Vegetarian? Here I go AGAIN

bjenegiles

Ok Ok Ok.... I know that I have said this before BUT I'm saying this again!!! I really believe that becoming a vegetarian is a better choice for me and my health!! I understand that being a vegetarian does not automatically equal weight loss; however, I am all for the health benefits that come with it. I tried last year for about a month strong and then got sick and was eating everything known to man. After my illness, I returned to my meat eating ways (... During this past Lent, I choose to give up meat; however, my house burned down after about 15 days in and I freaked out. Not only did I start back eating meat BUT I gained 12 lbs (.... Well I have decided today (after consuming the biggest hamburger I have ever seen or eaten in my entire life in one sitting) to give it another go. Does anyone have any suggestions? Tips? Go-to recipes? and MOST importantly tips on how to become a vegetarian and have a spouse who is not? I really need the motivation and support you guys, so feel free to inbox me, friend me, etc. Thanks

Kforest0714

I would love info on this also. My husband is a major red meat eater...so it will be hard.

littlemili

Use replacement products like quorn, couldron etc. Stuff that you can use when you get meat cravings (they come in burger, sausage, mince, chicken, ham etc forms) and make it feel like you are getting a "proper" meal. Lots of soups, curries, stews etc - anything that is a single item of food will seem more like the meals you are used to as opposed to seeing that half your plate is now empty where meat used to be. I am veggie (eat fish sometimes that's all) and my diary is open if that helps.
Edit: you can always provide the rest of the family/household with bacon on top/mixed in, meat on the side as an add on etc so they are getting all the nutrients that you have to be so careful of as a veggie and their meat cravings are satisfied!

kennie2

make sure you get your iron!!

myukniewicz

i am a pescatarian, a veggie who eats fish, and i am working towards becoming a full veggie. my boyfriend eats meat, and has no interests in giving it up. which is fine with me. however, he does eat everything i cook- so when i make vegetarian meals he loves them.

tonight i made vegetarian lentil sloppy joes. they are fantastic and he loves them.
(you can find the recipe in my blog on here, or my blog listed below!!)

AggieCass09

funny, i "officially" became a vegetarian after eating a gross huge burger! I suggest finding good recipes and plan ahead with your food choices. I've been a vegetarian for a year officially but didnt each very much meat before that. You can also try slowly weeding out meats too...it works for some people. There are so many great foods out there that you dont *need* to eat meat.

Also, I had issues with depression and acid reflux, both of which have been completely eliminated since becoming a veggie. I've NEVER felt better in my entire life...so much energy and so "clean." I also dont have mood swings any more...i really think its due to all the hormones they inject. (i eat organic veggies/fruits to avoid pesticides for this reason too)

AggieCass09

I would love info on this also. My husband is a major red meat eater...so it will be hard.

my hubby eats TONS of red meat but we make it work....i just take my portion out before his or we have veggie meals and his has a side of meat...hes lost weight since i've been a veggie lol. Stir-fry's are my friend!

DKBingaman

ill tell you what i am currently doing. I am about 70% on my way to becoming vegetarian! I'm doing it because i love love love animals and it would keep me from eating out a whole lot more! Ok so i took it VERY slow. i gave up Beef in 2010.. this year i cut out chicken and then i guess next year i am giving up turkey and pork (which i don't eat much of anyway) . You can switch it up obviously. I gave up beef first because i am not a fan of steak and there are tons of substitutes for ground beef (cause i love Mexican food yum yum) So yea. It has been hard giving up chicken but not impossible. I am still debating on whether or not ill give myself a day or two during the year to eat meat. (as a little treat)

As for living with a spouse that is not a vegetarian.. i can't help you haha i starting all of this when i moved out of the house for the first time but because my dad passed i moved back home with my mom and brother and they are meat eaters. so i just go shopping for myself.

myukniewicz

I would love info on this also. My husband is a major red meat eater...so it will be hard.

i just take my portion out before his or we have veggie meals and his has a side of meat.

i do that too!!!

NoAdditives

The biggest thing you need to be aware of is that getting protein will be harder. Vegetarian forms of protein tend to have a lot more carbs than you need. And fake meat products are highly processed and again, have a lot of carbs. They may help with meat cravings but they aren't good for you. I was vegetarian for 10 years, vegan for 2, and that's when I started gaining a lot of weight.

Until I got pregnant with my first child I was vegetarian and my husband ate meat. I had been veg. for so long that it wasn't an issue for me. I'd make some meals like tacos or lasagna with veg. meat and he couldn't tell the difference. Or, I'd make other meals that he could add meat to if he wanted, like pasta and salad, stir fry, etc.

jamaka1

i dont eat meat but i do eat fish & eggs, being a vegetarian is hard. i have been doing this for over 5yrs and i love the way my body feels, my skin looks and my digesstive system is doing gr8. i buy alot of morningstar products they are tasty but expensive. give it another try, my family eat meat and i cook it for them & it doesn't bother me. i also utilise alot of beans; u can do it. good luck

DKBingaman

. i buy alot of morningstar products they are tasty but expensive.

haha me too!!

jowings

My current BF is a vegetarian and I have been reaping the benefits of his healthy lifestyle . I do, however, really enjoy my meat, and have here is a list of the products that tend to satisfy those cravings:

I love love love Morningstar Farms bacon! it is not exactly the bacon my Mom used to make, but it definitely satisfies my morning pork cravings:

http://www.morningstarfarms.com/products_veggie-bacon-strips.aspx

This is also a great website because they have recipe suggestions for most of their products!

