Meat and the vegetarian single
If you’re single and dating, you’ve probably already figured out that it’s a special sort of challenge. Do you date people who eat meat? Or are you only interested in dating other vegetarians?
Vegetarian singles who choose to date those who aren’t vegetarian or vegan diet may find themselves at a disadvantage. Many vegetarians can’t stand to watch people eat meat , and going out to dinner with a potential romantic partner who’s chewing on a big, rare steak is a disaster waiting to happen. Dating meat-eaters can be stressful for vegetarians – after all, you may find yourself repulsed at the thought of kissing someone who just ate a cheeseburger!
On the other hand, you may not have any problem dating omnivores. If you’re vegetarian strictly for health reasons, it may not bother you that your partner’s eating meat. If you’re vegetarian for moral reasons, however, you’re going to have a hard time dating people who indulge in a practice that you find unethical.
It’s no wonder that vegetarians often choose to only date other vegetarians. But that in itself brings its own set of drawbacks. For one thing, you’re seriously limiting your dating pool. For another, what if they’re a different sort of vegetarians than you are? To a vegan, even dating an ovo lacto can have its problems.
If you do want to date other vegetarians, you’ll have better luck if you live in a large metropolitan area. Many vegetarian societies have local groups that meet in larger towns and cities. Many of these groups have pot luck get-togethers and outdoor events. There are also dating services just for vegetarians, as well as animal rights or animal welfare groups, and vegetarian cooking classes – all great places to meet vegetarian singles.
And don;t rule out Internet dating. The number of people gravitating toward dating online grows all the time, and it’s much more acceptable to meet potential mates this way than ever before. Sign up with a site that caters exclusively to vegetarian dating and, while you may not find as many member sin the more all-inclusive services, you’ll know from the start that you’re meeting like-minded singles.
Vegetarianism at work
If you’ve ever been on a weight-loss diet, you know what a royal pain co-workers can be. There’s a strange sort of hive-mind mentality that happens in the workplace, where people simply can’t accept that you don’t want a piece of birthday cake or a piece of that giant submarine sandwich. Sometimes it’s like being back in grade school – the peer pressure can be annoying, and it can sabotage your diet!
Vegetarians face a similar problem, especially if they’re the only meat-free eaters in their office. Sadly, it’s human nature for people to feel threatened by any change in the status quo, and your becoming a vegetarian may cause people to become antagonistic, or to try and sway you to give up your commitment to a meat-free lifestyle.
Even if you’re polite and don’t make a big deal out of your vegetarianism, it will most likely become an issue. "Come on ... just have one slice," they’ll say when the pepperoni pizza is set out. "What are you now, some kind of hippy?" they’ll ask. Usually they don’t even know they’re being rude and hostile – it will usually be presented in a joking manner. But it will be hard for you to stay cheerful if you find yourself continually under attack.
The best you can do is to smile, say, "no, thank you" in a calm voice, and change the subject. You may have to walk away if they won’t drop it. But if the subject keeps coming up, perhaps you can use the situation top you advantage instead of becoming frustrated and angry. When they hit you with the usual jibes, come back with a clever response:
"I think tofu’s disgusting." ("And eating a cow’s liver isn’t?"
"It’s okay to eat animals, because humans are smarter." ("So does that mean it’s okay to eat stupid people?"
"I’ll bet one really great cheeseburger would change your mind." ("And I’ll bet one trip to a slaughterhouse would change yours!"
"If you don’t eat meat, why do you wear leather shoes?" ("Why – are shoes made from meat?"
In any case, showing a good sense of humor and not letting yourself be antagonized is the key. That applies to business functions like dinners with clients and conferences with catered lunches. If you’re dining in a restaurant, all of the usual etiquette applies – eat what you can, or politely ask for something else. If you’re stuck at a business function, however, and there’s absolutely nothing to eat, share your vegetarianism with your boss or the person who plans your company’s events. Once they start adding a vegetarian option to the fare at business meetings and other events, you’ll find that you’re not the only employee who enjoys that option – and pretty soon you’ll find that there’s always something for to eat at work.
