Vegans/Vegetarians: How has your choice of lifestyle affected your social life?!
Answers:
It's been really hard for me to be veg over the years. I became a vegetarian when I was thirteen, but I lived in a very conservation suburb in Texas that never had many restaurants with veg options, and it was always really awkward when I would go places with my friends and have to eat a small side salad or something. Luckily, when people decided to start being healthy, I was able to eat out more. And now I live in New York, so it's very easy to eat great food with people, and everyone is generally more knowledgeable and accepting of veganism (I became a vegan a year ago).
However, it's always very hard when I see my family. They live in a small, small town in South Dakota, and most of them are farmers. Eating vegetarian was kind of weird at first, but when I became vegan I could basically only eat peanut butter sandwiches. While they're nice about not shoving meat at me and going, "MMM" like some of my more immature classmates in high school would, I do get the weird looks and "So what do you eat?" awkward conversations. And my grandmother tends to lecture me. A lot.
However, both of my parents and my boyfriend are very accepting and love going to new vegan places with me and trying new things. They all also love when I cook for them, since I had to learn how when I turned vegetarian. My mom especially loved this, since she hates cooking (she was very sad about that when I left for college). And my boyfriend is looking forward to living with me, since he knows he'll get lots of healthy food :)
my vegan/vegetarian life :)
People have ridiculed me and told me that I'd become malnourished, mostly just my parents though. I haven't been made fun of. Positive changes is just knowing that I'm not supporting the meat industry anymore, I'm contributing to giving animals the life they deserve, instead of becoming a meal for us.
Also it's much healthier.
A negative change would be that it's hard to find restaurants that offer vegan choices, and many store bought things have animal products in them.
Well there is one vegan who calls himself dairy's scary who as far as I know, is still hitting he personals for dates, another vegan who fancies himself as an "freedom1anarchist" has sunk to asking 12 year old girls to email him and his 5 friends. I suppose veganism has not done wonders for their social life. But the vegans I know are fine. No problems whatsoever. Their friends have not treated them any better or worse than before they went vegan.
Funny though that the two who said they didn't have any bad experiences, waxing poetic about acceptance by family and friends who experience new foods are the same ones who have consistently whined before that they have been ridiculed so much by non vegans because of their new diet.
A lot of people will start to lecture me about my chosen lifestyle. Usually people I don't know very well, and I am comfortable enough to tell them to shove it. i don't try to push other people into vegetarianism-to each their own, and when your arteries clap shut at age 55, that's on you. There aren't too many negatives. I can usually find something to eat when I'm out, even if I have to make a special request. (which i recommend, if you're going out and paying someone the premium for food, I think you can ask to have something made the way you like it!) as far as benefits go, I have great cholesterol levels and i'm very...regular. If you know what I mean.
No, because I don't remain friends with people who don't accept me for who I am. I have got made fun of people at school, but I don't give a **** about people like that. If they want to make fun of me for my personal choice, I let them. My sister and brother like to tease me, but they just do it because they know it pisses me off.
Positive
-I chose healthier foods.
-I've tried more vegetables now that I'm a vegetarian.
-I feel like I'm helping out with animals more now.
-I think of the problems in the world around me more
Negative
-I have a hard time going out to eat.
-Food choices are so limited sometimes.
-I have to substitute any nutrients I don't get from animals.
It hasn't affected me at all. Of course, there will be the odd person who tries to shove meat in your face and say "MMMMM", but most people applaud me for it. It's not something I generally talk about in casual conversation, mostly because it's not that important. The only time I ever mention anything is when I'm being offered meaty food or I order something "without bacon".
I started vegetarianism pretty young. I was 14, so I don't really know how I would have grown up having ate meat. I don't know what the difference would be. However, I'm a thin, healthy girl and I like to think being vegetarian had something to do with it! :)
They've accepted me. They can jokingly tease me about being a vegan and I won't get upset. People can't lecture me because I'm obviously healthy and I don't lecture them. The only negative is that it can be hard to get something other than a salad when eating out if I don't get to choose the restaurant.
it hasn't because I don't have much of one :x most of the people I know are supportive/apathetic and understanding or vegetarian/vegan themselves. the places we've always gone to eat at (even with my non-veg bros) have tons of vegetarian options as it is so yeah
Well *** far as well
it became a chick magnet at first
then it started becoming annoying becuase i get asked like 1,000 times a day asking what i eat
It made for an easy way to screen out loser guys- if they said anything snide, ridiculing, or tried to convince me to order a steak - no second date.
Luckily i have had very few negative reactions.If i eat out i can usually find a veggie option and friends and family always provide an alternative when i visit.
Mostly positive,
people say "Oh, that's awesome you're vegan! I could never do that."
a lot.
No one has been actually mean to me, and some negatives are traveling to other countries and looking for food.
hasn't except for when people want to go to bloody fastfood places. But im not a fan of fastfood unless its mock fastfood aka CHIPOTLE... and im golden there... actualy, its one of my usual stops
No it hasn't. My friends are all very accepting and my family...for the most part but I only see Most of them in July and some Christmases and for the ones I see every day (my parents and sister) they're all very accepting with the occasional ignorant comment.
The funny thing is, my friends all love it because they get to experience new foods and they're always interested about the foods I eat. Strangers flip out and act like its the end of the world, as if me being vegan somehow effects them.
vegan :D