How to Become a Vegetarian

If you are contemplating becoming a vegetarian, you may be wondering how to get started. Do I make the change overnight? Or, should I do it gradually over a period of weeks or months?

The answer depends on your goals and motives. If you are considering the vegetarian diet in order to lose weight, you may want to get started sooner. Or, if you are just interested in changing to a healthier lifestyle, you may consider spreading it out over a period of time.

The other consideration is what your dietary habits have been in the past. If you have been a heavy meat eater, going “cold turkey” could be shock to your system. A light meat eater, on the other hand, would have an easier transition.

A third consideration is what type of vegetarian diet are you planning to follow? As you may know, there are a number of diet plans from completely animal free (vegan) to some variation of this. The vegan diet is the most radical and probably warrants a more gradual transition.

You may want to read Tips to Start a Low Fat Diet Plan for more information.

Whatever direction you choose, stay motivated. The vegetarian diet is well worth the effort and it is not difficult to make the change for most people.

Below are a few plans for you to consider:

Plan A (24 hours): This plan is aggressive and challenging, but the quickest way to adopt a vegan diet. Plan A is recommended by those who are motivated by ethical reasons, live alone, generally adapt to change easily or are already vegetarian.

On this plan, you’ll go completely vegan overnight (“cold tofu”). You can choose to start your vegan diet the morning after completing this course, or you can select a future date where it will occur. For example, Jessica, a long-time vegetarian, decided she would go vegan on Earth Day. I, on the other hand, went vegan while on vacation in San Francisco.

Plan B (one week): Slightly less aggressive than Plan A, using Plan B will adapt you to a vegan diet in 7 days. Each day, you will phase out one animal product. This plan can be extended longer, allowing more than one day between each phase, but should be completed in no less than three weeks. For days 1–3, it is strongly recommended you eat at least one vegetarian meal. For days 3– 4, it is strongly recommended that you eat one vegetarian meal and one vegan meal each day. For days 5–6, it is strongly recommended you eat mostly vegan.

Day 1: Eliminate beef, organ meats and game meats.

Day 2: Eliminate pork.

Day 3: Eliminate poultry (all bird meats).

Day 4: Eliminate fish.

Day 5: Eliminate eggs and shellfish.

Day 6: Eliminate dairy.

Day 7: Eliminate all animal by-products, such as gelatin.

Plan C (one month): This plan is very gradual, allowing adjustment to a vegan diet over a 30-day period. You are encouraged to eat as many vegan and vegetarian meals as possible during each week. For weeks 3–4, eat at least one vegan meal on a vegetarian day.

Week 1: Eat vegetarian 1 full day, plus 3 other vegetarian meals that week.
Week 2: Eat vegetarian 2–3 full days, plus 3 other vegan meals that week.
Week 3: Eat vegetarian 3 full days, vegan 1 full day plus 2 other vegetarian meals.
Week 4: Eat vegetarian 4 full days and vegan 2 full days… then get ready to go vegan!

How to Become Vegetarian (or Vegan) | HappyHerbivore.com