How hard is it to be vegetarian?

Question

i really have been getting more and more interested in becoming vegetarian and i was wondering how hard is it? should i just jumpstart it or go gradually into not eating meats? can i still eat fish?

**ok so since evrybody thought i meant like how hard is it to not eat meat, i meat moreso: how hard is it to cook and find vegetarian foods so that i can actually stick to the diet??**

Answer 1

Here are tips:

1. Take your time - my journey from meat eater took about a year.
2. Start out using some basic substitutes for the meat you are used to in foods where you won't even notice - ground meat replacements are available in the frozen food sections.
3. Leave meat off things that don't need it - pizza, salad, spag, etc.
4. Get some good cookbooks when you are ready to branch into more interesting foods - Moosewood books and New Farm Vegetarian are two of my favorites.
5. If you are worried about what to eat check out the book "Diet for a New America" it will cover many of the health questions.

A good start is to pick one or two nights a week as "veggie" night. Then work your way from there stopping wherever you feel most comfortable which might be 2 nights a week or 7 nights a week up to you.

Answer 2

Like anything else, it is easy once you know how. Many people do it gradually, first eliminating red meat, then poultry, then seafood, then dairy and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat animals, and fish are animals that live in water. The oceans are very polluted, so keep your fish consumption low, two to four servings a month.

If you eat mostly raw and sprouted foods you will get the very best in nutrition for your body and always be in vibrant health. There are many good books on food and nutrition, go to your local library or bookstore.

Answer 3

If you're really interested in becoming vegetarian, you'll be able to make it work with little or no difficulty with cutting yourself off from meat completely from the get-go.

The reason so many people fail (even those with the best intentions) is that they don't eat enough, and they associate being hungry with them not eating meat anymore and they end up quiting because of laziness and hunger.

So as long as you eat enough, (HEALTHY things) then you'll totally be able to stop eating meat with no problem. Make sure to stock up on lots of fruits and veggies, find the organic foods that are made with out animal products and you'll be just fine.

Answer 4

Vegetarians don't eat any meat or fish, but they still eat dairy and eggs. Vegans don't eat any animal products at all, so no dairy or eggs either. In my opinion this is the most consistent, but it's also the most difficult to get into as it requires a whole new style of cooking. Lots of people continue eating fish. They are not really vegetarians, but sometimes call themselves that because it's easier than trying to explain exactly what they eat when they get invited to a dinner party.

It's really up to you which you choose, and how quickly you go into it. It also depends on your reasons for doing it (ethical vs economical vs health). If you've been brought up to expect meat every dinner, it might be easier to cut it out gradually while you learn to cook different things. This will make sure that you still get all the nutrients you need, because you can't keep eating the same food minus the meat. Get yourself a vegetarian cookbook, and start learning to make different things. Make sure you still get iron (from dark green veggies). Vegetarians get their protein from pulses (beans and lentils), cheese, eggs and nuts. Vegans get it just from pulses and nuts. If you're really attached to meat but want to make a clean break, get yourself some soya meat products (sausages, burgers, mince). Vegan is harder to order in restaurants or explain to friends (sometimes they do strange things like taking out the cheese but leaving in the milk). If you choose this option then I'd recommend doing it gradually. You could start by replacing your milk with soya milk to get used to the taste.

Whichever option you choose, it starts feeling very normal and is not difficult at all when you get used to it. In fact, when I tried to eat meat again (after several years) I found that I just didn't like the taste any more. I find vegetarianism to be cheaper and healthier than my friends' diets, and if I'm making a meat dish like lasagne I just put in soya mince or lentils or extra cheese instead of meat. I'm doing it largely for health reasons though, so I have a policy of eating whatever people cook for me if they didn't know I was vegetarian. Makes dinner parties much easier, and I figure the animal's dead now anyway and the food will go to waste (whereas if I bought meat myself I would be causing the death of more animals in the meat industry).

Answer 5

Congrats on a great choice! I became a vegetarian a year ago because...I love animals! It will be hard the first month or so, and sometimes you get meat cravings. But the truth is, there is so much vegetarian food that tastes good out there! I love the garden burgers, margarita pizzas, pasta, rice, noodles, veggie stir fry, etc...there is so much out there! Just make sure you don't replace a lot of your food with cheese. And, make sure you get enough protein. I put soymilk on my cereal instead of reg. milk...one, it tastes good, and two, it's a good protein source. Other good sources are edimomi, peanut butter, soymilk smoothies, rice, beans etc.

Here is a good soymilk smoothie recipe:
1 cup of orig. soymilk, 1 banana, 1 cup of strawberries, and ice in a blender. Makes a good smoothie! If you want to change it, choose a diff. flavor soymilk or diff. fruits! Good luck and don't give up! You're saving lives!

www.goveg.com

It's a lot easier if you have friends and family supporting you too...if they aren't, look on google for vegetarian/vegan penpal sites.

Answer 6

If your motives are sincere, you won't care how hard it is. As far as the best way to ease into the transition, it depends on your body chemistry--so you should consult a professional nutritionist.

You may also want to start with a few days of detox cleansing (just juices and leafy greens) to get all the meat hormones and chemicals out of your system before settling into your normal vegetarian diet.

Answer 7

Nope, you can't eat fish. I did it cold turky and didn't really have any problems besides the fact that I missed chocolate and cheese. I fixed my chocolate problem by finding really good vegan chocolate. As for cheese, I just got over it. I don't miss it anymore at all and I've only been vegan six months. I'd say it was really easy, but others have a harder time. I guess it all depends on the person.
Word of advice though. Those soy meats really help.

Answer 8

A vegetarian does not eat fish.

You are, obviously, free to eat fish if you want, but please do not call yourself a vegetarian if you do so.

There is nothing in meat that makes it addictive so i would recommend a clean break.

If you wean yourself off it you will be constantly reminding yourself you are "reducing" or "limiting". i think thats the wrong attitude, you should be thinking "great, i'm free from that stuff now look at the vast range of foods i can eat"

Its easy to be a veggie, just do it. there is no need to supplement your diet with pills or protien, just eat a balance of fruit, veggies, nuts, cereals and dairy.

I've been veggie for 27 years and am never ill.

Answer 9

I tried to be a vegetarian and I just find meat too tempting. Soy meat is disgusting but I love soy milk. I think it taste awesome. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 10

ive been a vegetarian since june 5th and im doing great . i didnt find it hard at all .. just watch out for foods hidden with gelatin( animal product) .. theyre in marshmellows and poptarts and most yogurts. and 99% of cheese contain animal rennet .. it can be hard to pick out certain things