Vegan and non-vegan friends

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thinman

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If most of your social friends are vegan you have no problem with things like eating out, you all go to vegan restaurants. But when a lot of friends are ain't eating out can be a bore if the restaurant of choice doesn't have vegan options, many do. But like I remember meeting friends for breakfast and all they had was potatoes or one time invited to lunch and all they had was fries (UK chips). Some are like that and if you want to go someplace vegan they make a stink about it.

Just before covid I met some old friends I hadn't seen for 17 years and we were planning a camping trip in an RV, when food was brought up, one sez to just stock up on hot dogs haha!
 
It always seems to be more of an issue for the non-vegans. I'm fine with going where the majority of the group wants to go. I can make do. But usually, the non-vegans make a big deal about it. They guilt-trip themselves and worry that I won't eat enough.

I remember when vegetarian restaurants were rare. There was one in California that my cousin and I went to in the 90's and it was really exciting. Most restaurants didn't have much without meat. But you could special order things, or combine sides. I'm still fine with that. I just don't want it to be a topic of conversation, as tends to happen.
 
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A Buddhist meditation teacher once said "you know you don't have to respond", useful when encountering some people, I don't have to explain anything. My wife and I went to lunch with her brother and his wife, and he realizes we were vegan he blurts out "WHY?" as if we were doing something stupid, basically we just choose to was our reply and that was it.

We also don't drink alcohol and some friends want to go to a bar and grill place, not much interest in there except music, good if they have booch.
 
I do the not responding thing a lot. It depends on the situation. There are also times when I'd rather just talk to people, have a mutual learning experience.
 
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I used to be all about “it’s the company and not the food” that matters. But after a few years that got old lol.
Now I hate when someone says, “you can have salad”. Well salad isn’t why I would want to go out to eat. I feel like saying, let’s go to an all vegan restaurant and you can order a salad. I’ve lost a lot of my tolerance as I’ve gotten older.

That said, most of my good friends are extremely considerate and only want to go where I can find something substantial to eat. But honestly, I don’t like eating out much because of the lack of options.
 
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Eating at home is cheaper than going out and paying for food that isn't exciting, like a salad from a non vegan restaurant. Going out should feel worth it, you pay a lot of money to eat out.
It's nice when non-vegans are open minded and willing to try out vegan food.
 
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I never get food out unless it's something better than I can make, or fried foods.
I've been craving the Indian buffet near me-esp the fried spicy okra.
There's an Ethopian restaurant with vegan Wednesdays I haven't tried
 
Nowadays many friends are vegan, especially Yoga friends and have walking/hiking groups that have pot-lucks and these also are mainly vegan or vegetarian. There's my wife's meditation group that has regular pot-lucks that also many are vegan so there are those choices.

We eat out with other people and it's nice to have a good vegan option on the menu and not just salad or potatoes. Times have changed here and being vegan in my city is so easy.

VegFest here is held in November and is huge for a city of 300,000, not sure what will happen this year.

Most fitness centres will have vegan nutritionist.
 
Funny this topic should come up today. I just returned from my annual appointment with the eye doctor and we somehow mentioned l was vegan. The Dr then asked "what was the hardest part of going Vegan?" He was expecting me to say cravings for steaks, cheese, eggs....l told him the hardest part was no longer being invited out or over for dinner, lunch, breakfasts, anymore. You soon find out who you true friends are .... and the others? I just drive them nuts!
 
Eating plants: good, right? Until you’re breaking plans with friends, turning down exciting life experiences, or denying the body’s signs of deficiency to hold steadfast to a rigid morality paradigm with food.

Predominantly Plant-Based embraces the overwhelming evidence of the beneficial effects of a plant-based diet while discarding the unnecessary dogma attached to this way of eating. Whitney E. RD
 
Loma Linda canned Big Franks are extremely tasty. They come in a can so easily transport on a camping trip (unless you're backpacking long distance and are trying to watch carrying weight, in which case you can just drain and re-package a few). They're the best vegan/vegetarian hot dogs I've ever tried and are good enough to feed to omnis. They are harder to find in regular stores (though my local co-op has started carrying them) but can be ordered on-line or purchased at a 7th Day Adventist Church shop if you live somewhere like California and have those around.

I don't hang out with people who don't respect my values. That is one of my boundaries. That doesn't mean I don't have friends who are omnis. It means I'm not being holed up in an RV with people who aren't at least willing to be lacto-ovo vegetarian or pescatarian for the duration of the trip. Anyone who wants to make bacon jokes or wave mammalian bodies in my face don't make my priority list for people I know. I know some people are much more extroverted and "people persons" but I'm very comfortable living my life this way.
 
those are good but I only had them twice, their price is a bit high

The Big Franks? I don't think they're that pricey considering the number of veggie dogs you get in a can. They can be stored in a fridge or freezer (packed with the "juice" they come in the can with) if you don't want to use them all right away. I also simply think the taste is worth the price. Similarly to some of the "meatless grounds" - I think Gimme Lean, the old school kind in the sausage wrapper, is so gross and has to have so many things added to it to make it edible that I'd rather pay a couple more dollars for Beyond Meat.