Guest guest Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 Hi Najma What our American friends describe is reminiscent of Britain in the 1960s when I became vegetarian. At that time it was most unusual to be vegetarian, most people had no idea what to feed a vegetarian and my mother would try to sneak meat into whatever I ate. The only things for vegetarians to eat in restaurants were either an omelette or a cheese salad comprising 2 or 3 leaves of limp lettuce, a couple of slices of cucumber, 1 quartered tomato, half a hard-boiled egg and a heap of grated cheddar, all liberally topped with Heinz salad cream - yuck. Mercifully things have improved dramatically here over the last 40 years, attitudes have changed, vegetarian meals are much more widely available and food items in the shops are well labelled. I recently attended an event run by Edinburgh city council and the lunch provided was entirely vegetarian. I can't remember the last time I was accused of earing " rabbit food " because so many people now eat at least 1 veggie meal each week. Christie in Edinburgh (now 40 years vegetarian, 7 months vegan) , Najma Zaman <najmazaman wrote: > > Having read all the posts I am surprised at the attitude of folk. I'm in London, UK and I find that vegetarianism is very acceptable and accepted. If my non-veggi friends invite me to dinner they offer to cook all vegi or certainly cater for me and it isn't hard or a hassel for them as they'll make a meat dish and a veggi dish anyway. > > The worst thing I've experienced recently was someone asking me if I can cook Bengali food (that's my ethnic origin) and I said " Yes, but I don't cook meat or fish " and she replied " Well that's boring. " to which I replied " actually it's not. " > > P.s. I can get cranky when hungry too. > > > cabrita_trl <roseta_lleo wrote: > The best thing to do is never assume you will get fed by friends or > family. Bring your own food! if you do it graciously and share, or > offer to share, no one should be uspset, and if they are too bad for > them! they are obviously not meeting your needs, and food is a > need. > > When I bring my own main dish this allows me to relax and not even > worry if there will be anything edible to me. It is amazing how > people manage to make meat dishes out of things that were never > meant to have meat, or could benefit tastewise from being made > vegetarian, like salads, beans, etc. Maybe you will be able to eat > the desserts at your family gatherings? > > Also, as other members have pointed out, most likely your family > will respect your choice after you prove to them it is not a fad. > However, after 26 years, I still encounter troubles from time to > time myself. Not with my family (they have accepted my choice by > now), but wiht new friends for example. A few weeks ago we were > invited to a steam pot (vietnamese) at a friends of my sweetie's > house, and they cooked the meat in the boiling water and then I was > expected to put tofu in it. I just ate it uncooked and did not eat > very much. It is always hard the first time, next time I will eat > dinner before going there (another solution for you). Then you can > just have the dessert. One of my problems is that I do get really > hungry (I exercise a lot), and I am not in a very good mood if I > cannot eat. I suppose most of us are this way? > > Good luck! > > , " Ashley " > <purplemoonanimal@> wrote: > > > > Hello everyone! > > I'm a relatively new, college-bound, vegetarian. First of all, I > really > > love this group. The recipes and everything are so helpful. > > However, I was wondering, how did you guys get your families to > accept > > your choice? I officially told my family in October. Unfortunately > > almost everyone in my family, except my Grandmother, doesn't > > understand. I continue to politely turn down meat every time they > make > > it for me or in the case of my father and younger brother, they > tease > > me about it. > > Can anyone recommend some simple and polite methods for reminding > them > > that I am a vegetarian and don't appreciate the abuse? > > I've already tried talking to them, but they just seem > to " forget " . > > > > Thanks. > > Natural Hair & Skin Care Products For Men & Women > www.najmasnaturals.co.uk > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 This happens to me less than it used to since now most people I encounter figure out I'm vegan pretty quickly (I work in animal rescue, training, and write pet columns in magazines, too, so the subject ends up coming around), but my fallback plan? Always carry a luna bar or cliff bar in your purse. If you're starving, you make an excuse to go to the bathroom and eat it. It's important to be polite or else they just go " oh those vegans are SUCH a pain and look how hard it is for them to do anything normal " so I down play any poorly planned meal as much as I can. As far as " it won't hurt this once " , I try to blow it off by jokingly saying " I bet the chicken I bit wouldn't say that! Ouch! " or " I don't know. Hurts every time I get bitten. " It gets them to back off in a friendly way and makes the connection between biting flesh and...biting flesh. For whatever that's worth. Veronica www.yummyfordogs.org www.raleighrodentrescue.org t. I just ate it uncooked and did not eat > very much. It is always hard the first time, next time I will eat > dinner before going there (another solution for you). Then you can > just have the dessert. One of my problems is that I do get really > hungry (I exercise a lot), and I am not in a very good mood if I > cannot eat. I suppose most of us are this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 14, 2007 Report Share Posted June 14, 2007 What you say Christie is very true, The variety of veggie foods in the south of England is large compared to the sixties, can you remember that soya powder that you mixed up to make a meat free sausage, yuck ... many more foods now days and a greater awareness of the quirks of peoples eating habits. ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 When I first started eating only vegan meals, my brothers teased me about it just as mercilessly as they have teased me about anything else they can through the years. They said all sorts of things about rabbit food, said they could not survive on greens alone, said I was going to have sprouts growing out my ears, etc. I started telling them that since I am eating so healthy, I will be able to travel the world well into my 80's and 90's. I told them that I would be sure to stop and see them in their wheelchairs at the nursing home whenever I am in town and that if they need help eating, I will be glad to feed them some more of the meat that caused their decline in the first place if that is their choice. Now, all I have to do is tell the brothers that I will send them a postcard from my latest location and they get what I am referring to! Sometimes, I will see them looking from their plates of meat and gravy to mine full of veggies at a family event. I think they are not strong enough to give up their habits, yet they can now see that I am truly eating healthier than they are. When they do tease me about anything that I am eating, I say something about its health benefits. For example, if they tease me about carrot sticks, I point out that all of the lutein in them will ensure that I will still be able to drive, read and sew in my old age. Then, I add that I will overlook their carnivorous ways and help them pay their bills and drive them to their many doctor appointments when they are no longer able to do so for themselves because they have not consumed nutritionally sound foods. This type of reply is done all in good nature and it generally shuts them right up. Deep down, they know I am right, but they are brothers and therefore, they cannot resist teasing their sis. If your family is as fun as mine, then you can easily get away with saying stuff like this without anyone being offended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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