When I dine out with new friends or business associates the dreaded VEGETARIAN CONVERSATION always comes up. What do you guys (vegetarians) eat if you do not eat meat?

If you are like me you most likely have become very tired of explaining your dietary preferences to others and you simply want to attempt to enjoy a good meal in a sometimes vegetarian unfriendly world.

Usually, the trouble begins when I start asking the waiter questions about how the vegetables are prepared, you know like, are they boiled in a base of chicken stock or beef stock? By this point the people that I am with are beginning to suspect that there may be something wrong with me. Then I am forced to explain what I do not eat and why.

Being a Hare Krishna Devotee and living within the Vedic Diet presents problems well beyond just being a standard run of the mill vegetarian like not eating Onions, Garlic, Vinegar or Mushrooms. Wow, there really is nothing that you can eat on our menu if you don't even eat onions or garlic.

My advice after years of eating out is try and pick the place in advance and call ahead and have them prepare something for you or even bring a meal that can be served to you during the meal that you have prepared yourself. This may sound silly or extremist but it will usually avoid the VEGETARAIN CONVERSATION. This way you can focus on a conversation that you want to have and not have to spend valuable social or business time on the VEGETARIAN CONVERSATION.  

Of course, you could always invite your guests to a place like Govinda's Vegetarian where you can be assured that all of the meals are prepared in the Vedic vegetarian or vegan vegetarian traditions saving you from having a whole lot of explaining to do.

If you would like to share your stories of how you handle the VEGETARIAN CONVERATION with new friends or family email me at contact@govindasvegetarian.com and I will review and post your story. If you have any stories that you think would contribute to this website please email them as well.  

Your Humble Servant, Bill