On Fri 18 Mar 2005 06:37:47p, jmcquown wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> Dave Smith wrote:
>> Dan Abel wrote:
>>
>>> I don't agree with Dave's attitude on this, but he is correct in
>>> posting that many people give a vegetarian diet a try for a year or
>>> so and then give it up. I read something written by a doctor who
>>> said that he did not have any special advice for vegans who weren't
>>> getting enough vitamin B12, because the body has a three year supply,
>>> and most people don't stay vegan that long.
>>
>> You don't agree with my attitude? My attitude is that I am not
>> interested in indulging people who are temporarily adopting a diet
>> that is different from mine. My system does not agree with cabbage
>> and tomatoes. If I knew someone who had to have cabbage rolls for
>> dinner I would not invite them either. I don't care care if people
>> are vegetarians. Hell, it helps keep the price of meat down. They can
>> boycott meat until the cows come home. I'm just not interested in
>> catering to their diet. If they want to come to a dinner party and
>> bring their own food that would be great. If they want to come to a
>> dinner party and eat just vegetables that is fine, but I will be
>> damned if I will cook a vegetarian meal for them. The closest I come
>> to a vegetarian meal is macaroni and cheese or three cheese penne, and
>> when I do that I have to listen to a carnivore wife complain.
>>
>>
>>
>>> My son tried a vegetarian diet for about a year and then gave it up.
>>> On
>>> the other hand, my daughter went vegetarian at 13 and not only stuck
>>> it out for 6 years, but has now gone vegan (she gave up eggs and
>>> dairy).
>>
>> I am sure that you can appreciate that she is more the exception than
>> the rule. Care to make a bet that she will stick to it forever?
>
> Well let's see... my friend Sujata is a vegetarian and has been for 30
> years; she was raised that way. Her husband, on the other hand and her
> young daughter, eat meat. So she prepares meals acceptable for both.
> She's not adverse to preparing meals with meat in them, she just won't
> eat them. She does eggs/dairy, grains, veggies; no chicken or fish. I
> wouldn't say she's going to fall off this "diet" any time soon.

I would hazard a guess that most "lifetime" vegetarians were raised that
way, either in a vegetarian culture or a home environment that was
vegetarian.

I've never personally met anyone who "decided" to become vegetarian and
lived the rest of their lives as one.

> Having said that, I agree with not going too far out to cater to a
> guests particular diet, be it a fad or not. If you invite people over
> and they know you are carnivores, they have the right to say "no
> thanks". Still, I'd make an effort to have *something* if they said
> they would like to attend, even if it's just grilled or steamed mixed
> vegetables or couscous or something. Maybe they just like the company
> of the friend doing the inviting.
>
> Jill

--
Wayne Boatwright
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974