How I go about eating healthy as new vegetarian?

Question

So couple of days ago diced that I would like to commit to a vegetarian lifestyle and then later on like years later(after I get the hang of being vegetarian)go vegan.How would I go about eating healthy as new vegetarian.This only my second day.I am willing to do it.Also if you could list some nuteains when I say nutrients I mean victiam c,iron,victiam d and all the other nurteins I need as a growing 17 girl.Also if u could post some websittes that you think will be helpfully.Maybe even some books to read.any thing else u think I need to know.thanks in advance.(I am so sorry about the very bad spelling.I'm already a bad speller but without my spell check it makes me look worst.sorry bout the spelling mistakes my check speller is ******* broken.damn it)

to the first 2 people u are.u guys don't what u are talking about.

Answer 1

A balanced plant-based diet includes grains(breads, pasta, rice,cereal), legumes(soy, beans, peas, lentils), fruit and vegetables.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/food_groups.html
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/eating.html
Being vegan can be an art, one whose challenge is to take things that involve the suffering of the innocent and change them into something free of cruelty.

If you want to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian, the transition should be quite simple. Almost all meats have widely available commercial replacements. All that you have to do is replace any flesh in your diet (beef, pork, poultry, seafood) with meat analogs or just leave it out altogether.

You should keep in mind that a journey such as this can be quite short but should just be the beginning of a longer one to a plant-based diet with no animal products. This is because of the reality of factory farming in which animals that are kept alive to produce milk, eggs, etc suffer much more and longer than animals that are raised to a certain weight and then slaughtered.http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
http://meat.org
Some people use the word "vegan" in reference to this idea, but be aware that that applying that label to yourself should always come with the inclusion of wise activism and advocacy.http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/index.html
Two extremely important examples of this are that you should never speak to someone about vegetarianism/veganism without their consent and genuine interest or as a comment on what they are eating AND your dietary beliefs should never be used as an introduction or explanation of who you are as a person. Veg*ism should be something that comes up AFTER people get to know you and they offer you a situation that makes it confusing to withhold the information/dicussion. Also, if you are presented something that you choose not to eat or you are
ordering food/eating together somewhere/picking the best place to eat.

When you you hold off on the subject until it's necessary and then act like it isn't a big deal at all, people are usually surprised and WAY more interested and curious than if you were to bring it up when someone's eating or just using it as a conversation starter.

A vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.

Technically the term "vegetarian" does imply that you don't consume anything that comes from the body of an animal that requires killing it. Many ingredients such as gelatin and glycerin are found in many candies, Fig-Newtons, and many of other foods as well as rennet found in many cheeses.
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html
The best thing to remember is to take your time so that for example: when you are comfortable not eating beef and pork you can then give up chicken when you are sure you can make the commitment permanently.
Depending on your age or reliance on parents or regional options, it may not be best to give yourself a label. The important thing is to do your best to make progress and be committed to your compassion towards animals. Never put your focus onto what you or other people use to describe yourself.

If you meet someone that talks down to people for eating meat, dairy, etc or to you because they think they are "more veg" than you, laugh in their face and tell them they are a disgrace to the entire philosophy. People like this only hurt the idea of veg*ism AND the animals. The point of all of this is to live compassionately and and as free from cruelty as you can, all the while maintaining your health and a positive attitude. People who don't maintain either, need not open their mouths and represent our beliefs.

If you actually choose to read all of this, I hope it helps. If not, feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.

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I'm vegan and these are some of my favorite things to eat:

Breakfast: bananas, cream of wheat with brown sugar and soy butter, cereal, pancakes or french toast with real maple syrup, vegan "sausage" patties, smoothies.

Lunch: VEGAN "SAUSAGE" SANDWICHES, sandwiches with vegan deli slices(Tofurkey is the only one that's kinda funky), fruit, dinner leftovers, couscous salad, vegan sushi, potato or pasta salad.

Dinner: sloppy joes, "sausage" and gravy with homemade biscuits, Spaghetti and Trader Joe's "meatballs" or TVP, lasagna, Thai pad see ew, pad khi mao(drunkard's noodles), pad prig king, tofu+eggplant with basil sauce, yellow thai curry with tofu or vegan chikn and veggies and jasmine rice, Indian dal with homemade roti or dosai, channa masala, aloo gobi, vegetable or minestrone soup, pizza, STEAMED "PORK" BUNS with potstickers or spring rolls, sweet&sour/orange/lemon chikn, vegan pho or wonton soup

I use these sites to find recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://vegweb.com
http://www.recipezaar.com

Answer 2

The most important thing is to eat a varied diet. This is a great opportunity to try out a lot of new things, rather than just stripping the meat out of your current diet and calling it good. Ever tried hummus? Quinoa? Tofu?

