Updated on January 15th, 2026
I have been a vegetarian since high school, and I wanted to share the answers to the most common questions I receive about being a vegetarian.
Questions About Being Vegetarian
Why did I become a vegetarian?
In junior high, I stopped eating pork and beef because I did not like the taste anymore, and I stopped eating seafood since I did not eat much of it anyway, so the only meat I ate was chicken and turkey. In high school, I completely stopped eating all meat because I started following Buddhist philosophy, and I did not want to be the reason an animal was killed.
How supportive were my parents?
My parents are not vegetarians, but they were really supportive. While I was living at home, they would eat the vegetarian dinners I made, and we would go to vegetarian restaurants in Austin when they came to visit me while I was in college.
Do I eat fish? What about eggs?
I never liked fish as a kid, so I do not eat it now. If I did eat fish, I would also not be a vegetarian. Instead, I would be a pescatarian. I do eat eggs, dairy products, and honey, so I am not vegan either.
Do I miss eating meat?
Nope, because I have plenty of alternatives, and I have been a vegetarian for so long. At first, I missed eating chicken, but then I found veggie chicken nuggets, and I was fine after that.
What do I eat?
Some people have the misconception that vegetarians eat only plants, but here is what I generally eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:
Breakfast: Buns with cheese and jam. Occasionally, an English breakfast with eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast. Sometimes, skyr and muesli. On weekends, I usually have bread and pastries from the bakery.
Lunch: Oftentimes, leftovers from dinner. Occasionally, salad or pasta. Sometimes I make smorrebrod.
Dinner: I cook almost every night, and I can make pretty much anything vegetarian. I will have pasta with veggies. Burgers with sweet potato or mushrooms. Tacos with beans and veggies or vegetarian chicken substitute. Bean and cheese enchiladas or quesadillas. Spinach lasagna. Potato and leek soup. Tomato soup. Chili with beans and rice. Butter tofu and rice. Sushi or spring rolls with tofu. Pizza with veggies, etc.
Why do I eat meat substitutes?
Sometimes it is easier to use meat substitutes in a dish than to try to find a vegetable alternative. It is also convenient at times, for example, rugbrød (a type of rye bread) is a common lunch here, which is normally eaten with pålaeg (meat slices), so companies made vegetarian pålaeg for the bread.
Is it difficult to eat out?
Not really. I am limited on options at most restaurants, but there will be at least one vegetarian option (generally a pasta dish). I have also been to several 100% vegetarian or vegan restaurants in Copenhagen, including Morgenstedet and GreenBurger. Also, fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Max Burgers have a veggie burger, and Domino’s has a veggie pizza as well as vegan pizzas.
Does it bother me when people eat meat in front of me?
No. I do not force my own views on anyone else. Being vegetarian was my choice, and if anyone else wants to eat meat, then that is their choice.
Will I become vegan?
Probably not. I am content with being a vegetarian, and it is much easier to go out to eat and plan dinners. I also love cheese, and I know there are alternatives, but it is not the same.
More Questions About Being Vegetarian
On Twitter, I asked if anyone had questions for me, and these were the questions I received:
@LiseSkalberg asked, “How do you go about it with [your daughter]? Do you let her eat whatever, or do you try to keep her diet vegetarian too?”
My daughter eats meat, and so does my partner. We will have the same meal, but I will make meat for them. For example, if we have burgers, I will make beef burgers for them and veggie burgers for me. If I make a potato and leek soup, I will make bacon on the side. My daughter will also have both a meat and a vegetarian portion because I do not want to restrict her diet.
@sanjusk04 asked, “To have a healthy balance of nutrients, how do you compensate for loss/lack of protein and certain vitamins while going pure vegan. Do you subscribe to the idea of taking food supplements such as those of Herbalife or Amway?”
I eat beans, tofu, eggs, and meat substitutes (soy, pea, mycoprotein, or quinoa-based) for protein. There are also plenty of vegetables with good amounts of protein, like spinach, broccoli, peas, mushrooms, asparagus, corn, and potatoes. Since I make most of my meals and cook dinner pretty much every night, I do not feel like it is necessary to take vitamins. I would only recommend taking vitamins if you do not regularly cook and often eat snacks, frozen meals, and fast food. I also would not recommend either Herbalife or Amway because they are multilevel marketing companies that have ruined the lives of many members, and 99% of people who join multilevel marketing companies lose money.
@ericajonez asked, “Do you think you can just go into being a vegetarian, or are you already? I’m cutting down on beef and eating seafood and chicken. It’s hard, but I’ve done it for about 3 months now.”
First off, it is great that you are cutting down on meat! I gradually went vegetarian. First, I stopped eating beef, pork, and seafood, then several years later, I stopped eating chicken and turkey. I think it is difficult to stop eating meat all at once. It can be done, but for an easier transition, I would suggest cutting one meat out completely, and when you feel ready, stop eating another meat.
@Lala2xs asked, “What is the best approach for someone wanting to fully become vegetarian? Best Substitutes to resist cravings.”
