If you were to think about current trends, you would probably think about popular music or fashion styles, but diets are just as trendy. Vegetarianism is by no means a new craze; however, it is more rampant than ever. In today’s society, people are more aware of the health effects that result from eating meat and are more willing to remove it from their diet than ever before. This increased awareness of health benefits from plant-based diets has encouraged more people to participate in the trend themselves.
Recently, vegetarianism has started to gain a following not only as part of a health movement, but also as a part of an animal rights movement and environmental conservation. Men and women everywhere are beginning to accept and experiment with this regiment. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to spread awareness and educate people about vegetarian principles, approximately four percent of the American population has adopted a stringent vegetarian diet, while about ten percent identify themselves as vegetarians who occasionally binge on some kind of animal product such as chicken or fish.
Just because vegetarianism has recently become a mainstream diet, does not make it new; in fact, it has been around for centuries. It is even an incremental part of some religions, such as Hinduism, which essentially forbids the consumption of meat. The Hindu CNN-IBN national survey concluded that thirty-one percent of the Indian population is vegetarian. Some countries, like India and the UK, require proper labeling of items with any meat products so vegetarians and vegans have an easier time purchasing the meat-free staples they’re searching for.
Growth in vegetarianism can be contributed, in part, to cities like Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, which are ranked highly as vegan friendly cities and are home to various restaurants that cater specifically to this diet. They have taken vegetarianism to the next level by incorporating popular food items around the country and making them without any animal products (Top Vegan Friendly Cities of 2013 2,3). Restaurants such as “Guac N Roll” and “Thai Fresh” have accepted this ever-growing trend and gotten ahead of the curve by catering directly to vegetarians rather that providing them with very limited choices.
Is Vegetarianism for You?
A few things to keep in mind while deciding if vegetarianism is right for you: how prepared are you to properly maintain this diet? What motivates you personally? Do the people you surround yourself with accept your choices? New participants of this prevalent trend find it difficult to stay on track if they are not adequately equipped with intrinsic motivation, positive influences, and alternative sources of protein: such as nuts and legumes. It is import that your friends and family support your decision to eat clean and don’t constantly tempt you with the foods you’re trying to avoid and that you are able to find enough variety in your diet to make sure you don’t digress and resort to eating meat; we all know that saying, “old habits die hard.”
The Experiment
My roommate of three weeks, Jenny, inspired me to research vegetarianism after she explained her lifestyle and why everyone should try it. Jenny decided to top eating meat fourteen months ago, after watching the documentary “Vegucated,” because of the inhumane conditions the animals are kept in before they’re slaughtered. According to Jenny, “This documentary provided enough information for me to finally decide that I wanted to commit myself to this lifestyle.” She doesn’t approve of the conditions they are kept in like incredibly small spaces with little regard to their overall health. In addition, their food is laced with antibiotics and hormones that essentially genetically engineer the animals to grow as large as possible in the least amount of time in order to produce more product at a faster rate than would naturally occur.
Before I personally give up all meat for ten days, I’m going to research vegetarianism so I know what to expect, how to be successful, and what the values are of it. My goal of the research I’m conducting is to getter a better idea of how this trend functions and why it’s trending. Since Jenny is a vegetarian guru, she’ll be guiding me through my ten-day experiment and is allowing me to document her experiences.
Popular Views on Vegetarianism
I surveyed people around Florida State University’s campus to see what they thought about vegetarianism and if they would ever consider partaking in this lifestyle and why. Males like Michael seem to be more likely to maintain a diet relying heavily on meat, and less likely to give it up. Women, like my roommate Jenny, are more likely to sympathize for the animals and are more concerned with the impact these animal products have on their overall health. Jenny is also concerned with the pollution caused by factory farming and how it’s affecting our homes, for instance, with unsanitary water due to runoff from these feedlots. As I gauged my interviewees’ opinions on the subject, I started to notice a trend: a significant amount of people would consider this lifestyle but don’t think they could properly do it while they’re in college, especially when they’re in a dorm. As Amanda said, she would give up meat if she could find adequate protein supplements in place of the meat she usually eats; though, she does not think she is capable of keeping this strict diet while she’s in college because she is eating on a budget, doesn’t have access to a full kitchen, and there are few options available for her when it comes to eating out. People frequently identified weight loss as a motivation for choosing this lifestyle, even if it isn’t permanent, because they acknowledge the health benefits it provides. Other popular responses I found included ones from people like Alex who agree that they could go vegetarian for a short period of time, like a few months, in order to lose weight. Niaz would be a vegetarian because she feels like it would be healthier for her.
