Here we go again, a lot of these you just shouldn't say because they are so darn un-original
(1) I could never give up meat.
Then don't. I really don't care how you eat, I care how I and my family eat.
(2) Mmmmmmmm, this steak is so delicious, too bad you can't have any.
I am sure it is tasty, I am glad you enjoy it, and no I actually don't want any, by the way your jackassness is showing.
(3) Ew, I can't believe you are eating that!
Feel free to be curious about what I eat, but don't make gagging noises about tofu/tempeh/TVP. Remember what is visually appealing in food is cultivated culturally. A shrimp that looks delicious to you looks disgusting to my friend from the Ivory Coast. I don't look at your ground beef and gag (and a vegetarian who does is being a dork). A lot of non-vegetarians eat meat substitutes because they are lower in fat and frankly taste pretty darn good.
(4) You are wearing a leather belt and shoes, you are such a hypocrite.
Really? They might be pleather, because that stuff looks pretty authentic. Or they might be from before when I was a vegetarian and I haven't had the money to replace them. Or maybe I have three pins holding my foot together and can't find vegan shoes yet that don't leave me screaming in pain (true btw). Pointing out an inconsistency in my philosophy neither completely negates it, nor does it completely support yours. Get to know me a little, ask a respectful question and I might tell you more about my philosophy and personal history, but don't be offended when I don't feel the need to justify my life choices to you.
(5) What will you do if your kids/spouse want to eat meat?
Well, it isn't really any of your business, every family will have to work out the relationship between vegetarians and non vegetarians on their own.
(6) Oh, well this restaurant has salad, we can eat there.
This has been my growing pet peeve. It came to a head when we went to a very nice restaurant and the waitress made me feel like scum for not calling three days ahead to give them warning a vegetarian was coming. She said it was common practise (it isn't) and I should not expect them to just be able to accommodate me, and "I guess I could have the chef make some vegetables and rice." The only thing that kept me from leaving was that we had a gift certificate there. I hadn't had any protein that day so I had to beg, literally ask her three times to ask the chef if he could add some lentils to the vegetables and rice (btw, lentils were all over the menu, they just always had meat with them, so it wasn't like I was asking the chef to go to the store just for me). It was a miserable experience, mostly due to the attitude of the waitress that I was some sort of burden. Sorry, you are a service industry, serve me.
Vegetarians need to be understanding, flexible and accommodating, but people need to realise, most of us really like good food. Many of us cook and take a lot of time making appealing meals. So veggie burgers, rice and vegetables, while acceptable occasionally, get really, really boring after a while, same with always eating salad. There are thousands of recipes out there for vegetarian food. If you aren't comfortable cooking them, see the previous post, ask your vegetarian friend, or better yet ask get a cookbook and learn yourself. Many meat recipes can be made vegetarian friendly just by putting a small pot of the food aside and not adding the meat ingredients. If you are doing a meat and potato dinner, many supermarkets will have a little vegetarian casserole you can just throw in the oven, if you are unsure ask me, I will probably offer to bring something. If you are going to meet up as a group, we really appreciate if our input is heard when choosing a restaurant because it really stinks to gnaw on salad while everyone else has a giant dinner. It is our choice and we will deal with it, but it isn't that hard to go to an accommodating restaurant. And we really, really are grateful when we are not considered a burden.
That was the last one for now, but I thought I should end on a positive note because there are things OK to ask and say.
Do you miss steak/chicken wings/ bacon etc.?
When asked respectfully I have no problem with this question at all, because I do miss meat pies and honey garlic wings. There just aren't that many good vegetarian substitutes for those. However, ethically, my vegetarianism demands a few sacrifices and how healthy and good I feel make up for missing those things.
How do you get your nutrients?
Again, tone is everything. I have no problem with honest curiosity, and framing it like this leaves space to talk about nutrition in general. Just be prepared for the conversation to be reciprocal.
Is it hard to be a vegetarian?
Thank you for asking. I like this questions because it comes from a place of curiosity, not judgement. Not really, you deal with the occasional jerk, and it can be annoying when the vegetarian option is always a veggie burger or vegetables and rice at restaurants, but generally the benefits outweigh the sacrifices.
Really, tone and respect make almost any question acceptable. Just remember the golden rule and Bon Apetit!
No comments:
Post a Comment