No matter your reasons for doing it, becoming a vegetarian is hard work. It’s not easy changing the eating habits you’ve had for years. Yes, there may be times you really want that spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A, and there may be nights you dream of that T-bone steak from Outback, but stay strong, collegiettes! Sometimes, that salad can be more satisfying (and better for your health!). Here are 9 tips for becoming a vegetarian.
1. It’s not easy!
Becoming a vegetarian is not easy in the beginning. If you’re used to eating meat all the time, chances are you’re going to crave it once you eliminate it. It’s okay to transition slowly by partaking in Meatless Mondays or only including meat in your dinners. Remember that what works for others may not work for you, so don’t quit meat cold turkey if you know you won’t stick with it.
2. After a while, eating meat will make you sick.
When you eliminate meat from your diet, your digestive system adjusts to your new eating regimen. As many people know, meat is sometimes hard for your digestive system to break down. After not eating meat for a few months, your body will have more simple foods to break down such as vegetables, fruits and grains. However, if you decide one day to have a hamburger, your body will not be ready to break down such a tough food. If you can’t help yourself to stay away from that Big Mac, be prepared: Tums, Pepto Bismol and milk of magnesia will be your friends.
3. You will get slack.
Most vegetarians will tell you that after disclosing to their friends or family that they are vegetarian, those people will challenge you. They’ll tell you you’re “missing out.” They’ll ask how you can live without bacon (there’s veggie bacon, duh!). They’ll ask how you get your protein. Just roll your eyes, tell them to read a book and move on.
4. Learn how to cook!
If you want to go vegetarian, you have to realize that those days of eating McDonald’s and Taco Bell every day are things of the past. Most fast food restaurants aren’t vegetarian friendly, so you’ll have to start cooking for yourself. Try looking up vegetarian recipes via Google and you’ll be amazed at how many meal ideas are online. You can even try making some of your favorite meat-containing dishes into vegetarian ones.
5. Don’t be afraid of tofu, seitan and tempeh.
Don’t knock it till you try it. Many people are put off by tofu because they don’t really know what it is. Many people don’t even know what seitan and tempeh are. All three are wonderful meat substitutes and every vegetarian should try each at least once in their life. In short, tofu is a high-protein soybean product that comes in different consistencies and textures; seitan is a soybean product (like tofu), but it goes through a fermentation process (unlike tofu); and tempeh is a gluten product (sorry, people who are sensitive to gluten!) that can have an eerily similar texture to meat.
6. You should be conscious effort to get your vitamins in.
This goes for many non-vegetarians too, but vegetarians need to make sure they’re receiving all of their vitamins. Many people go vegetarian and then quit because they feel like they have no energy. Most of the time, this is because they are not getting the range of vitamins they need. Even if you’re eating your green, leafy vegetables and bright citrus fruits, you may need to take a multivitamin to keep your iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin C levels up.
7. Drink lots of water.
We’ve all been told a few times by Dr. Oz that humans have a tendency to overeat. Our mind tells us that we’re hungry even though we really aren’t. If you’re craving something sweet or something salty, try drinking a tall glass of water first to see if it curbs your craving. Chances are, you really weren’t hungry; you were just thirsty.
8. Keep healthy snacks on hand.
The easiest way to slip up on your vegetarian diet is by not having snacks in your kitchen. If you’re craving a snack but all you have is pepperoni pizza in your freezer, you’re going to reach for that pepperoni pizza. But if you have healthy, vegetarian snacks on hand, you’ll more than likely opt for those. Some yummy snacks include almonds, dates, bananas, kale chips, crackers, fruit bars, pistachios, berries and pita chips.