It was around 6:30 pm and dinner was almost ready. I could smell the roast beef and cornbread from the back of the house, which is where my room happened to be. I am familiar with the aroma, and to some, it is one that can make their mouth salivate with ease. That was usually the case for me—until I desired something more. Since my hunger refused to dissipate, I made the decision to eat what I decided would be my last meal with red meat. A few months later, I removed chicken from my diet as well and never looked back.
It was about 4 years ago when I decided to remove red meat and chicken out of my diet — when I started I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t google recipes to follow or have a schedule set for meals. I started cold-turkey, with food that had already been in my mother’s refrigerator and pantry. When I make the decision to do something regarding my health I usually stick to it, so starting cold-turkey wasn’t difficult for me. What was a challenge was getting my family to accept my diet change as a new lifestyle, rather than something I’m doing at the time.
It’s a good thing I like challenges though, right?
I knew that eventually I would want to challenge myself further and transition to vegetarianism, so I cut back on the amount of seafood I ate as well. That’s right, no crab legs or shrimp or lobster, just fish and turkey as my chosen sources of meaty proteins. I have only been vegetarian for about 8 months now and the journey has been amazing, to say the least. Discovering new foods and recipes to try not only made this transition a great challenge, but made cooking a new form of therapy for me. I have developed a new relationship with the food that I put into my body and it has made all the difference. When I first told my grandmother that I’m vegetarian, she asked,
“So what do you eat?”
I told her that I can eat the same foods that she eats, but with a few exceptions. If I am having meat cravings, which I sometimes do, I’ll opt for meat alternatives like Gardien’s Vegan Seven-Grain Crispy Tenders or their veggie burgers. Their ‘chicken’ tenders are made from tofu (or non-genetically engineered soybeans that have been cured) and spices galore! They are also a great source of protein, which is highly important since you are no longer eating meat.
It is imperative for me to acknowledge the fact that meat alternatives, like the foods aforementioned, are not accessible to some people. We cannot simply say that people are uninterested in eating healthier foods when systemically they do not have the resources or funds to do so. As we raise awareness about the inaccessibility of healthier food options for people in lower-income communities, the opportunities to obtain healthier lifestyles increase.
We want those individuals who are interested in obtaining a healthier diet to be able to! Evidently, this method of transition worked well for me, but it may not work well for everyone, and that is normal! Not everyone’s journey will be the same. Do what works for you and go from there. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new foods and styles of cuisine because it is out of your comfort zone. There’s growth there! If you can, challenge yourself to make healthier eating decisions this week and feel free to share your experiences with me!