I started cutting out meat around October of 2020, and have now not eaten meat since the beginning of December. Surprisingly, my diet has changed very little. I've always been a super picky eater, so a lot of the foods I eat were already vegetarian. I still eat Annie's mac and cheese at least twice a week, and for my other staple, chicken nuggets, I use great substitutes.
In the beginning, I was not getting all the protein I needed, but now I get more than when I was eating regularly. Raised and rooted vegan chicken nuggets are my new favorite thing, and they taste just like regular chicken. I even eat beyond burgers and other frozen foods. But, replacement meats can get pricy, so I still eat vegetarian staples, like rice and beans or pasta.
The hardest part about becoming vegetarian is going out to eat. Fast food is mostly off the table, with items like McDonald's french fries being fried in animal fat, and very few other options. With being a picky eater, there are normally only one or two things on any menu that I can eat, and that can get kind of boring. Another weird setback is Welcher's fruit snacks and other gummy candies, which are made with gelatin. Gelitin is made by boiling animal bones and other parts of the carcasses. But with that being said, I can almost always get a grilled cheese with fries when I go out.
Becoming vegetarian has made me feel so much better, and it makes me happy that I can do my small part for our planet. I have even got my family to enjoy many meatless options, and my dad especially likes it. Though I don't think I'll ever be able to go fully vegan, I do use oat milk every day at home and always order it with my coffee for the extra 50 cents. This change will continue to get easier as the market for vegetarian foods and restaurants grow, and I don't see this being a change that doesn't last very long.
It must be really hard to find some place with vegetarian foods. A lot of this really surprised me, especially paying extra for vegetarian substitutes.
ReplyDeleteIt's great how you family is supportive and tried meatless options and ended up enjoying them.
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you are following your feelings and giving this a try. I think whatever level of vegetarian works for you is the right one!
ReplyDeleteI loved your blog post. I, myself, am vegetarian, but don't consume milk. I agree that it can be difficult to find meat alternative to replace the food we used to eat, but once you find your brands you are golden.My favorite brands are morning star and beyond meat. I found I could really relate to your post.
ReplyDeleteI have thought about becoming a vegetarian multiple times and seeing that you've tried it and enjoy it might convince me to try it out myself!
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