Living Without Meat

First red meat left my diet (primarily because I was a poor college student and couldn’t afford the cuts I wanted to eat). Then, seafood was ripped from my dietary line-up after a paralyzing bout of food poisoning.

But I couldn’t pinpoint for you the exact time or reason for other meats being cut out; it all happened slowly, over the course of about one year. It was not, by any means, a conscious, over-night decision.

Everyone makes life changes in their own way. For some, food may never have been a major aspect and therefore dietary moves can be made all at once. But for others - the majority - food is connected to memories, gatherings, rituals, comfort, and more; thus, it is difficult to break ties. After all, we are only human.

Make the transition slowly, is my suggestion. And remember, every vegetarian meal you eat makes a difference. Here are some of my tips:

1. Add about 1-2 more vegetarian meals per week to your menu. If you eat meat 7 night a week, try taking it down to only 5 nights the first week, then 4 nights, and so on.

2. Alter meals that already some of your favorites. Love chicken parm? Try making it with eggplant or a vegan chik’n cutlet.

3. Don’t ignore cravings. Find a veg*n alternative to satisfy your food desires, or decide that while transitioning, you will allow yourself the occasional non-veggie nosh. For me, it was crab meat. If you try to go cold turkey, you’ll likely end up giving into the cravings excessively and feel guilty about it. Food should never make you feel guilty.

4. Always take it one day, one meal at a time.

5. Praise yourself for each day that you go without animal products; just don’t reward yourself with food! Recognize what an accomplishment each step has been.

6. Consider changing your meat-vegetable-grain portions first to slowly ease off. For example, if you are used to filling your plate with one-third of each, try reducing it to one-fourth meat protein, one-fourth whole grains, and one-half veggies.

As with any lifestyle alteration, it will take time. Think about it: if you are 30 and decide to become vegetarian, you are changing the way that you have been eating for the past 30 years. We are creatures of habit, and habits take time to reverse.

Take it slow, keep in contact with like-minded friends (even if only on the Internet), and know what your body and mind can handle.

(This post is dedicated to Irene who after five days without meat had a craving for fish which she associates with fond memories of her father. Hope this was helpful; keep at it, we’re here for you!)