Most new vegetarians are worried primarily about protein and iron. You can get protein in almost everything: dairy and eggs if you're retaining those in your diet, whole grains, soybeans and soy products, nuts and seeds, beans and other legumes (peas, lentils, peanuts, chickpeas,) dark green vegetables, even mushrooms. You can find iron in your drak green veggies, beets, dried fruits (apricots are a good source,) blackstrap molasses, fortified breads and cereals, and quinoa. As long as you're eating a varied, balanced diet, your vitamins will all be there.

An old classic is Frances Moore Lappe's "Diet for a Small Planet." If you pick up an old copy, just know that you can ignore the part about combining proteins at each meal - even the author has said that it's not necessary because your body basically takes care of completing proteins on its own. Another is John Robbins's "Diet for a New America" and "May All be Fed." For general nutrition info, check out some of Andrew Weil's books, like "Natural Health, Natural Medicine" and "The Healthy Kitchen." Dr Weil is not a vegetarian, but he does support minimizing the consumption of animal proteins and includes a lot of solid nutritional information in his books.

Answer 3

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 4

It is very difficult to be completely vegetarian I think. In this world where meat is such a staple. But I personally eat very little meat. The best sources of iron are dark vegetables like beets and spinach. That is a very important nutrient. You can get protein from many sources. peanuts or peanut butter (actually any kind of nut) beans (all kinds) soy can be flavored as meat which makes things a bit easier. If you're just wanting to be healthier start slowly. Cut out the red meat. You can make just about anything from turkey (like bacon and sausage) that taste better than pork cause it doesn't have all that fat! Seeing all that grease just chruns my stomach. You can eat healthy without cutting meat out completely. When you cook your vegetables steam them. Steaming actually brings out the flavor and the vitamins in the veggies while boiling just boils all of them away. Whatever you decide base it on what your body is used to. If you usually eat meat every day & you do want to cut it out completely take it slow or it can be a shock to your system. Be careful. Do research on herbs. I take some of those too. You can find an herb for just about anything, but learn about what you are putting in your body & try not to shock your system.

Answer 5

These healthy recipes showcase some of the staples of vegetarian cuisine and provide tasty culinary inspiration and cooking tips for every veggie lover. Cooking Tips: Tofu or “soybean curd” is made by heating soy milk and a curdling agent in a process similar to dairy cheese making. Allowed to stand and thicken, the curds form silken tofu. When stirred and separated from the whey, the pressed curds, with their spongier texture, are known as “regular” tofu. The longer the pressing, the firmer and denser the tofu—soft, firm or extra-firm. Crumble and use instead of the meat in your favorite tuna or chicken salad recipe; dice and add to a vegetable stir-fry; add leftover silken tofu to smoothies. Edamame are fresh soybeans (also called “sweet beans”) that look like bright green lima beans and have a sweet and mild flavor. Edamame are easy to digest and are exceptionally high in protein (1⁄2 cup has 16 grams). You’ll most likely find frozen, partially cooked edamame—in pods or shelled—but fresh ones might turn up at farmers’ markets or natural-foods stores. Use the bean (the pods are inedible) in salads and tossed into stir-fries or soups. Quinoa, often referred to as a “superfood” for its many nutritional benefits, is a delicately flavored grain that was a staple in the ancient Incas’ diet. It is available in most natural-foods stores and many supermarkets. Toasting the grain before cooking enhances its flavor and rinsing removes any residue of saponin, quinoa’s natural, bitter protective covering. Tempeh is a chewy, nut-flavored soybean loaf (often combined with rice and millet) that has been allowed to ferment briefly. The grains are covered with a whitish mold, which is fully edible. Crumble a little into scrambled eggs, slice and sauté to make a veggie burger, or use like meat in stir-fries, stews or tomato sauce.

Answer 6

The problem that gives vegetarism a bad name is the fact people only eat vegetables when converting and they dont do their research. They skip meals because there is a bit of planning required and they just dont research. If you have no time for a packed lunch buy a peanut butter and salad whole grain roll (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoe and cheese) at the canteen. If you have no time for preparing a vegetarian dinner bake some potatoes in the oven and keep them in the fridge (cooked) to reheat with a can of bake beans and some cheese. Grab a museli bar for breakfast and a milk shake. But dont skip meals its very bad. Remember your staples and if you dont know them read up - one is peanut butter, another is whole grain bread, tofu, pulses and legumes which include lentils and beans, another is brown rice, there is also tempeh and meat substitues such as TVP (textured vegetable protein. Read, Read, Read. There are some web sites below. The first one is highly recommended. - you need to add protein and carbs - Read read read

Also go wandering around your delis and markets and checkout the vegetarian food sections, there are 1000s of pickles, spreads, marinated tofu, french green lentils etc that can be added to the vegetarian diet to diversify - limited by your imagination.

