I want to be a vegetarian?

Question

Well, I've been wanting to be a vegetarian for a while, simply because I don't like to eat a lot of calories, but everyone I ask says it's not good for me. What does it mean anyway? That you strictly only eat vegetables, or that you strictly don't eat any meat?

Answer 1

My mom's a vegetarian and she does it religiously. This means no meat, including chicken, turkey, and fish. She eats eggs because technically thats not meat. Egg whites have so much protein in them that vegetarians should eat eggs daily, because they're not getting any protein from meat.
Most people think that if your a vegetarian you can only eat vegetables but that's not true. You can eat anything except for meat. So this includes all those fake vegetarian meats too, the kind made out of protein.
If you're looking to cut back on the calories, but still get the amount of protein you need, you should try this. Morning star has good vegetarian meat substitutes.

As far as vegetables go, there are so many options. Personally, I don't think it's hard to be a vegetarian because there is still so much variety in the different foods, such as the ethnicity.

I'm not a vegetarian, but at home, my mom doesn't cook meat because she doesn't eat it. So, I've learned that basically everything that involves beef can use beans as a substitute. So for food like tacos, just use beans, and actually I think the food becomes healthier this way too.


When people say that being a vegetarian isn't good for you, they're just talking about how you're no longer going to be getting a lot of protein from meat. Instead, you have to make-do with beans and egg whites, and foods like that. Even the meat substitutes are sometimes even healthier than real meat, depending on how you cook it. As long as you don't forget about the protein, being a vegetarian is completely healthy.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

It sounds like you don't understand what vegetarianism is. First of all, you can't eat any kind of meat or chicken. Some choose not to eat fish. You can eat anything else. Vegans do not eat milk or eggs, either, but can eat, for instance, tofu, although this is not a vegetable. Secondly, you shouldn't become a veggie to lose weight. Try a different diet, because vegetarianism stops you from eating a lot of food that is healthy and has meat in it. Do it because you want to help animals, not because you want to eat fewer calories. Thirdly, vegetarians are generally very healthy, as long as they make sure that they are getting enough fibre and protein.

Answer 3

I was also told that being a vegetarian wasn't good for me when I first became interested. This is completely untrue if you educate yourself about a proper vegetarian diet. To become a vegetarian, when it's a new concept, takes lots of research and commitment, or the money for a good dietician who will teach you.

A vegetarian eats vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, dairy products like cheese and milk, and eggs. Eating only vegetables would not give you enough protein to be healthy.

I would not advise being a vegetarian solely to loose or keep from gaining weight, because the effort required (to learn, if you now eat a typical American diet) would likely be more than it would take to just eat lean meats and less fried foods and fats.

If you want to learn more about being a vegetarian, here are two great websites to explore:
http://www.vegsoc.org/
http://www.vrg.org/

Answer 4

LOL

My entire generation is vegetarians. I come from India, and everyone in our family is a vegetarian. I'm healthy, quite well and not skinny.

We do not eat meat, fish, eggs or anything. We do drink milk, eat cheese (ie., dairy products).

I suggest that you try some Indian cookbooks. Our meals cover all the basic 4 food groups properly and provide the nourishment. Most Indians are vegetarians, and India is an ancient country, which means we know how to be proper vegetarians, while being healthy.

Salads and other kinda things are just tasteless. If you want spice, sweet, sugar and everything in your life without the meat, I strongly suggest borrow a couple of library books about Indian cooking and try it.

Good Luck!!

Answer 5

A TRUE vegetarian- not these pseudo-vegetarians that you hear about who still eat meat (chicken and fish) while rejecting others (Beef and ham)- is someone who does not eat anything which requires an animal to die in order for it to be produced. Obvious examples of rejected foods are meat- beef, ham, chicken, fish, turkey, etc. Not so obvious examples are marshmellows (uses gelatin- which is usually made from beef or pork), pop-tarts (uses gelatin) and Jello (also uses gelatin). Foods that are allowed are animal products that did not require the death of an animal, such as unfertilized eggs, milk, cheese, etc, as well as anything else that contains no animal products.

A vegan is a more restrictive vegetarian that does not eat any animal products, which means they do not eat milk, cheese, eggs, or anything else that comes from an animal.

