It's a texture thing for you, then? I like tomato products, but I don't like eating tomatoes plain. Just don't like the texture at all.
I'm good with tofu, with eggs, stuff like that. I don't eat tofu a lot, but if I go to Hu Hot, for example, it almost always goes in my bowl. The great thing about tofu is that it's just about flavor-neutral, and it takes on the flavor of whatever it's cooked with, so you can pretty easily bulk up a dish with tofu and not gain a ton of calories, but also not lose/alter the flavor much.
I worked with a lot of vegetarians when I lived out in San Francisco. It's worlds easier to be a vegetarian out there than in the Plains, but it's getting easier here. Out there it was as much a fashion thing as anything else, especially with the Americans. The foreigners and expats whom I knew were vegetarians were easy-going about it - like The Dude said up there ^^^, you didn't know they were vegetarians unless you happened to notice what they were eating. They didn't announce it any more than I'd announce the brand of socks I wear.
Funny thing about tofu - in San Fran, there are a TON of "Persians," Iranian expats living in America. They speak Farsi, and the Farsi word for snot is "tof," (and I'm probably spelling that wrong) which sound like the first syllable of tofu, so they would get a big kick out of people eating "snot" when they ate tofu.
It is exactly a texture thing...Like you said, tofu is just a protein filler and grabs the taste next to it...I just cant stomach it....I do however throw it in the bowl at HuHot...Which is the greatest place in the world (or at least South Dakota) for someone with my dietary preference....
I do understand exactly why people think vegetarians act more arrogant about their diet than other people....It reminds me of guys who go to the gym.....It is possible to go to the gym and to eat a certain way without letting the world know about it....All my friends eat meat, the only reason they know I am a vegetarian is when offered a grilled burger in the summer, i would pass and focus on the sweet potatoes/vegetables....I tell people who ask, but i dont expect people to feel the need to accommodate me......