I’m thinking of becoming a vegetarian, I need advice?
I love animals so much and keep asking myself why I’m eating them. I would like to become a vegetarian, but I am scared I won’t like it or be able to find tasty foods. I think I’d still eat eggs and drink milk and such. Just no meat. What are good foods to replace meat and give you protein? Also, when you go vegetarian, does it give you lots of stomach problems such as gas and diarrhea? I already have problems as it is, and don’t want to make them worse.
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January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Here are tips:
1. Take your time – my journey from meat eater took about a year.
2. Start out using some basic subsitutes for the meat you are used to in foods where you won’t even notice – ground meat replacements are available in the frozen food sections.
3. Leave meat off things that don’t need it – pizza, salad, spag, etc.
4. Get some good cookbooks when you are ready to branch into more interesting foods – Moosewood books and New Farm Vegetarian are two of my favorites.
5. If you are worried about what to each check out the book "Diet for a New America" it will cover many of the health items you are intereted in.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Might I ask if you’re a lesbian?
Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
beans, tofu, nuts, eggs, milk, there is no problem getting good nutrition. just try it, you can always go back if it doesn’t work.
try it for one day. if it works go for a second day.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
moo= eat me
cluck=eat me
bark=eat me
meow=eat me
bah=eat me
quack=eat me
gobble=eat me
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Nowadays you can easily make the switch from meat-based to vegetarian diet. There are many very delicious vegetarian foods at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and even at regular supermarkets. I am a vegetarian, and know others who do not have any stomach problems. Quite the contrary. They have less gastro issues then before, as they avoid animal fat and meat.
You can get many vegetarian recipes at http://www.culinarychef.com
Enjoy!
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
eat veggies and fruit
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
My answer would be to stop thinking for a bit, look at some Vegans and Vegetarians and give yourself an honest answer as to if you think they look healthy or not. Then start thinking again and see if you still feel like you do now. Humans are carnivores, always have been and always will be. We need the red blood cells replentished to keep us healthy.
Cut back your meat intake, that would be just fine. But to take it out of your diet all together . . . not healthy.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
I’ve been one for almost a decade now, and I’ve never had any health problems. It’s scary when you think of it as a big deal lifetime commitment, that’s why I didn’t start as early as I’d like. Take one meal at a time. Don’t burden yourself by professing vegetarianism like it’s a sacred title; just stop choosing meat in your meals and tell yourself that you CAN always choose meat if you want; it’s just that you don’t want to.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Well, it’s not just no meat. It’s no egg yolks, no milk(sometimes), basically nothing with a face. But there are pills that you can take for protein. I don’t know exactly what other foods there are that give you protein. I love animals too but I think of it this way: it’s the circle of life. Everything eats something else. It’s the way the world works. There’s nothing we can do about it. I personally wouldn’t want to be a veggitarian.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
I’ve been a vegetarian for almost two years now. My entire family eats meat. It’s quite easy being a vegetarian. Go to your local supermarket and look in the frozen section for products by Morning Star Farms. Or Smart Deli. Smart Deli is a company that makes products that taste like lunch meats. (The bologna is the closest to the real thing. I even had my friends thinking I was eating meat!) Morning Star Farms has some really great products. I currently have around seven of their products in my freezer. I love the Chik Nuggets, Chik Patties, Mushroom Lovers Burger, etc etc. I could go on all day. I get plenty of protein each day, but I do not get enough iron. I know I could get enough iron if I really put an effort forth, but if you’re worried about not getting enough vitimens, just do what I do and take a multi-vitimen.
Good luck with being a vegetarian if you decide to take that path.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
There are MANY excellent vegetarian cookbooks available on the market that have recipes that contain a lot of protein (beans, legumes). And YES, if you go vegetarian, be prepared to have lots of gas and occasional diarrhea. Gas is the biggest problem, and don’t let them tell you it eases up. I can tell you from experience, it does not.
Good luck
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Eating meat can contribute to stomach issues because it takes a long time to digest it fully. This includes the fat content in it as well. I suggest going to the book store and getting information there. No matter what any one says here, you can get everything you need very easily from a vegetarian diet. The folks that say you cant honestly do not know what they are talking about.
Vegetarian foods will not give you any problems unless you have a sensitivity to certain items. If you have issues now, you need to find out what is causing them.
Most of the answers given here are ignorant and just plain BAD. Do your research, eat healthy and make an informed decision based on facts, not on what some people here say.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
i heard pamala anderson is a vegtable try eating her and let me know later how it taste
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Meat is good! I was a vegetarian for three years and all I ever thought about was a big juicy cheese burger. Who really wants to give up a juicy cheese burger. not me and if you try to take mine I’ll cut you bitch
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
There are lots of fantastic resources to being a vegetarian. I subscribe to vegetarian times, a magazine that not only has some delicious recipes in it, but also advice on products to buy that are veggie friendly, and which companies are doing their part to not torture animals. The switch for me was not too hard, giving up seafood was the toughest thing. I see lots of people giving you answers that are not entirely correct, like vegetarians are not healthy. I can tell you right now, that all of the vegetarians I know are healthy because they watch what they eat. You can eat all kinds of junk food, and still be a vegetarian. I see some other great suggestions for veggie foods, my favorite are Quorn products. They are easy to make and taste fantastic. Probably not exactly like meat, but its been so long since I have had it, that I would not know the difference. You just need to make certain that you eat all the foods in the major food groups, there is even a vegetarian food triangle. I hope this helps!
