibet). so idk you at least have to try. it's more important than anything that you try