Being a Vegetarian

Since January of my freshman year of high school, I have been a vegetarian. SO, it's been over 6 years now! I have learned a lot since then, for sure.

When I first started, I ate a lot of carbs and cheese. Mac-n-cheese, grilled cheese, fried mozzarella cheese sticks! Not super healthy.

As I progressed, though, I started trying tofu, and frozen meat substitutes. I have found I really like sliced tofurkey, for sandwiches, but the tofurkey you make for Thanksgiving is just alright.

I have also found that a lot of "meat" dishes can be made vegetarian with simple substitutions, such as using tofu or meat substitute instead of the meat, or just using vegetable broth instead of chicken or beef stock.

And the labels! I have found the labels to be most helpful. A lot of things can be tricky. Like vegetable soup. You would think vegetable soup is vegetarian, but if it is made with beef stock, then it's a no-go. Baked beans are often cooked with bacon or pork bits, refried beans can have lard in them, and sometimes even black beans have meat. You just have to be careful.

Restaurants have to be the most difficult yet amazing places to be vegetarians. Once you get over your shyness, you can ask for suggestions. Many restaurants, such as Chilli's, won't have a lot of vegetarian options on the menu, but the waiters will have a few dishes in mind that can be made with a few substitutions. Unfortunately though, you can also discover dishes you thought were safe have been compromised when you ask. For example, the mac'n'cheese at Cracker Barrel is made with bacon grease. Who would have known?