I've been a vegetarian for almost a year and a half now, and I'm really enjoying it. I feel good about myself and my choices in the food sphere, and it's really not as bad as people seem to think it is. However, being a vegetarian isn't always easy, and people who say some of these things make it less easy.
1. "Wait, so you don't eat X?"
Being a vegetarian means that, by definition, we don't eat meat. So why are you asking "You don't eat bacon!?" or "Wait, you don't eat steak!?" Yes, that's what vegetarian means.
2. "OMG I could NEVER be vegetarian!"
This is probably the most common reaction, and like, I honestly don't get it. What am I supposed to say? I don't care that you're not vegetarian. I legit couldn't care less. My food habits are my choice. And to me, it's really not hard. I'm not making some huge sacrifice.
3. "But don't you miss X?"
No, not really. I mean, at first I tended to miss meat, but now I just haven't had it in so long that I genuinely don't see it as something that looks good anymore. (Though I will admit that I miss really good sashimi and sushi. That one, y'all can have.)
4. "But where do you get your protein?"
Y'all. Cheese/milk/dairy has protein. Beans have protein. Nuts, eggs, lentils, have protein. Tofu has protein. Protein is not some magical substance that is exclusive to meat. Trust me, we have our ways.
5. "But what DO you eat?"
There. Are. Foods. That. Are. Not. Meat. For one, I'm vegetarian, not vegan. I eat eggs, cheese, and plenty of dairy. On top of that, there are vegetables, fruits, grains. I eat plenty of things, just not meat. Honestly, you probably eat some meals without meat sometimes and you don't even realize it.
6. "You eat fish, right? Fish doesn't count."
Is a fish an animal? Yes? Then I don't eat it. People who only eat fish are pescetarians.
7. "Sure you don't want some?"
I'm sure I don't want whatever meat you're offering me. I promise. I know what meat tastes like, I'm sure I don't want it.
8. "But aren't plants living things too?"
Plants do not have coherent thoughts. Plants do not have functioning brains. To our knowledge, plants can't feel pain. And not everyone is vegetarian for moralistic reasons, I'm partially vegetarian because of the environmental impacts of the meat industry.
9. "But would you eat meat if *insert dumb and extenuating circumstance*?"
Yes. If someone held my brother at gunpoint and said they'd kill him if I didn't eat a piece of meat, I'd eat the piece of meat. If I was stranded on some desert island where the only option was to kill an animal (never mind the fact that the animal would have to have something plant-based to eat that I could likely eat as well), I'd kill the animal. But like, when is this ever relevant? How is this relevant to me ordering a veggie burger instead of a hamburger? I'd love to know.
10. "[Insert health issue] is probably because you're vegetarian."
I'm not anemic because I'm vegetarian, I'm anemic because I have a history of anemia in my family and because I regularly donate blood. Trust me, people can be vegetarian in a healthy way. And I never asked for your health advice.
Ultimately, being vegetarian or not is totally up to you, and it's a personal thing. We didn't ask your opinion, and the vast majority of us aren't trying to convert you to being veggie too. So make our lives easier and stop saying these things.
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