Everyone struggles with some aspect of changing your diet. People don’t like change, even if it’s for the better. Here are some things that you may expect when making the transition and how to adjust.
1. Gas. What your body no longer needs, it gets rid of. You have enzymes that break down meat. When you stop eating meat and start eating a vegetarian diet you will most definitely have some gastro-intestinal issues. It’s not debilitating, but be aware. Transition slowly, cutting out beef, then pork, then chicken, then fish over maybe a 6-month period. If you’re ready to jump right in, I suggest some Bean-o and some Tums.
2. Being hungry all the time. Not literally ALL the time, but certainly more often than when you were eating meat. Meat takes a long time to digest-- vegetable proteins do not. Shoot for high-fiber foods to help keep you satiated and have a snack or two with some protein and carbohydrates: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, hummus and veggies, cheese and crackers, trail mix, yogurt, etc. You will find that it is much easier to get your protein in smaller portions throughout the day than it is to try and “replace” the chicken breast that used to fill ½ your plate.
3. It’s expensive. Veggies are expensive and they don’t keep forever. You can’t throw an eggplant in the freezer and expect it to keep like you can with a pound of ground beef. I get so unbelievably upset when I have to throw away produce. It’s a complete waste of money. I’ve learned that I have to go to the store and pick up one or two “main dish” vegetables (eggplant, squash, artichokes, portabella mushrooms, etc.) and cook them before I go buy more. I understand that I am finicky and change my mind often. Meal planning for an entire week is not my thing. I can do two, three days tops. If you’ve got it in you to cook those veggies then more power to you. I just go to the grocery store a lot more than I used to.
4. It’s a lot of work. I am totally used to it by now and I’ve got some pretty good chopping, slicing and dicing skills. When you first start though, meals are much more labor intensive than they used to be and you’ve got to make the time for it if you want to be a healthy vegetarian. Rice-a Roni and Mac and Cheese are not going to cut it. Get a good chef’s knife a sharpener, and big cutting board. It will get a lot of use. You an always chop extra and put it in some Tupperware for later. If say, you are making a salad and you’ve got tomatoes, red onion, yellow bell pepper and artichoke hearts, chop the extra and put them all in one container for tomorrow. That way, all you have to do for lunch is add lettuce and dressing. Start a compost pile if you can and don’t have one already—you can grow your own veggies and save some money!
5. You miss meat. It’s a fact—bacon still smells delicious. I was doing laundry in my apartment building and one of my neighbors made bacon for breakfast. I’ve been a vegetarian for eight years now and it still smells great. And there is no good substitute for bacon. Bacos are not made form meat if you really want some bacon flavor, but I don’t recommend eating food that color. If you are really struggling with this I recommend having some. Many of you will find that it is not as good as you may remember. Bacon is so salty the thought of eating it makes me thirsty. Chicken is commonly overcooked and too dry. Who really knows what’s actually in sausage, hot dogs, and lunchmeat? Ick. But, if you’ve been struggling with a certain craving then just eat some meat. See what you think. Really taste it, and think about it. You may even have to have it a couple of times before you are really ready to give it up. Take your time. You don’t have to be a perfect vegetarian. It’s your choice. You do whatever you want.
Don’t forget the reasons why you are choosing to stop eating meat. YOure reasons may even change the longer you are vegetarian. I began my quest because of the treatment of animals in the meat and dairy industries. Now I do it mainly for health reasons, and secondly for living a non-violent life. Thirdly I do it for land use and energy conversion. I believe that large corporate ranches and dairy farms are a waste of space and money. They are major sources of pollution. The food it takes to feed a cow could be used to feed a hungry human. More than likely, two or three hungry humans. I love animals but I do this because I am a humanist. We all do what we can, but let’s not expect to be perfect. So the best advice I can give to the new vegetarian: don’t beat yourself up over it. The vegetarian police are not going to arrest you.
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