Turning Partly Vegetarian.?

Question

I have decided to cut out alot of meat. But everytime I bring up the idea my family sorta gives me a weird look like im kidding. So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas like on how I could cut out some meat, but not all of it. And keep my family happy with the issue.

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.

Answer 2

There is no such thing as being partly vegetarian. Cutting down on meat is great but you'd still be an omnivore. Unfortunately, nobody here knows you or your family and really cant give advise about how to keep them happy. Perhaps you should research the topic on what eating too much meat can do to your health and show them.

Answer 3

Oh, forget your family! It's YOUR decision! It's not like you're telling them to stop eating meat, too!!

When I first wanted to become a vegetarian, my dad kind of gave me a hard time about it too, and he told me that it would just be some kind of weird phase for me.

2 1/2 years later, I am still vegetarian AND vegan now, and I think at this point he knows that it is not just some silly phase. It is my lifestyle, belief and support system.

Why do you want to be vegetarian? Is it for health reasons? For moral reasons?

If it is for health reasons, then it would be good for you to cut down your meat consumption. You can eat less meat, and be okay. But if it is for moral reasons, then just stop eating all meat! By eating some meat you are indeed supporting animal slaughter. As long as you continue to eat meat, animals will continue to be slaughtered for you.

In a recent statistic, every vegetarian saves the lives of 95 farm animals annually. I think that is pretty damn good. I feel proud knowing that I am saving almost 100 animals a year. I am probably saving even more than that because I am vegan.. So maybe 150?

Anyway.. like I said.. Ignore what your family thinks. They will get over it once they know that you are being serious. Don't try to get them to think the same way you do. If they really love you, they will respect your decision to become a vegetarian.

And don't worry about missing meat products. They have so many great tasting meat substitutes on the market. Morningstar Farms has very tasty chick'n strips and steak strips. Boca brand has awesome tasting breaded chick'n patties, and their hamburgers aren't bad either.
Tofurky makes great tasting veg. italian sausage...

You can find a lot of awesome meat substitutes out there.

Good luck dealing with their family! I honestly think that they would respect your decision to go veg. if you completely stop eating meat. Otherwise they may just think that it is just a silly phase you are going through. Also, if you do not allow yourself to have any meat, it will be easier, in my opinion, to stay off the meat. Because if you have a little here and there, temptation may lie for you to eat even more meat.. It's kinda like going on a diet. If you restrict all.. let's say fast food... then you will generally be better at not having it. It is addicting, you know? In the same way meat (and dairy) is. But if you say you can have fast food a few times a week.... You may find yourself going even more.. and more... until soon you just say "ah screw it. I'm just going to eat what I want!!"

Well, good luck! When I went veg. I went cold turkey (hehe or cold tofurkey) and didn't miss meat. Like I said, it's like a drug.. it's addicting, and when you stop, you don't really crave the dead animal flesh anymore.. sometimes you may crave similar flavors, but those are the flavors of what you would normally cook the meat in, that the meat takes on the flavor of. So you can just do the same with tofu, or like I mentioned earlier, getting a meat substitute.

Answer 4

hehe well 1. there is no such thing as being partly vegetarian. you either are or your not.
2. if you really want to become vegetarian, just do it. don't take the meat portion of the meal at dinner. have a bp&j sandwich instead of a lunch meat one. don't eat jello or marshmellows or anything else with gelatin. if your family really has that big of a problem with you cutting out all red meats, poultry and fish, then make your own meals. going veggie is really easy. if they need to be persuaded more, than research the meat industry and gather facts and present them to your family. if you want to go veggie, there really is no good reason not to.

Answer 5

Not eating meat or anything containing meat would make you a vegetarian but what type of vegetarian you are is a personal choice. You can be a lacto ovo, still consume dairy, or a struict vegetarian, one who cuts out all dairy and anything to do with animals.

Answer 6

Well, instead of pepperoni pizza, have cheese. Instead of chicken nuggets, have the chickenless ones. Instead of burgers, have veggie burgers. All you have to do is gradually eliminate it, and eat whatever they serve you, that isn't meat. There is lots of pasta, salads, noodles, etc. Look for good vegetarian recipes, and then make them for your family...they may have a new favorite meal! :-D

Go to: goveg.com
Read: At Teenager's Guide To Going Vegetarian
Get: The Teenage Vegetarian Cookbook

Answer 7

Well I think that maybe you can still eat all the non-meat stuff you like to eat but eat the meats that you really like! Not the ones that aren't you favorite!

Answer 8

So I guess you don't eat meat anymore?