Vegetarians... WE EAT

Vegetarians don't eat meat: True

Vegetarians don't eat: False

     In July, I was sitting with my older sister at a concert, talking about food and health. My sister was telling me about a book she read called Skinny Bitch. Although the book has a bad rep for scrutinizing women's diets and is thought to encourage anorexia and low self-esteem, it is essentially a book about veganism. My sister, who has three kids, spent a few months as a vegan after she had her second child and was in the best shape of her life. I never particularly loved meat so I decided to give it a try. As a college student, I knew the difficulty of becoming a vegan, so I decided to become a vegetarian instead, because it seemed more manageable. For clarification, a vegan does not eat any animal products including eggs, milk, cheese, etc., but a vegetarian can eat animal products except for meat. 

     The next day I went to the store and bought all new food. I focused on buying mostly fruits, vegetables, pasta, and other foods that had the nutrients and protein to replace the meat in my diet. The first month was difficult, as I was forced to reassess my choices at restaurants and find new meals to cook, but eventually it become second nature to me. I settled on being a pescatarian, meaning I do not eat meat but I eat fish; however, I rarely eat fish unless I feel I am low on nutrients. I have also switched from drinking regular milk to rice or almond milk. Being a pescatarian has forced me to steer clear of fast food and think out my meals more thoroughly. I am careful not to stuff my face with things that will fill me up, rather to eat three nutritious meals a day. 

     Watching Food Inc. only reassured my decision not to eat meat. Not only is there the argument of how the animals are mistreated, but the diet of people who consume meat is often extremely unhealthy. It is possible to have a healthy diet while consuming meat, but being a pescatarian has made me more health conscious than I ever thought possible. This may seem like a lot of pointless information, but I wanted to debunk the myth that vegetarians do not eat. We do eat, and maybe healthier than you! :)