It's no secret that going vegetarian is becoming quite popular. A lot of people who are hesitant to cross over think that vegetarian eating is expensive, gross, or limited. I'm here to tell you it is none of those! Whether you're pondering the change or you've recently transitioned, I have a few tips for you to keep in mind.
1. Read those labels!
You may think a lot of foods are vegetarian, like cheese. Unfortunately this isn't the case. In a lot of cheeses, rennet is used. What's rennet? Sparing all the details, rennet comes from the lining of young animal's stomachs. Delicious right? Not so much. If you're going vegetarian and you don't think this pertains to you, think again! Cheese, in most cases, is NOT vegetarian friendly. There is, however, a vegetarian way to make rennet and as a result, cheese. A few other ingredients to look out for are: gelatin, keratin, pepsin, carmine (or carminic acid) and trypsin. This list leaves many, many ingredients out but these are some fairly common things to look out for.
2. Know what you need.
Vitamins, protein, and fiber are essential in your diet. One of the most asked questions is "Where do you get your protein from?" BEANS. No really, beans have a ton of protein, as does tofu. Some other super delicious and easy ways to get protein are through soy milk, spinach, sea weed, sunflower seeds, mushrooms and asparagus. Be VERY careful when picking out protein powders because most of them are animal-derived. A very popular and vegetarian-friendly brand is Vega. Don't turn to lettuce and junk food when you're hungry, you need to eat well balanced meals and you may need a multi-vitamin as well. If you've ever read the label on most multi-vitamins you'll find they are far from vegetarian friendly, luckily there are vegan vitamins.
3. Plan out your meals.
Vegetables can go bad very, very quickly. Before you go spend $100 on fresh produce, think ahead and only buy what you need. I've found planning ahead is very helpful at keeping meat out of the equation. I'm not saying to sit down and decide what to eat every day for the next month, but think ahead when you're buying food. Find out how long foods are good for, ways to preserve them, and different ways to eat them. Planning meals is also really great at keeping you out of an oatmeal-salad-pasta rut. Experiment in the kitchen and look up vegetarian and vegan recipes. Try one of your favorites with tofu or extra veggies. If you go on BuzzFeed, there are loads of recipes waiting for you to try them.
4. Know why you're doing it, and stay true to that cause.
Seriously think about why you're changing your diet. Is it for weight-management or to combat animal cruelty? Maybe it's neither of these. Either way, people will definitely criticize you and tell you to switch over. Don't change your mind because people want you to. If you're not going vegetarian because of the meat industry or at all, you may want to take a little time reading about the meat and dairy industries to understand what's really going on and how our food is being made. I was legitimately told it was un-American to eat a vegan diet. What does that even mean? I'm not going to lie: I have slipped, and sometimes I do eat meat, but more often than not I steer clear from meat and dairy because of what happens to the animals. Don't beat yourself up if you slip and eat bacon, just recognize what you did and move on. It really is that easy.
Going vegetarian is at times incredibly difficult if you don't know what you're getting yourself into. If you have questions, chances are you can find the answer online. There's a subreddit dedicated to you veggies, take advantage of that! Embrace your decision and experiment with these delicious and healthy foods you've chosen to make the base of your diet. Be aware of what you're eating and be sure to have a well-balanced diet. It may be hard, but think of why you're doing this and hold onto that reason. Stay strong!
