When I was 12-years-old, I defiantly declared that I would never eat meat again! This was despite my mother threatening “You’ll die if you don’t eat meat!” Today being a vegetarian is a huge part of my self identity and affects almost ever aspect of my life. These are my vegetarian commandments.
Thou Shall Not Convert Others
This is in red for a reason. Just don’t do it. Don’t even try. People come to different lifestyles for various reasons, but no one should be guilted into making a huge life change about what they choose or don’t choose to put into their bodies. If you ever get the inkling to convert someone, just think about all the times someone called you stupid for being a vegetarian. (If this hasn’t happened to you, your time is coming!)
Avoid Arguing About Dietary Choices
Whenever I first tell someone I’m a vegetarian more often than not, they respond by laying out all the reasons why they love to eat meat. Frankly, I could care less about about why you love bacon or how good a burger is when cooked over the grill. The best response to this reaction is just to nod politely and say, “That’s great for you.”
Reserve the Right to Change Your Mind
I have a confession: I’d be lying if I said I’ve been a vegetarian for a solid 13 years. In that span there were three years where I ate meat for various reasons ranging from health concerns to I just wanted to. Remember, this is your life and you should be able to eat what you want. If being a vegetarian isn’t working for you, don’t do it.
Consume Oddly Named Foods
Tempeh. Tofu. Seitan. Quinoa. They’re all packed with your protein. Learn to cook ‘em at least five different ways.
Mind Your Health
You may not die from not eating meat, but you might get very sick. From age 19 to 21, I was sick every month because I knew very little about nutrition. Talk to a nutritionist. Monitor your food intake not for calories, but for vitamins and protein.
Don’t Expect Everyone to Remember Your Dietary Restrictions
To this day, my dad still asks me, “Do you want a hamburger, Court?” every time he’s grilling out. Realize that not everyone will always remember that you’re a vegetarian, and it’s not because they don’t respect you, but because they have so many other things to remember! Keep this commandement in mind especially if you’re going to any parties, and remember to make sure the host knows you’re a vegetarian.
Resign Thyself to Limited Restaurant Options
Unless you’re in a major metropolitan area, eating out can seriously suck when you only have three options from the menu and two of them are salads. Do your research ahead of time so you can either suggest an alternate restaurant or at least know what your lack of options will be. Try hard not to complain because no one likes a complainer on a night out.
If You’re Not a Vegetarian, Don’t Claim to Be One
Eat fish on Fridays? Eat chicken once in awhile? Give meat up for Lent but eat it every other day of the year? Friends, if you answered yes to any of these questions then you are not a vegetarian. Yes, I’m one of those vegetarians who will dimiss you and give you a hard time if you claim to be a vegetarian but eat meat. Unless you’ve totally cut meat out of your diet, you are not a vegetarian.
Are You a Vegetarian? Share Your Insight!
Are you a vegetarian? Have you ever been one? Would you give it a try? Share your thoughts by commenting.
I love your post. My boyfriend and I are newly vegetarian, mostly vegan and the people around us are not supportive. I have done tons of research about it, yet they think we are going to become malnourished and sick. (This coming from someone who gets sick twice a month). Eating vegan has not been much of a challenge, but how people treat us has been hard to deal with. I don’t care if they are vegan as well, I just wish they understood and wouldn’t argue about it to us. So it’s hard not to want to at least inform them. If I do that though, they will just think I’m shoving my “opinions” on them, which isn’t the case, but it’s how they would see it. I try to keep to myself as much as possible though.
However, and I’m not trying to “convert” you, but if you are interested, you should watch the documentary called “Vegucated” It is really good for anyone who is interested in learning a few things about vegetarianism and veganism.
The vegan movement is moving fast and furious! Here are two uplifting videos to help everyone understand why the number of vegans has doubled in less than 3 years and why so many are making this life affirming choice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKr4HZ7ukSE and http://www.veganvideo.org
Do you want to make history? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6ehL18rqlM
Ha! I have to tell people the “everything but the meat” line all the time! When I was home my Dad was all “I don’t know what you can eat,” and it drove me crazy! I also have been heavily influenced by Forks Over Knives and don’t obsess over protein – I sometimes take a B12 and iron vitamin, but I don’t even think I’m really missing out on much of them. They also really emphasize that we don’t need calcium from animals, which is controversial for sure, so I’m not even worried about that, either. I’m madly in love with lentils, oats (oh my lord I eat oats all the time), curry, vinegar, and Lara bars. Oh Lara bars… Amazing.
Is Forks over Knives a book? I’ll have to check into it!
Larabars and I did NOT start on a good foot. I bought one thinking they would be like Luna Bars or Cliff Bars, and I just did NOT like them at all.
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My little sister went vegetarian for her 14th birthday. She got a lot of similar responses from my mom and other members of our family, but I’ve always supported her and even made her a recipe box of veg recipes for her first vegetarian Christmas. She turns 17 in September and she’s still veggie. I admire her dedication because finding good veggie options in rural Ohio can’t be easy. I’ve never seriously considered being vegetarian, but I have come really close to becoming pescetarian (only seafood).
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Aw! Your sister sounds great! I was living in Pennsylvania at the time, and no one there understood it. I haven’t had many issues in large cities, but everywhere else, people seem to just not really get it.
I’ve been a vegetarian since I was three (I’m now 22). I loved animals when I was little and I didn’t want to eat them! The question I am asked most when I say I am a vegetarian is ‘Well, what do you eat then?’, usually with an expression of shock. Very frustrating. Even more irritating is when people say to my fiancé (who is not a vegetarian) something along the lines of ‘Oh you poor thing, not being allowed to have meat in the house!’ Because apparently I’ve banned him from eating meat. We’ve always got meat in the fridge, if he wants some, he’ll eat it.
I used to get that too! The whole, “What do you eat?!” My response to that one used to be, “I eat everything you do minus the meat.”
My husband eats meat, though admittedly he eats a lot less because I’m a vegetarian.
My favourite line is when I say “I don’t eat meat,” and the person asks. “Do you eat chicken?” Hahaha.
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Haha! I used to get that one too. So bizarre!