Giving up red meat? — Page 2

I think whoever feels strongly about their dietary preferences thinks other people are the loud, defensive ones.

"I always hear about militant vegetarians but I can't count how many times I've gone out to eat and someone has waved bacon in my face asking me how I can resist it."

We've all had different experiences, I guess. I know I never see an ad or documentary about how meat is good for you. I only see those about why I should stop eating meat.

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Updated On: 7/24/14 at 11:47 AM

I haven't eaten red meat since I was 14. I don't miss it. People rarely give me a bad time about it -- mostly that was in high school when everyone gives everyone else a bad time anyway about whatever they can. More often than not, people ask if I'm offended if they order steak in front of me. Hell no! I'm pretty laid back. You eat what you like and I'll do the same.

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I tend to think people's food choices are their own business and would (almost) never initiate a discussion about what/why people eat or don’t eat. It’s none of my damn business, be it for religious, health, ethical, environmental or any other reason, and it’s not their job to educate me. Even with best of intentions, I think it without fail puts people on the defensive, or at least draws attention to something they may rather prefer not be a point of discussion. And if they really do want to hunker down and discuss it, then I’m sure I certainly do not. And I say this as the (for now) non-meat eating mother of a long-time vegan. Those close to me have figured it out by now, but I don’t think I’ve mentioned to most of my friends or extended family, who I regularly see and dine with, that I haven’t eaten meat for years, as I’m not comfortable making those sorts of proclamations, and am much more comfortable just saying “nah, I don’t feel like a steak now –thanks”). I might have a couple of exceptions to my own standards, one being if I were hosting someone at my home, I might ask if there are any dietary restrictions I should know about, but even though I’m a very gracious host, I more than likely wouldn’t ask, as I’d either know/have figured it out already, or would likely be serving something among my offerings that they could eat, and I believe that it’s their job, not mine, to manage their food issues/choices, without any hoopla. That’s what I’ve taught my kids to do, and that’s what I’d expect others to do (the one real exception being that when my kids were really little, I would not feed a kid, in or out of my home, without having inquired, of a responsible adult, about food allergies). My kids always knew that they had to go into a restaurant (in any country in the world) and find something on the menu without their being any fuss or discussion about what they do or don’t eat. And if they had a question or special request, they could quietly and politely ask the staff, but that it wasn’t something to discuss with the table, because their food quirks are their own personal thing. Not that there’s anything wrong with special requests that can be accommodated, it’s just that I felt that they needed to learn how to be out in the world and be flexible in any situation, and I really believe that it was/is my job to teach them that. I know so many adults who can’t navigate these issues and it makes me crazy – like they feel they can hold a whole group hostage because they can only eat chicken paillard or can’t abide ... quail on the menu (or whatever “fill in the blank” thing they love or can’t stand). And if I were picking a restaurant and didn’t know about the food issues of my companions, I’d check and make sure that accommodation could easily be made at the restaurant, but might just ask my companions if they’d prefer this restaurant or that. As an aside, just this past Saturday night, a group of 8 family members, including my vegan daughter, went to a local steakhouse in Hampton Bays. The chef made my daughter an incredible grilled vegetable platter. It was colorful, abundant, beautiful and delicious (we all thought it was the winning dish of the evening), and the chef was so excited that he very sweetly came bounding out of the kitchen asking (in a little louder voice than my daughter would have preferred…) “where’s my vegan?” - I guess he doesn’t really get many of them in a steakhouse.

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I have to be very careful when it comes to eating raw foods (like many vegan foods). I once bought a "living" piece of spinach pie at a health store. It sent me to the hospital for five hours of vomiting and screaming in pain each time I threw up. That was followed by sleep which was interrupted by intense pain throughout my whole body. I am allergic to sunflower seeds and the entire piece of living pie was made of sunflower seeds. Also, I once ate at Taim, a popular felafel place on my street. I got a similar reaction. There were no sunflower seeds but I was allergic to some other raw ingredient. I get a reaction from many raw fruits and vegetables and melons make me use my epipen. I stew some of my fruits so that I don't eat them raw.

A vegetarian or vegan diet could kill me!

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"We've all had different experiences, I guess. I know I never see an ad or documentary about how meat is good for you. I only see those about why I should stop eating meat."

Of course. Growing up I had a relative who insisted being even somewhat vegetarian was an eating disorder akin to anorexia. I have met militant *vegans*--ones who think my eating choices are somehow just trying to be trendy and cool unless I go "all the way." But, in my experience, the questioning and, yes, the defensiveness comes from meat eaters (of course, since I'm a pescotarian, I would notice that more than the other way around.) I suppose now I am stereotyping vegans, so I can't win :P

However, Jane, here in Canada anyway we certainly get a number of advertisements sponsored by, say, the Alberta Beef Industry about why meat is good for you, even the wholesomeness of some sorts of sandwich slices, but maybe those ads aren't allowed in the US? I can't say.

Bdwaylover, I am glad you've given up eating foul!

Updated On: 7/24/14 at 05:20 PM

Every time I have to run to the food court for the quickest option available for a brief lunch at my desk, someone in my office ALWAYS makes a snide "eating healthy, I see?" comment. I really respect threads like this where people discuss THEIR OWN choices and don't try to shame others into eating whatever it is they feel is healthy or politically correct or whatever the reason.

I get a reaction from many raw fruits and vegetables and melons make me use my epipen.

I actually have what's called an "oral allergy" with melons and some other fruits and veggies. It's when they don't metabolize pollen in the air and capture it in the flesh of the fruit and I react to the pollen, not the fruit or vegetable itself. My reaction isn't severe enough to need an epi-pen, but it is very uncomfortable and I usually require Benadryl to supplement my daily allergy medicine. And yeah, certain leafy vegetables cause extreme abdominal pain with me as well.

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I have an oral allergy to some fruit--as a kid I used to eat apples as often as I could--at least three a day, but at some point I became extremely allergic to apples--unless they're cooked. Not bad enough for medical intervention, but my mouth swells and gets very itchy for a few hours and my eyes puff up--similar with certain nuts...

And yeah, people commenting on the lunch or eating habits of others need to get a life. It really is almost like those people who comment on someone's weight because they are being "helpful."

"So, I'm over 60 and I can say that I've never seen so many people allergic to so many foods. I think we all know some of the reasons for this...Poor quality foods, pesticides, GMO, steroid induced meats, unsafe handling etc."

Perhaps, but all my food allergies are to natural foods of high quality. I'm lucky, I guess. NOT!

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To PB and those of you who don't feel well after eating red meat - I'm curious to know what the negative physical reactions are when you eat it.

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Updated On: 7/24/14 at 09:44 PM

I have the exact same apple allergy Eric. I avoid cooked apple products though. If there's a trace of the skin, same allergic reaction happens.

I also have had the same problem with plums, peaches, etc.

Updated On: 7/25/14 at 08:59 AM