[*Shira*]

I think the reason carnivores say that vegetarianism and veganism sound unhealthy is that most nutrition education we've had growing up has spoken in terms of a "balanced diet". I'm old enough to have been raised with the 5 food groups: meat, dairy, bread/cereal, fruits/vegetables, and I forget the fifth offhand.

Anyway, for people like me who were raised with the idea that meat and dairy were both major components of a balanced diet, it CAN sound unhealthy to hear that someone is not eating these things.

Of course, the old five basic food groups were a simplistic way of viewing nutrition, and nowadays they've been replaced with the food pyramid. But even the food pyramid has its problems.

Many carnivores don't realize that certain vegetables are rich in calcium, and many don't realize that legumes are rich in protein. So when they hear someone is a vegetarian, they don't realize that most vegetarians care about good nutrition and have educated themselves on which foods to eat to ensure they're getting all the nutrition they need.

If you feel magnanimous AND if the person seems receptive to learning something, you could educate them on how the nutrients that they're used to getting from dairy and meat are also available in vegetables, then go on to talk about soy, lentils, etc. Of course, if the situation isn't appropriate or you're just not in the mood to educate, it's not necessary to bother.

And of course, many carnivores have unhealthy eating habits of their own. McDonald's comes to mind....

Anyway, I agree with rakgirl's statement that we should respect people whose eating habits are different from our own. Courtesy is a virtue.