I find myself slowly going vegetarian...what kinds of foods should I for sure be eating?

Question

I know that I've always wanted to become vegetarian, but since I don't eat enough vegetables, I havn't been able to do it. On top of that, I don't even like meat anyways. It does not taste good at all! So these past few weeks, I've found myself eating barely any meat. I eat maybe two bites every several days. But the thing is, I'm not eating much of anything else either!
What kinds of things should I be eating to ensure that I'm eating right?

Answer 1

There are thousands of plant foods and basically only three basic types of animal foods-red meat, poultry and fish.
The main nutrients found in animal foods are protein, iron and vitamin B12.
Beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and lowfat dairy (if you continue to eat dairy) are all much healthier sources of protein than flesh. The RDA of protein is only 0.8g per kg, so most people require <10g of protein per day. An 8oz serving of skim or soy milk is 7g- a handful of nuts 6-8g. Dairy will also meet your requirements for B12, but there are many cereals fortified with B12 as well.
Iron is found in spinach, kidney beans and apricots-you can also cook food in cast iron vessels.
It sounds to me as though the biggest lack in your diet is veggies and whole grains. If you eat a varied diet with plentiful whole grains, veggies and fruits with small amounts of beans and dairy you have little to fear. I know in this society we are not taught to enjoy vegetables but if you persist in consuming them more often you will soon acquire a taste for them.

Answer 2

I feel sad when I read some answer like "you need to eat meat". How can people tell this? Did they tried to stop eating meet for 10 years or more?
Ok... I'm vegan for many many years and I'm more healthy than I ever been in the past. I swimm 2 or 3 km everyday, I do 100 km with bicycle every weeks, I work 12 hours a day without feeling tired and I sleep very good every night.
So, who tell me that meat is missing in my food? About proteins just forget this also. You dont need so much proteins as people said. Today, people are eating too much proteins, this for sure. What your body need is fresh and raw food. Like anykinds of fruits, vegetables, etc... If you feel annoying to eat only this, just order some vegan-meat (like saussage, burger) anywhere you want, and enjoy barbecue, vegan-cheese, etc...
Dont worry too much about what you should eat. Remember, the best for the human body is raw fruits and vegetables. But you can eat somes other kind of food if you like, this will not kill you. Go on www.veganessentials.com or any othre sites selling vegetarian food, if you like to order some vegetarians specialities. It can help at the begining.

Answer 3

Been a Vegetarian for almost two decades total. Don't listen to all that nonsense that meat people spout. There is may more protein in many non meats than there is in any everyday meat.
Meat people like to make you think that if you don't eat meat your eating only iceberg lettuce (which has no nutrients). Anyways if you are like me someone who needs lots of nutrients Pinto beans is where its at! A can of pinto beans is like a multi vitamin but more filling and if you are looking into a luxury of health well there is the Super Grain Quinoa! (really not that expencive)

Answer 4

It's good your taking this first step, as eating less meat actually helps the environment!
Also, our culture consumes WAY to much meat, over the amount that is required. Even the food guide is being re-written.

Anyways, to answer your question, you would want to eat things such as tofu, peanuts, soymilk, lentils (good source of iron) amaranth, egg (if you are not vegan) etc. Go for the whole wheat!!!
Note- Do not drink milk when trying to absorb iron. Calcium prohibits this. Drink orange juice.

Good luck, and remember that believing you NEED meat is ignorance.

Answer 5

Are you a vegan or a vegetarian. If you are the latter, then you ought to eat the following.

Eggs, cheese, legumes, lentils, rice, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes and plenty of water.

Fish or sea food twice a week.

Veggie Pizza comes to mind as a wholesome food.

Eggs twice a week. Cheese once a week.

You can live without meat all your life. No vitamin supplements are really necessary if eat all that in the list in a combination everyday.

Answer 6

The main problem with a vegetarian diet is lack of protein. Eating plenty of beans and other legumes, leafy greens like spinach, and even tofu (which can be good in some recipes, try different ones to see how you like it prepared) will help you get the right nutrients. Also make sure you don't skimp on low-fat dairy like skim milk and cheese so you get calcium. A vegetarian diet can be healthy but make sure that where you cut out meat you don't fill it with junk food. Replace it with fruit and veggies where you can.

Answer 7

Avoid foods that are "white;" as in white flour, white sugar, white potatoes, and so on.
Eat around the outside of the grocery store, where the fresh food is. Stay away, as much as possible, from the processed foods (cans and boxes).
Be sure to eat fruit, especially bananas, kiwi, and your high antioxidant berries.
Enjoy! When I lived alone, I really enjoyed my mostly vegetarian diet. Lost a lot of pudgy not eating dead animals.

Answer 8

If you are considering to go vegetarian and completely eliminate meat, I recommend you eat lots of tofu and beans to make up for the lost protein. You should also consume more of vegetables and fruits to replace all those food you won't be eating. Don't forget the dairy! That plays a very important role in anyone's diet.

Answer 9

The most important thing to remember when eating vegan/vegetarian is to maintain your protein level. Always combine a legume with a grain (ex=beans & rice, pasta e fagioli). Just google vegetarian recipes and you'll get tons of info.

Answer 10

Well, keep it simple: eat a variety of whole organic foods but not all at one meal.

Supplements? Not needed. Get your nutrition from your food.
Pills are not sub for real food, and cost about 100x as much too.

Try new things. Try everything at least once. There's a whole world of food out there, and most of it is vegan, and what's not vegan is easily done without.