Sections from Becoming Vegetarian (first edition),
The primary author for this Chapter was Brenda Davis. 

You did it! You finally decided to take the plunge and give up meat forever. The compassion you feel for animals, your fellow man and the environment will be felt by those for miles around you. People will look at you and say, "There goes a person who really respects life. What a hero!" You will be awarded the Citizen of the Year award for your community. Your parents will beam with pride, and your friends will call you constantly, just so they might be seen in your presence.

A likely story? Not on planet Earth. Let's face it, when you become a vegetarian, family and friends may be less than enthusiastic. After all there are few social situations that don’t involve food, and in our culture that usually means meat. Your vegetarian lifestyle could cause some inconvenience, to say the least. Your Mom will worry about how to rearrange her Christmas dinner menu to accommodate your new diet. Uncle Nat will be ticked off when he finds out that his best fishing buddy isn’t so enthusiastic about the trip this year. You may feel a little awkward trying to explain to your workmates that you don’t eat meat any more after they’ve just thrown a 12 oz., T-bone on the grill at your surprise party.

Becoming vegetarian, you might expect, would have people applauding your selfless contribution to global ecology, but instead it often makes them uncomfortable. This discomfort may not be all bad; it could get people thinking more carefully about their own food choices. But then again, you'd probably rather be laughing with the people you care about than causing them discomfort.

Your vegetarian diet could make your family feel as though you are turning your back on their values and traditions. Food has always been an important aspect of socializing in any culture. You have created a separation in one area that your parents thought would always bind you together. This can be very difficult for loved ones to understand.

Friends and acquaintances might perceive your vegetarianism as a judgment on their choices. Those who have not been exposed to many vegetarians may feel alienated from you because your food choices are so different.

It is quite possible that your decision to cut meat from your menu becomes a source of anxiety and frustration, particularly when you are among a group of omnivores. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be that way.

Rather than causing tension for you and those around you, your vegetarian diet can help you share a whole new world of valuable experiences. Much depends on your attitude, humor, and social diplomacy.

This chapter will guide you through a variety of social experiences that are common to vegetarians and boost your level of comfort and confidence. It is divided into three parts:

Part 1: Questions That Face Vegetarians on a Regular Basis

Part 2: Challenging Situations

Part 3: Guidelines for Getting Along

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Your reactions and responses could change the way the people around you perceive ‘the vegetarian’.

Part 1: The Questions
One of the interesting aspects of becoming a vegetarian is hearing the questions of those who are somewhat mystified by your choice. Your answer to each person’s question will depend, at least in part, on the situation and how the question is asked. Many people have a real interest in your experience; you may wish to make a well thought out and meaningful response, share a few practical pointers, or discuss insights into the real connections between our food choices and environmental or health issues. Still other people may just be kidding around, and in that case it would be fun to come back with an appropriately light-hearted response.

The questions most commonly posed to vegetarians are "What do you eat?" and "Why are you a vegetarian?" Answers given in Becoming Vegetarian range from serious to short, sweet and funny responses that can take the edge off a difficult situation. The range of possible responses can also help you to frame answers that are particularly meaningful for you.

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Part 2: Situations
In Becoming Vegetarian, you are invited to put yourself in several challenging social situations (listed below) and consider the selection of responses offered in the text. How do you think you would react? The probable outcomes for each reaction are also discussed, giving you support for handling such occasions in an effective and positive manner.

Challenging Situations Which Are Discussed in Becoming Vegetarian: (see book for details)

1. Wife and mother turning vegetarian without family support.

2. Invitation to another person's home for dinner.

3. Restaurant without vegetarian options on the menu.

4. Inviting out-of-town work work associates to dinner.

5. Making a celebration dinner for your extended family.

6. Teen getting razzed about wearing leather shoes.

7. Your first business convention as a vegan.

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I am wondering how many have bought this book and how much it helped.

i know i have truely struggled with my becoming vegetarian, and trying to go Vegan. it is hard enough having a husband who doesnt want to eat vegetarian without trying to feed him Vegan style.

i still am forced to buy some foods for my husband that i dont eat, but it is still hard to buy them for him. he is getting where he eats basicly veg at home. with some dairy and eggs. i am learning new ways all the time how to cut out the dairy and eggs from our diets without it being an issue for him.

the biggest hurdle is being able to find alternatives that taste good to replace the animal products.

when i was living in MI i could find just about anything, now that we have moved to TN it is very hard to find veg alternatives at all, so many things i was used to using i can now not find.

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I truely envy those who are single or who have veg/vegan partners. it is very hard when you are in a relationship if your partner does not agree with your beliefs, views and /or lifestyle.

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I read this book a few years ago, and I found it excellent. It gave amazing advice, especially for someone as socially awkward as myself. Tidbits of its advice still pop into my head sometimes, but I think I ought to re-read it soon.

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