I want to be a vegetarian, but it's impossible!?

Question

Here are the reasons why...

1. My dad has an Italian restaurant. MEANING LOTS OF MEAT.

2. My mom wants to help, but sometimes forgets all about the no-meat thing.

3. My friends are totally unsupportive and when I've tried this in the past, they laugh and say, "Oh yeah? And how long is this going to last?"

4. I don't know if I could eat artificial meat...

What should I do? I really want to do this!

Answer 1

Italian cooking is quite vegetarian friendly. You have all those pasta dishes, Vegetarian lasagna. vegetarian pannini, lots of great vegetable side dishes....
If you really want to become vegetarian, nothing should stop you unless you are a teenager and your parents still have control over your life. Nothing comes easy in this life especially when you want to go against the grain. Stand up for your beliefs. It will only make you a stronger person and remember that it is hard to please everybody.
I know that it is hard because Italians are very family oriented.
Just tell your friends and family that this is what makes you happy and if they care about you they will understand. It will take time, but they will accept it.
Another thing that you should try to do is to go to the library and borrow some vegetarian cookbooks so that you become familiar with some vegetarian recipes, how to prepare tofu.... You don't have to eat artificial meat. There are tones of bean and tofu recipes out there.
You can also try to join the Vegetarian association in your city. It can be very helpful and this way you will meet other people who think like you.

Tanti auguri!

Answer 2

I understand how you feel! I am also making the transition to a Vegetarian diet. Try easy to eat foods first. Morningstar brands makes "chicken" patties (really just textured vegetable protein) that taste better than the real thing. (The breakfast sausage patties are also tasty) If your dad has an italian restaurant, eat pastas with marinara sauce instead of meat sauce. Go online and you can find alot of delicious vegetarian recipes. Inform your friends that this is important to you and that you really need their support. Finally, don't feel bad if you "slip up" and eat meat, at least you are trying! Good Luck!

Answer 3

* I'm not a vegetarian, but I've lived in a vegetarian house in the past (meaning - no meat at home; if I wanted meat I had to go to a restaurant, which I only did about once every couple of weeks.) It wasn't hard because my roommate and I basically like very similar food -- same spices, and all. I found a lot of ways to adapt recipes I liked, and not put meat in them.

* There are certainly lots of great Italian dishes that don't have meat in them... My vegetarian friend had gotten really good at finding a good vegetarian dish at almost any restaurant, especially Italian ones.

* Moms will be moms - they do things like that...

* That's very annoying of your friends...

* I didn't ever eat artificial meat (Except for one thing: I did use artificial hamburger to make Texas chili.) It's easier if you cook for yourself and can find vegetarian recipes you really like. I found really good vegetarian cookbooks, and used those recipes. Like, for example, the cookbook writer Viana La Place has a great vegetarian Italian cookbook called "Verdura." (Recipes that have things like cheese and porcini mushrooms will make you not miss meat. There's a good mushroom-stroganoff recipe I found that will make you not need beef stroganoff,) Julie Sahni has a great vegetarian Indian cookbook. The original Greens cookbook is good. And you know what else is a great source for vegetarian recipes -- books focusing on the Jewish culinary heritage. Seriously, all the dairy recipes are vegetarian, and some of them have spice combinations that you thought you'd only see in a meat dish. Claudia Roden, who focuses a lot on Mediterranean food, has "The Jewish Cookbook" which is good, and Marlene Spieler, also a good cookbook writer, also has one of these. Spieler, who writes incredibly varied cookbooks, also has a French vegetarian bistro cookbook that's nice.... So there are plenty of excellent cookbooks out there with good vegetarian recipes, if you want to do this.

Answer 4

Don't try to change overnight. Research and perfect preparing a few good vegetarian recipes. Doesn't your dad serve eggplant parmagiana or other veg. dishes at the restaurant? (veggie primavera) Stick with those when eating in the restaurant. I'm not vegetarian but I've tried so many excellent vegetarian recipes that I know it would be effortless to change over. Think of why you want to be a vegetarian and how committed you are. If you really want it, you know no one else will be able to prevent you from switching over. Oh, and don't worry about artifical meat. Stick more with beans, eggs etc. to balance out your diet. You don't need artifical meat for flavour!

Answer 5

It is NOT impossible, just do not give up.

