Don’t believe me? I get it, I really do. I’ve been there and felt that. It is extremely overwhelming and seems impossible for someone who eats meat to make a switch to vegetarian. If you are like me, then you grew up eating and cooking meat. A meal was not complete without beef, chicken , pork, or fish on the plate. The thought of throwing away everything you’ve known about food is daunting, but making this change is not impossible (I promise)!

I have been a vegetarian for over half of a year now (I know it’s not that long), and as I learn more and more about sustainability, I realized how dire this switch was! I want to share how I did this because, although I found it relatively simple, I realize this can be a tough lifestyle change to accomplish. Everyone is different, and change takes time. I understand that everyone is coming from a different place, and therefore our journeys are unique. My hope is that this will inspire you to start your own path on this crazy adventure into the world of vegetarian/veganism!

I live in a small town with the closest grocery store being a 30-minute drive. This grocery store does not even have a large selection of fresh foods, and is lacking in the vegan options such as meat substitutes, which is why I am not fully vegan yet. This led me to begin exploring simple and easy vegetarian recipes and meat substitutes using readily available options such as chickpeas, cauliflower, lentils, etc. On top of this, my family, friends, and everyone around me eat meat, so how did I begin to make the switch? My answer?

Slowly.

Being a vegetarian is a huge lifestyle change, and it doesn’t happen overnight. I had a plan of attack I used to slowly wean myself off of meat, and I think it would be super useful to share:

1. Practice vegetarian recipes. When you are out of dinner recipes (we’ve all been there), search for some vegetarian recipes and try them out! When you start eating a couple vegetarian meals per week it really helps to kick start the process. I found it super helpful to cook meals familiar to me and substitute the meat out. For example, I still indulge in taco Tuesdays, but I use chickpeas instead of ground beef. Another favorite of mine is to sub roasted cauliflower for the chicken in buffalo dip! It helps immensely to be eating a familiar food, just tweaked a little to be vegetarian/vegan! Honestly I’ve enjoyed some of the adapted recipes more than the originals!

2. Dedicate 1 or 2 days a week to only eat vegetarian meals. Instead of trying to force yourself to make a complete switch immediately, start slow and pick a day each week to only eat veggies!

3. Build as you go! As the weeks go by, try adding more and more days to eat vegetarian until you are fully there! For me I added another vegetarian day every month! It helps to have some vegetarian/vegan sources incorporated into your life as well. I find myself watching vegetarian/vegan chefs and personalities on YouTube. Some of my favorites are Edgy Veg, Sauce Stache, Merle O’Neal, Tabitha Brown, Pinch of Yum, Mary’s Test Kitchen and Avantgardevegan. Having these influences in my life not only adds delicious recipes, it also helps to inspire me!

When you finally kick that last day of eating meat, you will have amassed a ton of delicious recipes and you will be surprised at how much you won’t miss being a carnivore! I have actually found some meat substitute recipes that I enjoy more than the original!

Also remember that being vegetarian or vegan is not an elite club. It’s perfectly okay to break the streak sometimes. I’m not going to lie, I had ham on Easter, and that’s okay! If you have a special event (wedding, graduation, holiday), don’t feel guilty about eating meat! The important thing is to try and live more sustainably. By eating vegetarian as much as you can, you are already making a huge difference! The meat markets are not sustainable, horrible for the environment, and cruel to animals. Always research where your food is coming from, and try growing your own veggies too! I promise this lifestyle change is something you are 100% going to enjoy, and the earth will thank you too!

Next stop? VEGAN!

Going vegetarian? It’s easier than you think!

Slowly.

@FarmerNickNYC