Joe is a vegetarian; he hasn’t eaten any meat in four years. He says that his change in diet has helped him lose weight. His also claims that his body feels healthier than ever and he doesn’t get as sick as often as he used to. He recommends this lifestyle to everyone, stating, “Even if you can’t give meat up completely, it makes a difference to really cut down on the amount you’re digesting.”
Jenny the Vegetarian
Beep, beep, beep. It was eight o’clock in the morning and the microwave’s inhospitable alarm forced me to wake up after my brief, four-hour slumber. You can imagine my dismay as I tossed around in bed waiting for Jenny to take her oatmeal out of my new alarm clock. Maple and brown sugar aromas wafted through the air, causing my stomach to growl angrily. Barely audible over the screams of my empty and shriveling stomach, I could faintly hear Jenny trying to get me out of bed. I rolled onto my side and Jenny, with as much enthusiasm as a gospel choir on a Sunday morning, exclaimed “Good morning! Breakfast is ready!” She was slicing the strawberries and bananas and putting them in the oatmeal; her favorite breakfast. If only I could feel so passionately about something as mediocre as oatmeal.
While trying to properly fulfill a vegetarian diet by incorporating healthy alternatives to meat products and eating the recommended daily quantities of nutrients and vitamins, Jenny tries to cook for herself as much as possible. She has found that eating out doesn’t allow you as much versatility with your diet as making your own home cooked meal. Vegetarians aren’t catered to in big restaurants, and she thinks they should be more willing to give people the option to substitute meat for another source of protein, such as beans, rather than just excluding the chicken or beef.
I questioned Jenny about trying to be a vegetarian in college: if she has access to a kitchen and can cook she believes she can successfully maintain it; however, she is worried that this year, while living in a dorm, it will be nearly impossible and she’ll inevitably consume some kind of meat. She thinks it is important to have access to various nonmeat sources of protein, because you will get tired of eating black beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although, black bean tacos are one of her favorite meals and definitely recommends them! It’s crucial to make sure you’re always eating when you get hungry to avoid craving meat and a starving rampage through the refrigerator and cabinets because this will be your greatest moment of weakness, and you will binge eat meat. It’s important to pick healthy snacks, like fruit or dark chocolate covered almonds, because you can maintain a vegetarian diet by eating pizza, potato chips, and bread, but they are not healthy alternatives. It’s crucial to make sure you’re eating the right food for your body, just because it doesn’t contain meat doesn’t mean it’s good for you! There are some alternatives like tofu and fresh organic vegetables that are good for you and more expensive, but there are also low cost ways of eating vegetarian.
Jenny has maintained this diet for the past year because she has experienced weight loss and she believes her body feels better now than it did when she consumed meat. She believes she is more conscious about her decision regarding what she eats, and she is happier with them. She thinks it’s important to take care of your body, and she thinks this is one of the most important ways to do that.
Values of Vegetarianism
The popular beliefs among young adults seem to represent vegetarianism as something to value, but something that is nearly unattainable. They’re open-minded toward vegetarian ideals for their own reasons and accept the trend, and most people claim to be willing to try it but are hesitant to commit because they don’t think there are enough options for them when it comes to finding something to eat and don’t know how to avoid meat. This shows a shift in mindset toward this trend, more people have become aware and understanding of this trend, and more people will probably start to try this lifestyle as more restaurants cater to it and it becomes easier to shop for, similar to how the UK and India have passed legislation requiring labels for non meat products. The various publications of new documentaries and books in the last decade have exposed the health hazards of meat consumption and big business, and have allowed citizens to form their own, educated opinions. This has caused a decrease in meat consumption, whether it’s just eating meat fewer times a week or complete avoidance of it.
Plant-based diets have been linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as a lower risk of several diseases such as cancer and diabetes. There is also a correlation between diet and life span. Studies have shown that males tend to live about nine to ten years longer when they don’t eat meat and women tend to live about six years longer. Based on my interviews with Jenny and Joe, who are both vegetarians, their bodies feel better when they do not consume meat and eat a plant-based diet.
