Jody Nied
Designer, Programer, and Author of
HELP! MY (BLANK) IS A VEGETARIAN
Who am I?
I am a wife, graphic designer, photographer and lover of animals, and up until the beginning of 2012, I was a part-time vegetarian (also known as a “flexitarian”), whose story is not unlike many others.
I decided to create this site shortly after making the full transition to a plant based diet. When I met my vegetarian husband a decade ago I ate meat, but fully understood his decision to not do so. I would never push my eating habits on him, as he would never push his on me. Our relationship was one built on mutual respect and understanding. When it came to food preparation I would accommodate his vegetarian diet by making primarily vegetarian meals, while occasionally making a meat option for myself. As the years went by my “meat options” became fewer and fewer, and I found I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet. After completing research on the environmental and health impacts of the typical American diet for a design job I decided to see if I could go 100% vegetarian for just one week. The week passed and I found that I didn’t miss eating meat and haven’t looked back.
Because I had eaten a primarily plant based diet, and my husband and many of my friends were vegetarian, I didn’t anticipate any issues with my full transition. But in reality I was quite startled by the reaction I received. People would appear to be uncomfortable eating around me and wouldn’t hesitate to poke fun at what I was eating. My husband had always mentioned such reactions but I had always assumed he was being overly sensitive. Boy was I wrong.
Because we had lived, meat-eater and vegetarian, so harmoniously, I found it difficult to comprehend the reactions I received. I would never push a vegetarian diet on anyone and found it odd that I was put in such awkward situations regarding, what I felt, was a personal decision that had no effect on anyone else in my life.
The purpose of this site is not to promote a vegetarian diet. I, more than anyone, understand that a plant based diet is not for everyone. Instead this site is dedicated to facilitating understanding and communication.
So who am I? I am your daughter, sister, friend, co-worker. I am the voice of every vegetarian who has felt misunderstood and judged. I am the voice of every meat-eater who has loved a vegetarian. I am here to bridge the gap between the two sides of the table, in the hope of creating understanding and removing the stigma of the vegetarian.