Milk and Eggs

            Some people need to learn what the difference between being a vegetarian and being a vegan is; Vegans are not allowed to eat or drink eggs or milk(well, and meat of course) and basically, vegans do not put anything that came from an animal in any way into their body for whatever reason. The only similarity between that and being a vegetarian is the fact that they both do not eat meat. Vegetarians can eat and drink anything dairy or anything with dairy in it.
            I have had people come up to me looking very confused as I am eating something like cake and then ask in a very disappointed tone why I gave up being a vegetarian after sticking to it for so long. That always cracks me up because I thought like nearly everyone knows that just because something has eggs in it, does not mean I can’t eat it. Oh, I can and I surely do. If I didn’t, then why would I not call myself a vegan instead of a vegetarian? Some people ask me something about how I think it is alright for me to drink milk and eat eggs. Okay, I am going to start with my opinion on milk. First of all, the process of getting the milk out of the cow does not harm the cow at all so why would that matter? I mean, I really actually have no idea because I have never had that done to me but I have seen it done to a cow before and it sure does not look like they are in any pain.
          When I first got asked the question about how I can be okay with eating eggs and not meat, I did get a little scared because all eggs have the potential to mature and eventually hatch into a baby chick, right? That is what I thought from for the longest time watching all of those cartoons on TV where a chicken lays an egg, it starts to crack moments later, and a cute little chick emerges from the leftover shell, smiling and happy to meet its mother. So, how could I be okay with eating eggs? First of all, as a vegetarian that does not eat peanut butter, that is one of my main sources of protein. But, that would still be morally wrong, right? Not necessarily. The eggs that are sold in groups of six or twelve at the grocery store were eggs that were never going to hatch because they were never fertilized(I could go into more detail, but I don’t think that’s what you came here to read). Now, I am not entirely sure if this is true to be honest but, that’s just what I tell myself because someone told me that.

Gotta believe in yourself

If you aren't a vegetarian and have never even thought of being one, just try it; Imagine all of the family meals you would be left out at, while you are sitting there eating a salad and everyone else around you is enjoying normal meals together, as a normal family. It sounds pretty awful, right? What you just imagined is exactly how I imagined the life of a vegetarian would be before I became one myself, missing out on everything you once looked forward to doing with your family. Going out to eat is what the majority of what families, and even friends do when they get together to spend time with one another, so how could you ever be limited to just a salad out of hundreds of things on a menu?

                In reality, it is not even like that at all; you do not always feel left out at restaurant when you go out to eat with people. Well some vegetarians might, but I do not think of it like that because I have an entirely different attitude about it. The way I see it, all of the people around you would never even try being a vegetarian because they ‘could never do it no matter how hard they tried’, or they ‘like the taste of meat too much to kiss it goodbye.’ While you are sitting there, years strong of being a vegetarian, sitting among people that do not believe in themselves enough to even try it. I am not saying vegetarians are stronger or more self-motivated than people who are not vegetarians, but  I am just saying that in my experience, people always tell me that they ‘could never do’ what I am doing. Interpret it how you wish, but I think they either truly do not believe in themselves or just do not see the point in being a vegetarian.

                Honestly, I actually could not care less whether you are or are not a vegetarian, like it does not change how I think of you as a person. I mean, that would be really crazy if that were true because out of all the people I know, I only know like seven vegetarians so that would be a lot of people that I would not think the same about, which is definitely not true. What I am trying to get at is that if the reason you are not a vegetarian is because you don’t think you could ever do it, you are wrong. That is exactly what I thought before I tried it and I guess that was definitely not true, was it? I guess you just gotta believe in yourself.

