*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you if you make a purchase through a link*
When I meet new people and they realise that I am a vegetarian, there are usually many questions and they want to know how to become a vegetarian so I thought I’d write a blog post to share my own experience on why I became a vegetarian. It seems that most people would like to become a vegetarian but they don’t know where to start or have the willpower to stay the course. For me, becoming a vegetarian has been an exciting process of self development and I celebrate over a decade of this wonderful journey. I hope that my experience in this blog post can give you some food for thought!
WHY I CHANGED MY DIET
It wasn’t an easy journey changing my diet as my family love meat and the most important topic of conversation in the morning is what to cook for lunch and dinner! I think the movie “My BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING,” explains the lifestyle very well, food is a popular topic of conversation. However, I’m proud to say that in recent years my family have cut down on meat and are including more plant based foods in their diet!
I never really liked eating meat and it was always something I tried to avoid at meal times, so when I moved to another country to study, it was an opportunity for me to be able to experiment with new ingredients and try new foods. I did not become a vegetarian immediately and I continued to include meat in my diet for another few years as it seemed the easiest option at the time. A few years later, I started to feel unwell with low energy levels and I couldn’t understand why as I thought I knew everything about healthy eating. I was WRONG! I started to listen to my body as it was telling me it was not happy! It was then, that I decided to start researching becoming a vegetarian as I felt my body needed a change of diet. Finally, it was the reason I needed to make health my priority and it was the start of my journey to my personal development and transformation in my life.
DEFINITION OF A PLANT-BASED DIET
There doesn’t seem to be one definition of a plant-based diet and I prefer this as we are human and we need to find a diet that will work for our bodies and lifestyle. Becoming a vegetarian or vegan will not work for everyone and a plant-based diet can be adjusted for your lifestyle. For example a plant-based diet can be adjusted into different categories as plant based diets do not eliminate all animal products but the focus is on eating more plant based foods such as vegetables, fruits and nuts:
- Vegetarian diet can also mean plant-based as it has vegetables and whole grains but can include eggs and diary.
- Omnivore diet includes plant foods, meat, poultry, seafood, diary and other animal products in moderation. This diet is similar to the Mediterranean diet.
- Pescatarian diet can include fish and plant foods like vegetables, whole grains, nuts and fruit.
- Vegan diet is totally plant based and consists only of plant foods such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit.
RESEARCH AND PLAN MEALS
My journey to becoming a vegetarian started with wanting to know more about health so I started researching on how to cut out meat slowly and the best plant based protein options I could introduce into my meal plan. My transition to a vegetarian diet was slow as I didn’t want to shock my body. Every person is different and there is no one size fits all, make sure to consult with a health professional if you are thinking of making changes in your diet.
HERE ARE A FEW TIPS FOR BEGINNERS THAT WANT TO START THEIR JOURNEY TO BECOMING A VEGETARIAN:
First of all, it is YOUR choice, YOUR journey how you decide to live your life. If you decide to have a vegetarian lifestyle, you need a good reason with a long term plan for good health. You need to do your research and understand your body, health and nutrition, it’s important to know that you can be a vegetarian but if you continue eating junk food you can be an unhealthy vegetarian. For example, fried foods, french fries, pizzas, cookies, ice-cream don’t count as healthy food!
- START WITH SMALL CHANGES: If you are used to eating meat, don’t cut out meat completely during the first week. It was a gradual process for me, I started eating vegetarian meals three times a week, so I cut out meat gradually the first month, then I cut out chicken the second month and fish the third month and so on. It is important to research how to replace your protein and what other foods you can eat to maintain good health. I have found the information and guidance from The Vegetarian Society really useful to start researching health and nutrition.
- BE KIND TO YOURSELF: Be patient and kind to yourself as you are creating a new lifestyle and it will take some time to get used to new ways of shopping and finding new foods and ways of cooking. Tell your family and friends about your new lifestyle so they can be prepared and it will be easier for them to plan a new meal for you when they invite you to dinner. You will need their support and understanding as this is a new way of living and your mind and body is adjusting to a new diet. My family and close friends know that I am vegetarian and when I have dinner with them there are no surprises. I don’t like surprises when it comes to food as I want to know what I’m feeding my body!
- PLAN YOUR MEALS: If you are going to become a vegetarian you need to start buying food for your vegetarian diet that you and your family will enjoy. If you continue to buy meat it might take longer to transition to a vegetarian diet. When I started to transition to a vegetarian diet, I found the easiest way was to avoid the meat aisle in the supermarket and plan my meals for the week so that I was buying ingredients and foods to make my vegetarian meals. There are many meatless substitutes you can try and you can continue to enjoy your favourite meals.
- EXPERIMENT AND TRY NEW FOODS: When you are starting out and trying a new diet, another way of eating, it is important to keep it exciting by experimenting with new ingredients and foods that you will enjoy. The transition to another way of eating will be easier if you enjoy the process and more likely you will stay the course. I make sure that I get my supplements to stay healthy and I like trying natural products and one of my favourites is Super Green Juice that I have with my breakfast in the morning. Being vegetarian has never been easier as there is so much information on how to stay healthy.
5 REASONS TO BECOME VEGETARIAN
More and more people are switching to a plant-based diet, but in my experience it is easier to become vegetarian first and if you want to go vegan slowly make the transition by cutting out dairy then eggs. There are many reasons why people become vegetarian and they range from people wanting to improve their health, reduce the suffering of animals and help the environment. Here are some of my favourite reasons why I became a vegetarian:
- Increase health and energy: Vegetables and fruit are easier to digest in the body therefore your body won’t need to work so hard to digest these foods and you will have better health and energy. Furthermore, a plant-based diet helps the body to increase oxygen in the blood, improve circulation and prevent diseases.
- Avoiding chemicals: Animals are often pumped with chemicals and hormones to advance the stages of development and injected with antibiotics to prevent disease. The meat you consume contains toxic chemicals which can negatively impact your health. Fruits and vegetables are not free of chemicals as they contain pesticides, but this can be avoided by choosing organic foods.
- To reduce animal suffering: Factory farms use inhumane farming methods of animals that are raised for food. Animals suffer in these environments and with more people becoming vegetarian there will be less demand for meat therefore reducing animal suffering. Read more here
- Maintain a healthy weight: Meat contains a lot of unhealthy saturated fats that can increase weight and being vegetarian may help to lower heart disease and maintain a healthy weight for the body. Read more here
- Save money: Buying vegetables, fruit, grains and pasta is not expensive so you can save money on your food bill every month. Cutting out meat can increase health and energy, it’s good for the environment and will help your savings every month. Becoming vegetarian or changing to a plant-based diet is a big decision and one that you should think about carefully as it affects every aspect of your life.
Lastly, it is important to remember that it will take time to adjust to a new habit as with anything in life. Be kind to yourself and seek the support of your family and friends as it is always easier to be able to speak with someone if you find it challenging at the start of your journey. There are so many great reasons to become a vegetarian and everything in your life will start to change on this wonderful journey if you do the research and know what substitutes are available to replace meat. However, keep in mind that just because something is meatless doesn’t mean that it’s good for you. Sometimes meat substitutes can be highly processed and contain excessive amount of sodium. Always read the packaging, nutrition labels as some of the meat substitutes may still contain traces of eggs or dairy. Research your options and make a decision that will work for your lifestyle and if in doubt, always consult with a health professional. I hope my blog post has been helpful for you and that you are able to step out of your comfort zone and discover a whole new way of living with food!
NOW IT’S YOUR TURN, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS!