I cut out meat and most dairy a little over a month ago. I was trying something new after watching ‘What the Health’ on Netflix. I started off extremely positive because I was able to make food from recipes that I purchased. The recipes came with a shopping list for the week and you use all the ingredients until there is none left. The people that came up with this eating plan helps you budget the meals as well as not being wasteful. It’s awesome I spend pretty much nothing in groceries and I have no excuses to eat a plant based diet. I am not the problem. Nope, I am able to keep to my meal plans. I love the foods that I make. I feel full and it’s all different tastes that I haven’t had before but I am overall satisfied. I eat three meals because they actually keep me full instead of grazing all day. The people that are around me are the problem. I have a great support system my significant other is amazing and motivates me to try new things. The people I am talking about are the ones that aren’t educated. My mother in law had family over one night and they ordered pizza. The pizza they ordered had cheese and sausage on it. I was not expecting to eat with them because I already had my meal prepped for that day. My mother in law is a thoughtful person and she wanted to make me feel like I was a part of the group by letting me know that she did see a vegan pizza that could get me. I politely declined because I had food prepared already. I thanked her for looking into that for me and that I know for next time. When I brought my meal to the table another family member made a comment that upset me. “You aren’t going to force being vegan on your kids are you?” I know that he did not mean any harm by the comment but it irked me. Being vegan isn’t a bad thing. If I don’t educate my children about the foods they are eating I’m not helping my children at all. Meat tastes good I get that but it’s not a need. My children can eat meat all they want. That’s their choice but I hope instead of eating a doughnut they choose a healthy alternative. That is what I would like to do for my children. I choose not to eat meat because it’s improved my health- a lot.
The comments “You’re not going to live a fulfilling life” , “How can you live without bacon” , or “Is everything you eat green? Live a little.” All those comments make me mad! What am I supposed to say to these comments? If I say anything factual I am offended or I am just sensitive. Let me tell you something. Two months ago I would go through $150 a month in medicines. I have asthma and I would have to take multiple inhalers daily. That to me is not fulfilling. Now having a healthier lifestyle I only spend $90 every two months. I hope that I will get to the point of no medicine. The comment about Bacon is tough for me. Bacon is really good. Every time I smell it I have a trigger and my mouth waters. I think I will always feel like way because I loved bacon but just like cutting out Mountain Dew it was hard at first but gets easier in time. About the foods I eat most food I eat is green and freshly prepared and that is what I prefer. I love vegetables and I love the salad that I make at work. I am living a little longer each day. I feel more alive now then I ever have when I ate meat.
I think you need to explain yourself more. People don’t just let you be. If you any different than them they shame you. I understand that you enjoy the foods you are eating and I am not telling you to change your lifestyle- I just chose to change mine
Thank you.
Eating a Plant Based Diet 