Vegetarianism at work

Posted by Jill Harris Mar 26, 2007

I've been working at my day job (not this fabulous post, unfortunately!) for about three months now, and apparently nobody at work as noticed yet that I am a vegetarian. I'm not sure whether this is good or bad – do they notice, think I'm weird, and close their mouths? Or does my unrolled cabbage really look like "real" cabbage rolls?

There is a third option; one I'm hoping is the real answer.

Could it be that vegetarianism has finally become mainstream?

When I started work there, I decided to not advertise my dietary preferences. Ideally, we'd all work for 100% vegetarian companies, but every leather-chaired executive knows this is not the case!

But back to the point. Honestly, I have said my Tofurky sausage is “fake sausage” and the chunks of marinated tofu in my salad are pretty self-explanatory. I've even sprung for the soy coffee creamer a few times.

My previous experiences have led me to not advertise my dietary habits. The last thing I want is for others to think I am biased – or worse – to try and engage me in some meat versus "rabbit food" banter. It can be amazing how some people's views change with this new bit of information.

When people ask, I am happy to share recipes and calmly explain my reasons for being vegetarian. I am proud of this part of my self but worry that my enthusiasm might be mistaken for preaching.

Being vegetarian for almost seven years has taught me that others learn by example. Several friends of mine have either gone vegetarian themselves, or become more open to vegetarian choices since eating lunches with me.

Vegetarianism is certainly not (yet!) the norm, but at least it is accepted and considered a healthy – not sickly – alternative.