My Tips for Transitioning to Going Meatless

Like I said in a previous post, vegetarianism isn't for everyone. But if you are trying to cut back on meat, or wanting to eventually become a full vegetarian, here are some of my top tips.

1. Take it slow

Some people have a difficult time going cold-turkey (no pun intended) with giving up meat, so I definitely suggest taking it very slowly. If you are really determined to cut out meat, then go for it. But if you're not too committed quite yet, take it slow. For example, try giving up red-meat at first. I actually did this about two months before I decided to give up all meat, and I think it helped a lot with my transition. If you can handle this, then transition into giving up chicken, or turkey. Take it one meat at a time until you've completely eliminated all meats. 

2. Meatless Monday

Pick one day of the week to go completely meatless. This is actually a world-wide campaign that is trying to encourage people to go meatless on every Monday. My university is also encouraging this way of eating by providing more meat alternatives in dining halls on Monday. This is great way to try new foods, or just experience a day without meat. Also, it you've got one day down, switch to two days, then three....

 


3. Pick a meat alternative

When I first became interested in becoming vegetarian, I was determined to try tofu. Once I tried it, and found all different recipes that used tofu instead of meat, I knew becoming vegetarian wasn't going to be all that difficult. I highly suggest trying different meat alternatives, or different protein sources that you can add into your diet. This can be before or after becoming meatless, but just trying different alternatives can be a great motivation to your journey. I don't really encourage a lot of cheap versions of "fake meat" just because of all the chemicals and preservatives in them, but definitely check out products that have few ingredients, organic, or have vegetable based proteins. The best meat alternatives I recommend are things like tofu, beans, edamame, nuts, eggs, yogurt, and mushrooms.

(this was from the very first time I made tofu!)

4. Eat vegetarian at restaurants

Eating vegetarian at restaurants can be a great way to cut back on meat, and also avoid the possibility of getting food poisoning (because restaurants is where it happens). By going meatless at restaurants, you can avoid cheaply, inhumanely produced meats. Also, eating meatless can often be much cheaper. Ask about vegetarian options, or look at the menu before hand to find options that are meatless. There are so many delicious meat free options at restaurants, so check them out! Most of the time, the meals with meat are usually higher in fat, calories, and sodium, so you'll almost always be doing yourself a favor by choosing meatless options at restaurants. Order beans instead of beef at your favorite Mexican restaurant, or order a salad with nuts and eggs instead of meat. Small steps like this is a great start to your vegetarian journey.

 
                        (vegetarian at Panera)


(vegetarian at Jimmy Johns)


5. Do your research

Becoming vegetarian can be dangerous if you're completely clueless about certain nutritional information. There are some vitamins/nutrients that you can't get from meat, and replacing those nutrients with plant based nutrients is important. Find out the best meat alternatives, or high protein vegetables, or even recipes/restaurants that are vegetarian. Become best friends with google! Before going vegetarian, I became best friends with google, making sure that I wasn't missing out on any nutrients. I even got my blood checked to make sure that all my levels were good (which they were!). Nutrients like iron, B12, selenium, and zinc are sometimes hard to get enough of on a vegetarian diet, but just find out foods that are rich in these and eat up!

6. Get connected

It is super important to find people that share similar ideas and diets. Find other vegetarians that can help you with your transition, or your journey to becoming vegetarian. Being vegetarian is definitely becoming more "popular" so it's pretty easy to find other veg heads. I know that every time I meet a vegetarian, there is always so much to talk about, because of our similar diets and struggles. Also, it's great to share advice, and tips with each other. Even if you're not wanting to go completely meatless, its' still great to have someone that is a vegetarian to help you with that as well. Most vegetarians would be happy to talk to anyone with questions about this lifestyle, or at least I know I would talk for hours about it if I could!


So those are my top six tips to transitioning to becoming meatless. I hope you find it helpful, and also motivational! Becoming meatless is something that you have to really want to do, but taking small steps into this way of eating definitely makes it a lot easier.

Also, any questions/support you may have or need just let me know either in the comments below, through Facebook, or email (simplyknitted00@gmail.com). I'll be happy to answer as many as I can!

Bulk Up!

I have recently discovered the "bulk" section at grocery stores. I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize how great they are. Buying in bulk allows you to only get as much of a product as you need, and you only pay per pound. I love this way of shopping because often times I don't need a fifteen dollar bag of quinoa for just myself, instead I can use the bulk section and only get a cup for a dollar or two. This way of shopping is very practical because you're not wasting your money on the packaging, or brand name, instead you're only buying the product.

Buying spices in bulk is also great, because if you only need a couple of tablespoons of an expensive spice or herb, you don't have to pay for an entire bottle.

My favorite things to buy in bulk are nuts, seeds, grains, and dried fruit. Mostly because I know if I get an entire box of dried fruit, I'll eat it all in one sitting. So by buying only a serving, I not only save money, but I keep myself from eating an entire box.

Buying in bulk may be confusing, so here's some easy steps to walk you through it!

First, find a grocery store that sells items in bulk, I like Earth Fare, Bare Essentials, Ingles, and Whole Foods.

Then, pick out what you want to buy..



