10 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Vegetarians

Meat is awesome, guys. But sometimes people voluntarily choose to not eat meat. But don’t be afraid of them. In fact, there are a lot of good reasons to become a vegetarian. I tried it for 5 weeks and ultimately stopped not because I missed meat but because I was lazy. I just got tired of all the advanced planning that goes into making a wholesome vegetarian meal. Anyway, here are 10 misconceptions about vegetarians that we’ll clear up for you.

Not All Vegetarians Are Long-haired Hippies and Tree-Hugging Activists
Because people choose to be vegetarians, there is an assumption that they all live some kind of weird, alternative lifestyle. But not all vegetarians are covered in tattoos and piercings. It’s also not the case that everybody is a vegetarian because they think meat is murder; many are simply motivated for health reasons.

They Feel So Much Healthier…
Being a vegetarian generally means you are more conscious about what you eat. This means making healthy choices when eating out at restaurants and when shopping at the grocery store. This means eating less junk food, getting more exercise, and not taking up unhealthy habits like smoking or excessive drinking.

…Although Not Every Vegetarian Eats Healthy
On the other hand, it’s not automatic that a vegetarian always makes the right food choices. After all, Krispy Kreme donuts, fried tater tots and Doritos are vegetarian foods, regardless of the fact that they have all of the terrible (and terribly delicious!) things that lead to heart disease and other serious medical issues.

Getting Protein Isn’t a Constant Struggle
A question that vegetarians always get is, “How are you getting enough protein without beef and chicken?” The truth is, there are tons of plant-based foods that contain protein including beans (black beans are the best source), peas, broccoli, spinach, quinoa and brown rice. Furthermore, only around 10% of our diets actually have to consist of protein, so getting our daily fill through any of these is pretty easy.