In addition to the physical and mental health benefits of vegetarianism, the diet also appeals to people moral values. The animals used for generic meat are not fed proper diets and are kept in horrendous living conditions. They are raised with little regard to their health, comfort, and overall well-being. It is essentially animal abuse, but is often overlooked because the meat industry makes farmers sign nondisclosure agreements about the manner in which they breed their animals so the public is blind to these conditions. If a family pet were forced to live in the conditions that these animals do then the owner would be arrested for animal abuse. Many people view the refusal to eat meat as a way to discourage these large companies and minimalize what they’re doing; it only takes one person make a difference.
How to Be a Vegetarian for Ten Days
I smiled at Jenny, wearily at best, as we walked to the parking lot together. The car ride seemed endless as I contemplated the values of becoming a vegetarian at least for the next week, and possibly as a new lifestyle. Everyone’s doing it, right? It’s healthier and better for my body, right? In a changing society like our own, women and men everywhere seem to be picking up on the trend. As I shifted the transmission into park, Jenny got giddy with excitement. She’s been trying to convince me to at least try to eat vegetarian like she does for months, and I have finally given in. We walked into chipotle, the line was excessively long and I couldn’t help wondering if I was making a mistake. Coming from a family who’s big on meat and doesn’t skip a meal without some animal source of protein, this was definitely a change in habit and lifestyle. We both ordered the hard black bean tacos with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tomatoes; her absolute favorite vegetarian friendly meal. I could see her mouth watering already in anticipation. They prepared the food quickly, and I had to admit, it looked delicious. We sprinted to the first clean table we could find, food in hand, curiosity and excitement in mind. I took my first bite of my bean tacos and I was in heaven. I didn’t know it was possible for something to be so good. If this is what being a vegetarian is like the next ten days should be a breeze.
As the next two days progressed, I had no problem finding vegetarian friendly meals to consume. I ate oatmeal and fruit for breakfast as well as yogurt, salads for lunch, and some kind of bean entrée for dinner. But as the third day commenced, I found it was getting hard to keep eating the same basic things over and over again. In addition, I never felt completely full and satisfied like I do after I eat a chicken salad. Jenny and I went to Masa together for dinner, and I ate my usual bean salad, again; for the third day in a row.
Preparing Vegetarian Meals for You
I tried to prepare my first vegan meal, vegetable and tofu stir fry. I had purchased broccoli, string beans, firm tofu, peppers, and onions at the grocery store and went to our kitchen to make them all. Smothered in a terryaki sauce, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome: tofu stirfry is delicious! It only takes about fifteen minutes of preparation and ten minutes to cook. I’d recommend the recipe to anyone! My first home cooked meal was a success. As I proceeded with this new diet, I found that it got harder. It was hard to maintain enough variety and diversity in food choices to keep me from getting bored and feeling like my food was bland. I resorted to Jenny for help and she gave me a few pointers to help me keep it interesting. Some of these are to use hot sauce, it helps give your food flavor and change the flavors up without including any meat products. It is easier once you’ve experimented and know what you like.
Shopping For a Vegetarian Lifestyle
We strolled down the various aisles at the supermarket and searched for food that adequately supplemented a vegetarian diet. We passed many different food items that we were trying to avoid; chicken, turkey, sushi, etc. It was day one and the chicken was already calling my name. We passed the deli and I could smell the buffalo chicken tenders fresh out of the oven. I would have given anything to eat a sub filled with those chicken tenders, lettuce, ranch, and cheese. Unfortunately, chicken is off limits for the next week.
Throughout our day shopping at the grocery store, we picked up several items I had never previously considered purchasing or consuming such as soymilk, tofu, kale, tahini, and molasses. We also picked up various beans to make sure we’re eating enough protein, organic vegetables like broccoli and coli flour, fruits like apples, watermelon, and pineapple, as well as ingredients for chili and guacamole. I figure salads will be a large part of our diet so I made sure to purchase sufficient vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and ingredients for a balsamic vinaigrette. I am looking forward to trying this vegetarian lifestyle and different foods associated with it; though, I am afraid I’m going to get extremely bored of it, very quickly. It seems like the menu is extremely limited and there isn’t that much variety because everything consists of the same few ingredients. It does some healthier though and I look forward to seeing how my immune system is, as a girl who is always sick, on this new diet. Hopefully I’ll be able to switch my meals up enough to make sure I’m not getting bored of the food.
Vegetarianism is a trend because we have more mainstream methods of receiving information on and learning about how big corporations like Tyson and Monsanto are raising our food in a manner that a lot of people find hard to ignore. Netflix, for example, has a myriad of documentaries, like Food Inc., that expose the malice of these companies through interviews and exposure to these places. More information is spreading and more accessible to society encouraging backlash against not only meat, but genetically modified food and other health-risk oriented food products.
