Vegetarian Eating - Six Small Steps to Get You Started

If you want to change to a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet, the best way is to do it gradually. It is easier to handle gradual change; we all have built in "anti-change" mechanisms, whether it is around changes to our job, habits, or where we live, most of us resist change, so you might need to let it sneak in over a period of time. Also, small changes are easier to fit into your lifestyle and you are more likely to carry the change through that way.

1. Do a Review of your Current Dishes

Vegetarian Dishes

Start by doing a review of your current eating habits; most people have a repertoire of around eight meals that they cook on a regular basis. It has become a habit, we shop and buy the same ingredients each week and juggle those ingredients into our habitual meals. We get the cookbook out very occasionally to cook a special meal, maybe when friends are coming to lunch or dinner, but the rest of the time we circle through those eight old favourites.

There are some conflicting views on the amount of time it takes to change a habit, but most agree that it takes 21 days to either break an old habit or introduce a new habit. Therefore, if you can change the way you think about your meals for 21 days, you can instill a new way of eating into your life.

Make a list of the dishes you regularly cook and take a long hard look - think about how long they have been in your list, and whether they really are still favourites, then list them in order of preference. Maybe one has ingredients that have become more expensive, maybe another takes longer to prepare, or is not liked by everyone.

If you can't decide between a couple of meals, think about what animal products they contain and which you would like to stop eating the most. Too much red meat is one of the things that is not good for you, so perhaps start by excluding a beef dish. You may have other reasons for prioritizing what you would like to give up.

2. Replace One Dish at a Time

Now, take the meal that scored the lowest in your preferences and cross it out. A vegetarian option will replace this meal. Don't make a big fuss about this to the rest of the family; just decide to change it over. If you feel some opposition from family members to eating a vegetarian meal, do not mention that is what it is. Let them try the meal without preconceived prejudice! My sons often eat my vegetarian dishes AND raid the leftovers, but they shy away from telling their friends they enjoy this food!

3. Take Another Step...

Once you have successfully substituted one meal over a few weeks, move on to your next least favourite meal and do the same thing. As you are doing this you will find some vegetarian meals that you are not so fond of, just as you have found in the past with meat dishes. When this happens, just try a different dish until you find something you like. This probably won't happen for the first few dishes you try, as you will naturally tend towards those dishes that contain your favourite vegetables, but as you get more adventurous you most likely will.

Continue with this cycle until you have a new menu of vegetarian dishes in place of the old meat meals. It will take several months, giving you time to adjust to the changes.

4. Handle the Opposition...

Younger children will easily adapt and won't even realize what has changed unless told. With older children, particularly teenage boys, or your partner, you might encounter some resistance. With my sons (who were in their teens and twenties), I let them buy and cook meat for themselves to accompany my dishes. This means they have a choice - they can make an effort, get themselves to the shop, buy meat and cook it, or they can eat what you have cooked. I think you can guess what happens most often, but they no longer argue because they have a choice.

They are happy to be able to show off their cooking skills to each other or to their girlfriends. I am happy that I am not contributing to their meat eating, but don't want to force my ideals onto them, particularly as I brought them up eating meat. This way is a compromise that we can all live with.

5. Continue to Make Gradual Changes

It is much easier to go vegetarian gradually. You might start out by giving up different types of meat, then give up eggs, then fish, then dairy. You might decide to leave some of these options in your diet. A true vegan doesn't eat or use any animal product, i.e. no meat, fish, eggs or dairy and also doesn't wear leather or other animal products, or use anything that contains any of these. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy products and eggs, but no meat. A lacto vegetarian eats dairy products, but not eggs or meat. A pesco vegetarian (or pescatarian) includes fish in their diet.

6.Changes as you Change

One of the first changes that you should begin to notice is that you will feel better. Your skin will be clearer and you will feel lighter, not dragged down by sludge in your colon. You should also begin to lose weight. There is no cholesterol or saturated fat in a vegan diet, each reduction of meat eating in your diet will reduce your intake of those substances.

You will also notice changes in your bowel movements, eating fruits and vegetables gives your body a natural detox, but so long as you take the gradual approach there shouldn't be anything too drastic here. The fibre in fruits and vegetables help to clear waste out of the body. Once you have changed to a vegan diet your food will move through your body much quicker than when you eat meat. Our intestines are not designed for a meat eater and when you eat meat it takes around 2 to 4 days for the meat to work its way through the intestines.

Challenges in Becoming Vegan...

We all find different challenges in making any change. As well as the dishes you cook for your regular dinner menu, you will need to think about what you eat for snacks, what you eat when you have tea or coffee with a friend, what you cook for a special meal and what you do when you go to a friend's place for dinner.

A Final Thought -

So, it isn't difficult. Set yourself realistic goals that you can achieve rather than going all-out in one step. Create the intention in your mind and then take small steps to work towards your goal.

Good luck and happy vegging!

Vegetarian Eating - Six Small Steps to Get You Started

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Written by Suesie Kendall

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