101 Reasons NOT to go Vegan.....

[Robeson]

...some funny thoughts we've all heard. This site hits them all....

*snip*

28. The lunch you bring to work becomes the topic of conversation...EVERY DAY!

29. Others feel driven to point out that vegetables are alive too!

30. Others feel driven to point it out every time they eat animal products in front of you.

31. You have to restrain yourself every time you hear "I couldn't do it" as the closing argument on every discussion of the merits of veganism.

32. People are insulted if you won't eat their food when visiting them, and think you're a hassle if you tell them what to cook for you.

33. Waiters will not be happy to see you.

34. People will never believe in their hearts (no matter how often you tell them) that you eat this way all the time, even at home. (After all, you can't live without meat, can you?)

*more*

38. People assume you despise football. (Okay, so a football's not vegan, but I love the sport and I'm in favor of the NFL switching to synthetic footballs.)

39. Chances of the NFL switching to synthetic footballs are slim indeed.

40. Some vegans hate my fake leather (although I don't object to all the fake pain required to produce it).

41. People assume you'll be offended by every little thing.

42. People assume I must be for anarchy -- and that they know what all my political ideas are.

*and more*

63. Your best friend decides that your food choices are ALL ABOUT HER, and announces that you've made it "too hard to eat with you".

64. Someone you work with ACTUALLY SAYS (and, no, I'm not kidding), "You can't be vegetarian and healthy." And while you're trying to get over the shock of this statement, he adds, "Vegetarians eat too many vegetables." (I had no idea there was such a thing.)

65. You are tired of hearing people say, "Vegetarians can't possibly get enough to eat," because then you have to assure them that your Weight Watchers leader would be happy to tell them that we manage to do just fine. :)

66. People assume that being vegetarian means you don't do anything unhealthy, like eat chocolate or drink, so when you do those things, they act all shocked. (But nobody's shocked when your meat eating friend smokes...Hmmmm...)

67. People you eat out with get exasperated when you try to determine what exactly is in the food you are ordering. (If it were an allergy, it would be fine, but since it's a choice, it's weird.)

68. When you have the gall to ask if people coming to a potluck at your house could leave the meat at their homes since you haven't had meat in your home in over a year, they actually make fun of you. Even though you promised to supply a very yummy pasta dish that they would all love. (Yes, actually made fun. How rude.)

69. You are tired of your vegetarian lifestyle being the big topic of conversation at EVERY business dinner you ever attend.

70. When the client you are working for hears you are vegetarian, he says,"Oh, what about your husband. Is he normal?"

71. When the neighbor found out you were vegetarian after inviting you to a barbecue, he now thinks it's funny to announce to you every time he's cooking some sort of steak, roast, lamb, or ribs for his family.

72. Your grandmother, after hearing you are a vegetarian, (1) tries to sneak some lamb into your food, because she knows that if you just tasted it, you'd realize meat was okay, (2) sends you her heirloom mink coat because she wants to convince you that using animals for our own purposes is okay, (3) decides that because you buy only cosmetics not tested on animals that you hold monkeys in higher regard than humans. (Don't ask me. It's all Grandma Logic (TM), which I have never understood.)

73. People just don't understand that caring for animals doesn't mean you think they're more important than humans, just that they are AS important.

http://www.veganconnection.com/reasons.html

I'm sure we all could add a thousand more.

[peacebuzzard]

1. and : " How do you get your protein???"

[flvegan]

2. Ha! This is great.

I actually like when this one happens to me:

69. You are tired of your vegetarian lifestyle being the big topic of conversation at EVERY business dinner you ever attend.

The place where I work now, my diet comes up EVERY time we have a get together. It's actually made them a little more aware of what they're eating, AND one of my coworkers has since given up meat. The last place I worked, everyone (CEO and COO included) knew about the "vaygun" with the funny diet. 120 folks worked there, and with some influence from me, 3 folks went vegan and 2 others went vegetarian. I don't pound it into them, rather, I try to lead by example.

[LeftyMom]

3. The one thing that always bothers me

If I feel a little under the weather, I always worry that people are going to assume it has something to do with being vegan. So usually if I'm feeling a little off but not obviously sick, the only person I mention it to is flvegan, because it's nice to have one person who will say "you need to get more sleep" and not "OMG! You need protein!."

[Debau2005]

4. Well you know...

if you would just eat a chicken breast you would feel SO much better! :evilgrin: :hi:

I have to say that my significant other, we just started dating in November, may tease me a little, but is truly supportive. He orders veg appetizers, and we are trying a veg indian restaurant for dinner tonight. He looked them up and made the reservations! And he asks questions that are not sarcastic or mean spirited. He asked me about gelatin not to long ago and why I didnt eat jello salad my mother made. He made a face when I answered, and told me that he doesn't think he'll be eating any more jello either! haha

[NMMNG]

5. Yep

12. You go to dinner at someone's house. First they try to feed you fish, figuring somehow that fish is a vegetable.

I've been a vegetarian for two years now and every time I visit my family I'm asked "Do you eat fish and chicken"? I politely remind them that I don't but I want to scream "If it had to be taken away from its mother and slaughtered I don't eat it!!! in hopes that they'll finally get it.



19. You might have to walk or drive a little further to visit a store or restaurant that has food you can eat.


The town I'm in the process of moving to is now around 20 miles from the nearest Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, and the selection of vegetarian/vegan stuff in the regular stores here is crap. Apparently this is a "meat and potatoes" sort of town.

[Robeson]

6. I know what you mean....

...it took 5 years, before my dad quit asking me, "but do you eat seafood"?...

He either: a) wasn't listening to me because he didn't really care (which is probably true); or b) he's just getting old, and therefore, wasn't listening to me (which is also probably true).

Go figure. :shrug:

[Critters2]

8. I actually found soymilk (chocolate, vanilla and plain) and Boca burgers

at Aldi last night. When shopping, I go to Aldi first (no Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc, here), to get what I can, then head to Kroger for other things. I like Aldi because it's small. I don't need 1000 brands and varieties of frozen broccoli--I just need frozen broccoli! So, anyway, I'm thinking I'll have to go to the big store for veggie stuff, but I bought soymilk and vegan brand name Boca Burgers at Aldi. I was most pleasantly surprised. And didn't go to the big store which donates to the Repugs, at all. So, you never know where you'll find veggie stuff.

Btw, a parishioner says Aldi doesn't do animal testing of the house brand (and it's mostly house brand)products. This is why she shops there. Anyone know if this is true? I'm suspicious, myself, but it would great if true.

Good luck finding what you need!!

[CrispyQ]

7. Great list. Thanks for sharing.

My faves:

16. You find the perfect blouse to go with your new skirt, only to read the label and find out it's silk! (In my case it was a sweater in the most lucious shade of pink.)

67. People you eat out with get exasperated when you try to determine what exactly is in the food you are ordering. (If it were an allergy, it would be fine, but since it's a choice, it's weird.)

146. the real meaning when you hear someone say...
...my parents won't let me = i'm not motivated enough
...it tastes good = i don't care about anyone but me me and only me
...it's unhealthy = this is what my parents have told me
...i tried it but i got real sick = (used about the vegetarian diet) they ate only dairy
...i could never give up my meat let alone dairy! = see it tastes good

[NMMNG]

9. #67

What gets me is that with some people if you avoid certain foods (or other things) because of your religion people respect that, but if you do that "just" because of ethical concerns they can't deal with it.