I don’t eat pork or red meat, which is pretty much all my inlaws make. I’m happy eating just sides and grabbing something at home, but I can tell my MIL tries with chicken sometimes. It’s so hard- I don’t want to inconvenience people, but I know if someone was a guest at my home I’d try my best to accomodate their dietary needs.

Well of course besides beer, thats a given! (If you aren’t pregnant, that is)

I think my parents would like to eat more like I do. My dad especially, since my mom eats pretty well in general, would like to eat healthier and he always asks my opinion for the”better” option when we are out to eat. I appreciate that.

It is often hard to find good vegetarian food around where I live (in the suburbs near Richmond, Va). There are great options in the city, but we mostly have chains or family-owned Italian, Mexican and BBQ joints. I can usually find something to eat but it is very carby or lacks protein. I enjoy eating Mexican (beans!) or Chinese when we go out (veggie sushi, tofu, etc.) I LOVE Italian food but many restaurants near me usually don’t have whole wheat pasta. Bummer. My husband’s family is fairly supportive (they bought veggie hot dogs to keep on hand–isn’t that nice?) My husband isn’t a vegetarian but he eats what I fix at home and he enjoys it. 🙂 I’m very grateful! My parents aren’t that supportive so I try not to bring it up. When I travel, I bring a lot of snacks with me.

I live in South Texas and mine are sooo out of whack for where I live. My whole family is really into hunting, nothing but BBQ, steak houses, etc. where I live. I try and stick with asian food because it’s more on the safe side ha 🙂 They at least know that tofu isn’t nasty.

I’m a vegetarian and an Oklahoman. It is not easy. Well, eating out is not easy. In fact, I rarely eat out because of my extreme lack of options. And I can not count how many times on a daily basis my family and friends call me weird. And that’s after being vegetarian for 2 full years.

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a kid and my parents were not supportive. I have never liked the taste of meat and that hasn’t changed over the years.

Since I’ve expanded what I eat to include quinoa (my dad still asks me what it’s called when I bring it) and other “foreign” foods my family is even more weirded out by my food. I practically have to cajole my stepdad to try stuff, even though 90% of the time he likes it just fine.

I live in Milwaukee, WI and despite the image my city and state may have of brats/beers/cheese… this is a very vegetarian friendly city. The stigma of Midwest being meat/potatoes may still ring true to outsiders, but those who really live here with veg lifestyles know otherwise.

Mmmm, I can see how pumpkin & caramel would go well together.

I’m lucky. I just moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma (land of meat and potatoes) to Ann Arbor, Michigan (definition of liberal). I went vegetarian and then vegan in Oklahoma and dreaded having to go out to eat with people or go to other people’s houses for dinner. The questions (always with a rude tone), the misconceptions & judgement were just plain annoying. The article suggesting carrying a jar of peanut butter everywhere (jokingly) but PB&J could always be found in my purse!

I love the thought-provoking posts on vegetarianism! Keep it up 🙂

I am a flexitarian and live in the midwest. My focus is on all natural products. I am always excited to see a great vegetable option someplace. I often go out to breakfast and my favorite place uses fresh veggies in their omelets. Every other place I have been usually uses frozen or canned and processed cheese.

I have learned a lot about eating healthfully while traveling on HTP. My fav trick is the grocery store. Or another good one when driving through rural areas and you are lucky to even see a gas station, Low sodium V8 and trail mix.

Alberta is what I like to call the “South” of Canada.. if you know what I mean. It’s all about the Alberta beef and potatoes.. so being veg can be a little tricky. That being said, sometimes, out of necessity, some great little vegetarian restaurants will pop out of nowhere out here. You just have to find them!

I blogged about the same article today! LOL! I thought it was a great little read, and shed might give some perspective to meat eaters as to what its like being veg …
Unlike you, I don’t live in a very veg friendly area. I’m generally a little jealous of the bloggers who are surrounded by veg family and friends, and lots of dining options easily available to them, because this is not the case for me at all. I liked hearing someone else’s perpective on being sort of a loner vegetarian!

I read this article yesterday! Very interesting. Makes me even more grateful that good ol’ Oklahoma has been getting healthier & adding vegan dishes as well as vegan restaurants.

I am not sure how I never put caramel in a smoothie before.. brilliant!

Salted caramel sauce?!?! Where did you find that?

That article kind of annoys me. I understand the reporters experience is that being vegetarian is a novelty and the people and restaurants around her are big on meat and don’t eat vegetables, but there was no need to generalize and stereotype the entire Midwest based on the writer’s experience. I live in Ohio, consider myself a flexitarian, and we have plenty of vegetarian and healthy restaurant options AND access to a ridiculous amount of fresh produce at many amazing farmers markets. It frustrats me when people from the coasts think they are better than those of us from the middle!

I just tried pumpkin in my smoothie for the first time last week! I had frozen berries but wanted to bulk it up a little. Enter canned pumpkin! The pumpkin/berry combination is actually super tasty (just ignore the strange looks people give you when you tell them the ingredients!). Yum!