Dave wrote:
> I have already taken some ribbing from some of my friends, who tend to
say
> things like, "You can't be a true Texan if you don't eat meat!" That's
kind of
> hurtful to me since I'm really proud of my Texan heritage.
>
> Finally, ways have you found to avoid junk food in social settings? I
study
> with my friends a lot, and there is generally a big bag of cookies in the
middle
> of the table to tempt me. I can sometimes avoid them, but there are
times when
> they seem way too inviting.
> Dave
Dear Dave,
I lived half a life time hearing comments from friends and family about how
I never ate chili when I was younger.. "You can't be a true Singaporean if
you don't eat chilli!!"...
I don't hate chili, just didn't like it in my food and couldn't stand the
way it used to make me tear... Singaporeans swear by chili.. chili sauce,
chili slices with food.. chili with everything... I used to "explain" that
I just prefer the natural taste of food... SO, you could say to your
friends that you just prefer eating vegies to meat... or you are just
"craving" for vegies after having grown up on meat... Not liking or eating
meat doesn't make you any less Texan... I'm a Singaporean and of Chinese
race, and I "hate" rice!!
Avoiding those cookies is easy, I always make sure I bring some
"diet-friendly" goodies too... rice crackers, sweetened cereal (like Apple
Jacks or FrootLoops), baked potato chips, dried apricots, fruit leather, LF
granola... your friends might just reach for YOUR goodies instead
of those cookies!!
Hope that helps...
Karen
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Karen Lim
karenlim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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