new vegetarian?

Question

I just turned vvegetarian

So does anybody have a list of things that i can eat that will easily start me out as a vegetarian

And yws i can cook so if there recipes or anything i just need someone to help me get started

O btw im doing this for the animals

Answer 1

PETA's website has lots of great info, and you can sign up to get a free Vegetarian Starter Kits. They're website also has links to recipes, new products and lists of vegetarian friendly foods.

Answer 2

My daughter is 19 and now in college, but over the years she has gone on and off again vegetarian. As a mom, it was tricky trying to make certain that she had a balanced diet and still got all of the nutrition that she needed. I always admired her will power at the table to stick to her meal while we ate her old favorites. Lucky for you there are a whole bunch of soy / tofu products on the market that make meals more familiar to the new vegetarian - however, with some of them - you have to get use to the taste (Morning Star burgers, Meatless Meatballs, etc). My daughter already enjoyed fruits and veggies, so that part was easy - especially since you can get a lot of nutritional mileage out of them. But making sure she got enough protien was the tricky part - one can only eat so much tofu and peanut butter. We found things like legumes (peas), beans (kidney beans), and nuts (especially almonds) were great alternatives. Pasta meals are also a good choice - but one can only eat so much pasta. Each time she chose to go vegetarian it would take her a week or two to get into the routine, but once there she always said that she felt healthier. She would remain vegetarian for 6 mos to a year at a time and then REALLY needed a steak (and then she was a meat eater again). However know that going from vegan to meat eater is a harder transition than going from meat eater to vegetarian, as once your body gets use to not having it - it forgets how to process it. My daughter always wound up pretty ill for the first week or two after eating meat after being vegetarian. If you are serious about becoming a vegetarian, you will need to become serious about reading product labels - not only to make sure that the product doesn't include meat, but also to consider the amount of nutrition you are actually getting from it. You are alway better off eating the product that has 9 grams of protein instead of 3 grams, etc...Good luck!

Answer 3

Definitely try out the mock meat products, you can get that at basically any grocery store and they are typically frozen, although they make refrigerated lunch meats and that kind of stuff. These days the fake stuff is usually REALLY close in taste to real meat especially if you cook it the same way you would real meat (the same spices, oil, liquid smoke, etc.)... however, mock meat is highly processed stuff, and so it's not really ideal to eat all the time. Just experiment a lot, double up on your veggies and be conscious of what you're eating! Contrary to the beliefs of many non-veggies who don't know anyone who is a veggie, your diet doesn't have to (and certainly shouldn't) consist of iceberg lettuce salads and beans. Good luck! :)

Answer 4

Just don't eat real meat. You can eat anything else that's food! It's that simple! You can eat dairy products as a vegetarian! Some Vegetarians go one step farther and don't use soaps made from lard ( animal fat) Others go further and become Vegans! See your local library and ask for books on being a Vegetarian!
Or go to your local book store. I was recently at a Used book store and I seen lots of Vegetarian Books there!

Answer 5

Start checking labels. Gelatin (horse or cow hooves. Hello, I don't chew on my own toenails!) is in almost everyting, including yoghurt, icecream and lots of candy. So unfair! Gippsland yoghurt (if you can find it) is amazing and hoof free, as is Connisuer icecream. Substitute mushrooms and spinach. Use a grilled field mushroom instead of a hamburger patty. Make sure you keep an eye on your iron levels. Seriously, it's not too hard. I haven't eaten meat in about 8 years, and the only time I miss it is when I have a hangover (which is apparently due to low iron). Search recipe sites for ideas (BBC Food is fabulous) Good luck!!! E-mail me if you want me to send you some recipe ideas.

Answer 6

I have been a vegetarian for over 30 years, mainly for the health benefits. Probably the hardest time to stay vegetarian is when eating out. I think that Italian, Mexican, Indian, and Chinese, in that order, are the restaurants that I find it the easiest to stay vegetarian and still have a good meal. As far as eating at home, there are so many choices that it is really easy to find foods that you'll like, and eventually you won't miss meat as much as you might fear. I do eat a lot of beans, but since my wife and kids all eat the same food, we all pass gas together! We keep the meat substitutes to a minimum, not because we don't like them, but because we think they aren't as healthy as emphasizing fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts. As a former meat eater, I don't think the meat substitutes taste much like real meat, but I like many of them anyway. I also grew up drinking a lot of (cow's) milk, but now I actually prefer soymilk to cow's milk. That transition took me about 5 years to accomplish.

Answer 7

there are different reasons for people to become vegetarians. I'm not a fan of any of them. If its trying to lose weight and be healthy, you should start by eating a balanced diet, say away from Junk food and limit your intake as well as get some exercise. You've already decided to make a lifestyle change, make a healthy choice.


Most vegetarians I know overcook everything. I have the utmost respect for simple things like steamed vegetables and sauteed spinach. I try and use every part of the animal and not just eat steaks.

All things in moderation, get outside and be active, have fun.

Answer 8

It's very commendable of you to choose to do it for the animals. A vegetarian diet is equally (if not more) healthy and satisfying as any other meat diet. Here's a great link that has many quick and easy vege meals. I've tried some of the recipes. It's really good. Some of these dishes can be eaten together with rice or bread.

http://godsdirectcontact.us/com/vegetarian/alternativeliving/recipe/index.htm

Just click on the English recipe title in green. Enjoy!

Answer 9

Cooking vegetarian means no meat or meat byproducts. Lacto vegetarians do eat some dairy products.

BTW if you want to be a true vegetarian, do NOT wear leather clothes or shoes, that is an animal product.

Answer 10

well when you are a vegetarian you never eat meat ( well everybody knows that ) but also you have to never critisize an animal or hurt them vegetarians are people who care about the world and the people who live on it so no meat no hurting animals and you should fit right in !