Really often I hear stories of people wanting to become vegetarian, but not knowing how to do it.
I was raised vegetarian my whole childhood, so I hope to help some people that want to make the choice to cut meat out of their lives! ♥
Step one!
Consider your reasoning.
Do you want to stop eating meat because of:
Your health? This is a really good step if you're having trouble because of sodium or cholesterol! If it's because you're low on energy, this might not be the best option for you at the time, but you can fix your energy while changing your diet if you do it smart!
Your weight? Consider what you think vegetarianism would achieve in this sense. I think you're beautiful any way you are- but this could only be a really good choice if you're eating LOTS of meat, in which case, you still have to transition the smart way so you stay healthy and still get enough nutrients and calories!
Moral reasoning? This is an outstanding reason to become a vegetarian! Lots of people don't want to hurt animals, or at least want to hurt them less. It also takes a lot of our natural resources to make meat, and that's no good. It's debated on an actual figure, but the beef industry states that 441 gallons of water go into making a pound of beef. The estimates from outside the industry usually come up to about 2,500 gallons of water. Just for a pound! Only 229 gallons of water go into a pound of rice. Our water is a very precious resource, so this alone can be enough to make someone want to switch to a vegetarian diet. Other reasons for a moral bias against meat can include the way the animals live before they're killed or anything, really.
Step two!
Start to try it!
Transitioning slowly is always ideal.
To start, if you haven't already, you should cut out red meat. Try to only eat chicken and seafood! If you already don't eat some type of meat, you're off to a fantastic start!
If you can't handle not having one of these, become educated on substitutes.
Meat substitutes are AMAZING for a vegetarian diet in every way. They're all healthier; with less calories, lots of protein and nutrients, and they taste fantastic! I've been eating substitutes for meat since I was born and I love them all.
These are only the kinds of veggie meats I eat! There's a gigantic range to choose from, but here are the ones I've pictured.
Boca Burgers♥Black Bean Burgers♥Chik Patties♥Chicken Nuggets♥Smart Ground♥Buffalo Wings♥Ribs♥Bacon♥Sausage links♥Ham
Aside from these which you can actually get at most grocery stores, lots of restaurants are starting to carry vegetarian options! You can get veggie patties on your subway sandwich, and they serve MorningStar Veggie Burgers at Burger King too!
Once you have your meat craving handled, work on your other nutrition.
Beans and legumes are a very good source of protein, as is tofu (but it's only good if it's cooked REALLY well).
Iron is also very very important at this stage! You can get it from spinach, potatoes(in the skin), apricots, broccoli, and pretty much any green vegetables you can think of. Nuts also have lots of iron and are a source of good fats!
And iron is best absorbed with vitamin c which you can find in a lot of fruits!
And to keep your health in top shape, consider looking into juicing, superfoods, and dietary supplements!
Step three!
Remember your manners!
If you're following these steps, you probably weren't always vegetarian either. Remember that a dietary change like this is always someones personal decision, and you have no right to be rude or try to force your diet on anyone. Just like your friends have no right to force you to eat meat or chastise you for your choice, you have no right to force them not to eat meat! But, you can always request to not be in the same room as someone if their eating meat makes you extremely uncomfortable, as long as you're polite about the request. And if you're having someone over for dinner, by all means, ask them if they'd like to try a meat substitute or tofu or something! But if they say no, respect that and make something you can both enjoy!
I hope that even if you don't want to cut meat out, which is always fine, you found something interesting in this post! You don't have to dislike meat to like meat substitutes! All my friends I've let try it loved it. Always keep an open mind and a healthy body! See you next time ♥
Aside from these which you can actually get at most grocery stores, lots of restaurants are starting to carry vegetarian options! You can get veggie patties on your subway sandwich, and they serve MorningStar Veggie Burgers at Burger King too!
Once you have your meat craving handled, work on your other nutrition.
Beans and legumes are a very good source of protein, as is tofu (but it's only good if it's cooked REALLY well).
Iron is also very very important at this stage! You can get it from spinach, potatoes(in the skin), apricots, broccoli, and pretty much any green vegetables you can think of. Nuts also have lots of iron and are a source of good fats!
And iron is best absorbed with vitamin c which you can find in a lot of fruits!
And to keep your health in top shape, consider looking into juicing, superfoods, and dietary supplements!
Step three!
Remember your manners!
If you're following these steps, you probably weren't always vegetarian either. Remember that a dietary change like this is always someones personal decision, and you have no right to be rude or try to force your diet on anyone. Just like your friends have no right to force you to eat meat or chastise you for your choice, you have no right to force them not to eat meat! But, you can always request to not be in the same room as someone if their eating meat makes you extremely uncomfortable, as long as you're polite about the request. And if you're having someone over for dinner, by all means, ask them if they'd like to try a meat substitute or tofu or something! But if they say no, respect that and make something you can both enjoy!
I hope that even if you don't want to cut meat out, which is always fine, you found something interesting in this post! You don't have to dislike meat to like meat substitutes! All my friends I've let try it loved it. Always keep an open mind and a healthy body! See you next time ♥
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