Food Criticisms...

...or "why do so many people seem to care about what you eat?"

There are a couple of reasons why I wanted to witter on about this.  The first is a post on a forum I visit sporadically, which asked why are vegetarians vegetarian; why are they dreadful hypocrites in drinking milk/eating cheese, how do they cope with such bland food, do they realise we can't live on vegetables alone etc etc etc...

I get so sick of this sort of ranting that it almost puts me off my food, full stop (but not quite!)  I am a vegetarian, but I never ram it down other people's throats, never tell them they should do what I do, and I never eschew the very idea of eating meat.  This is because - shock horror - I couldn't care less what other people eat, or why they do or don't eat it.  I just want to eat what I like and not be questioned or criticised over it; something that actually happens quite a lot.  When I say "I'm a vegetarian" (which I only do if someone has asked) I'll invariably get asked why.  Politely, I'll answer that I just don't like the taste of meat. This will usually be followed up with a general criticism of vegetarian food and my own preferences "I don't know how you can stand all that tasteless food.  Meat gives meals such flavour"/"ah, but I bet you still like the smell of bacon" (which is a no, actually.  I don't mind it but it doesn't make me want to eat it)/"good thing we're not all like you, eh?  The only reason we've got animals is because we eat them"/"so why do you eat cheese then?"

In my experience, the problem isn't with vegetarians trying to stuff their beliefs down meat-eater's throats, it's entirely the other way round.  But regardless of which way round it is...why does anybody CARE?

The second reason is because of a meal I went to fairly recently, with a friend and some of her work colleagues at a local restaurant.  I ordered a huge sundae for dessert, and noticed that most of the other girls forewent dessert, then eyed me as though I'd just grown a second head.

"I couldn't possibly eat a huge dessert like that.  I'd feel so bloated"

"That sundae is like Hell on Earth for me"

"How can you eat all that?"

What?  I'm not waxing lyrical over your decision to order a mixed grill and a supersized latte, am I?  If I had either of those things I'd probably vomit all over the sticky wooden table, so much do I hate them.  I wouldn't tell anybody this however, mainly out of simple politeness, and because again - I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE HAVING TO EAT!

It's that kind of carping that is amongst the reasons I'm so glad I don't work in an office any more.  Sorry to be sexist, but specifically an office full of women.  It's all that bloody competitive eating, or really it's the competitive non-eating.  I've never worked with other women where weight-loss hasn't been a goal for at least one of them, which is absolutely fine except these women would also be fond of telling me exactly what they'd had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as how much they'd lost, how much they still had to lose, and how hard staying on the diet wagon is.  It made me want to stuff my face with biscuits all day, which I actually did most of the time, mainly out of childish defiance.  I'd also make sure my lunchtime sandwich was the fattiest, cheesiest one I could find, and I'd eat it at my desk.  (No, it wasn't big, or clever.  But it was a chink of fun in an otherwise borderline-suicidal existence).  I didn't put any weight on, mainly because I went to the gym a bit more often, and reduced what I'd had for dinner.  But I never talked about any of that.