hey vegetarians!

[areyoukiddingme]

I'm attempting to go the vegetarian & organic route. Despite the fact I love red meat & chicken I want to try something different and eat a little healthier.

so what I'm getting at is does anyone have any suggestions to start out? any foods I should try?

[SonEric84]

Are you kidding me?


Sorry, had to.

[areyoukiddingme]

Are you kidding me?


Sorry, had to.

Not the first time it's been said. Quite alright.

[SonEric84]

Not the first time it's been said. Quite alright.



Not being a vegetarian I don't have many suggestions. I actually don't eat meat all that much though. Have you tried hummus? I hear a lot of people say that's good, never had it myself though.

[lovely864md]

If your grocery store has an organic section, go have a look there (or find an organic grocery store if it doesn't). Look for things similar to whatever you eat now. It's going to be a little more expensive than what you're used to, but try a lot of things and find out what you like. There's also lots and lots of books and websites on the subject. If you have any vegetarian friends around, ask them about restaurants in your area and get out and try some things.

[Smash Adams]

start just by limiting yourself, quitting cold turkey is hard, going from eating meat once a week to once a month etc will probably be a better idea
I'm not a vegetarian, want to but just can't, but I only eat red meat once a week/try to avoid high fructose corn syrup when possible-Mary's suggestion about eating organic was a good one

[voncorn]

Start by eliminating certain meats, i.e. for the first week don't eat any red meats, but help yourself to chicken. Then begin by introducing meat alternatives like tofu, hummus, etc. WHILE you're still eating small amounts of meat. I'd suggest buying stuff like Boca burger patties, imitation chicken nuggets, that sort of thing to get you started. Once you feel ready, just throw meats out of your diet completely. This is what I did at the beginning of the summer, and I haven't touched meat since.

[Neo Cassady]

I'm not vegetarian, but I do love me some Morningstar. Also, you can make a TON of stuff with soy/tofu. And anything with portabello mushrooms as the "meat" of the dish. Look around online for recipes. I do agree to not quit right away, ease yourself into it. But go organic right away (meat and fruits/veggies especially) if your grocery store has it available and you can afford it!

[LaDiabla]

I'm not one with a strong will and I managed to go cold turkey on meat. Haven't eaten meat in over 2 years and don't miss it one bit.
If you like fish, you could try to quit meat and then ease from fish to tofu. That's maybe an even easier transition than going from meat to tofu.

Instead of shopping at the organic food section in your supermarket, you could also check out farmer markets close to you. You would support your local farmers and get organic and fresh fruit and veggies ect (you can pretty much buy anything at a farmers market..as I'm sure you know), that would maybe also be cheaper than the organic food section in your supermarket (I didn't pay too much attention to food prices while I lived in the US).

[lfdfforever]

start just by limiting yourself, quitting cold turkey is hard, going from eating meat once a week to once a month etc will probably be a better idea
I'm not a vegetarian, want to but just can't, but I only eat red meat once a week/try to avoid high fructose corn syrup when possible-Mary's suggestion about eating organic was a good oneyou're buff

[toddc]

okay, first things first: you can stop eating meat cold turkey(I love the irony in that statement). there are no real health concerns if you compensate for the protein your body is used to from eating meat:
Fish (pescetarianism -- which I highly recommend unless you can afford a nutritionist and a surplus amount of groceries to compensate for the lack of protein you can get from fish)
Eggs/Dairy (ovo-vegetarianism -- includes eating eggs, but not dairy products // lacto-vegetarianism -- includes dairy products but not eggs // lacto-ovo-vegetarianism -- includes, you guessed it, both dairy AND eggs),
Beans (tofu [is a curdled soybean -- much like cheese is curdled milk], soy, black beans, kidney beans, pinto, etc etc etc.),
Nuts/seeds (peanut butter, cashews, almonds, etc etc etc)--

