To all of you vegetarians out there, you knew there would be challenges when you took on vegetarianism. However, you probably didn't anticipate these very annoying situations, encounters and conversations, that make being a vegetarian all the more difficult.
1. Trying to order a vegetarian meal in a foreign country.
2. People constantly question your vegetarian lifestyle choice.
3. People are very concerned with your intake of protein.
4. When people ask, "How do you get your protein?" and you often feel compelled to recount the food source for every gram of protein you ate that day.
"How do you get your protein?"
"Well, this morning I had scrambled eggs, then I had a yogurt, later I had some hummus with carrots, and now I'm eating peanut butter and jelly...."
5. The first question people always ask is, "Do you eat fish?" With the follow-up question, "Do you eat eggs?"
6. People assume you must love grilled vegetables...
7. When you go to a restaurant, people love to point out what you can order.
"Did you see they have veggie burgers?"
"Yes, but I think I'm gonna order pizza."
"They also have grilled portobello mushroom sandwiches."
"Pizza really sounds like the best option."
8. Even worse, when the restaurant you go to doesn't have anything for you to order.
9. When you find out later that something you already ate contained meat.
10. When you find meat in something you're eating.
Ugh. Now the whole plate is contaminated.
11. When your penne alla vodka comes and you discover it contains prosciutto.
12. Any time that you accidentally order a dish that contains meat.
13. When someone offers you pizza that contains pepperoni.
Why would you ruin pizza like that? I trusted you.
14. When you are dining buffet style and the food isn't labeled.
15. Passover — to all my Jewish vegetarian friends out there, Passover is rough.
"I'll have the steak quesadillas...But hold the steak, the tortilla, the chips, and the rice..."
"Um, all that's left is the cheese...?"
"Yes, bring me a plate of cheese."
16. When people refer to your meal as "rabbit food."
Last time I checked, rabbits don't eat pizza.
17. When you finish a meal but you are still hungry.
18. When people feel the need to justify to you why they eat meat.
" Animals don't feel pain."
"The cow was already dead when I ordered this hamburger."
"Eating meat is healthier than not eating meat."
"It's the circle of life.
"The Bible says it's OK to eat meat."
19. When you are invited over to a friend's for dinner and everything served has meat.
20. When a seemingly vegetarian food contains gelatin.
These situations are the worst and can make day-to-day vegetarian life more difficult than it needs to be. But in the end, everything's OK because at least you have pizza.
