Jewish Holiday starts today! Wish me luck...

1346 Views 8 Replies 9 Participants Last post by Purp, Sep 28, 2014

Namaste35

Discussion Starter · Sep 24, 2014

So here I am, my vegetarianism is a little seedling that is very new and fragile, and I'm embarking upon two days of heavy duty family holiday stuff! I'm nervous but I feel I can do it. Last night I was so proud that I was able to stay veg during a night out with a cocktail party, hors d'oeuvres and dinner out, so I'm feeling confident about the next few days.

Some things I'll try to do... snack before so I'm not too hungry, not make a big deal about what I'm eating / not eating and diverge the conversation when it goes to what's on my plate or not, remember that it's one meal at a time and I will not die tomorrow if I don't eat meat (as my mother might try to convince me will happen... I'm from Argentina, steak country! Even babies get meat daily...).

Any other tips on successful veggie family holidays would be appreciated!

Love,
Paula

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Naturebound

· #2 · Sep 24, 2014

Best wishes Paula! I cook/prepare and bring many of my own dishes to share with family, coworkers, and friends for holiday stuff. There are so many awesome vegetarian and vegan dishes out there! It is a good way to show friends and family that eating as a vegetarian is not as restrictive or hard or depriving as people think.

Not much else to add to what you are already doing. I hope you have a great time and enjoy your holiday festivities!

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Vegan Dave

· #3 · Sep 24, 2014

If your relatives respect your choices, you can abstain from meat with no problem.

Your decisions are yours, nobody elses.

Have a good time!!!

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Capstan

· #4 · Sep 25, 2014

Good luck, and enjoy your visit!

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LedBoots

· #5 · Sep 25, 2014

If people start talking during a meal about what's on my plate, or where I get my protein, I just politely say that I would rather discuss it after the meal is finished. If they insist, I just say that slaughterhouse discussions aren't good for the appetite. Silence then reigns.

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Kiwibird08

· #6 · Sep 25, 2014

I usually nibbled on meat free side dishes, and always bring a meat free dish I made to share

I also stash some fruit and granola bars in my purse too.

My family knows I'm a vegetarian, so they let me know what does and doesn't have meat (though I wouldn't put it past my dad and uncle to try and sneak me some). I've found if your host doesn't know your a vegetarian, it's usually better to quietly pull them aside and ask politely what is meat free than to make a big announcement and fuss about everything

And if you do get an argumentative or rude reaction by someone/multiple someones (read: all holidays I ever spend with family) just say "I'm not discussing this any further, theres lots of information out there if your interested" and end the conversation right then and there. Don't argue with people who WANT that reaction. They aren't going to go veg or learn anything new, but they will belittle you and make you feel bad. Hopefully you have a kind and supportive family though! It's much easier when they aren't ganging up on you at any given opportunity about your dietary choices.

Hope you have a nice holiday with family!

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Tiger Lilly

· #7 · Sep 25, 2014

I usually do as Led does and refuse to talk about the issues while food is in front of people.

But I offer to talk to people afterwards, I feel more comfortable these days doing it than I did when I first started out. So, if you don't want to talk to anyone about it, then don't feel you have to straight away.

Some gems that have helped me over the years though-

"But, this is a special 'traditional' dish"

Answer: The best part of this tradition is being with my friends and family, the food doesn't really matter as much as family, right?

"But it's a special recipe!"
Answer: Recipes evolve over time, this one might too so that one day I can eat it again. But until that day, no thank you.

I also recommend taking something yummy to eat for everyone to try. If you're not confidant in your cooking right now, then don't worry. But think of it as a goal for next time. I've yet to leave a party with any leftovers. Everyone loves vego food

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Kotilynn

· #8 · Sep 27, 2014

Namaste, Have you thought about Sukkot yet? That is what i am trying to figure out how i am going to do with the no meat... I am meeting with a group of about 60 people for that week and they are not veggie friendly lol...So, yeah, trying to plan that one out.

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Purp

· #9 · Sep 28, 2014

Namaste35 said:
So here I am, my vegetarianism is a little seedling that is very new and fragile, and I'm embarking upon two days of heavy duty family holiday stuff! I'm nervous but I feel I can do it. Last night I was so proud that I was able to stay veg during a night out with a cocktail party, hors d'oeuvres and dinner out, so I'm feeling confident about the next few days.

Some things I'll try to do... snack before so I'm not too hungry, not make a big deal about what I'm eating / not eating and diverge the conversation when it goes to what's on my plate or not, remember that it's one meal at a time and I will not die tomorrow if I don't eat meat (as my mother might try to convince me will happen... I'm from Argentina, steak country! Even babies get meat daily...).

Any other tips on successful veggie family holidays would be appreciated!

Love,
Paula

Good luck with everything.

Kotilynn said:
Namaste, Have you thought about Sukkot yet? That is what i am trying to figure out how i am going to do with the no meat... I am meeting with a group of about 60 people for that week and they are not veggie friendly lol...So, yeah, trying to plan that one out.

I found some Vegetarian Sukkot recipes here. I hope this helps.

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