First and foremost, I want to start by saying I am no expert. I have been a vegetarian for five years now, and this article is only meant to share what I experienced and learned. I think the key to maintaining a change in diet is to learn what works best for your body. Again, I am no expert, nor am I a nutritionist. I have had to experiment and explore what works for me and my body, and many others may have completely different experiences. That said, I hope this article is somewhat educational and informative. Enjoy.

1.No, I don’t really miss meat that much.

My family never really ate a lot of meat to begin with, so cutting out meat wasn’t too hard for me to do. No, I don’t really miss bacon. But, at times, I do miss BLT sandwiches, because a lettuce and tomato sandwich isn’t too exciting. However, I do miss the convenience of it. I do miss being able to order just about anything on a menu at a restaurant, getting more than just fries at some fast-food joint. So, yes, I miss the ease of eating meat, but I don’t really miss consuming it.

2.PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN.

Yes, meat contains a lot of protein that is valuable and necessary to a well balanced diet. For example, an average-sized chicken breast has about 43 grams of protein. Cutting out chicken and other meat products can reduce the amount of protein consumed, which can be a bad thing. I occasionally eat seafood, about once or twice a month, which is an excellent source of protein because it is usually low in fat. However, I don’t eat enough seafood to consider myself a pescatarian, so I have to get my protein elsewhere. I get a lot of my protein from dairy products. I drink a lot of milk, and I love yogurt. I also love eggs, and peanut butter is also a decent source of protein, especially in a smoothie or just on a piece of bread.

3.Iron.

Getting enough iron in your diet is important because iron is a component of hemoglobin, which is in the body’s red blood cells and helps carry oxygen from your lungs to other areas in your body. An iron deficiency is when your body is not getting enough iron to support healthy red blood cells, and your body cannot receive enough oxygen. So, yeah, iron is pretty important to maintain a healthy diet. Most forms of meat contain high levels of iron, so cutting out meat can be an issue. I take iron pills daily to help with this, and I also try to eat iron-rich foods. Some foods that are rich in iron include: spinach, tofu, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, squash), dried apricots, nuts (peanuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc.), raisins, etc. Dark chocolate is also a good source of iron.

I chose to be a vegetarian five years ago under my own reasoning and decision-making. No one pressured me to make this choice. I made it myself. I have encountered quite a few people who have tried to tell me it was wrong and unhealthy. The bottom line is, this diet is my choice, and I plan to stick with it. I do not need to be shamed for my choices, nor do I need to be convinced to give up my vegetarianism. I have my own reasons for choosing this diet, which may or may not agree with others’ reasoning, and that’s OK. I will not shame others for eating meat, because that’s their choice, and this is mine.