I hate being singled out.?!


Question: I'm 14 and a lacto-ovo vegetarian and have been one for 5 weeks but I don't like being singled out. I hate it when people feel like they have to make me a special meal. I'm fine eating the sides but It make me sad and feel like I'm wasting peoples time when they make me a special meal. Over the holidays It was fine because there was so much food. Me and my friends arn't the same together. I know instead of going to mcdonalds we could go out for pizza that was one of the reasons I became a lacto-ovo but it's not the same I really miss hanging out at mcdonalds with my friends. It's hard to explain how I feel. I don't want to eat meat but In a way I feel I have to. I've watched videos to get me out of this and start thinking about the animals again but nothing helps.
Have you guys have any experences like this?
What should I do?


Answers: I'm 14 and a lacto-ovo vegetarian and have been one for 5 weeks but I don't like being singled out. I hate it when people feel like they have to make me a special meal. I'm fine eating the sides but It make me sad and feel like I'm wasting peoples time when they make me a special meal. Over the holidays It was fine because there was so much food. Me and my friends arn't the same together. I know instead of going to mcdonalds we could go out for pizza that was one of the reasons I became a lacto-ovo but it's not the same I really miss hanging out at mcdonalds with my friends. It's hard to explain how I feel. I don't want to eat meat but In a way I feel I have to. I've watched videos to get me out of this and start thinking about the animals again but nothing helps.
Have you guys have any experences like this?
What should I do?

dw i feel very similar. It's like you feel like its making things change that used to be so much fun. Especially when i go out to dinner, and we all usually get the same thing, but then i have to have something different, of my friends mom makes me a special vegeterian sandwich instead of the turkey ones for everyone else.

I think you can still hang out at mcdonalds though! if your just a vegeterian not a vegan then you can still have fries, salad, or ice-cream, nothing really big has to change, so don't worry about it, theres always a substitute. Make sure your not to shy and tell the people that they really don't have to make you a meal and your very happy eating the sides, but if they still do, make sure to show your appreciation, like "oh thanks! your didnt have to make me a whole nother meal, thankyou" Don't worry, if you've only being going for 5 weeks, you still have heaps of time to ease into it. I'm also a 14 year old lacto-ovo vegeterian, and have only been going for almost 2 months, but i've eased into it a little bit and i can feel myself getting more comfortable with it, so don't worry:):):)

My husband is a lacto-ovo vegetarian and chose to be one...He does not feel singled out indeed he is happy to be one!

I love meat and I slowly started to be a lacto-ovo vegetarian myself..i do not cook meat at home jus bcoz my husband does not like it...:)

Cooking vegetarian is not about cooking a special meal..it is about cooking a healthy meal...yea being a vegetarian u have to stay away from mcdonalds and go for pizza instead where u have more vegetarian options...but again if u can hang out at mcdonalds for breakfast for a hot pancake and hashbrown and coffee and biscuit breakfast...

But don worry with the growing diseases caused due to red meat and the related health problems..the world will start looking towards vegetarian food as the best option...at that time u surely would not be singled out..indeed u would have mastered the art of vegetarian meal eating...

I am a true vegan. True vegans have a reverence for all of life and that includes you who wants to be with her friends.

This idea that "someday" that most people will become vegetarians is stupid. It won't happen in my or your lifetime. So no use in waiting.

A true vegan would say, "Go for it.". We recognize the best place to be is where your heart is. And for now your heart is with your friends, the fun of being with them, of being like them and not feeling "singled" out.

Be with them ... enjoy yourself and eat what you want. You have all of your life to decide whether you want to be a true vegan or not.

Right now the stress you are under isn't worth your being uncomfortable and depressed. So, meet your friends at McDonalds and I know that you will feel a sense of relief about your decision.

May things go well with you and your friends.

start eating meat and be happy

Since you are 14, most cases you'll feel special because others will do the cooking for you. However, as you get older and make decisions for yourself, it gets easier. You are the one paying for the food. Additionally, you are the one consuming it. My cousin is vegetarian and got used to the negative sides you mentioned. Stop feeling bad about it. It is not much different than if someone cannot eat dairy due to lactose intolerance.

If you don't want to eat meat then you don't have to. Just follow your heart and it's telling you what to do. You don't have to listen to people when they tell you what to do. I understand how you feel. It's not a very easy decision.

It's not good idea to only eat the sides. You should be thankful that people are more accepting of your vegetarianism. My family wasn't that supportive, so I switched back. It was too hard for me.

I just needed to correct one of the people above. McDonalds fries are NOT vegetarian--they include an animal derived "natural flavoring." In fact, according to McDonald's own website, "None of [their] products are certified as vegetarian. This information is correct as of January 2007." This information only applies to the USA--McDonalds follows different practices in different countries.

Hang out at McDonald's and have a salad. But most of all, pay no attention to vegan.conscript. She is just a troll here who's only interested in harassing vegans.

Vegan.conscript--- a "true vegan" as you say, wouldn't be using a computer either. So, go take your hypocrisy and go hang out with YOUR friends at McDonald's. Take Grimace and the Hamburglar (Skully & Meg) with you.

it's a little rough at first, but once you get used to your diet, and so does everyone else, things will settle down. this happened to me when i first went veg, but now everything is fine!! all you have to do is just don't give up! maybe try talking to your family and friends about how you feel, and tell them why you're veg. maybe they'll understand more and it will become easier :)

I understand... I went veg at 13 and usually it was not an issue, but with some people it could be.

When you go to someone's house to eat, just tell them before hand (especially if they ask) that you are fine with eating the sides, and in fact are more comfortable with that.

Don't eat meat to please other people- would you expect them to not eat meat to please you?

When you go out with your friends (or tell them sometime you are hanging out and it seems like a good moment) that they don't need to feel like they have to change anything just because you do one thing differently than they do. Let them know that you like to hang out with them even at restaurants that only offer a few things.

You'll have to deal with this issue for the rest of your life (assuming you stay veg) and it will get easier. What makes it easiest I think is just being upfront with people- tell them that you don't have expectations of them, and that you don't need or want anything to change right now, you just want to go on like you have, only there are a few things you don't eat now (but plenty that you do!).

For a list of vegetarian items at McDonalds: http://www.godsdirectcontact.com/vegetar...

McDonald's is sort of a worst case scenario- most places offer more veg-friendly items.





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