Price of being a vegetarian

           The process of converting from a regular diet to a vegetarian diet takes time and unfortunately, costs money as well. Well, of course it would cost money. What doesn’t? But, if you would regularly get a pack of six hotdogs but instead get a pack of six vegetarian hotdogs, it will cost more. I am not sure why but the reasoning behind it will most likely have something to do with the fact that the different versions of food (gluten free, vegan, whole grain, etc.) are now more expensive than the original versions.
           Also, have you ever noticed that fast food is a lot cheaper than healthier foods? I think that is ridiculous because that is just going to worsen the obesity rate in America even more. I’m not saying I never eat fast food; I do every once in a while but I try to not get the foods that look really unhealthy from the menu. But, being a vegetarian that gets hard and that is one of the reasons I don’t eat fast food like ever. Even if I did go to a fast food place, what is there to get? French fries? Ice cream? That’s not food to me. I would rather just eat at home or go out to a restaurant if that was the case. At Burger King, they have added a veggie burger to their menu and I have tried it before, yeah it was good but, I could just make the same thing at my house.
          Going into a vegetarian can be a little expensive at times, but there are also times when I will go out to eat with my family and they get something like a steak for like nine to eleven dollars and I will get a salad for only like four or five dollars, so I guess the only expensive part about being a vegetarian is when you go out and buy a pack of fake hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken strips or whatever. Those are like four of five dollars a pack, which adds up pretty fast if you buy a few packs of them at a time like I do. There are different brands of vegetarian products that are more affordable than the kind I always get, but they taste a lot different, in a bad way than the more expensive brands that I get. That is why I stick to only three specific brands of vegetarian meat. Like the saying goes, I guess you get what you pay for.

White Meat vs. Dark Meat

            One of the main differences between fake meat and real meat in terms of the taste, in my opinion is that the white meat that is fake tastes much better than the white meat that is real; it is a lot more moist and appetizing than actual real white meat is, in my opinion. However, dark meat is the exact opposite for me; the dark meat made out of real meat (if I remember correctly) is a lot more moist and delicious than the dark meat made for vegetarians, consisting primarily of vegetables and soy beans. The dark meat that is made for vegetarians is more crumbly than the real dark meat. I do not believe it is possible to create a fake dark meat with the same consistency as actual real dark meat has because that is something vegetables alone cannot do.

For example, fake white meat, like the chicken nuggets, chicken patties, and chicken strips taste amazing and I would much rather have those than I would have those made out of real meat. I remember what actual real chicken tastes like and even though it is very different from fake white meat, it is just as good if not better than the real meat alternative. On the other hand, fake dark meat like the fake hamburgers, sausage, steak, hotdogs, and bacon tastes absolutely nothing like the real version of it. The fake hamburgers taste pretty good and I eat them every once in a while, the taste of fake sausage is far from the taste of real sausage but that does not mean it is bad tasting, just different and I eat those every once in a while as well. To me, the fake steak is amazing. I never used to really like actual steak when I was not a vegetarian but now that I am a vegetarian, I enjoy a steak every now and then. I think fake hotdogs are really good, but honestly I would not be able to compare them to actual real hotdogs because I forgot what they taste like (and no, that is not a reason for me to go back to not being a vegetarian).

         Now, the fake bacon. Let me tell you that when I first saw the box in the vegetarian aisle that said ‘new’ and ‘vegetarian bacon’ on the box I got a little excited because I mean really, who does not like bacon? But then I noticed something; the picture of the fake ‘bacon’ on the front of the box looked absolutely nothing like what you would picture if you thought of bacon in your head. I mean, maybe it is because what you picture when you think of bacon (the bubbles coming out from the section of white fat and the red/brown, darker flat section of a strip of bacon) could not be made to look anything similar to that when you try to make the same kind of concept, except out of vegetables and soybeans. Basically, the picture of the fake ‘bacon’ on the box looked like a rectangular, very flat strip of cardboard that was all tan with a couple of burgundy-colored curvy lines on it. You would think they could put a little more effort into making it look like something that would be under the category of ‘bacon,’ right? Anyway, I tried not to ‘judge a book by its cover’ and tried it anyway, thinking it could not taste the way it looks, right, like cardboard? But it did, and that is an example of one of the very few types of fake meat I will never spend my money on (or my parents I guess, but you get the idea).

