My Vegetarian Story

A healthy vegetarian meal.

Source: Flickr

Hello! My name is Lindsey, and I can’t wait to talk to you about the wonders and joys of environmentally friendly eating. I want to preface my articles by letting you know that I am by no means a nutrition expert nor a dietitian. I am simply sharing my own experiences and research, and I hope you can benefit from what I’ve learned.

My Life

I’m almost 19, and I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 15. I first became interested in vegetarianism when I heard about celebrities that were doing it, like Zendaya and Emma Chamberlain. My younger self was obsessed with both of them, and I thought it seemed like a cool idea. But, I never really pushed myself to actually DO it, at least not for a while. I grew up in the Midwest, in suburban Indianapolis, where eating plant-based wasn’t super common. I didn’t know anyone personally that I could look to for guidance. 

All of that changed in my sophomore year of high school. I was working on a school project investigating environmentally friendly eating options. I’ve always been passionate about helping the environment and reducing my carbon footprint. However, it wasn’t until I did research for my project that I realized the strong connection between plant-based diets and environmentally conscious eating. 

From that moment onward I knew I wanted to go vegetarian, and I became determined to do so. A few things made this transition easier. When I started thinking about what kind of meals I would eat, or where I would get my protein from, I realized that I was already not eating much meat day to day. My mom had also been thinking about going vegetarian, and when I shared my plans with her, she decided that she would try it as well. Both these things were instrumental in helping me transition to vegetarianism.

Environmental Impacts

One of the most shocking things I learned was the huge impact of the livestock industry. I was stunned to discover that almost one sixth of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the meat and dairy industries, and a large portion of that is methane produced by cows. Eating one Big Mac a day for a year produces the same emissions as driving a car almost 3000 miles. At the time of learning this, I was living in Indianapolis, a city with poor public transportation, and felt guilty for driving everywhere I went. It was astounding to me that I could have just as big of an impact, if not bigger, by changing my eating habits. 

Of course, I am not a perfect example. I am only vegetarian, so I still consume dairy products fairly regularly. I would love to become vegan one day, but that is just not attainable in my current lifestyle. I also recognize that I am lucky in even being able to go completely vegetarian, and that becoming vegetarian is not attainable for everyone. My goal in this column is to make plant-based diets more accessible. Even the occasional vegan or vegetarian meal can make a big difference. I hope to delve into these benefits and to introduce you all to the wonderful world of plant-based eating.