I’ve been vegetarian for over a year now, in arguably the most anti-vegetarian friendly place on the planet, the South – a land of “bibles, barbecues, and broken backs” as "House of Cards" protagonist, Frank Underwood describes it.
The South, especially Mississippi, gets credit for being a carnivorous heaven with as many steakhouses as there are churches. It is not a spawning ground for the irrevocably Buddhist school of thought that is vegetarianism, but there are some who break the mold.
It’s a chore explaining my vegetarianism, so I’ve developed standard answers to FAQ. I usually get the same two questions: “Why are you a vegetarian?” and “How do you get enough protein?” The first question I can handle: health and ethics.
The second is derivative of cultural brainwashing. The idea that vegetarians are getting only a negligible amount of protein is simply not true.
We get just as much protein as meat-eaters without the saturated fat and cholesterol. In the immortal words of Vegan Ultraman Rich Roll, “Let’s wrap up the protein question with this: Some of the strongest animals in the world are plant-powered. Elephants, rhinos, and hippos get 100% of their protein from plants.”
Having been a vegetarian in overtly religious circles, I’ve heard references to God’s decree after the flood – “Everything that lives, and moves will be food for you” –and the classic tale of Jesus multiplying the fish.
I’ve also heard the sexual innuendo and bad puns regarding my relationship with “meat.” If I had a nickel for every time a person said, “It’s just the circle of life,” I’d be richer than Trump’s Cabinet.
I’ve been told I can’t be a “real American” because I don’t eat bacon, which by this logic, disqualifies Orthodox Jews. One of the best talking points, however, is that vegetarianism is an indicator of beta-male culture, a war on manhood, and the metrosexual phenomenon.
In addition to the endless imprudent remarks, there is under-representation. Vegetarian options are unforgivingly scarce.
I settle for side items at restaurants, ask the server for entrées “without the chicken,” or I’m forced to desist from eating altogether. When I first started on January 1, 2017, I lived strictly off Morning Star burgers from Walmart and Taco Bell bean burritos. I now realize that being vegetarian does not guarantee a healthy diet.
In the past few months, I’ve changed my entire perception of what a healthy, more environmentally-conscious diet should be. Vegan author and physician, Joel Fuhrman says, “We need radical dietary improvement, and the earlier in life that change is made, the better.
Just eating a few more vegetables is not enough." With help from books, podcasts, and Netflix documentaries, I’m shifting into what I’ve coined “Super Saiyan 3,” or veganism. It’s a dense, complicated curriculum, and it is near-impossible to perfect. Living in Mississippi, where vegans are seen as existential threats, doesn't help.
