How do you stop eating meat and meat products? How bad exactly does tofu taste? I am curious.?

Question

I have thought for a long time about possibly becoming vegetarian. Not sure of how it would work. I know of you need lots of protein ect. Since im lactose intollerant, the milk wouldnt bother me. I am curious how do I put down the meat once and for all, I don't eat that much of it anyhow, but I dont know how to totally put it down. There are several vegetables I refuse to eat, but a lot that I do eat daily.

Answer 1

It tastes like rotten gumshoe in Aardvark drool.

Answer 2

Of major concern to vegetarians is vitamin B-12 which is available from beef and seaweed. It is smart to take a supplement. Or something fortified with it.

The biggest challange to vegetarianism in the US is the general lack of social support but this is improving all the time; by joining their ranks you only help the situation.

To the various responses, I would just add some notes of my experience with tofu. I'm vegetarian and I eat tofu almost daily. Much of the tofu sold in the US is not very good. For tofu to taste as it should you must have fresh tofu; check expiration date, buy it refrigerated and try various brands. Choices and quality are getting better in the US. If you ever go to Japan or China you will have the chance to see what Tofu should taste like! Lacking that you might order it at some Chinese and Japanese restaurants to get an idea (but trust me, it is so much better in Asia!- it's made and used fresh like bread).

Answer 3

I had tried to become a vegetarian twice before I actually became one. The first two times I wanted to have the very last bit of my favorite meat before I'd give it up. Never worked, always wanted another last bit. So one day I just said to myself OK, this is it, I'm done with it, it's not something you eat. I just stopped considering it an eatable thing.

I don't understand if your body does or doesn't tolerate lactose. Even if it doesn't, you can still get enough protein from lentils, beans, eggs.. and tofu. I love tofu. I like the texture and as it's quite tasteless, you can make it taste like anything you like :)

Answer 4

Try some substitute meat products, and find flavorful recipes for tofu...I personally love the fact that tofu comes in different textures--its a little like egg whites in taste, so you can experiment with different ways to prepare it. Don't judge it just by how it tastes "plain"--thats like ruling out all eggs because of how hard boiled egg whites taste.

I stopped eating meat a long time ago, but every once in a while I get a craving for it....Bocaburgers and Morningstar make great meat substitutes like ribs in gravy, chicken patties, etc. Don't know if you care, but they're also lo-cal so they're great for dieting as well.

It may make it easier to "phase out" meat one group at a time --start with not having red meat, then move on to poultry. Good luck!

Answer 5

Tofu does not taste bad. The texture is what bothers most people. It really has no taste.

I was a vegetarian once. I ate a lot of vegetable stir fry with soy sauce or terryaki sauce. Just go to your produce section and look at the health food stuff where the tofu is. There's all sorts of protein choices.

Answer 6

I'm not a fan of tofu. Maybe I'm just afraid of it. Haha.

Really, I'm in the same boat as you. I never have been much of a meat eater anyway, so putting down the filet wasn't so hard. First thing I did was go to the library and check out cookbooks on vegetarian eating. Of course, I enjoy cooking, which made things a little easier. I was so used to cooking meat centered meals so cooking entirely with veggies was a welcome new challenge.

If you're going to go "whole-hog" you have to be determined. It was hard for me to give up chicken and shellfish most of all. Those are the few meats I would eat regularly, and even now I still crave them. But I think of all the animals I'm saving by not eating meats. So it helps.

Oh, and don't forget to mix up your meals. DON'T have pasta for every meal. I enjoy making asian meals, mexican, italian, and even a little bit of a variation on my mom's homecooked southern meals. Draw on the food you like to eat. And keep a carton of Chocolate Silk on hand..it's YUMMY. :) Email me if you want any of my personal recipes, like veggie chili (honestly can't tell it's not real meat!)

Answer 7

Why stop eating meat if you dont eat much anyway? There is no point to stop. To be healthy you need a well balanced diet, including a little protein daily. If you really want to be vegetarian you need to buy veg. cook books and learn what foods contain the most protein. Write up a daily food plan before starting. If you want to stop eating meat, just stop.

Answer 8

well tofu is a bland food no taste really so what ever you cook it with and season it with will give it flavor but the only way to put meat down is to have will power and theres a lot of things you can eat besides vegitables to give you protien such as beans or grains try silk for milk its made with soybeans i have tryed the plain or vinniall yet but the chocolate and lights ok

Answer 9

There's more to vegetarianism than just vegetables. There's soya product such as soya yogurt, soya "cream" spread (YUMMY!!), TVP, Tofu, nuts, lentils, different sauces and stir fries. I'm not a big fan of tofu but I like it crumbled into making curry or with a spicy sauce. I never ate eggplant until I became a veggie and it's not that bad. Just experiment to see what you like. You'd be surprised at what you can do. Check out www.allrecipes.com to get inspiration.

Answer 10

OK well tofu plain is well yucky however, it can take the flavor of anything that you cook. That being said there are many alternatives out there. Trust me when I say that it isn't like it was in the 80's by any stretch!

I hope that these sights help you out.

Answer 11

You can get all the protein u need from nuts and grains and beans. Tofu takes on the flavor of anything you cook it in or with.