Becoming Vegetarian!

Heineken Helen

So it looks like I'm doing it!

I was a really big meat eater... didn't consider food a meal unless there's meat in it but we ate so much meat over Christmas (honestly, sometimes it was just plates of meat) that now I can't even imagine ever eating it again. So I decided to give up meat for a week (will be there on Tuesday) and can't really see myself going back on it.

I've already discovered a few foods that I'd never have tried before and have even bought some veggie burgers

Anyway, I know there are a few veggies here and was just wondering if there are any tips. Seems to me a lot of vegetarian recipes seem to be quite fattening or full of sauce, which I wasn't really in the habit of doing! I'm getting married in three months so could really do without putting on weight in the process

Do I have to worry about any implications of cutting meat out? I'm not gonna be overly zealous about reading labels and stuff like that though... and surely chicken stock doesn't count as meat???! And I'm probably gonna keep fish in my diet for a while (although I never eat it too often anyway)

And for those of you who read this and think 'she'll never last', I normally do anything I say I'll do... or I wouldn't go to the trouble of saying it!

he still stands

pescetarian is your new label, not vegetarian

good for you, by the way. I couldn't do it... but I also think that not killing animals and eating them is ultimately a good thing.

Nothingman54

I tried it. Lasted 4 days then went straight to mcdonalds. I don't eat vegetables so there's not many options once I take away the meat.

Heineken Helen

he still stands wrote:

pescetarian is your new label, not vegetarian

good for you, by the way. I couldn't do it... but I also think that not killing animals and eating them is ultimately a good thing.

Whatever! Ya know what I mean anyway I will give up fish after a while... well I haven't eaten any yet and may not... what about the chicken stock? What does that make me? lol

It's something I've never even considered :? but I tend to make big decisions like this suddenly and then just stick with them. Can't say I've any moral or health reasons to do it really

Thanks though

Nothingman54 what about pasta? or fake meat? I dunno what's going on with me, I saw a recipe for olive and lentil burgers and started craving it... don't think I've ever even had a bloody lentil in my life

And nope, not pregnant!

jshin

I make a pretty good avocado/artichoke/veggie pizza I stink at writing out recipes but I'll give it a try..I'll even leave out the part about bacon pieces.

81

Had a nice rib eye the other night. It was so good

Heineken Helen

jshin wrote:

I make a pretty good avocado/artichoke/veggie pizza I stink at writing out recipes but I'll give it a try..I'll even leave out the part about bacon pieces.

cool, sounds good!

81, seriously my OH made bacon sandwiches new years morning... so if that didn't tempt me, your steak is on a road to failure!

81

Mmmm...it was tender and juicy with a hint of blood on the plate.

Give it time, you will be back to the dark side

Heineken Helen

81 wrote:

Mmmm...it was tender and juicy with a hint of blood on the plate.

Give it time, you will be back to the dark side

Maybe, who knows! I never put any pressure on myself when I do stuff like that. Like when I gave up smoking, I gave myself little milestones and just stuck to them and eventually stopped making them.

Like I said, this isn't for health or moral reasons so it won't be a big deal to me if I fall off the wagon (unlike smoking) but it's something I'd like to try and see what the big deal's about!

nuffingman

Heineken Helen wrote:

I saw a recipe for olive and lentil burgers and started craving it... don't think I've ever even had a bloody lentil in my life

If you start eating that sort of stuff I don't want to stand behind you in a lift. :crazy:

Heineken Helen

nuffingman wrote:

Heineken Helen wrote:

I saw a recipe for olive and lentil burgers and started craving it... don't think I've ever even had a bloody lentil in my life

If you start eating that sort of stuff I don't want to stand behind you in a lift. :crazy:

strangely I seem to have less of that in the past week... it's not like I've been downing sprouts with a straw or anything!

PJGirl321

All I can say is be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. And be careful about your choices because most non-meat sources of protein are high in fat.

I am a healthy eater but would never give up meat, poultry or fish. No offense to anyone but most vegetarians I know have an unhealthy look about them. They also complain of catching a lot of colds, etc.

Heineken Helen

PJGirl321 wrote:

All I can say is be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. And be careful about your choices because most non-meat sources of protein are high in fat.

I am a healthy eater but would never give up meat, poultry or fish. No offense to anyone but most vegetarians I know have an unhealthy look about them. They also complain of catching a lot of colds, etc.

No, I know what ya mean... they've often got that vampire look about them :oops: and I've always been a bit of a tank... never catch anything, even though I work in a big open air conditioned office where everyone's constantly sick (but they ARE English )! So we'll see how that goes!

If I ever thought I was getting weak or losing my immunity, I'd eat a whole cow full of steak

nuffingman

PJGirl321 wrote:

All I can say is be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. And be careful about your choices because most non-meat sources of protein are high in fat.

I am a healthy eater but would never give up meat, poultry or fish. No offense to anyone but most vegetarians I know have an unhealthy look about them. They also complain of catching a lot of colds, etc.

I know what you mean about some looking a bit unhealthy but my daughter has been a veg for about 4 years and looks as fit as a butcher's dog. Probably not the right comparison. I have no idea what she eats.

iamica

I've been vegetarian for 10 years now. I have no regrets, it was the healthiest decision I've ever made. I used to get sinus infections and colds all the time before I quit eating meat...I've never gotten another one since.
Some tips if you decide to try it...do it gradually. I cut out red meat and fish first (since I didn't like them all that much anyway), then pork, then chicken. I was surprised to find that I really didn't miss any of it all that much.
There's tons of vegetarian recipes on cooking.com, allrecipes.com and peta.org. I take a multivitamin supplement and flaxseed oil as well. I get protein through beans, soy and peanut butter. The key is balance...make sure to get a good supply of fruits and veggies every day, grains, etc. I would recommend Boca Burgers or Morningstar. Silk soy milk is good too. Veggie stir frys are good. Chinese and Indian food usually have a lot of meat-free options you can try. And, of course, there's always pasta.
PM me if you want any recipes. People were worried that I'd become anemic or sickly, but it hasn't happened!

