"vegetarian classes"

[affectionjunkie]

The local vegetarian co-op is thinking of hosting a "vegetarian 101" class to help people understand the benefits of vegetarianism and how to successfully do it. I was asked and volunteered to be one of the speakers, but now am having some apprehension. No offense to the vegetarians in this community, but it will be hard for me to sit and listen

Comments

[br0ken_dolly]

i never had a hard time being vegetarian... eggs and milk are in everything, but when you don't care about them, it's pretty easy. every fast food joint will do SOMETHING for you, every restaurant has a salad smothered in cheese and eggs (and veggie burgers are way popular now) etc., etc.

something is better than nothing, i suppose, but youre right. the real challenge is being vegan. i didn't start eating HEALTHY until i made a conscious effort to go vegan, and i've been vegetarian for YEARS. eggs and cheese are NOT healthy sources of protein! ugh.

oh well. no point to my comment, i guess :)

[etomlef]

i was the unhealthiest vegetarian ever. i lived on cheese omelettes, grilled cheese sandwiches, mac & cheese, and alfredo pastas. i remember feeling confused because i gained 5lbs and i was like, "aren't vegetarians supposed to be skinny!?" ha, i was an idiot.

it wasn't until i switched to veganism and started shoving 50lbs of fruits and vegetables and whole grains into my face that i got healthy. i had to actually choose the healthy things on the menus (salad with avocado and chickpeas) instead of the cheese-laden eggy veggie burger with mayo.. or the chicken and broccoli alfredo sans chicken.

[br0ken_dolly]

i'm fat and i've been fat all my life... being vegetarian was just an excuse to eat the worst food ever. everytime i think about all the alfredo i ate, i get sick to my stomach.

i really haven't lost any weight since going vegan, but my cholesterol has gone down (and i have genetically high cholesterol to start) and i FEEL better. and that's all i really care about.

[affectionjunkie]

I know how you feel. Cholesterol and heart disease runs all throughout both sides of my family, so even being vegan and having hardly any cholesterol intake, I am still only a little below normal levels.

[kero734]

[affectionjunkie]

yeah, I really need to be fully aware of my tone and how I talk. I think i even have to be very considerate of playful omni bashing since these people might not be sure if they want to be vegetarian.

[monkey_goose]

well technically, veganism is a type of vegetarianism. So maybe you don't have to down play it. You could maybe mention both, and tell the group which one you are and explain the types of food you eat, where you eat, and the ways you get around the difficulties. I would find it hard to do that too. I feel that way sometimes too, even though i realise it isn't very becoming. I guess you just have to remember that you were like that once, and you didn't think yourself horrible then. Most likely you didn't even realise what you were doing. Maybe try and pin point why you went veg and bring that up in the talk. Sorry i couldn't be more help.

[affectionjunkie]

you were helpful, thansk!

[cherrystreet021]

I think this is really helpful, and spot on. Veganism is a part of vegetarianism, so why not go that route!!! Talk about all the delicious things to eat, and how there are just as many options. I always love the example of eating colors! People think veg (of any sort) is boring and has less variety, but that just isn't true!

[foreignseas]

just mention how it's great to be vegetarian, but if you want to make a true commitment to a cruelty free lifestyle, you should go vegan. yea, eating out is hard, but you can talk to people about how veganism makes you actually think about your food and opens you up to a whole new world of cooking and eating. i never knew how to really cook until i became vegan. now, eating is more of an experience and not as something seen necessary. most people eat out when they don't have the time/energy to cook, but they take advantage of it. it's a special treat for me and my boyfriend to drive an hour to go out to eat at the only vegan place around. it's more intimate and special

[affectionjunkie]

good point about checking for certain ingredients like gelatin. I forget vegetarians don't eat that.

I completely understand what you mean about opening up the world of your taste buds. When you don't have a big chunk of meat taking up half your plate, you have so much more room for new veggies and grains to try!

[tin_foil_hat]

just mention how it's great to be vegetarian, but if you want to make a true commitment to a cruelty free lifestyle, you should go vegan.

For people who aren't even vegetarian yet, this may seem a bit harsh. I think veganism needs to be presented so that people understand it and see it as a valid option (it's great to see normal happy people who are vegans), but make sure people still feel they are making a significant difference being vegetarian, and not being pushed further than they want to go at this point.

[maryam]

In certain parts of the country, it really is difficult to find veg options in many places. I made the transition to veganism six months ago, so I still remember how frustrating it was to find vegetarian food sometimes.

I think the transition to veganism was easier, because I didn't expect to be able to eat out at all, and I'm pleasantly surprised all the time. But when going vegetarian, I didn't expect much of a problem eating out, but anchovies and animal broth and gelatin would just show up in the most random places. For instance, Cracker Barrel (I know, I know) puts bacon and bacon fat in some dishes that seem vegetarian, unless you read the fine print.

I definitely see your point, and being vegan is tons harder, but for a person who has been raised to see meat, dairy, and eggs as very normal, it is difficult to even go vegetarian. Many vegans were vegetarians at some point, so if they can take that initial step, they will be much more likely to be drawn to veganism later.

[etomlef]

"I think the transition to veganism was easier, because I didn't expect to be able to eat out at all, and I'm pleasantly surprised all the time."

so true. now i have a good handful of ten or more places i can eat at with no problem.. and i'm perfectly happy.

[affectionjunkie]

same here. I actually like the decreased menu options now. It is easy to open a menu, go to the "vegetables" section and find the one or two things i can eat. It is kind of like a picture hunt or word search dectective game, "can you find the vegan food?!!?"

when I go to all vegan places I get happily flustered because there are so many options I don't know how to decide.

[catnip13]

Oh, seriously! I don't know what to order at a place that has lots of vegan options! It takes me forever to decide, and I second guess myself horribly.