The Vegetarian Demographic

There are a lot of assumptions that are made about a person when they divulge the the fact that they are vegetarian. I have heard all kinds of misguided stereotypes. Many people think that vegetarians are all on the fringe of society, not like meat-eating "normal" folk. I find that, when I tell people that I don't eat meat, they come to vastly unrelated conclusions about my political stances. Also, every person from every culture tells me that people of THEIR culture or ethnicity can't possibly be vegetarian because THEY eat so much meat (Americans can't go without steak and potatoes, Hispanics can't go without pork, Caribbean people can't go without chicken...and the list goes on).

Some common misconceptions are:

- Vegetarians are all just rebelling
- Vegetarians are all politically liberal
- Vegetarians are all drug users
- Vegetarians are all malcontents

While, of course, some vegetarians are some or all of the above, the same goes for non-vegetarians. In fact, I have vegetarian friends who occupy some of these characteristics. But I also have carnivorous friends that do, too. Now, I'm not naming names, but here are some celebrities that you may know, who represent many different ends of the cultural spectrum AND all of whom are vegetarian or vegan. You can get see the complete list at http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html.

Meat is Murder...tasty, tasty murder...so why be a vegetarian?

I hear so many comments about how delicious meat is - how great a nice juicy steak is, and so on.  Now, I admit, I had many delicious racks of barbecue ribs in my time.  I grilled some mean burgers and cooked hotdogs over the campfire.  I dare say I made some of the best Italian meatballs ever (my mom helped a little).  So, why did I stop eating meat?

No.

HOW did I stop eating meat?  I'm asked that on almost a daily basis.  The answer is simple - it makes me feel so much better.  My life after meat has been so much healthier.  My energy level and my general health - my complexion, my memory, my weight, everything benefited.  I normally don't subscribe to listening to or spreading propaganda, but the video I have attached today shows some people who have had many of the same experiences I have had since I stopped eating meat.  It is real.  If you haven't tried it, try it.

Is A Vegetarian Diet A Healthy Diet? from Larry Cook on Vimeo.

Seven vegetarians share how being vegetarian has improved their health. Produced by Larry Cook. Distributed by Tubemogul.

Attack of the Vegans!!!!

So, some of you may find this blog through my posting on vegan or vegetarian message boards on www.craigslist.org.  Well, I made a BIG mistake...I posted a link to my story about supporting meaty restaurants that offer vegetarian selections, such as Applebees, on the vegan forum, rather than the vegetarian forum.

Ohhh, boy!  You see what I always say about hippies?!!! I have spent the past two weeks being verbally assaulted.  Now, being the culinary deviant that I am, I am decidedly thick-skinned and take the insults with a grain of salt (Fairtrade certified sea salt, of course).

But, I do want to use this as an opportunity to point out something that I often point out.  The meat-eating world and the non-meat-eating world often clash because of extremism.  If you want to rage against the food machine, that is your prerogative, but I don't.  I have a job and friends and family who don't all espouse my dietary philosophy.  I choose to coexist with them and apply the peace-loving hippie mentality when it really counts and when it requires some effort on my part.

I suggest you all do the same.  The paradigm is shifting.

Getting Awesome Vegetarian Products

Every socialite entertains from home now and again.  It is hard to decide between ordering delivery or cooking, but, and I speak from great experience, it is quite difficult to get good vegetarian food delivered in most areas.  If you decide to cook, as I usually do, there are many options.  I will, from time to time, talk about different options available at the grocery store.  But, today, I want to talk about a more delicious option.  As posted in one of my favorite vegetarian blogs, www.groovyvegetarian.com, ordering online is a viable alternative to some of the more well known frozen groceries or cooking from scratch.

At http://groovyvegetarian.com/2010/03/18/vegetarian-meals-5-places-to-get-some/, they mention www.veggiebrothers.com, which offers some awesome foods, and www.greenpeople.org, which offers links to all kinds of stuff.  But, if you have the pleasure of living in South Florida, as I do, you have access to the best of the best:  www.harmonyvegetarianmeats.com.

Harmony Vegetarian Meats is awesome, offering a huge selection at reasonable prices.  Do yourself a favor and try the vegetarian drumsticks.  Buy as many as you can afford and invest in some awesome sauces, such as teriyaki, jerk seasoning, wing sauce, etc.  You won't be disappointed.

Promoting Vegetarianism

I feel like it's important for me to take a moment and explain why it is important to promote vegetarianism.  Some of the reasons are altruistic, while others are tools to satisfy my own wishes.  Here are my favorites:

1. Vegetarianism is healthy.  I want those around me to be healthy.
2. Vegetarianism is good for the environment.  I want the environment to be healthy.
3. The price of vegetarian products will decrease as they get more popular and competition increases.  I want my bank account to be healthy.
4. More places, including restaurants, will provide vegetarian options when the market becomes lucrative.  That would be awesome!

