Do we eat meat? No. Do we care if you eat meat? No. Are we crazy tree-huggers? No, well, maybe just a little.
Being a vegetarian can be difficult at times living in a world of meat-eaters who sometimes don’t appreciate the vegetarian lifestyle, and that’s understandable. Questions familiar to vegetarians often include, “you don’t eat eggs, right?” Or, “you eat chicken, though, right?” I don’t know why some people think chicken isn’t meat, but every vegetarian has been asked this at least once in their life.
Being a vegetarian isn’t as hard as it may seem. Some people may be intimidated by giving up Chick-Fil-A, burgers, or steak, which may very well be the reason many people aren’t vegetarians and that is perfectly fine. But, there are many more vegetarian choices than just fruits and salad, like some may think.
My uncle, who is a barbecue enthusiast, was shocked that the vegetarian meatballs at our Christmas dinner were just as good as the ones that actually had meat in them, and he proceeded to eat the vegetarian ones. As a result of being a vegetarian for over three years, I don’t miss eating meat and despite the image of vegetarians being health nuts, it is still very easy to eat unhealthy as a vegetarian. In fact, many people may believe there’s nothing a vegetarian can eat at Taco Bell, which is wrong. I, like many of my meat-eating friends enjoy the restaurant’s cheap and surprisingly very underrated Mexican-American cuisine. My favorite item at Taco Bell is the spicy potato soft taco off of the dollar menu, which I highly recommend to both vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
A word on tofu. If you don’t like it, it’s probably because you haven’t eaten it cooked and seasoned correctly. My favorite kind of food with tofu is Indian food. The diversity of spices and flavor in Indian cuisine complements what ordinarily may be the bland or flavorless taste of tofu. Tofu also serves as a great source of protein, which is sometimes a source of concern for vegetarians.
To conclude, I think there are many misconceptions about vegetarians and we're actually pretty normal. Being a vegetarian is easier than one may think and I challenge you to give up meat for a day. You might realize it's not that hard.
P.S. Guac is free at Chipotle if you get a vegetarian bowl!
