Any tips for going vegetarian?

Question

I want to go vegetarian but I want to do it in a healthy way. Also, I am having trouble avoiding meat (especially at school, not alot of vegetarian choices). I have had a bit of a revalation and no longer want to consume innocent little animals. Help please?

Answer 1

1. Do it slow. You are more likely to stick to it if you make it part of your lifestyle instead of making the change all at once.

2. Read about nutrition requirements and understand everything that you need to eat. You have to make up for the protein with beans and greens. It isn't hard once you figure it out, but you need to be sure you understand what your body needs.

3. Take your lunch to school.

4. Take advantage of the meat substitutes in the grocery store. They make it easy to still pack a sandwich and cook many of the same recipes that you are used to. There are fake turkey slices, fake beef and chicken fajita strips, veggie meatballs, fake hot dogs.

5. Read labels - you will be surprised at how many things have animal fat in them.

6. Don't feel bad when you backslide. It happens. It happened to me a lot when I was working the kinks out of becoming vegeterian. I felt discouraged a lot because I felt like I was out of options as a teenager who really didn't have a lot of control over her environment.

7. Talk to your parents. They may be at a loss as to what to cook. After you become educated on vegeterianism you can give them some recipes. A lot of people are surprisingly open to a vegeterian diet. I talked to my parents about it when I was a teenager and they were very supportive. Of course there were some evenings when I had to cook for myself but thats part of life. Over time they have become more vegeterian also and tofu is a regular part of their meals. However your parents may not want to give up meat. Mine were never big meat eaters to begin with, and my dad was actually looking for a low cholesterol diet at the same time so it all worked out.

8. Don't get bummed out when it is hard to fit with your friends. I felt kind of isolated sometimes because people considered it weird to be vegeterian. It was hard to eat at a friend's house.

I started going vegeterian when I was 16 but wasn't a full vegeterian until about 2 yrs later. It just takes time to make such a big switch, but I am so glad that I did! Good luck! By the way tonight my boyfriend and I ate curry tofu which I cooked. He isn't vegeterian but usually likes my veg cooking.

My staple is beans and rice. I can not live without beans and rice because this is an excellent source of protein. There are hundreds of recipes out there so find one you like, and buy a pressure cooker. The pressure cooker is a vegeterian's best friend because dried beans are a great source of protein and a pressure cooker will cook them in a fraction of the time it takes in a pot (about 30 min compared to several hours)

Answer 2

I went vegetarian about a year ago. I was a little worried at first that I couldn't do it, or that I would become unhealthy. Then I realized that I had "accidentally" already become a vegetarian and had never felt better. My live-in boyfriend is a vegetarian and I was always cooking for the both of us. I was finding a way to keep us both happy and healthy in every meal that I cooked.

The KEY to maintaining your dietary needs and staying healthy is making sure you are getting the proper nutrients. There are some really, REALLY great vegetarian "meat" products on the market. They taste great, have less fat and more protein than real meat. In the refrigerator section of the grocery store look for products by Smart Deli and Yves. They have their own versions of fake ground beef, chili, lunch meat, bacon, etc. And they are really yummy. In the freezer section there is Morning Star Farms brand and Boca. Both have exceptional fake meat products. I really like the Chick'n Strips by Morning Star Farms and the Bratwurst by Boca. One of my meat eating friends even recently told me how much he likes the Morning Star Farms corn dogs.

It is surprisingly easy to eat vegetarian. Like I said before, I did it accidentally. Just make sure that you are getting the proper nutrients. But, that is the same in ANY diet. Meat eaters often assume they are getting what they need because they eat meat. the reason meat is so "good" for you is the protein. But the veggie protein is actually better for you.

Also, recent tests have shown that women in their 20's to late 40's that are vegetarians have a lower risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer.

