Go against the flow

At the moment I’m sitting in a coffee shop, sipping my iced tea, listening to relaxing music, and doing my homework. I ordered this really great salad that had oranges, cranberries, and pecans on it; and it had honey mustard dressing too (it didn’t even cross my mind that it might have dairy in it). Now I try not to be too strict because, stuff like that is hard too avoid and I don’t want to be a food Nazi or anything. But that can be hardest thing about being vegan/plant-based. Finding food that we can eat is a difficult thing when we live in a place that promotes the exact opposite.

If I had thought of it when I was ordering, I could’ve just asked for vinaigrette instead. Now substitutions like this can usually be made, and don’t be embarrassed about it. It’s really no big deal. Sometimes it can be a little embarrassing to eat at a restaurant that has NO vegan options because then you sound really weird ordering your food and you look picky; but don’t worry about it.

I’m still a newbie at this. I have to remind myself that it’s not weird to ask for no cheese, or to ask what ingredients are used for that dish. People will just think you’re health conscience and they might think that’s cool.

I’ve learned that it’s totally worth it to order weird stuff. When I go to a restaurant and order a cheese-less, meatless pizza, I might get a laugh, (which I laugh at myself too because it does sound kind of funny) but it’s no big deal. It usually just starts up a conversation about why I eat that way, and it can even lead to me impacting someone’s life.

You can be that impact too! Don’t worry about what others think. Living this way will make you the healthiest, happiest you! Be happy, be you, and go against the flow. It’s worth it!