Senior Skye Hayden is sitting in front of a plate of food, just set out by the waiter, who assured them of the absence of meat in the dish. After taking a few bites, Hayden seems to notice something is off with their meal, their stomach beginning to churn. As it turns out, the dish did in fact have meat in it, and instead of being able to enjoy a nice meal with their family, Hayden ended up sick, throwing up the offending food in the restaurant’s bathroom.
Vegetarianism is a diet that has grown in popularity over the years, but many of the people who partake in the diet still have to face a lot of hurdles to ensure they stick to it. This can be both external, with others not offering vegetarian food, and internal, with their own struggles to abstain from meat eating.
There are a wide range of reasons for why someone decides to be vegetarian. Some, like Junior Aadit Mehta refrained from eating meat due to religious reasons.
“I’ve been vegetarian my whole life because my parents are and it is one of the core beliefs of my religion,” Mehta said.
On the other hand, others, like junior Maggie Meyer are more spontaneous about it, but end up sticking to it because of the benefits they notice while on the diet.
“I did it as a news thing with my friend but it ended up helping me with some health issues that I had had,” Meyer said. “ I really like it. It makes me feel better.”
Mehta explains the difficulties of eating out when on a vegetarian diet.
“At some restaurants and areas it is harder to find vegetarian food to eat- especially coastal areas where there is a lot of seafood,” Mehta said.
Hayden corroborates this point, describing how they will sometimes not respect her dietary choices.
“There have been a couple times where stuff has been told to me ‘oh, there’s no meat in this.’ And then there was meat, and I got sick,” Hayden said.
Grocery shopping can be pricey, especially when finding ingredients for cooking. Mehta points out how much less expensive grocery shopping is without buying meat.
“I think cooking is a little cheaper for a vegetarian diet because grains, dairy, and vegetables in general are not as expensive as meat,” Mehta said.
While ingredients are usually less expensive, Hayden explains how specialty items are more expensive than their meat-filled counterparts.This is because of how much more of a process it is to create faux meat products.
“There are some pretty good meat substitutes that I’ll use and it’s pretty good for the most part, [but] I get these frozen chicken nuggets. And they’re like $3 more than [the non-vegetarian version].” Hayden said.
It can be difficult for some to get over the cravings they have for dishes involving meat, which may cause them to abandon the diet. Meyer explains that she has cravings for meat, but finds vegetarian solutions to sate her appetite.
“I do miss fast food places [and] it’s easier to get protein while eating meat,” Meyer said. “I’ll eat Impossible meat or tofu. [My favorite is] Impossible meat because I think it really tastes like real hamburger meat.”
Despite many people enjoying their food with meat, vegetarian dishes can be just as fulfilling and delicious as non-vegetarian dishes. Mehta shares what’s in some of his favorite dishes.
“My favorite dishes all involve paneer, which is a type of firm cottage cheese and is seasoned with spices and vegetables,” Mehta said.
It can be difficult to start a new diet, especially one that restricts you from an entire group of food. Hayden provides tips to those who want to give the diet a try.
“Find a dish that you really really liked and find a vegetarian version of it. If you really really like a Caesar salad with this specific sauce or chicken, figure out how to make it vegetarian and you can [work from there].” Hayden said.
Mehta recommends others to really think through their decision to go vegetarian before committing, believing it to require a strong will and dedication.
“I would not recommend for someone to go vegetarian unless they have a really good reason to become one, whether that be for animal welfare or personal health. It’s not easy to give up something that you’ve eaten your whole life. I could not imagine going vegan and not being able to drink milk or eat cheese, and I would think that it’s a similar feeling for people giving up meat.” Mehta said. “If you are able to go vegetarian or vegan from eating meat your whole life, that deserves a lot of respect because of how difficult it would be to do. I’ve been vegetarian my whole life so I’ve never struggled with cravings.”