As a vegetarian two common reactions I get are those of people who are completely opposed to it and those who are intrigued by it. The people who are turned off by it usually justify their distaste because meat is one of their main sources of protein or because they deem it would be too difficult to completely cut meat out of their diets. Well I’m here to say that those are two very weak excuses. First of all meat is not the only source of protein. There is a long list of vegetables that are rich in protein. If vegetables are not your thing there are a ton of grains, nuts and dairy products that are can help meet your protein requirements. Here is a list of SOME vegetarian options rich in protein:
· Spinach
· Broccoli
· Artichoke
· Peas
· Chickpeas
· Kale
· Mushrooms
· Peanut butter
· Cashews
· Almonds
· Lentil
· Quinoa
· Beans
· Soy
· Eggs
· Yogurt
· Cheese
This isn’t a full list so there are many more options of meat free protein sources. I personally haven’t ever felt like it was difficult to get enough protein in my diet. As for the second argument, that it is too difficult to completely cut meat out, I think people make the mistake of going cold turkey too fast. For some people this approach works for others they need to ease into it. Both approaches are completely fine! For me I was able to cut it out of my diet all at once. For others they try to avoid eating meats on certain days then they gradually only eat a certain kind of meat until they feel comfortable taking it out of their diet altogether. I say take your time and do whatever feels best. There’s no time limit on when you can start being a vegetarian. Also people often think that when they go out to dinner that their food selection will be condensed. I don’t see it like that because often times you can ask for a dish without meat and replace it with extra of something else in the dish. I don’t want to force vegetarianism down anyone’s throat but instead I want people to see that it isn’t as unhealthy and as difficult as some people make it out to be. If you’ve ever wanted to try it out, I say go for it! There are a ton of health benefits that come along with cutting down on meat intake and also taking it out of your diet!