Beginning a new habit, hobby or lifestyle takes a lot of work. During my first week as a vegetarian, I’ve had moments where I’ve thought, “One tiny piece of meat won’t hurt, right?” But I’ve also had more subtle moments where I’ve completely forgotten I had gone vegetarian at all. Totally forgotten I had gone veg, that is, until a friend or family member yelled, “Sam! What are you about to eat?”
My loved ones have adopted a large role in my newfound vegetarianism. Like everything else, if you don’t have people standing behind you, it just doesn’t work out.
I knew my dad was in full support of my venture the day he came over toting every frozen pizza Kroger had in stock (Red Baron three-cheese personal deep-dish pizzas are my new favorite). And when I started receiving e-mails filled with delicious veg recipes from my mom, I knew she really cared what I ate while vegetarian.
When I was concerned about what restaurants I would be able to eat at, my pal Kristina insisted we go to Seva in Ann Arbor. After getting lots of advice to try Ann Arbor’s most beloved veg eatery, she decided we just must have a lunch date there. Our lunches, by the way, were absolutely delicious, and I would highly recommend Seva.
Then, there is my best friend from Colorado, McKenzie. McKenzie had been raised vegetarian, so this lifestyle wasn’t second nature to her, it was nature. For most of our friendship I was oblivious to her lifestyle. However, when I announced my grand plan to become vegetarian, she jumped right into the position of mentor in my veg adventure.
McKenzie said to buy a rice cooker. Soon, she warned, it would become my best friend. Use coconut milk, it’s filling and extremely versatile – always have it in-stock. And eat Goldfish crackers because they are a delicious vegetarian snack.
So the last piece of advice might have been personal obsession, but the other two pearls of wisdom are inimitable in my book. And really, who doesn’t love Goldfish?
Buying a rice cooker might seem pointless; I mean, isn’t rice easy enough to cook? Believe me, it’s not! Once you get your fingers on a rice cooker, you’ll never want to cook rice the traditional way again. Also, the savvy machine is great for cooking lentils and quinoa. With the appliance being only $25.00 at Bed, Bath and Beyond (less if you’ve got that 10% off coupon), I’d say it’s an investment worth making.
Coconut milk has proved to be absolutely wonderful in making soups and stews, too. Start with some coconut milk over medium heat, sauté and then add your vegetables of choice, season with salt, pepper and curry, and viola! This recipe has not only come in handy during my first vegetarian week, it has also come in handy while having strep throat. Soup and, of course, ice cream are always the perfect remedies to illnesses — veg or not.
Mckenzie had lots of advice, but more important than the pointers is the support she and others have provided. It’s good to have a mentor and ‘army’ behind you in these sort of undertakings. I wouldn’t plan an extensive backpacking trip without talking to friends, getting advice on where to go and obsessing over details, so why shouldn’t I do the same when taking on a new lifestyle?
I’m doing well being a vegetarian, but without the incredible support I’ve received, this journey would be a whole lot harder.
