I plan on being a vegetarian, what should i do?

Question

besides not eating meat, etc.

Answer 1

I'm sorta/kinda looking into this myself. What little I know about it, is, that you MUST somehow replace the protein you will miss . I plan on using meal replacement supplements form GNC(45grams per serving). Other than that, I'll eat fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

Answer 2

Here's my story.

I planned on being a vegetarian for along time, but I was a severe meat addict. I knew it was wrong to eat meat becuase nothing I could think of gave me the right to kill an animal for my own enjoyment, but I still could not imagine a meal being satisfying without a hunk of meat.

About four years ago I was in the right relationship with someone who felt the same way (that helps) and was 17 and had been buying my own food for a while (also helps). One day we decided (while eating hamburgers) that we were really going to go for this vegetarian thing. We would start slowly, gradually reducing our meat intake, having some vegetarian meals and eating meat as little as possible until eventually we were free of it. We expected it would take several months.

I can't really explain how, but that hamburger was the last meat I ever ate.

(Okay, that's not fully true because I found out recently after eating a Hostess lemon pie that it is made with beef fat, which is really disturbing to me, but that was unintentional. I haven't sought or even craved meat since that day.)

The point is, if you want it and really believe in the ethical reasons behind it, it will be easy.

Also, don't listen to the people who show you their teeth and say "See these? They're called canines." Yes, meat eating was an important part of our evolution--we would not be where we are today without it) but we no longer need it. We are also biologically programmed to have sex with everything that moves, and to bash in the heads of rival clan leaders, but social etiquette tells us that that would be inappropriate. Just because something is biologically natural doesn't mean it's right.

Answer 3

First, make a commitment to become vegetarian. If my research is anything to go by, vegetarianism is not a well received choice in the US, so you must be committed.

Second, research. Become an avid student on the subject of vegetarianism, especially in the areas of dietic needs, nutritional balance, and sources of the things that meat provides the body.

Third, begin the change, SLOW. Stop buying all forms of meat, but continue to eat what you've stocked up on till it's all gone. No point wasting it. As your stocks of meat diminish, replace the space used for meat with the things your body needs, that contains the things that meat offers, protien, iron, etc.

Forth, inform your doctor you are undergoing this change, and have a broad set of blood tests done to find out the levels of calcium, cholesterol, blood pressure (systolic and distolic, and learn what they mean), heart rate at rest and under stress, iron, zinc, potassium, and anything else your doctor suggests.

Keep up the study, go for regular check ups with pathology, ask your trusted friends every now and then if you look aneimic, eat high protein foods when you feel your energy levels dropping, eat lots of raw vegetables for their enzymes, drink lots of still, positively alkaline, mineralised water, not counting tea, coffee, softdrink, or aything else your still water intake should be 2 litres per day or more.

Beyond that, you will have to make your questions more specific.

Answer 4

Join an online vegetarian message board. I recommend PETA2's Street Team, which has boards and gives you gifts for protesting animal cruelty. http://peta2.com/streetteam I also recommend not listening to those who believe that meat-eating is good for you. Take a look at this report the United Nations (yes, the UN) did about the horrible environmental impact meat has. http://www.virtualcentre.org/en/library/key_pub/longshad/A0701E00.htm Get lots of information, read about all the stuff you can't eat- including these things you probably didn't know about http://www.caringconsumer.org/resources_ingredients_list.asp . Find some vegetarian freinds to support you. Then, just go with it. The trip will be hard for the first year, then it will be second nature to you.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Research. Just don't stop eating meat. You have to study up on substitutes for the nutrients that you will no longer be getting from meat. A well planed vegetarian diet is very healthy, as long as you are eating a balanced variety of foods. For example, Instead of getting your calcium and whatever else from a glass of cow's milk(which is also filled with saturated fat and cholesterol) Drink a glass of soy milk or rice milk instead, I like chocolate soy milk... very tasty. Or instead of eating a big old fattening steak, substitute it with a nice tofu recipe. You can get all the nutrients that you need from a balanced vegetarian diet, without all of the bad things that go along with eating meat and dairy.

Answer 6

Why are vegetarians so much against eating meat. There's nothing unethical about it, and it isn't bad for you at all. Just eat meat, it's not going to save any animals from being slaughtered.

Answer 7

Though I still eat some meat, I try to have at least a few vegetarian meals a week. You could try meatless pizza, meatless spaghetti, veggie sandwiches (lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, mustard and a slice of fat free cheese). I personally do not feel it is wrong to eat fish or turkey, but your reasons for going completely vegetarian are up to you and none of my business. IMHO, it's easier to be lacto-ovo than vegan.

Answer 8

becoming vegetarian is a really healthy diet - only if you have your research and know what you're doing.
do some research on the foods you have to eat and how much nutrition you need everyday. because youre not going to have meat now, you need to have something that contains same amounts of protein and nutrition meat has.

so do your research!!!

Answer 9

Buy a good vegetarian cook book and by all means go to your local vegetarian market. They often have free cooking classes that will be a great boon to your producing balanced healthy meals. Many people will try to dissuade you however it can be a boon to health and an absolute asset when trying to loose wait. Remember to drink lots of water!

Answer 10

research, tell your parents, friends, etc, think of what you would do in certain cenarios, like if you went to your friends and they were having chili for dinner, think of recipes that you can use for lunch at school, think: are you going to eat seafood? a lot of vegetarians eat seafood, b/c theres nothing wrong with it, they dont put in any steroids etc, and join a vegetarian message board.