The Emerald Butterfly

I’ve been vegetarian for the past 5 years now. Ever since I was little I’ve disliked the taste of meat and hated the idea of where meat comes from. It wasn’t until the week before my 19^th birthday that I decided to try becoming vegetarian, and let me say, it was a wonderful decision.

For those of you who don’t know what vegetarian is, I’ll explain it below. Also, for those of you who want to try out vegetarian meals or for those of you who are already vegetarian, I’ll share some easy vegetarian recipes!

What is a Vegetarian?

Vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat, and sometimes other animal products, especially for moral, religious, or health reasons.  It’s when you exclude meat, fish, shellfish, crustacea, or animal by-products such as gelatin (it’s made from collagen!)

Vegetarian vs. Vegan

Time and time again, a lot of people mix up vegetarian with vegan. To put it simply, vegetarian is when you don’t eat any food products consisting of meat or bone marrow.

Vegan is when you don’t eat any food or by- products from animals: meat, bone marrow, dairy products, and eggs. This means no milk, no ice cream, and no cheese for all you dairy lovers.

I would be vegan, but I love mac and cheese too much and I simply can’t give that up.

How to get Protein as a Vegetarian

Protein is essential in any diet, it’s a nutrient every person needs in order for their body to grow, repair cells and work properly. Proteins consist of building blocks known as amino acids. Our body uses 20 different amino acids to create new proteins, muscle and bone, along with other compounds like enzymes and hormones. 

Our bodies alone make 11 of the amino acids, which are known as non-essential amino acids; however, the remaining 9 amino acids cannot be made by our bodies, these essential amino acids must be acquired through protein-rich foods that our body digests. Attaining enough protein isn’t a problem if you eat meat, after all, meat is known as the ideal/high-quality protein. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, all hope isn’t lost, thankfully there are other ways of getting enough protein in your diet.

I’ll be honest, when I first switched to being a vegetarian, I found including protein in my diet was hard at first. I wasn’t exactly knowledgeable about what foods had protein besides meat. After conducting a bit of research, I realized that meat isn’t the only way to get protein in my diet. In truth, there are tons of other food options I can turn to that are non-meat.

 Here is a list of alternative protein sources that are non-meat:

• Dairy products, milk, Greek yogurt, and cheese (especially cottage cheese).
• Legumes and all beans. Some good examples include chickpeas, peanuts, black beans, green peas, pinto beans, and lentils.
• Nuts and Seeds, such as almonds, cashew nuts, pecans, pistachios, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and chia seeds.
• Soy products, including edamame, tofu, soymilk, soy nuts, soybeans, and tempeh.
• Whole (cereal) grains, such as oats, barley, brown rice, whole wheat and millet.
• Psuedo-cereals, including quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat.

I should note that grain and cereal-based products aren’t high in protein and shouldn’t be your only source of protein in your diet. In order for your body to get enough protein in your diet, you will need to include a wide array of meat-alternative protein daily in the foods you consume.

Essential Dietary Minerals

Along with protein, it’s important for vegetarians to consume the proper amount of essential dietary minerals as well. These include: iron, zinc, calcium, iodine, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D. In order for your body to get the proper amount of minerals in your diet, here is a general list of foods to include in your diet.

• Whole grains
• Green leafy vegetables
• Tofu
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Seaweed

Note: this isn’t an exhaustive list, more so just a brief list of what foods to include in your diet. In order for your body to properly function, it’s important to make sure you consume the proper amount of essential dietary minerals daily in your diet.

Vegetarian Meals

Starting off as vegetarian can seem daunting, but let me assure you that it isn’t an intimating diet. If you feel you are struggling to come up with proper vegetarian meals to consume, here is a short list of examples of meals you can eat. I will include a link below each vegetarian meal that will bring you to the recipe and ingredients.

• Roasted Veggie Pasta
  • https://thishealthytable.com/blog/veggie-pasta/

• Tofu Stir Fry
  • https://veganheaven.org/recipe/tofu-stir-fry/
    
• Vegan Protein Salad Bowl
  • https://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-protein-salad/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=1138280280_55823660_103243

• Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad with Mozzarella and Basil Pesto
  • https://juliasalbum.com/avocado-salad-tomatoes-mozzarella-basil-pesto/

• Cashew Tofu
  • https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cashew-tofu/

• Chickpea Curry
  • https://brokebankvegan.com/vegan-chickpea-curry/

This is just a short list of vegetarian meals, in truth, there is a huge variety of meals you can eat that will give you the proper consumption of protein and essential dietary minerals. I recommend going on Pinterest or just simply researching vegetarian meals online to find more options to try that fit your dietary needs.

Closing Thoughts…

I’m happy I decided to make the choice to become vegetarian. While it’s not always easy, it’s nice to know that I can still be healthy without having to eat meat in my diet. Switching your diet to vegetarian is a huge decision. Make sure you are fully knowledgeable before you change how you eat. It’s important to conduct research into vegetarian meals, that way you can still get protein and essential dietary minerals into your diet. Thanks for reading!

RESORUCES:

https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-legumes

https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/a-guide-to-foods-rich-in-soy

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Nuts-and-seeds

https://thishealthytable.com/blog/veggie-pasta/

https://veganheaven.org/recipe/tofu-stir-fry/

https://runningonrealfood.com/vegan-protein-salad/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=1138280280_55823660_103243

https://juliasalbum.com/avocado-salad-tomatoes-mozzarella-basil-pesto/

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/cashew-tofu/

https://brokebankvegan.com/vegan-chickpea-curry/