Recently, vegetarianism has started to gain a following not only as part of a health movement, but also as a part of an animal rights movement and environmental conservation. Men and women everywhere are beginning to accept and experiment with this regiment. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to spread awareness and educate people about vegetarian principles, approximately four percent of the American population has adopted a stringent vegetarian diet, while about ten percent identify themselves as vegetarians who occasionally binge on some kind of animal product such as chicken or fish.
Just because vegetarianism has recently become a mainstream diet, does not make it new; in fact, it has been around for centuries. It is even an incremental part of some religions, such as Hinduism, which essentially forbids the consumption of meat. The Hindu CNN-IBN national survey concluded that thirty-one percent of the Indian population is vegetarian. Some countries, like India and the UK, require proper labeling of items with any meat products so vegetarians and vegans have an easier time purchasing the meat-free staples they’re searching for.
Growth in vegetarianism can be contributed, in part, to cities like Austin, Texas, and Portland, Oregon, which are ranked highly as vegan friendly cities and are home to various restaurants that cater specifically to this diet. They have taken vegetarianism to the next level by incorporating popular food items around the country and making them without any animal products (Top Vegan Friendly Cities of 2013 2,3). Restaurants such as “Guac N Roll” and “Thai Fresh” have accepted this ever-growing trend and gotten ahead of the curve by catering directly to vegetarians rather that providing them with very limited choices.
Is Vegetarianism for You?
A few things to keep in mind while deciding if vegetarianism is right for you: how prepared are you to properly maintain this diet? What motivates you personally? Do the people you surround yourself with accept your choices? New participants of this prevalent trend find it difficult to stay on track if they are not adequately equipped with intrinsic motivation, positive influences, and alternative sources of protein: such as nuts and legumes. It is import that your friends and family support your decision to eat clean and don’t constantly tempt you with the foods you’re trying to avoid and that you are able to find enough variety in your diet to make sure you don’t digress and resort to eating meat; we all know that saying, “old habits die hard.”
The Experiment
My roommate of three weeks, Jenny, inspired me to research vegetarianism after she explained her lifestyle and why everyone should try it. Jenny decided to top eating meat fourteen months ago, after watching the documentary “Vegucated,” because of the inhumane conditions the animals are kept in before they’re slaughtered. According to Jenny, “This documentary provided enough information for me to finally decide that I wanted to commit myself to this lifestyle.” She doesn’t approve of the conditions they are kept in like incredibly small spaces with little regard to their overall health. In addition, their food is laced with antibiotics and hormones that essentially genetically engineer the animals to grow as large as possible in the least amount of time in order to produce more product at a faster rate than would naturally occur.
Before I personally give up all meat for ten days, I’m going to research vegetarianism so I know what to expect, how to be successful, and what the values are of it. My goal of the research I’m conducting is to getter a better idea of how this trend functions and why it’s trending. Since Jenny is a vegetarian guru, she’ll be guiding me through my ten-day experiment and is allowing me to document her experiences.
Popular Views on Vegetarianism
I surveyed people around Florida State University’s campus to see what they thought about vegetarianism and if they would ever consider partaking in this lifestyle and why. Males like Michael seem to be more likely to maintain a diet relying heavily on meat, and less likely to give it up. Women, like my roommate Jenny, are more likely to sympathize for the animals and are more concerned with the impact these animal products have on their overall health. Jenny is also concerned with the pollution caused by factory farming and how it’s affecting our homes, for instance, with unsanitary water due to runoff from these feedlots. As I gauged my interviewees’ opinions on the subject, I started to notice a trend: a significant amount of people would consider this lifestyle but don’t think they could properly do it while they’re in college, especially when they’re in a dorm. As Amanda said, she would give up meat if she could find adequate protein supplements in place of the meat she usually eats; though, she does not think she is capable of keeping this strict diet while she’s in college because she is eating on a budget, doesn’t have access to a full kitchen, and there are few options available for her when it comes to eating out. People frequently identified weight loss as a motivation for choosing this lifestyle, even if it isn’t permanent, because they acknowledge the health benefits it provides. Other popular responses I found included ones from people like Alex who agree that they could go vegetarian for a short period of time, like a few months, in order to lose weight. Niaz would be a vegetarian because she feels like it would be healthier for her.
