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"Chicken is a vegetable"
Time and time again when diet/lifestyle comes into conversation and I put in my two cents with "I'm vegan" 90% of the time someone replies "but you eat chicken right?".:confused:
Before I was vegan (going on 3 months still just a sprout!) I was vegetarian for 5 years, and even then, someone always brings up eating chicken. Since when has the education of VEGetarianism obviously dropped off the earth so that people ACTUALLY THINK that CHICKEN is now a veggie or somehow an exception to the "rules"? That the consumption of chicken is unfathomable by most of the population.
Sometimes I find it harder to explain to people depending on the level of their disbelief from the first line "I don't eat meat".
Has anyone else experienced this?
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Re: Chicken is a vegetable
Reminds me of a scene in the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" where the main (Greek) character invites her new (non-Greek) boyfriend to dinner with her whole family, both thinking the fact that he's not Greek might be problematic, but it's actually when they find out he's vegetarian that incredulity ensues...
Greek aunt (and cook); "YOU DON'T EAT NO MEAT?"
The rest of the family turn around, with gasps of shock, and the room falls silent...
"That's okay," she says; I cook Lamb"... :p
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Hahaha my family and I always joke about that part too! Great movie. :bigsmile:
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Jenna, I hear the same thing all the time, and they expand on it:
But you haven't given up fish, right? [Still not a vegetable]
I made this vegetable lasagna just for you; cheese isn't meat. Cheese is ok, right? [yeah, cheese made out of milk weed]
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Jenna, I hear the same thing all the time, and they expand on it:
But you haven't given up fish, right? [Still not a vegetable]
I made this vegetable lasagna just for you; cheese isn't meat. Cheese is ok, right? [yeah, cheese made out of milk weed]
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We have a TV series in the UK called the Royle Family, in one of the episodes they are catering for a vegetarian and Nana says "Could she have some wafer thin ham?"
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Hahahahah these are all so funny!
I was talking to a friend today about food and such and he said ".. well when you decide to eat meat again..." [never]
I didn't react because; whats the point really?
I really do think its true that when people stop eating meat, they no longer crave it. I have 5 WONDERFUL years without meat and have never looked back.
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Some people now seem to equate "vegan" with "avoiding dairy products" - as I have mentioned before I have seen a prawn dish marked vegan on a menu and I'm fairly sure it wasn't fake prawns :/
If you have been vegan for five years though JennaSprout it's quite funny that your friend thinks it's just a phase :)
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Perhaps I should re-evaluate my friends then! haha
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Nah, friends are meant to make you laugh - and sometimes cringe ;)
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I also love the expression 'but it's ORGANIC chicken!', as if that suddenly makes it OK :)
I find that most of the time people say something silly like that they're just not informed very well on the topic. I've also seen many 'vegetarian' dishes with fish, maybe not as bad as 'vegan', but still. Fish is meat, right?
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i was confronted with a new word by someone a few weeks ago, someone who eats meat only now and again is apparently now called a flexitarian.... or an omnivore as i call them, it seems me not recognising flexitarian means i am intolerant....
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If being a flexitarian, like vegetarianism, could mean a step towards veganism I'm happy with it. If it means 'I'm a vegan/vegetarian as long as it is not inconvenient for me' I don't approve. Ethics are just not always convenient, but that's not an issue if you really believe in them.
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A flexitarian, quite clearly, is a person who does not have to eat MEAT with EVERY dish ...
... take, for example the case, if the breakfast and high tea only consist of boiled eggs and buttered toast instead of sausages, steak and pork cutlets, that is already an incredible commitment to making the world a better place ;-)
Best regards,
Andy
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I'm not one to be preachy about my lifestyle. I like to talk about it if someone asks; I recently applied to be a wellness coach and when I was interviewing they got very slow and timid with me when Veganism came into the conversation. They tip-toed around me like I would explode if they informed me that some of the nutrition they supplied clients, had meat in it. I chuckled and I'd like to think my goal is to give vegans a better reputation. People are legitimately scared of us sometimes!! I find this hilarious and I poke fun at my friends by telling them I need to graze, instead of "have lunch" :)
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As far as the flexitarian thing, I'm beginning to wonder if people really are only focusing on having a TITLE. why isn't "I eat food" enough hahaha. What if I ate 2 eggs, 3 pieces of bread, 2 apples, 1 bell pepper and a 1/2 cup of rice everyday... what am I called then? Come on people, calm down with the name calling! ;)
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Sometimes a label is needed to legitimize a lifestyle. Sometimes people baulk at labels; to each 'is own... Reminds me of an aerobics conference I catered that sent out a questionaire with the booking page: vegetarian, it asked. Few were. Most ended up stripping the buffet of vegetarian dishes (as I expected) because they preferred to eat veggie.