I wish you the best of luck in becoming a vegetarian. Don't let the meat eaters tell you that you are wrong for choosing that. I love animals and don't think they should die to suit my taste buds. Especially if I can be healthier and happier being a vegetarian. I support you 100% in your decision to go vegetarian. So, if you feel like you are being judged by others, just remember that there are a lot of people out there that agree with you. Your real friends will support you.

Answer 3

Well, I've been a so-called ‘vegan’ (I dislike the term) for a long time and self-education was the answer for me. I was studying athletic nutrition and gradually gave up all animal products for completely selfish reasons, then became unsatisfied with pretty much all of the food I was eating (I was a teen then, at home) and started making my own lunches and all other meals too. 16 years later I’m quite a diverse cook and have made and eaten such a huge variety of foods compared to my friends who’ve been eating the same stuff their whole life. I feel sorry for them – they are missing out on some great food.

Want some good food, try talking to people who know how to cook traditional foods from places like China, Italy, Japan, Iran, India, Israel, Taiwan, etc. The (traditional) dishes they eat are all mostly vegetarian or easily altered to be so. India and Israel must be 70% vegetarian, perhaps 3-million vegetarians in Taiwan, and so on. I’ve learned a lot from my friends' mothers and grandmothers while my friends ignore their own ethnic background and eat junk food and fast food etc. (FYI vegetarian elsewhere in the world means, 100%, there is no such thing as a fish and cheese eating vegetarian outside of the West).

Don’t listen to those people trying to put nutritional deficiency fears into you in order to get you to eat a little meat or take vitamins etc., they are ignorant and full of propaganda and think meat is magical. I know life long ‘vegans’ from other countries, and never has anyone every bothered them about nutrition etc. because in other countries being vegan is quite normal and they have no deficiencies. In fact, my children are both life long 100% vegetarians (vegans) and they are physically and mentally ‘advanced’ compared to all the other children their age. People are continually amazed, but they are actually advancing ‘normally’, as most of the other children are hamburger, cereal, candy junk-foodies and it’s obvious that their progress is slowed as a result. OK, that’s my two-cents worth.

Answer 4

The answer for school is to pack your own lunch. Buy healthy food full of protein to make up for the nutrition you're not getting from meat. Also, take a multi-vitamin to keep your energy up. It's a valid choice, but you have to be smart about it. Perhaps invest in some vegetarian cook books.

Answer 5

Get a bunch of meat replacers that are quick and easy to make so you can get used to it. Boca burgers are really good... they taste pretty much like normal burgers but they're made of soy and veggie protein. They have about 10 grams soy protein. Also, look into getting a daily vitamin. They have a variety of kinds especially for vegetarians and vegans. Also, make sure you eat a lot of foods full of iron. I ended up with anemia when i first started out. It's not that big of a deal but you should be careful.

Answer 6

Well, being a vegetarian can be hard at times, if you're just a beginner. When it comes to school, you should try and bring your
lunch.If you can't stop eat meat,wht you should do is,make a balanced diet chart.Meaning, sometimes you eat meat, and the other times, you eat only vegetables.

Answer 7

Do your research. There are great books out there on the subject that will answer all your questions and offer great recipes. The biggest concern is getting enough protein and all of the essential amino acids. You can accomplish this by combining certain types of legumes, rice and seeds/nuts in one recipe to ensure a complete protein. Go to Barnes & Nobel or one of the big book store chains and you will find a lot of good information. Good luck!

Answer 8

There is probably books at the library to help you make the transition. Diet for a New America was written by John Robbins. It is older now. I'm sure there are newer books for you to peruse.

Answer 9

You need to see your doctor and a licensed dietitian to set up a vegetarian diet that is as close to balanced as you can get it for your body. Everyone's body chemistry and nutritional needs are different, and only your doctor and dietitian can accurately determine what you need to eat and which supplements you need to make you healthy in your chosen lifestyle.

Answer 10

I would highly recommend reading this e book. It really helped me when I was first beginning the transition from meat eater to veghead.

http://www.veggie123.com/veggie/chapter1/

Hope that this helps and good luck!!!