A funny thing happened on the way over here

I don’t intend to be preachy, ever, and I certainly don’t want offend anyone and I feel like I have to say this because I have learned over the past few months that food IS an issue for people. The responses I have gotten to- I don’t eat meat or I am on a plant based diet…etc have been extreme, aggressive, rude, and most of the time totally lame. Here are a few, just for kicks-

It’s too bad that you don’t eat meat. Cows are stupid.
Oh, that’s sad.
So, then you must really like salads.
I wonder how long it will take of kids making fun of Henry before he begs you to go to McDonalds
Not eating meat causes diabetes
But what about killing all those plants?
Eat meat, have a vegetarian
But we are carnivores.
How do you live without protein?
All the vegans I know are angry and tired
And my favorite-
Jesus said we should eat animals.

I have responses to each of these comments, although I have to admit, some of them caught me so off guard that I came up with the response long after the comment was made...probably in the car on the way home while talking to myself...but whatever....I won’t bore you with replaying the entire conversation on my blog. What upsets me the most about all of it is that these comments are that they are not an invitation for a conversation. I would love to have an engaging conversation about why I disagree with the statement “We are carnivores”. Or talk about all the great food there is available to a vegan besides a salad. Or introduce protein sources like legumes and grains to someone that has never really tried them. I love talking about being vegan. I am excited and energized by it. I feel proud of myself and my husband for taking the steps to living in accordance with our beliefs and I think what I have learned and am learning about the typical American diet is not only fascinating but also life changing and in many ways life saving. And sometimes I do feel a little sad that I can't share what I am learning with some people for fear that they will get defensive. But I know it is touchy, oh so touchy….

With those disclaimers out of the way, I would like to mention something that has happened to me over the past few months that I think would be interesting to anyone trying to make a change in their diet, even people who are just planning to shed a few pounds come Jan. 2. And that is that- Given time your taste buds will change. I didn’t believe it, but it’s true. For example, I used to love Sheridan’s Pumpkin Pie Concretes. Mashed up pumpkin pie blended with custard and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar (but it’s eating plants that gives people diabetes, right ? ). They only come around in the fall/winter so I decided that it was okay for me to have one this year and a couple of weeks ago we went. I sat in the back seat so I could share it with Henry. I couldn’t eat it. I used to love it but now the flavor of the milk was WAY too strong. I don’t remember even tasting it before and now all I could taste was whole milk. It was crazy. I have also noticed it with cupcakes made with egg-I can taste the egg now which I couldn’t before and with milk chocolate-the milk taste is so strong I can’t stomach it. Also, I can’t do pizza with lots of cheese on it, it’s too rich and milky tasting. This is huge for me because I used to say “There is no such thing as too much cheese.” SO….what I am saying is that if you are trying to get to a point where you don’t crave that large pepperoni pizza or you are going to try loose a few pounds by giving up sweets, you can do it. Cut yourself off for a couple of months and then try it again. I guarantee your taste buds will change.