Someone mentioned veggie Sloppy Joes and I absolutely adore them! I generally use St Yves Meatless Ground round and it turns out very tasty as has a nice, meaty texture. Here is their website, which also has recipes:

http://www.yvesveggie.com/index.php

I also really enjoy Chorizo, and so we substitute with El Burrito Soyrizo. It is definitely delicious and fills the meat void .

http://www.elburrito.com/soyrizo.html

I can usually find all of these products at Trader Joe's and I have seen St. Yves and Morningstar products at a Ralph's grocery store. Hope this helps and happy cooking!

taiyola

Quorn and Linda McCartney in the U.K. are what I have. I've been vegetarian since the age of 4 from my own choice. All my family members ate meat, but I was stubborn. Eventually my mum became a veggie too, and my dad sometimes was veggie but sometimes wasn't! He liked to eat the odd bit of meat at work and would go through phases. I've gone through phases of eating fish and not eating it at all. I currently eat tuna occasionally, and fish cakes which don't contain much fish anyways.

My ex boyfriend ate meat and so do all my friends. I recently cooked a spag bol for me and my best friend, which she loved! She hadn't tried veggie mince before but gave it a go. We're going to be moving in together soon, and I think spag bol will be a dish I can cook which she'll enjoy. I have no problem with people around me eating meat, as long as they don't try and peach to me, the same as I wouldn't to them.

I'm not sure what it's like where you're from, but here a lot of supermarkets do their own brand or cheaper brands of meat free products. A vegetarian Linda McCartney sausage contains 11g of protein per sausage. I have recently made more of an effort to get my protein up, and have it with most meals of my days off without a problem. I do have anaemia though, and take iron tablets for that.

Good luck!

NoAdditives

The thing about most veg. meat products is that they're made with GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMOs do not undergo any long term testing so the health effects aren't known. The bottom line is that GMOs are not things we should be eating.

gingerfoxxx

Sorry about your house!! I am a veg, and my roommate (meateater) and i cook together all the time. She will just cook meat separately to add to whatever we make. Asian dishes seem really easy to make like this....stirfry, curry, veggie saute's...Just be ready to do more dishes than before

For me, not eating meat is natural....i hate the taste, except for hot wings...(which obviously, is just the sauce) so i will get veggie nuggets and put hot sauce on them, bbq sauce on tofu, things like that. Maybe make sure you have lots of "meat accessory sauces" at your finger tips, and the transition wont seem so hard?

Real simple magazine always has great veggie recipes too if you need inspiration!

Amber824

A couple of things have helped me out...There are two books that I highly recommend even though they are vegan. #1 is Skinny B****. (hope you can figure that out.) I actually have the hardcover and audio book. #2 is The Kind Diet, written by Alicia Silverstone. I am in the process of reading this one and it reminds me of why I chose the lifestyle.

I am actually a vegan. Another thing that has helped me along the way is how great I have felt. It's easier to get up in the morning, I have the energy to go to the gym, and I cook more...lol! The way I feel is motivating factor for me. Good luck!

littlemili

The thing about most veg. meat products is that they're made with GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMOs do not undergo any long term testing so the health effects aren't known. The bottom line is that GMOs are not things we should be eating.

Quorn isn't. Nor is Linda McCartney. At least in the UK they are the 2 biggest brands by far. You can find this information very easily on their websites...so I don't know what brands you are referring to although I would like to know so I can avoid them.

sarahliftsUP

I became vegetarian nearly eight years ago. I was researching on the internet and came across factory farms. My heart just broke watching videos and seeing pictures of the abuse and terrible conditions animals are put through before they are slaughtered. That was enough for me to turn me off from eating meat. I still eat eggs and drink milk so I'm an lacto-ovo vegetarian. I live in Canada so I don't have to worry about the milk I'm drinking being pumped with growth hormone (it's banned here!).

The health benefits of being vegetarian are just a bonus to me. I'm just for animal rights. I can't imagine going back to eating meat. As for recipes, everything that is made with meat can be made vegetarian, just leave the meat out and substitute in beans, or lentils. I love trying new foods and have come across several good ones on this site. I also have a few vegetarian cookbooks as well. I'll have to dig out the recipes later!

If you want to become vegetarian, you can! My boyfriend is a meat eater but is super supportive of me.. We've been together for 10 years and only two of those years have I ate meat, so he is used to it.

bjenegiles

i am a pescatarian, a veggie who eats fish, and i am working towards becoming a full veggie. my boyfriend eats meat, and has no interests in giving it up. which is fine with me. however, he does eat everything i cook- so when i make vegetarian meals he loves them.

tonight i made vegetarian lentil sloppy joes. they are fantastic and he loves them.
(you can find the recipe in my blog on here, or my blog listed below!!)

This is what I want to be. I love seafood.