Yesterday, I ate chicken. Considering hundreds of people probably ate chicken yesterday on the Stevens campus alone, this does not seem super exciting. However, I have been a vegetarian for the past 13 months, so for me, this was quite the change.
For over a year, I avoided meat for both the environment and animals. I alternated between trying to cook healthy meals and selecting from the limited vegetarian options that Stevens offers. Over the summer my family struggled to adjust to this change and it was clear that they would have preferred if I wasn’t a vegetarian, but I stuck to my decision.
Towards the end of 2022, I started reconsidering my choice because I realized I had gotten tired of putting so much thought into eating enough protein and had slowly slipped into bad habits. I was not eating enough protein and instead ate too much unhealthy food. The protein that I was consuming came from less than ideal sources like protein shakes and bars. While these options are good occasionally or as a supplement, they should not make up the majority of anyone’s protein intake. Since starting to eat plant-based, I always promised myself that I would go back if it wasn’t the healthiest option for me. It isn’t worth slightly reducing my carbon footprint in one area if it is going to make me run down and unable to function at my best in every other part of my life.
Part of the problem just comes down to being a student. I have a small meal plan because the options are limited, especially as a vegetarian. This means that I need to mostly get food other ways and just supplement with a meal or two from the dining hall or UCC when I really need to. I am an awful chef and don’t have time to teach myself because school and extracurriculars are time-consuming and things I am not willing to give up. Since I need to eat, the next option is buying stuff pre-made from stores or ordering from restaurants. These options are obviously incredibly expensive and not in the budget for most college students. Despite these excuses, I know there are plenty of happy and healthy college students who are also vegetarians, so I guess the problem really is just me. When I am an adult with an income, home, and stability, maybe I will reconsider being a vegetarian and see if I can do it in a healthier way.
Anyway, yesterday I ordered chicken from the UCC. I ate the french fries that accompanied the meal and then sat staring at the chicken for over 15 minutes. It wasn’t until my roommate told me she wasn’t leaving until I ate the chicken that I took a small bite. It was not as shocking as I expected since it tastes pretty close to the chicken alternatives I have been consuming for the past year. The key difference is that this was once an animal. After eating a piece, I stopped and waited as if something would happen. Other than feeling a tiny bit nauseous and incredibly guilty, nothing really changed. I called my parents and told them that I guess I’m not a vegetarian anymore, although I don’t plan on eating any more meat for a while.
My next few weeks will be spent slowly informing people that I now eat chicken. For some, this news has been long awaited. My grandma is going to love cooking her signature dishes for me again sans vegetarian substitutions. My friends who don’t believe a plant-based diet is healthy will no longer be concerned about my wellbeing. Although I didn’t thrive as a vegetarian, that is not the case for everyone and I would still recommend giving it a try or at least reducing your consumption of meat for the planet and animals.
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