I'm really thinking about being a vegetarian?

Question

But, it's so hard to give certain things up... I really want to do this, if anyone out there that were in my shoes before and gave up red meat products and became a vegetarian... What are the first steps of becoming vegetarian.

Answer 1

1. Take your time - my journey from meat eater took about a year.
2. Start out using some basic substitutes for the meat you are used to in foods where you won't even notice - ground meat replacements are available in the frozen food sections.
3. Leave meat off things that don't need it - pizza, salad, spag, etc.
4. Get some good cookbooks when you are ready to branch into more interesting foods - Moosewood books and New Farm Vegetarian are two of my favorites.
5. If you are worried about what to eat check out the book "Diet for a New America" it will cover many of the health questions.

A good start is to pick one or two nights a week as "veggie" night. Then work your way from there stopping wherever you feel most comfortable which might be 2 nights a week or 7 nights a week up to you.

Answer 2

Giving up red meat is a good way to start. Most people I know, (myself included) go gradually and give up red meat first, then poultry. It's really all about what you feel most comfortable with. There are a lot of good meat substitutes out there, like boca burgers. One thing that is really important is that you don't beat yourself up if you slip a little. Maybe you'll have a week of no meat and be doing great, and then someone invites you to a BBQ and you just can't say no to a juicy burger. Old habits die hard, and food is an important part of our culture. Just think about how many holidays are centered around eating meat, from the Thanksgiving turkey to the fourth of July BBQ. Go at your own pace, and if it's something you're really dedicated to, eventually you will get there. Just make sure you are eating healthy food. I've seen a lot of people who become vegetarians, especially high school / college students, who eat mostly french fries and cheese sandwiches.

Answer 3

I became a vegetarian in my late 20's. I am come from a long line of farmers, miners and construction people, and I was raised on a farm. I've killed and eaten both domestic and wild animals. When I became vegetarian, many in my family thought it was a death wish, but I knew that my diet was causing many of the health problems I was having, so what did I do?

Every week, I gave up one food, starting with the easiest, like liver. Over the first few months, as I gave up more types of meat, the idea became easier, and I got more comfortable with it. At the same time, I bougt a few vegetarian cookbooks(this was before the internet) and started experimenting. Then one day, I just got up, went to my freezer and just threw all the meat out, and never looked back.

It worked for me, so it may work for you. Just go at your own pace, and don't let anyone, be they vegetarian or meat eaters, push you, just do what feels right for you.

Answer 4

ok, a vegetarian is easy now. when i was a vegetarian about 0 years ago we didn't have all the boca burgers and morning star products. you can buy any meat product you want made with vegetables and dairy. walmart and HEB sells all that stuff.
one thing we did that i advise you not to do is over compensate with a lot of dairy, pasta and cheeses. i got FAT that way. you need to still even out your consumption. Soy products are a really good alternative to meat. (another bit of advise, don't bar-b-q soy, it doesn't turn out good).
being a vegetarian in this day is so easy. but now if you are lookig into becoming a vegan where you don't eat any dairy or eggs then you might have a harder time. but there are a number of things growing for that market also.
My advice to you is to get a bunch of the boca burgers and fake bacon and stuff and try it for a while. i bet after a while you won't even notice you don't eat real meat. even at restaurants they serve boca burgers. :o)
good luck.
oh, i am not a vegetarian anymore. i stopped about 7 years ago before they had all the neat stuff they do now. but good luck to you

Answer 5

Read. You will be motivated to do it if you read about it. Go to www.veganoutreach.org and order some brochures. Also, PETA gives out free info. Get some vegetarian cookbooks from the Library. Don't worry if you can't do it all at once, just do what you can. Any cutting back of animal products is progress. Try some veggie burgers. Find vegetarians and ask questions.

Answer 6

It's more than giving up red meat products if you want to be a true vegetarian. I went cold turkey and stayed that way. In the supermarkets, meat stopped looking normal and began looking like chopped up body parts (not to gross anyone out but I'm just being honest).

The most important step is one that I maybe haven't completed yet -- finding the foods and supplements I need with a vegetarian diet. Be especially careful to get enough B12! I think you might get enough from dairy products though if you will still consume those. Not many people understand the needs of vegetarians so we need to investigate and take good care of ourselves.

