So, I am a new vegetarian, vegan lite as I like to refer to myself. I really love ice cream, so I am not ready to fully commit to veganism. (Have you ever tried real Italian Gelato? It is like heaven in a cup). I’ve been enjoying this lifestyle for about nine months now. Although I wished I had started earlier in my life, I am grateful to have at my fingertips a world of vegan and vegetarian recipes to follow, so I do not starve. I am also discovering a world of new ingredients that I did not know existed. Growing up in the south, you ate what you were served and what was served generally came from an animal, either one from the grocery store or from someone that had extra meat after a hunt.
Fruits, nuts, and vegetables grew naturally around me when I was young. We had a single pecan tree along the dirt road leading up to the house; we never paid for pecans when I was a child. Plums grew on a tree next to the house, and peaches in the back yard, cornfields were all around us. As a kid, these are things I took for granted. I didn’t know anything about plant-based eating when I was young, nor did I know anyone who was a vegetarian or vegan. I am not even sure if I knew it was a thing until I saw it on t.v or in a movie.
I have changed my relationship with food over the last year. I don’t look at it the same and, my body and mind have responded positively to it. I feel energetic, sharper, and lighter, not just in weight but in the emotions of how I choose to eat. I understand that preparation is the key, or you will fall back into old habits. Change happens gradually; changing my addiction to sweets is a constant struggle, but I have far more positive changes. I have enjoyed finding new ways to prepare a meal. I have never used my food processor so much in my life. Recipes are my saving grace. I have curated a plant-based Pinterest page of recipes I have had success with and ones I still want to try, so I never get bored with meals.
This year, I have learned that the vegetarian life is not about living on salads; it’s about discovering the plethora of ingredients that exist from around the world. It’s about opening your mind and taste buds to non-meat-based products from multiple cultures. It is about being adventurous in the kitchen.
A few of my favorite vegan vloggers are:
https://www.avantgardevegan.com/recipes/
https://www.iamtabithabrown.com/food
Just this week, I discovered that Falafel is surprisingly easy to make and can be great in a wrap or just a quick snack on the go. Simple can foods already in my pantry make it easy to go to meals like chickpeas, black beans, and Quinoa. Tofu is my staple; it absorbs any flavor added to it and is crunchy goodness in an air fryer.
I toyed with wanting to be a vegetarian for years but just never committed. I am now a convert, and my body is better because I made the change.
Encouragement 