Switching to a vegetarian diet for the long term is a very personal choice. If you start the diet and love it, that’s awesome! If it doesn’t work for you, that’s totally fine too! There are so many benefits to vegetarianism if done correctly, and it’s important to have the right motivations to ensure you get the most out of your new diet.
Have you noticed that red meat is weighing you down? Red meat takes longer than most foods to process because of how complex it is. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, the average person should not consume more than three servings of red meat per week. The benefit of going vegetarian with healthy foods? You won’t have red meat sitting in your gut slowing you down!
If you’re going vegetarian for environmental reasons, did you know in one year you’ll save over 100 animals’ lives? This also means the animals will be unnecessarily bred at a lower rate, using less water, land and oxygen.
So you want to go vegetarian. One suggestion for success would be to find a set of vegetarian recipes you like before you actually go vegetarian. There’s comfort in knowing you can still have tasty food and that you are getting all of the necessary nutrients.
Are you scared about options? If you live in an area with access to a Target, Aldi or Walmart, they all have a pretty robust fake meat selection. I’ve been a vegetarian for eight years and this week I had spaghetti with meatballs and some amazing tofu instead of chicken. I used to be afraid of fake meat because I thought it was too realistic, but now I love it!
Good Luck on your journey. Whether you stick with it or realize it isn’t for you, be proud that you tried and went outside your comfort zone!