No One Ever Asks Someone Why They Eat Meat

I try not to make my food choices a huge deal in daily life. I make my choices for myself, and I expect others to do the same. I don’t bring up that I’m a vegetarian, but people notice when you don’t eat meat.

There are all sorts of questions that come up, but they all seem to fall in a few categories: “WHAT DO YOU EAT?!” “Don’t you miss meat?” “Can I eat this hamburger in front of you?”

Let’s start with what I eat. I made battered cauliflower with hot sauce and vegan yogurt to eat during the super bowl. Veggie and delicious! I find plenty to eat, always. I’m trying to lose 50 pounds. It’s not a problem, trust me… Here are some things that I eat often, in no particular order: oatmeal, smoothies, pasta, Indian food, french fries, soup, chocolate, fruit, veggies, bread, meat substitutes, hummus. Obviously some of my choices are smarter than others. I find that being a vegetarian is limiting in some ways, but I actually eat a much more diverse diet overall than I ever did before. It has made me more creative and more willing to try new things. I do not ever worry about protein. There is literally protein in nearly every food.

Do I miss meat? The short answer is an honest no, not at all. I know that not every vegetarian feels this way. My mom tells stories about how I hardly ever wanted to eat meat, and gave her no end of headaches over it. I never had a favorite meat based meal, not really. I’ve always been more into side dishes, sauces, and desserts. You know what I do miss? Marshmallows! I miss them more than anything else. I have found a few brands of vegan marshmallows, and my life is now complete again. I also miss not having to worry about what is in every single thing that I eat.

As for the last- I do not care at all if people eat meat in front of me. I don’t like that my choices make other people uncomfortable, and I wish it didn’t have to be that way. I want everyone to understand that they can be comfortable around me! I think that maybe people ask me this so often because they don’t like to see what I’m eating? I get a lot of comments about things like kale smoothies at my desk 🙂 I will say, I really don’t like to see people chew on bones. However, that grossed me out in my pre-vegetarian days, and my omnivore sister feels the same way; so maybe it’s not just me.

I think it’s strange that everyone wants to know why I don’t eat meat, but no one ever asks someone why they do. I suppose it’s because my way was a conscious choice, that evolved throughout my whole life. I’m going against the grain, but it feels like the only natural way to me.

What do y’all think about going against the grain? Sometimes it puts you on the offense, but it’s worth it. Minimalism, vegetarianism, bold fashion- it doesn’t matter. I think it’s worth it!

Jillian