by Janet Farricelli CPDT-KA

Created on: May 06, 2009

In order to determine if vegetarianism is difficult, several factors need to be kept into consideration. Perhaps the most relevant factor is will power. As a previous meat eater, will you be able to say no to a juicy steak? Will you be able to say good bye once and for all, to hamburgers and chicken nuggets? Are you willing to check all the labels of foods you commonly eat to ensure that there are no hidden meat products?

If you said yes to all the above without hesitation, then perhaps you are pretty ready to become a vegetarian and will readily overcome the biggest challenges.

Challenge number 1: Determining what type of Vegeterian you will be

Today, there are different types of vegetarians, so you will have to decide what type of vegetarain you will be. They all have in common the fact that no meat is consumed. There are Lacto-vegetarians that will consume dairy products but no eggs, there are Ovo-lacto-vegetarian which will consume dairy products and eggs, there are Ovo-vegetrains that will nt eat dairy products but wlil consume eggs, there are Vegans which will only consume plant food and there are Pescatarians which will not eat meat but will consume fish.

Challenge number 2: Saying no to meat once and for all

Usually, the stronger the aspiring vegetarian feels about eating the meat of innocent animals, the easier the transition from meat to vegetables, grains and fruits will ultimately be. After all, if somebody thinks of it with intensity, imagining yourself eating a cow that just days ago was living in a pasture and possibly even had a name, is ultimately, a great appetite suppressor.

Watching videos of how animals are treated before being slaughtered (viewer discretion advised) is also a great enforcer to become vegetarian. Every time an aspiring vegetarian has nostalgic thoughts about their favorite meats, all it takes to ban them once and for all, is to take a look to one of the many videos produced if not too graphic and that once mouth watery image of a steak is gone, very likely replaced by a nice dish of green beans!

Challenge number 3: Finding Good Protein Replacements

Another major struggle for vegetarians is finding alternative foods that will be good sources of protein and iron. Beans, cheese, eggs and Tofu are just a few of the many popular foods that vegetarians resort to in order to meet their their daily nutritional requirements, without the risk of lacking some of the most important nutrients. This means that

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