Dealing with people who are not vegetarians

If you have recently become a vegetarian, or you have been one for some time already, and people you are surrounded by are not supporting your decision - then you have probably heard some things like this - Well, what will you eat if you don't eat meat? You will become sick and your teeth will fall out! How will you get proteins if you don't eat meat?! So, you still eat chicken and fish... right?

It can be quite frustrating sometimes when people keep asking you questions like this again and again...especially if they do it everytime you're having a meal in front of them. It would be quite easier if you lived in India or any other place where vegetarianism is a normal every day situation but how to deal with that if you live in a place where meat is consumed daily couple of times per day?

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1° Try not to look bothered by it
~ There are just some people who do not want to accept your reasons for becoming a vegetarian because they are not able to understand them or they simply think they are right. In any case it is difficult to blame them because we live in a society where generations and generations of people have been eating meat daily, even more times a day. We hear on TV, learn at schools, see in the newspapers and commercials that meat is good for us and we need it in order that our body would function normally. Whichever your reasons for becoming a vegetarian are - health issues, animal rights, spiritual reasons - you are not required to give up on them just because someone does not respect your choice. Remember that it is perfectly fine not to agree with someone, however disrespecting someone's decisions is a sign of a disrespect towards you directly. Of course, if people are not making fun of you - rather just being worried about you - you can be thankful for such people in your life, even if they cannot understand your motives.

2° Be the good example
~ Words are words - deeds are deeds. A dog that barks doesn't bite. Get people around you introduced to your diet. Some of them perhaps are not able to comprehend how exactly it is possible not to eat meat and stay alive. Talk about your vegetarian recipes, invite people over for a dinner! You are not required to explain anyone why you are doing something, it is your choice and the responsibility to take care of your own body is nobody's but yours. The same rules are valid for any other person as well. Live what you talk, be the good example, try to avoid conflicts. Take a good care of yourself. Once people see that, they will give you a break.

3° Accept the fact that some people will never agree with you
~ No matter how many times you try to explain to someone how soya chunks, lentils and veggie burgers actually can be delicious, in the end there will still be people who will say - I'd rather have a big ol' steak than plants! And this is completely fine because just how you won't agree with them, they don't have to agree with you too. Nobody is right nor wrong. Everybody is different - we have different jobs, different body constitutions, we like different kinds of food. If you live in a society where meat is consumed daily, sometimes you could meet people who will disrespect your decisions every day. Accept the fact that not everyone will agree with you and every now and then will try to provoke you. Learn how not to react to such comments, simply move on and try to be greater than that.

4° Educate yourself about healthy vegetarianism

~ If vegetarianism is something you really like and want, if it is something that makes you feel better in every aspect of your living, keep it up. Read more about it. Educate yourself about it. That way you are also able to reply to people's questions like: Where will you get proteins from? There is no diet which will be good for everyone, you should, therefore, experiment with the food you eat. Try not to eat meat for a while, then eat it after a month or so and pay attention how your body reacts to it - the same can be done with any kind of food or ingredient. Sometimes it happens that through these kinds of tests people learn more about their bodies and better diets for themselves.

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Whether you believe in heaven and hell or reincarnation - it is a fact that this life we live only once. Your body is your responsibility. Nobody can take better care of it than you. If you have got convinced through your own experience that you do not need to take another life in order to live your own life - what can possibly convince that it is the other way round?

Vegetarian labels in India - GREEN for vegetarian

India is one of the countries that have the highest rate of vegetarian population, at least one forth of the whole population up to almost a half. Most of them will be of Hindu religion. It has been like that since centuries. Many traditional recipes do not include meat. Therefore you can learn a lot from Indian cuisine - how to prepare vegetarian food, how to mix different kind of vegetables, how to use vegetables you have never eaten in your life. In general you can learn more about how Indian cuisine can help you in your vegetarianism by simply trying out some recipes or even reading them out.

Indian Vegetarian Dishes