Vegetarian – Living a Life of No Meat

Making the transition to become a vegetarian is far more than just amending your diet. This is a lifestyle decision that can influence many aspects of your life, and can be more than just changing the type of food you put into your body. When you decide to make that adjustment, the transition can take anywhere from a few weeks to even a few months. There is no correct amount of time this transition should take – it is a personal journey that (depending on your reason to become a vegetarian) can involve a change not only to your diet, but also your ethical, emotional, and even maybe your spiritual journey too.

Transitioning to a life with no meat will involve a new approach to in how you prepare your meals. This will include new recipes to follow and perhaps even finding some new shops to find the foods that you will need. If you live in a household with people who have not chosen to eat vegetarian (and are still including meat in their diet) then you will need to be mindful that there may be a requirement of preparing two different meals. Each individual should respect each other and their food decisions and maintain a level of tolerance towards each other’s choices.

It is important to note that you do not necessarily need to cook two separate plates for each and every meal to accommodate for meat and no meat dishes. This process can be simplified by simply excluding the meat proportion from the meal for the vegetarian, and then cooking the meat separately for the non-vegetarian.  For example, when making a stir-fry, cook the vegetables first and removing a portion, then cooking the meat with the remaining vegetables.  Another simple process is to cook some meals in bulk so you do not have to cook two separate meals each and every time.

Transitioning into a world of vegetarianism can be a big adjustment to make, especially if you’re still surrounded by people in your life who still eat a lot of meat. It is perfectly normal in the beginning to find yourself craving meat while you are processing this change. Do not feel discouraged, but rather be prepared for this. There are many things you can do to assist with this transition, from developing your mindset (remembering why you have become a vegetarian) to creating a plan to adjust into this new way of life. Again, depending on the reason for this lifestyle change, you can even create a plan to gradually eliminate meat from your diet rather than going cold turkey (pardon the pun!).

If your choice to become a vegetarian is related to moral, ethical, or perhaps even spiritual reasons than your desire to embrace this way of life may very well be part of a full lifestyle renewal. This is an exciting time for you, and is very rewarding as you will essentially create a total way of life as a vegetarian. With this in mind, incorporating yoga, meditation or other spiritual activities would be a good practice for you to take.

However, whatever your choice to become a vegetarian, the best surprise of all will be when you find others around you who have also embrace this same lifestyle. You will find the community of vegetarians quite a large one, who are most supportive and can give you lots of tips and tricks. This will enhance your new life without meat as a fun and exciting one.