I would also recommend that you go to the local library and borrow some books also hit the web sites. Google Vegetarian diet. You will find 100s of web sites. Go to the Vegetarian society where you will find 1000s of nutritious recipes that are diverse and meatless, some are vegan and they are tasy also and easy to prepare.

Also read up on vegan recipes and dont confuse the two. remember vegans eat no animal products what so ever but vegetarians only eat products from live animas - honey, yeast, butter, dairy, milk, eggs etc. And pesco vegetarians eat fish and vegetables. I am a pesco vegetarian and I eat salmon. I dont like killing 2/4 legged animals and I also eat main vegetarian for health reasons.

Here are a couple of recipes from the Vegetarian Society
Queensland Australia

Apple and wild rice salad
1/2 cup Doongara rice
1/4 cup wild rice
1 medium apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh orange juice (or unsweetened apple juice)
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup seedless red grapes
1 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp chopped pecans (optional)
Sourdough bread to serve (optional)
Instructions 1) Cook the Doongara and wild rice separately. Drain, combine and cool.

2) In a large bowl, toss together the apple, juice and vinegar. Add grapes, raisins, coriander, oil and pepper. Stir in the rice, cover and chill.

3) Stir the pecans through the salad. Serve with sourdough bread if desired.

Ingredients
baked potatoes
12 small roasting potatoes
2 tbsp vegan margarine
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
to taste sea salt
½ tsp rosemary chopped
to garnish fresh rosemary sprigs


1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut in half lengthways so they sit flat.
3. Slice into each one ¾ of the way through at 5mm intervals keeping them joined at the base.
4. Place the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the potatoes from the saucepan and drain.
6. Melt the margarine in a baking tray with the oil. Add the rosemary, salt and black pepper to the mixture.
7. Place the potatoes into the tray, cut side up, and spoon over the mixture, coating well.
8. Roast in the centre shelf of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
9. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

Vegan
Serves 6
Advocado and lime salad
Ingredients:
1 crisp lettuce, finely shredded
50g/2oz watercress, washed and roughly chopped
½ cucumber, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 bunch spring onions, sliced on the slant
2 avocado pears, peeled, stoned and diced
2 rings of pineapple (canned), cut into chunks
3 limes, juice only
1 clove garlic, crushed
45ml/3tbsp olive oil
to taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Method:
1. Mix the shredded lettuce and watercress together and scatter over a serving platter.

2. In a bowl, mix the cucumber, pepper, spring onions, avocados and pineapple together and reserve.

3. Whisk the lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together to make a dressing. Add to the chopped vegetable mixture and mix well. Spoon over the lettuce and watercress and scatter the coriander over the top.

4. Chill the salad for about 30 minutes before serving.

Copyright The Vegetarian Society's Cordon Vert Cookery School 1999

Broad Bean, Lemon and Sage Dip
SERVES 4 - VEGAN

15ml/1tbsp sunflower oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
225g/8oz silken tofu
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 lemon, zest and juice
75ml/5tbsp soya milk
15ml/1tbsp shoyu
15g/1tbsp sage leaves, chopped
100g/4oz broad beans, cooked
salt and freshly ground black pepper

GARNISH

reserved lemon zest



1. Heat the oil and gently fry the onion until softened.Cool.

2. Drain the silken tofu and place in a blender.Add the crushed garlic, lemon juice and half the zest, soya milk, shoyu, sage and broad beans.
Blend to a smooth dipping consistency. Season to taste and serve in a bowl garnished with reserved lemon zest with raw vegetable crudites and pitta bread fingers.

Answer 7

eat nuts and lots of cheese and eggs. i still eat eggs for protien. also keep an open mind about tofu so try it. it picks up the taste of whatever you cook it with. there are veggie burgers, nuggets, hotdogs.
--> here is a vegetarian food pyramid http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/images/vegetarian-food-pyramid.jpg make sure you get the required amount of everything you are supposed to have

Answer 8

That they are good for health, however if you are asking which is better for diet in this instance all vegetables would do well

Answer 9

baked potatoes
quiche
salad
soup
veggies
stir frys
omlettes
pizzas (low fat)

Answer 10

eat a lot of fish and vegi burgers. and the most important thing. eat a lot of beans and spinach. it gives you protein. because you are not eating meat you are not getting enough protein. if you dont get enough protein u can become anemic. my sister almost became anemic because she is a vegeterian too.