Welcome to the second part of our articles about Vegan and Vegetarian lifestyles! Last week, we discussed what being vegan or vegetarian means when it comes to diet and lifestyle changes. This week, we’re sharing with you the insights of people who actually practice veganism and vegetarianism in their everyday lives and what it’s like to live and eat plant-based.
We interviewed three people from different backgrounds to share their personal thoughts about being vegan and vegetarian. Firstly, we asked Sarah who works as a Risk Specialist. She roughly falls under the vegetarian umbrella as a “flexitarian” as she eats a mostly plant-based diet and has meat occasionally.
Our interviews were done through an online form consisting of questions regarding their reasons for going meat-free and their thoughts about how easy or difficult it is to make the switch. -free, click here to read it on our website. And if you want to learn more about the thoughts of Sarah, Alireza, and Hanie, keep on reading !
Sarah More
Sarah identifies as mostly vegetarian, although she consumes some meat at around a weekly basis. According to her, she has been practicing this flexible vegetarian lifestyle for around 3 to 4 years now. Here is how she responded to our questions.
Q: Why did you decide to stop eating meat?
Sarah: I decided to stop eating meat for health reasons and a lack of access to quality meat.
Q: What was the hardest part about the change? Was it a difficult decision to make personally?
Sarah: It was difficult to find ideas for replacing the meat in my meals. It was also hard to stay socially active because not all of my friends were vegetarian.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being vegetarian?
Sarah: My health generally got better. I also lost some weight and felt overall more energetic.
Q: What would you recommend for people to consider before deciding to become vegan/vegetarian?
Sarah: I recommend trying to look for non-Western food ideas when cooking meat-free meals for more creativity. I would also advocate for remaining patients when making the change as the switch can be tough.
Alireza
Alireza is self-employed. He has been vegetarian for 6 years now. Here are his thoughts on being vegetarian:
Q: Why did you decide to stop eating meat?
Alireza: I felt bad for the animals that were slaughtered for food, so I decided to stop eating meat.
Q: What was the hardest part about the change? Was it a difficult decision to make personally?
Alireza: It was a bit difficult to quit eating meat since I still quite liked the taste.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being vegetarian?
Alireza: I’ve started to feel lighter physically since I became vegetarian, so I enjoy that.
Q: What would you recommend for people to consider before deciding to become vegan/vegetarian?
Alireza: If you’re a meat lover, it can be difficult to stop eating meat right away. I advise you to start decreasing your meat consumption slowly rather than all at once.
Hanie
Hanie works as a therapist. She is a practicing vegan and has been meat and animal product-free for 20 years. Here’s what she has to say about her experience being vegan:
Q: Why did you decide to stop eating meat?
Hanie: I had a variety of reasons for why I stopped eating meat. Firstly, I did not agree with and was disgusted by the practices of the food industry around animals.
Q: What was the hardest part about the change? Was it a difficult decision to make personally?
Hanie: When I first started out, there weren’t a lot of vegan-friendly options.
Q: What’s your favorite part about being vegetarian?
Hanie: I like that I can feel ‘clean,’ not just because I physically eat clean but mentally as well.
Q: What would you recommend for people to consider before deciding to become vegan/vegetarian?
Hanie: I recommend a good degree of preparation. Try and find alternatives to meat, dairy, fish, and so on. Look for appealing vegan recipes, and locate any nearby vegan-friendly restaurants that you might want to try.
Conclusion
We hope that you enjoyed hearing from real life vegan and vegetarian voices. As their answers showed, there are a wide variety of reasons for why people choose to become plant-based. For some, it can be for ethical and spiritual reasons while some people Furthermore, becoming vegan or vegetarian does not only clear your conscience about harming animals but the environment as well.
Have you ever tried becoming vegan or vegetarian? Would you? Regardless of whether you can quit eating meat and animal products right away, you can also try the vegan lifestyle by purchasing vegan friendly products. RINGO-TEX is a 100% animal product-free apple leather. Made from the residue of processed Aomori apples, you can try a fashionable vegan alternative to animal leather. Check out our official Instagram,Facebook, and website to learn more about appcycle and RINGO-TEX products!
