“What are you?” - Food and Identity
“What am I?” she asks herself, while staring… away from the mirror.
We love putting people in boxes.
It’s human nature to try to make sense of things, categorise them and identify everyone and everything. But in some cases, it is not helpful.
“Are you a vegetarian?” - I get this question a lot, because I often cook vegetarian meals, or I choose a veggie option in restaurant or on set when I’m working as an actor. I’m not, but I would guess that about 60% of my meals are. Maybe some people feel like they can safely say that they are “a vegetarian”, they may have had a vegetarian diet their entire lives, maybe their family all do the same, and it does feel like it is part of their identity.
But the problem with these boxes that we put people in, is that it feels like you have to stay in it. And I think it often holds people back from exploring. On one hand, it can make someone who sticks to a largely vegan diet feel judged if they ever step away from it, and it can make other people, who are used to eating meat, not even try to adjust their diet because they’ll “never be able to go vegan”. Well, the good news is, you don’t have to “go” anything! But what you can do is experiment and learn from all sorts of different diets. I have some favourite vegan dishes, and as I mentioned I cook lots of vegetarian dishes, but I also eat chicken and fish, and sometimes, yes, pork and beef. I am learning about the effects eating red meat has on the planet and the way farmed animals are treated and it definitely makes me think twice about having it (hence all my recipes that traditionally would contain meat replaced with vegetables) - but I also really like making food that my partner enjoys, and I know that I feel better when eating red meat on my period for example, and occasionally allow him and myself some.
I love Veganuary, the movement to encourage people to try to go vegan for January. It’s definitely worth trying, just to challenge yourself to think differently about what food you “have to have”, and there is no judgement from them whether you stick with it afterwards or only do that one month. Because they know; every little bit helps! If you learned to cook one or two awesome vegan dishes that month, maybe you’ll take them with you in to the rest of the year and just change it up a bit for your digestive system, for the animals, and for the planet.
Don’t be too strict on yourself, you don’t have to have an identity that is based in what you do or do not eat, and if you decide to stray from your usual diet here and there, that is your choice and not for anyone else to judge you on. Some people also have to juggle their intolerances and allergies, and that can be a lot to deal with all at once. So be kind to others too. I am an advocate for intuitive eating, and if your vegan friend one day wants eggs for breakfast, it doesn’t have to be a huge thing - just go “you do you“! I am super lucky to have wonderful vegan friends who never make me feel judged if I don’t eat vegan in front of them. But the truth is, I’m always inspired to when I’m with them. So if you are not vegetarian or vegan but have friends who are, I strongly suggest asking them for their favourite recipes - I’m sure they’d be thrilled to share with you!
I would love to hear what your experience with all of this is - do you like having what you eat be part of your identity or not? Have you made any big changes for yourself and had great results, or tried a dietary change that didn’t work as you expected? Share your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram and tag me @TheFromScratchBody and use the hashtag #TheFromScratchBody so I don’t miss it!
