Day 5: RISE ABOVE THE RUMORS

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s rumors. Whether it’s a pop culture rumor – Jennifer Aniston is adopting a baby from Mexico – or a social rumor – Karen got a nose job, rumors are rumors, and I think we can all agree that they are ridiculously annoying. One rumor that I’d be happy to debunk right here and right now is this ludicrous idea that vegetarians are lacking in protein, or are, in other words, protein-deficient.

Speaking from personal experience with the matter, I can honestly say that I am in great health. I do not suffer from extreme exhaustion, I have not contracted any sort of disease (knock on wood) due to a poor immune system, and my muscles have yet to fail me. Each of the aforesaid are common effects of protein deficiency, and being the lacto-ovo (typical) vegetarian that I am proves that my diet is not lacking in the proper nutrients – specifically protein. In fact, many people overestimate the amount of protein they need per day, leading to an increase in caloric intake thus causing weight gain. Additionally, if you exercise daily and stick to a reasonably healthy diet, then you should not face any lack-of-protein-related health concerns.

Using the protein excuse just doesn’t cut it for me. If you don’t want to be a vegetarian or are having a difficult time transitioning to such a lifestyle, don’t blame the food options, but instead be honest with yourself and once and for all bust that protein myth. And so I ask you what is one rumor/myth that truly irritates you?

Listed below are vegetarian-friendly common foods with fair amounts of protein in them:

-Bananas = 2 grams

-Potatoes = 7 grams

-Eggs = 26 grams

-Tofu = 6 grams

-Spinach = 6 grams

-Cheese = 7 grams

-Bread = 3 grams

-Peanut Butter = 7 grams

…just to further discredit the rumor.

Sources:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

DAY 4: CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

            I find it interesting that people are more willing to debate my vegetarianism than my political affiliation. It makes me wonder where the source of this tension is derived from. Is it a jealousy thing, meaning are people envious of my self-control and willpower? Does it come from pure skepticism in my belief that saving animals is more important than eating them? Is it merely a source of argumentation since our culture seems to thrive on debate? Whatever the case may be, it never ceases to amaze me that there are so many anti-vegetarian people out there who feel the need to loudly vocalize their criticisms of my dietary habits.

            Personally, I am not at all confrontational, and I believe strongly in respecting others’ opinions regardless of whether or not I agree with them. Yes, in my own utopia, not a single soul would bite into a slab of beef, chomp down on some chicken, feed on fish, polish off a piece of pork, devour deer meat…you get the idea. However, I am fully aware that these beliefs are specific to me, and I would never push them on others. In fact, most of my friends would qualify as proud carnivores, and although I do not particularly find pleasure in observing my friends cut into the flesh of what was once a real-life version of Wilbur (Charlotte’s Web reference), I refrain from guilting them into what I think is moral. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and who am I to tell someone that their views are incorrect? Unfortunately for me, this same courtesy is not reciprocated.

            I am teased on a daily basis for my vegetarian lifestyle. People have called me “lame,” a “loser,” “stupid,” “ridiculous,” “ignorant,” and a “weirdo hippie freak,” which, just as a side note, happens to be a personal favorite of mine. How is it that I, who am just going about my day in a normal fashion, have to endure the various taunts as an effect of my life choices? I am not so thin-skinned as to take these judgments to heart, but it is rather irritating that people feel that compelled to try to force their beliefs on me. I have my own reasons for being a vegetarian, and it would be very much appreciated if others would be mindful of said reasons. It’s almost ludicrous to think that what I eat, or choose not to eat, would spark a fire in others to pick on me for it. Larger, more relevant issues exist, so perhaps it would benefit our society if we focused a bit more on them and a bit less on the harmless veggie-eaters out there. My questions to you are what is one thing that you have been teased about, and how has that teasing affected you?

Day 3: FROM ONE VEGETARIAN TO THE NEXT

“Do you eat fish?” “Are you allowed to consume cheese?” “This has egg in it, so is that all right?” “A friend once told me that your kind can eat meat every once in a while – true or false?” Believe it or not, I am asked these very questions on a daily basis. Sure, there are definitely times when I feel like responding (more like screaming) that I am a VEGETARIAN, which is basically self-explanatory, but instead I try to take the high road and patiently explain what it is that I do.

I am what most people call just a regular “vegetarian,” meaning I do not eat any kind of meat, including fish, but I do eat eggs and dairy. The technical term for this is called a “lacto-ovo-vegetarian.” Even though I respect and admire those who are, I am not vegan. Veganism eliminates all animal products from one’s diet and is notorious for being an expensive lifestyle. Butter, milk, eggs, honey, cheese, chocolate, ice cream, yogurt, etc. will not be seen on a vegan menu. Then there are pescetarians, and they take the lacto-ovo-vegetarian route with the addition of seafood. Because there are people who exclude all meat but fish, there have to be people who exclude all meat but poultry, right? Correct! Those types of people are referred to as “pollo-vegetarians,” or “pollotarians.” Chicken, turkey, duck, goose, quail, what have you are all consumed by pollotarians. Aside from poultry-eaters, there are people known as “flexitarians,” and on the whole, they approach the food world with a lacto-ovo-vegetarian’s appetite. However, their diet is a bit more flexible since they have the freedom to occasionally eat meat if they so choose to. Overall, there are several more types of vegetarians that exist, but the aforementioned are the ones I most frequently run into.

To answer those everyday questions, I do not eat fish, I am allowed to consume cheese, it is all right if I chow down on a product that contains egg, and my specific kind (lacto-ovo) does not ingest meat. So my questions to you are what is one habit/lifestyle choice that people always question you about? And are you flattered by their inquisitiveness, or does it annoy you? 

Day 2: TOFU TROUBLES

Walking into the commons every night for dinner is always an experience full of emotion. I don’t mean that I cry as I hand the cashier my swipe card, or I smile greatly as I load the eating utensils onto my tray (that would be a tad bizarre). What I’m talking about is the feeling of disappointment, or relief depending on the circumstances, to what options are available for that night’s meal. Being that I am both a vegetarian AND a health freak, my choices at school are rather limited, which is something I’ve grown used to over the years. Nonetheless, it certainly doesn’t make life easier.

My basic dinner consists of a large plate of salad made by yours truly from the salad bar selections, a dinner roll, and a small bowl of the fruit of the day. The quality of the food has yet to dissatisfy me, though several of my peers would likely disagree with my taste in what I consider good food, and that is perfectly fine by me.

My only real complaint regards one of the few foods I am able to consume – tofu.

Most of the time, Findlay Commons is pretty good at having a container of tofu as part of the salad bar; however, there have been various occasions when I have not been able to toss the soy coagulate onto my salad. It is not that not having tofu in the salad bar is really that big of a deal, but looking at it from my perspective, it just makes things that much more difficult. Try to imagine living a particular way. You don’t eat meat because you’re a vegetarian, you don’t eat pasta and other carby dishes because you care about eating very VERY healthily, and the one thing you can eat and enjoy eating is somewhat soiled for you because it’s not made available to you that evening. Sure, it may sound like a stupid problem, but for me, it’s very real and very disconcerting. As a vegetarian, I have to stay on top of my daily nutritional intake to make sure I am getting the proper nutrients. Tofu happens to be a great source of protein, calcium, and dietary fiber, so when I can’t plop it onto my salad, my entire diet for that day has been thrown off. All in all, I would just appreciate it if the school would provide tofu and other meat substitutes everyday at every meal. So my question to you is what is one food you wish would be a daily option in the commons and why?