ALL of these are amazing alternatives to the protein that you will no longer receive from eating antibiotic-infested, preservative-packed, growth-hormone enraged, brutally beaten animals that are literally bred for slaughter.

a quick google search shows that there are at least 2 health food stores near where you live (http://www.google.com/search?q=jackson%2C+new+jersey+heal th+food+stores&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) that are going to undoubtedly have the groceries in stock that you desire and need to adjust to this new dietary life style. though, it is the most expensive way to nourish your body, it is the best, and obviously the healthiest. also, contemplate the irony that items that are packed with preservatives and additives and things of that nature are LESS expensive than simple organic products that don't have to go through some big, long refining process. our society is slowly going more "green", which I think is for fashion more than compassion for animals/environment/your own body(&health), but still, I expect a big change, soon. organic products will become the norm and ultimately less expensive, more available in grocery stores and restaurants, etc. -- it already has become the norm for this generation of parents who are (predominantly speaking -- this isn't true of all parents, but it becoming more relevant than not) feeding their kids all-natural, organic baby food and substituting ordinary household cleaners like Windex/Lysol for more enviormentally/baby friendly cleaning products.

for a lot of people, I think that eating meat is kind of an "ignorance is bliss" type scenario. they don't know how the meat gets to their plate, they just know it does, and that's enough for them. if people opened up their eyes, did some research (this day in age, it consists of googling "animal cruelty" instead of having to go to the library to, you know, actually reading a book), they would definitely think twice about eating meat. also, a simple YouTube search can provide more (visual) evidence that could persuade you to think twice about what you're putting into your body. for starters, I suggest: meet your meat. (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=meet+your+meat &search_type=&aq=0&oq=meet+y)

as I mentioned above in this post, be a vegetarian for the RIGHT reasons, not because you want to be able to state it conversationally amongst your friends. much like Religion, you should have reasons to back up your lifestyle choices, not just sport it around fashionably like some kind of scarf.

visit your local health food stores and ask to speak with someone about your new vegetarianism- I guarantee you they will find another employee/manager within minutes to talk to you and to maybe suggest some items that they offer to help you on your new dietary journey. personally, my diet consists of a lot of fake meat (morningstar offers damn near everything -- I also recommend the brand "Amy's", especially if you're into mexican food), hummus, salad, fruit, vegetables, etc.

Edit: I forgot to mention SUPPLEMENTS. So important. Multi-vitamins are essential to this process. I'm not sure if insurance covers it, but also try and get with a nutritionist. He/she can direct you on a healthy, balanced, meat-free diet and then you can take it from there. Again, within your financial reach, I would most definitely get a nutritionist.

[toddc]

I'm attempting to go the vegetarian & organic route. Despite the fact I love red meat & chicken I want to try something different and eat a little healthier.

so what I'm getting at is does anyone have any suggestions to start out? any foods I should try?

check out my above post and see what you think. please let me know if there's anything I can do to help. good luck, dude!

[The Pharmacist]

Indian Food from a nice hindu restaurant. its pretty much all veggie friendly and takes pretty great. i know i am brown.

or learn to cook a few meals yourself. i suggest starting out with a few simple recipes like naan and dal. if you have a ny indian friends ask their moms. my mom LOVES to show my friends how to cook and a little indian mommy will tell you where all the good deals are

[areyoukiddingme]

definitely appreciate the feedback. i think the only reason i find myself wanting to try this is the fact that there's plenty of foods with ingredients i can't even pronounce on the back of the packaging. starting slow is going to be the key. props to those who just quit cold turkey. that takes some balls.

[MarsEatWorld]

I quit cold turkey 2 weeks ago. Haven't wanted to eat meat yet.

[LaDiabla]

I quit cold turkey 2 weeks ago. Haven't wanted to eat meat yet.
Wait a month and you'll find just the smell of meat disgusting.

[sheslostcontrol]

Wait a month and you'll find just the smell of meat disgusting.

