Making a hard transition from meat eater to vegetarian, and possibly vegan?

Question

Right now I do eat meat, but Im a huge animal lover and I want to go vegetarian, and someday vegan. I've tried before but I always fail. I know zero recipes for vegetarian/vegan food, and it seems like every time I try, I gain weight (I know its weird but I cant eat alot of carbs, I pack on the pounds when I do). I know I should think of the poor animals, and I do, but in the environment im in, its really hard to NOT eat anything with meat in it. Also, I was vegetarian for about 2 years and I gained a lot of weight, and lost a lot of hair. Did anyone else have this problem?

So how can I go from eating meat, to being a vegetarian, but remain healthy (and not bald)? What are some things I can do.....and also, where can I find great recipes for vegetarians /vegans?

Also could you give me a list of the foods you eat on a daily basis? It doesnt have to be an elaborate recipe or meal or anything, just what do you eat from day to day, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc etc. Just so I can get an idea of what to throw in the cart the next time I go shopping. (Im not very creative)

Answer 1

you're talking about a major life change, you cant expect it to take place in one night. If you're really having a hard time with it then take a different approach, like one at a time. example- first cut out all beef. When you've gotten to the point where you're no longer craving beef, and have substituted other foods for it, then move on to a different meat, such as pork...so you're no longer eating beef or pork .....when that becomes habit.....cut out chicken. ....etc etc. It may take a few months but its the best way to ensure that you dont "Fall off the bandwagon", if you will.

Im guessing you gained the weight maybe because you went from eating alot of meat to eating a LOT of carbs , as a filler for the meat you used to eat. You need to find a healthy balance. carbs, fruits, veggies, etc.

Also for the hair thing, you need to find a good vitamin/supplement you can take, and also make sure that you're getting other sources of protein. (consult a doctor about your new eating plan if you can, he'll help you fill in the gaps).

Some foods you can eat as a vegetarian

cheese pizza, mac & cheese, toast, grilled cheese, any kind of pasta, any fruit or vegetable, cereal, a ton of different kinds of soup, veggie burgers, green bean casserole (green beans + cream of mushroom soup in a baking pan, topped with a can of those crispy onion things, baked for 30 minutes), peanut butter, jelly, rice, pancakes, waffles, potatoes,salads ...etc etc. Meat actually makes up a very small portion of the food groups..so theres really no limit to what you can eat that doesnt have meat in it

Answer 2

I'm a vegetarian and so is my son, who's 2 (we're both very healthy). I usually eat whole-grain cereal with soy-milk and a piece of fruit for breakfast. For lunch, sometimes I'll make a veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread (any veggies you have on hand - lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, carrots) plus some hummus for protein. For snacks throughout the day, I eat soy yogurt or fruit. For dinner, I eat something different every night. Some ideas - a veggie and tofu stir fry, a vegetable lasgna, veggie burgers, quesadillas, burritos. Once you get used to it, it's not hard to not eat meat. I don't even think twice about it anymore (I've been a veg for 5 years). Also, get some cookbooks to help - I love "Veggie Planet" by Didi Emmons, also, "The Idiots Guide to Becoming Vegetarian" is great.
Hope this helps and good luck!

Answer 3

I'm actually an omnivore, but I went to a few summer camps where they only had vegetarian and vegan food. I found that by and large, they just wanted to be left alone. If I had questions about vegetarianism or veganism they were very nice and helpful, but they didn't bother me about my meat-eating. There were a few preachy people, but those were the same people who were preachy about everything. I know this isn't what you're asking, but there were like 100 people at my camp, and about 80-90 of them didn't eat meat.

Answer 4

Prob not the most scientific medical way approach... but I quit meat cos I didn't like it and haven't gone back to it for 8yrs (mammal meat) 6yrs (sea foods)

In the initial stages, I simply avoided meat dishes and found myself picking meat bits out of foods if eating out. I didn't make a big thing out of it (like change the way I cooked or ordered) so it was an easy change.

Within a few weeks, I could literally SMELL the meat in sauces, stocks etc and it really put me off. That was when I started cooking differently. Again it was easy, I simply substituted meat based sauces & stocks with vegetarian sauces. It didn't change the way I cooked nor ate.

By omitting the meat dish in my meals, I would have to substitute it with something cos I would still be hungry.

I started craving specific foods, I still believe the body tells you what you're missing. I actually wanted beans, tofu, spinach etc. (I still eat eggs & dairy, these I very occassionally things I craved too.) I have never craved meat, which is why I have no desire to eat it.

