Roughly three years ago, I ate a diet heavy in dairy, and had meat most days of the week. Granted, I have never had a taste for red meat, and mostly just ate chicken and turkey. I consumed dairy daily, despite growing up with an intolerance to lactose. On an average day, I would typically have a yogurt, or bagel and cream cheese for breakfast/lunch and almost always had some sort of cheese with dinner. It wasn't until I went to college that I started broadening my horizons.
It Takes Time
It was a slow transition, I'll be honest. I still ate pepperoni, chicken tenders and ground turkey well into my sophomore year in college. Being involved in sustainability groups on campus really motivated me to start making a change. I had reduced my intake by trying to incorporate items like beans and tofu into my meals more regularly. I was surprised at how easy it was to make burritos (something that I usually had exclusively with meat and cheese) with beans, avocado, rice, peppers, onions and lots of spices! While I transitioned to become a vegetarian (with hopes of eventually going vegan), I made a lot of the same few meals. Luckily, I had a support group of great friends, some of which who were also trying to reduce their meat and dairy intake. Cooking with friends was a lot of fun, and it's helpful to surround yourself with open-minded people.
Over time, it became easier to skip the occasional pepperoni on my pizza, and chicken tender at a restaurant. I realized that I actually felt SO much better after a meal filled with veggies or fruit. Eating a vegan meal made me energetic, as opposed to sluggish and sleepy. I started having smoothies for breakfast every day, and lunch/dinner was usually some combination of rice, pasta, veggies, beans, tofu, or tempeh. I learned how to cook so many interesting things, and have been really proud of some of my creations!
Some of my favorite plant-based recipes are Broccoli Cheddar Soup (which I have used for mac & cheese!), Orange Tofu, and the Chickpea and Sweet Potato Buddhe Bowl.
Vegan Options Are Increasing
The options in the grocery store for plant-based substitutes are also increasing! When I was growing up, tofu was one of the only alternative proteins associated with going vegetarian. And I didn't even know what the term "vegan" meant until high school. Now there are all kinds of products - substitutes for both meat and dairy - made with soy protein, wheat gluten protein, pea protein, and other plant-based proteins. In my opinion, Boston couldn't make it any easier to go veg. There is a plethora of plant-based places to eat, and most restaurants offer at least a couple of vegetarian options. There is also a phone app I use called "Happy Cow" that has mapped out restaurants, cafes, and markets that are vegan, vegetarian, or veg-friendly.
Some of my favorite places are Red Lentil (Watertown), Veggie Galaxy (Cambridge), and Zhu's Garden (Arlington).
I think the important thing that people trying to adopt a plant-based lifestyle understand is that you do NOT have to get there overnight. I hope I will be able to be 100% plant-based one day, but I know I will never be able to sustain it if, at least for a time, I don't allow myself to have a little cheese, or an egg, every now and then.
Nicole Luiz is a Volunteer with Massachusetts Sierra Club