New Traditions, New Comforts, New Ideas Through A Meatless Lifestyle

I love food. I love good food. Sometimes, there is the sad misconception that vegans & vegetarians can't be "foodies" or that their diets are boring. This is not true. Early in my meatless journey, I knew that I would never last long with a boring diet.

Mushroom-Almond Stuffing

Vegetarianism gave me many things. For, and probably foremost, it improved my health. For those who knew me in high school, I was probably not the first one they would expect to go veg, but after a decade... here I am. My journey was headed by health issues with my stomach and the desire to get my life back without drugs or surgery. it was a journey that started with dragging feet, but it worked. An unexpected result of vegetarianism was a lighter spirit and consciousness. This is the part that a lot of people don't expect and can make some people uncomfortable. I didn't expect it, but it happened and it altered some of my view of the animal and human world. The third big thing resulting from vegetarianism was to force me to experiment and become more adventurous food. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life surviving on grilled cheese, peanut butter, or baked potatoes. (Baked potatoes were my main go-to food for the first six months and are now something I tend not to eat a lot of.)

Food is an adventure. Food has become something more than just a necessity for survival. I have created new traditions, experimented with new foods & recipes, found new foods & cuisines, and forced me to challenge myself. Many of the foods I now eat are built on the food traditions I grew up, now altered. Holiday traditions have been re-imagined & new traditions have built upon the old ones (We will get to those.) One concept that has altered along the way, is comfort food. We all have different things. Overtime, one of my unexpected comfort foods has become Indian food. It just makes me happy. Sometimes, I still cling to the "typical" middle America comfort foods like mashed potatoes topped with mushroom gravy or a bowl of ice cream. On bad days or after a long week, sometimes this Ohio girl just needs a some Mattar Paneer over rice with Samsoas & garlic naan bread. Lucky for me there is a local restaurant near my work place that I can stop or  call ahead to grab take out. Depending on the day, it may also be veggie eggrolls and dumplings from my favorite local sport, Greek (yay falafel), or Mexican (from restaurant or homemade at home). Just because someone grows up in Ohio, doesn't mean that have to eat like they've never lived or eaten anywhere else.

Homemade mushroom tacos topped with lettuce, homemade salsa, cheese, & black olives in soft flour tortilla

Falafel platter with spicy feta spread from local Greek restuarant

Vegan vs. Vegetarian: We Really Can All Get Along

One of my greatest pet peeves is the struggle and conflict that too often occurs between vegetarians and vegans, or the other such as semi-vegetarians, pescatarian, etc.

 It's not always easy being vegetarian, vegan, or anything that can be deemed "out of the norm." While "vegheads" are growing in numbers and options are becoming more plentiful, the reality is that we are still often in the minority. That can make it hard enough. In fighting, only makes it worse.

Recently someone I knew was seated at a dinner with others that knew me and my family. Upon, seeing someone order vegan, he (a definite meat-eating omnivore) stated, "oh, like her!" For many meat eaters the line between vegan is vegetarian is a confusing one and is all the same. Instead of the numerous non-aggressive replies that could have come, came "No, she is only a vegetarian. I am a vegan." I was told about the offsetting conversation later. It made my physically groan at the aggressive response and dividing reaction to someone who legitimately did not know the difference. It's not hard enough to get attacked by meat-eaters desperately afraid that we will take away their steak, but for many there are attacks basically within one's own community. Instead of allies, there is aggression towards anyone that doesn't "measure up."

If one chooses to influence someone else to make positive changes in their life, their health, or the environment, attacking someone for 'not doing enough' or for 'not being like me' is not going to encourage that change. A few militant individuals often give the rest of any given group a bad rap, and can make any cause or lifestyle to encounter more issues as a result of the actions of a few. Breaking people down however similar or difference than you are does not to influence positive change, if anything it incites people to rebel and act against you and your belief system. Does anyone really think they are going to change a meat-eater to a meatless by attacking them or calling them names? Despite, best intentions, this usually does not work now or every.

I try to live a non-aggressive life. I try to put out more positivity than negativity. Does it always happen? No. I am imperfect, like everyone else. I don't want to fight about my lifestyle or judge anyone else for their. Live and let live, means, even those for which you do not agree. It also means not alienating those closest to you and the lifestyle you have chosen. We really can all get along, if we just give it a chance.