Is anyone a vegetarian?

briannadue18

I have really been wanting to become a vegetarian. Wanted to know if anyone on here is one and if so do they have any pointers on beginning I dont want to start and not get all the things my body needs to be healthy..

RodaRose

-> Not a vegetarian at the moment.
I used to eat this: tofu, some dairy like cheese and yogurt (cannot drink cow milk), lentils, chic peas, black beans, green peas, split peas, fried or scrambled eggs sometimes. Also brown rice powder when I wanted more protein. Also a little bit of flax seeds, chia seeds, nuts, peanut butter.
Tons of greens like romaine and escarole and kale and broccoli rabe. Also broccoli, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant, butternut squash.
Some fruit like granny smith apples (I love them) watermelon in season, a few grapes, fresh or frozen berries.
Some recipes here: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/vegetarian-meals#spinach-feta-quiche-sweet-potato-crust

andreaen

I am I've been for about 8 years now except for a few months this spring where I had to eat some meat for health reasons. It could be a good idea to take an iron supplement if you feel like you crave meat. Also, make sure you eat enough protein and that your food choices are generally whole, unprocessed foods, and you'll probably be fine using only common sense. It's really a lot less complicated than some people want it to seem.

AnnPT77

Why are you considering it? Unless the reasons are more or ethical, I'd encourage you to give it some thought. There are many advocates (Netflix documentaries, blogs) spreading very biased misinformation on the subject.

I've been vegetarian for 43+ years (ovo-lacto). Many times, people think they need to become vegetarian or vegan for reasons that are not accurate. In particular:

Vegetarianism is not a guarantee of weight loss. I became fat, then obese (for decades), and finally thin again, all as a vegetarian. It's completely unrelated to weight loss. Some people find that if they eat lots of veggies, grains, etc., that they feel more full and satisfied on fewer calories, but that's true whether they eat meat alongside those things or not. (Same applies to veganism - I've known obese vegans.)

Vegetarianism is not "healthier". Many different ways of eating can be healthy, as long as they include enough protein, fats, fiber, and micronutrients. Those nutrients are present in a wide variety of foods. Personally, I find it really challenging to believe that evolution designed us to be the most healthy when eating in a way that most humans, over centuries and millennia, have not eaten. There are a few modern cultures where vegetarianism is a widespread and standard way of eating, but most people in most cultures follow an omnivorous route, and the best evidence is that's been true throughout human history.

As an aside, vegetarianism can be less convenient, in ways that are readily easily managed, but it's still a consideration.

The nutrition issues are a little different. We need the same nutrition, but certain nutrients are easy to get in animal-source foods, but more challenging in plant-source foods. Iron, calcium, and B12 are some that come to mind offhand. Omnivores with a balanced diet don't need to think much about those things, but plant-based eaters need to pay more attention. B12 needs to be supplemented, for vegans. Protein quality (full set of essential amino acids) is also something to pay attention to. These things aren't hard, they just require attention. (Don't fall for vegan advocacy blogs who say you need less protein than the RDA. If anything, you'd need a bit more, as insurance around the essential amino acid issue.)

There's no doubt in my mind that an omnivorous way of eating with plenty of plant foods, and some meat/fish, is the easiest healthy way to eat, or to lose weight. Evolution designed us to be omnivores.

There are social inconveniences, as well. Again, these are manageable, but they're considerations. Travel can make good nutrition more challenging, especially travel in very meat-centric cultures. It would be good to learn how to gracefully turn down a gift of a special treat food, without giving offense, in some cultures. You need a strategy for things like being invited for dinner at your omnivore new boss's house, for potlucks, for negotiating restaurant choices with groups of professional colleagues. Following a special way of eating can even limit your choices of life partner, at an extreme.

Like I said, none of this is insurmountable. I've been doing this for a long time, going back to when it was way less common or accepted than it is now.

If your reasons are ethical or moral, then the various inconveniences are not a major impediment. If your motivations are otherwise, why bother with even minor extra fuss?

Best wishes!

flippy1234

I am a vegetarian and I love it. The truth is, you do not need any animal protein to survive. You will get all of the protein that you need if you eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains. I find it super easy too. Even eating out, you can find things to eat. And...it's less expensive.
I have lost weight. Easily. But, I do not consume anything white...rice, bread, etc...
We get information from so many different sources, eat this, but not that, do this, don't do that..."Just Eat Food, Mostly plants" As Michael Pollan said.
Just a side note, I have only been doing this for 3 months but I feel great and love it. The thought of eating meat grosses me out...but I am a huge animal lover.

Iamnotasenior

I started eating a vegetarian diet many years ago, tried a vegan diet (I lasted six months) and now eat a pescatarian diet (fish, seafood, veggies, eggs and dairy). When people ask me what I eat, I just tell them "everything you do except the meat". There are no set rules or requirements to try a vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diet and what you eat (or don't eat) is no one's business except your own. For me, it was a choice to give up meat that led to a whole journey of discovery about nutrition in general. In the end, I did my own research, made some informed decisions and settled on a diet that allows me to eat what I like and gives me adequate nutrition mostly through diet and not supplements (although, I do take B-12 just to make sure). Oh, and it's not cool for vegetarians to bash non vegetarians and vice versa. I'm married to a carnivore and when I cook for him, I cook meat dishes too. Find what you like and what feeds your body and don't be tied up by "rules". Oh, and don't think that a vegetarian diet alone will guarantee good health or a healthy weight. I got really, really fat on a vegetarian diet that included cheese nachos, potato chips, donuts, cookies and cakes and little exercise. At the end of the day, weight loss is about calories in and calories out and your body doesn't care if they are "healthy" or non-healthy calories.