That statement is so true. I've been veggie for two and a bit years, and I can truthfully say that I find the smell and look of meat disgusting. I can't imagine eating it anymore. I've started to hate the thought of milk and eggs too, I think I'm about to go vegan but I'm anaemic so I get my doctor going mental when I change my diet.

I think of meat more as dead animal now than a food substance. The thought of it is revolting.

[Kassie09]

It's going to be really hard once you realize how limited you are, especially when at restaurants with family and friends. However, once you do it for a while, you'll feel really healthy and be amazed at how good you feel. You might even decide to change to veganism which makes your body feel amazing and really energized but you basically cannot go out to eat with friends..ever. So it kinda sucks.

[boekebong]

I'm vegan. Here's my take.

One: I've helped friends switch and the easiest thing to do is to start by going vegetarian/vegan whatever only when eating out or only when eating in (you choose). It just helps you to test the waters, learn some recipes, see what's out there, without too much of a change all at once.

Two: You do not need supplements. They are a waste of money. I have been vegan for a while. Many people I know have been vegan for years. If you eat well (not a chips/soda/oreos vegan/vegetarian) then you should be fine.

Three: Some people get over meat, others don't. I never have. I still crave it after several years and still want it (that is true of dairy and eggs as well). My experience after going vegetarian and then vegan is that I had a much more difficult time feeling satisfied. It took a long time to change that because I had to learn to cook a lot better than I knew how to before. The point is that I had very rough transitions and that is always a possibility. As other people have said, sometimes it's easy.

Good luck. I am happy to help out in whatever way you need, but at this point I know a lot more about being vegan.

[YourGreatestSin]

I've been vegetarian for a little over a year now.

It's not as hard as most people think it is to quit.
Especially if you do it for the right reason.

[relaxrelapse830]

*highfive!*

I was vegetarian for about a year and a half, and about a month ago I went vegan. It wasn't hard at all for me to quit cold turkey, but then again, I stopped eating meat less for health and more for animal rights reasons, and I didn't eat much meat before going vegetarian. So if it helps you, just gradually ease into it. Cut out red meat for the first week or two, then chicken, etc.

If there is a MOMs (My Organic Market) in your area, definitely check it out. They have awesome vegetarian/vegan stuff, and there are probably people you can talk to about going vegetarian who can recommend you food . Trader Joe's has good stuff too. But there are plenty of vegetarian foods at regular grocery stores like Target, Weis, etc.

Also, eat Boca burgers. They're so yummy. I didn't even like burgers before I went vegetarian, but Boca burgers are so good it's impossible to not like them. Morningstar chik patties are pretty good as well. (I don't eat them anymore though because they're not vegan.)

You should probably take a multivitamin as well.

toddc said mostly everything that needs to be said. Check out his post.

I have a question though: Are you giving up fish?

[silentname]

I think of meat more as dead animal now than a food substance. The thought of it is revolting.


Agreed. I've been a vegetarian for a year and a half, and the more I think about it now, the more gross meat is to me. Even before I went truly vegetarian stuff like lamb, and veal was already revolting.
Sucks that I come from an Italian family, so I'm around meat a lot. =/

[xfantabulousx]

I think of meat more as dead animal now than a food substance. The thought of it is revolting.

True statement. I've been a vegetarian for almost five years and I can't even imagine eating meat at this point. I just don't find it appetizing at all.

If you're looking to stop eating meat, go to the freezer section of the grocery store and look for stuff from brands like Boca, Morningstar, and Amy's. They all have tons of delicious stuff that you can eat instead of meat. Also, if you think you're going to have a problem getting all the nutrients you usually get from meat, get some fortified cereal (which I think most cereals are).

[shit stroll]

sHNkJ8j1zjY

[AndrewIcex]

Damn, apparently half this site does not eat meat..

I enjoy it, sorry.

[sheslostcontrol]

True statement. I've been a vegetarian for almost five years and I can't even imagine eating meat at this point. I just don't find it appetizing at all.

