im thinking of becoming a vegetarian, what are some things i can and cant eat?

Answer 1

Well it depends on what kind of vegetarian u want to be. Lacto-ovo vegetarians do eat dairy & eggs. Lacto vegetarians do not eat eggs but do drink milk. Ovo vegetarians do eat eggs but do not drink milk. And Vegans have a much stricter diet because they do not eat dairy products nor a any animal products. Getting the idea? Im a lacto-ovo vegetarian. Many ask "what do vegetarians eat?" Vegetarians do not eat meat nor seafood. But there is a huge variety of things u can enjoy. Many think that all that vegetarians eat are veggies n fruits but that's not true. There are veggie burgers, hot dog substitudes and many other delicious subtitudes. Tofu(made from soybean milk) it adapts any flavor n you can do almost about anything with it, tempeh(made from whole soybeans and other grains), seitan(made from wheat gluten), beans(specially soybeans), and whole grains are great sources of protein, fiber, vitamins and zinc. Many get multi-vitamins supplement because sometimes its hard to get all u need.


[The Vegetarian Food Pyramid]

Breads, cereals, rice and pasta - 6 or more daily servings
Vegetables - 4 or more daily servings
Fruits - 3 or more daily servings
Legumes and other meat substitutes - 2 to 3 daily servings
Eggs (optional) - If you do eat eggs, limit to 3 to 4 yolks per week
Dairy products (optional) - Up to 3 daily servings
Fats, oils, sweets and alcohol - Go easy on these foods
Other including beans, nuts, nut butters, peas, and soy products (tofu, tempeh, veggie burgers, etc.)

Websites that may help:
http://www.goveg.com/
http://www.goveg.com/order.asp <---to order the FREE vegetarian starter kit (it's loaded with important info.)
http://www.vegcooking.com/
http://www.vegsource.com/
http://www.peta.com/

Best wishes on your diet transition.

Answer 2

You can either look at vegetarianism from a health standpoint, or an animal rights one.

If you are just in it to improve your health, there's no need to be so fanatic about avoiding meat in all forms. There's no reason to avoid vegetarian Pho because it has meat broth, 99% of it is healthy anyway. You can eat the occasional egg without feeling so guilty, you can have some cheese too.

Of course if you are an animal rights person, the path is much narrower. You will avoid meat, milk, eggs, fish, leather, fur, and any company that is cruel to animals (most of them).

Good Luck.

Answer 3

Some vegitarians draw the line before fish some draw it with eggs, and dairy products, some don't eat any of these things. All I know is that in heaven we won't be killing anything anymore and eating it. God's original diet for Adam and Eve was every herb, and every tree that bears fruit. There are "fake" versions of meat meant to assist those who are trying to avoid "real" meat. There was a study done by National Geographic that indicates vegitarians live longer healthier lives. I think it was a November 05 issue maybe Dec?

Answer 4

A vegan can only eat things that do NOT come from an animal. This includes dairy products and eggs.
There are degrees of vegetarianism. Most do not eat meat, including fish and shellfish, poultry and farm animals. BUT, do include dairy in their diet.
You need to decide which you would like to be...research to make sure you are getting the vitamins you need and go for it!!

Answer 5

You make it sound like a fashion choice.

As a minimum you cannot eat meat. Contrary to what some meat eaters believe, chicken is meat. Strictly, fish is also animal flesh, but many calling themselves vegetarian do eat some fish.

Beyond that it depends what motivates you. Many who are concerned about animal welfare give up all animal products. This goes beyond food. Many vegans, as they call themselves, won't even wear leather shoes.

But a vegan diet also makes a lot of sense from a health point of view. Eggs and dairy foods are as harmful as meat and, in some ways, worse. They are heavily laden with cholesterol and saturated fats.

If health is your concern, you don't even have to be strictly vegetarian. But you would try and keep all animal foods to a minimum. Eat as much fresh fruit as possible. For the remainder maximize vegetables, including raw salad vegetables. Some say you should limit grains, cereals, seeds, pulses, etc particularly in their highly refined state. But sprouted seeds are some of nature's miracle foods.

If you do cut out animal foods altogether take a B-12 vitamin supplement. And make sure you get adequate omega-3 fatty acids. A good vegetarian source is flaxseed meal.

Many vegans and vegetarians eat a lot of soy products. Most think they have to, to get adequate protein. But this is a myth in my view. I survived on a low protein diet for years and suffered no adverse effects. So do elephants, horses, cows and gorillas. Their digestive systems are no different from ours in terms of protein metabolism. Some vegetarians also like soy products because many taste and feel like meat (and dairy) and they still like the taste of meat (and dairy).

Last but not least, you should limit all animal products if you want to make a difference in saving the environment. It takes four times the land area to feed a meat eater. Deforestation would come to a virtual halt if Americans cut their meat consumption 80%. The animal food industry is also the worst polluter and water waster of any industry, by far. Check out the link below for more on this subject.

Answer 6

I am a vegan, that opens your options. A vegan means you can eat fish and eggs. I love fish so I eat it. When it comes to vegetarian, you should stick with no meat, dairy, or jello. Jello is made for bone marrow of animals, dairy procedures are sometimes inhumane, and meat is a big no no. Its real simple and there are many alternatives, vegetarian/vegan is the way to go! Good choice.

Answer 7

Well of course meat and meat byproducts like cheese or foods that have eggs or butter in them like cakes. Some vegetarians do eat byproducts like milk and eggs which allow them to eat "common foods" like cakes, ice cream or breads. I'd go to the goveg.com site to get a better list of foods for vegetarians and vegans. Vegan choices are more extensive on peta.com.

Answer 8

A vegetarian is someone living on a diet of grains, pulses, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits with or without the use of dairy products and eggs (preferably free-range).

A vegetarian does not eat any meat, poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, or slaughter by-products such as gelatine or animal fats.

Answer 9

Vegetarians, as a whole, do not eat red meat. Some also choose to exclude poultry (pollo-veg) and/or seafood (pesco-veg). Because chicken and fish are indeed meat, it's debatable whether most would call it vegetarianism, but they are accepted forms.

Many veg's, in additon to actual flesh, eliminate non-meat animal products like gelatin and caesin. It varies a lot, though.

Drop all meat, but eat eggs and dairy, you're "lacto-ovo-vegetarian"
Drop all dairy products, and eat eggs, you're "ovo-vegetarian"
Drop eggs in all forms, but consume dairy, you're "lacto-vegetarian"

No eggs OR dairy, plus, no non-meat animal products, including honey, and you're, by definition, "vegan".

Go even further, and eat only plants and plant products (nothing grown with bacteria), and you're "macrobiotic" *please note, some macrobiotics DO eat meat. There's more to the philosophy than being non-meat-eaters. So, it's not technically a form of vegetarianism*

Vow not to cook your food, or do anything but pick and eat, and you're "raw-vegan", "raw-macrobiotic", or just "raw".

SO, to answer your question, there are, in fact, EIGHT forms af vegetarianism. (macro's don't count) pollo, pesco, pollo-pesco, ovo, lacto, lacto-ovo, vegan, and raw.

http://vegetarian.allrecipes.com/
http://www.veganmeat.com/recipie.html
http://www.veganchef.com/

Answer 10

I am a Lacto-Ovo vegiterian at age 13. I find it easy to be a vegiterian while others dont know how I do it. You should try using tofu in the place of meat. For example, any dishes that ask for meat, use tofu instead. You can hardly even taste the tofu so theres nothing really do dislike about it.