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
go 4 it. ive been one my whoel life, no prob
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Start slow. I like many fake meat products, but still eat meat.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Try reading Idiot’s guide to being vegetarian. I don’t like those books normally (b/c I feel like they are calling my stupid:)) but I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years and I have gotten a ton of amazing and helpful information from reading books about vegetarianism. Good luck!!
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
This is my second sincere attempt at vegetarianism, and now I am all but vegan and heading towards a raw food diet. This did not happen over night. You need lots of information and encouragement.
If you are really having a hard time kicking the meat habit try going off of meat incrementally. Try eating vegetarian every once in a while, then every other day, then only eat meat once in a while, or only in special circumstances, etc.
After a while you will notice the health benefits, that is if you practice the diet properly, then you will not even want to eat meat anymore. Your body will feel like it is running clean. Your head will be clear, you’ll get sick less often, and you’ll have more energy while losing unwanted weight.
Stay away from processed foods, and diary products. I believe diary to be cheating and will not improve your health at all. Instead they cause a myriad of health problems. Milk products cause the body to produce an incredible amount of mucus causing, sinus infections, earaches, and other illnesses, so if you do indulge try to keep it to a limit. There is also a link between milk products and cancer, especially breast cancer.
If I were you I would try to draw up a meal plan. If you need a quick fix try the veggie dogs and burgers. Personally, I like the garden burger variety. You can live quite a while in balance eating these as your base and they are easy to make. Many of them are close approximations to meat. Try them with some chopped up onions and or lettuce or spinach, add ketchup and or mustard and you are set for a bunch of meals.
Again I believe the more whole foods you eat that are cooked less at lower temps the healthier you will feel and the less likely you will even want to return to your previous omnivore diet. Try making stirfrys. They are easy to make. Just cook up some rice, fry up any veggies, add tofu, soy sauce, and any spices that sound good, like curry, ginger, cayenne, etc.
Try eating in a lot as many restaurants have limited items for vegetarians.
Another easy dish is to boil pasta and put in towards the end veggies like broccoli, spinach, zucchini, and of course tofu if you feel you need the extra protein. Remember just boil them so that the veggies just begin to get soft on the outside then drain the pasta and veggies, and tofu all together in one strainer. At this point all you need to do is add sauce and or olive oil, maybe some spices like salt and pepper, and you’re there.
One more easy dish is pita pizzas. All you need is to put tomato sauce, veggies, and cheese & or better yet, cheese substitute, put it in the oven at 300 or so for about 15 minutes and wallah.
As far as supplements go I highly suggest Spirulina as it is a complete protein and is high in iron and B12, two vitamins most vegetarians have problems getting enough of. Other complete proteins include Quinoa, hemp seed, soy beans (tofu), etc. You can also mix beans and rice as well as other combinations that make up complete proteins. Remember these as if you are mindful they will come in handy.
Finally, keep in mind it is going to take time and knowledge to ingrain these habits. After a while it will become almost effortless. With each day you will learn new tricks and useful information.
Maybe try to learn a new recipe at least once week. By spending more time with other vegetarians and vegans they will encourage you in the right direction. A vegan potluck is a great way to share recipes and to glean new ideas while testing out your present skills. This will help you to feel like you are a part of a community. Through fellowship wonderful bonds can be created that will continue to make you feel not only supported, but loved.
If you need any more help feel free to contact me. Best of wishes and God/Goddess bless you as you are doing something not only good for your health if done properly, but also you are helping to alleviate unnecessary suffering both for the animals, as well as Gaia (the environment).
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Well, heres the meat of the matter, (pun not intended – yea right) a vegetarian diet CAN be just as healthy as an average meat eating diet, if done correctly and planned carefully. However, most of the supposed benefits don’t come from not eating meat, but from the wide range of vegetables and the careful diet normally entails. As such, you can get all the benefits of the veggie diet while still eating meat, making it rather useless from a health point of view (Except as a cleansing diet if you’re badly ill, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good diet all the time. Bread and water is a very cleansing diet, yet I don’t see people queueing up to live off a diet of that alone).
To he who claimed meat can cause stomach problems, you’re wrong. It is harder to digest, but our bodies are perfectly well adapted to cope with that.
