eating out veggi style

PrairieMom wrote: So, now that I am making the life style change to vegetarianism I need to know, what do you eat when you go out? where can I go? and what places offer veggi options? How do I do this without being a huge PITA to everyone?

cameragirl21 replied: lol, I am quite used to asking, "is there meat in here?" and it is par for the course when you are a vegetarian.
I usually order salads, pasta dishes, etc. But believe me, if you go into this lifestyle full force you WILL be asking if there is meat in various dishes, there is no other alternative. None that I've come up with yet anyway.
As for places, I eat out at all kinds of places. Except BBQ joints if I can help it. I can even find something I can eat at Outback Steakhouse, although I try to go there as rarely as possible.
You can eat out just about anywhere if you like salads as nowadays many restaurants offer them as meals.
This is actually a very easy lifestyle to live by...going vegan, now THAT is a tough one, I would imagine but just giving up meat is nothing nowadays and more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon so it's becoming quite common. I run into vegetarians everywhere I go and am seriously surprised by how many of them are men!

PrairieMom replied: So you don't get the big from people? I bet things are different in FL, I am in the heart land here, I really don't want to sound... I dunno... I guess I am worried about the eye rolling.

cameragirl21 replied: Actually, I rarely get eye rolls, I can only think of one time anyone said anything to me about it and it wasn't so much an eye roll as a, "Jennifer, you have got to stop being a vegetarian, you need to eat meat again." And I thanked her and told her I'd not need her unsolicited advice, especially when I looked countless times healthier than her, hands down.
Bottom line, T, the decision to give up meat, especially red meat is the healthiest decision you can make, outside of quitting smoking (and I don't think you smoke) and giving up tanning (another thing I don't think you do). It's like someone rolling their eyes at you for wanting to be healthy and for your kids to be healthy. Let them roll their eyes...be proud of the decision you made, your body will thank you for it!
Studies are finding that vegetarians are considerably less likely to get cancer, among other diseases:
http://www.vegsource.com/harris/cancer_vegdiet.htm
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/...Cancer_Risk.asp
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/veggiediet.htm


Don't let someone at your decision to be healthy and don't let that ruin your adventure into your newfound lifestyle.
Btw, LOVE the quote in your siggy!

PrairieMom replied:
oh, i won't let them change me, but I don't want to inconvenience anyone either. Stuff just takes extra time until you get into a routine you know? Someday I will know exactly what products have animal products in them, but until then I will have to ask a LOT of questions. It would help if DH was fully on board, but he isn't. He is supportive of me cooking veggi style at home, but He is a carnivore, and I know that he will continue to do those convenience things, like feed the kids fast food, ( and it won't occur to him to hold the meat) So I just wanted ideas of what some options are ya know? Can't just eat veggi delite at subway all the time!

cameragirl21 replied: It takes time but you'll get used to it. Took me about a full year to completely go vegetarian and I was never a huge meat eater in the first place...I slowly started phasing certain things out and it got to the point where the few things I liked that did have meat in them--gyros, for example, made me feel so guilty when I ate them that I just stopped eating them but it wasn't an overnight decision, like the flip of a light switch. Give yourself and your family time and everyone will adjust.
As for inconveniencing others, well, vegetarianism is becoming quite popular and more and more restaurants (among other places) are eager to accommodate vegetarians. As for asking people if there is meat in the dish, it's no big deal and if need be, bring your own goods if you're going to a dinner party or something. It sounds bizarre but you'll be surprised by how quickly it just becomes second nature.

TheOaf66 replied: let your family go in and eat and you can sit outside and munch on some berries or grass or something

PrairieMom replied:
I need a " kick in the shins" smiley.

PrairieMom replied:
We still have meat in the freezer, so we are slowly going to work through that, It will be a while before we completely transition.

moped replied: Tara,
So your DH just goes along with whatever you suggest like being a vegetarian? If I told Tom we were going vegetarian he would show me the door!!!!!!!!

TheOaf66 replied:

PrairieMom replied:
I don't force him into anything. he is very supportive. last weekend he was right out there with me installing rain barrels. What he does on his own lunch break is his deal, totally cool with me. We really aren't "there is the door" kinda folks. If he wasn't into it he would say so, and I would cook meat, but maybe not eat it myself.

PrairieMom replied:

moped replied:
Yeah that makes sense.......I just wondered if he was happy to go along with it or not.

The "show me the dor comment was a total joke" We aren't either!

PrairieMom replied:
he is amazingly supportive. I think he is afraid I will leave and leave him with the kids.

moped replied:
Tom would be very supportive if I wanted to raise my own cattle for beef!