Vegetarian and vegan Talking Mats explained
Our vegetarian and vegan Talking Mats have been designed specifically for use with veg*ns living in residential or nursing care. They cover four topics with specially designed symbols.
My dietary choice
Not all vegetarians like to eat vegetables or meat replacement products and this topic is designed to allow people to express their food preferences. Meat and fish options are included in this topic to help get a reliable picture of a person’s beliefs. When considered along with the conversation arising from the values topic this gives the opportunity to get a fuller understanding of someone’s motivations. Suggested top scale to use: want to eat / sometimes want to eat / don’t want to eat
My eating experience
This topic helps explore if someone is happy with their current situation. Some of the symbols cover general subjects, while others are more specifically vegetarian- or vegan-focused. We included things such as celebrations and events. Vegetarians and vegans will want to enjoy these too but may feel excluded if offered something like a salad while others eat burgers. Suggested top scale to use: happy / so-so / not happy
Values & Lifestyle
People adopt vegetarian or vegan diets for different reasons and these topics address the reasons behind this choice, and consider the wider lifestyle implications, not just diet. For example someone following a plant-based diet for health reasons may feel differently about toiletries and cleaning products which may have been tested on animals than someone for whom veganism is a philosophical belief. These topics help build a picture of the reasons behind the lifestyle preferences. Suggested top scales to use:
Values: very important / quite important / not important
Lifestyle: want / don’t mind / don’t want
Vegetarian for Life offers Talking Mats Foundation Training with purchase of the exclusive vegetarian and vegan card resource.