How to become vegetarian (and stay veggie)!

After watching Seaspiracy a few months ago I chose to finally change my diet and become veggie. The facts and evidence was overwhelming that I knew I needed to make a change to my lifestyle. According to the United Nations, the livestock sector contributes 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions which further increases the rate of climate change.

I've always wanted to be vegetarian and follow a more plant based approach, however, my family have always been very meat based which made it almost impossible to change. However, with research and determination I was able to convince my parents and put in my contribution to help the planet. In this post I want to share with you my top tips for changing diet (especially if the rest of the family loves meat)! 

1. Don't kick yourself on slip ups 

Going cold turkey (excuse the pun) can be really hard so when you do make mistakes, don't worry about it and don't give up. It's normal to have slip ups and as long as your trying- every little helps.

2. Find your favourite meat alternative 

Meat substitutes are great alternative if you are going veggie but still like meat. There are so many options out there now so it's important to find a brand that's both ethically and environmental friendly as well as tasty! Personally I love Beyond Meat and Linda Mccarthy's products. 

3. Add protein 

Protein is always seen as a problem when going vegetarian, however, it's not! There are so many ways to add protein to your diets that aren't even thought about, yet, we should still be aware of how much protein we are getting as isn't often not taught how to have a sustained vegetarian diet. Tofu, Tempeh, lentils, beans, oats and nutritional yeast are only a few example of affordable veggie protein to add to meals.  

4. Constant new recipes 

There are so many amazing vegetarian meals to try so even if you don't want to go completely veggie you can still include more vegetables in your diet. Just like normal meals you want to get a good vary of different plants, pulses and nuts/seeds to live the best veggie diet.

5. Make the right choice for you!

Making the right diet for you can be hard and it's important to spend time researching and learning about the right nutrition for your body. Unfortunately in our capitalist system the veggie industry doesn't have as much power as the dairy and meat industry which means that we are often mislead and guided in the wrong direction for our diets. We must unlearn what we have been told and be our own teacher to find the true facts and a more ethical approach. 

Love, 

Aria xo