When you transition to being a vegetarian, it’s likely to miss certain foods. You might think it’s impossible to enjoy those same foods and you might feel like you’ll be missing out. Don’t worry! There are still plenty of ways you can switch to being vegetarian while still enjoying your favorite foods.
Add Flavors
One of the main reasons people like meat is because of the seasoning. Often, people aren’t eating just plain meat. They have sauces and spices they use to enhance the flavors. This same principle can be applied to vegetarian meals. Add some flavor to your food! You can try experimenting with new spices to see what you like. You can even find seasoning blends that combine a lot of different spices. In addition to spices, learn how to make flavorful broths that can be an alternative to chicken broth.
Find Meat Replacements
One of the most common solutions is to find meat replacements. You’ve probably heard of plenty of people making use of tofu and other soy products to replicate their favorites. These types of foods actually exist in a large variety and you can find nearly any type of “meat” in soy form. Another popular choice is to create your own replacements. For example, you can use black beans to make burgers. Mushrooms can mimic the texture of meat and make a great replacement on pizza. Explore other foods you can use and enjoy.
Ease Into It
Switching to a vegetarian lifestyle can be difficult if done abruptly. You should ease into your transition. This makes it easier and it encourages you to stick to it. One way to ease into your transitions is by beginning with a few days at a time. Don’t start off by completely giving up meat. Set aside days where you don’t eat meat. For example, you can start with eating meatless once a week and you can slowly build your way up to a few days a week until you can go extended periods of time without meat. You can also slowly drop types of meat from your diet. Start by dropping beef and pork. Then drop poultry from your diet and then fish. Don’t cut it all out at once. As you transition, you may also want to rely more on other animal products like eggs and dairy.
Becoming a vegetarian is a big step, but it doesn’t need to be a sacrifice. There are countless ways you can enjoy your old favorites while sticking to a new diet. It only takes a little creativity and experimentation to find what suits you and your tastes.
Read this next for more great tips: How to Adopt a More Sustainable Diet