Riverrunner

PJGirl321 wrote:

All I can say is be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. And be careful about your choices because most non-meat sources of protein are high in fat.

I am a healthy eater but would never give up meat, poultry or fish. No offense to anyone but most vegetarians I know have an unhealthy look about them. They also complain of catching a lot of colds, etc.

So how many vegetarians do you know?

I couldn't disagree more. The vegetarians I know are the healthiest people I know. Of course the majority of vegetarians I know including me are athletes - runners, cyclists, and triathletes. You can't look like a vampire if you are outside several days per week training. Most of the meat eaters I know are fat couch potatos who can barely walk around the block.

Vegetarian forms of protein may contain fat (like meat protein) but they are the healthy fats. So eat avocados, peanut butter, Boca burgers, black beans (all beans for that matter), nuts, etc. Just don't pig out on them. Everything in moderation. Oh yeah, and hummus is one of my diet staples.

PJGirl321

Riverrunner wrote:

PJGirl321 wrote:

All I can say is be sure you are getting enough protein in your diet. And be careful about your choices because most non-meat sources of protein are high in fat.

I am a healthy eater but would never give up meat, poultry or fish. No offense to anyone but most vegetarians I know have an unhealthy look about them. They also complain of catching a lot of colds, etc.

So how many vegetarians do you know?

I couldn't disagree more. The vegetarians I know are the healthiest people I know. Of course the majority of vegetarians I know including me are athletes - runners, cyclists, and triathletes. You can't look like a vampire if you are outside several days per week training. Most of the meat eaters I know are fat couch potatos who can barely walk around the block.

Vegetarian forms of protein may contain fat (like meat protein) but they are the healthy fats. So eat avocados, peanut butter, Boca burgers, black beans (all beans for that matter), nuts, etc. Just don't pig out on them. Everything in moderation. Oh yeah, and hummus is one of my diet staples.

I know a lot vegetarians...I am simply stating that if you make this life choice be wise about it. I am an atlete as well - a competitive cyclist and all the training that goes along with it. Animal protein is part of my balanced diet and I am far from a couch potato. It's good that you are going about this in the right way - that is my point. A vegetarian can make the same mistakes that a "couch potato" makes -- by not making the right food decisions about their diets.

gearboy

why lable yourself a "vegetarian" - just consider yourself a person who eats discriminatively.

that way you can eat what you want without guilt or judgment

_Crazy_Mary_

gearboy wrote:

why lable yourself a "vegetarian" - just consider yourself a person who eats discriminatively.

that way you can eat what you want without guilt or judgment

Nice point. Why must people label themselves?

On NYE, the restaurant where I work had a set menu and for four courses the prices ranged from $55 to $75. The woman at my very first table said, "what do you have that's vegan?" I would've liked to have said, "nothing. Go away." But my boss is a great guy & went out of his way to make sure we had something vegan for those few out there. So her meal was only $34 for two courses. I totally lost money on that meat-free table. :(

dr0ptheleash

gearboy wrote:

why lable yourself a "vegetarian" - just consider yourself a person who eats discriminatively.

that way you can eat what you want without guilt or judgment

I certainly agree with this; the way it should be. But since it's not, I've been labeled a vegetarian for the past 4 1/2 years. I love it. I haven't looked back for a second. This is a personal choice though, so don't do it for anyone else, do it solely for yourself. It is not "difficult," you just have to be passionate and dedicated to your decision. Figure out what you want out of it. Figure out what you want to eat. Personally, my reasonings largely include animal rights, so I eat "nothing with a face." This includes fish for me. I also choose to exclude milk and eggs, and yes, chicken and/or beef stock.

As for meals, in the US there is soy EVERYTHING. Think about a meal you would normally eat, and then replace it with soy/veggie chicken or a burger or ground "meat" etc.. This is a really easy way to start out. Other staples for me include (obviously fruits and veggies) a lot of breads and nuts and greens. For people who enjoy cooking and have a lot of "stuff" to work with in their kitchens, there are tons of great cookbooks out there, too.

Lastly, be smart! Get your vitamins. Make sure you are nutritionally balanced, and if you're not feeling better than ever, check out some supplements to add to what you're missing. GOOD LUCK!!! Enjoy it! :thumbup:

JaneNY

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

Nice point. Why must people label themselves?

On NYE, the restaurant where I work had a set menu and for four courses the prices ranged from $55 to $75. The woman at my very first table said, "what do you have that's vegan?" I would've liked to have said, "nothing. Go away." But my boss is a great guy & went out of his way to make sure we had something vegan for those few out there. So her meal was only $34 for two courses. I totally lost money on that meat-free table. :(

I don't think that person mentioned vegan to label themselves. Sounds like they just wanted to make sure they got something they could eat. That's not unreasonable is it? Sorry you lost money though - maybe they should have left a little extra if you treated them well.

Helen - one of the most awesome cookbook writers is Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Her recipes WORK, and are delicious. In particular Vegan Brunch has really delicious recipes for those of us that prefer the savory to the sweet, though there are good muffin recipes too (chocolate raspberry, for one). Her book Veganomicon is full of gourmet (and not difficult) recipes. I believe she also has a blog called the Post Punk Kitchen.

You can definitely be healthy without meat/animal products. The Indian subcontinent is full of millions upon millions of vegetarians and their food is to die for. I don't think a whole continent can be wrong!