I’d say that the most frequent questions that I am asked by my friends, family, and general passersby surround the topic of my vegetarianism. They come in an abundance of forms…
“So… You never eat meat?”
I very proudly reply, no. Apart from a few genuine mistakes, and a couple of itches of curiosity, I never eat, and have never eaten, meat.
“But, do you get enough protein?”
Clearly, or I’d be hideously ill all of the time. Yes, getting enough protein into a vegetarian diet is something that needs serious attention and consideration, but if you’ve ever heard of beans, soy, eggs or tofu, then chances are that you’ll be pretty safe.
“What about chicken nuggets?”
What about them? Shamefully, one of my few itches of curiosity included a chicken nugget, and (unpopular opinion alert) they are seriously overrated.
“Why would you do that to yourself?”
Why wouldn’t I do this to myself? It’s a great way to help the planet, lessen the cruelty of animals and improve my health!
“What do you do if you want a bacon butty?”
I… Don’t… Want a bacon butty?…
“How do you do that? I couldn’t live without meat. It’d be too hard!”
This last question leads me nicely to standing on top of a nearby building and singing from the top of my lungs like they do in films. Vegetarianism isn’t as scary, or as hard, as it seems! If vegetarianism (or veganism, for that matter) wasn’t so glamorised by elite nutritionists and Instagram models, then I feel like more people would, or could, be vegetarian.
This brings me to another point: don’t feel like you must be overly health conscious, have a love of animals or be some kind of tree-hugger to be vegetarian. (Of course, if you are, that’s great.) I know loads of fellow veggies who just don’t like the taste of meat or are part of a religion that involves vegetarianism or have simply been brought up this way and they are all valid reasons! People who see these kind of veggies and judge them for it are, in my opinion, the issue with modern vegetarianism. Yes, looking after yourself is great, and protecting our planet in the meantime is maybe even greater, but if that isn’t the core reason for someone being vegetarian, that is okay. In fact, they are still doing both of these things despite their reasons for and opinions on their diet, so let’s just leave them to it.
My main point, however, is that I will forever be baffled at how difficult some people make out replacing meat with vegetarian alternatives. I am partially biased in terms of ease, of course- I have been veggie since I was born and so have never known any different. However, I promise that it really isn’t that hard! So, to help those who might be considering this kind of diet but aren’t too sure how to approach it, I have devised five top tips in transitioning to a complete vegetarian, and some yummy meat alternatives.
1
On a down day, when you’re craving the apparently inevitable pulled pork wrap or chicken nugget, always remember why you’re giving vegetarianism a go and why you want to stick at it. Whether it’s for the animals and the planet, the good of your health, or you just fancy giving it a go, remembering your main is vital. If you keep this in mind, it should be enough to help you pull through your cravings. (For more information on why vegetarian and vegan diets are great, I urge you to watch What The Health, which is a documentary that is available on Netflix.)
2
Follow some veggie or vegan-based accounts on social media. I’ve found that being inundated with new recipes that people have tried, snaps of delicious vegetarian food, and their thoughts on these kinds of diets have really kept me interested and up-to-date with contemporary issues and vegetarian culture. If you’re on Instagram, some people that I recommend are…
1) @morgancrawf
Morgan not only has the best name ever (us Morgans have to look out for each other), but she also regularly photographs her amazing-looking vegan meals. She has a huge number of photos from when she went travelling and found a load of vegan restaurants to enjoy. Her blog is linked in her bio, a lot of which is vegan based, too.
I followed Katie for her gorgeous art work and stayed for her opinions on veganism and animal culture. If you would like to learn more about animal activism and vegan culture, I’d definitely give her a follow!
Kiera has a fab thread of ‘vegan bits’ on her Instagram stories, which I have found really useful whenever I have dabbled into trying some vegan bits and pieces. One of the hardest parts of changing diets is learning what you can and can’t eat, so having a it all in a collective on here could be really useful for newbies!
4) @sadplanets
Shannan is absolutely gorgeous, and regularly posts some lovely looking meal photos on Instagram too. (The pictures of her cats make pressing the follow button all the more worthwhile, as well!)
5) @pollyvdsz
Although I don’t think Polly is fully vegetarian, she definitely shares a lot of vegetarian recipes through her Instagram and blog. On my first few weeks at university, when I didn’t know what to cook, I found her posts really beneficial, as they are pretty student-friendly, too.
3
Know your substitutes! Nothing will annoy you more than, when you’re trying to stick to a vegetarian diet, not knowing what to cook with. A lot of converted veggies that I know have found that bulking their meals up with even more vegetables than usual gets rid of the need for meat. (For example, instead of having mince, tomatoes, onions and peppers in a pasta dish, you might use tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, chillis and spinach.) Also, despite what people say, try using Quorn/general veggie-meats as substitutes; some of them taste exactly the same, it’s a really good source of protein, and is cruelty free. My favourites are Linda McCartney sausages and Quorn chicken nuggets.
4
Do your best to ignore all of the silly comments and questions that you’re about to be bombarded with. You’re doing this for you, and no one else. You are also doing something great for the environments and loads of animals in the meantime, even if that isn’t your main objective, and that’s amazing. Loads of people tell me that when they try vegetarian meals, they prefer them to their usual ones, so bask in the yummy deliciousness of what you’re doing, too.
5
Research restaurants before you go out to eat. Most places now do cater for a variety of people and diets, however sometimes the options are quite limited. If you don’t like the typical mushroom risotto or arabiata pasta of most restaurants, you might get stuck and end up caving in. Some of my favourite vegetarian restaurants in Leeds are Bundobust and The Old Red Bus Station.
AND FINALLY, MY LIST OF MEAT SUBSTITUTES…
- Anything Quorn. From burgers to cocktail sausages, and scotch eggs to mince, there’s an abundance of things to try and love.
- Potatoes are great because they’re really filling, can bulk up any meal, and most people love them. A lot of veggies use potatoes instead of meat in curries and chillis.
- Linda McCartney is great. I particularly love her sausages, but her burgers are really great too.
- Mushrooms should become your new best friend. Not only do they beef up sauces really well, a huge portabello is a great replacement for a burger.
- Falafel is what dreams are made of. It can go on sandwiches, burgers, wraps, or in salads, and are great just as a snack. You could even try making your own if you’re feeling confident.
- New veggies that you haven’t eaten much of. Obviously, most people are used to the standard, onion, pepper, tomato and mushroom combination, but something that I have found about being a vegetarian is that I know and eat loads more kinds of vegetables compared to other people. Get out there and try what you can; you never know what your next favourite vegetable might be. (Mine was aubergine, even though that’s pretty standard.)
Her Campus does suggest visiting your Doctor before making any major diet changes.