I myself am Italian (I'm guessing you are also) and looooooove Italian foods! But there are alot of things that do not have meat in them. I'm sure there are a few on your fathers menu that does not involve meat.

I know what its like to have unsupportive people in your life. My mother was the only one who was supportive of me. Everyone in my family just told me it was a fase that I would grow out of.

Products like Bocca and Morning Star Farms are not afriticial. They are made out of soy product. They are often a very helpful tool to get you off of meat. For the most part, most of them have lots of protein and the nurtirents you need, as well as taste good. Take a bocca burger, throw on some cheese, a few veggies, and it will taste just like a regular burger, only healthier, and does not involve the torture and murder of an innocent animal.

There are alot of helpful websites out there.

http://www.vegetarianteen.com/
http://www.eatveg.com/
http://www.vegsource.com
www.peta.com is always a helpful place to realize where your burger is actually coming from.

Give it some time. Most can not just wake up one morning and stop eatting meat. I know I could not do that, I tried but it was insanely hard. Just remember, despite popular belief, animals are not ours to torture and eat. They are our friends, they where here way before us.

Answer 6

Take it gradually. Become a semi-vegetarian. Like me, for example, I started off by giving up mammal meat...then poultry as well. Now I only drink soy milk and use vegan egg substitutes. There are many wonderful products out there that replace meat and it doesn't just have to be tofu. Oh and just because you give up meat, doesn't mean you must give up fish. I still eat seafood. It is a PERSONAL choice and only as far as YOU want to take it.

Answer 7

All right. Let's say if we ever fall in love with a person our friends and family don't approve of, nothing will stop us from being with that person. We are ready to jeopardize all our relationships.
I don't know why we are so weak when it comes to becoming vegetarian. We care so much how it is going to affect our relationship with others.
I heard all kinds of comments form my family. But now after few years, 2 members of my family have also adopted a vegetarian diet. Who would have thought so?
Why not just focus on how it can affect our life in a most positive way?
It is good to get as much knowledge as you can of Vegetarianism so that you can back up your arguments.
I always bring my friends to Very nice vegetarian restaurants and they love it. Try to learn nice recipes and cook for them.
Honestly, I am sorry to say that by no excuses are valid to stop us from making the right choices if we are determined.
I suggest you try to focus on the suffering of the animals and see it it is worth standing up for this cause.

Answer 8

I have a friend who did that too and she started by eating on a good diet and slowly she started cutting meat out and now she doesn't eat it at all personally i wouldn't do it because i love meat but you have to really want it and stay focused on it

Answer 9

My 11 yr. old daughter has never really been a big meat eater, save for occasionally eating chicken or pork and I have to admit, it's hard to plan meals. Here's some tips I've picked up to help her feel included....

1) Boca brand products taste pretty good...buy them for my daughter all the time...they have pre-cooked ground "meat" that you can add to spaghetti sauce or use for taco meat, also have "hamburger" patties. It's usually in the frozen foods section in red boxes.

2) Your dad can make you veggie dishes such as vegetable lasagne, eggplant parmigiana, fettucini alfredo, etc....

3)As for your friends...that's your call sweetie. I don't allow my friends or family to disrespect me like that, as they know if they cross the line I will have no problem telling them EXACTLY how I feel and what they can do with their attitude. So I guess it just depends on if you want to have friends that respect you for who you are and the changes you make with your life or ones that sound like they enjoy degrading you.

4) As for your mom, I understand how she can forget, as I do sometimes with my own daughter. Be easy on her...maybe even help her cook meals so you're there to remind her to make something with no meat for you. For instance, if I make spaghetti sauce I'll set aside some for my daughter without meat so she can have some too or I've had my daughter look up recipes for casseroles and other veggie dishes and I just make extra of that side dish with the family dinner so that my daughter will have more for herself since she wouldn't be eating the meat prepared with the meal.

Answer 10

first, think if you want to eat tofu, protein bars, protein shakes, etc, everyday. protein is especially important and your body really needs it. why not get lowfat meat, such as lowfat deli ham or turkey? those are low in calories and good, too. if you strongly want to become a vegetarian, then i guess all you could do is tell this to your mom, since she's the only one who shows she's supportive and tell her you really mean it. on the other hand, you can eat spaghetti with tomato sauce at your father's restaurant, or a salad.