Oh, and I still get asked if chicken tacos is ok and cheese enchiladas from those who imagine they know what vegan means. Hilarious every time.
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I agree with Hedi on the whole - I think the fact that people want to call themselves "flexitarians" and so on is probably a sign that they see reducing the use of animal products as a good thing, and so (even though it's annoying) it's to be encouraged - especially since as Hedi says it could be a first step towards cutting them out altogether. (Also it's better than them calling themselves vegetarians or vegans and then proceeding to eat chicken, don't you think? :mad:)
The only thing that bothers me about that particular label is the suggestion that vegetarians and vegans are inflexible (and therefore disobliging) but I suppose it's good to have that concept out in the open :/
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On the 'flexitarian' thing ...
I agree with everyone who said it's bollox and I agree with everyone who said it's not an entirely bad thing.
Using very loose math; If it is true that 70% of all meat has to be factory farmed (to meet demand) then if all omnis cut their meat intake to 30% then factory farming wouldn't be 'needed' anymore.
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Quote:
pat sommer
Most ended up stripping the buffet of vegetarian dishes (as I expected) because they preferred to eat veggie.
Tell me about that Pat!
We (my family) learned long ago that asking for vegetarian dishes at buffets was not enough on its own.
We actualy had to ask that the vegetarian options were held back untill the omnis had had at least their first fill.
Fail to do that and before we could get to it all the veggie tid-bits were gone.
Quite amazingly I have absolutey zero evidence that any omni-centric caterer ever worked out that this meant veggie tid-bits were universaly popular though.
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I am of the opinion that a lot of people like to eat veggie at buffets because they don't trust the meat to be of decent quality, and that there are concerns about it being cooked properly, how long it has been sat out and not refridgerated and hygiene generally, is just a fear of food poisoning, as an omnivore i never ate meat i hadn't cooked myself, certainly never touched a chicken drumstick from a buffet.
The flexitarian thing threw me, never heard it before, but why have a label for it, if you eat meat you eat meat, me never having heard it before doesnt make me intolerant, which was the part i objected to. Vegans are the most tolerant people i know, we'd be offended every second of every waking day in the presence of omnivores if we weren't exceedingly tolerant.
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That's true, tickled onion, but I think vegetarian food often looks more appetising, too - and on a buffet people don't think about whether it's veggie or not, they just grab what they fancy and so their prejudices don't get in the way the way they do when they're looking at a menu.
I agree that vegans have to be quite tolerant although I do spend a lot of time feeling offended some days ;)
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Buffet choices - I was at a pizza buffet this week for my professional group. The vegan pizzas were eaten first, and I think I was the only vegan in the room. I thought the vegan pizzas looked great, and the meat and cheese pizzas looked very unappetizing, but I am prejudiced. So, it could have been that the veggies had more eye appeal, or that they were lower in calories, or they were unusual, so people wanted to try it.
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@Jenna Sprout: I don't like the labels very much either. To be honest, I never ask if anything is vegan, I just ask if it contains dairy or eggs. I know it's not doing anything for the vegan reputation, but I just don't want people to act like I'm nuts :P I love your story about the interview, I personally see a lot of the other side: people deliberately making a point out of eating meat just because I happen to be near. I mean, it's a kebab, I'm not going to make a scene. If you want to eat it, eat it, just keep it away from me.