Many vegetarians do not wear animal products, either, such as leather.

Well, good luck to you! I've been vegetarian going on 4 months now. I feel great, and have a clear conscience when it comes to my food.

Answer 6

From all these answers, being a vegetarian sounds complicated. As for me, I'm a meat-lover, but one of the skinniest girls. I don't know why, but we are different. I have to eat a lot of calories because I have an active lifestyle. I walk to and from school, and when I get home, there's chores, and I haul in wood from the woodpile outside, and there's the homework from school.

If you're not active, maybe too much meat can give you excessive calories and fat. I'm able to burn it off, but if you don't like eating calorie-rich food, then it's a good idea to eat lean LEAN meat, if you want as little fat as possible, or no meat at all.
(The leanest meat I eat is venison, or deer meat.) But I don't recommend eating vegetables only, but that's only my opinion. Humans were built to eat everything, from meat to veggies, and anything else that's edible, remember. From a religious point of view, God put animals on the earth for humans to eat. From a scientific point of view, if you're going to be a vegetarian, you'll have to watch your vitamins carefully. Too much of a good thing can be dangerous. Take for instance, a man who was so worried about his diet, he ate only carrots for a year, and it poisoned him. When he was found, his skin was bright orange. I'm not trying to scare you, but you'll need a wide, varied diet to help with your vitamin supplement. Some people turn anemic, like my friend, because she doesn't eat meat AT all, and doesn't even take her vitamins. (Personally, she's the reason why I think it's complicated too). So you'll need to watch your health. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it if you practice. There are tons of vegetarian recipes out there that are just as delicious as meat dishes, remember that.

Answer 7

My son is a lac to octo vegetarian. I eat some chicken but no red meat, pork, or shell fish. You need hair vitamins. My son is seven but is quite healthy he is as tall as his eleven year old cousin! And my cousin has not eaten meat at all in her twenty five years on earth and quite healthy! Pick up Vegetarian times buy a crock pot (makes great beans a staple 4 Vegetarian's!) My fave cook book is Vegan with a Vengeance check out the web site @www.theppk.com. Just be ready for everyone to think your crazy and to bring your own food to parties My in laws always say "but we have salad and bread" You can e-mail for more help if ya want.

Answer 8

There are generally three main types of vegetarians: Ovo-Lacto vegetarians, who stay away from meat products, but eat eggs and dairy, lacto vegetarians, who stay away from eggs and meat products, and vegans, who stay away from all animal-derived products. The reason that people say it can be dangerous is because if you are not careful, you will miss out on essential vitamins and nutrients that you need, especially if you are still growing. Humans are omnivores, so they need a lot of the nutrients that meat provides.

You will need to take supplements to make up for what you will lack from no meat, and make sure that you eat a variety of foods, including a lot of healthy grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits. Talk to a registered dietician about the best route to go, and try subscribing to Vegetarian Times magazine for recipes and information. Lastly, Adventist and health food stores are the best places to shop. Good luck!

Answer 9

A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat, fish, poultry or slaughter by-products.

Stick to that, and you can call yourself a vegetarian.

It is a perfectly healthy diet. There is no need for supplements.

as with ant diet, it needs to be balanced. Make sure you eat a variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts and cereals. Please do not make the msitake of just eating those fake burger things.

Ignore statements like " But you need to study protein......(Or you will get malnourished and start losing your hair, like my sister in law did).". and "You will need to take supplements to make up for what you will lack from no meat"

Its just rubbish - eat a variety of food, thats all, no need to study it, pop ills, or think about it too much.

and ignore things like " am a seafood only vegetarian...the only meat I eat is fish and shellfish.". and " I consider myself a vegetarian because I only eat chicken or turkey" .....you will find that vegetarians really hate this sort of nonsense, Just look at the thumbs down to see what i mean

I've been a veggie for 27 years, never ill, no supplements, strong as an ox ( I'm an arable farmer )

Answer 10

The human body needs a certain amount of calories. Vegetarians eat Whole grains, beans, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds etc. as part of a balanced diet. IF you were to eat only vegetables, you would not get the nutrients you need.