Eating out with non vegetarians

[Guest guest]

Teresa--Have you tried discussing this with the meat eaters? Maybe there's a

vegetarian restaurant you can all agree to try instead? How about a

vegetarian potluck at the meeting site after the meeting? Surely your friends

can

respect your views for this one meal together, even if that's not how they

normally eat. Mexican food is largely vegetarian. Pasta dishes are mostly

vegetarian. Nut butter and jelly sandwiches are vegetarian. Maybe you can all

agree

to bring a healthy dish to share, to avoid the restaurant hassle. Marilyn

 

 

 

 

 

**************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape.

http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I have a question for everyone and would like some advice. When vegetarian

friends eat

out with non vegetarian friends how do you handle the issue of the meat eaters

preferring

to order dishes with meat and the vegetarians finding it unappetizing to see

their human

friends eating animals?

The details of the specific situation is that I homeschool my sons and so does

my friend

with her sons. Both of us live in the country and often meet in the city for

homeschool

activities. Because of the driving distance we often find it is convenient to

meet at a restaurant so everyone can visit and eat before driving to our homes

in separate

directions. My friend raises free range chickens for eggs and meat. I have

chickens that

are rescues from the humane society and are family members.

Although I don't agree with my friend's decision to raise animals for meat, I

realize it is

her right to do so. Like many vegetarians, I converted to vegetarianism once I

left my non

vegetarian home I was raised in. My sons have always been vegetarian. I find

myself doing

a balancing act between trying to teach tolerance to my sons and teaching them

to stand

up for their beliefs. Getting back to the question at hand, my oldest son and I

do find it

sickening when a dinner partners order dishes with pork or chicken. We both

visualize

Oink our potbellied pig or Sunny the rooster being eaten.

So far the only solution my friend and I could come up with is to try dining at

adjoining

tables.

Does anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Teresa

[Guest guest]

How old are your children? Have you talked them about it? Could you meet

somewhere else - like a park or library? When my daughter was smaller we

avoided eating around meat-eaters. But now that she is older she is around

people eating meat in other situations (like spending the night at a friend's

house or if we meet friends for a meal). Usually she isn't bothered by people

eating meat unless it looks like an animal if is something like a burrito or a

lasagna (it looks pretty much like what we eat on the outside just what is on

the inside is different) she doesn't really think about it. If we are with

someone and they are eating something offensive (like a chicken wing or

something) normally she will complain to me. I'll just say " I can't help what

other people do honey. "

Renee

 

kalienya <taldrich wrote:

Hi,

I have a question for everyone and would like some advice. When vegetarian

friends eat

out with non vegetarian friends how do you handle the issue of the meat eaters

preferring

to order dishes with meat and the vegetarians finding it unappetizing to see

their human

friends eating animals?

The details of the specific situation is that I homeschool my sons and so does

my friend

with her sons. Both of us live in the country and often meet in the city for

homeschool

activities. Because of the driving distance we often find it is convenient to

meet at a restaurant so everyone can visit and eat before driving to our homes

in separate

directions. My friend raises free range chickens for eggs and meat. I have

chickens that

are rescues from the humane society and are family members.

Although I don't agree with my friend's decision to raise animals for meat, I

realize it is

her right to do so. Like many vegetarians, I converted to vegetarianism once I

left my non

vegetarian home I was raised in. My sons have always been vegetarian. I find

myself doing

a balancing act between trying to teach tolerance to my sons and teaching them

to stand

up for their beliefs. Getting back to the question at hand, my oldest son and I

do find it

sickening when a dinner partners order dishes with pork or chicken. We both

visualize

Oink our potbellied pig or Sunny the rooster being eaten.

So far the only solution my friend and I could come up with is to try dining at

adjoining

tables.

Does anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Teresa

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/renecarol25

 

 

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Do you have Red Robin near you? I have found that it's the very best place where

everyone can eat and be happy. They can put a Boca or Gardenburger patty on any

sandwich they make, and with most of the burgers there's so much other stuff on

it you can't even see the patty anyway! Maybe you could even convince your

friend to try the Gardenburger patty. I know it's not exactly health food, but

geez louise, those fries... they're awesome. They do have fruit and steamed

vegetables if you don't want sandwiches. I'm in love with Red Robin. I've

never had issues with them freaking out when I ask them to cook my food on a

separate surface from any meat. They've been very cool about it. If you have one

near you, try that out and see how it works.