A good veggie diet can be very hard to get right though, but if it’s worth the bother here’s a few quotes:
"Zinc is primarily found in animal products such as meat, shellfish and dairy produce. Beef, liver and liver-based products are particularly rich in zinc. A vegetarian diet contains a lot of phytate, which inhibits zinc absorption. Phytate binds zinc, which means that zinc is less easily absorbed by the body. Vegetarians have to include 50% more zinc in their diet in order to meet their zinc requirements."
"We know that the human digestive tract is extremely inefficient when coping with foods of vegetable origin. With no bacteria or enzymes capable of breaking down the cell walls to release the small amounts of nutrients inside, we can only eat many of these foods after they have been cooked. If you want to dispute that, eat a raw potato or turnip. Red kidney beans contain natural toxins which lead to severe diarrhoea if they are eaten raw. Only boiling them for twenty minutes renders them safe. Butter beans or lima beans contain cyanide which is only destroyed when they are cooked. Raw spinach, beets, chards and rhubarb contain oxalic acid which forms toxic compounds with metabolistic iron and calcium. Raw red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard plants, cottonseed and ferns contain antithiamine which stops absorption of Vitamin B. Try eating uncooked beets, rutabagas, chickpeas, corn, oats, sorghum, millet, wheat or rice or – irony of ironies! – raw soya. Good luck."
"There’s something else you can only get from animal produce, and to hear its name spoken out loud in an essay on the realities of healthy dietary composition might surprise you. Cholesterol. True, too much cholesterol will kill you, but then too much of almost any substance you can name will do much the same. Cholesterol (C27H45OH) is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol) and a lipid found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. In small doses, in fact, cholesterol is essential for your well being. For a person weighing about 68 kg, typical total required dietary intake is 200 to 300 mg. 52 That’s a tiny amount in practical terms, but your life depends on it. Almost all steroid hormones are made out of cholesterol, and these include cortisol and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and the sex hormones progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Recent research shows that cholesterol has an important role for the brain synapses as well as in the immune system, including protecting against cancer 53. Recent research strongly suggests that cholesterol is an important in cell signalling processes 56. Cholesterol is a vital link in the synthesis of vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 51 54. Bile acids, essential for fat digestion, are made of cholesterol, and it is an essential component of your brain cells."
And you asked about protein. Studies suggest that an average woman needs 45g of protein a day. Yes, technically you can get all the 9 amino acids you need from plant sources, but it does require work. Missing any of them can have adverse effects on health. The other problem is quality; the quality of protein in meat is much better than that that comes from plant sources, or at least our bodies are better adapted to get it, meaning you’d need to eat a lot more to get the same benefit as you would from smaller amounts from meat.
If you can get around of those, and the complete lack of bioavalable Vitamin B12 in plants, the you could be just as healthy as your average meat eater (which is pretty healthy lest you decide otherwise. I am of course excluding those who think that they can get all the nutrients they need from McDonald’s).
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
I went from being an omnivore to vegetarian overnight. It isn’t a big deal, but be careful with a couple of things. I increased my consumption of dairy and eggs, and gained weight. This type of behavior could lead to heart and circulation problems.
The best advise that I can give is to eat a large variety of plant foods (fish, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese… don’t grow on plants). All plant foods have protein, so you should not worry too much about not getting enough protein. Protein is used to grow new tissue and make repairs for injuries. The body and brain need carbs for energy. If you will thoroughly chew your fruits and veggies, you can almost eliminate gas problems.
In these days when everything causes cancer, meat is a major contributor to colon cancer. The fat from animal products is responsible for atherosclerosis. The animal proteins contribute to osteoporosis.
Others have suggested good resources. I want to recommend a good cookbook, "Guilt-free Gourmet" by Vicki Griffith. It features vegan recipes as well as health tips and menu plans.
good luck.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
HOW MANY BLONDES DOES IT TAKE TO ASK A STUPID QUESTION?
JUST THIS ONE HER NAME IS BLONDIE_GIRL…
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Dont worry you will find good foods. I had that prob but when I kept eating all types of stuff I began to like it. I hated salad but since it is an aquired taste you have to get used to it. I was on and off vegetarian so I would eat a hamburger once a month. I would get sick because I didnt have meat for a while.
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
I am from India and half the people I know eat vegetarian food. Its wonderful for your stomach and you must surely try being a vegetarian. You can get good amount of protein from Pulses, Soy, Milk, Sprouts and gram. Yogurt is a tastier alternative. Dont start eating uncooked greens from day one, your stomach takes time to adjust.
I personally feel that Fish and Eggs are good for health as well. Its only the red meat like Pork, Lamb, Goat, Beef etc that are bad for health. I need to know your ethinicity before I can suggest recipes
. Have fun
January 16th, 2010 at 11:34 am
"moo= eat me
cluck=eat me
bark=eat me
meow=eat me
bah=eat me
quack=eat me
gobble=eat me"
I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard a nimrod joke like this. Yet always the idiot uttering it thinks it’s original…