You’ve finally made the decision to change your eating habits and dive head first into a vegetarian lifestyle. Congratulations! You have made a wise decision. Now you have to decide whether to go “cold turkey” or make the transition gradually.

Whichever way to choose to start your vegetarian lifestyle, you can will notice the health benefits of vegetarianism more quickly by firstly significantly reducing the amount of meats consumed, and making vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains the focus of your meals.

Take your time when shopping for food, plan ahead, and make sure you read food labels to ascertain information about food additives, food coloring and hidden animal ingredients. If you decide to eat dairy products, choose non-fat or low-fat varieties.

There is a wide variety of vegetarian foods available in most grocery stores, however, some of the more uncommon items may need to be sourced from one of the many specialty vegetarian food stores. Eat a wide variety of foods, and don’t be afraid to try vegetables, fruits, grains, breads, nuts, or seeds that you’ve never tried before. Convenient, ready-to-eat, whole-grain breakfast cereals, and quick-cooking whole-grain cereals such as oatmeal, whole-grain breads and crackers, such as rye, whole wheat, and mixed grain and other grains such as barley and bulgur wheat are readily available.