As annoying as it is, you need to understand how foreign the concept is to most people. I was once asked if I could eat peanuts because they weren't sure if it was vegan! I still get asked by family members if I want eggs, chicken soup (because it doesn't have chicken...it was taken out), yogurt (because "it's not actually milk"). To me, and I'm sure it's the same for most, it's a simple concept. If it's an animal or came from one, I don't eat it. Of course, if you follow my blog, you'll know I still do eat seafood, but that's the only exception.
How to Manage Comments & Questions:
- Be Patient: instead of getting angry, get passionate. You know why you changed and the reasons were great enough to make you cut out huge parts of your diet. Stay passionate and share.
- Take it as an Opportunity to Educate: We were all raised with the misconception of a balanced, healthy diet. Take the opportunity to share what you've learned.
- Don't Take it Personal: they're not attacking you. THEY feel like the ones being attacked and are being defensive, not offensive. Once you understand that, their comments may seem a little less accusatory.
- Know When to Stop: I have a bad habit of not shutting up. You need to learn when words will fall on deaf ears and let it be. Just nod and do what you do. Silence doesn't mean you agree. Just agree to disagree.
- Explain Your Shared Right: when all else fails, explain the your shared rights to eat as you please without reprimand. We all have the right to eat as we please, and as long as we are not harming anyone, we should be able to do so with little grief.
Other funny misconceptions:
Gluten Free = Vegan
Organic = Vegan
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