becoming a vegetarian?

Question

I saw the most sicken and sadness video about animals what the ppl do to them.so sad..any way..getting off the subject.I want to be a vegetarian.Where do I start.I kind of how an idea(looked it up on wikipedia).I know what vegetarian I want to be Ovo vegetarian.How would I eat and thing like that.What kind of food would I need and things like that.any thing would be very helpfully I am very new at this.I am 17 girl.I know I want to do for real.thanks a million.

then I think couple of years(after I get the hang of being vegetarian)I will go vegan

Answer 1

Congratulations on making an important decision for your life and the lives of many animals!

Assuming (since you're 17) that you live with your parents and that you don't prepare many of your own meals, I suggest that you talk to the other people in your home who do cook and try to find ways to incorporate vegetarian food into your meals. For example, if your mom/dad/whoever is making spaghetti with meatballs for dinner, ask them to set aside some tomato sauce for you before they add the meatballs to the sauce. or if you're having tacos for dinner, skip the meat and substitute it with refried beans (if using canned, check to make sure there's no lard in them -- lots of cans of refried beans will say "vegetarian blend" so look for those). also, feel free to check out

Here's a good website to get some ideas to start you off: http://www.vegcooking.com/
That website also contains some useful info, such as a list of major fast food and chain restaurants and what vegetarian items they offer (besides green salads and french fries!), and lists of "hidden" animal ingredients (such as lard, rennet, and stearic acid) to look out for on product labels. By the way, this website is connected to PETA, so you might run into some of their views as you surf the site. Regardless of your opinion on all of PETA's policies, this is a really good website for recipies and other such info. Just skip over the rhetoric if you're not interested in it.

Also, check out Vegetarian Times magazine. It's full of great recipies and other interesting articles. Here's their website: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/....

If you like to cook, go to Amazon or another online bookstore and search vegetarian cookbooks. You'll find TONS of cookbooks, and that can be a great way to start (I'm certain you can even find some that specialize in Southern-style cooking, and that might help you feel more comfortable cooking without meat).

Also, I have a blog where I've been posting recipies that I've culled from my cookbook collection and that I've sort of made up on my own:
http://thosearethemoneybeets.blogspot.co...
I have things on there like chili, meatless hamburgers from scratch, spaghetti with marinara and meatless-balls, pasta salad, etc.

I've found that you can make some of your favorite foods into vegetarian meals pretty simply. In some cases, it's just as simple as removing the meat or chicken. For example, chili without meat -- add extra beans or some veggie instead; spaghetti with marinara sauce; veggie pot pie -- just remove the chicken and add extra veggies; pizza with mushrooms, peppers, olives, etc..

Or you can try substituting the meat in your favorite recipies with a vegetarian protein source. This can be tricky at first, since cooking and eating tofu and seitan, etc., can take some getting used to. You may want to start off with some of the "faux meats" by Boca, Morningstar Farms, and Light life -- the first two can be found in the freezer cases of most grocery stores, and Lightlife, which I think makes the best tasting products, is usually in the dairy case at places like Whole Foods and Wild Oats, etc.

Convenience foods: look for vegetarian frozen meals -- they're tasty and convenient, and can give you some ideas of foods that you can try to make from scratch. I highly recommend anything by the following brands: Amy's (all of Amy's frozen meals and canned soups are vegetarian), Moosewood (frozen meals and frozen soups are all vegetarian), Seeds of Change (some frozen meals are vegetarian, some are not). Also, Boca and Morningstar make vegetarian burgers, chicken patties, chicken nuggets, riblets, etc. They're all pretty tasty -- just don't expect them to taste exactly like the real thing, because they don't, but they still taste good. You're going to have to try a lot of things and find your favorites, and you'll find some duds along the way, but don't get discouraged! Think of it as a dietary adventure (ok, that sounds silly, but the point is that you need to have an open mind and try things that you wouldn't otherwise buy because they're not familiar to you).

If you like mexican food (it's one of my favorites), then you're in luck -- you can take just about any of your favorite mexican dishes and make them vegetarian by simply skipping the meat or chicken and using beans (black, pinto, or refried) and rice. Then load on the veggies -- tomato, avocado, olives, you name it! I've also found that scrambling or frying an egg and adding it to a burrito or taco is awesome.

I hope that helps you a bit! Best of luck to you. If it helps, I can honestly say that after 4 months on a vegetarian diet, I feel happier and healthier than ever. I'll never go back. It's better for my health, for the environment, and most importantly to me (and this was my main motivation) for the animals!

Answer 2

Your concern for animals is very valuable and there are not many people out there like you who are willing to stop thier part in the cruelty that goes on within the meat and dairy industry. I applaud you for making this decision. My advise is to start as fast or as slow as you need. You can first start by eliminating red meat, then chicken and pork, and then finally fish. If you need to, take it in steps. However, I decided to go vegan a couple of months ago after watching a movie called Earthlings, (very graphic and disturbing but can be found on the internet, do a Google search) and I did not hesitate to stop the consumption of all animal products from there on. That means no dairy, eggs, etc. This might seem drastic to some people, especially those who haven't been introduced to the cruelty that goes on within these industries, but for me it was quite an easy decision. I guess what I am trying to say is that every one is different and takes different roads to vegetarianism and hopefully to veganism. I recommend going to http://veganfreak.net/, even if you are not a vegan and are thinking about becoming a vegetarian. The website features a really cool podcast which you can download at http://veganfreakradio.com/

There are forums, information, and tons of open minded people to help answer your questions. I would start by listening to the podcast. They are funny, and quite interesting. Good luck on your moral journey.

Answer 3

There are a number of resources for people considering going vegan. I prefer Compassion Over Killing (www.cok.net) to PETA not only because I know many of the people there, but because they don't rely on shock tactics to get their point across. A good website for nutritional information is Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org).

I have to tell you that eggs are one of the crueler products out there. The hens are crammed in cages for as many as 18 months with up to 7 other hens in a cage the size of a file drawer.

Try to find a vegetarian group--even a Meetup--in your area. They will help you become and stay vegetarian, preferably vegan.

Good luck and good for you!

Answer 4

Start off being lacto-ovo. it is way easier. that is how I started. Just eat your favorite meals without meat for awhile , mine was pasta, soups, etc. then start trying out fake burgers (boca, gardenburger) with cheese. Then trying eating other stuff with alot of calcium to get your body used to not eating meat. Drink alot of soymilk to (my fav is vanilla silk). Then start eating things without dairy. I also recommend a brand called YVES that should either be in you frozen section or organic section of your supermarket (i go to publix) they have AMAZING meals already pre-made that are delicious vegan stuff. also try out AMY's frozen vegetarian meals. if you want good fast food go to subway or quizno's for their veggie subs. pretty soon it becomes habit, and now i feel healthier and better now. good luck! thanks for being awesome. i am a 15 girl veggie for a year and a half.

Answer 5

I recently began being vegetarian (and trying to be vegan) and I'm a 17 year old girl also, so my advice would be to try and find other vegetarians as sort of a support group... My sister is vegan and that helps a lot. There may already be a vegetarian group in your area too.

Answer 6

Thanks for wanting to help animals. Here are some sites to get you started with vegetarianism:

http://www.tryveg.com
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=06making
http://www.vegcooking.com
http://www.cok.net/lit/recipes/
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.asp

Vegetarians can eat fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, beans, mock meats, dairy, and eggs. See http://vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp for a list of the best fake meats.

Good luck!

Answer 7

just eat things that doesnt contain meat and your there already

Answer 8

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/

Answer 9

peta2

Answer 10

Good luck to you with that. I couldn't do it I'm a carnivore.