Joe is a vegetarian; he hasn’t eaten any meat in four years. He says that his change in diet has helped him lose weight. His also claims that his body feels healthier than ever and he doesn’t get as sick as often as he used to. He recommends this lifestyle to everyone, stating, “Even if you can’t give meat up completely, it makes a difference to really cut down on the amount you’re digesting.”
Jenny the Vegetarian
Beep, beep, beep. It was eight o’clock in the morning and the microwave’s inhospitable alarm forced me to wake up after my brief, four-hour slumber. You can imagine my dismay as I tossed around in bed waiting for Jenny to take her oatmeal out of my new alarm clock. Maple and brown sugar aromas wafted through the air, causing my stomach to growl angrily. Barely audible over the screams of my empty and shriveling stomach, I could faintly hear Jenny trying to get me out of bed. I rolled onto my side and Jenny, with as much enthusiasm as a gospel choir on a Sunday morning, exclaimed “Good morning! Breakfast is ready!” She was slicing the strawberries and bananas and putting them in the oatmeal; her favorite breakfast. If only I could feel so passionately about something as mediocre as oatmeal.
While trying to properly fulfill a vegetarian diet by incorporating healthy alternatives to meat products and eating the recommended daily quantities of nutrients and vitamins, Jenny tries to cook for herself as much as possible. She has found that eating out doesn’t allow you as much versatility with your diet as making your own home cooked meal. Vegetarians aren’t catered to in big restaurants, and she thinks they should be more willing to give people the option to substitute meat for another source of protein, such as beans, rather than just excluding the chicken or beef.
I questioned Jenny about trying to be a vegetarian in college: if she has access to a kitchen and can cook she believes she can successfully maintain it; however, she is worried that this year, while living in a dorm, it will be nearly impossible and she’ll inevitably consume some kind of meat. She thinks it is important to have access to various nonmeat sources of protein, because you will get tired of eating black beans for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although, black bean tacos are one of her favorite meals and definitely recommends them! It’s crucial to make sure you’re always eating when you get hungry to avoid craving meat and a starving rampage through the refrigerator and cabinets because this will be your greatest moment of weakness, and you will binge eat meat. It’s important to pick healthy snacks, like fruit or dark chocolate covered almonds, because you can maintain a vegetarian diet by eating pizza, potato chips, and bread, but they are not healthy alternatives. It’s crucial to make sure you’re eating the right food for your body, just because it doesn’t contain meat doesn’t mean it’s good for you! There are some alternatives like tofu and fresh organic vegetables that are good for you and more expensive, but there are also low cost ways of eating vegetarian.
Jenny has maintained this diet for the past year because she has experienced weight loss and she believes her body feels better now than it did when she consumed meat. She believes she is more conscious about her decision regarding what she eats, and she is happier with them. She thinks it’s important to take care of your body, and she thinks this is one of the most important ways to do that.
Values of Vegetarianism
The popular beliefs among young adults seem to represent vegetarianism as something to value, but something that is nearly unattainable. They’re open-minded toward vegetarian ideals for their own reasons and accept the trend, and most people claim to be willing to try it but are hesitant to commit because they don’t think there are enough options for them when it comes to finding something to eat and don’t know how to avoid meat. This shows a shift in mindset toward this trend, more people have become aware and understanding of this trend, and more people will probably start to try this lifestyle as more restaurants cater to it and it becomes easier to shop for, similar to how the UK and India have passed legislation requiring labels for non meat products. The various publications of new documentaries and books in the last decade have exposed the health hazards of meat consumption and big business, and have allowed citizens to form their own, educated opinions. This has caused a decrease in meat consumption, whether it’s just eating meat fewer times a week or complete avoidance of it.
Plant-based diets have been linked to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels as well as a lower risk of several diseases such as cancer and diabetes. There is also a correlation between diet and life span. Studies have shown that males tend to live about nine to ten years longer when they don’t eat meat and women tend to live about six years longer. Based on my interviews with Jenny and Joe, who are both vegetarians, their bodies feel better when they do not consume meat and eat a plant-based diet.
In addition to the physical and mental health benefits of vegetarianism, the diet also appeals to people moral values. The animals used for generic meat are not fed proper diets and are kept in horrendous living conditions. They are raised with little regard to their health, comfort, and overall well-being. It is essentially animal abuse, but is often overlooked because the meat industry makes farmers sign nondisclosure agreements about the manner in which they breed their animals so the public is blind to these conditions. If a family pet were forced to live in the conditions that these animals do then the owner would be arrested for animal abuse. Many people view the refusal to eat meat as a way to discourage these large companies and minimalize what they’re doing; it only takes one person make a difference.
