Replace the meat in your favourite recipes
You really don’t have to discover a whole new cuisine straight away if you want to eat vegetarian more often. Just start with recipes you already know well, leave out the meat, or replace it with a plant-based substitute. Do you like pasta bolognese? Then replace the minced meat with lentils. Into wraps or pitas? Fill them with halloumi or falafel instead of chicken or shawarma. Meat substitutes, tofu and tempeh are great alternatives as well. You might not like every substitute, though, and that’s completely fine. Try out different options, flavours and brands and discover what you like best.
Try out new recipes
Replacing meat with vegetarian alternatives isn’t for everyone. Maybe you don’t like meat substitutes, or you feel like you’re missing “something”. In that case, try some new dishes that are already vegetarian, such as curries, pastas, quiches or noodles. Don’t make it too hard on yourself and start with easy recipes; for example, on the weekend when you’re not in a rush. That way, you’ll gradually build your collection of go-to vegetarian recipes.
Pro tip: save successful recipes straight away (in an app, for example). That way, you can look them up quickly whenever you need inspiration.
Start small
Going fully vegetarian overnight is difficult for almost everyone. Instead, start with one fixed meatless day a week. If that goes well, you can slowly expand to several days a week. And if one day is enough for you, that’s perfectly fine too!
Do it together
Everything is better when shared! Do you live with roommates? Suggest having a Meatless Monday. After all, cooking vegetarian meals for the whole house is much easier (and more fun) than making something separately for just one person. Plus, you can motivate each other and try out new recipes together!
Meal planning and meal prepping
It’s 6 pm, you’ve just got home from lectures, and you’ve got training later… Chances are, you don’t feel like figuring out what vegetarian dish to make. So, make it easy on yourself and plan ahead! Decide what you want to cook at the start of the week, and do your shopping in advance. This makes it much easier to cook a vegetarian meal during the week. You can also cook a larger batch and freeze portions, for example. That way, on busy days, all you have to do is pop a meal in the microwave!
Use your socials for inspiration
On TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, you’ll find loads of great accounts sharing vegetarian recipes. Following = free inspiration! When you see all sorts of tasty dishes on your feed, you’ll get an instant motivation boost to get cooking yourself. And if you’re not exactly a kitchen pro, step-by-step instruction videos are perfect.
Invest in a cookbook
Prefer a physical collection of recipes? Then a vegetarian cookbook is perfect. That way, you’ll have all sorts of different recipes in one place, so you can simply flip through and pick something you like. Bookshops nowadays often have entire sections dedicated to vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. My tip: go for one with easy and quick (student-friendly) recipes.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
Above all, don’t be too hard on yourself. Had a late-night snack from De Muur after a night out, even though you’d decided not to eat meat that day? No problem! Want to eat vegetarian every day, but really can’t go without a steak now and then? That’s fine too. You don’t necessarily have to label yourself as a vegetarian. For example, there are also pescatarians (no meat, but fish), flexitarians (occasional meat and fish) or pollotarians (no meat or fish, but poultry). Eating less meat is already a major achievement you can be proud of!
Plan your breakfast & lunch
There are plenty of vegetarian options for breakfast and lunch, too. Do you usually have a sandwich with cold cuts, and do you need some inspiration? I’ve got you covered! Yoghurt with (homemade) granola and fruit or overnight oats make a great breakfast, and you can easily prepare them the night before, too. For lunch, try bread with cheese, hummus, vegetarian spreads or salads, a boiled egg, baba ganoush or something sweet. Fancy something different? Then make a simple wrap or salad. And last night’s leftovers make a great lunch as well!
Stay healthy
If you eat less meat or even go fully vegetarian, it’s important to pay a bit of attention to your diet. Above all, make sure you’re getting enough protein, iron, and vitamins B1 and B12. You’ll find these in foods such as eggs, legumes, nuts, dairy products, and soya products like tofu and tempeh.
With these tips, the step towards eating (more) plant-based will hopefully be a lot easier. Curious about other ways you can make more planet-friendly choices? Then check out our tips for living more sustainably as a student!