As I mentioned in the previous question, I would suggest cutting one meat out of your diet. Then, when you are ready, cut out another type of meat. I would start with a meat you do not eat that often (for me, I did not eat much seafood, so it was easy to stop eating it completely). When I stopped eating chicken, I still had the craving for chicken nuggets, but luckily, there were several meat substitutes like the Quorn Nuggets. If you have a craving for a certain meat, try a meat substitute! Several brands I would recommend are Quorn, Tofurky, Neat, Oumph, and Naturli. I would recommend going to your grocery store and seeing what brands they offer in the fresh and frozen sections.
If you would like to know more about me, I also wrote About Living in Denmark, where I answered common questions I received about living in Denmark.
I am not far off the transition. I have many vegetarian friends whom I love. They have shown me the wonders of what is available now.
My struggle is coming down to Bacon. I have tried some alternatives Nd they are growing on me but that so far is my curse. Pretty sure I’m going ot get past it though.
This was brilliant by the way thank you
That’s fantastic! I never really cared for bacon, but I have seen bacon alternatives popping up here and I’ve tried them, and I like them! I hope you can find an alternative that works for you!
Hello,
I loved the article “About Being Vegetarian”. You present a informative and well decorated post. Thanks for helping us! Keep up your good job. 🙂
Cheers
Thank you!
I love that you added what you eat in an average day- so thank you for the inspiration!
You’re welcome! 😄
I get a lot of these questions as well! I am pescatarian, but this is a good summary of my life haha!
I’m glad we can relate haha 😂
According to me being vegetarian is best thing than to eating dead bodies of animals…its been 4 years of vegetarian life i used to eat meat before that….thanks for the article ….love and light
I think being vegetarian is great too! That’s a long time! You’re welcome!
Thank you for your post, I too am trying to become vegetarian or ‘chickenaterian’ which is only eating chicken as i just don’t like the taste of other meats.
You’re welcome! I only ate chicken & turkey for a few years before I went completely vegetarian 😊
It wasn’t much of a complete change then what’s good
Do you have any recommendations for good vegetarian restaurants in Copenhagen?
I have only been to a few, but I would recommend Morgenstedet in Christania. They only serve a few dishes a day, but it constantly changes and the food is delicious! I would also recommend RizRaz. They have 2 locations in Copenhagen & they have an all vegetarian buffet for lunch & dinner!
Thank you so much! It’s always nice to know what your options are before you go somewhere new.
Nice post, I am a vegetarian since birth and it’s interesting how you can create almost all types of dishes completely vegetarian.. ❤️
Thanks! That’s interesting & I agree 😄
I was a vegetarian for four years and a pescetarian for another four after that. It is funny all of the questions you get! There are also a lot of concerns over where you get your protein.I understand that question because there is sometimes an issue with being intentional in getting adequate protein. For the first couple years of my vegetarian journey, I really wasn’t giving much concern to if I was getting in enough macronutrients (and really wasn’t getting much in the way of protein). There are plenty of plant-based protein sources out there, it just requires being intentional!
Great information!
Please check out my blog on vegetarianism and veganism in Chinese food in Canada: https://whitegirlchinesefood.wordpress.com
I’ll check it out!
This is really interesting thank you! I’m going to try being vegetarian this month to try it out since I also do not like the idea that I am responsible for the killing of any animal. I’ve just written a post about it – would you mind checking it out? It would mean a lot – thank you! Juliette x
Thank you! I’ll check out your post! 😊
Yayy.. I’m veggie since birth.. I’m from India and here we are spoilt for choice.. You should definitely come here..
It would be nice to visit India one day!
Fantastic post and information.
Having been Vegetarian since 2012 it is impossible to imagine going
back to eating meat. It was not an overnight process by any means.
I suggest substitution, try and substitute one thing at a time. If you
change your diet drastically (or all at once) it can be overwhelming.
Trying one new product or a healthier option is the best way to make
changes in your diet for the long term. Always listen to your body.
There are so many options now, and information, most of the big
food companies are now having to produce organic and non-gmo
products because of consumer demand, which is good for everyone.
I agree with you 100% 😄
I loved the reading of this post so much!
Thank you! 😄
You’re very welcome sweetie 💛
Very interesting!
Thank you! 😊
I don’t eat much meat anyways, so I could imagine being vegetarian. Could not be vegan though, can’t imagine my life without milk and dairy products though. Really interesting read. xx
Thank you! I can’t imagine not eating cheese! I don’t drink regular milk b/c I don’t like the taste (I will use it in sauces/dishes), but I love chocolate milk. There’s a brand here called Cocio & they have the best chocolate milk ever! 😄
To be honest I don’t eat much meat so I could go vegetarian (and when I move out I probably will inadvertently end up going vegetarian because I won’t buy meat) but i definitely couldn’t go vegan! Really interesting post xx
Thank you! 😊 It’s good to know I’m not the only one who couldn’t go vegan!
Loved reading through this post! Very interesting x
Thank you! 😄
Being a vegetarian is so intriguing to me for some reason, lol! Loved this read.
Thank you 😊
I’m vegetarian since birth..
That’s great! What was liking growing up vegetarian? In the US it’s not common for a family to be vegetarian so it’s up to you to decide if you want to eat meat or not.
Me too.
Love this. So many ridiculous questions 😂 x
Thanks! I agree! Some questions I get are serious, but the one about eating fish it’s like since when is fish not an animal/meat?