JournalNow.com: Veggin' Out

Contrary to a popular stereotype, vegetarians are not all champions of self-denial, pathetically munching a sprout on the sidelines while watching the omnivores have all the culinary fun. Instead, the vegetarians we know love good food and know where to get it. They aren't about to settle for a bland meal, either at home or at a restaurant.

Comments

As a lifelong Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian, I have never had the opportunity, or desire to try the Thanksgiving Turkey, but our family has the priviledge of being invited every year to our friends 5 hour long Italian American Thanksgiving food fest. The great thing is that I bring my favorite sides...green bean casserole, stuffed mushrooms, homemade fresh cranberry sauce, I have also brought along a Tofurkey one year which was almost all eaten up by non veggie people! The anti-pasto course always has a bunch to eat, and the previous years they had just plain cheese lasagna as a course. This year it was left out, but we still had way too much to eat. If you’re looking for meat substitutes, Whole Foods has many, or contact your local Seventh-day Adventist church, they usually have a food store with vegetarian meat substitues.

11/27/2007 6:49 PM

anonymous

Thank you for your comment! It’s a shame that your boyfriend’s family hasn’t quite gotten the hang of the “no meat in the vegetables” thing, but I think that’s the case with a lot of Southern families. “Meat” to many nonvegetarians means a big steak, not little bits of bacon.

That’s great that your family is supportive of your vegetarianism and that you actually get to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast that day!

11/19/2007 7:24 PM

Cassandra

I am lucky: We go to two Tday feasts- my boyfriend’s family early in the day and my family’s later on, so I experience both non veggie friendly dinners and veggie approved ones. I can relate to your post and the article because at my in law’s, I’m usually stuck with eating a scoop of mashed potatoes, a scoop of sweet potatoes and a roll. I love potatoes, but my plate looks sad and empty. :) After six years, my boyfriend’s family still doesn’t quite ‘get’ that I can’t eat the green beans even though “they only have a little bit of bacon in them.” :) They mean well though. I would love to bring something- another sidedish to share- but it’s one of those things where if I did, it would come off as rude instead, since there are designated cooks. So, I basically eat a little of the potatoes so that I’m not called out for not participating in the big Thanksgiving chowdown. But then luckily when we go to my family’s feast, we switch roles: the boyfriend is too stuffed from earlier and I’m ready to gorge. Thank god for mom’s- it’s been about 17 years (age 13) since I unexpectedly told her one night that I didn’t eat meat anymore and she’s never questioned it. I can always count on her to make a separate veggie stuffing (she even knows that pepperidge farm herb seasoned stuffing is vegan- if she runs out of time) and to have a vegetarian version of gravy. - she won’t let me bring it- she insists on making it. Good ole mom’s: I’m one of the lucky ones, I know! :)

11/19/2007 6:48 PM

P.S.