I'm an omnivore but my partner is vegetarian. I never saw him being vegetarian as an issue. I just thought "cool, don't judge me and I won't judge you". He saw it the same way I did, thankfully.
I am very supportive of his lifestyle/morals. Most nights I'll eat whatever he's eating. I'll also go out of my way to make sure we go to a vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Instead of going to a regular restaurant with minimal vegetarian options. I've also learned to cook more vegetarian meals ^.^
He also tries to do the same. However, I've noticed it's a lot easier for me to compromise than the other way around.
That's just how relationships go, you take a little and you give a little. I get comments all the time from people. They're always wondering how an omnivore and a vegetarian can make it work. We just love each other and don't judge. He has made his choice and I've made mine. He has his moral grounds and I have mine. He won't eat meat period, while I won't eat veal, lamb, foie gras or foods of the liking.
there's lots of easy ways to stay vegetarian (even vegan) and maintain high protein levels. i'm doing just fine at it : ).My sister was a vegetarian for about two years, but she wasn't getting enough protein and other vitamins. She switched to pescatarian so that she could still play basketball.
Okay, can I say my thoughts on vegetarians? First of all, I work with a catering company and a lot of my job is catering for young people. And, some of them confuse the crap out of me when it comes to being a vegetarian. Most of the vegetarians we serve are very understanding and appreciate the food that we provide them because technically we do not have to accommodate them when we serve them food. It's a pleasure, an absolute pleasure to serve them. But, some of them have the audacity to act like they are privileged and deserve certain foods just because they went vegetarian. Like we don't have to accommodate you at all. Just be glad we are! However, there are others who are completely meat eaters will sometimes refuse to eat the 'normal' food provided for them and want to eat the food provided only for the vegetarians. We only make so much food for the vegetarians and people are just stubborn and want to be faketarians and eat whatever they want when they want. There was even a guy we served last week that switched to the vegetarian life while we were there catering for them for the reason of wanting to lose weight. I'm sorry but going vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean that you will lose weight. There is definitely evidence for a healthier body when one is a vegetarian. It's your eating habits and how much you eat that will aid in the weight loss process, not just going vegetarian. Don't get me wrong, I respect vegetarians for who they are and the choice that they make every day, but some people just really grind my gears when it comes to feeding them.
end rant srry
You DO have to accommodate them. That's what being in the food industry means. If you want more costumers, then you have to adapt to those said new costumers. If they're Jewish, you have to make sure everything is kosher. If they're allergic to something, you have to make sure you don't put what they're allergic to in the food. If they're vegetarian/vegan you have to serve them a vegetarian/vegan meal. You DO have to accommodate them. Thinking that vegetarians or vegans just have to be thankful you're even feeding them at all is atrocious to me. Specially with me being in the food industry myself as well.
I get you're ranting and you have your own opinions on the matter. However, the longer you think this way the longer you'll be ignorant. You'll miss out on some great opportunities.
Disclaimer: I'm not trying to insult you in any shape or form, nor attack you. Your comment just hit a nerve, so I felt compelled to reply to it. No one should feel thankful you're feeding them when they're paying you. If they're paying you to cook, it doesn't matter who they are, they're going to have certain expectations.
Maybe I should explain what I do a little more (that was probably very unclear). I cater for the military and we get contracts. So let's say we cater for 5 days, 3 meals a day for 100 people. That's basically our contract, then we give them a menu of what we will make, they approve the list and we provide the food. They don't pay for it, the government does (so basically the tax payers, not going to get into that). No where on the contract says that we are obligated to accommodate those with special food preferences. Out of the company's own generous and servant's heart, we are more than happy to accommodate them. In any other setting, those people of course have the right to ask for what they want. But here we are contracted to only cook food that we said we would on the contract. Making a vegetarian option and things like that are not part of the contract. And, we usually only do this when we are dealing with young people (Americorps, FEMAcorps, etc.), where in other settings, with actual soldiers and generals, we really don't have a veggie option. They are simply trained to eat whatever they are given. Does that make sense? I have a lot of friends that are vegetarians and kosher and things like that and when we go out, I'm probably the first to ask if where we eat is okay. I completely understand. But, when I'm on my job, contracted only to serve what we are contracted for but still provide a veggie option, I think it would be okay that they would be grateful for the food provided and how we have accommodated them. Does that make sense? (And, I don't mind the feedback, just helps me clarify myself better and continues the conversation further so that we both have a better understanding of things. No worries!)