Contents
- Vegetarianism, how to become a vegetarian
- 1. Don’t go vegan at night
- 2. Big changes from small victories
- 3. If it does not work, postpone the item for a while and come back to it later.
- 4. Don’t count on weight loss
- 8. Find vegetarian cafes and restaurants
- 9. If there are no vegetarian restaurants nearby
- 13. Make Sure You Are Still Getting Adequate Protein
- 14. Eat a variety of foods
Vegetarianism, how to become a vegetarian
Deciding that you only want to eat plant-based foods is the start of a long and sometimes difficult journey. On the occasion of World Vegetarian Day, we are talking about the rules that will help you quickly cope with the stage of giving up meat and getting used to a new diet.
1. Don’t go vegan at night
Seriously. After all, at night you so want to eat something harmful and absolutely unhealthy. Make the transition smoothly: Recent research shows that the longer a person transitions to a vegetarian diet, the more likely they are to stick to it.
You shouldn’t decide in one day that you want to become a vegetarian: if you eat meat, fish, cheese, eggs, dairy products, give up one product a week. Thus, after a few months, you can become a vegetarian.
2. Big changes from small victories
So you’ve taken a huge step and stopped eating meat. It’s been a few months, but you’ve gotten used to skipping juicy burgers and steak. But the body needs to restore the vitamins that the meat gave and rebuild.
Include beans in your diet for protein. Alternatively, you can make tacos with beans instead of beef and try making veggie burgers. When you decide to skip milk, try replacing it with lactose-free milk once a day.
3. If it does not work, postpone the item for a while and come back to it later.
If you don’t seem to be coping with giving up cheese, for example, skip this point and move on to giving up eggs. If you dwell on each point, you will waste a lot of time that you could have spent rejecting others.
4. Don’t count on weight loss
Vegetarianism does not guarantee weight loss. A lot depends on how your diet changes when you go vegan.
If you eat baked goods, a lot of protein foods and grains, it is unlikely that you will be able to quickly lose those extra pounds, even there is a risk of gaining new ones.
Surely on the way to vegetarianism, you will make mistakes and fall for prohibited foods. But do not get upset and give up what you started. Experts believe that it is important to understand that you need to keep moving forward, not paying attention to mistakes and mistakes, not letting them stop you.
Beans are a great source of protein and fiber. Experts estimate that the average person eats 216 kilograms of meat and fish per year and only about 7 kilograms of beans. Therefore, it will be a big step for you to switch from meat products to dishes with beans.
Bonus: Beans are an inexpensive protein that will save your budget a lot.
Living together helps to cope with difficulties. If there are no people among your friends and family who understand your goals and idea, you can turn to social networks.
Often people are “alone in a crowd of vegans,” and change is even more difficult, doubts appear in the head. There are many vegetarian communities on the internet where you can find associates, meet with them, and discuss successes and failures.
8. Find vegetarian cafes and restaurants
Don’t think that by switching to vegetarian products, you will have to sit at home and dine alone. Find vegetarian cafes and restaurants near your home or work. By the way, the VegGuide app has a list of such restaurants around the world.
9. If there are no vegetarian restaurants nearby
If you don’t find a cafe, then do not forget that in many cuisines of the world there are many vegan dishes. Check out Chinese, Thai, Ethiopian and Indian cuisines. For example, every Chinese restaurant has tofu.
It’s worth looking for special, holiday recipes that you can prepare for special occasions. This way, you won’t be embarrassed at your holiday dinners. For example, vegan mac and cheese and mushroom strudel will not go unnoticed. Who knows, maybe some of your family members will also be interested in vegetarianism.
If you find yourself in a restaurant with a menu that does not have vegetarian food, you have one option – ask the waiter if the chef can cook something that is not on the menu, or replace the products of a dish. You may feel uncomfortable, but in practice, the staff of the establishments does not refuse such requests to customers. If you still hesitate to ask, order fries.
Dietary deficiency of vitamin B12 is most often caused by insufficient absorption and develops in vegetarians who do not take vitamin supplements.
You can consult a specialist, but vitamin B12 must be taken when refusing food. B12 is the only vitamin that is synthesized exclusively by microorganisms, and without it you cannot make up for the deficiency naturally.
13. Make Sure You Are Still Getting Adequate Protein
In order not to suffer from the rejection of familiar products, you need to adhere to several rules.
Eat enough calories to maintain a healthy diet.
Add a glass of beans to your daily diet.
Eat a variety of foods. With cereals and beans alone, you won’t get enough protein. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains, legumes must be in your diet.
Vegetarian foods high in protein – chickpeas, tofu, dried pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, soy milk.
14. Eat a variety of foods
To be healthy and comfortable, you need to eat a variety of foods. If you notice that you start to get tired quickly, do not sleep well and do not have enough energy for training, you should reconsider your diet.
See your doctor who can help you find the cause and recommend foods and vitamins to help you regain your strength.