About 12 years ago, I decided to become a vegetarian. I wanted to prove to my parents I was a capable of sticking to something since soccer, singing lessons and dance didn’t stick around. Without knowledge on what being a vegetarian actually meant, I jumped into avoiding meat at all costs, thus I went through trial and error moments. 12 years later, I think I’ve proved to them I can commit to something. At some point I could’ve slipped back into the traditional meat-eating diet, but vegetarianism has become a way of life for me. Here are some things I’ve learned over the years.
I was basically a carbotarian
Since I was so young, I thought becoming a vegetarian equated to just eliminating meat from all my meals. To fill up I would eat all the carbohydrates, potatoes were basically my way of life. I loved them and all their various forms, but after a little internet searching I found out that just eating potatoes isn’t exactly a balanced diet. I began to expand my horizons with other vegetables and fruits, making sure I ate the rainbow.
I learned to cook
As the only vegetarian in my family, I learned quickly that if I was hungry I was going to have to make my own food. I’d get cookbooks from my local library, and there are surprisingly many vegetarian cookbooks for children. I would have my mom get the ingredients and get to work in the kitchen, many of them being fast, easy and delicious. This skill has come in handy, as I am now a cheap college student.
I noticed people are really judgy about differing eating habits
No, I can’t just take the pepperoni off the pizza. I could’ve become that person that shames others for eating meat and preaching to them about my ways, but that’s not my style. Just do you and I’ll do me and buy my own pizza.
I began to think about the food industry
Thanks to Netflix documentaries such as Food Inc., Cowspiracy and Food Matters I gained a wealth of knowledge regarding the most profitable and largest industries in the world.
I feel like I’m contributing to something good
On average a vegetarian saves about 100 animals a year, and while it may not seem like a lot, with so little effort, it’s nice to think that I’m helping our planet in some small way.
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