If you're looking to stop eating meat, go to the freezer section of the grocery store and look for stuff from brands like Boca, Morningstar, and Amy's. They all have tons of delicious stuff that you can eat instead of meat. Also, if you think you're going to have a problem getting all the nutrients you usually get from meat, get some fortified cereal (which I think most cereals are).

I live in the UK, so our options are slightly different, but you can get stuff like Quorn and Linda McCartney veggie stuff, and loads of supermakets are starting to make their own bean burgers and stuff, which helps since it's the summer and I want stuff for BBQ's. My problem with nurtients is that I'm anaemic so I have trouble getting all the nutrients and I have to take an Iron Supplement three times a day, aswell as a load of vitamins, but I wouldn't change it.

Now that I've stopped eating me for two plus years, I can't imagine eating it again.

Agreed. I've been a vegetarian for a year and a half, and the more I think about it now, the more gross meat is to me. Even before I went truly vegetarian stuff like lamb, and veal was already revolting.
Sucks that I come from an Italian family, so I'm around meat a lot. =/

For me it's sometimes difficult too, because almost everyone around me eats meat, and it makes me feel sick to see them eat it, but I've learnt to be tolerant because they're tolerant of me. My only problem is that whenever someone finds out I don't eat meat at school they always go on and on that they couldn't live without it, at that point I begin to feel really ill. It's super easy to live without it, I thought it'd be hard, but apart from cravings for fish sushi, I've managed to stave it off.

[relaxrelapse830]

For me it's sometimes difficult too, because almost everyone around me eats meat, and it makes me feel sick to see them eat it, but I've learnt to be tolerant because they're tolerant of me. My only problem is that whenever someone finds out I don't eat meat at school they always go on and on that they couldn't live without it, at that point I begin to feel really ill. It's super easy to live without it, I thought it'd be hard, but apart from cravings for fish sushi, I've managed to stave it off.

Same. Hardly any of my friends are vegetarian. One of my best friends is vegan as well, and I have a couple of friends who don't eat meat because they're Hindu, but that's it. It gets annoying, because people always go on about how yummy meat is and how I'm crazy to not eat it. I think it's kind of funny actually, because there's all this propaganda about how vegetarians "preach" or whatever, when really, meat-eaters are the ones who make into a much bigger deal than it should be.

[chrisstahl]

I'm attempting to go the vegetarian & organic route. Despite the fact I love red meat & chicken I want to try something different and eat a little healthier.

so what I'm getting at is does anyone have any suggestions to start out? any foods I should try?

You don't have to give up meat to be healthy.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com

Read the "primal blueprint". I've lost 20 pounds since June 1st.

Nothing processed. All fresh and natural. Fruits/Veggies/Roots/Nuts/Seeds/Meats. My vitals are healthier, I feel great, I'm sleeping better.

It makes sense to me. The primal blue print in a nut shell states that our bodies haven't really evolved all that much since the "cave man" days. So I don't eat anything that comes from the middle section of a grocery for the most part. Basically says our bodies weren't designed to process fillers, complex carbohydrates and the likes. It makes total sense, just look at America. Obesity central.

If you're doing it for animal rights, then disregard everything I've said, but to be healthier? I don't think so in my personal opinion.

This isn't Atkins. I did Atkins back in the day, and I didn't like it that much. I think Atkins gets a bad rep because the people that have had health problems from "doing atkins" all pretty much say they ate only meat and cheese for a long time. That isn't "Atkins". All of a sudden people started hearing of "Atkins" and hearing they could eat unlimited meat and cheese and disregarded the part where you need to eat veggies too. So I am not anti-atkins, the press and media just manipulate it to what scares people. Atkins says to eat 20g of carbs a day. I am eating around 100g carbs a day. The average American (and the AVERAGE American IS overweight) eats close to 350-450 carbs a day. 2+2=4 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_sense)

That is all. Anyway, goodluck!

