According to The Vegetarian Resource Group, 5.3% of U.S. adults between the ages of 18 and 34 are vegetarian. People have personal motives for wanting to be a vegetarian — health benefits, desire to protect animals, religious practices, environmentally conscious reasons — the list goes on. I have always aspired to one day become vegetarian for a combination of these motives but have continued to put it off; I’ll tell myself perhaps by the time I’m 25 or 30. 

After learning about the cruelty of the meat industry in classes and various disturbing documentaries that exposed the real inner workings of big meat companies, I wanted to make a difference so badly. However, like many, I have not fully committed to the task as it can be difficult in a number of ways, particularly if you rely on dining halls for meals.

It’s fair to say the deterrent of vegetarianism is the thought of never being able to have meat ever again. It’s hard, and many of us enjoy a burger or piece of bacon from time to time. This shouldn’t make us ashamed but rather change our approach to vegetarianism. This is where I would like to bring like-minded individual’s attention to the idea of being a weekday vegetarian or even less than that based on your preferences. 

The concept is simple but effective, and comes from a TED Talk entitled “Why I’m a Weekday Vegetarian” presented by Graham Hill. He opens with the same question I have asked myself for years: knowing what I know, why am I not a vegetarian? Especially once we are of college age, it’s the time we are more likely to have more control of our diets on our own terms as adults. 

The weekday vegetarian practice would allow people to still eat a diet without restrictions at least two days a week. Hill’s solution demonstrates how a vegetarian diet of any level still has value and is therefore worth the commitment. The same can be argued for veganism or an entirely plant based diet — a much more daunting task for those of us who are still not full vegetarians. For example, If a person were to commit to eating vegan five or even just two days a week, they are still making a difference with their efforts. 

Some of the environmental benefits of vegetarianism are certainly saving animals’ lives, as well as reducing your ecological footprint, reducing the use of antibiotics and growth hormones, saving large amounts of water and lessening further pollution. Among many more, your vegetarian efforts will contribute powerful changes to the environment that shouldn’t go unnoticed. 

Some of the health benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and even some types of cancer. It’s essential to plan out a vegetarian diet to be nutritional with all of the important nutrients such as protein, vitamins, iron, etc. This is very doable with determination and proper guidance. 

Whether you are aiming to become a full vegetarian one day, wanting to try out the vegetarian lifestyle a few days a week and put your struggle with full vegetarianism to rest; becoming a part-time vegetarian is an exceptional solution. By doing so, we can all make a positive impact the same way full-time vegetarians do, even if it’s to a slightly smaller degree.

To start, you can look up easy vegetarian recipes and try them out with friends. If you are going to the dining halls, look for the vegetarian and vegan labels. NC State also has a vegan and vegetarian club in which they volunteer at local animal sanctuaries, try new foods and host social events to build a supportive community.