A vegetarian question?

Question

So I was thinking about becoming a vegetarian, after watching the documentary Kentucky Fried Cruelty and some other things on Tv and peta.com. I have come to realize how bad people treat animals and its not exactly all right to always eat them but I do love meat. So how could I get where I can stop eating meat and be pro-animals?

Answer 1

It is so good to hear that you feel pain for the suffering of animals. For some people becoming vegetarian is a gradual process and for some it is easier. When you say you love meat, it is because you have developed a taste for it. You see it's like when you are a smoker you love cigarette but when you quit you can't stand even the smell of smoke. Best thing to do is to get familiarized with veggie cooking and try to go to the vegetarian restaurants in your city, the health food stores....
www.happycow.net has a list of all the veggie restaurants... all over America. This is a good way to discover the delicious veggie options. Browse the recipes on the net, experiment with tofu....
As you might know there are many meat substitute on the market: Veggie burger, veggie dogs, veggie chicken nuggets...you name it.
http://www.bocaburger.com/product.html
http://www.yvesveggie.com/products.php?page=1
When you crave meat, just think of those videos and be conscious of what is on your plate and this will cut your appetite for a steak. Good luck.
"Animals are my friend and I don't eat my friends."
G.B Shaw

Answer 2

I think you really have to weigh out what's most important to you: eating meat and supporting animal cruelty, or missing out on the flavor and showing you support for changing such a considerably cruel industry. I was where you were at, and I grew up eating meat, I'll admit I liked it, but one day I just decided that consuming certain animal products meant I was supporting an industry that I didn't want to be supporting.
Open your eyes to a broad range or dietary choices. Often, when people choose to go vegetarian or vegan, they discover they have more options, as they're searching for many alternatives. There are also plenty of fake meats, that won't taste exactly the same as meat, but if you put a soy-burger on a bun with ketchup, cheese(if you eat cheese), and all the fixings, then you're not really going to be missing out.
Research how you'll start eating so you don't feel like you're running out of options as soon as you cut out meat. A lot of sites offer great vegetarian starter kits that explain more about the industry, plus have great recipes, info on new sources of nutrients, etc.
http://www.peta.org.uk/feat/UKvegkit/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.vrg.org/index.htm
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/

Answer 3

You are making a good and thoughtful decision. Yes, its a bit hard giving up meat, but eventually you will just be repulsed by it. I was a huge fan of all meats, and a gourmet chef, so it was a huge decision for me, but I simply couldnt accept contributing to the horrific conditions of those animals (you can tell by my avatar that now I am quite passionate about the issue) Just start adding in some beans (beans and cheese makes a killer taco or burrito with lettuce, tomato, avacado, taco sauce, etc) I dont miss meat at all. Just ease yourself into it, and feel free to email or post questions here. Well thoughout questions like yours will get good answers, though you will always get the ignorant dumb@*** veggie wannabees that tell you you MUST eat meat, or that being veggie is hippie, etc. Ignore them, and do whats best for you. I will be glad to help if I can

Answer 4

I just made general healthy changes to my diet for 20 years before I took the plunge and became a vegetarian. Might be best to start adding in vegetarian meals 2-3 days per week,and adding in more and more salads, cooked veggies and soups in the interim. See if you actually miss meat. To my great surprise, I do not miss meat at all and I've lost 13 lbs. and feel and look better.
Good luck.

Answer 5

Congratulations on making a wonderfully ethical and loving decision for not only our precious animal dears but also for your body...your temple!

Take it one day at a time. Slowly, deliberately and with a loving purpose, start eliminating meat from your diet. I am a very many years-long vegan. Many years ago I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian and gradually I became a vegan. I have never looked back.

Make friends with the many excellent products in your grocer's freezer that taste a lot like meat but have no meat products. Many are vegan but some are lacto-ovo products. Morningstar and Boca are wonderful products. Start using these in place of the meat in your diet. Go to the library and check out vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. You will find many, many delicious and delectible recipes that you can try. You will be amazed how wonderful this food tastes and how great YOU feel. Your health will improve if you stick to eating no meat.

If you are a very social person, find other vegans and vegetarians in your community. I was in the U.S. Army (a place in the 1980's that was virtually ALL meat-eaters). I found local German folks in the community where I was stationed who were also vegetarians. Having people like you to support you is wonderful and you will learn many health and cooking tips from your new friends.

Again, congratulations on your decision! We are all proud of you! Good luck, dear!

Answer 6

Im a vegetarian, its not that hard. You just need to try other things, that arent meat related, that you like. There are so many other foods in the world besides meat, try 'em!

Answer 7

It's pretty easy, actually. There are plenty of foods without meat, and you're probably already eating some of them. Try going meatless for a few days and see if you like it. There are all kinds of great vegetarian recipes on the internet.

There are also faux meat products, in case you're craving meat, but if you don't like those, don't let it put you off vegetarianism.

Answer 8

Being a veggie is a good thing. Just get your veggie balance right. You need some kind of protien if active. But I found if you get a Magic bullet, or a juice man, you can mix a lot of great drinks and smoothies that can really make you healthy without all the meat.

But meat is a major part of our food chain, you still need protien. Try eating fish or something like that. Chinese food is good for you to. Peanuts and beens carry a lot of proteins also.

Answer 9

You don't necessarily have to be vegan or vegitarian to be pro-animals, but I'd suggest just making foods that taste really good that don't have meat. Try going to sites like http://www.veganrecipes.com and http://www.veganoutreach.org/starterpack/recipes.html or http://goveg.com/order.asp Are you just going to be vegetarian or are you going to be vegan where you dont eat or drink dairy products either?

Answer 10

Hi. Here is all the best information I could give on the topic. I have included info on making your way through the transition, dealing with mean people,s cooking and using regular recipes you already know, websites, recipe sites and great vegan/vegetarian books.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-GXLd3H0hc6klMFe3HeGqSDn7SVlgijZ53gHnrrlGNoFgNut5?p=1


Good Luck
Take it at your own pace.