Get a bag, and fill it up with however much you want (you can weigh it to see if you have as much as you'd like)..

Get a sticker, and write the PLU number that is on the item's bin..



Stick the sticker to your bag, and that's it! Super simple!

 

My Thoughts: Frozen or Canned?

In the winter time, fresh produce is often difficult to find and afford. Also, our lives can get pretty busy, and we may not have a bunch of time to spend on cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables. So when you can't get fresh produce or don't have time to prepare it, what should you do? Buy it frozen, or buy it canned?

 

Here are my thoughts on these two options:

Canned foods may be cheap, but you are losing lots of nutrients when you buy canned foods. Often times the foods are cooked at a high temperature, causing it to lose many of its nutrients. Canned foods are also packed with salt and preservatives in order for it to stay "fresher" longer. Also, canned fruit is usually canned in syrup that has a bunch of added sugars that you don't need. So, in other words....canned foods are probably not your best option. But things like beans, beets, and pumpkin are fine to buy canned, just make sure you RINSE the beans and beets to remove as much salt/preservatives are you can. Rinsing goes for any canned foods you eat, always always rinse off canned produce! Rinsing removes preservatives, sugars, salts, and other chemicals they may be on the food.

  high fructose corn syrup in tomatoes?!?!

Now onto frozen foods...
Frozen foods are often frozen when the food is in season, ripe, and fresh. This ensures you that you are getting produce that is at its best. Also, most of the time these foods are not cooked prior to freezing, and therefore most all the nutrients are left intact. Frozen food is a great option when your favorite foods aren't in season. Most of the time when you see strawberries in the dead of winter, those strawberries took a very long journey to get to your grocery store. This means that they lost lots of nutrients while on their way to your grocery store. But with frozen foods, they are frozen as soon as they are picked, and those nutrients get locked in place. Frozen foods are often times cheaper than fresh, and can be kept in the freezer for a very long time. Also, I am talking about frozen whole foods (peas, carrots, broccoli, berries, fruit, etc.), not frozen dinners....big difference! Make sure you look on the ingredients list to check for any added preservatives.

 see how mango is the ONLY ingredient?


So my final thoughts on canned vs. frozen?
Definitely try to buy frozen over canned, due to the nutrient preservation in frozen foods. Also, canned foods often times have many more preservatives in them than frozen foods do. Fresh is almost always better, but when it isn't available, stick with the frozen produce!

Mac and Cheese: Not From The Box

Notice a difference in the photos above? The mac and cheese on the left probably looks familiar to you, the Kraft mac and cheese, that can be made super quick and easy with a packet of "cheese" powder....but the one on the right is r e a l mac and cheese, with real ingredients that can be easily found in your home, identifiable ingredients that aren't made in a factory, or a chemistry lab. The real mac and cheese may not be as yellow as the Kraft one, but that is totally normal, because the homemade mac and cheese doesn't have dangerous food dyes in it.

If you're a parent I STRONGLY urge you to stop feeding packaged mac and cheese to your kids. Most boxed mac and cheese (Kraft in particular) has food dyes (Yellow #5 and #6) that can strongly effect your child's health, and may lead to hyperactivity, asthma, rashes,  migraines, or other learning disabilities. These dyes are banned in many different countries, but of course are allowed in America. So take a little extra time and use wholesome ingredients that aren't made in a chemistry lab, because in the end it will be worth it.

So is mac and cheese super healthy, and should you eat it everyday? No....but when you do eat it, take the time to make it right, take the little bit of extra energy to use REAL ingredients, instead of just pouring in a powdery substance that Kraft claims is cheese. I'm making it super easy for you to take this step in changing your health by giving you a simple homemade mac and cheese recipe that can be made in bulk to last you/your family through the week. 

The mac and cheese recipe can definitely be considered a base for many different meals...mix in some veggies for extra nutrients, add in some barbecue sauce for a flavor kick, make this mac and cheese your own, and experiment with different cheese, or add-ins!

Ingredients:

1 box of noodles (you can use whatever types of noodles you prefer-whole wheat, gluten free, spaghetti noodles) 

1/4 cup butter (or you can use a natural butter substitute like Earth Balance)

1/4 cup milk (could also use any type of milk substitute like unsweetened almond milk)

2-3 Tbsp. all purpose flour (could also use a gluten free substitute like garbanzo bean flour)

1 1/2 cups cheese of choice (if you have problems with dairy, you could try a cheese alternative, like daiya cheese)

Step One:

Boil your noodles until they are soft, then strain them.

Step Two:

 Use the same pot you cooked your noodles in and on low temperature add in your butter, milk, and flour to create a roux (a base for your cheese sauce) use a whisk to combine the ingredients together to form a smooth, creamy consistency. If you need to add more of any of these ingredients to get this consistency, definitely do! (butter and or milk will make it creamier, flour will make it thicker) You want your roux to look like the bottom right photo below, and be super creamy.

Step Three:

Add in your cheese and stir with a spoon until it's melted, or at least almost melted.

Step Four:

Add back in your noodles, and stir until it's all combined. If the cheese isn't sticking to the noodles very well, add in some more flour.

Step Five:

Enjoy your delicious, REAL mac and cheese!