10 Things Vegetarians Are Sick of Hearing

UPRM Contributor Student Contributor, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Claudia Elena Irizarry Aponte Student Contributor, University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPRM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

By Ashlene Lebrón

As a newfound vegetarian, I have heard so many stereotypes and gotten different reactions from people. Some are tolerable, but others are downright rude, and some won’t even make the effort to understand why we chose this lifestyle. So, I decided to pile up a list of things vegetarians are tired of hearing and can relate to:

1. “So are you like a vegan now?”

Let’s clear this up: vegetarians do not eat meat. Vegans do not eat anything that comes from an animal (dairy, meat and eggs). However, Pesquetarians do eat fish and no other meat. We do not mind telling people the difference, but if you keep making the same mistake, it becomes annoying.

2. “What do you even eat?”

Food….need I say more…?

3. “Are you on a diet?”

This is a very common assumption. Some have their reasons as to why they decided on this lifestyle, but I can honestly say that most of them are not because of dieting reasons.

4. “Can you eat chicken or fish?”

I mean…..really? Chicken and fish are also animals, it’s not just red meat. Unless, of course, you are pesqueterians.

5. “It’s going to be hard going out to eat with you now.”

Is it really? We eat pasta, pizza, veggies, burritos, nachos, etc. I think we can find a place where we can all eat easily.

6. The “do you think you are better than me?” or “You are making me feel guilty” stare.

First of all, I’m pretty sure most vegetarians don’t think they are better than the rest of the world. It was our decision and just because we are, doesn’t mean you should feel guilty. We aren’t forcing you. We respect people’s choices.

7. “You know you can’t eat meat….right?”

I think we know, hence why we made the decision.

8. “OMG you can’t eat bacon now! You must be so deprived.”

I can personally say that I’ve never loved bacon. So trust me….I’m not deprived. However, there is also a thing called veggie bacon.

9. “Where do you get your protein from?”

Meat isn’t the only protein in the world. We have beans, quinoa, eggs, cheese, chia seeds, nuts, etc. In conclusion, there are other ways.

10. “How do you live?”

By simply existing.