This is a guest post from Isobel Araujo of Whitney Young High School and a member of the ACE Chicago Media.

Many of my friends want to know why I stopped eating meat. Two years ago, right before my gradual dietary change, I enjoyed eating meat just like the majority of my friends, however, after the influence of my freshman biology teacher, I began to think much more carefully about my life choices, not just dietary choices. We read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, watched Food Inc. discussed our daily meals, built a hydroponics system, did community service projects, and by the end of the first semester, I was completely involved in the eco-friendly community.

I learned that being a vegetarian is very eco-friendly. According to Forbes, “18% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions were attributable to cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, camels, pigs and poultry”, and that number is actually now estimated to be at around 51% by International Finance Corporation. I decided to propose the idea of cutting back slightly on meat to my family. When that worked out well, I decided to try being a vegetarian for a week. After that, I have been a steady vegetarian for almost two years.

As a student athlete, my cross-country and track coaches are often very concerned with my diet. “How are you getting your nutrients and protein?” they ask. Well, I have found that since becoming a vegetarian, I have found that I am much more conscious about my food choices, and have been much healthier overall. I have recently started taking a daily vitamin supplement, at the request of my coaches, however, I was completely healthy before I started taking them.

I get my protein from a magic whole grain known as quinoa. Quinoa looks a bit like brown rice, and can be cooked in any combination with vegetables, spices, or any other foodstuffs. Peanut butter, nuts, beans, and tofu also provide protein.

Whenever I visit my boyfriend’s house, his little sister invariably asks me the same question over dinner: “…But…what do you eat?” As a vegetarian, I get this question all the time, and it can sometimes be difficult to answer, because there are so many foods and combinations of food that I like. I love making lists, so here list of my top five favorite vegetarian meals that anyone can try:

1. Pasta with garlic, roasted brussel sprouts, walnuts, red chili flakes, and olive oil. Perfect, because you who doesn’t like pasta?
2. Stuffed acorn squash filled with apples, walnuts, cheese, and raisins. A lovely autumnal meal, and using squash when it is in season is always better for the environment
3. Crusty bread with a slice of fresh mozzarella, with tomato soup poured over it
4. Frittata (omelet with rice and/or pasta mixed in) with kale or spinach, peppers, onions, and salsa. Good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner
5. Pita bread with spanakopita, tabouli salad, falafel, hummus, and tzatziki sauce (fresh yoghurt sauce with cucumbers)
   

This October, vegetarian month, anyone can try doing a fun experiment with vegetarianism!

Thanks, Isobel. Whether we’re going meat-free on Mondays or changing the way we eat overall, ideas like these keep our mouths watering.