Lifestyle: Being a Vegetarian(FAQ)

I remember first asking to become vegetarian and being told, quite firmly, that I would have to wait until I was sixteen. At the time, I must have been eleven or twelve, and after a few days of moving any meat to the side of my plate, eating-habits returned to normal. I'd never had an obsession with meat, and would rarely eat more than chicken nuggets, so it's no surprise that within a week of deciding to try again, I had switched my entire diet to vegetarian. When I first mentioned it, it's safe to say that everyone thought I was experimenting; that it was simply a "phase" I would soon overcome. In fact, along with all of the usual animal welfare reasons, the want to prove some friends wrong has driven me the most to stick to a veggie diet. I realised that I didn't need McDonalds or that bag of Haribo Star Mix sweets, although many people still can't contemplate why. Or how I don't miss the taste of meat. In celebration of being meat-free for a year, I thought I'd address these in a little 'Veggie FAQ'! Getting to include a little chick in the graphic is just a bonus!

 

 

Why did you become vegetarian?

I'll blame this on a poster we had to analyse in English class. I was already considering becoming a veggie, but this gave me a reason to actually join the club. If I had my book at home, I'd probably be able to flick through a few pages and find it, but it's hidden away in a cupboard at school. The poster featured a lamb called Lucky, and I completely understood the irony PETA was trying to imply. The close-up shot making sure you can read his emotion; the false-impression of freedom; the reality of what is really happening. I think, at that point, I realised that being vegetarian is not just what we would expect from a member of the popular cliché on a Disney movie, but rather a way of expressing your opinion on quite a controversial subject. At fourteen, I was old enough to make my own decision on what I wanted to eat and couldn't wait those extra few years. It's been a year!

 

Do you miss the taste of meat?

Nope! I'm at a point when just the aroma of mince cooking will churn my stomach, so I'm definitely not craving it. The likes of Quorn also have such realistic products, with almost the exact texture and taste, that most wouldn't be able to tell the difference. Since my diet mainly comprises of foods like these, I still - to a certain extent - know what meat tastes like. Just not the real thing.

 

Do you eat diary products?

As a veggie, products like milk and eggs are still part of my diet, although I'll admit not as much as before. When I can, I like to substitute yoghurt for the soya alternative - as it's really difficult to find a low-fat gelatine-free yoghurt - and I sometimes drink milk alternatives that are out there instead. Vegan snacks are favourites of mine, especially when there are filled with nuts and fruits, and they tend to have a high amount of Protein in them. Also, I'm obsessed with carob-topped cereal bars or flapjacks at the moment, and these are usually vegan anyway.

 

What do you eat now?

Not eating meat does mean I have to find what I need elsewhere, and it's taken me a while to actually realise this. Living on a diet of Quorn isn't recommended, and I spent quite a while doing so. Now, I eat a lot of salads, sandwiches and wraps along with soups. I love couscous so any meal I can have with that is a bonus and will try to combine chickpeas with everything. If you haven't, you must try chickpea burgers, veggie or not!

I'm an incredibly fussy-eater and go through phases where I will like a food one week and not eat it again. For this reason, I try to stick to pasta dishes as I can always swap some a sauce or the vegetables I have used before to turn it into something I will enjoy.  I eat a healthier than I did before I was a veggie, as there are more fruits and vegetables in what I eat now, and have stopped having takeaways as I can't ask for the people at Subway to change their gloves. I don't feel like they will take me seriously!
 

Would you ever go back to being a meat-eater?

I doubt it. Having read so many articles on the treatment of animals and clicked on links that I've received by email from PETA, I think I'd find it difficult to kick-start with meat again. Switching to a veggie diet happened within a few days, but it would be much harder to begin eating chicken or pork again. I've also spent a huge amount of time talking about the pros of being a vegetarian to friends, so it would be pretty embarrassing to have to admit defeat and try to return to 'normal'. As far as I know, I wouldn't go back to being a meat-eater, but I'm only fifteen at the moment. I've spoken to a lot of people who have said they were once a vegetarian and circumstances changed, so maybe I'll find myself in the same position?

 

What if it was a life/death situation and eating meat was the only option to survive?

This is one of those questions that friend will constantly challenge you with as a veggie. Or , swapping the "eating meat" part, when it comes to any life choice. What happens when you're put into a life/death situation and the only way to survive is go completely against your moral views? Is it just me or do those types of friends just love winning debates? We've had this discussion, in Maths class, countless times. And this question has come in varying different forms. I think people just want to see me say I may try bacon again!

 

If it was a life/death situation, I think the choice would be out of my hands. Answering "Of course not!" to this would only be me trying to be a martyr. Which I'm never going to be. I don't think I could sit there, knowing there was a way to survive, completely ignoring the fact I could avoid a now imminent death. And, if I was thrown into the Hunger Games, I wouldn't have another option!

 

So, are you a fellow vegetarian?

Would you like to see more lifestyle posts?

 

Tell me in the comments!

 

Sophie

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