On the 17th of May, 2020 I decided to go vegetarian. Was it a good decision? I don’t know at this time. But, I did so for a few reasons.
India is probably the largest country by the number of vegetarians present. In India, vegetarians are concentrated in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Some of them are Lacto-vegetarians, Ovo-vegetarians, Lacto-ovo-vegetarians, Pescatarians, Vegans.
Becoming vegetarians is neither good nor bad in my views, it’s our own choices. Now, I am a Lacto-ovo-vegetarians that means I eat Eggs and Dairy products. But, I do not eat any meat, fish and products made out of them.
Vegan is a person who does not eat or use animal products to survive. Vegetarians and vegans are pretty the same, vegans maintain a much restriction to animal products than vegetarians.
To be honest, I used to love animal meats a lot, I could kill a chicken and clean it and cook it. Now, things have changed. I decided to become vegan. I do not consume any animal products. I will share at the end of this post why I became vegetarian.
How to become a vegetarian in India
Becoming a vegetarian in India is comparatively easy than in most of the south Asian countries. In India, you can find different varieties of vegetables to eat. And in India, vegetarians food available in most of the restaurants in most of the towns and cities.
I am loving these wild herbs that can be found in the villages. In future, I will surely share recipes of these herbs to have a tasty meal without meats.
If live in a village area life me, you can get all different types of wild herbs to eat. This may not be the case for all. I love those wild herbs to eat.
3 Steps to become a vegetarian
Step 1: Make your mind strong from today you will not eat any animal products. Do not cheat on your decision. If you break your own decision to become vegetarian just because you saw a hot bowl of chicken curry in front of you. You better do not become vegetarian. Becoming a vegetarian is a mindset. It’s not a punishment. You should clearly understand these.
Step 2: Try to avoid restaurants, parties which serve only non-vegetarian foods.
Step 3: Grow your own food and cook them yourself. If you can not do the former one, you can definitely buy your own food. Do not let others cook foods for you. If you have someone loving who can cook vegetarian foods for you then it’s fine.
Why I mentioned these three steps because, these steps can simplify the process. Otherwise, you would have to rely on someone to become vegetarian.
Let, me share with you five simple vegetarian recipes.
5 Simple vegetarian recipes for Indians
1. Aloo paratha
3. Oats idli
How to get nutrients as a vegetarian
Our body needs all the nutrients in some quantity for better growth. Nutrients which we need majorly include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Carbohydrates in the large amounts we get from rice, bread, potatoes that we eat. Fats from milk, butter, meat that we eat, and proteins we get from beans, egg, meat, fish. Vitamins and minerals we get from vegetables and fruits that we eat.
If you are a vegetarian, you will not eat meat, fish or egg. These foods are a good source of animal proteins. And animal proteins contains all the amino acids that needed for proper body growth.
Plant proteins sources like beans, peas do not contain all the amino acids needed for our body. Therefore, being a vegetarian we need to eat a variety of foods to get all the amino acids.
I live in a remote town in India and I do not get all the vegetarian protein-rich foods like Spirulina, Quinoa in the local market. So, I rely on online grocery stores to deliver to me.
Other protein-rich foods that I love and use daily basis are the Nuts, Green peas, Lentils Cheese, and Mushrooms. These are commonly available in local grocery stores. And they contain all the nine essential amino acids. Other amino acids we do not need from foods as they can be produced by our bodies.
This year I have planted few vegetables and herbs in my home garden so that I do not have to eat chemically grown foods present in the market. I am growing them organically.
You can also do so you just need a small piece of land. If you do not have land, you can create a small vegetable garden in pots/containers. I will try to post few gardening hacks in my future posts.
Why I became a vegetarian
I became vegetarian because for a few months I have been feeling that I need to do something for our society. I am going to lead a non-profit animal welfare organization at a small level in my locality. It’s not that only a vegetarian can become an animal lover. But, I want to first build my mind strong. A strong mind will have strong moves. Becoming vegetarian I want to set examples for others who are of my age.
Another, reason for becoming vegetarian is that for few months I have seen that my blood pressure has increased a lot.
It’s 140/90!
I have also reduced my salt intake in my diet. Now, I am feeling better than before.
I will also update you in my future posts about my animal welfare organization and health impact of becoming vegetarians.
I also urge you to become a vegetarian. It’s a personal choice, if you want then become a vegetarian today.
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