So the main problem that most people apparently have with vegetarians is their preachings about how meat eaters are all murderers who are going to go to hell. I can totally relate to that. After all, who wants their dietary choices criticized by someone who does things differently?
As someone who refuses to eat something I couldn't bring myself to kill (for more reasons than one), I still find these people just as annoying, you're not alone if you want to slam this person's face repeatedly into a wall in an attempt to shut them up or if you secretly wish they would be eaten alive by some form of carnivorous animal in a glorious moment of irony.
That being said, most vegetarians I know (the sane ones) don't bother to tell off people who eat the less animal friendly options at dinnertime... why? it's a life choice. Just like it is my life choice to avoid eating something that was once alive, it is essentially your choice whether or not you choose to... and I still find certain amounts of validity and respect in others beliefs that "if no-one eats this steak/chicken/etc, it would have died for nothing." Like I said, your choice. So why am I bringing up the flaws of other vegetarians? because I pride myself on being an open minded person when it comes to most things. I'm also big on food and I appreciate the time, cost and effort put into a well-cooked meal, even if I'm not the one eating it. I'm also sick and tired of well-wishers informing me that I'm "going to get sick" or other such nonsense.
While eating a plate absolutely full of fresh vegetables which had been lovingly steamed and then sauteed in herbs and lemon, I was told that what I was eating "wasn't healthy" because it didn't have a piece of meat on it. I glanced over at their plate... there was nothing on it but a steak big enough to choke a lion, not even chips (that counts as a serve of veggies for most suburbanites, so who am I to judge?). I've been told while eating massive amounts of spinach, nuts and even eggs that I'm not getting any iron or folic acid and will become anemic. I dare that person to google what kinds of nutrients you get from spinach and other green vegetables (besides the aforementioned iron and folic acid, obviously). Or the time someone smugly told me that they've found a link between tofu and other soy products and cancer.... when I was eating a peanut butter sandwich! (For the record, I rarely eat tofu as it's expensive). Yet if I were to loudly ask someone while they were eating their meal "how's that filthy rotten corpse taste? God, I wouldn't touch that with a 10-foot pole! you know it's been dead for months, right?" I'm pretty sure I'd be kicked out of any restaurant. In fact, I'm pretty sure most people would have something to say about that. How about if I pointed out the links between stomach and bowel cancer and ANY kind of meat product? Or the fact that the amount of grain eaten by your mass bred cows for meat production consume enough grain to feed more than two thirds of the world's population... and therefore (if I use the same skewed logic others throw my way about how I will "die", etc.) you are perpetuating world hunger and responsible for those poor kids in africa dying or starvation. You'd want to punch me. In fact, I'd want to punch me.
So why is it ok to comment on my life choices but not for me to do the same? More to the point, why am I not compelled to comment on yours on a daily basis? Could it be because I don't care what you eat? That, unless your name is Kayleigh, it's none of my business? Or that it's just plain rude and inappropriate to tell someone that they're living their life wrong. Especially when every doctor, nutritionist and other trusted medical professional I've seen thus so far has said that I have a healthier diet than a thirty year old who follows a meal plan. So if you're that concerned about me to ask, rest assured that I'll probably outlive you as I'm rarely ill, my cholesterol levels and blood pressure are perfect and I'm getting a huge variety of nutrients with every bite of my home-cooked meals. I'm also an incredibly good cook, so don't think I'm missing out on something.
Please, just worry about yourself and leave me alone to eat my lentils. I enjoy them as much as you do your chicken parma on a friday night. I don't think I'm better than you for leading a different lifestyle, I don't judge you and I expect the same respect from each and every person who I share a meal with. Otherwise, you risk me asking you equally uncomfortable questions such as "how's your colon? still able to empty your bowels after eating all those cute baby cows?" nobody wants to talk about that over dinner.
As someone who refuses to eat something I couldn't bring myself to kill (for more reasons than one), I still find these people just as annoying, you're not alone if you want to slam this person's face repeatedly into a wall in an attempt to shut them up or if you secretly wish they would be eaten alive by some form of carnivorous animal in a glorious moment of irony.
That being said, most vegetarians I know (the sane ones) don't bother to tell off people who eat the less animal friendly options at dinnertime... why? it's a life choice. Just like it is my life choice to avoid eating something that was once alive, it is essentially your choice whether or not you choose to... and I still find certain amounts of validity and respect in others beliefs that "if no-one eats this steak/chicken/etc, it would have died for nothing." Like I said, your choice. So why am I bringing up the flaws of other vegetarians? because I pride myself on being an open minded person when it comes to most things. I'm also big on food and I appreciate the time, cost and effort put into a well-cooked meal, even if I'm not the one eating it. I'm also sick and tired of well-wishers informing me that I'm "going to get sick" or other such nonsense.
While eating a plate absolutely full of fresh vegetables which had been lovingly steamed and then sauteed in herbs and lemon, I was told that what I was eating "wasn't healthy" because it didn't have a piece of meat on it. I glanced over at their plate... there was nothing on it but a steak big enough to choke a lion, not even chips (that counts as a serve of veggies for most suburbanites, so who am I to judge?). I've been told while eating massive amounts of spinach, nuts and even eggs that I'm not getting any iron or folic acid and will become anemic. I dare that person to google what kinds of nutrients you get from spinach and other green vegetables (besides the aforementioned iron and folic acid, obviously). Or the time someone smugly told me that they've found a link between tofu and other soy products and cancer.... when I was eating a peanut butter sandwich! (For the record, I rarely eat tofu as it's expensive). Yet if I were to loudly ask someone while they were eating their meal "how's that filthy rotten corpse taste? God, I wouldn't touch that with a 10-foot pole! you know it's been dead for months, right?" I'm pretty sure I'd be kicked out of any restaurant. In fact, I'm pretty sure most people would have something to say about that. How about if I pointed out the links between stomach and bowel cancer and ANY kind of meat product? Or the fact that the amount of grain eaten by your mass bred cows for meat production consume enough grain to feed more than two thirds of the world's population... and therefore (if I use the same skewed logic others throw my way about how I will "die", etc.) you are perpetuating world hunger and responsible for those poor kids in africa dying or starvation. You'd want to punch me. In fact, I'd want to punch me.
So why is it ok to comment on my life choices but not for me to do the same? More to the point, why am I not compelled to comment on yours on a daily basis? Could it be because I don't care what you eat? That, unless your name is Kayleigh, it's none of my business? Or that it's just plain rude and inappropriate to tell someone that they're living their life wrong. Especially when every doctor, nutritionist and other trusted medical professional I've seen thus so far has said that I have a healthier diet than a thirty year old who follows a meal plan. So if you're that concerned about me to ask, rest assured that I'll probably outlive you as I'm rarely ill, my cholesterol levels and blood pressure are perfect and I'm getting a huge variety of nutrients with every bite of my home-cooked meals. I'm also an incredibly good cook, so don't think I'm missing out on something.
Please, just worry about yourself and leave me alone to eat my lentils. I enjoy them as much as you do your chicken parma on a friday night. I don't think I'm better than you for leading a different lifestyle, I don't judge you and I expect the same respect from each and every person who I share a meal with. Otherwise, you risk me asking you equally uncomfortable questions such as "how's your colon? still able to empty your bowels after eating all those cute baby cows?" nobody wants to talk about that over dinner.
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