Questions that me and other vegetarians are tired of answering…

So, I’m vegetarian, because I’m Jain where we believe in being vegetarian and considering all animals as equal (I am not going to explain Jainism…). I’ve been vegetarian all my life. So… I have faced a lot of annoying and reiterating questions in my daily life. Sometimes, I struggle even stating that “yeah I’m vegetarian” in front of people because I just know what’s going to come after.

The questions…

(QUESTION 1) Where do you get your protein?

I don’t blame non-vegetarians for asking this question, but it’s quite irritating when they seem to struggle with the NEW FACT that protein can come from stuff other than meat.

I reply saying I get my protein from mainly beans, and lentils which are essentials in my ‘vegetarian’ diet. Hence, I satisfy my body’s need for protein. So, obviously, the person in front of me is going to question about how ‘BEEF CONTAINS MORE PROTEIN SO WHY DON’T YOU JUST EAT BEEF’. Well, maybe, JUST maybe… because I’m vegetarian. Afterwards, I also say that - in reality - beans and lentils can contain more protein than beef which, of course, they just can’t even accept. SO, it just ends up as a constant argument which I don’t even partake in, but the person in front of me just keeps going at it… for proving some point? Half the time, I don’t even know… I just sit there with the feeling of regret that I even answered the question.

(QUESTION 2) So you eat chicken/ any other specifc meat?

This is not all non-vegetarians… just the few. I just. Like. How? How does one even ask such a question? Like, it’s in the name, VEGETARIAN — meaning to eat everything EXCEPT meat. CHICKEN = MEAT. Is Vegetarianism some hard concept for some people to understand? It genuinely surprises me how some people even ask this question and sometimes expect a ‘yes’ answer…

(QUESTION 3) You don’t mind me eating this burger, right?

Ok, so I don’t really get annoyed by this; but it’s a question that is asked so many times. Like, you’re the one eating and digesting the meat — not me — so of course, I don’t mind. You can literally devour a whole cooked chicken in front of me and I will not care. Unless, you suddenly stuff my mouth with meat; it’s all good.

Being a vegetarian… it’s hard. Especially in resturants. For example, I was at nandos with my friends one time and they ran out of the one vegetarian item they had. The lady comes over, and everybody gives great orders for burgers and fries and wraps. She comes to me… I just say “I’ll have a… salad and fries”. My friends just looked at me with pity, but I didn’t care… it was a good salad.

Siddharth Chaudhary
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade