Day 8: A KINK IN THE CHAIN

            By turnpikes, in shopping centers, near malls – wherever you turn there they are. The “they” I am referring to are chain restaurants, and maybe I’m just a weird observer of these sorts of things, but it seems like chain restaurants make up a substantial part of the typical (and stereotypical) American cuisine. We’re all guilty of spending money there. Hell, for some people, these food joints are their favorite places to grab a bite to eat. Putting aside their high-caloric options and oversized portions, I still have a bone to pick with chain restaurants (no pun intended). The most bothersome fact about these places is that they have very few vegetarian/vegan-friendly choices on their menus (and by very, I mean CLOSE TO NONE).

            I became aware of this disappointing reality over spring break. While out with my friends, we decided to go to Applebee’s to put some dinner in our stomachs. Being that they are all proud meat-eaters, they had zero difficulty finding something on the menu to feed their hunger. I, however, did not share that same experience. First off, I am a very health-conscious eater as is; I watch what I put into my body, so that in and of itself limits my options. On top of that, I don’t consume any meat, poultry, or fish. As I perused the menu, I saw absolutely nothing to fit my style of eating. I wound up ordering a house salad – you know, the kind you get as a side to a larger-portioned meal. It was hardly satisfying, and it was at that moment that I realized chain restaurants should have more items for vegetarians and vegans to order. Why should we be penalized solely because we refuse to ingest prepared animal carcasses? How is that fair? The United States is supposed to be the “Melting Pot,” where cultures, ethnicities, and races mix together to form one great nation, yet on the whole, it seems we are very set in our ways. What I mean to say is if America is so keen on welcoming diversity, then why do people with differing views, or in other words, minorities, face so many more obstacles than those who are part of the majority? I don’t think that it’s right, and sure, it’s easy to look at this argument and think that they’re only chain restaurants, but in a society where equality is striven for, no issue of inequality is too minimal to go unspoken for. My question to you is what is one issue of inequality that either you or someone you know has faced?

Listed below are four chain restaurants and the items on their menus that a vegetarian could consume:

-Applebee’s: nothing on the menu itself…garden salad plain when requested; kids menu: grilled cheese sandwich or macaroni and cheese – nothing for vegans

-T.G.I. Fridays: Southwest Wedge Salad, Classic Wedge Salad, Broccoli Cheese Soup, French Onion Soup

-Ruby Tuesday: Fresh Garden Bar, Garden Salad, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Vegetarian Minis; Vegetarian Pasta Marinara

-Texas Roadhouse: House Salad, Caesar Salad, Country Veg Plate (which consists of four sides and limited to one salad)

http://www.applebees.com/MenuLandingStatic.aspx

http://www.tgifridays.com/menus/menus.aspx

http://www.rubytuesday.com/menu

http://www.texasroadhouse.com/our-menu/

Day 7: CELEBRITIES KNOW BEST...

Celebrities are everywhere. We see them on magazine and DVD covers. We hear about them on the news and the radio. We even try to smell like them by purchasing their personalized fragrances. Regardless of how much you may dislike the colorful world of pop culture, the fact of the matter is that it surrounds us and is relevant to our everyday lives. Famous people are aware of their influence over the general public, hence why they are the ones chosen to represent companies in ads and why it becomes newsworthy when they speak up to support a campaign. Now what does this have to do with vegetarianism one might ask – the answer is simple: vegetarian celebrities use their power to advocate their lifestyle choices.

Some find that this is a cheap way to kickoff a new food trend, similar to the zero carbohydrate, frozen meal delivery, and point distribution type diets. Personally, I feel that because celebrities are so incredibly looked up to, they should be able to endorse their beliefs, within reason, to the public, especially where vegetarianism is concerned. For as much as we seem to know in this age of technology that we’re a part of, on the whole, we are severely clueless on pressing matters – vegetarianism/veganism being one of them. People simply do not know or understand what being a vegetarian entails, why someone would choose to live this way, what health benefits come from this kind of diet, how being a vegetarian impacts the meat industry, etc. Shame on us for choosing to spend so much time social networking and not so much time informing ourselves, which would only take about ten minutes mind you. Such a lack of knowledge is exactly why I support celebrity spokespeople. They are merely using their fame to communicate to others why being a vegetarian/vegan is a great and important way to live, and I am grateful to have such role models utilize their stardom for good in our society. And so I ask you what is your position on the influence of celebrities in the United States?

Listed below are some well-known vegetarian/vegan celebrities:

-Carrie Underwood

-Anthony Kiedis (singer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers)

-Leona Lewis

-Natalie Portman

-Josh Hartnett

-Prince

-Kristen Bell

-Alicia Silverstone

-Andre 3000

-Tobey Maguire

-Joaquin Phoenix

-Gwyneth Paltrow

-Rachel McAdams

-Chelsea Clinton

-Alec Baldwin

-Kal Penn

-Russell Brand

-John C. Reilly

-Reese Witherspoon

http://www.allamericanspeakers.com/Celebrity_Vegetarians.php

Day 6: A FURLESS COURSE OF ACTION

“Do your homework (even though I don’t).” “Don’t party (even though I do).” “Go to sleep early (even though that’s not even close to what I do).” Each of the aforesaid are what I like to call hypocritical statements. One of my biggest pet peeves in the world is when people tell others to do something that they themselves do not do. Clearly because this blog is about vegetarianism, it somehow has to relate, right? Exactly! It bothers me to no end when people try to attack me for my stance on animal rights.

Though I’m sure there are many out there who do not consume meat but will still wear leather, I am not one of those people. My personal belief is that innocent animals should not be killed for human benefit – be it a fast food craving or a fancy for fur coats. I recognize that there are certain circumstances where the difficulty of obtaining products not made from animals outweighs the simplicity of just buying those products, so it is slightly more understandable why a person with my beliefs would prefer not to have to exert so much effort on what should be a minor task and would wind up taking the easy route. On the whole, however, people such as myself aim to find purses, shoes, wallets, etc. made from cloth or plastic rather than leather. I research various brands and designers who support the animal rights cause and opt for faux fur and pleather as opposed to real animal coats and skin.

To some, I may sound crazy – a nineteen-year-old girl attempting to better the world and what she believes in by boycotting animal products – and I’m okay with that. Nonetheless, to me, it is not that silly of a fight. It doesn’t matter to me if in my lifetime, it’s only one rabbit that I manage to save; it’s still one less bunny being brutally beaten, tortured, injected, skinned…you get the gist of it.

So once and for all, I’d like to put an end to these absurd rumors that try to make vegetarians out to be ignorant hypocrites. They could not be further from the truth. In fact, from my own personal observations, it is the vegetarian population that seem to be more informed on where their food comes from, how the animals are treated, and the like. My question to you is what do you find to be the most irritating hypocritical statement/belief/expression?