For some people, becoming a vegetarian is as simple as removing the occasional grilled fish or chicken breast. For others, it’s removing half the menu. According to the John Hopkins study, only 11% of American adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables set by the USDA. The rest aren’t eating a fraction of the vegetables that they should. But when a person becomes a vegetarian with a previous diet consisting of meat and carbohydrates, something has to change. I fit into that category perfectly when I became a vegetarian. Fortunately, these tips helped me to start eating a healthy vegetarian diet, vegetables and all.
Eat Veggies Like You’ve Never Tried Them Before.
It may sound cliche, but think about it. Many of the vegetables we claim we don’t like are ones we haven’t eaten since we were kids. I hated fresh tomatoes when I was eight years old, and I avoided them ever since. When I reluctantly ate a slice due to my fiance’s prodding, they suddenly weren’t that bad. Now, I love tomatoes and eat them every day!
Explore your Preparation Possibilities.
I have always hated raw carrots. Fortunately, I adore them boiled, stir-fried, grilled, and caramelized. Raw vegetables have a lot of nutritional benefits for a healthy vegetarian diet, but cooking vegetables can help you get used to their different flavors. Challenge yourself to go to the store and buy a variety of vegetables to experiment with. You can find millions of recipes on the internet for any type of vegetable, so have some fun!
You Still Don’t Like it? Eat it Anyway!
Some vegetables might make you cringe from their overwhelming flavors and weird textures. What’s the solution? Just pop that grilled eggplant into your mouth, and eat it anyway! Pediatricians say kids should try food seven to fourteen times before they say they don’t like it since it’s easy to mistake something strange for something bad. Raw onions in salads used to make me run away screaming. Their pungent odor and crispy texture just didn’t sit well with me. But just like with the tomatoes, my fiance convinced me to try putting tiny bits in my food. Although I had to force them down the first few days, I found myself craving them within weeks.
It’s all in Your Head
If you eat anything while telling yourself you don’t like it, it will be hard to prove yourself wrong. According to Darya Pino, PhD from Summertomato.com, our perceptions of different foods greatly affect how much we like them. As a vegetarian, you will need to change your attitude about vegetables if you want to start liking them. Vegetables are nutritious, tasty, and diverse in color, flavor, and texture. Vegetarians have a responsibility of showing the world how true this really is by consuming a healthy vegetarian diet full of colorful vegetables. So put these tips into practice as I did and expand your menu as never before!