 

Otherwise, I don't really know what you can do other than just discuss the issue

with your friend and see if she'd be willing to go veg when you guys eat out.

Does she know how you feel about it? I would think eating at separate tables

would do more harm than good. You wouldn't be able to socialize with them while

you were out, and it's not like your kids can't see everybody else's food

nearby. They're going to see other people eating meat pretty much everywhere you

eat out. I think if your kids are already so smart that they realize that

animals are living, feeling beings, it's probably not going to make any

difference who they see eating meat. They know what's right, and seeing a friend

eating meat at a restaurant isn't going to mess that up for them.

 

My own admittedly immature solution when my husband and I go out without the

kids (he orders veg food if the kids are with us, and usually if we're alone,

but sometimes he gets it in him to eat something " unfriendly " ), I just put one

of those menu things in front of his plate. One of the stand-up ones that have

drinks and desserts on it. That way I can look at margaritas and chocolate and

pie instead of the big slab of death on his plate. He's 100% forbidden to

order any type of fish though. I can smell it and it makes me sick.

 

kalienya <taldrich wrote: Hi,

I have a question for everyone and would like some advice. When vegetarian

friends eat

out with non vegetarian friends how do you handle the issue of the meat eaters

preferring

to order dishes with meat and the vegetarians finding it unappetizing to see

their human

friends eating animals?

The details of the specific situation is that I homeschool my sons and so does

my friend

with her sons. Both of us live in the country and often meet in the city for

homeschool

activities. Because of the driving distance we often find it is convenient to

meet at a restaurant so everyone can visit and eat before driving to our homes

in separate

directions. My friend raises free range chickens for eggs and meat. I have

chickens that

are rescues from the humane society and are family members.

Although I don't agree with my friend's decision to raise animals for meat, I

realize it is

her right to do so. Like many vegetarians, I converted to vegetarianism once I

left my non

vegetarian home I was raised in. My sons have always been vegetarian. I find

myself doing

a balancing act between trying to teach tolerance to my sons and teaching them

to stand

up for their beliefs. Getting back to the question at hand, my oldest son and I

do find it

sickening when a dinner partners order dishes with pork or chicken. We both

visualize

Oink our potbellied pig or Sunny the rooster being eaten.

So far the only solution my friend and I could come up with is to try dining at

adjoining

tables.

Does anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Teresa

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kadee Sedtal

 

http://www.srr-rescue.org-a.googlepages.com/home

 

 

 

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Try to find a vegetarian restaurant. We have a few near us (including a newly

opened organic, vegan, gluten free restaurant and bakery). Try www.happycow.com

to find one near you.

 

kalienya <taldrich wrote: Hi,

I have a question for everyone and would like some advice. When vegetarian

friends eat

out with non vegetarian friends how do you handle the issue of the meat eaters

preferring

to order dishes with meat and the vegetarians finding it unappetizing to see

their human

friends eating animals?

The details of the specific situation is that I homeschool my sons and so does

my friend

with her sons. Both of us live in the country and often meet in the city for

homeschool

activities. Because of the driving distance we often find it is convenient to

meet at a restaurant so everyone can visit and eat before driving to our homes

in separate

directions. My friend raises free range chickens for eggs and meat. I have

chickens that

are rescues from the humane society and are family members.

Although I don't agree with my friend's decision to raise animals for meat, I

realize it is

her right to do so. Like many vegetarians, I converted to vegetarianism once I

left my non

vegetarian home I was raised in. My sons have always been vegetarian. I find

myself doing

a balancing act between trying to teach tolerance to my sons and teaching them

to stand

up for their beliefs. Getting back to the question at hand, my oldest son and I

do find it

sickening when a dinner partners order dishes with pork or chicken. We both

visualize

Oink our potbellied pig or Sunny the rooster being eaten.