Thanks for the question and good luck. :))

Answer 7

It takes some serious will power and determination, but believe me anybody can do it! I became a vegetarian when I was around 11 and not only was it basically unheard of in my region, I also had a love of KFC, McDonald's, bacon ETC. So if an 11 yr old fast-food obsessed girl can do it, so can you LOL You just have to CONSTANTLY remind yourself of what meat actually is. And just like an addiction, the longer you stay away from meat products the less you crave them. Also, nowadays they have great meat alternatives like hamburgers and hotdogs (I would've killed for those back then!) - don't believe the stereotype that tofu dogs/hamburgers are horrible. You have to shop around, try different brands - Boca, Yves veggie cuisine and Amy's are all good. You also need to jazz them up a little if you want it to compare to the real thing. Fry the hamburgers, add fried onion, ketchup, mustard etc. on a nice toasted bun.

Forgive the pun, but I think it's best to quit meat products "cold turkey" - I'm not sure how weaning yourself off them would work. If you're okay with eating dairy products (watch out for rennet in processed cheeses) and unfertilized eggs, then it should be easier for you. You can still make pretty good pizzas with soy cheese and soy pepperoni etc. You might never think anything is "as good" but it should satisfy your cravings. Eventually, if you keep reminding yourself of what meat is, the taste and smell will become repulsive to you. I've always found the toughest times to get through are the holidays - when a turkey or roast is prepared. Not only is the social situation annoying and awkward, but you tend to associate those tastes and smells with happy family times. Tofurkey is actually good (even though it seems like a big joke LOL) - it also doesn't come in the lame shape of a turkey which is the misconception, it really does make a great substitute for a big holiday feast. I've gone through holidays thinking "Oh I'll just eat whatever" but I ended up feeling bitter, left out and alone. You'll find that you need to go to extra lengths to feel "normal" and happy in certain situations. You can get meatless turkey gravy mixes (tofurkey comes with it's own, but I find the other mixes a bit more flavourful) and indulge in mashed potatoes, squash, stove top stuffing, cranberry sauce etc. Go all out! Even if it's just for yourself, you'll feel better for it. Try to avoid certain social situations where you know the main focus will be meat (like BBQs) - if you're faced with it, just tell yourself that you'll go home and have your own BBQ. But don't try to avoid all social food situations, learn to bring your own alternative if you know you can't eat anything there.

Also, the longer you are a vegetarian you'll start to notice that your taste buds perk up. A tomato might be bland and disgusting to you right now, but years from now you'll probably find it very flavourful. I basically hated veggies when I first started.

Answer 8

Buy soy milk, egg replacer, and veggie hams, beefs, porks.... it's not that hard. Veggie meat is in so many supermarkets. Start off with veggie for a day, and decrease the days you eat meat.
It's better for you. Why eat hormones, blood, steroids and all? I'm going veggie and I have more energy!
Don't rush it! Read about what meat really is at peta2.com. And take your time to adjust.

Answer 9

Sorry ~ I'm not giving up beef, chicken, fish or caviar!
But, I'd suggest that you look to find a book called "The Raw Juice Therapy" which goes into great detail about the benefits of raw fruit & vegatable juices. This Australian Doctor's 'claims' have been studied & implimented by my bride for more than 36 years & we are about as healthy as we can be for a couple of seniors! The 'discipline' of dragging from the store all the organic carrots, apples, spinnach & beets will automatically assist good health from the weight alone. Then the process of cleaning, cutting & processing the fresh items into the juicer will become a routine which displays the result in a glow in the face & body unmatched by any other regimen. The main points include: Fruit juice 'cleans' & vegatable juice 'builds' each and every cell in the human body! The 'juice form' allows maximum benefit to gain access directly to the bloodstream from our 'innards' without the 'fair wear & tear' to our 'innards'. So the ideas make perfect, logical sense! My bride would make Posh Becham jealous!

Answer 10

If you REALLY REALLY want to become veggie, you have to be commited. Like a person would be to a religion, or whatever. You don't HAVE to, it's your personal choice. Remember that there will be good and bad things about it, like the lack of Vitamin B12. And if you're thinking about that because of "poor animals", know that Vitamin B12 is also an animal byproduct. Good luck!