Give Peas a Chance

On October 20th, the 12th annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival was held at the Reggie Lewis Center at Roxbury Community College.

I first attended this event three years ago, on the recommendation of a professor with whom I was taking a health- and environmentally-conscious honors seminar. This year, I honestly went mostly because I knew I might find some interesting people and things of which to take pictures.

In one of my online communities of Bostonians, a vegan who planned on attending the event mentioned that she "hoped to see non-vegetarians there, too," and I think that's a really good idea. I know many people who are vegetarians or vegans, and I know that they have plenty of food options beyond salad and tofu. Most of the exhibitors at the festival are from companies that make vegetarian or vegan foods -- everything from breakfast to dessert. Italian food, Greek food, Indian food...they can all be made vegetarian, or sometimes, vegan. Many exhibitors also sell cookbooks so that the visiting veg-heads can whip up meatless menus at home.

I also know that veganism is often not just a way of eating but a way of life. I think it would be interesting to see a less-informed non-vegetarian's reaction to the lengths some people will go to to protect animals. Vegan cleaning products, vegan cat litter, vegan toothpaste, vegan clothing and shoes...almost anything can be altered in some way so that it doesn't contain any animal products, and if it can't be altered, serious vegans will go without it. And while I'm on the subject, vegan baked goods are actually pretty tasty.

And, even though some vegans might like some animal-based foods, they often give them up because they are opposed to the way the animals are treated. People at the festival distributed information about farms that treat their animals in a more ethical manner, and about animal rescue organizations. These people seem to care genuinely about the well-being of animals, even if they are not animals that have any possibility of being used as food. As I exited the building, I met a group of people who were gathering signatures for a petition about greyhound racing. They were petitioning to put a provision on the ballot for the next election, allowing Massachusetts voters to vote for the ending of greyhound racing in the state. I am not a registered voter in Massachusetts, so I couldn't sign the petition, but I certainly would have if I were. I actually know a couple in my home state (one of whom is vegetarian and the other vegan) who have been participating in greyhound rescue programs for years. They keep retired racing greyhounds as pets and have made me want to do the same, because they are beautiful, fascinating dogs.

My favorite part of the festival is the way that so many people wear their veggie lifestyle loud and proud (see a few photos two posts ago). "Go Vegan, and no body gets hurt." "Tasty Eats Without the Meats." I was even tempted to buy the t-shirt that said "Eat Like You Give a Damn," but I made the unfortunate mistake of attending with only two dollars in my pocket -- the vendors at the festival can only accept cash.

Next year, you should all take an hour or so out of the third Saturday in October and check out the Vegetarian Food Festival, and in the meantime, keep an open mind about other people's food and lifestyle choices. I'm not suggesting that you put a Tofurky on your table this Thanksgiving, but it couldn't hurt...you or a turkey...to give it a shot.