So far the only solution my friend and I could come up with is to try dining at

adjoining

tables.

Does anyone have thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Teresa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Teresa wrote:

 

<<

So far the only solution my friend and I could come up with is to try dining at

adjoining

 

tables.>>

 

I find it fascinating (and frustrating) that so many meat-eaters are incapable

of occasionally having one meal without meat in it.

 

You are obviously eating at a restaurant that serves some food without meat in

it. Why can't they order one of those dishes? Is it really that much of an

imposition on them?

 

I would think they prefer the taste of eating their own " free-range " animals to

commercial products anyway.

 

Liz

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I've never really had an issue, but we do tend to sit at one end of

the table rather than across from each other - in most cases. If that

makes sense. I'll sit next to my mom or grandma, and my husband will

sit across from me, and our son between us, on the end. I think it

ends up that way usually. Maybe, if the other children are not that

bothered by it, they could be the buffer for you and your child that

do have issues with seeing them eat meat?

 

Otherwise, I have no ideas - the ones posted above mine sound like

good ideas - especially if you are in an area where you have nicer

weather right now, or even summer/spring/early fall - do a picnic at a

park or forest preserve, then you can have your own picnic blankets

and eat separately, maybe one for the kids to eat together if they

wish, if some of them want to. could be the easiest way, if it's

possible. I like the library idea, too. We try to not do things

involving food with family, but mostly because some of the relatives

STILL don't even quite understand the whole milk protien allergy we

have to deal with...after nearly 4 years now. It's quite silly.

I'd try to not confront them, because they could turn around the

arguements to you (not that it makes any sense to do so) but only

because they feel like they dont' have the choice and don't want to

bend to your choices. We run into it, not in the extreme though, with

family gatherings sometimes. One relative, finally tried to help us

out and made us baked veggies...only they didn't put ANYTHING on them,

so they were dried out and tough and quite inedible. Like olive

oil, or canola was a mystery to them.

 

I'd be very careful in how you ask/present the 'could you not eat

stuff with meat in it when we go to the restaurant'. I'd try the

positioning at the table, or adjoining tables or something first

before going with that - if possible.

 

Good luck, it's a tricky situation, for sure!

Missie

 

On 1/28/08, ERB <bakwin wrote:

> Teresa wrote:

>

> <<

> So far the only solution my friend and I could come up with is to try dining

> at adjoining

>

> tables.>>

>

> I find it fascinating (and frustrating) that so many meat-eaters are

> incapable of occasionally having one meal without meat in it.

>

> You are obviously eating at a restaurant that serves some food without meat

> in it. Why can't they order one of those dishes? Is it really that much of

> an imposition on them?

>

> I would think they prefer the taste of eating their own " free-range " animals

> to commercial products anyway.

>

> Liz

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Teresa,

 

I'm also raising my kids vegetarian, but they are still younger and we

haven't gotten to your point. But I can surely see your issue. How can

you tell kids it's wrong/unethical to eat animals and then go have a fun

lunch with people eating animals at the very same table? I think it's a

contradiction. I think since it makes you so uncomfortable you should

suggest going to a vegetarian restaurant, or meeting up somewhere for

something other than food/going out to eat. Instead go do an activity

that doesn't involve food, or meet up somewhere just for a drink (like

Starbuck's), or for a bagel at a bagel shop.

 

Don't put yourself in those positions if they make you feel

uncomfortable. I would be completely honest with the people and say that

you'd rather not meet for food because it makes you uncomfortable. Find

other things to do...

 

Do we dine with meat eaters? Yes. There are only a couple of dishes that

really gross me out, most of the time I try to ignore what the other

party orders. Recently my daughter (age 3.5) was saying " momma's a

vegetarian, daddy's a vegetarian, grandma's a vegetarian " and I had to

stop her and explain that grandma is not a vegetarian. So she's just

learning that other people eat animals. She was shocked to find out

grandma ate animals, but I want her to know the truth, that while others

eat them, we don't.

 

It's a tough situation, I look forward to the other posts so I might

gain some more good tips! It's a great question you have proposed.

 

Jacqueline