why (the heck) i decided to be vegetarian
Updated: Apr 8, 2020
i promise that im not going to turn into one of those people who are beyond crazy about the environment & tries to convert others to vegetarianism (okay, i cant promise that), but i am going to tell y'all why i decided to put myself through the struggle of consuming my daily protein value in only plants
What does it mean to be vegetarian?
To some people, this is a simple question, but many people who do not know exactly what it means. With all the pescatarians, poultritarians, & lacto-ovo-vegetarians, it gets a little confusing. In all technicality, being vegetarian means that you avoid all meat products (including seafood) & sometimes other animal products. I kinda like to explain being a vegetarian as a choose your own adventure. For example, I choose to exclude all meat & eggs from my diet (I could never give up dairy as I am born & raised in wisconsin). Another good rule of thumb is to say that if it harms or kills the animal to obtain the product, vegetarians are not going to eat it.
Tip:
If you are choosing to be vegetarian & really want to stick to it, make sure you know what kind of broth is going into meals (especially SOUP) because although that french onion soup may be good, it typically is not vegetarian :(
Why did I become a vegetarian?
I have always loved the idea of being vegetarian, but especially going to college I deemed it too difficult & not worth my time. I had been surrounded by information all of my life that told me that the only way I could get enough protein was by eating meat (LIES). Anyways, the thing that spurred my vegetarianism was one restaurant at my school that offered "vegetarian chicken". It was made of plant proteins & mixed in with the stir fry that I ate almost every day after class.
So I am sorry to disappoint, but I did not become vegetarian because of how much I love animals (even though I do, I promise!!), but after I decided, I started to learn more about more about the benefits, not only for myself but for the environment as well. The amount of clean water and electricity used in the processing of meat is CRAZY & professional athletes that are on solely plant based diets are some of the best in the world.
It was great to read about all of those things, but my greatest testament is how great being vegetarian has been for me. Getting up early for class (after staying up wayyy too late the night before) put me in a cycle of drinking coffee every single morning to stay awake all day. I would feel worn out & unmotivated without it. After just two weeks of being vegetarian I started to notice incredible changes in my energy. I feel better & less weighed down than I did when I was eating meat & I know that it is just the beginning.
I absolutely love being vegetarian, & I do not know if I will ever go back.
