Sorry, I don’t eat meat. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost four years now and still have yet to understand why we apologize when turning down food that does not fit into our personal diets. We all have our preferences, but for some reason, refusing to eat animal products is still a disruptive inconvenience in society. I love being a vegetarian, and I’m sure most vegetarians out there would agree with me! Whether we choose this lifestyle for health reasons or morals, it gives us a sense of pride we wear with honor. That being said, we also deal with many misconceptions and assumptions; some absolutely ridiculous, others slightly true. So here are some of my brutally honest confessions of being a vegetarian.
1. We’re not all animal lovers
Photo by Angelina Litvin on Unsplash
Of course, I’m swept when I see a cow grazing in all her beauty and almost cry when I see an adorable little hamster, but aside from an emotional connection, I can’t say I’m an animal lover. Their smell bothers me quite a lot actually and being a dog mom myself, I know exactly how much work one animal can be. Animals definitely deserve the worldjust as much as we do but just because I’m a vegetarian doesn’t mean I feel a moral obligation to advocate for animal rights. For people who do, you’re awesome. I hope there are many others who have a passion and dedication to serve as you all do.
Deciding to not eat meat, supporting the use of animal products and advocating for animal rights are all very different situations and also all very personal decisions. Just because you do one and not the other does not mean you are doing it wrong.
2. We don’t know everything and we’re not trying to fight
I’ll say it louder for the people in the back, deciding to be a vegetarian is a personal choice. Personally, I realized how much my acne cleared up and skin felt better when not eating meat, and four years later here I am sticking to that decision. Some may simply not like the taste of meat while others may have educated themselves on the effects of eating meat. Meat consumption is not only harmful to our bodies, and our planet, but has some pretty bad sanitary and moral history behind it as well. All this being said, we don’t know everything about our impact as a vegetarian. What we do know, is that we’re making a positive impact one way or another either for ourselves, our people, our planet and our cute animal friends. We’re not here to argue or convince you that you’re a bad person for consuming animal products, and we most certainly don’t know absolutely everything about meat consumption so please stop trying to fight us.
3. We don’t feel left out for not eating meat
It seems as though everyone masters the pitiful look when the whole gang decided we were going out for Taco Tuesday. Suddenly we’re bombarded with an endless amount of apologies, recommendations, suggestions and “can you eat anything there?” questions. Truth is, yes I probably can. We vegetarians get real crafty when it comes to makeshift meals on the menu, and we got this. Worse comes to worst, we won’t eat and do not worry. We really don’t want to eat meat anyways. If we decide we’d like to join you for your next carne asada, don’t worry. We’re here for the company, not the food.
4. We crave meat sometimes
Lastly, to contradict my last point just a bit, I’m putting it all out. Yes, we crave meat. I mean, no one can help their mouth from watering after smelling that home cooked burger on the stove. We live in a world where food is not only prepared well, but is also created to make your stomach grumble. Something as simple as shredded chicken in a salad might make me drool, and for a minute there I think I might take a bite. I’d like to say about 95%, a completely made up statistic, vegetarians won’t give in, but in case they do, that’s totally okay. There is no need to raise hell and announce to the restaurant that they’re going to start eating meat again. Whether we never take a bite again, sneak a piece of bacon once in a while or throw out the vegetarian lifestyle completely, it’s our own business and decision to eat and consume how we feel is best.
So that’s a peak of our real and ugly truth, and I hope we can all understand each other a little better. I love my dietary preferences and believe this lifestyle has provided me so many opportunities. If you’ve never tried being a vegetarian, I challenge you to try it for a week! The first day will be hard, sure, but I think you’ll surprise yourself with the endless alternatives and yummy meals you’ll get out of it. It’s important to educate ourselves of a balanced diet and ensure we are getting in the protein and vitamins our bodies need, so when you do it right, I promise your body will thank you!
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