vegetarian....?

Question

who has gone from meat eater to vegetarian, meaning you werent raised as a vegetarian?

if you have, how was the transition? easy? has your health changed? and how does the tofu and soy meat taste???

thanks.

Answer 1

I have done it.

I was raised on the traditional North American beef and pork diet. It was not until I learned about steroids and antibiotics in meat in the 1970's that I stopped meat. BUT, you cannot be a healthy vegetarian by just quitting meat. It is important that you have a balanced diet by going to other sources for what your body needs.

I get my protein from beans and dairy and careful combining of foods. What I notice most is my body odor, and the quality of my perspiration. When you eat meat you do not notice how greasy or oily it is, or how differently you smell. After all, meat is rotting in your digestive system before it is absorbed in your Large Intestines. Rather a gross thought, isn't it, knowing dead animals are rotting in your tummy? The other difference is that, since meat sits in the tummy for so much longer than veggies and grains, your body feels heavier. Ever notice how tired you get after a heavy meat meal?

Meat also makes your sweat much stinkier. I used to be able to tell the race of a person by their scent alone. This was due to how they spiced their meats. It was easy to differentiate between a Greek and someone from India due to spicing. I learned that way just how much meat changes body odor. My health is better. My skin was always good but I have seen improvements in skin with others. Less oil and fats would be the reason for this.

You will notice a large drop in your grocery bills if you are not buying meat too! Speaking of cost, I also found the prepared "tofu meat" quite costly. Plain firm tofu soaked in soy and ginger lightly fried was about all I could handle.

I found it very easy to change over actually. Between knowing what was in meat and how it sat in the tummy, and watching a few programmes about illness and meat, made the transition rather easy. Another bonus is that foods begin to taste better. You will find new flavours in vegetables and fruit that you never noticed before. You become more conscious of your foods. You might go to much healthier bread for example because you learn it tastes better and has more nutritional value

There are also many common meals that we eat that do not require meat. Macaroni and cheese. Almost all egg dishes. A million varieties of soups. Eating these entrees, served with toast and a glass of milk, you are set nutritionally. A PJB on whole wheat with a glass of milk is a great meal. The sites in the Source List below are chock full of excellent foods, including some for those transiting from carnivore to vegetarian.

What was the worst were the few times I craved a burger and actually gave in twice. I found that shortly afterwards I would have terrible tremors and my nerves and muscles and nothing could warm me up. This lasted for several hours and since it happened twice, I am pretty sure that the meat was the cause.

Tofu is gross to me. LOL. I do not believe in "almost like meat" tofu products. It can be good in small bits. A long time ago I had a cheesecake made with it and that was very good. I have never bought the soy meat but they seem to sell well so some people obviously like it. Another alternative if you crave a burger is veggie burgers or mushroom burgers. I have eaten a variety sold here and some flesh eaters have hardly tasted any difference.

Occasionally I have the urge for a slab of white fish and, figuring my body is telling me something, I will eat it. The one caution I had to make was finding that I had to stop dairy when I had a cold. That is when I drank soy milk for protein. There is a strong emphasis on nuts and seeds, but beware of calories. Eat them in moderation. The same goes for cheeses.

The hardest thing I had in the beginning was the attitudes of those around me. They seemed to worry and fret if I was there for dinner and beef was on the menu. Me? I just ate more veggies and asked for a slice of cheese if possible and did not care what they ate. I still love the smell of a roast in the oven; I just don't eat it! I got the usual, "Man was meant to eat flesh" stuff as well. I never bothered to engage in something that is such a personal decision Eventually they all stopped.

I am including a few good sites on vegetarian foods and ideas. I hope that I have helped you and feel free to email me if you wish.

Answer 2

Hello,
I became vegetarian over 6 years ago. I was raised in a very
*meat & potatoes* home... not even much in the way of veggies at all.

For me, the transition was a bit difficult. I am one of the vegetarians who really liked the taste of meat. I am a relatively sensitive person. I knew where meat came from, and I had started to understand how greatly those animals suffer.

I thought about giving up meat for a while, but never ever thought I could do it.
One night, I went to bed and decided I wasn't going to eat meat again. I woke up the next day a vegetarian.

