Celebrating Vegetarians in October

VEGETARIAN MONTH

I am a vegetarian.  

I have been nearly all of my life.  

I am that guest at dinner that can't find anything to eat on the menu.  I am that person that suddenly gets interrogated and questioned about my choice to not eat animal products, and then this becomes the ONLY topic discussed at dinner.  I am that person that can't eat at anyone's house.  I am that person that offends others when they ask me to try at dish that isn't vegetarian.

I am NOT that person who educates others in a gross or scary way.  Well there was this one time, that I sat my children down for the "talk."  In our house that talk was about our pets, zoos and what we eat. We all know where it comes from.  I just chose not to eat it, ever.  Honestly, I just feel so bad for the animals, so I can't do it.  I can't stand the smell of it cooking.  I hate the hype for a certain food that looks, smells and tastes like meat.  (I won't mention any names).  There is no way that I would want to pretend to eat meat.  

I once tried a burger.  It was grilled (probably by actual meat and on a grill and then had meat juices on it - ew!) and it was rubbery and hard to bite into.  Then I saw the "blood" which was later explained to me as beet juice.  I called the manager over and complained.  He explained how much meat eaters enjoy this non-meat alternative.  I said, coming from a real vegetarian, there is no way we want to eat that meat-like burger.  Honestly - it's too real.

The Following Information is provided by National Day Calendar (click here)

Vegetarian Month is an annual designation observed in October. Even if you’re a meat eater, now’s the time to give some vegetarian recipes a try! As you probably know, vegetarianism is hugely popular among the millennial crowd. However, you may NOT know that it’s been around since before recorded history. Crazy, right? It’s one of the oldest diets in the book. 

HEALTH BENEFITS 

1. A vegetarian diet is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Lifestyles that are high in fruits, veggies, and other plant-based foods provide some of the most essential nutrients we need.
2. Eating less meat supports heart health because it helps lower inflammation, and is high in dietary fiber. Plant-based foods can also significantly lower body mass index, which also promotes a healthy heart.
3. Vegetarian diets can also help with weight loss if you keep processed carbs out along with the meat. If most of what you eat is fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, it can actually be quite easy to lose weight.
4. Cutting out meat may help to reduce your risk of diabetes, according to Loma Linda University School of Public Health.
5. Finally, contrary to popular belief, you can still get plenty of protein on a vegetarian diet. If you do it right, it easily satisfies all of your nutritional needs.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Make a point to eat less meat this month. Don’t knock it ’til you try it! Make the yummiest (and prettiest) vegetarian meal you can find, and use #VegetarianMonth to post it on social media. If you don’t think you can go an entire month without it, that’s okay. Start out by trying Meatless Mondays. Do some online digging to find a few plant-based meals that you think sound tasty, and try cooking some of them up! And if you want some added incentives, here are a few things to remember. Meat is expensive; experts say vegetarians live longer, and… ice cream AND cheese pizza are vegetarian.

HISTORY

Celebrating this for an entire month stemmed from World Vegetarian Day, which was established by the North American Vegetarian Society on October 1st, 1977. But, vegetarianism itself dates back to a time before recorded history.

If you happen to fall in love with eating vegetarian this month, don’t worry… you can take it a step further for your next challenge. November 1st kicks off vegan month. Good luck!