Around a year ago I decided to be a vegetarian for a week. It seemed easy and would make good content for my sustainability Instagram account (@waste.free.katie). Needless to say, my reasons for this diet change were not exactly the best since I was doing it primarily for social media.
Anyway, I began the day with a rocky start and forgot to vlog breakfast, not that there was much to talk about. I think I had something minimal like a granola bar because I was running behind schedule. Then I completely ran out of time for a substantial lunch and resorted to the stash of ramen stacked atop my Stevens-issued wardrobe. Apparently, the majority of ramen is chicken or beef flavored using real meat, which, of course, I learned after eating it. Unfortunately, I had to post an apology on my Instagram story explaining that I was unable to go 24 hours without accidentally consuming meat, and being a vegetarian was probably not for me.
After dealing with the unbelievable amounts of embarrassment following this incident, I
decided to spend the next few months properly researching the environmental impacts
of food, particularly meat. I learned that shifting to one vegetarian meal a week could
save the equivalent of driving 1,160 miles! Imagine the positive impact of being a
full-time vegetarian! All of a sudden this lifestyle change felt like something that could
actually improve the world, not just my social media.
I have always been a fan of making New Year’s resolutions, even though I have literally
never stuck to them, so the approaching fresh start of 2022 seemed like the perfect time
to aim for a new goal. On January 1st, I decided to become a pescatarian. I know, I
know, not exactly the same as being a vegetarian like I wanted. Well, I had tried being a
vegetarian and had failed almost immediately, so it seemed like still eating seafood
would give me more options and therefore a better chance at long term success. And
guess what? That was the right decision because I have not eaten meat since that day.
Although being a pescatarian can benefit the planet, I knew I had not reached my
ultimate goal. I slowly limited the seafood I ate until one day I took the plunge and
became a full-fledged vegetarian.
It has been months since this transition and I can safely say that I don’t plan on eating
meat for a long time. Although it can be hard to eat enough protein, there is nothing that a few cans of chickpeas and cubes of tofu can’t fix! Jokes aside, Pierce Dining Hall offers options like crispy tofu nearly every day, so even as a freshman relying on the meal plan, I was able to consume more than enough protein and basically every other nutritional element that I need. As a sophomore living in a suite in the towers, I will be cooking for myself frequently this year. Hopefully, I will be able to continue eating healthy vegetarian meals that are not too hard to prepare, since I have very minimal cooking experience and no desire to expand my abilities.
If you get anything out of this article, let it be that reducing the animal products you consume is possible, even if you can’t imagine going 24 hours without eating meat!
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