As a vegetarian, I thought I might address the questions I get asked on a regular basis. These are questions that are raised for most vegetarians at many stages throughout life. Recently, I have been asked these questions most times I meet somebody new.
Why and how?
My reasons for being vegetarian are probably very different to many others out there. I just don't like meat. For me, it's that simple. And as I don't like meat, I don't see the point in harming animals to eat something I don't enjoy.
I do believe in the usual values of being a vegetarian. At a young age, I was taken to a pig farm in rural Australia, and was absolutely shocked by what I saw. The images were horrifying, and it is the first time I can remember being truly passionate about something.
The pigs were packed in like dominoes, or worse. The piglets, only a few days after being born, were separated from their mothers and packed into tent like areas around the size of the back of a truck. There were so many that they were piled on top of each other just to fit. The ones underneath were being crushed, and many died as a result. But instead of being a problem for the farmers, it was just life. They had enough piglets for their next round of meat, and the loss of a number of them wasn't going to affect their output. The mothers of the pigs had to give birth in pens where their fat was pushing through the bars and they could not move. The amount of horror I saw shocked me to the core. And as a girl at somewhere around 12 years old, I began to have the real idea of what eating meat means.
Although it was a horrifying experience, I think it is one that all people should have.
Knowing where your meat comes from is important.
Having said all of this, I don't mind when people cook or eat meat in front of me. It is each persons choice, and I have no right to judge or look at people in a different way because of their preference.
The next question I often get is how I replace the iron and protein in my diet to be healthy.
This is an interesting one, and I have heard and read about lots of opinions on the matter.
Personally, when I became vegetarian, I actually found myself becoming healthier with no real effort.
As I used to eat some meat, but not enjoy it and so not eating very much, I found myself consistently low in iron. I have been taking iron supplements on and off for years. But when I became a vegetarian, and later went to my doctor to get a regular blood test, I found that I was actually, surprisingly, better off than before.
Since then, not one blood test has shown low iron.
Sounds strange, doesn't it?
I put it down to the fact that to fill out meals and keep them interesting, I like to add a mix of beans, lentils, nuts or tofu that in turn add the protein and some of the iron back into my diet. I am also eating better than I was before. Instead of skipping the meat in meals and eating potatoes, bread and vegetables to fill up, I add these ingredients and end up with a wholesome and healthy diet.
So far, I haven't had to have a detailed look at the breakdown of what I eat. I'm not suggesting that this is the recommended way to go, but it has worked for me.
Adding different types of leafy greens not only adds more iron to the mix, but also adds some colour and life. The options are pretty much endless.
If you are looking to be a vegetarian, I first want to say, do it for the right reasons. If you don't feel passionate about it, or don't have a strong enough personal reason, it will be difficult to stick to your plan. Secondly, when you do change, take the change slowly. Don't just suddenly cut the meat from your diet, or you will be faced with recipes that you might not be comfortable with. Also, look for ways to directly replace the meat in your dishes. One of my favourite meals to cook is a Tofu Tikka. It follows the same recipe as a standard Chicken Tikka, but replaces the chicken with tofu.
There are some great articles online about becoming a vegetarian, and I thought I would link them below.
http://zenhabits.net/how-to-become-a-vegetarian-the-easy-way/
This goes through all of the points I have made in detail, and also explains how and why vegetarianism might or might not be for you.
http://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/frequently-asked-questions/vegetarian-diets#.U4Ww_pSSzlM
This one might be a little more boring, but really goes into the detail of the vitamins and minerals you need to be careful with when becoming a vegetarian.
The photos I have inserted into this article are not my own. I recommend looking at each of the articles these photos came from, they're very interesting and important reads.
Photos from:
http://westender.com.au/eat-vegetables-theyre-even-better-thought/
http://tynan.com/maxdiet-week-what-to-eat
http://www.aact.org.au/pig_industry.htm
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