Being a vegetarian is one of the most rewarding and wonderful things you can be. Though, I'd be lying if I said it was always easy. We live in a society where the vegetarian population is the minority so unfortunately society doesn't cater to us,like it does the meat eaters! Being a vegetarian myself, I've felt that pain of being the only one in my friend group, always being hungry, and having limited menu options at restaurants. So newly vegetarians, or people considering this lifestyle, listen up- I'm here to use my experiences and offer some ways to make being a veg head easier!
Side note: I'm a vegetarian so I couldn't accurately write about how to make a vegan lifestyle easier, though a lot of these ways may apply to a vegan lifestyle as well!
1) Start Slow
You don't have to say "Byeee!" to meat all at once! If you haven’t become a vegetarian yet- start slow! Wean yourself off meat. I know it’s fun and dramatic to say “this is my last chicken nugget….forever!” but seriously I know from experience it's a lot easier to stick with vegetarianism when you slow yourself into the lifestyle. So maybe start with meatless Mondays, or cutting out a particular kind of meat first, like red meat, or only eating meat on the weekends. After a few weeks of cutting meat out of your life little by little, then you can go completely vegetarian. However you want to plan it, it's just a lot easier than going cold turkey (pun intended).
2)Find a Purpose
Decide why YOU want to be a vegetarian. Is it for the animals? The environment? A healthy lifestyle? Whatever it is, figure out your purpose and let that motivate you. Personally, I am doing it for animals and the environment. So whenever that chicken nug on my friend’s plate looks like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen- I remember why I CHOSE to be a vegetarian and I snap back into reality. We live in a society that is majority meat eating, so you're going to have a lot of temptation from society and your friends to cave, but just remember why you chose this lifestyle!
(Ps. It's ok to cave sometimes- we're only human after all! But once you are a vegetarian for a few months, craving for that chicken nug, could mean an upset stomach- another reason to leave the nug alone!)
3) Call Ahead to Restaurants
Seriously, it's pretty disappointing when you're out to eat with your friends, and you have two menu options to choose from. Especially when you don't like either of the options, and you start feeling guilty when the server is scrambling, telling you meat dishes they could maybe take the meat out of. It's even better (she said sarcastically) when the server hands you the side item menu or the salad menu, you can order as your meal. To avoid all that, all you have to do is call ahead! Just call and politely mention that you are a vegetarian and ask what the options are. Chances are if you call ahead, the restaurant will be more willing to work with you and figure out what you can eat!
4) Cook For Yourself
To avoid the whole restaurant drama- just cook for yourself! This is easier said than done, especially when you find the hole-in-the-wall chinese food restaurant that makes the BEST fried tofu and you literally want to eat it for every meal. But stay strong! You can't go out to eat everyday, but luckily for you, theres plenty of amazing vegetarian recipes that you can try. You could google them, get a vegetarian friend's favorite recipe, or pick up a vegetarian cook book! Most the time when you cook for yourself, there are a lot of leftovers, which is a plus! I know the struggle of taking out meat from your life and realizing how much you relied on that protein source. Don't worry though, there are several recipes that utilize vegetable protein to make sure your filled up!
5) If you Miss the Taste of Meat Try…
There are plenty of substitutions that taste pretty darn close to meat, if not identical! There are companies like Beyond Meat whose whole purpose is to try to make their product taste like the meat you miss. Though most products that are meat substitutions are going to try to make it taste like meat. So try many different products! See what your preference is- find that veggie sausage that tastes just like the meat sausage your dad made when you were a kid!
Stay strong veg heads! We're making a difference in this world!
