vegetarian?

Question

I have lookied into become a vegetarian for the last few years. I do not like to eat red meat now. I am want to eat healthier and I am just not sure what to eat. I am wanting to give up on meat. I am wanting to eat cheese not alot.
I know it will not happen over night. Is best to start out with slowly or give the meat all at once. I have talked to my docter about it. I am going to go talk to her more about it.

Answer 1

well you must give up alot of things in order to be a vegetarian.

which has many health benefits since most foods that are available to the consumer are processed and full of inert materials to keep it fresh.. give it texture.. flavor all that stuff.

you can't eat dairy if you're a vegetarian... that's a different story..

some doctors are against it... mine isn't thankfully... :D i'm glad i went vegetarian.. best thing i ever did... that was way over 20 years ago.

:D

do your research.. find out what it is to be a vegetarian.. and also learn about the foods that are available to you.. find out the ingredients.. if you must jot them down and research them online..

start here..

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=vegetarian


also it would do you some good to learn about food additives, preservatives.. where they come from.. what their chemical names are and if they're from an animal.. a derivavtive from an animal... and which foods have it (most likely all frozen, canned and other processed foods..)

you also must learn to like fresh produce... it's the only thing i eat ... cept the soy products.. can't avoid the processed value of them but read the labels.. the small the label and the more natural the ingredients the better of course.

:D

Answer 2

Kudos and good luck! I've been a vegetarian for 3 years now.

I don't know if you're planning on being a vegan, but vegan is a large and very hard commitment. Stay strong. I personally gave meat up all at once, but I suggest you go slowly. However, you don't want to go too slowly. Try eating meat at one meal a day for a week, then gradually less. While doing so, try introducing vegetarian options into your diet, such as tofu*, veggie meat, milk, etc.

A good website for recipes, dining, etc. is www.vegcooking.com. It's a great resource. I'm not sure where you are, but try to stay away from fast food places. They don't have a lot of completely vegetarian options, and they certainly don't have vegan.

Make sure you're getting your protein. Vegetarian options include dairy and nut products, but vegans can count on soynuts, Kashi cereals, and even some kinds of pretzels. Of course there is always tofu or veggie meat (I like morningstar farms brand, but boca's alright. tofurky sucks).

For breakfast, try tofu scrambler. Tofu is an aqcuired taste. If you're not partial to that, cereal is a great option, even if it's dry. Kashi brand cereals give 10g of protein a serving. Oatmeal is also great. Also make sure you're getting fiber and iron as well as protein. Oatmeal is a great source of all three.

For lunch, PB&J is a great option. Also try subway! Their Veggie Delite wraps are really fantastic. Again, check VegCooking for some recipes.

Dinner is more complicated. It's generally your largest meal, so do what works for you. Vegetarian Times is a fantastic magazine filled with articles on organic eating, vegan recipes, etc. I get a monthly subscription. It's really great and most of their recipes can be made in a half hour or less.

Hope I helped,
E

Answer 3

Here are some things you could eat

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Iron fortified cereal with milk, soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, ect. Both with topped fruits. You could also make yourself a vegetarian smoothie (yogurt, ice, juice, fruits optional silken tofu) or vegan (soymilk/almond milk, ice, fruits, optional tofu) I personally like to eat Malt-o-meal.
Lunch: Anything you like to eat that is healthy and wouldn't contain meat or meat products.
Dinner: Vegetables, rice, whole wheat pasta, pizza, lasagna, lentils, veggie burgers, tofu, whatever you like really.
For snacks you can make a smoothie, eat some fruit, chomp on a carrot or two, healthy granola bars, your choice.

Make sure you are getting all the fruits and vegetables you need, drinking 8 glasses of water, exercising, getting enough protein from either tofu, dairy products, or whatever you choose. Getting enough iron, from iron fortified cereals, spinach, ect. Do some RESEARCH find what nutrients you need and what foods to find them, there are plenty of articles on the web about vegetarian diets.

Answer 4

You need to enjoy cooking and learning
new recipes. Get a low fat vegetarian cook
book. They are creative and will not load
you up with much cheese or refined carbs.

Answer 5

So what is your question?