[A_True_Poet]

can i still be vegetarian if i eat fish sometimes? there are times i just can't help it! lol

[sheslostcontrol]

Same. Hardly any of my friends are vegetarian. One of my best friends is vegan as well, and I have a couple of friends who don't eat meat because they're Hindu, but that's it. It gets annoying, because people always go on about how yummy meat is and how I'm crazy to not eat it. I think it's kind of funny actually, because there's all this propaganda about how vegetarians "preach" or whatever, when really, meat-eaters are the ones who make into a much bigger deal than it should be.

I know! Whenever at school they all start having a big debate about why they love meat so much, and how it tastes so yummy. Once my friend, who is a meat farmer, so she feels very passionately about the opposite that I feel, but anyway she started having a huge arguement with me about meat. It was so annoying, because I'm not a vegetarian to fall out with people or cause debates, I'm a vegetarian because I think killing animals for food is barbaric, it's not about being different and some people once asked if I was only doing it for attention, which is pretty moronic. Change your whole lifestyle for a tiny bit of attention?

can i still be vegetarian if i eat fish sometimes? there are times i just can't help it! lol

Techinically you'd be classed as a pescatarian, or a 'flexitarian'. Flexitarian is just someone who eats meat sometimes, and basically isn't a full vegetarian, and a pescetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat but eats fish.

[reformryan]

Reminds me of a southpark episode
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTog_NtCEio

[A_True_Poet]

I know! Whenever at school they all start having a big debate about why they love meat so much, and how it tastes so yummy. Once my friend, who is a meat farmer, so she feels very passionately about the opposite that I feel, but anyway she started having a huge arguement with me about meat. It was so annoying, because I'm not a vegetarian to fall out with people or cause debates, I'm a vegetarian because I think killing animals for food is barbaric, it's not about being different and some people once asked if I was only doing it for attention, which is pretty moronic. Change your whole lifestyle for a tiny bit of attention?



Techinically you'd be classed as a pescatarian, or a 'flexitarian'. Flexitarian is just someone who eats meat sometimes, and basically isn't a full vegetarian, and a pescetarian is someone who doesn't eat meat but eats fish.
very informative. thanks! =]

[XxFxck_YouxX]

hmm i really like Parmesan(fuck it i dont think i spelled that right) eggplant. lol itz yummy
there's tons of good veggie food out there you just have to look for it.

[deFobbed14yrs]

Indian Food from a nice hindu restaurant. its pretty much all veggie friendly and takes pretty great. i know i am brown.

or learn to cook a few meals yourself. i suggest starting out with a few simple recipes like naan and dal. if you have a ny indian friends ask their moms. my mom LOVES to show my friends how to cook and a little indian mommy will tell you where all the good deals are


this

[Jali]

Well I'm a vegetarian but if you wanna go down the health route, I'm not the best person to give advice. I live on cheese and beer but if you want some meat alternatives I'd suggest Quorn. Quorn burgers are the same as eating meat burgers in terms of taste, but less chewy and I know they're alot better for ya. Also Linda McCartney food is pretty good. Beyond that I dunno, like I say, I'm not a picture of health.

[Reaver]

this

w00t. I want that recipe from your mum! :D

[introduction]

eek vegetarians!

[deFobbed14yrs]

w00t. I want that recipe from your mum! :D


haha i'll message it to you

[lbopm]

I'm attempting to go the vegetarian & organic route. Despite the fact I love red meat & chicken I want to try something different and eat a little healthier.

so what I'm getting at is does anyone have any suggestions to start out? any foods I should try?

Chicken is one of the healthiest things you can eat. Who the fuck made you think not eating chicken is healthier? It's called work out-- that makes you healthier.

[mena]

Make sure you eat plenty of legumes, grains, and nuts. I'm a fan of peanut butter so one of my favorite snacks is whole grain crackers with peanut butter and some fruit on the side. Another is a pita wrap filled with peanut butter, apples, and sprinkled with cinnamon. They both provide the protein I need and they're delicious.

