Being a new vegetarian can come with tons of struggles and temptations. Every day you look at some-one else chowing down on a delicious hamburger and your will-power starts to wane. But being a vege-tarian can actually be really fulfilling and make you feel better from the inside out, with these tips.
1. Nuts are great snacks and will keep you full – they’re satisfying and help quell cravings, and are filled with healthy fats and nutrients. Essential for beginner veggies!
2. This is a great chance to try out new cuisines and new foods. Grab that weird looking vegetable that you’ve always seen and wondered about in the produce aisle. Try out the flavorful options of Indian and Thai cuisine and you won’t be missing your carnivore antics at all!
3. Try grilling ingredients (including veggies – grilled veggies are incredibly succulent). It really helps you reap the full flavor and the taste of your veggies when you char them up perfectly.
4. The more colorful the fruits and veggies, the better they are for you! Dark leafy greens are very im-portant and chock full of antioxidants, but try to eat a rainbow of food throughout your week – purple cabbage, tomatoes, and different hued peppers, oh my!
5. Take a vegetarian cooking class, if you’re looking for inspiration on new and tasty veggie-friendly recipes! Actually doing it with other people will stick more in your mind than just flipping through a cookbook, and might even inspire you to add your own original twist!
6. If you’re going to get your veggies through juice, make sure they’re cold pressed, or at least fresh pressed, maintaining the nutrients. Otherwise you’re just guzzling sugar, and none of the benefits Vege-tarians already have a hard enough time saying no to sugar!
7. Don’t go straight for the junk food, even though it’s a serious temptation when you’re a vegetarian. Potato chips and chocolate are choices that are delicious, but you need to make veggies and other sources of vitamins and protein a staple instead if you want to be energized and healthy.
8. Just like junk food might seem like the answer, soy replacements might also seem like a quick fix! This soy burger and nuggets tastes like the ol’ chicken flavor I’m cool with, so why bother with the veg-gies? Consuming too much soy can get expensive and is especially bad for women due to how it affects estrogen levels. Make your own veggie burger with mushrooms and lentils, and save a buck while you’re at it!
9. Visit an animal shelter or a farm if you feel a temptation to eat meats. Seeing the furry guys you care about might make you feel more personally responsible, and guilty about eating meat. A great way to reawaken that consciousness 😉
10. Don’t try to go full-vegan – your brain and body will be jolted. Transition by still holding on to dairy and eggs, which should be the main ways that you get protein. Finding protein as a newly converted vegetarian can often be a daunting task, so eggs and healthy dairy like Greek yogurt are your BFFs!
11. Try to cut down on refined sugar. This is as simple as reading the labels more. Secret sugars are hiding in sauces, salad dressing…even hummus! Sugary foods make you crazy more sugary food, so agave and stevia can help glucose levels regulated and overall help your cravings.
