I finally got around to reading the Vegetarian Times Starter Kit I downloaded from the magazine's website a couple of months ago. I have been flailing my way through this for a couple of months, so I thought it was high time I got some professional help. There is some basic information on terms, oft-repeated tropes on why a vegetarian diet is healthier, and a section on busting nutritional myths. It is all somewhat cliche and superficial, more advertising for vegetarianism than really guiding you to change.
Then, a big orange text box caught my eye - "the 3-step way to go veg." Three steps? I waffled between thinking, "How can there be only three steps?" and, "Why do you need more than one step?" I read on. Their advice goes like this: 1) think of three meals already in your repertoire that are vegetarian; 2) think of three meals that you make that can be easily converted to meatless dishes; 3) scour cookbooks and websites to find three new vegetarian dishes. When you are done, you will have nine vegetarian meals at you fingertips. You will never want or need to touch animal products again!
Wait, nine meals? Last time I checked, I eat 21 meals a week. Even if you discount breakfast (easily made meatless - sorry, bacon), that still leaves 14 meals. So if your menu only includes nine dishes, you will have to repeat five of these every week. Boring and unhealthy.
Why do these people lie? This is hard! There are no three simple steps or cure-alls or answers to everything. Change is hard, even with motivation and good intentions on your side. Instead of telling me that my new diet will prevent kidney stones (glad to hear it as I am), I would have preferred some information on reading menus and ingredient lists, or how to handle holidays. I guess the starter kit is just designed to get you started, not to keep you going.
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