Also, keep in mind that when being vegetarian it's better to eat 6 small meals each day instead of 3. A lot of vegetarian food doesn't fill you up as well or just doesn't fill you up for too long. But the 6 small meals a day idea is usually great for any diet since it's better for the metabolism.

[Animalhill]

I was a vegetarian for 5 years.
I've eaten burgers for dinner every single night for the last... 2 months or so :-)

[llwilliamsll]

I know! Whenever at school they all start having a big debate about why they love meat so much, and how it tastes so yummy. Once my friend, who is a meat farmer, so she feels very passionately about the opposite that I feel, but anyway she started having a huge arguement with me about meat. It was so annoying, because I'm not a vegetarian to fall out with people or cause debates, I'm a vegetarian because I think killing animals for food is barbaric, it's not about being different and some people once asked if I was only doing it for attention, which is pretty moronic. Change your whole lifestyle for a tiny bit of attention?
That's a bit rash. There are people out there who depend on hunting and gathering in order to survive. So to say it's barbaric is a stretch since it is important to some. I would say that it's more the fact of how we live in societies where animals are farmed and treated unfairly. Their living standards are horrible. Also, the use of hormones and injecting it into the animals also effect us as people. It just isn't healthy and the money hungry meat industry is not worried about it. Neither are the people who eat the meat.

[sheslostcontrol]

Well, I do think it's barbaric. I don't see any need to kill animals for our food when theirs plenty of alternatives out there. Animals deserve a life just like we do, and when some people say it's because there's too many animals, well, if there was too many humans would we start to kill them? I value an animals life the same as anyone elses. They have a purpose, as we do, and it's not purely to be our food.

[Kozzy333]

Well, I do think it's barbaric. I don't see any need to kill animals for our food when theirs plenty of alternatives out there. Animals deserve a life just like we do, and when some people say it's because there's too many animals, well, if there was too many humans would we start to kill them? I value an animals life the same as anyone elses. They have a purpose, as we do, and it's not purely to be our food.

So should all omnivores go vegetarian? Are you upset when a bear eats a deer? We are naturally omnivores. That's the way we have evolved.

[beamsofthesun]

So should all omnivores go vegetarian? Are you upset when a bear eats a deer? We are naturally omnivores. That's the way we have evolved.
ahh let's not get into a right/wrong argument
if you're going veg, make sure you are getting the proper protein out of your diet. I highly recommend seeing a nutritionist. Try everything at least once

[Poe-tryGirl]

You should try the Morningstar chicken nuggets. They're really good, although sometimes I think they taste like fish. haha

[anthonydarko]

I've been think of jumping back on the vegetarian wagon for some time now and this thread has definitely given me a few good pointers. PL actually helped me for once.

[npmshah]

I'm attempting to go the vegetarian & organic route. Despite the fact I love red meat & chicken I want to try something different and eat a little healthier.

so what I'm getting at is does anyone have any suggestions to start out? any foods I should try?
indian food has LOADS of veggie options. It is much easier than you would think it is. And alot of establishments serve veggie burgers if you find yourself craving a patty (Burger King, Rby Tuesdays, some Applebees locations, Denny's) etc.

[fightinirish217]

To quote the great Jim Gaffigan:

"I'm not a strict vegetarian, I eat beef and pork, and chicken. But not fish, cause that's disgusting!"

[bladerdude360]

I just love meat way too much to be a vegetarian. No way I could give up steak.

[bladerdude360]

To quote the great Jim Gaffigan:

"I'm not a strict vegetarian, I eat beef and pork, and chicken. But not fish, cause that's disgusting!"
So funny. My cousin actually got me tickets to one of his shows like a year or two ago for my birthday, it was awesome.

[lbopm]

Damn, apparently half this site does not eat meat..

I enjoy it, sorry.



I love meat too, and mega man.

[AndrewIcex]

I love meat too, and mega man.
Haha nice, both things rule.