One Year a Vegetarian

May of last year was when I officially became a vegetarian. While I had mostly stopped eating meat in April, I really officially became a vegetarian in May. I haven’t really talked about being a vegetarian on my blog, not because it’s super personal or anything, but I just honestly haven’t gotten around to it. I became a vegetarian for moral reasons – animals are treated horribly today and I don’t think how they are thought of simply as products is right at all, and it makes me so sad to think about the cruelty they face in meat factories. On the flip side, I definitely don’t judge others for eating meat. I know it’s a hard decision to make and just generally a difficult thing to commit to for some people who love meat. My family was really concerned when I became a vegetarian because they wanted to make sure I got all of the necessary nutrients, so my parents made me do a lot of research about any supplements I would need to take, or certain fruits and veggies I should eat more of.

Becoming a vegetarian was really easy for me because I’ve never been a huge meat eater. The only meats I really liked were turkey and chicken, but even then they definitely weren’t my favorite food. Actually, the most difficult part of being a vegetarian so far has been when I’m at other people’s house and they fix meat and something with wheat in it – my choices are then super limited to say the least. I usually just try to give people a heads up, and being in college now, it really doesn’t come up a whole lot. Now that all of my family is used to me being a vegetarian, it’s not difficult to have other things to eat besides meat at family gatherings and holidays.

Another difficulty I’ve faced about being a vegetarian is actually not from my own doing, but questions and criticism from other people. My family especially was confused and concerned about whether or not I would be able to get the proper nutrients from fruits and vegetables alone. My dad really loves meat, so he didn’t get why I would voluntarily remove it from my diet. My mom was just worried that I wouldn’t get enough nutrients, but in time they both accepted the fact that this was a permanent change for me. Some people I’ve met have also been surprisingly critical of being a vegetarian and simply don’t understand why I became one. It’s sometimes frustrating when people do this because I never ask them why they eat meat and choose to do so. I’ve never been critical of anyone who eats meat; I believe it’s a personal choice, and neither is more right. It’s just how I choose to live my life and it really doesn’t affect anyone but myself.

So far, I’ve only missed eating meat during Thanksgiving. I have always loved turkey, so it was hard watching everyone else eat it, but I just took some extra mashed potatoes 😉 There are actually so many meat-free dishes you can make during the holidays, and they have tofurkey! I have never tried it but I definitely will next year. Other than Thanksgiving, I haven’t felt like I’m missing out on anything. There are substitutes for virtually every meat nowadays, so if I ever have a dire craving for a cheeseburger I can easily eat a veggie burger. Honestly, I like veggie burgers way more than I ever liked regular cheeseburgers! I think it just comes back to the whole non-meat fan growing up, but veggie burgers taste so much better to me.

Becoming a vegetarian has been such a good decision for me – I have so much more energy because I have to eat fruits and vegetables literally all of the time and I don’t miss meat at all. I have also always loved animals, so I feel like I’m making a difference – even though it’s a small one – and helping them. If you’re on the fence about becoming a vegetarian, I say definitely go for it because you won’t regret it. You may have a rocky start, but just start cutting meat out gradually and soon you won’t even miss it. I know it can be a lot harder to become a vegetarian for people who love meat, but it’s definitely worth it in the long run. I think the meat industry really needs to change, and I’m not even going to get started about the fishing industry. I’ve always been a bit of a tree hugger, so for me these issues are near and dear to my heart and I could probably talk about them for hours…

Well, anyway, I don’t want this post to rattle on and on about the woes of the world and environment, so I’ll leave it at that! It’s just important to myself that I kind of recognize that it’s been a year without meat. I’m so glad I decided to make the switch to vegetarianism and I think I’m going to start posting more about things like vegetarian recipes, tips, etc.!