Anyways, at the risk of sounding like a simpleton, those are my reasons for promoting vegetarianism.  But, I don't hold up a sign or stand on street corners preaching the benefits of a herbivorous diet.  So, what do I do to promote vegetarianism?  I'm glad you asked.  I support businesses that offer vegetarian options, and so should you.  It's nice to go to Tim & Moonglow's Corner Store to buy homemade kava kava suncakes, but the "big guys" deserve some reward for catering to our finicky needs.

If everyone would make a point to stop by Applebee's and have their vegetarian sliders, or by Johnny Rockets and enjoy a Streamliner, or just go to Publix or Winn-Dixie or Albertson's, or whatever your local grocery store is, and patronize their tiny vegetarian food sections, one day they will have many vegetarian options and huge vegetarian food sections.  Can I get an "Amen"?  Or, at least give me a "kumbaya" or whatever hippies say. :)

Vegetarian Breakfast

Well,  I'm up early today and it dawned on me that you barely ever hear of any vegetarian breakfast foods.  That's because vegetarians don't wake up until after noon (kidding).  There really aren't many options.  At home, you can make oatmeal, cereal in soy milk, and a number of soy products.  But, when you're a social animal such as myself, it is hard to eat a vegetarian breakfast on the town.

So, here's what I do.  Starbucks (where I'm going in a few minutes) has a couple of options, including croissants, bagels and muffins.  Oh yeah, there's fruit.  Fruit is light and works for most healthy types.  You can always just eat some pancakes or waffles, hold the sausage.  Speaking of holding the sausage (LOL), there is one fine establishment where I got an amazing vegetarian breakfast.  Our veggie buddies to the north, in Atlanta - I'm from Miami - have a great treasure in Ria's Bluebird.  You can check them out at www.riasbluebird.com. While they do serve meat, they also have treats such as their Southwest Tofu Scramble, Bionic Breakfast, Country Fried Tempeh, and Soysage.  What a spot!  Breakfast might not be the best vegetarian meal of the day, but hey, it helps you survive until lunch. :-p

If you know of any other places where you can get a greasy-delicious vegetarian breakfast, I'd really like to know.  For now, I have to take my proverbial hat off to Ria's for having the best vegetarian breakfast in the universe.

Bionic Breakfast @ Ria's Bluebird, ATL

Why is Pizza so Awesome?

Why is pizza so awesome, you ask?  How dare you!  Pizza is delicious!  I know, I know, I'm eating cow mucous, cows are suffering for my food, my arteries are getting clogged, but pizza is delicious.  I can't resist it.  If you can, I envy you.  At the same time, I feel sorry for you, because you're missing out on pizza.

But, seriously, there are a few great things about pizza for the vegetarian socialite.  First of all, it's yummy.  Second, it's cheap, when you have to "ball on a budget".  Third, most people love it, so it is universally agreeable.  Fourth, it is available EVERYWHERE.  Fifth, no matter how "high-brow" your company is, pizza is a a low-brow food that gets a pass (Donald Trump eats pizza!).  Sixth, it's yummy (did I mention that I like pizza?).

If you're a lucky vegan, you'll find a pizza joint with soy pizza.  But, odds are, if you're not on the west coast or in New York or Miami, you probably won't.  If you do enjoy some cheesy sin from time to time, don't be afraid to suggest pizza as your dining preference for your night on the town.

Surviving Interrogation

When out and about, vegetarians all tend to get the same question, incessantly:

"So, why are you a vegetarian?"

You can reply, "because I'm not an animal-murderer" or "none of your business" ... but neither of those will earn you any vegan brownie points.  Therefore, I suggest a more measured approach - I tell the truth.

Now, there are many shades of the truth, so choose yours carefully.  I became vegetarian for many reasons, in fact all of the reasons (I think).  So, without getting to "deep" into the subject, I politely smile and say "well, all of the popular reasons."  If questioned further, I say that I enjoy the health benefits, like veggies, prefer not to eat animals if I don't have to, and feel like I'm doing good for the environment.

Usually, at this point, I get a "that's cool," and I order another round of vodka-cranberries (did I mention I'm a lightweight?).  On the rare occasion that I am questioned further, such as, "don't you know you need protein" or "don't you miss meat," I simply smile and reply "so far, it's been working for me."  If a person doesn't recognize your passive response as an invitation to stop interrogating at this point, then just punch them in the face (I kid, I kid).  Really, at that point, I just joke it off and say something like "animals don't eat me, so I don't eat them."

Remember, you don't want your diet to lose you valuable contacts or friends, and you don't want your attitude to turn off a potential future-vegetarian.  If you don't convert at least 24 people to vegetarianism in your lifetime, you don't make it into Veggie Heaven. ;-)