I think I maybe one of the only bloggers that hasn't done a lot of guest posts. There really isn't any reason, I just never got around to finding anyone to post and honestly, I didn't want to put in the effort. However, after over a year and a half of blogging regularly I figure it is more than time to expand my blogging experience and allow guest posts, so here goes.
When I turned 15 I decided to become a vegetarian. Both of my parents ate meat and it was a lot of trail and error before I figured out a way for it to work smoothly. I also received a lot of criticism from friends and family that didn't understand my choices and wanted to help me to be 'healthy'. Luckily I was able to find my own path and enjoyed being a vegetarian for over 10 years. I have heard from a lot of my vegetarian friends that have had similar stories and felt like they had to justify their food choices. Since I am now gluten free I have encountered a new slew of defense of my food lifestyle and all the problems that go along with it. Food choices are definitely a hot topic of debate. Here is a great guest post on being vegetarian.
How to Be a Non-Righteous Vegetarian
It occurred to me recently that vegetarianism has a pretty severe stigma – one that I believe stands in the way of more people adopting vegetarianism as a lifestyle. People see vegetarians as elitist; men and women that are "too good" for old fashioned meat eaters, either because we're a bunch of new age liberal hippies or because we associated eating meat with immorality.
The origins of the stigma appear pretty obvious to me:
• Many people that "become vegetarian" later in life do so for moral reasons and often take a verbally moral high ground, proudly displaying their newfound vegetarianism for all to see.
• People associated vegetarianism with veganism, which has much more of a lifestyle component.
• Meat eaters are a bunch of bullies.
Okay, maybe that's not entirely true. Some meat eaters are really good people, and others are politicians. But in reality the origin of the stigma doesn't matter. What matters is that people that would normally consider vegetarianism end up avoiding it, because they don't want to be associated with vegetarians.
That's not very fair. I'm a vegetarian, and I'm not only awesome – I'm modest about it. I also want there to be more vegetarian food at restaurants, and the only way that's going to happen is if more people become vegetarians. That means the stigma needs to go away, and it's up to us – you, me, and other vegetarians, to overcompensate for a stigma we didn't create in order to make sure that others know how cool we really are.
That's why I propose the following:
• Tip Bigger – Many vegetarian meals are inexpensive compared to meat meals. When you order one of these less expensive meals, be a bit more generous with your tip. You're already saving money on the food. Show the waiter that you're not a vegetarian because you're cheap.
• Be Extremely Nice About Special Orders – I have a relative that is very mean to waiters, expecting them to serve her every need. She's also a vegetarian. She special orders numerous meals at restaurants, and then when she doesn't get them as she wants them, she acts like the person should be fired. Don't be her. If you order a complex meal, be more forgiving of mistakes.
• Hush Up About Meat When Eating – You can argue that meat is murder on your own time. In the interim, let people enjoy their meals in peace. As long as they don't drop their meatballs on your salad, what they eat really isn't any of your business, just as what you eat shouldn't be something they care about either.
• Make Some Fattening Meals – Finally, invite people over for dinner, and don’t try to ruin it with vegetables. Make cheese pizzas and fried potatoes and whatever foods you can think of that are delicious and not at all healthy for you. Show people that being a vegetarian doesn't mean you have to skimp on flavor. Also, don't ever serve tofu hot dogs because those are disgusting.
It may not convert your friends, but hopefully it will start converting the stigma, and over time, hopefully more people will be willing to adopt vegetarianism without worrying about how their buddies will see them.
About the Author: Micah Abraham is a vegetarian and writer for Great Leap Studios. You can contact him at www.greatleapstudios.com.
Awesome! I am a 'meat eating' vegetarian. I do enjoy eating meat but cant stand to smell it raw or cook it in my house. I love the awareness of vegetarianism and treating people right!
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of smelling it raw myself, so I can completely understand. When I was pregnant the smell of meat made me completely sick so I stopped eating meat for the entire pregnancy.
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ReplyDeleteI found your blog from a blog hop and now following you. I loove food but no so interested in cooking. Maybe I'll find the motivation to cook after looking at all your yummy dishes :)
I hope you find some new recipes to try :) I followed you back!
DeleteGreat post. I am a meat eater and have vegan friends. We are all cool about what we eat, and I have gone to many vegan restaurants with them. No one bullies or tries to push their eating agenda. I do have to say that many of the vegan spots here in NYC are just as expensive as the meat serving places.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of friends in seattle that were vegan. There are some great vegan restaurant, but some of them are very expensive. I only had a few problems when I lived in Seattle, but after I moved I have had more comments etc. about my food choices. Thanks for the comment!
DeleteIt's so funny that I came across this post because my 3-yr old declared the day before Thanksgiving that she doesn't want to eat meat. I thought it was just her not wanting to eat what I put in front of her, but as I have observed her since that comment, she's not eaten several things involving red or white meat. This post made something click in me that maybe I need to find her some more interesting things to eat that don't involve meat. We can do it together. The funny part is that my husband is a die-hard meat-and-potatoes guy. Dinnertime will be very interesting in our house. Thank you for the post.
ReplyDeleteKarina
I decided that I wasn't going to eat meat when I was 15. I was lucky that my mother was fully supportive and helped me figure out what to eat etc. My dad was a meat and potatoes guy also, but he learned to accept me not eating meat :) Then when I started eating meat again he accepted that as well. I think it's great that you are supporting your child's decision. Good luck!
DeleteJust wanted to add to the encouragement, Karina! I was raised in rural WV and decided to become vegetarian at age 9. My parents and two brothers continued eating meat, but they bolstered the side dishes for me -- and I came out JUST FINE! Still happily vegetarian, married to a meat-eater, and living and eating healthfully in Arizona these days. :-)
DeleteMy mom did a lot of the same thing with bolstering side dishes. She would also often make two main dishes, one vegetarian one not such as enchiladas-chicken and cheese. That way she wouldn't have to make two separate meals.
DeleteI'm a vegan. And unlike most people it's not for moral issues. I think you should have a knowledgeable relationship with what you're eating and as long as you're informed, eat what you want.
ReplyDeleteI ended up going vegan after finding out I was a celiac with an intolerance to dairy, eggs, soy and a bunch of other stuff. Apparently, my food can't eat soy either or I get sick, so bye bye meat.
I loved your post, but I do want to touch on one thing. The going out to eat part.
I know I'm an exception to the rule, but I pay a substantial up charge if I eat out, somewhere between 3-5 dollars on each item. I don't feel the need to tip more too. It's kind of an affront as it is.
I can't be forgiving on food mistakes. I'll end up with an infection and antibiotics sometimes for months along with being physically ill and in pain for a week or so. I don't yell, or treat people badly, but I do explain upfront about my needs and if the restaurant isn't comfortable, I go elsewhere.
I'd love to escape the stigma of weirdo vegan too, but until people are more educated about food, where it comes from, handling, allergies and intolerances, I doubt it will happen.
I agree that it is important to be informed about the foods that you eat. So many of us are detached from our food, thinking that everything comes ready made at the grocery store. I have been lucky that my only intolerance has been to gluten and not egg, soy etc. I did have a problem with milk and eggs growing-up, but I outgrew it for the most part. Thanks for the great comment!
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