Annoying vegan sibling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a person who mostly follows a Whole Food Plant based diet (I still have half/half in coffee), when I am invited to an event or out to a particular restaurant I ALWAYS, ALWAYS eat before I go. Some of my friends know how I eat and will ask what can they prepare for me. I typically tell them do not fuss over me and as long as there is salad and fruit I will be OK. Normally, there are some sort of veggies as side dishes that I can enjoy.
I never say I am vegan simply because I don't want the fake processed vegan cheese, meats or anything else labeled "vegan". If the ingredients on a box, jar, can, etc have items other than an actual food, it stays on the shelf.
I find other people make more of a big deal about the way I've chosen to eat than I do. I try to move the conversation away from my food choices, so I don't have to hear and educate the "Where do you get your protein question, which ALWAYS comes up.

PREACH

Thank you.

I know this is a long thread and I haven't read the whole thing, but this!!! I'm a long time vegetarian (over 20 years) and also don't usually eat eggs or much dairy, and I don't really talk much about it. I eat before I go places, bring food to share if appropriate, and am very happy to snack on veggies and fruit and will not complain about what is served, as long as I don't have to answer tons of questions about what I am/am not eating! I love cooking whole foods and really don't like all the weird fake meat/cheese that has become so popular over the past few years. I felt awful the one time my MIL made this crazy fake sausage casserole, she was so sweet to do it but the fake sausage was so bad! No one wanted it, better to have real sausage for the meat eaters and a nice quinoa salad or something everyone would like as a side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m vegan. I know many of us are annoying, but I’m kind of horrified at the suggestions to serve nothing but broccoli or to cook things in bacon. I have had a couple friends who get extremely sick from eating meat, and adding things to people’s food is extremely unethical. How would you feel if someone intentionally fed you a food you found revolting without your consent? What if it was something you were allergic to and they wanted to prove a point that you were just being dramatic?

Many vegans get excited when they first start, as do many people who starts other diets, such as paleo, keto, weight watchers, or even just calorie restriction. Many have also struggled with lifelong disordered eating and need support, not criticism. Plus most vegans get into the diet for animal welfare reasons, which is a cause many are passionate about.

And often times there really isn’t anything for us to eat. Vegetarian is not vegan, so something with cheese or eggs doesn’t really help me. Most of the time at social gatherings, I’ll have nothing to eat but some vegetables, which is maybe 100 calories and not enough for fill me up. And equally as annoying are the people who mock me or try to cajole me into eating meat.

Can’t you just ignore the FB posts, like all of us have to do with every annoying political FB post we see? Can you offer sibling support, too? It’s not that hard to pick up a pack of vegan burgers and some vegan cheese for a cookout.

When you make a choice not to eat most things don’t complain to others that there’s nothing for you to eat.

Maybe it really is that the default should be plant based, and not the other way around. Vegan shouldn't be unusual. It should be the norm.

[Anonymous]

It's like anyone who spouts about food issues:

If you come with a medical history/personal preference/religious need- bring the appropriate snacks. I'm not picky at all but time to time have gone to an event where
I have no interest in the food. I have a snack, drink water and don't say a word.

Some people are so weird about food.