10 things vegetarians are sick of hearing / your vegetarian friends want you to know
I became a vegetarian on my ninth birthday. This usually elicits shock and the assumption that I am vegetarian because of my family / culture / religious beliefs. But, no – I was just a child who was interested in where my food came from and when I knew the facts eating meat (read meat, fish, poultry) didn’t make sense to me, even at nine.
Having been a vegetarian for so long the biggest thing I’ve learnt is that you cannot convince someone to change what they eat. It is a personal journey and people will either get there or they won’t. So I will not be doing that. Instead, I’d like to use this opportunity to appeal to my meat-eating friend to think before they say any of the following things to the next vegetarian they meat…I mean meet.
1. Why are you vegetarian?
Firstly, you probably know the answer before you even ask. But I’m not saying don’t ask – I love sharing my beliefs about food with people who are genuinely interested and like many others who have written his week I strongly encourage people to educate themselves about all the food they are eating (meat and otherwise). What I am saying is please don’t ask if your plan is just to argue with me about the answer I give you.
This happens to me all the time…so much so that my first response to this question is usually “do you really want to know or are you just making polite conversation?” Most people think they really want to know. So I explain. And then the “debate” starts, or I get accused of trying to make someone feel guilty, or told that the conversation is “not cool” while people are eating meat. But, um, you asked??
I’m going to start ranting soon so enough said on that point.
2. But how do you get your protein / isn’t that really unhealthy / don’t you have a poor immune system?
Again, do your own research. But I can honestly say I don’t know any vegans or vegetarians who struggle to get enough protein in my diet. We have been brain washed into thinking that protein only comes from meat, when in actual fact it is one of the least healthy sources of protein. I heard a dietician describe it like this once – I have spent my career (of over 20 years) treating patients with cholesterol, gout, kidney problems, etc, conditions that we know are associated with a high-meat diet. But I have never treated a vegetarian or vegan for protein deficiency. Pretty interesting if you ask me.
3. Do you eat fish? And chicken? No meat at all??
Fish = still an animal (and that would make me a Pescetarian)
Chicken = also an animal
Yes, I really meant no meat at all.
4. But BACON
I have a pet-hate of the recent bacon craze that appears to have spread throughout the world. Firstly, pigs are really intelligent, affectionate animals (just youtube search “clever pig” if you don’t believe me) who know when they are being taken to slaughter. They literally scream when they are being killed. Secondly, even if that doesn’t bother you and you make the decision to continue eating pig products, what you are doing by supporting the “bacon-with-everything craze” is celebrating and glorifying the fact that an animal has died so that you can eat it. It is excessive, insensitive and barbaric.
5. Ja, but you eat eggs and cheese – what about the poor chickens and dairy cows
Don’t make your guilt my guilt. By being vegetarian I am not proclaiming that I am perfect and superior to all others. I have a real conflict with the fact that I still eat eggs and cheese and going vegan is something I think about daily. It is something I am trying to rearrange my life towards. But at least I’m doing something.
6. But our bodies are designed to eat meat, and paleo, and banting and stuff
No, they aren’t. Watch this TED talk for some pretty convincing arguments from an Archeological Scientist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMOjVYgYaG8
7. Vegetarian food is boring
Again, not true and a pretty strange comment coming from a non-vegetarian. Have a look at the wide range of veggie cookbooks out there. I will happily share recipes with anyone who is interested.
8. You don’t know what you’re missing out on
Yes, I do. I get this from my dad all the time – even all these years later he still seems to think I’m a vegetarian because I don’t like the taste of meat. (Although after all these years I probably don’t). I don’t miss or crave meat at all anymore but some vegetarians do and this kind of statement is not very encouraging to them. (For any new struggling vegetarians reading this – it gets easier, I promise!)
9. Sorry for eating this meat in front of you
I think different vegetarians have differing opinions on this, but I personally am not bothered by the sight of someone eating meat. My philosophy is very much – it’s a personal decision – so as long as I don’t have to pay for it or eat it myself you are not offending me. I love enjoying meals with my friends and take pride in the fact that I can braai better than many of the men I know.
10. Yes this dish is vegetarian.
It might seem shocking but I have been told a number of times by friends and family that a dish is meat-free, only to take a bite and taste immediately that there is definitely meat inside. The explanation is usually “Oh well I just used some for flavor”. Please don’t. Just be honest – I’ll be happy bringing my own dish or eating the side dishes.
[For a number of other great stories relating to people choosing to go vegetarian, click here]
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[…] Meet Mary Twin Enslin – 10 Questions/Statements vegetarians are tired of hearing […]
[…] [Mary shares 10 Questions Vegetarians are tired of hearing] […]
Hi Mary, From the point of view of a meat eater I’m most challenged by the moral viewpoint of Vegetarianism. The fact that as humans we can empathise with the suffering of not only fellow humans but also other animals is at the very least a fact that should make us thiink. Another good reason is the ability of our planet to feed everybody, and the impact that the way we produce meat impacts upon this. These are both good reasons, although for me at the moment, not top of my own “agenda for change”.
Regarding the “debunking the Paleo” vid, I’m afraid it does nothing of the sort. I have read the primal blueprint book which is one of the ones she mentions. It comes to exactly the same conclusions she does. That is, that we should generally avoid products that came into our diets in substantial quantities only recently (the last 10,000 years or so): wheat, corn, soy and grains in general. And that we should otherwise eat plenty of fresh, whole, unprocessed fruit , veg, and (if we were too mimic our ancestors) meat. She made it clear that diveristiy is good, but pointed out that some peoples (i.e. eskimos) survived on almost exclusively meat diets. And some on more veg dominated diets.
So i’m afraid the vid is a little bit like creationist “science”. It starts out with the “answer” and works backwards to make the facts seem as though they lead to that answer. Except, if you listen closely they don’t actually do that. They sound convincing unless you’ve read the science that starts out without those pre-ordained conclusions.
Always good to hear how to avoid making other people unhappy in conversations though, and to be encouraged to think, so thanks for the blog.