@ harpy: you're right about people thinking of vegans as 'inflexible', but a 'flexitarian' is exactly a carnist's idea of a perfect vegan: to each their own, and not difficult when there happens to be only meat to eat. A lot of people think that being a vegan is over the top because the norm is still to eat meat. The funny thing is, I read about a research recently that found out that only 3-15% of all people would go out of there way to ask for meat if vegetarian happened to be 'the norm' somewhere. Imagine what the world would look like if every menu was completely plant-based, but everyone was still free to eat meat if they wanted to (to each their own, right? ;))
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As well as the branding piece I already mentioned, the Guardian (newspaper) also has a jokey article about flexitarians today
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...ng?INTCMP=SRCH
For once the comments under this one didn't make me explode but I haven't read them all so no guarantees
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it's been veg*n week on the guardian, at least one or two articles with comments every day lately, I've got hardly any work done and had very hot blood at the ignorance of some people... but the whole new nesting system infuriates me to the point i may have to try giving up reading it.... maybe...
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Quote:
Anaj
Buffet choices - I was at a pizza buffet this week for my professional group. The vegan pizzas were eaten first, and I think I was the only vegan in the room. I thought the vegan pizzas looked great, and the meat and cheese pizzas looked very unappetizing, but I am prejudiced. So, it could have been that the veggies had more eye appeal, or that they were lower in calories, or they were unusual, so people wanted to try it.
I remember, when I was still vegetarian, it was always some kind of fight when there was a buffet at work with sandwiches.
People ordering sandwiches typically ordered 75% meat sandwiches and 25 % cheese sandwiches. However, every meat eater in the room would most of the time want one meat sandwich and one cheese sandwich.
That meant, that in order to get 2 cheese sandwiches, I always had to beat most of my co-workers to the buffet and get my sandwiches.
Nowadays, of course, I can lean back elegantly and take my apple and banana out of my bag, as that kind of buffet does not hold anything for me any longer :-)
Best regards,
Andy
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Quote:
harpy
As well as the branding piece I already mentioned, the Guardian (newspaper) also has a jokey article about flexitarians today
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandsty...ng?INTCMP=SRCH
For once the comments under this one didn't make me explode but I haven't read them all so no guarantees
I have to remind myself NOT to read articles in online newspapers about veganism, vegetarianism or something else where there is a comment function that will confront me with the asinine utterings of "normal people".
Best regards,
Andy
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I have to remind myself NOT to read articles in online newspapers about veganism, vegetarianism or something else where there is a comment function that will confront me with the asinine utterings of "normal people".
The Andy - he is wise... ;)
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probably wise Andy, but on those work days when the only other thing you have to do is feel your own pulse tick away the seconds of your life, the internet news sucks you in and makes you get involved...
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Oh gosh tickled that does sound boring, reception in a blue chip firm mid afternoon?
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lawyers.... reception job would drive me slowly mad i think, i dont know how they do it, I don't have many slack days, but when they are, boy is it quiet!
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Aha! I had a couple of jobs over the years in a law firm/architect firm etc. (reception/admin/telephone operator)... Was boring at times but very bust at other times, but yes, flack from clients and partners can be an issue (although not much for me personally luckily)... LOL... Fielding cold-callers? That's another thing entirely...
But wait, weren't we having fun b**ching about people who think potatoes are fruit, fish is a flower, or something like that? :p
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Here is another one for the books. A dear friend of mine has a debilitating back injury that has kept him in a chair or on his bed for the last 2 years. Hear that? TWO YEARS. In this time he's grown quite fat, smokes more than a chimney and claims there is nothing he can do about his health.
I was over his house helping him with the usual, laundry, paiting, cleaning, that sort of thing, when he ordered a pizza. I had just offered him some of the fruits and veggies I had brought over but he cringed at the idea and declined. I watched him scarf down a greasy, cheesy, pepperoni and sausage pizza...LARGE and I said "I almost want to stop helping you, because you are making NO effort to get yourself in good health again by eating that CRAP" and he said... "its wheat crust, its in my diet." I tried to explain that it didn't matter if it was a crust made of kale, grease and highly processed fatty meats are in NO WAY good for you NOR do you find them in ANY sort of DIET. EVER. But my defense went unheard because he began to list of all the "good choices" he makes when eating. Most of them high in salt, oils and meats. But SURE... putting one leaf of spinach on your double cheese burger makes you healthy.:mad:
I really do try not to be preachy but I have heard SO many people use their health as an EXCUSE to eat shitty! I knew a women who thought drinking coke was good for her because she needed the sugar and caffein for energy... when apples gives you TWICE as much for THREE TIMES as long.:rollseyes_ani: I suppose this makes me frustrated for multiple reasons because I care about people who are killing themselves and think I'm some kind of veggie loony.:umm_ani:
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Quote:
Peabrain
But wait, weren't we having fun b**ching about people who think potatoes are fruit, fish is a flower, or something like that? :p
Under the heading of "in case it makes anyone smile" ..
