i decided to become a vegetarian.........any tips?

Question

so, i decided that i wanted to become a vegetarian today.
tips would be nice.
no mean comments please!

Answer 1

Well, congrats on wanting to become a vegetarian. Here's some tips I always give newbies.

1. Do your research. Read up on vegetarianism on websites, or get a vegetarian starter kit from www.goveg.com.

2. Don't jump into eating "meat replacements" right away. Although good, they are not like eating the real thing. Try experimenting with ethnic recipes that don't use meat, then gradually add meat replacement products later, but don't overdo it. Alot of them are high in sodium.

3. Don't get too serious about it. If you slip up or something, just keep trying.

4. Being a vegetarian does not equal healthy. I know some very unhealthy vegetarians. Take a multi vitamin if you need to, stay away from a lot of processed foods, and eat more than salads.

5. Talk with other vegetarians or vegans. Join a web forum that specializes in vegan or vegetarian recipes such as www.vegweb.com.

6. Expect criticism or a lack of knowledge and understanding from family members, friends, and the general public. Expect for people to think vegetarians eat fish, and chicken, that vegetarians are all skin and bones, unhealthy, and tree huggers. Expect restaraunts to give you the wrong order or be unable to answer what's in the items they serve. Just be patient -- it will irritate you are first. The key is to just continue to be knowledeable and to correct people who have the wrong information if necessary.

7. When shopping for groceries, the less items in the ingredients, the better. I really recommend whole foods, and central market for alot of your "staples". "Natural flavors" is something you're going to see alot on labels. More than likely, its meat flavoring. Call the company on the food label if you have questions about that or just buy things that don't list it.

8. Have fun with it!

Answer 2

Just saying, be sure that you are positive you want to do this. You're going to have a ton of critics. My friend's brother would actually wave meat in front of her face and say "yummy" while eating it. It can get pretty nasty. I had loads of critics in the beginning...my dad still doesn't accept the vegetarian thing.

Saying that, I've been a vegetarian for 6 years now. I phased out meat - first pork, then beef and finally chicken and turkey. My favorite "meat substitute" products are MorningStar, Boca, and Quorn (can be found at a Kroger if you live close to one). Eating these alone is not good, you need to take certain vitamins to get all your nutrients. Your doctor can tell you more about that. Make sure you eat a lot of beans, pastas and nuts. You need protein, its just now you can find it in other sources. If you're not a fan of carbs, vegetarian is definitely not for you. As long as you do some sort of exercise (even if only 30min daily walks) you won't gain weight. In fact, you'll probably lose weight because you're no longer eating animal fat.

Do know that there are certain health factors to be aware of. Funny enough though, the health pros greatly outweigh the health cons of being a vegetarian. You have to watch your sugar intake - sometimes they can fluctuate drastically if not watched. I had a friend who was not eating properly and suffered from iron deficiency. It's easy enough to figure out (pinch your skin - if it is slow to go from white to red, chances are you have an iron deficiency). If you suspect such, go see a doctor or nutritionist to find a way to increase your iron absorption.

The first time you go to a restaurant as a vegetarian will be a bit overwhelming, but it gets better. Just relax and if you can't find anything on the menu, then ask the waiter/waitress. Once I was with my family at a place with no vegetarian options (aside from the kids menu) and the waiter was being horrible. I demanded for the manager because he wouldn't let me order off the kids menu - that's the only bad experience I've ever had though. Some places only have salads for vegetarians, but often you can get items without meat or meat sauce (pastas in particular).

Good luck!

And to whoever said we were naturally omnivours or carnivours - wrong, we actually evolved from herbivores.

Answer 3

I truly wish you all the luck. I've been able to cut down the meat I eat to a bare minimum (mostly as seasoning for specific dishes), but haven't been able to completely eliminate it from my diet. I'm still trying though.

You might find phasing things out to be better than just going cold turkey. Try incorporating more and more meatless alternatives to one or more meat versions of your meals every week until you've gone totally meatless.

Experiment with meatless alternative recipes. I've fallen head over heels for a fantastic fresh tomato pasta sauce and will never go back to hamburger in Prego again.

Try some of the meatless offerings in the freezer section of your grocery store. Morningside has some great lunch choices. Their corndogs were good enough to fool even my schoolchildren.

Invest in or borrow a wok. Asian cooking puts a lot of emphasis on vegetables or soy entrees.

Stock your produce bins and freezer with veggies. While fresh is best, frozen lasts longer and is more cost efficent without losing a lot of those precious nutrients. And don't overcook.

Stock your spice shelf. Nothing can turn you away from a vegetarian diet quicker than a bored palate. I quietly added at least one new spice blend each shopping trip until I had a nice little collection to choose from each time I steamed, sauteed, or baked my dinner.

Answer 4

Good News, Congrad. May I know why you decide to become vegetarian?

I go on Veg more than 6 months ago since I do not want to kill for food. My advise is that if you have been eating alot of meat, start slowly, say by having of the meal on full veg and slowly increase to full Veg. Take Soy product too.

Need to take Multi-Vitamins as well for supplements.

Stay on, give you all my support.

Answer 5

Do your research and get educated.

Everyone would be healthier eating more fruits and veggies, however there are many scientists who believe a diet free from animal sources is unhealthy and unnatural. I know you will get links to goveg.com. I suggest you look to other sites on the opposite side of the debate to look at the science and research behind nutrition.

A vegetarian diet presents nutritional problems that an omnivorous diet does not, especially with regards to protein, essential fats (omega 3s, cholesterol, etc) and some vitamins (B12).

Answer 6

you need to do reseach b4 u decide to do something like that first off what kind of vegetarian are you going to be
http://www.angelfire.com/stars3/larika0/index2.html

here are some good sites that helped me im not sue how old you are so i put some teen vegetarian sites and books http://goveg.com/
http://chooseveg.com/
http://www.peta.org/
http://vegetarianteen.com/
http://www.vrg.org/index.htm
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Vegetarian/Main.aspx
http://vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes.htm

The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet
by Vesanto Melina, Brenda Davis

The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook
by Judy Krizmanic

Student's Vegetarian Cookbook, Revised: Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegetarian Recipes
by Carole Raymond

Kids Can Cook: Vegetarian Recipes
by Dorothy R. Bates

Answer 7

If you were a heavy meat eater before, you might want to start out eating whole wheat pastas, beans and brown rice. But be careful of those carbs you will gain weight. If you were not a huge meat eater it will be easy, just substitute soy for your favorite recipes.

For example if you love tacos, make them with soy crumbles, soy cheese, tofu sour cream, cilantro, lettuce, and tomatoes. Seasoning is the key, use lots of fresh herbs

Answer 8

I also like the Morningstar and Amy's products. Trust me, you get used to it. Just try out different brands and products to see what you like the best. Just remember to check the ingredients before you buy something. It's amazing how many foods have lard, gelatin, and/or animal broth in them! Checking the ingredients WILL become second nature :)
Good Luck and stick with it!

Answer 9

Good idea - strike a balance between veg and fruit apart from which your diet should include some cereals, beans and lentils!

Answer 10

alright many many tips....

firstly go to peta2.com
order the free vegetarian starter kits and such

then go to
veganstore.com

they have everything you ever need.

and gelatin is meat.
its in skittles, starbursts, marshmallows, and of course jello. and many other things to.
check the ingredients in almost everything....

veganstore.com has alternatives for EVERYTHING!

hope that helps