Becoming a Vegetarian

Have you decided to take the leap into vegetarianism!?

YES! I am so happy that you made that decision.

Now here's what you need to know about being a vegetarian.

Transition Into It
You may have decided to go veggie, and you may want to start right away, but slow down, let your body adjust. Slowly remove meat from your diet.


Know What To Eat



Vegetarians don't just eat salads. When becoming a vegetarian, you cannot just omit meat. When eliminating meat from your diet, you are loosing the nutrients that are in meat. These are primarily iron and protein, as well as vitamin B12 (this is necessary for the absorption of iron). Meat protein has the best combination of amino acids (we require all the different amino acids)
All of these can be found in other foods.  You just have to know where to find them.
Vegetarians are perfectly healthy. Many people think under the notion that vegetarians do not get enough to eat, or that they don't need to eat a lot. Many people think vegetarianism is bad for you. Quite the contrary. (see below in "Benefits")

Being Careful
When I first became a vegetarian, it was just before working at summer camp. While there, I was basically just eating everything but the meat, as there were not a lot of vegetarian options available to me. Mid-way through the summer, I started to feel exhausted. I couldn't shake the exhaustion, no matter how much I slept. Then, I remembered: anaemia. I knew that becoming a vegetarian put me at risk, and I realized that I wasn't getting the iron my body required. Anaemia can become permanent, so I quickly went into town and got some supplements to fix the problem.
Once away from camp, I went off of the supplements. It was my first year of University and there was a vegetarian restaurant on campus. I kept track of what I was eating, so I knew I was getting sufficient amounts of iron and protein.


Best Foods To Eat
As a vegetarian, you will learn it is easy to eat delicious food without the meat. Beans and grain are among the best sources of protein. Beans are high in fibre and iron. They are a regular, regular staple in my diet.
Beans and grains tend to compliment each other with the amino acids they have. So it is good to pair them together.

Variety is the spice of life, so they say, but it's also the best way to know that you are eating right as a vegetarian. Make sure you eat a variety of fruits, veggies, nuts and so on.

Protein Sources: 
Beans 

• White
• Kidney
• Black Eye Pea
• Chickpeas
• Split Pea
• Black 
• Lentils

Grains

• Rice
• Couscous
• Quinoa (quinoa is the most complete in amino acid of all these protein sources)
• Barley
• Oats
• Wheat Berries

Nuts

• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Brazil Nuts
• Pecan 
• Hazelnut
• Peanut
• Pistachio

Dairy Products

Eggs


Breads, bagels, wraps, etc. 

***I don't recommend tofu or soy products. They are highly processed and synthetic.

Iron Sources:

Beans (see above)
Grains

Spinach 

Kale
Pumpkin Seeds
Nuts
Sunflower Seeds
Dried Fruit
Cream of Wheat

Vitamin B12 Sources:


Marmite
Kelp
Cheeses
Fortified Cereals
Milk
Yogurt
Eggs

Benefits

Being a vegetarian is beneficial in so many ways. It benefits the environment, by reducing emissions, detrimental productions, and so on. Deforestation, resource wasting, not to mention pollution. The meat industry is the biggest polluter. It beats cars. The research is everywhere. Stay tuned for more about meat and the environment

It's better for your health, as meat is loaded with antibiotics, hormones, and chemicals. Not to mention that meat is fatty and loaded with cholesterol. Processed meats contain nitrate, which is linked to cancer. By eating the vegetable proteins listed above, you are getting high amounts of fibre, which is incredibly good for your digestive health. You are getting more nutrients, and far less fat. http://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/nutrition/fibre/.

Becoming vegetarian is friendly to your budget too. Meat is expensive, a luxury. When you are getting your nutrients from legumes, grains and nuts you are saving drastically, especially when buying in bulks. They last a long time stored in your cupboards.

Vegetarianism also benefits all. By being a vegetarian, you are not using the mass of resources put toward making a simple pound of meat. You are allowing the large amounts grains and water that would've been used to make a tiny portion of meat to stay in the food system, feeding more people. Our food system is truly in crisis, and the people who are suffering most are those in the Third World. Their grains are being used to feed animals that we eat.

And finally, being a vegetarian shows compassion to poorly treated animals, it takes a stand against animal cruelty and against animals being seen as only products of demand. For some truly informative reading on conditions for animals in factory farms, and for science on animal stress and perceptions, check out "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. An amazing read!


Congrats on becoming a vegetarian. Continue to check out my blog for more on vegetarianism, as well as recipes and advice.

Happy Eating!