1. Stock answer to getting offered fish as a veg*an option: "Veg*n fish, eh? Tell me, where do you get your fish seeds from? I'd like to grow some of my own .."
2. The difference between knowledge and wisdom: Knowledge is knowing that the tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting tomatos in a fruit salad.
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I'm not sure, I think cherry tomatoes would actually go quite nice in a fruit salad, but maybe that's just me?
Jenna Sprout, I know what you mean! Everyone thinks they know a thing or two about which foods are 'healthy', but most people still think dairy is a health food. Dairy is probably the worst junk food you can eat.
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Hedi
Jenna Sprout, I know what you mean! Everyone thinks they know a thing or two about which foods are 'healthy', but most people still think dairy is a health food. Dairy is probably the worst junk food you can eat.
I heard that Chia seeds have like 4 times as much calcium than cows milk. I shop by ingredients, so naturally I've compared a thing or two in my time. Almond milk is 100% better for you and HONESTLY tastes 100% better. Yet whenever I get someone to try it, they think it tastes gross. When did the brain washing begin when people started to not think TASTEY food... is TASTEY.
I also recently asked a friend of mine to give a vegan burger a shot... and he replied "fine, but only after you eat tons of BBQ wings"
:((( not EXACTLY how this works.
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Hedi
I'm not sure, I think cherry tomatoes would actually go quite nice in a fruit salad, but maybe that's just me?
Out of me and you it's definitely just you, Hedi :P
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Quote:
Jenna Sprout
I also recently asked a friend of mine to give a vegan burger a shot... and he replied "fine, but only after you eat tons of BBQ wings...
Har, har. Omnis can be so funny.
I have stopped to discuss food with others, it only leads to (my) frustration normally.
Best regards,
Andy
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Jenna: I also recently asked a friend of mine to give a vegan burger a shot... and he replied "fine, but only after you eat tons of BBQ wings"
:((( not EXACTLY how this works.
Possible reply:
"Well, I have x years experience as a meat-eater under my belt. So ... shall we resume this conversation as soon as you have x years experience as a veg*an under your's?"
Seriously, that omnis cannot grasp that ex-omnis do know what meat tastes like is enough to boggle all but the finest ex-omni brains!
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People are so used to the taste of processed foods that 'normal', healthy foods taste gross to them. The sad part is that they don't even realise that. Your taste buds can adapt to healthy foods again. I stopped eating processed sugar for example and the taste of it is just too much now.
Oh I hate that, sometimes people fail to see that you're a vegan because you strongly believe in something. If your Muslim friend would offer you a traditional dish to try you wouldn't say "Ok, but only if you eat some pork first" now, would you? It's a lack of respect and/or understanding for what the other person believes in.
@ Cupid Stunt: haha ok, I'll let you know when I try :)
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@Hedi - i remember thinking kale tasted bland and strange but now I'm totally addicted to it. It only took about 2 weeks --if that-- for my taste to adapt. Now when I crave something sweet --ive never had a sweet tooth-- apples and peanutbutter is my GO TO dessert!
I feel like people are really quick to categorize me into a stereotypical mentality of what they think "VEGAN PEOPLE" are haha. Like we are some kind of alien spices. It seems that people are quicker to challenge me on my lifestyle rather than challenging me on politics, race or religion. But just because I eat tons of fruits and veggies, its a cause for me to explain why I'm so "WEIRD"???
Omni quote of the day: "can you just eat like a normal person for a second"
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Also, for those of you who are interested in a quirky little blog about Healthy Things... check me out here! http://healthythings.tumblr.com/
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JennaSprout
I feel like people are really quick to categorize me into a stereotypical mentality of what they think "VEGAN PEOPLE" are haha. Like we are some kind of alien spices. It seems that people are quicker to challenge me on my lifestyle rather than challenging me on politics, race or religion. But just because I eat tons of fruits and veggies, its a cause for me to explain why I'm so "WEIRD"???
Omni quote of the day: "can you just eat like a normal person for a second"
It's because they want you to reassure them that it's you, not them...