Let’s talk; the vegetarian title!

THE LITTLE STORY

I would say it started a couple years ago. The meat was getting pricier and the boyfriend and I started to talk more about the impact of eating meat for our environment. So, we slowly started making changes in the way we eat.

Let’s go way back! I come from the boonies (less than 900 people village) so yes, the boonies! Where I come from, eating meat at every meal is the standard. So much that for some people in my entourage not eating meat during a couple of days is not something viable. They think you might pass out from the lack of vitamins… really?! A couple years back, I was part of these beliefs and It was normal for me to eat meat at almost every meal. Let’s say they had a good laugh when I talked to them about my first chickpea recipes.

But the boyfriend and I went passed all the comments, the mockery and we kept on evolving, doing it for ourselves. Today, I would say I really enjoy eating less and less meat. It has been a couple years now that I have started to make those changes and since then many days have gone by without eating meat.

If you give me the choice in between well-seasoned chickpeas or a piece of chicken from the BBQ, I will pick hands downs the chickpeas. I have also started to recreate my childhood meals, but in a vegetarian way, something I love to do!

THE TITLE

Actually, one thing that « stresses » me out in all those changes that I am making is the « vegetarian » title. For now, I would not call myself a vegetarian simply because I am scared of failing. I am scared that the day I make the call, that there will be no way back. And at the same time, sometimes I feel like pushing the boundaries and going for veganism. But there is this little voice inside of me: « What if there is a piece of Louis d’or aged 2 years in front of me? »… I’ll never be able to resist. For all these reasons, I am unable to give myself the title because I am scared of failure, but also for all the respect I have towards all the vegetarians and the vegans of this world.

I am the only one thinking this way?

And even then, I have a hard time thinking I won’t be able to eat certain things because I called myself a vegetarian. Do vegetarian’s cheats sometimes? Do I have the right to be vegetarian 98% of the time? I feel like I am still not quite there and I need to work on myself to be into it a 100% …

For now, I will keep on calling myself a flexitarian and I will take a little bit more time to think the whole thing through.

Did you do it? If not, did you have the same kind of thoughts?