If you need recipe ideas, do a search, you'll find tons and simply omit the meat, you can make anything vegetarian. My diet is supper varried, I eat much bigger variety of foods and dishes then my meat-eating husband.

I snack on sweet tomatoes & fruit. I really like tofu, beans & cabbage so it's easy for me to snack on that too. I don't do carrot sticks etc... yuk boring!

I make lot of vegetarian soups & stews, pumkin, brocolli etc which are so easy to make, throw everything + garlic & onions in a pot and stir fry, add veggie stock, season, boil till veggies are soft and blitz with a hand held blender.

I make a variety of breads, rice, pasta, chinese noodles. Stir fried & steamed veggies, veggie pies & quiches. I cook with seitan (wheat gluten). I make asian dishes like curries & herbal soups & also simple italian style pastas with white wine, tomato or just olive oil sauces.

I've been very healthy, have never had a cavity in my life, all my hair! etc...

Answer 5

First things first,

Go slow... gradually let go of meat in your diet and eat healthy and the trick is to have a variety of vegetarian food. Take a good mix of vegetables, grains and fruits. Dont pack on the carbo.

Probably you had stuck to one type of food which had caused the weight gain and lost out on proteins and vital vitamins causing your hair lose. Have a balanced diet ensuring that you have all your protein, carbo and veggie.

The following sites contain great vegan recipies:
One more tip, be adventurous and try out your own recipies and experiments on the dishes.. you'll never konw what you'll discover...

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Vegetarian/Main.aspx
http://www.vrg.org/recipes/
http://www.recipesource.com/special-diets/vegetarian/
www.vegkitchen.com
www.vegweb.com
www.recipezaar.com/recipes/vegetarian

Answer 6

making hard transition meat eater vegetarian possibly vegan

Answer 7

Vegans are vegetarians, but vegetarians are not vegans.
Being a vegan is not more healthier then vegetarian, dont buy into that argument. There are pros and cons both to being a vegan and not as far as nutrition goes.

Its really a personal choice more then anything to be a vegan and most who choose to be vegan do it for ethical reasons.

If you choose to be vegan you will need to watch your diet very carefully because it will be hard to get your rda of all your vitamins and minerals being vegan if you do not.

Be sure you are are getting plenty of b vitamins, calcium, iodine, and iron. Make sure you are getting the rda and not to little or to much; the rda is what you need.

How do you transition? Here's a guide, its a three step guide to transitioning to vegetarian eating.
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=06making

Answer 8

stay away from the processed crap! most foods can be vegetarian but that doesnt make them healthy. most pre-packaged foods are loaded with salt, sugar, and preservatives that arent healthy. you cant use not eating meat as an excuse to eat other junk... just because you dont eat meat doesnt mean you can eat french fries and candy and be healthy! i've actually lost weight like crazy since going veggie. i eat mostly fresh fruit and veggies, rice/pasta, canned/cooked fruits and veggies. my "junk" food is popcorn, sherbert/sorbets (ice cream is filled with fat and sugar), tortilla chips with salsa, crackers, and peanut butter. try to get brown rice because white rice has no real nutritional value. right now i still use some animal products like milk occasionally, cheese, and yogurt but i'm making the transition to vegan slowly. the key with staying healthy is variety!! you have to eat many different foods to get all the nutrients your body needs. to make the transition easier you can try meat alternatives. i find that most of them are pretty tasty! here are some links to recipe sites
www.goveg.com
www.vrg.org
www.vegkitchen.com
www.vegweb.com
www.vegcooking.com

Answer 9

you can eat everything you used to eat but without meat.
spaghetti with a yummy sauce
lasagna without meat
pizza with extra cheese and vegetable toppings (tastes sooo much better without dead animals on top)
oatmeal
peanut butter sandwiches
macaroni and cheese
salad
rice
veggie dogs
yogurt (make sure it's gelatin free)
smoothies
chocolate soy milk (silk is the best brand. it has the creamiest soy milk)
if you want some frozen foods, lean cuisine has some delicious pizzas without meat that you can put in the microwave, and theres a brand called amy's that makes delicious seitan. If it's found in my town's supermarket, then it's found in yours. Probably in the organic section.

If theres any more questions, email me at [e-mail]



Make sure you're getting everything you need. Take a multi vitamin daily.
And at first if you feel like eating meat, think of dead rotten, bloody animals in your food. Knock off your craving fast.

Answer 10

Keep this meal between 400 and 600 calories. Serve yourself a more compact portion, so if you like heading back for seconds, you'll just wind up eating a normal-size portion.