You may have opened this book knowing exactly what you want to accomplish, whether it’s give up meat every once in a while or let go of it altogether. But for many of us, going veg is a work in progress. You may love the idea of being vegan, but for now simply going meat-free may suit your life a bit better. Or maybe you’re just not sure. This quiz will help you determine what type of VegHead you are today. Remember, this is subject to change—Monday’s meat-phobe may be Tuesday’s chicken finger fan. That’s OK. This book is here to support you, wherever you are.
The most important thing to keep in mind about this quiz is that it is just for fun. If the result you get is not at all what you had in mind, no worries. You know what brought you here and you will figure out where this journey is taking you in good time.
1. I currently eat meat:
a. All the time
b. Most of the time
c. Some of the time
d. Hardly ever
e. Never
2. Which of the following statements best describes your feelings toward being green and environmentally conscious?
a. I don’t pay too much attention to recycling and conservation.
b. I want to help, but I’m not sure how much impact I can really have.
c. I recycle whenever I can and never leave the water running when I brush my teeth.
d. Green is my color! I compost, only drink water out of a reusable container, and buy all of my clothes secondhand from thrift shops.
3. When you eat out, how long does it take you to decide on what to order?
a. No time at all—I mostly always get the same thing!
b. Just a minute—I have my favorites that I usually rotate through.
c. A while—I like to try new things so I make sure to read the menu to see if there’s anything interesting.
d. Longer than everyone else at the table…oh, and I sometimes change my mind after the order’s been taken.
4. Which of the following foods would you be least likely to live without?
a. Burgers. Just gotta have one sometimes!
b. Chicken. It’s a staple in my house!
c. Tuna. Isn’t that what brown bag lunches are all about?
d. Ice cream! A life without ice cream is a life not worth living!
e. None of the above—I’d be just fine without any of these.
5. What city would you most like to eat in?
a. Dallas, TX—mmm, barbecue!
b. New York, NY—so many options on every corner!
c. New Orleans, LA—seafood central!
d. Boston, MA—the highest consumption of ice cream in the US!
e. Berkeley, CA—it’s cool to be organic and everything is veg-friendly!
6. Which fictional character do you most associate with?
a. Wimpy from Popeye—he’s almost always eating hamburgers.
b. Popeye himself—he loves spinach and holds the veggie responsible for his super strength.
c. Captain Planet—the superhero who defends the world from pollution and natural disasters.
d. Lisa Simpson—the politically active eight-year-old became a vegetarian when her mom served lamb chops for dinner the same day she bonded with a petting zoo lamb.
7. How do you feel about stopping at the grocery store with your parents?
a. Avoid at all costs.
b. It’s OK because that way I have some say in what we eat at home.
c. I like it as long as it doesn’t take too long.
d. Love it. I could go every day.
8. What’s your idea of an amazing vacation?
a. Hawaii
b. Europe
c. Tahiti
d. India
9. What is your favorite flavor?
a. Savory—like meat, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese.
b. Salty
c. Sour
d. Sweet
10. Bottom line, what are your feelings on eating animal products (including meat, fish, dairy, eggs)?
a. I like them, but I want to eat them less.
b. They’re OK, but I worry that if I gave them up I wouldn’t know what to eat.
c. Nothing that has a face—but foods that don’t hurt the living animal like milk and eggs don’t bother me.
d. I think it’s not cool and would like to avoid it altogether.
DETERMINE YOUR SCORE:
For every a: 1 point
For every b: 2 points
For every c: 3 points
For every d: 4 points
For every e: 5 points
If you scored 10–15, you are thinking about going veg, but you’re not quite ready to take the leap—and that makes you Veg-Curious. You totally get the idea of giving up meat altogether, but you also like a good burger every now and then. Also, you’re somewhat set in your ways and not looking to mix things up too much. By making just some of your meals plant-based, you can dip your toe in the water of meatlessness—and give a little boost to your health and the well-being of the planet. You may want to start by adopting the Meatless Monday program—begin each week with a day’s worth of VegHead meals. Or you might want to go flexitarian—someone who mostly eats vegetarian, but eats meat sometimes (deciding how often “sometimes” is, that’s up to you). Check out Chapter 3, Paths to Veg, for more on the routes you can take to explore your veg curiosity.
If you scored 16–25, being a Red Head may suit you best. While there’s no official name for it, giving up red meat but still eating chicken and other white meat along with fish is a pretty common choice (especially for those concerned about lowering cholesterol and improving heart health). Some people think of it as a form of flexitarianism, but if you’re making the specific decision to just not eat red meat, I say give it its own name. If you’re a Red Head, you like vegetables and are willing to eat more of them…but you’re not sure you can exist on plants alone. Fair enough! Say so long to steak, buh-bye to burgers, and ta-ta to tartare (if raw meat was your thing to begin with, that is), and see how it feels.
If you scored 26–34, you may want to try out being a Pescetarian (pes-ka-tarian). Generally, pescetarians give up meat of all types except for fish. You and meat are mostly through—but tuna subs and California rolls can be such convenient meals! What’s more, fish has some great health benefits (including promoting healthy skin, hair, and good mood) that you may not want to miss out on. So, since you’re open to change but have an appetite for some things that are familiar, take pescetarianism out for a spin—it just may be your happy place.
If you scored 35–39, being a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian might be right for you (for the record, this is the official name). Lacto-ovos don’t eat meat or fish at all, but they do eat animal products such as dairy and eggs. You’re all about letting cows and chickens live—but the thought of drinking their milk or eating their eggs doesn’t rattle you. You do want to have a significant environmental impact, though, which going meat-free will accomplish. And since you have a curious personality and are flexible when it comes to food, you’re well suited to live deliciously, meat-free.
If you scored 40+, you may be ready to take the leap to being Vegan: abstaining from eating all animal products including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey; depending on your commitment, it may also extend to avoiding products that come from animals such as beeswax candles and silk scarves. Since you make green living and animal activism top priorities, going vegan may be right for you. You are also adventurous and love trying new foods, which will be crucial to how you’ll look and feel, considering the strict dietary restrictions that come along with skipping out on all animal foods. And as for those limitations—they don’t stress you out one bit. You’re independent and can rely on yourself to make sure there’s always something healthy for you to eat, even if it means carrying around a jar of peanut butter “just in case.” You will do whatever it takes so that your actions match your morals, and the way you eat is no excuse.
Regardless of your score, what if you have strong feelings that animals should be raised in a way that is respectful of and healthy for them and the people that eat them, is not harmful to the environment, is humane for workers, and provides a fair wage to the farmer—but you believe that it’s OK for people to eat meat, dairy, and eggs? You may be an Conscious Carnivore. If you want to limit the animal foods you eat to products that have been raised according to the standards listed above (often referred to as sustainable practices), this is the term we’ll use to describe you. And if this is you, consider yourself lucky. As recently as ten years ago, you may have been left with no option other than to give up animal foods altogether. Today, however, things have changed—many food producers, grocery stores, and even some restaurants are making it easier for you to eat meat in a way that someone who cares deeply about animals and the environment can feel good about. And for readers who think it’s totally backward to say someone takes animal welfare seriously yet eats meat, I say back off. Vegging out isn’t for everyone—but everyone benefits from a world where food is produced ethically and sustainably.
