Things to keep in mind if you’re considering vegetarianism Loop Jamaica

Black Immigrant Daily News

So you’re thinking about becoming a vegetarian, and you’re worried about what the process might look like. This is understandable. Big changes can be hard and scary, but they aren’t impossible.

Understanding that it can be a difficult transition, we have compiled a list for you to help you along your journey from meat eater to plant muncher.

Create a plan

Before beginning the journey towards a meat-free life, you need to be certain about what your reasons for the change are. Regardless of whether it is concern over nature and the environment, or about personal health reasons, creating a list of things to remind yourself of the importance of quitting can help you to stay committed to your goal every time you need a reminder about why you started in the first place.

Do your research

Seriously, this is serious business and you need to be prepared. Having a solid idea of what being a vegetarian involves, and the different things you need to be mindful of on your journey, will help you significantly down the line when you might be craving a beef burger.

Think small

This is advice you might not often hear, as people will often want you to shoot for the stars. But in this case, thinking small might be best.

In creating small goals for yourself, you will be better able to keep on track for the big goal of moving from a meat-based diet toward a plant-based one. So don’t try to cut meat out all at once. Instead, focus on slowly cutting things out of your diet, and adding more veggies, fruits etc.

If you eat meat every day, start by having at least one or two meals a week where you leave the meat out completely, and slowly build from there. Some people decide to give meat up all in one go and stick with it. This, of course, takes extreme determination and discipline, so if you’re thinking of heading this route, be prepared.

Have fun with it

Being a vegetarian should not be seen as a boring lifestyle. There are many options to get extremely creative with your food. If you’re someone who likes to cook, now is the perfect time to seek out those vegetarian cookbooks and experiment with making different meat-free dishes.

Get the family involved, and experiment with creating veggie alternatives to your favourite meals. If you’re more of an eat-out kind of person, explore Indian, Chinese, African, Thai restaurants etc, which often have a variety of vegetarian dishes.

Health prep

Significantly changing your diet, even if it is for the better, can oftentimes impact your health. So before making this shift, consider speaking to your doctor or dietician about necessary precautions you might need to take, such as increasing your vitamin-mineral supplement intake.

You don’t have to cut the junk

Vegetarians, while often eating healthier than most, do not have to completely give up on eating junk food. You can indulge ever so often in your favourites, but be mindful not to go overboard as it is very possible to be unhealthy and a vegetarian if your diet has too much junk food in it.

Don’t keep it a state secret

This is a big change you’re going through, and having your family and friends along for the journey can be incredibly helpful. Share your plans to go vegetarian, and ask for support from your loved ones so they can consider you when making dining plans. Doing this will also provide you with another accountability mechanism as they can help to keep you on track when you are having cravings.

Be gentle with yourself

So you’ve not met your targets set in moving away from meat, that’s okay! This is a process of change that will take time, so don’t beat yourself up if you indulge in those meat cravings. Take time to understand that such an upheaval in your normal diet is going to take some adjusting.

There are many benefits to being a vegetarian, the chief being that it is much healthier for you. Cutting out meat means that you are cutting out a lot of the bad fat that contributes to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and other illnesses.

Given that vegetarians often replace meat with fruits, vegetables and other foods that are high in nutrition, they often have higher nutrient rates, giving them more energy, and better health.

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