Top 5 Difficulties of Being Vegetarian

Welcome Back Veggie Lovers!
Throughout my journey as a vegetarian, I have found that some things are more difficult as a vegetarian. The vegetarian lifestyle has an abundance of positives that come as a result of the diet but, there are also negatives that come with it as well. Unfortunately, some of these difficulties of this lifestyle make people not want to switch over from a meat-based diet. For me and many other vegetarians, these disadvantages and challenges are easy to overcome but can still be a annoying.

1. Going Out to Eat: For meat eaters, going out to eat is nothing to stress over since there are always countless food options for them. However, for vegetarians, it's not as easy since most restaurants do not offer many vegetarian options or just don't offer any at all.
2. Nutritional Challenges: Even though there are many ways to get enough protein on a daily basis without eating any meat, it still can be quite difficult. Protein is something that you have to think about on a daily basis and make sure each meal as a substantial amount just so at the end of the day, you eat a sufficient amount. Additionally, essential vitamins like B12, which is necessary for numerous reasons, can only be found in animal products. So, as a vegetarian, I have found taking a multivitamin or a B12 vitamin a good idea. 
3. Holiday Traditions: In my family, for Christmas we have turkey and ham, for Thanksgiving we have ham, and for Easter we also have ham so, as a vegetarian, this can obviously get a little difficult. Normally, I end up just eating all the sides which don't contain meat and it's fine! However, many of the side dishes that my family always makes for Christmas dinner contains chicken stock so I end up having to make one with chicken stock and one with vegetable stock so I am still able to eat the same side dishes at least. 
4. Reading the Labels of ALL Food: Many pre-made foods that are labeled as vegetarian or don't contain any meat actually end up having some sort of meat based product. Because of this, I always have to read the label of everything I buy to make sure it is vegetarian friendly. 
5. Friends and Family Having Different Eating Habits: Among my family and friends, I am the only one who is vegetarian. This makes going out to eat, eating at home, and grocery shopping so much more difficult.