How to be vegetarian?

Question

OKay so I have been contemplating becoming a vegetarian for many reasons. I finall did it and my family does not support it- they think that I am going through a phase- but I really want to do this and the right way. Before when I just didn't eat a lot of meat I became anemic and sick. I need advice on what multi vitamins to take and help making a good diet to keep healthy. I would really appreciate it. Thanks.
Oh and how to cook tofu- I don't really like it but if you have any tips to make it taste better that would be great.

Answer 1

Congrats on listening to your conscience! VeggieBoards is a GREAT forum site for all kinds of vegetarians and vegans (and raw foodists), ESPECIALLY new ones. They have a special forum JUST for new vegetarians, where many people ask questions about how to deal with unsupportive parents (scientific fact sheets to show them, how do answer their "concerned questions", etc.), how to learn about nutrition so you stay healthy (always take a veg multi with B 12 - you'll end up healthier and more knowledgeable about nutrition than most meat eaters if you learn what your body needs), and how to handle all kinds of social situations. And we have all the answers! VeggieBoards also has great forums for cooking and recipes, brand reviews, and pretty much everything else conceivable that pertains to being veg*n! Welcome to our wonderful world of compassionate possibilities!

Come join us! - http://www.veggieboards.com

Answer 2

Hi, you can eat tofu cold by cubing it up and putting it in salads.

You can also eat it hot. I have a Chinese wok. If you have an Ikea nearby, they are only 5 dollars there. You put a little oil in a wok or frying pan. And you basically heat the tofu and oil up. IMPORTANT: use firm or extra firm tofu only for frying. soft tofu wont retain its consistency.

Here is a good meal. You go to the produce. You can choose any mix of veggies you want -or- get a bag of stir fry veggies. They have bags usually near the bags of lettuce. Then you can go to the place where the soy sauce is kept. Get yourself some soy sauce. And any stir fry sauce which pleases you. Beware as some are quite hot. You might want to buy some garlic and a garlic press if you like garlic.

Anyway, you warm the tofu in oil and soy sauce. Then a minute or so as soon as the tofu is warm (you can taste if you want) you put the stir fry sauce and all the veggie in. And you cook it for a few minutes until it is done. You can pretty much see it is done with your eye and how you like the veggies, crispy or well done.

Someone told me this on the internet and I have used the suggestion to this day, so now I share it with you. I was bewlidered by tofu at first too. When you have the stir-fry aspect down and you have explored its possibilities, you will most likely naturally venture to the veggieboards -or- recipebazaar.com -or- allrecipes.com to see their other vegetarian recipes.

Anyway, while its nice to have the support of people you care about, it is not necessary. My mom still thinks I am in a phase even though I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and then some.

A good vitamin is naturemade. Oprah Winfrey did scientific testing a few years ago and published them in her magazine. Naturemade has consistently levels of nutrition it reports on its bottles, whereas other vitamin companies might cheat you.

Iron can be found in the following food sources. Scroll to the bottom half of the page past the meats and you'll find veggie sources of iron.

http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/handouts/dietary_sources_iron.html

It's important to eat a varied diet so you will be healthy. Good luck.

Answer 3

I am sorry to hear that your family does not support you. It is difficult to change when you have people whose opinion you trust telling you that it is a bad idea. The first thing you need to ask yourself is do I really want to become/be a vegetarian.
If the answer is yes then you need to do some research, especially since you are prone to being anemic. You can find a lot of vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes that contain high amounts of iron. Some recent research suggest that vitamin C helps your absorb iron when you eat it in the same meal. A spinach salad in a line dressing is excellent choice, because spinach has a lot of iron and line has a lot of vitamin c. Lentil soup with tomatoes is an other great choice lentils have a lot of iron and tomatoes a lot of vitamin C. quitting caffeine will also help you absorb iron better. caffeine with, after or before a meal, has been proven to lessen the amount of iron your body is able to absorb.
Most doctors recommend you take a good multivitamin, if you are so inclined. I would recommend that you take a multivitamin for woman since they have more iron and calcium that our bodies need.

To answer your tofu question: tofu is bland but very versatile you can cook it in a flavorful soup or marinate it, and/or stir fry it. I would recommend you buy a vegetarian cook book there are a lot of great choices and they are usually on sale.
Best of luck, 

Answer 4

It's really impossible to not to LOVE tofu. If you don't like it, you're just not playing. Play with your fu!

Take a tub of silk tofu. Take a package of chocolate chips. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Put the melted chips and the tofu in a blender. Add about a teaspoon of vanilla or mint if you want grasshopper pie.

Blend til smooth. Pour it all into either a graham cracker crust or an oreo crust (for grasshopper)

I love telling the non veggies I get my protein from dessert.

or

saute some onion with garlic and basil. Toss in medium tofu. "brown" the tofu. (it doesn't really get brown at all). Add spinach and saute. Add a can of tomato sauce and two heaping tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Cook til the sauce is warmed.

You've got Florentine pasta sauce. YUM.

Tofu Scramble

Again, saute some onion. Add about a teasoon of turmeric. Add your tofu. Add what ever veggies you like and another two heaping tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast. Serve with toast.