You've Decided to Go Vegetarian and Your Family and Friends Don't Support You -

Congratulations on deciding to go meat-free! Enjoy your new environmentally-conscious, cruelty-free, socially responsible way of living. However, not everybody is going to understand your choice. Some of them will even go out of their way to give you a hard time about it. Use these strategies for dealing with less-than-supportive friends and family members when you've decided to become a vegetarian.

There's nothing worse than trying to change your lifestyle for the better and getting attacked by the people closest to you. If you can, try to figure out why you're getting flack from your friends or family. Is it because they feel threatened by your decision? They might think you now look down on them, or perhaps they feel guilty about eating meat themselves.

Is it because they're trying to be funny? If your friends do immature things like pull the meat out of their hamburger bun and wave it in your face when you go out to eat, they probably are just uncomfortable. Don't get mad, but calmly tell them to grow up and act normal. You're the same person as you always were, so they don't have anything to worry about.

Your family might not be behind your decision, either - at least not at first. Remember that it takes a while to adjust to the fact that someone is deciding to forgo meat for the rest of their life. In our meat-centered culture where meals aren't considered complete without chicken or beef, your announcement that you're becoming vegetarian can shock your family members. If you've been asked questions like, "But what can you eat?" or "Can you really eat like that forever?" then you probably know what you're up against.

It might help you to remind your family and friends that in many cultures, being vegetarian is the norm. In India, most of the population doesn't eat meat. Many don't even eat eggs. It is all in how you look at it. They have certainly adapted to a meat-free diet and have produced many tasty recipes and dishes that don't include any animal products at all.

You could also share your reasons for becoming a vegetarian with those closest to you. Many people give up meat after learning about the truly atrocious conditions in egg-laying farms and slaughterhouses, or the horrible lives that animals lead when they are injected with growth hormones for the purpose of becoming plumper meals. If you share some of these legitimate concerns, you might get more support than you ever thought possible. Many people have just never taken the time to think or learn more about these issues.

There's a great deal of ignorance and misinformation out there concerning vegetarianism. People are often afraid of what they don't understand, and that may come across as a lack of support for you as a new vegetarian. Be patient and try to educate those around you in a non-confrontational way, and you'll be surprised what bridges of understanding you may build.

 

 

Rebecca has worked in the vegetarian and vegan industry for many years. She is the founder of http://www.Vegetarian-Secrets.com and http://www.VeganSecrets.com portals with many interesting vegan and vegetarian books, articles, veg living tips, tricks and information on everything vegan, vegetarian and cruelty-free. Discover more about going vegetarian and vegan today at the