In my last year at home, being a vegetarian was lame because, as someone told me, “Real Montanans eat meat.” But this year when I came to school, it seemed like every other person I met wanted to try out going vegetarian.
A lot of people question this decision. I’ve heard arguments that range from, “Well, even cavemen ate meat, so why can’t we?” to “Humans are designed to eat meat; our diets require the protein and other nutrients we get from it.” So why do people decide to go vegetarian?
For me, it started out as a health thing. As an incoming freshman, I’d heard the horror stories about the Freshman 15…even the Freshmen 25. My parents were big into eating healthy, and I knew that once I got to college I’d eat fried chicken and burgers whenever I could. So, as a challenge to myself to be healthier at school, I decided not to eat meat. Since then, however, being vegetarian has garnered more and more meaning. I’ve gone further from not eating meat to be healthier and come closer to the deeper, more personal reasons not to eat meat. Now, almost seven months without eating meat, I’m vegetarian because I disagree with the way the meat industry treats animals, and because I don’t always know where meat comes from. Some meat can even be faked, whereas with vegetables, I know that what I see is a vegetable, however many pesticides might have been used (but that’s another story).
Going vegetarian was easy. The first week I had to remind myself that I couldn’t eat meat, but after that going without meat became a habit. The nutrients we need from meat can be made up for with, of course, vegetables. Brown rice, beans, hummus, and soy all make up for protein, and cashews, lentils, sunflower seeds, most breakfast cereals, and tomato juice can all stand for iron. If it’s too hard to get any of these on a regular basis or make up for the other nutrients you’re missing, vitamins are always helpful!
Luckily, staying a vegetarian at UM has been easy. At the Food Zoo there is a whole buffet line for vegans and vegetarians, and at the UC Mark Pi’s, Doc’s, Pizza Hut, Casa Nina, and Jus Chillin’ all offer vegetarian friendly options.
If becoming a vegetarian has ever crossed your mind, try it for a week, or for a month. And if people tell you that you’re only a real Montanan if you eat meat, keep in mind that real Montanans aren’t afraid to try something new!
You can find out more information here:
www.peta.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism
http://www.vrg.org/