I want to become vegatarian but I don't know what to do first but I do not want to let go of milk?

Answer 1

I was a vegetarian 12 years and a vegan for 5. I am still non-dairy though I now eat meat. The most important thing is that you eat well balanced meals. Make sure you include a bean and rice combo as much as possible to get a complete protien. Try and avoid overly processed soy foods. Like veggie burgers and such because I feel like I poisoned myself with too much soy. Feremented soybeans (tempeh) are the only really healthy form.

It takes quite a bit of thought and effort to make this change. Too often people with high ideals stop eating meat and dairy and end up eating a bunch of junk food or overly processed crap. Especially if you are in your teens, it's important you get all your nutrients.

http://www.nutrispeak.com/bvegan.htm for vegans
lacto/ovo vegetarians eat eggs and milk but no meat...try this site:
http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/vn/change_to_vn.php

good luck

Answer 2

Conratulations on your decision. It is great news and an exciting tasteful road.
I am listing several sites you can go to for gudiance, recipes, support below.
To the person wanting to sell the "porterhouse cheaper" I say the price is gonna go up, as more than a million people a year go vegetarian! The fact that he/she mentions this, is further proof of that. And hopefully the price will become so high that the insanity of the slaughter 10 BILLION...THATS' BILLION , NOT MILLION animals per year are slaughtered just so we can have flesh on our plate...and so h/she can make a profit, while the worlds hungry are being deprived of the grain that was used to feed that "porterhouse"...is being squandered there... to the tune of 37% per year WORLDWIDE...this is gluttony, & greed, IMO. What do you think?
Regarding milk: Do you know that everytime you drink a glass of milk you are supporting the veal industry?. This industry takes newly born calves and rips them from their mothers teets, no longer to be together again. Then the industry chains that calf at the neck and permanently keeps them in a pen so small that they cannot turn around...in the dark. Why? because the so called "ranchers" (huh!), want them weak and to have no excercise. They are fed a substance that is void of iron and other minerals to keep the flesh "white". No excersise at all to keep the flesh white : this is veal.
How does drinking milk or eating cheese contribute to this? because the milk that should have gone to that calf was pumped in a plastic carton for you. This is done so you can drink the mucous and pus...YES, PUS....in the milk, which contributes to your poor health, babies alergies, obesity, heart disease, and some cancers. These are known well documented facts. See below. What is wrong with this picture?
Dear ones, I know it is hard to give up our tastes and habits, and traditions...but please consider the whole picture. Really it is not about us and our addictions (mine too). Nor is it about purity at all times...you need to take baby steps, learn and grow...get all the facts. Study the evidence. It is more about the slaughter of 10 billion animals, and exploiting their by-products that is WRONG! Do the best you can as soon as you can to stop the insanity. I refuse to give another dollar to an industry that does this to animals, the hungry and the planet.
Go Veg!

Answer 3

You do not have to let go of milk if you do not want to.
My suggestions as a strict vegetarian though would be to reserch some brands of milk and pick ones that you think are suitable. Factory farmed cows are often fed animal by products, the calfs are removed from the mothers and either rased as a milk cow or stud or sent to be veal, and they are all pumped full of hormones and antibiotics.
However more natural settings a human can still drink milk. A cow naturally procudes enough milk to feed 4 calves and usually only have 1 or 2.
Organic or free range milk may be a better choice but still researcht hem.
Free range means the cows can graze, organic means the cows have no hormones and eat organic feed.

Large Chain brands are usually factory farmed.
Local small name brands are most likely family owned farms.
Try taking a day and go on a drive int he counrty. Pack a lunch, a camera, a notebook, a map and some names of local dairy brands and see what your local dairy farms are like. If the farmers nto busy they are usually very nice and will even take you on a tour.

Organic milk can be factory farmed but is more likely to not be.
Horizons, safeways, and Aurora milks are factory farms with over 4000-8000 cows per farm who are fed only organic grain and cannot graze. These animals are transfered from non-organic farms with little transition period inbetween and when the cows get severly sick are often sold off to non-organic farms so they can be medicated.

Other organic brands are not this way, Organic Valley Milk had their own standards and all cows must be allowed access to green pasture (not mud pits) 245 days a year, the calfs are all allowed to nurse and are usually kept on organic farms as they have very strict transition rule to bring new cows in. Same with Wisconsin Organics.

Certified Human milk is similar to organic milk. The humane certification is supported by the ASPCA and the united states humane society. The cows must have access to green pasture for a large number of days, calfs are allowed to nurse, and must have humane living conditions. It is similar to organic in that the cows are fed organic food and are never given hormones, however if a cow gets sick or requires pain killing medication ofr any given reason they are allowed to give them this, however they are not allowed to be milked when given this. After the animal is better the milk is tested for residue fromt he medication and if it passes as cleant he cow is returned to the milking heard. (Some brands certified humane include grass point farms and Green pastures)

Answer 4

Try to find a local co op or dairy farm that has a cow share program where you can get lovely raw milk products. I own a share of a cow named Abigail, who is pampered and happy, and provides me with loads of fresh raw milk, which I then make into butter, yogurt, etc. You can also purchase raw milk products. I am a veggie, but I love my dairy too-just not the toxic commercial crap. Try rawmilk.com for more info. It was just the wake up call I needed to wrap my brain around it. I eat no meat or poultry, but I do want my butter and cream-gotta love that mac n cheese. Feel free to visit my blog at http://360.yahoo.com/profile-8un2KqU5fqcymrT5VxB0z8D4HEMAF4PLG8OJLQ--?cq=1 to learn more about raw milk and being a veggie

Answer 5

Drinking milk is fine. I'm a vegetarian and have been for 11 years. Although I don't drink milk, I like dairy and it's still part of my diet, I eat alot of cheese. You can make your diet to suit you. There is no set of rules. I know vegetarians who eat fish, even though i myself do not.
All supermarkets have vegetarian food, such as Tofu, Quorn(in England) so it's not a big problem finding vegetarian food to eat at home.
When you go out to eat, you might occasionally have a problem ordering vegetarian dishes that you like ( for instance I dont like certain vegetables or omelettes) but like 99% of the time it's fine.
Hope that helps!

Answer 6

Vegetarians drink milk, eat cheese, and eggs. They just don't eat anything that has lard in it, beef tallow, chicken broth, any meat products etc. Read labels carefully.

Answer 7

So, you're tired of being healthy, huh? Good for you. Think of all those Ghanans, Ethiopians, Biafrans, etc. who are vegetarian by necessity, and not much of that. You really won't miss all those essential amino acids - life's too long, anyway. That's the way it works out for them, anyway.

Or is it just the guilt over killing our fellow creatures? Ahh, if we could only get the salmonella to agree with you and let us live!

I look at it this way - if enough of you guys go veggie, maybe the price of my porterhouse will come down a little! Go for it!

Answer 8

i am a vegetarian .. specifically called a lacto-ovo vegetarian which means i do take dairy products and eggs in my body. Those are one of my sources of protein intake.. i also consume tofu and other soy products for protein as well and beans, nuts and seeds. there are plenty of foods you can. for me, i have been living this way now for over 17 years. good luck.

Answer 9

You dont have to let go of milk--thats veganism, which is when you dont eat anything from an animal--period. Vegetarian is just not eating meat.

Answer 10

Good for you,welcome to the humane soceity,you are on your way to a more healthier and stronger life style,in mind and body,with less germs and toxin in you,you will be nearer to nature,find out more at http://govege.com/vegetarian101.asp
and http://www.viva.org.uk