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When I first began writing for Planet Green, I was a total carnivore. Once upon a time, I had been a vegetarian for a couple of years but since that stint, I lost all interest in ever being vegetarian again. So when I started with Planet Green, I wanted to make something about my lifestyle a bit greener and I decided that would involve my meat intake. The fact that meat is an environmental danger isn't breaking news, but changing habits like these is difficult. It's especially difficult if you've got people in your life who see you daily and would notice a huge change in your diet...like sudden absence of meat.
Transitioning to vegetarian, which I have officially done now, is absolutely more complicated if you work in an office. It's hard to turn down the meat-oriented food ordered in at lunch, served at parties, or on the table at company dinners. Well, it's hard to turn it down without others noticing and potentially giving you a hard time, that is.
I began in April by promising myself to only eat meat one day a week. It was a drastic cut to begin with, but it was easier than I thought it would be. I reserved my 'one meat day' a week for happenings that involved my most enthusiastic meat-loving friends. If someone questioned my cut back, I simply told them the truth.
"I'm trying to cut back because it's no good for the environment, my wallet, or my health."
And no one questioned it.
My advice to you if you're cutting back on meat and are worried about doing it at the workplace:
- Tell your colleagues the truth, but only if they ask.
- Don't force yourself to cut out meat all at once. Let it be a transition.
- Begin by cutting out red meats. It's a much more common practice and one that is easy for most to accept.
- Don't be afraid of fake meats! They're tasty and much better for you.
Cutting back on meat can really reduce your footprint, and that's not even the beginning. The hardest part about cutting back on meat is doing it casually as to avoid scrutiny that can complicate an already complicated workplace.
Follow these tips and you should transition just fine!