I lived part time at my mom's at the time and found it very difficult to pass up Sunday morning bacon, but I made it through. The first few months I almost gave up on several occasions. Part of this had to do with me not knowing how to find good food. Eventually, I snagged a vegan boyfriend who could cook, and he showed me a whole world of food. Now I don't feel like I am missing anything at all. Good food (and good support) makes ALL the difference.

I love tofu, especially in Chinese dishes. It can be a bit of a bother to drain, cut and cook at times, but I love to eat it. You can do just about anything with tofu.

I also like fake meats. Some vegetarians are anti-fake meats, but I made a life decision to not allow dead animals in my body, which does not exclude fake meats.

Oddly, I don't think my health has changed one way or the other. I am the same me I have always been; I have just changed what I choose to eat (and wear). You can use fake ground to make tacos, fake beef for Philly-steaks, fake sausage for tofu-breakfast scrambles.

If you are concerned about not being able to make the switch, the key will be to make sure you know lots of good food to eat and make.

P.S. I learned recently that my memory of meat tastes nothing like the real thing. I was eating some Chinese takeout and there was a piece of chicken in my tofu dish. I was chewing it (thought it was tofu) and this rancid taste filled up my mouth... it was absolutely disgusting. I opened my mouth and let it all fall out. Horrid.

Answer 3

I WISH I was raised as a vegetarian from birth. The transition was easy and uneventful. I feel healthier now and I ran faster on my school's cross-country team last season.

Tofu... it's useful. You can use it for anything, from making smoothies to baking to using in place of meat. And maybe I'm just crazy, but I eat it raw on occasion when I'm too hungry to do any cooking.

Faux meat... mmm. Not exactly health food, but I don't care. I love this stuff. Just like real meat except better-tasting, better-smelling, and animal-cruelty-free. At least the faux sausage is. I still haven't found the perfect burger.

Answer 4

I became a vegetarian when I was around 12-13. I never got ill once, but then again I don't really remember eating that much meat to begin with. Tofu by itself is icky but if its in something else and has seasoning it's really yummy :D
I also like soy meat. Morningstar Farms has the best vegetarian burgers and chicken nuggets.

Answer 5

easy, overnight when i was 14 or so. been veggie for 27 years and never had any interst in eating meats since.

You are really missing out on some great veggie food is you rely on fake meat, tofu and suchlike.

I eat those foods occasionally but really its only for convinience and not because i love the taste.

Cooking food from raw ingredients is the best way to get real taste and goodness. This also applies to a meat-eater diet.

Answer 6

i went vegetarian when i was 18. i never ate much meat anyway, i just didn't care for the taste. the transition was really easy.

i'm a lot healthier now - mostly just because i'm a lot more aware of what i'm putting into my body.

i enjoy tofu and soy products, but it's a personal preference really. i don't like the taste of nuts and some people think i'm crazy for that, so really, to each their own.

Answer 7

I don't think I'm a very good example. I never cared for meat. My parents made me eat it because I was skinny and sick all the time. Turns out, I don't digest meat well. So the meat was making me skinny and sick. Once I gave it up I got healthy.

The transition was easy. I felt great.

Tofu itself is bland. But it's like a sponge and takes up the flavor of anything you put it in.

There are many different kinds of meat substitutes. Some of them I like because they don't taste like meat. Some taste too much like meat for me. Boca Burgers taste just like McDonalds. UnRibs taste just like real pork. I don't like either of those.

I am so much more healthy now. I haven't needed a doctor in over a decade. I used to get hospitalized twice a year when I was a meat eater. But that is not the norm.

Answer 8

hi. well ive been a veggie for a year now. my family is latino family, loads of meat.
my transition was quite easy due to i was very dedicated to what i wanted. i believe i am healthier due to all the chemicals in processed food left my body and i felt the difference within a week.

tofu is good if you mix some veggies. there are other stuff than just tofu, like vegan burgers, etc.

it has been the greatest choice for me, to save those we call friends, to protect my body from a crime against nature

Answer 9

well, my good friend has gone from a meat eater to a Vegi and she is fine. But she said Tofu wasnt very good.