I don't have cravings

For the first year or so of me being a vegetarian, I actually had a lot of cravings for meat and I almost gave in a couple times, but I stuck it out and talked myself out of it because I wanted to prove to everyone that me choosing to be a vegetarian was not a thing that would end up lasting only like a month. I knew I could do it if I tried hard enough and resisted the temptations. Sometimes, my friends or family used to hold meat up to my face, trying to make me give in (which is really mean, actually), and I would be on the brink of saying “fine, I will do it.” To this day, people still do that me sometimes. But, the difference now is that it does not even make me want to eat meat again. I do not know what it is, but for some reason, the thought of me eating meat ever again just disgusts me. I think it is because of the fact that it has been such a long time since I have had meat, so I do not even crave it anymore because I think I have forgotten what it tastes like.

Actually, I do not really think that I would say that I have entirely forgotten what meat tastes like because, I still eat meat sometimes, just not the kind of meat that most other people eat. For most people, they would probably argue that I do not know what meat tastes like anymore, but after transitioning from real meat to fake meat, there was virtually no difference in the taste to me. Like, I legit used to be the person that said fake meat would never be able to compare to real meat, but just look at me now; I am now the person trying to persuade people to not bash on vegetarians just because they think we forgot what meat tastes like, and other stupid stuff like that. 

Menu Options

             Some people actually think that I literally am not even able to go to the majority of restaurants because I am a vegetarian. This is definitely not true. Well, in some cases this is entirely true but almost all restaurants and eateries, in my experience have at least a few options available for a vegetarian, and some even for a vegan. When I say ‘options,’ it usually means salads and vegetables. To most people, they would think they would get tired of that type of food being their only option, but for me that would be exactly what I would want.

            Occasionally, I come across a restaurant or eatery that has its very own menu that they give to vegetarians, which is nice but it generally has only salads, soups, and some super expensive seafood on it, which can also be found in the normal menu, or the menu everyone else is handed as they take their seats after sitting down. Most restaurants, however, do not have their own menu for vegetarians. I would actually prefer to go to a restaurant that do not have those because unless they are a restaurant that specializes in vegetarian dishes or is known for its vegetarian options, the selection on their vegetarian menu is going to be really small and not as appetizing as the options for people who are not vegetarians. I would rather look at all of the options (non-vegetarian as well) and select which one I want because some dishes you can ask for it without the meat, and maybe they will give you a discount or maybe not, depending on the place and some dishes you could ask for them to put the meat on the side and give it to someone else who would eat it.

           When I first started to become a vegetarian and my family and I would go out for supper, I did not think I could really get anything off of the menu, so I ate some of their food that they did not want or was willing to share. That sounds like how they would treat a dog, but it was actually pretty good and we did this quite often. But recently, some restaurants started adding an item to their menu where you can order that item and you are allowed to eat food off of the plates of the people you are with that costs almost as much as an entire regular meal. Honestly, I think that is ridiculous. If customers come to a restaurant and buy food from you, how can you tell them that they are not allowed to share with their family or friends? They are the ones that gave you money and bought it from you. I mean, I understand how watching two people eat food for the price of one at their restaurant might make them angry, but what is the difference if they take their leftovers home and give them to someone else? Exactly. It is basically the same concept.

I'm not a 'health nut'

People always just assume right away after I tell them that I am a vegetarian that I am some sort of health nut that only eats fruit and vegetables because I have been a vegetarian  for such a long time. First of all, I can still eat junk foods like chips, cake, and candy. I mean, I do try really hard to not eat much of that type of food anymore, but I am pretty sure that has nothing to do with me being a vegetarian. Maybe what they are thinking of is a vegan, and then I would not be able to eat some of that junk food like cake, ice cream, pancakes, chocolate, or cookies. But still, there are a lot of types of junk foods that a person who is a vegan can (and does) eat.  They could also be thinking about how instead of eating actual meat (which has fat and grease in it), a person that is a vegetarian eats fake meat that is made primarily out of soybeans and vegetables. I mean, I guess that would make more sense.

 I guess a person could start being a vegetarian just because they are a health nut, but not necessarily. At least, in my case that was definitely not the reason, anyway. For example, someone who is a health nut could decide they do not want to put meat inside of their body anymore because of it being processed, salty, or drenched in fats and greases. Then, if they ever wanted to go a step further, they could just go vegan.

