#VegetarianMonth: Things never to say to a veggie

Published Oct 2, 2017

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To mark World Vegetarian Day, we asked some veggies to share what they wish meat-eaters would stop asking them.  

Jenny Liddle, former trustee of The Vegan Society

“Where do you get your protein? Oh but you won't be able to have that will you? You can't eat that, it's got cow-juice in it! It must be really hard being a vegan. I couldn't be vegan - I love my bacon and cheese too much! I'm nearly vegan - I only eat chicken once a week! But what would happen if you were left in the desert and all you had to eat was your camel? But Lions eat meat." 

Lauren Regan-Ingram, 30, account manager, Newcastle

"But plants have feelings too and you eat them, so you should just eat meat.”

Becky Smail, 27, account manager, London

“'But we have been eating meat for centuries, that’s why we have incisors' and 'I love animals, but becoming vegan is so extreme'. Surely the meat industry is the extreme one?"

Jennifer Earle, founder of Chocolate Ecstasy Tours and chocolate judge 

"Don’t you miss meat? What about bacon? What about protein? Go on, just try a little bit." 

May Hunter, art instructor, 29, Virginia

“But fish is okay, right?” 

​Aoife Sheridan, construction estimator, 23, Ireland 

“I wish people would stop saying 'You know a vegan diet is really unhealthy for you?”

Tianna McCormick, clinical laboratory supervisor, 39, Colorado 

"I wish people would stop telling me that we're scientifically meant to eat animals. I'm a scientist, trust me, we're okay without it."

Andrea Short, nutritionist, 31, Wisconsin

"Is it hard being a vegan? I mean, what do you eat?' 

Sophie Sadler, 24, senior account executive, Winchester

“I wish people would stop asking 'but will you start eating meat again when you're pregnant?' It's slightly irrelevant as I'm in my early 20's and not married and have no immediate plans to start a family but one that people seem to obsess over!” 

Karin Moestam, 26, Bournemouth 

“I get incredibly frustrated with parents who get upset if you talk about giving plant-based food to children. I’ve heard everything from it ‘not being nutritional enough’ to ‘you shouldn’t force your political beliefs on a child’ to it being ‘child abuse’!

“This is especially ironic when coming from parents who frequently give their children McDonalds and KFC, as if that would be preferential to broccoli and beans.” 

“Also, when you point out that the earth we live on is literally dying because of the environmental impact of animal farming and meat-eaters respond with something along the lines of ‘I guess that’s a good point, but I could never stop eating steak, it’s just too delicious’. Do they want steak or a planet for their grandchildren to live on?”

Head Chef Pavel Kanja of Flat Three restaurant, London

“Is your dog vegan?”

”I have some chocolate but you can't have any“

“Is seabass vegan?”

Aimee, 29, Cornwall, PR

“Why are you vegetarian? How do you survive? It must be so boring. You don’t eat meat? I bet your boyfriend is unhappy.” 

Harriet, 23, Cornwall, PR 

“Aren’t you protein deficient? Do you not like going out to restaurants? What is there to eat?” 

The Independent

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