By Dipti Budhrani and Megha Budhrani
Vegetarianism has been an integral part of my life from the time I was young. To this day, many people still believe the types of food I can eat as a vegetarian are limited. In reality, I can eat almost any kind of food I want: Chinese, Malaysian, Italian, Mexican and of course Indian. Although my classmates often tell me I am "missing out on life" by not eating meat, we vegetarians have our own "meat" known as soy-meat. Made from the soybean plant, there is a variety of meat substitute types that I can choose to eat. Each type has a different taste and texture, ranging from soy-chicken all the way to soy-shrimp.
As a vegetarian, I am often asked, "Why would you live like that?" "Are you forced to abstain from meat?" "Do you really choose to be a vegetarian?" I can easily reply that in fact I am not forced to be a vegetarian. If I truly wanted to eat meat, my parents would allow me to without any consequences. It is my personal choice to be a vegetarian. Most members of my family are vegetarian because of our religious views as part of Radha Soami (a sector of Indian religion) beliefs. Our Guru promotes vegetarianism, but he has nothing against eating meat; he does not compel us to follow him in abstention from meat. Our philosophy revolves around the lives of animals – we do not have the power to control an animal's life. Therefore, ending an animal's life is beyond our natural rights.
Although St. Maarten is relatively limited in resources, there is an abundance of options for those who do not eat meat. Grocery and restaurant cuisine both cater generously to the vegetarian population on the island, making it easy to find either an evening meal or mass quantities of food for a major event. From fine French dining to the local Johnnycake, vegetarian dishes are easily found and advertised. Vegetarianism is also questioned as an unhealthy diet not containing substantial amounts of protein. However, beans, tofu, nuts, soy-meat, and tempeh provide us with an equal amount (perhaps more) of protein consumed by non-vegetarian. Whether it is a religious belief, a health restriction or a personal dietary plan, vegetarianism is a way of life that is easily accommodated on the island of St. Maarten.
