Have you ever considered going vegetarian? If you were convinced to do so by my last post, or have just been thinking about it for a while, you may be wondering how exactly it can be done. Going vegetarian is actually much easier than many might think, but it requires a lot of determination, especially for those who already love to eat meat. That being said, it is far from impossible to do so, one just needs the right plan of action. If you would like to hear some recommendations as to how you can go vegetarian yourself, than keep reading.
Finding the Right Foods
Before you fully stop your consumption of meats, it is crucial to find foods that can replace them. If you already have a limited diet, then finding the right foods for you can be extremely difficult. It's best to start by finding foods that are similar to those you already like. For instance, if you already like pasta with chicken and tomato sauce, it may be good to start by replacing that chicken with vegetarian chicken, but otherwise keeping the same meal.
Dinner is probably the hardest meal for vegetarians, at least for me, and the one you likely need to worry about the most. Breakfast, besides bacon and sausage, is already mostly vegetarian, and lunch is as well. Before you go fully vegetarian, I recommend starting with at least 5 base dinner meals, or meals that you would be willing to have often, maybe 2 nights in a row. In my case, I am a picky eater, so I started with cheese pizza, vegetarian burgers, macaroni and cheese, vegetarian chicken nuggets, and salads. While this diet is certainly very limited, it allowed me to have different meals most nights that I liked until I was able to branch out into different tastes.
Meat-alternatives are a must if you are a want-to-be vegetarian who likes the flavor of meat. Because I already talked about them in my last post, I will just provide a few links to companies that make great alternatives that I have liked:
Boca: http://www.kraftheinz-foodservice.com/en/productsandbrands/meats/boca/products
Morning Star Farms: https://www.morningstarfarms.com/
Beyond Meat: http://beyondmeat.com/
Protein Shakes: Yes or No?
One of the toughest challenges I discussed in my previous post was getting enough protein in your diet. While it can be challenging, there are many products, such as protein shakes, that give you a lot of protein in a small concentration. However, these shakes are not the best source of protein to have. Shakes take less time to digest in your system, and as such having them too often may weaken your metabolism over time. While the protein itself may help to boost it, the fact that you are only getting it from shake form will certainly not. Additionally, many shakes contain the ingredient Acesulfame, a sugar alternative which is highly debated as to its effects on the human body. Some say it can interfere with appetite regulation and blood sugar control, while others say it is completely harmless. Personally, I find it best to just stay away from shakes with this ingredient in it.
Protein shakes are a good way to get extra protein on a day you need it, but they are not a good supplier if you drink them every day. I much prefer protein bars to protein shakes, as they keep your digestive system strong and provide protein that you need, although some of them can have lots of calories and sugars. If you are not planning to go vegan, then cheese, eggs, and other dairy products are a great source of protein as well. No matter which source of protein you like most, it is important to mix up your consumption of protein so your digestive system does not go unused. If you are unsure of which brands of protein bars and shakes to buy, I have included a few below:
Shakes
Organic Fuel (Does not contain Acesulfame): https://www.organicvalley.coop/products/protein-shakes/organic-fuel/chocolate-organic-fuel-protein-shake/
Atkins (Contains Acesulfame w/ less calories): https://www.atkins.com/products/atkins-shakes
Bars
Zone Bars: https://zoneperfect.com/nutrition-bars?gclid=Cj0KEQiA3Y7GBRD29f-7kYuO1-ABEiQAodAvwCVgN5tGU7nQn60HhtBIwxfDA8mlCZimR2IsnoTaGBQaAnrN8P8HAQ
Atkins: https://www.atkins.com/products/bars
Recipes
If you are a good cook, and want to find some more complex recipes to change up your vegetarian diet, then a quick internet search will yield some great results on unique recipes that taste quite good. Once you have established the base foods that you enjoy, a great way to build off that is to find more complex recipes that include those foods or similar flavors. In my case, I found a recipe called Butternut Squash and Apple Soup. I already liked both those flavors, and the recipe was able to incorporate them while introducing a new flavor to me (curry powder).
If you are feeling adventurous, then it is also great to try a completely new flavor. Again, speaking from the perspective of a picky eater, it can sometimes be hard to try something completely new. I never expect to be able to eat a full meal of a food that I have never tried before. It may take a few tries to get used to a new food, and during that time you have to patient.
Here's a website that has 85 great recipes for vegetarians:
http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1186/vegetarian-recipes-0309/
Conclusion
So, if you are planning to become vegetarian in the coming months, using these tips should make your experience smoother and more enjoyable. However, the most important tip I can give you is to not give up. Being vegetarian can be hard, especially if you previously liked to eat meat, or even if those you know still do. But if you really want to achieve it, if you really want to help, then your determination alone should be enough to pull you through. And if you fail once, that doesn't mean you should give up for the rest of your life, it just means that you get another opportunity to try, and hopefully succeed. Helping the environment is not always and easy thing to do, and sometimes the most helpful changes we can make end up being the hardest.
But again, if you truly want to do your part in saving the environment, then becoming vegetarian is really something you should consider, if you do not do it already. It's not as hard as you think, and who knows? Maybe you will like that style of eating more than your current one. Thanks for reading.
All credit for information used in this post goes to:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21912246
https://authoritynutrition.com/acesulfame-potassium-good-or-bad/
Images:
https://weareiu.com/blog/laurie-sites/a-vegetarians-guide-to-the-world-of-iu-dining
http://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/g1186/vegetarian-recipes-0309/
http://www.fivepointspizza.com/
https://www.morningstarfarms.com/products.html
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/160263/20160523/beyond-meat-to-start-selling-plant-based-burger.htm
http://www.luminchemical.com/4/product-lumin-chemical-indonesia/acesulfame-k.html
http://www.peta.org/living/food/best-vegan-protein-bars/
https://www.organicvalley.coop/products/protein-shakes/organic-fuel/chocolate-organic-fuel-protein-shake/
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/g1428/fall-vegetarian-recipes/
https://twitter.com/determination
http://www.frpeterpreble.com/2014/11/determination.html
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