I honestly do not think that I could ever go full on vegan; that would be too restricting for me, and too insane. On the other hand, I did used to say that about being a vegetarian and how crazy of an idea that was for me, but look at me now. Once I started being a vegetarian, I never gave it up. Some say I am an idiot for never giving it up (or started being one in the first place), then there are others that seem to be really proud of me. But, maybe that is just because they think they would never be able to keep it up for as long as I have. But hey, how will you ever know for sure unless you try? I mean, I would never tell someone to become a vegetarian because it does not really work that way. Even if I did, it wouldn't ever work because they would not have the same kind of dedication that I do.

Over-looked ingredients

Despite all of the benefits of being a vegetarian, there are numerous downsides as well. One of the main downsides is quite obvious, and that would be the fact that eating anywhere like at home, and especially at a restaurant can be a challenge. The majority of restaurants only think about the person who can or do eat meat when they set up their menu, so it is extremely difficult at times to order something that is both completely meat-free and still appetizing for me. There have been times when I went somewhere to eat and the only things that I could possibly get are appetizers or salads, which is frustrating because why would I go out to eat to only end up ordering a salad when I could have just saved myself or my parents money and made one at my house?

            Another thing that some restaurants and companies do is that they cook foods that would have the potential for being suitable for a vegetarian in something like chicken broth or beef broth, so I sometimes may end up ordering and eating that particular food without being aware of it being cooked in something with meat until long after I finished eating it, which is extremely frustrating to me. That happens to me quite a lot.

When my parents or I go shopping for groceries for me, we always have to make sure to check all of the ingredients for something that contains meat and that is very annoying and not to mention, also very time consuming. I think people would be surprised to find out that even some dessert items contain something called ‘gelatin,’ which is basically exactly what pudding and of course, Jell-O is made out of. But, gelatin can also be found in most brands of fruit snacks and some other candies even. I actually eat kind of a lot of fruit snacks so I had to find a brand that does not ever have gelatin in it and stick to that brand only.

More recently, I discovered that one of the local Chinese food restaurants that I sometimes eat at cooks their vegetable lo mein (which is incredibly misleading because, if it has the word ‘vegetable’ in the name of the food, then why would they not cook it in vegetable oil instead?) in chicken broth. I was really sad to hear this because the vegetable lo mein that they sold was the best vegetable lo mein I have probably ever tasted from a Chinese restaurant. Plus, I have been eating the vegetable lo mein from there for as long as I can remember, not to mention all the times that I have eaten it since I have become a vegetarian. I guess now I will have to try to remember not to order that from there anymore.

Vegetarian...with slip-ups

            Even though being a vegetarian is truly not as difficult as it may sound to some people, there are still times where I have accidentally eaten a food with meat in it. It does not happen too often, but it probably happens more than you would think. To me, it has only happened about six times, some incidents were more serious and scary than the others.

For example, one time before homecoming my group of friends and I went out for supper before the dance at a really nice and fancy restaurant. Since I was not only a vegetarian, but also a picky vegetarian, my meal choices were limited and I ended up ordering the three-cheese lasagna. I tried to read what the ingredients were below the name, but the names were in Italian or something so I did not know what they actually were anyway. When I got it, it was a lot larger than I anticipated, so I could only eat half of it. Once I finished half of it I asked for a to-go box, and soon I realized that there was something in my mouth that felt a lot like something I used to know, something a lot like hamburger.

        When the waiter came back, I asked what was in it and he said “oh, there is cheese, hamburger, and-” My mouth dropped and it felt like the end of the world, like all of the years I was a vegetarian did not matter anymore and I would not be able to say that I was a vegetarian. I felt sick to my stomach (still not entirely sure if it was because I ate meat for the first time in years or because I was in shock and nervous).Those were the thoughts I immediately had after I found out, before I realized that it was completely an accident, and that does not mean I would not be able to say that I was a vegetarian. Then the waiter said that only half of the lasagna had hamburger in it, and the other half had only cheese in it. Guess which half I ate. Yep, that is right; the entire half of the lasagna with the hamburger in it. I am still a vegetarian, but now I am a vegetarian with a couple of slip-ups.