Suggestions for what I should do?!

Suggestions for what I should do?

i'm vegetarian, my family is going to simply fondue for my moms birthday, my mom half-convinced me into eating chicken, i really don't want to eat chicken, so when we go there for a meal (all they have for entrees is meat) should i just eat before we go there or stomach the chicken...

1 day ago
A SLIGHT PINCH??
are you f***ing out of your mind??
i honestly think your answer has had the reverse affect on me, peeled turtle, i think i'm skipping the chicken

1 day ago
actually the cheese is kind of in the appetizer...
yeah and my grandma is going to be so skeptical and disapproving it will be hard to bear

If you don't want to eat the chicken, then don't eat it. Maybe you could call ahead and talk to the manager at the restaurant and explain that you're going there for your mother's birthday, and that you're vegetarian, and ask if they have a vegetarian entree option that they can make for you. If there are vegetarian "appetizer" options, perhaps they can just turn one of those into an entree for you. Or you could order the appetizer for your entree and supplement it with a green salad, etc. If you're concerned that it won't be the most "complete" meal for you since there won't be a good vegetarian protein source, then make sure you eat a little extra protein for breakfast and lunch that day to help make up for it.

As far as your grandmother and other family members go, I've found that it helps to simply say something like "I've made a personal decision to be vegetarian because of ____ (and briefly state your reason -- concern for animal rights, personal health, whatever your reason)." If anyone presses you about it over dinner and you don't want to talk about it because it seems like a hostile situation adn you don't want to cause a fight at your mom's birthday dinner, try saying "I'd be more than happy to discuss this with any and all of you another time, but we're here tonight to celebrate mom's birthday, and I don't think that everyone at the table wants to spend the evening talking about my eating habits. If you want to talk about this with me, then let's pick a time (tomorrow? next week?) to sit down and talk about it, and I'd be more than happy to answer your questions." That way, you keep the lines of communication open, and avoid overshadowing your mom's dinner.