Despite that he may have just asked, Fred the construction worker really isn\u2019t<\/em> interested in hearing all of the reasons why you don\u2019t eat steak, moments before he eats\u00a0one himself. Even so, a couple Why? <\/em>\u2019s, Wow! <\/em>\u2019s, and Really?! <\/em>\u2019s are headed your direction anyway. Consider this your moment to respond in brief with poise, grace, and comedy. This is not the moment for evangelism.<\/em><\/p>\n

Being a vegetarian or vegan is about infinitely more than what you do not<\/em> eat. Early on, I focused on what ingredients I needed to avoid or remove. If you\u2019re used to grilled chicken with rice and a veggie, simply cutting out the chicken isn\u2019t going to get you very far. Ditto for your plate of steak, starch, and veg. Great plant-based meals are constructed for their own merit, not deconstructed from a meaty meal in haste.<\/p>\n

$\"Whole$
Spelt Berries and Arborio Rice<\/p><\/div>\n
6.\u00a0\u00a0It’s all Economics<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
Want options? Demand them. Got options? Support them! Restaurant and grocery store selections are just a manager\u2019s perception of what will sell, with a little history and inertia sprinkled in. Change requires an inflection point, and sustained change requires support.<\/p>\n
Never hesitate to ask your grocery store\u2019s GM about a product you would love to see on the shelf. Or, reach out to the owner of your local caf\u00e9 to request a veggie sandwich make its way onto the lunch menu. They may not have understood the market size and income potential! Once it\u2019s there, spread the word about the tasty delight you\u2019ve just \u2018discovered\u2019 and support the cause.<\/p>\n
$\"Vegetarian$ <\/p>\n
7.\u00a0 A quick call-ahead goes a long way.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
Business has taken me all sorts of places, and more times than I can count that means a restaurant with not a single vegetarian option in sight. The good news? Often those options are hidden just\u00a0out<\/em>\u00a0of sight.<\/p>\n
At even the staunchest of seafood bistros or steakhouses, a quick call ahead has unearthed an entire vegan menu (awesome!), or a chef who loves the chance to cook off-menu (great!), or a hidden pasta primavera (we can live with that). So, despite what the website menu says, give the restaurant a call and let them know you\u2019re dining as a group and one of them is a vegan or vegetarian. The great chefs and servers will be thrilled to accommodate\u2026 and the amateurs? Well, they will seat the table and begin service with a bold \u201cWe understand there is a\u00a0vegetarian<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0in the group\u2026.\u201d (refer to tip #1).\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n
$\"Vegetarian$ <\/p>\n
8. \u00a0People believe what the see, not what they hear.<\/span><\/em>
\nYou\u2019re fired up, excited, feeling great! Convinced a plant-based diet is\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0way<\/em>\u00a0to go for your body? For the planet? For your health? For your pocketbook? For the animals? For your happiness? For your energy levels?<\/p>\n
Honestly, there\u2019s not much sense telling anyone about it more than once. No amount of unsolicited advice will convert your pals. Walk the walk, and you\u2019ll be surprised how many ask you about your \u2018secret\u2019 and join you along the way. $\"Vegetarian$ <\/p>\n
9. \u00a0 Your choices make a difference. Sometimes. Don\u2019t stress yourself out.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
Fun fact\u2026 according to a UC Davis study, it takes 441 gallons (1,670 liters) of water to produce one pound (450 grams) of boneless beef[i]<\/a>. Don\u2019t think you\u2019re contributing to the water shortage in California while chomping down at Mastro\u2019s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills? Think again.<\/p>\n
Your choices matter.<\/u><\/p>\n
As a new vegetarian, I was perpetually stressed by the realities of the food industry that I was uncovering. Even so, it\u2019s helpful to keep perspective. Vegan or vegetarian living brings benefits to your health and the planet\u2019s much like a penny in a piggy bank helps your retirement security. It\u2019s the sum of your efforts over time that matter.<\/p>\n
Thinking of implementing meat-free Mondays? Please do, it matters! Missed a meat-free Monday for reasons out of your control? Don\u2019t stress too long about it. Dichotomy. It\u2019s ok.<\/p>\n
10.\u00a0 Older and wiser voices can help you find the right path (Jimmy Buffet).<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n
If you\u2019re overwhelmed with where to begin, lean on those who\u2019ve gone before. A wealth of online resources is at your fingertips! Sails & Spices is putting the finishing touches on our \u201cfirst week as a vegetarian\u201d meal plan\u2026 so stay tuned! In the mean time, here are a couple great meal ideas to get you started:<\/p>\n
\n
The Very Best Vegan BLT Sandwich<\/a><\/li>\n
Baked Hazelnut Falafels\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n
Easy Paneer Makhani<\/a><\/li>\n
Spicy Buffalo Tempeh Caesar Salad<\/a><\/li>\n
Healthy Super Greens Spanakopita\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
$\"Super$ <\/p>\n
Explore all of our vegan and vegetarian recipes here: Vegetarian Recipes<\/a><\/p>\n
Let us know if you are just getting started on your journey, have been a vegetarian for a long time, or just upped the ante and made the switch to vegan. We’d love to hear your questions and tips!<\/p>\n
https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vegetarianism_by_country<\/em>
\n http:\/\/www.fao.org\/docrep\/u8480e\/U8480E07.htm<\/em>
\n Beckett, J. L., and J. W. Oltjen. 1993. Estimation of the water requirement for beef production in the United States. J. Anim. Sci. 71: 818-826.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sitting down for dinner with colleagues who haven\u2019t been briefed on my plant-based preferences usually begins a little something like this\u2026 “Wow, you\u2019re a vegetarian? I could never give up meat! \u00adYeah\u2026 I could never be a vegetarian\u2026 I love bacon. Don\u2019t you like bacon??? What about chicken, will you eat chicken? Fish? No? But…<\/p>\n
Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[31],"tags":[218,78,97],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Veg-Title.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7DJI0-uy","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1894"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1894"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2734,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1894\/revisions\/2734"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailsandspices.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}