How to Be a Vegetarian for Ten Days
I smiled at Jenny, wearily at best, as we walked to the parking lot together. The car ride seemed endless as I contemplated the values of becoming a vegetarian at least for the next week, and possibly as a new lifestyle. Everyone’s doing it, right? It’s healthier and better for my body, right? In a changing society like our own, women and men everywhere seem to be picking up on the trend. As I shifted the transmission into park, Jenny got giddy with excitement. She’s been trying to convince me to at least try to eat vegetarian like she does for months, and I have finally given in. We walked into chipotle, the line was excessively long and I couldn’t help wondering if I was making a mistake. Coming from a family who’s big on meat and doesn’t skip a meal without some animal source of protein, this was definitely a change in habit and lifestyle. We both ordered the hard black bean tacos with cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, and tomatoes; her absolute favorite vegetarian friendly meal. I could see her mouth watering already in anticipation. They prepared the food quickly, and I had to admit, it looked delicious. We sprinted to the first clean table we could find, food in hand, curiosity and excitement in mind. I took my first bite of my bean tacos and I was in heaven. I didn’t know it was possible for something to be so good. If this is what being a vegetarian is like the next ten days should be a breeze.
As the next two days progressed, I had no problem finding vegetarian friendly meals to consume. I ate oatmeal and fruit for breakfast as well as yogurt, salads for lunch, and some kind of bean entrée for dinner. But as the third day commenced, I found it was getting hard to keep eating the same basic things over and over again. In addition, I never felt completely full and satisfied like I do after I eat a chicken salad. Jenny and I went to Masa together for dinner, and I ate my usual bean salad, again; for the third day in a row.
Preparing Vegetarian Meals for You
I tried to prepare my first vegan meal, vegetable and tofu stir fry. I had purchased broccoli, string beans, firm tofu, peppers, and onions at the grocery store and went to our kitchen to make them all. Smothered in a terryaki sauce, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome: tofu stirfry is delicious! It only takes about fifteen minutes of preparation and ten minutes to cook. I’d recommend the recipe to anyone! My first home cooked meal was a success. As I proceeded with this new diet, I found that it got harder. It was hard to maintain enough variety and diversity in food choices to keep me from getting bored and feeling like my food was bland. I resorted to Jenny for help and she gave me a few pointers to help me keep it interesting. Some of these are to use hot sauce, it helps give your food flavor and change the flavors up without including any meat products. It is easier once you’ve experimented and know what you like.
Shopping For a Vegetarian Lifestyle
We strolled down the various aisles at the supermarket and searched for food that adequately supplemented a vegetarian diet. We passed many different food items that we were trying to avoid; chicken, turkey, sushi, etc. It was day one and the chicken was already calling my name. We passed the deli and I could smell the buffalo chicken tenders fresh out of the oven. I would have given anything to eat a sub filled with those chicken tenders, lettuce, ranch, and cheese. Unfortunately, chicken is off limits for the next week.
Throughout our day shopping at the grocery store, we picked up several items I had never previously considered purchasing or consuming such as soymilk, tofu, kale, tahini, and molasses. We also picked up various beans to make sure we’re eating enough protein, organic vegetables like broccoli and coli flour, fruits like apples, watermelon, and pineapple, as well as ingredients for chili and guacamole. I figure salads will be a large part of our diet so I made sure to purchase sufficient vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and ingredients for a balsamic vinaigrette. I am looking forward to trying this vegetarian lifestyle and different foods associated with it; though, I am afraid I’m going to get extremely bored of it, very quickly. It seems like the menu is extremely limited and there isn’t that much variety because everything consists of the same few ingredients. It does some healthier though and I look forward to seeing how my immune system is, as a girl who is always sick, on this new diet. Hopefully I’ll be able to switch my meals up enough to make sure I’m not getting bored of the food.
Vegetarianism is a trend because we have more mainstream methods of receiving information on and learning about how big corporations like Tyson and Monsanto are raising our food in a manner that a lot of people find hard to ignore. Netflix, for example, has a myriad of documentaries, like Food Inc., that expose the malice of these companies through interviews and exposure to these places. More information is spreading and more accessible to society encouraging backlash against not only meat, but genetically modified food and other health-risk oriented food products.