After Six Years I Finally Gave Up My Vegetarian Diet. Here’s How It’s Going So Far

Unlike most people I’ve known, I grew up with vegetarian parents and I was raised on a vegetarian diet for most of my life; before it was the cool thing to do.

I remember the eager anticipation of my elementary school classmates at lunchtime everyday. My father made my lunch, and they were always curious to see what he made for me that day.

As a child, I never had strong beliefs around my diet. So I used my time away from my parents at school to share crackers topped with bologna and cheese, ham sandwiches, meat lasagna, and chicken strips with my friends. I liked the taste of meat, and I kept it secret from my parents until I was old enough to make my own dietary decisions.

During my college years I was a full-on carnivore and I survived on a diet of McDonald’s chicken snack wraps and mocha frappe’s. It was a cheap meal, and it always left me satisfied and alert enough to endure my packed full-time class schedule. Once I began working full time I regularly went out to lunch with my coworkers, and meat was always on the menu.

After a while, I began to question my desire for meat. In particular, I felt like my consumption of red meat was excessive. I did some research, and once I found what hot dogs and processed meats were made…