any tips???

Question

for a brand new vegetarian? no obviouse ones though like don't eat meat.

Answer 1

I would try exploring new vegetarian foods if I were you! You should try tofu, various soy products for protein...Try looking here, at sites for exploring vegetarianism:
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/qt/HowtogoVeg.htm?terms=Tips+for+new+vegetarians
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/tp/newfoods.htm

Answer 2

Since posting on this site I have come accross some great web sites that I will share with you.

Firstly I would like to say that in my oppinion why here are so many sick malnourished vegans and vegetarians and disgruntled ones out there is because they never researched their new diet. They thought eating spinache and skipping meals was ok. A vegan or vegetarian diet is great but it must be well balanced.

The best thing you can do is read, read , read. The Vegetarian society is a great web site with tons of information and recipes. They will tell you what staples are necesary. also asking questions on this forum from people who are convicted vegetarians and vegans is great because they know what is necessary to maintain the vegetarian diet. Also being prepared for the flack you may get from tried and true meat eaters is something you may need to be prepared for, but if you can whether it thats fine.

Below are some good web sites that will help you also there is a great recipe book which I love its called Meals Without Meat by Alison Holst and Simon Holst.

I would recommend reading the all the Vegetarian society puts out and accessing this free government issued vegetarian kit which can be emailed. Also the vegan wolf web site is truly amazing for recipes.

veg.ca/content/view/297/110/ - 19k
www.sciencedaily.com
www.vrg.org
SOURCES:Barnard, N. Diabetes Care, August 2006; vol 29: pp 1777-1783. News release, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
www.alldeaf.com
www.vegparadise.com

www.vegsoc.org.au
www.vnv.org.au/
www.vegiedelights.com.au
www.trinity.wa.edu.au
VegetarianCooking.com
www.annabella.net

http://www.urbanvegan.blogspot.com/...
http://veganmenu.blogspot.com/
http://food.pinkhairedgirl.com/...
http://sudzgirl.blogspot.com/

www.yogalifestyle.com

Answer 3

Make sure you still take in protein like beans and legumes. Have lots of mushrooms too. It's 'meat' for vegetarians. Search for vegetarian mushroom recipes on the net, there are some really good ones out there. Try stuffed mushrooms. Get large mushrooms, cut off the stems and chop them up. Add some tomato, parsley(or herb of choice) rice, onion and some lemon. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Bake in oven for a yummy dish.

Answer 4

Well, I'm not a vegetarian, but one of the best tips I can give you is to be sure to get enough protein in your diet - beans/legumes, nuts, etc.

You don't want to be protein-deficient. Many vegetarian friends of mine have skimped on protein intake. And you don't want to do that - as it will affect your hair/skin, etc.

There are plenty of other protein choices like soy/tofu. So look into those as well. But I would highly discourage protein powders or shakes... you don't want to put more chemicals into your body.

When going out with friends (who are not vegetarian) - educate them on the choices you have made for yourself, so they understand what kind of vegetarian you are (i.e. are you lacto-ovo?... eating eggs and dairy?, straight vegan?) --- many of my vegetarian friends have said their friends don't invite them over ... because they don't know what to make vegetarian friends for dinner. So by educating them, you're keeping them informed - and information is power - they can help support you and your new life choice.

Answer 5

Try this........
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, quartered
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans
salt and pepper (optional)



Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, and saute until lightly browned. Pour in the tomatoes with juice and water, and season with pepper, thyme, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
Pour in the beans, and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, until the stew is thickened and flavors have blended. Remove the bay leaf, taste, and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Answer 6

Look up many recipes on sites such as http://www.theppk.com and try joining some vegetarian support forums such as http://www.peta2.com/boards or http://www.vegpeople.com
Don't let meat-eaters get to you and try to stay motivated! Good luck!

Answer 7

Research-there are lots of websites to help you with eating a balanced diet and recipes.

Answer 8

That is great that you are interested in being veg. I'm glad that you came here for help.

If you are becoming 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.

Just to clear things up, the vegetarian/vegan diet is not composed of salads, vegetables, fruit and fake meat.
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.

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