Thread: Thoughts on becoming vegetarian...

I have not eaten meat in 20 years. It was easy for me because I was a kid at the time and I never liked meat to begin with. When I was little I would chew chicken until I couldn't stand it anymore and then spit it out.
I recently started eating fish because the extra protein, iron and B vitamins really does make a difference for me.

If you're including fish in your diet, eating out won't be a problem. Basically, you need to think about healthy and balanced eating. Good carbs, good fats, lean protein, full range of fruits and vegetables.

No matter how healthy one eats, there will always be something missing. So a good, plant based multi-vitamin is a good idea.

I basically just try to include protein in every meal. If I have a salad, I'll put beans and a hard boiled egg on it. Breakfast, I'll eat yogurt. Dinner, fish, salad, veggies. Stuff like that.

I've been a vegetarian about 5 years and I couldn't be happier with my decision. I do occasionally suffer from iron deficiancy anemia but thats only because I can occasionally be a little careless with my diet and not get in all the iron rich foods I should, but other than that my health has done nothing but improve.

On top of being a vegetarian I also follow monitoring of my calories and avoiding junk foods and have managed to lose a significant amount of weight with my lifestyle.

I don't have a problem with eating out. I use to love sushi too, but now when I join friends for sushi I enjoy the cucumber rolls, avacodo rolls and veggie rolls and have just as great of a time as them

Everything is vegetarian except for meat :P so you have a vast amount of foods to choose from... vast. Pasta dishes, Rice Dishes, Bean dishes, and if you are not vegan... cheese dishes!

Absolutely any meal you can think of can be made meat free and you can use tofu, mushrooms and meat substitutes if you miss the texture of something heartier in your dishes.

Even if you go pescatarian I'm sure you'll feel the difference, how light and healthy you feel without all that meat sitting around in your colon.

Goveg has a huge catalog of veggie recipes... I find indian and vietnamese cuisine seem to have many many veggie options, along with italian and lots of mexican dishes are vegetarian friendly as well you just have to make sure they don't use lard with their cooking.

Even if you don't become a full on vegetarian I think the less meat you eat, the better. Some people don't want to attempt the lifestyle because they know they couldn't give up certain things... but even just making a conscious effort to consume less meat will do your body good.

Just be sure to get your protein and iron through other foods.

Sourpuss/HD,

Thanks for the responses. Do you find it's ever weird in the sense that people say things about you being vegetarian? I think the boyfriend will be okay with it and understand because he likes tofu and trying to not eat a ton of red meat himself, but what is your response when people say things??

I do feel a TON better when I don't eat pork so I cut that out a long time ago (with the exception of Christmas Ham although I could totally skip that too) and I've greatly cut down the red meat, so predominantly I am already living on fish and poultry only. I find seafood to be a bit pricey at times though, but any suggestions on good prep of tofu or exceptionally good soy foods? I love the morningstar "wings" and "corndogs". I also love a lot of the Boca burgers and eat those when I can in place of red meat (although typically I do turkey burgers)...

I think society is a lot more accepting of the lifestyle, since sourpuss has been a vegetarian longer she can probably recall their being less options in restaurants etc... but I think right now is the best and easiest time to be a vegetarian.

Mainstream grocery stores sell boca, morning star etc ( I love their sausage links!!) and most places I eat at have a veggie section on the menu. My family had a hard time with my transition as they cook meat with everything and were at first slightly offended at me not eating their foods. But I am fine everywhere I go, there is always enough side dishes to fill me up.

My boyfriend has actually taken to the lifestyle quite a bit since being with me. He still eats meat but because he cooks for both of us , to save trouble he just makes meat free dishes and has actually started to feel better. I doubt he'd want to give up meat all together but he is happy about eating less of it.

On the goveg site they have even lil minute video clips of all kinds of ways to encorperate tofu into dishes, how to prepare and season etc to get the most out of it.

Whole grain cereals, soy milks, heavy vegggie filled salads with cheese and nuts, rice and beans, spring rolls, eggplant dishes, pastas with tomato or cream sauces, gosh there is just so much to choose from that doesn't have to have meat in it to be yummy!!

Originally Posted by Hopeless Dork

I think society is a lot more accepting of the lifestyle, since sourpuss has been a vegetarian longer she can probably recall their being less options in restaurants etc... but I think right now is the best and easiest time to be a vegetarian.

Mainstream grocery stores sell boca, morning star etc ( I love their sausage links!!) and most places I eat at have a veggie section on the menu. My family had a hard time with my transition as they cook meat with everything and were at first slightly offended at me not eating their foods. But I am fine everywhere I go, there is always enough side dishes to fill me up.

My boyfriend has actually taken to the lifestyle quite a bit since being with me. He still eats meat but because he cooks for both of us , to save trouble he just makes meat free dishes and has actually started to feel better. I doubt he'd want to give up meat all together but he is happy about eating less of it.

On the goveg site they have even lil minute video clips of all kinds of ways to encorperate tofu into dishes, how to prepare and season etc to get the most out of it.

Whole grain cereals, soy milks, heavy vegggie filled salads with cheese and nuts, rice and beans, spring rolls, eggplant dishes, pastas with tomato or cream sauces, gosh there is just so much to choose from that doesn't have to have meat in it to be yummy!!

I would definitely agree with all of that. I think I'm going to start trying this next week. I need to go to the grocery store tonight anyway. Maybe start by not eating it when I can and see how the adjustment goes

I do love some spring rolls and vegetable lasagna and vegetable curry Yummy

kygirl, like you I also made the change.
My gf got me into it, since she grew up being vegetarian.
For me it was a big change, but then little by little I got into it, and now I can't stand eating meat, let alone cooking it

Occasionally I would feel I need to have some fish or chicken, but no more red meat. Gradually your system gets used to the change.

Bon appétit !

Originally Posted by kygirl

Sourpuss/HD,

Thanks for the responses. Do you find it's ever weird in the sense that people say things about you being vegetarian? I think the boyfriend will be okay with it and understand because he likes tofu and trying to not eat a ton of red meat himself, but what is your response when people say things??

I live my life with the attitude that I don't care what people think or say about me or to me. So that's not a problem. If someone does say something (and they always do) I just say, "Don't worry, I'm not trying to take your meat away from you, and hey more for you, so get off my case"