I wanted to share what it’s like to be a vegetarian in France. Many aspects of it are the same as in the USA I guess but there is something more in France: French cuisine… And I get a hard time holding my position as all French cuisine involves animal products. I mean, no one thinks you can be healthy as a vegetarian and, usually, people are pretty much sure that you should be dying in front of them if you are a vegan, because, come on!, how can you survive eating only carrots and salad?

I used to argue a lot with people when I became a vegetarian, 5 years ago. Now, I don’t let them bother me anymore. I don’t even let them try and begin a conversation about vegetarianism, because I know for a fact that their only goal is to prove me wrong. I feel I don’t have enough time in my life to waste on dead ends arguments… From time to time, I meet (haha!) someone actually interested or curious about the way I eat/live. Then, I can talk, but otherwise I just make a joke (“yeah, I eat only carrots and green salad and no dressing”) and talk about something else…

I’m quite sad that I was born vegetarian but my mother met her second husband when I was 4. He was definitely not vegetarian. I used to have vegetarian times n my life but I only came back to vegetarianism when I left my mother’s house 5 years ago. So much waste. It makes me sad.

I really want to become vegan but I’m afraid, so afraid, not to be able to live like I want. I don’t want to have to explain my choices everyday, not to be able to go to restaurants, and believe me, in France, vegan is nearly never an option anywhere… My best friend has been a vegan for some time now but we don’t live close together so I’m also afraid to be alone with my choice.

Sorry to whine here, rough week and day…

Thank you so much for the show, again.

Sorry for the late response, but you are both welcomed and encouraged to come to Chicago any time!!! Would adore you both to come back and I want to get together with Lauren and Ramble Red Head (did I get the name right??).

Have either of you heard of carrot dogs? Sounded not-so-great to me, but my crush swears it’s good. I don’t have a grill, so haven’t tried this.

xo,
Sallie Ann

I’ve been listening to your show for some time now.

I just randomly wanted to share with you that my girlfriend and I just got our first vegan cookbook for our birthdays from a vegan friend. It’s “Vegan Lunch Box Around The World” by Jennifer McCann.

I’m a vegetarian and I’ve been thinking about turning vegan since I turned (back) vegetarian a few years ago… And as I like the idea of Alternate Vegan, which I heard of in your podcast, I plan on getting it soon.

And just for you to know, I am the guy asking personal questions about his sexual life to Mikeypod…

I love MFR. I always get good laughs because you are always in a good mood. Tank you so much.

And now a comment for Lauren:
Friends of mine worked in meat-packaging factories and none of them turned vegetarian (or vegan) but one, a few years after that for also other reasons. Some of them stopped eating the kind of meat they used to pack at the factory they worked in. My point is showing the way animals are treated is not a self efficient solution to turn people vegan. It is not enough. People have to feel concerned about the subject before viewing these kind of images. Otherwise they just close their minds to such horrible things and ignore it because they can’t bear to realize their impact on the world. You have to be on the path to veganism for these informations to be useful to you.