Mum's Monday: What it is like being a vegetarian

This is not a rant, just a review on what it is like being a vegetarian. I have been one for the past 26 years, there has been some ups and downs along the way but as you see things have become easier as the years have passed.

Am I a fussy eater? Well no, despite being told this when talking to someone about Christmas lunch. Turkey being the staple for this celebratory lunch and easy to provide. I can see how they would seem at a loss to how to provide for someone who doesn’t eat meat. This doesn’t take into account all the meaty trimmings that goes with the main. I have all the trimmings, sprouts, Yorkshire puddings and glutton free roast potatoes because they are the only ones I could find that were not cooked in goose fat. Yes, I buy ready to oven roast potatoes, but it is Christmas, I would like to make my life easy too.

I was on a holiday coach trip and the first night they provided, for a set price, a 3 course meal. Being as it was abroad and there wasn’t any reference to a vegetarian option, I opted for a meat free meal from the hotel menu. During that week I found out there was another vegetarian on the coach trip and so we got talking. She had the 3 course meal and for the start she basically got 3 sticks of asparagus, which wasn’t a lot compared to the meat option. Her thoughts were “they don’t think vegetarians eat much”; I agreed with her. We do eat as much as a meat eater just not the same food.

When I first became a vegetarian I went on a work’s trip. The first night there was fish on the menu. There was another vegetarian on this trip and she ate fish. Some do some don’t, and I don’t. I told our work representative that I was a vegetarian and I don’t eat fish either. She asked me “what was I going to eat then” as if I was a nuisance. Luckily things were starting to turn for the better, because the kitchen staff found me a meat free dinner. There is more understanding now and I feel the same thing wouldn’t happen again. With glutton free around, meat free doesn’t seem so extraordinary any more.

Still further to go though, on menus you see dishes that have mushrooms galore (I should at this point mention I don’t eat many mushrooms) in them or vegi-lasagne. It is very rare you get an interesting option. Meal deals on menus sometimes put me at a disadvantage as well. I recently went to a fast food sandwich shop and the vegetarian option was part of the 2 item deal and not the 3 item deal. Why all I had was a roll with cheese and a few salad bits. Meat sandwiches were included in the 3 item deal. However, menus have come a long way, before you wouldn’t have had a vegetarian option let alone a vegetarian section on its own.

Over the years we have seen the introduction of Quorn, a meat substitute. Why have this, well it opens up a whole new food option. You can make stews, cottage pies, shepherds pies with it and have sausage rolls. I have been told by a meat eater “you wouldn’t know the difference”.

In a society of inclusion, it is nice to think that other vegetarians and me are somewhat part of that. I am not perfect and have accidently eaten chicken in Spain. This is just an insight into a vegetarians eating life. Large leaps forward have occurred over the years but I feel there are a few more steps to take. Understanding is going in the right direction.

Whether you eat meat or not happy eating.