Vegetarian TO NON-VEGETARIAN question

fuelingit

hence the subject line, i'm wanting to hear from people who WERE vegetarians but then started eating meat again for diet/health reasons. i don't eat meat, only fish and eggs etc.. however i sometimes want to incorporate poultry back into my diet.. i really don't enjoy protein shakes, black beans, greek yogurt, etc as much as i should and i want more protein in my diet. i remember enjoying chicken breast before i cut meat completely out (i was really young when i decided to stop eating meat). i don't know where to start, i'm also hesitant about trying it.. someone help! lol

healthyKYgirl

bump - curious about this too...

jonibc

I'm not and have never been a vegetarian but after watching the documentary "Forks over Knives," I've tried to cut back on my protein consumption from animal sources.

Yogi_Carl

I was vegan for a while and now I have taken back to eating eggs. I still drink and use soya milk because I prefer it to dairy milk. I try to avoid eating cheese because of its calories and fat content.

The main reason for switching back was the vegan cheese made me want to heave and frankly if I'm going to eat something so high in calories I'm gonna eat something I actually enjoy! Vegan meat substitutes I found were massively high in fat also.

Then, ok you can get enough protein from vegan meals but not without taking in a massive amount of carbohydrates and fats. I thought a vegan diet would help me to lose weight, but I actually started putting weight back on.

An egg on the other hand is the most direct protein source you will find. I do buy free range and humanely reared foods as a way of walking more gently on the earth.

fuelingit

yeah that's my main problem. i love carbs. but for some reason with chicken breast and ground natural chicken breast, i can see myself consuming it for snacks and meals more often.. especially since i DREAD eating greek yogurt, protein powder and so on. i love eggs mixed with egg whites too, but i don't want that for more then one meal a day.

i googled the question and read that you should start small.. chicken broth, etc.. and then slowly start adding it back into your diet. THEN it went on to say that you can experience constipation and digestive problems (great, i already suffer from this) and saying that you should buy probiotics and stuff (money money)..

VelociMama

I was a vegetarian for about a year in college, then picked back up to eating meat.

Chicken breasts are easy to prepare. If you have a slow cooker, you can put them in raw and cook them in water for shredded chicken that goes well on top of pasta, in tacos, in burritos, etc. You can also put them in the slow cooker with a jar of salsa on top and make a really easy and tasty dish that way. The chicken and salsa can also be baked in a covered casserole dish or glass pan with aluminum foil on top. You can grill it, fry it, bake it, etc. Lots of ways to prepare it.

Just be sure to keep your hands clean when handling the raw meat. Wash before and immediately after and don't touch anything with raw juices on your hand.

Molly_Maguire

So you didn't make this very clear...Are you saying you want to start eating poultry again? So....start eating poultry, then. I don't get what the big deal is. Do you not know how to cook it? Need recipes, what? Not really sure what you're asking...

VelociMama

i googled the question and read that you should start small.. chicken broth, etc.. and then slowly start adding it back into your diet. THEN it went on to say that you can experience constipation and digestive problems (great, i already suffer from this) and saying that you should buy probiotics and stuff (money money)..

I don't think you need probiotics or anything like that. I certainly didn't, and I had IBS when I started eating back chicken. Just prepare it at home, and eat small portions to start with, and you'll be fine.

laurenellenmarie

I was a vegetarian for two or three years. I started eating meat again because of various reasons but now I only buy free range or organic meat IF I buy it at all.

The best way to start back up is to eat like a child. One chicken strip. Cut up hot dogs. A couple pepperoni's on your salad. One slice of bacon. REALLY small portions at first but you get the point. Your digestive system will go all out of whack if you overload it with meat immediately. Believe me.

laurenmcallister

I got heavy BECAUSE of being vegetarian. Like you, I was never a fan of beans (I can do chickpeas and that's about it!), and so I was protein deficient most of the time and always hungry. When you're hungry, you turn to lots of carbs to fill you up!!

I was veggie for 4 1/2 years, and I've been eating meat again for about 2 years. I don't call myself a vegetarian anymore, but I mostly only eat the occasional chicken breast (I'm still to grossed out to cook other types of meat - yuck - and get it already skinless and boneless) to boost my protein. This has helped my calorie counting on MFP a LOT because I'm FULL on a 225 cal wrap (with 50g chicken and veggies) with side veggies, as opposed to needing to snack later.

It also makes it easier to eat out with friends in a healthy manner. Otherwise, many restaurants had a PASTA dish (usually cream based) or a salad and those were my choices as the token vegetarian. Salad with grilled chicken is delicious and healthy.

That being said, lately I find I'm losing my taste for chicken again, and actually prefer the consistency and flavour of tofu.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and I never ate vegan meat substitutes... I didn't want real meat so why eat fake meat?!?! So maybe my general aversion helped me stay veggie so long!

bluebird321

Tried it for a while, did not lose weight and felt like crap. Books like "Beyond Broccoli" by Susan Schenck have solidified my decision not to go back to it. My workouts have been more consistent in the last 2 years than anytime in my life.

That being said, my wife has been vegan for years and it seems to work out well for her -- she has 17% bodyfat and maintains a strong workout regimen. My opinion is that there isn't a "one size fits all" diet and it is a good idea to read a lot and experiment.

Kandiiberry

i am a vegetarian for the past 7 months and i have seen and improvement in my weight and my mood.
the reason i saw an improvement is because i stop eating fried foods because it was no longer yumm without the meat. i eat more vegetables and fruits and my body feels wayyyyyyy way more light and active than it used to be! im 16 yrs, 5 ft 7 and 3 inches and weigh 142.7

jus_in_bello

It depends on how long you've been a veggie. Call your GP and ask them if you've been meat free for a long time (multiple years) otherwise it's just a slow reintroduction.

Awkward30

I was vegetarian for 6 years, but I'm also super picky, so I was all kinds of deficient and unhealthy, so I started eating meat again. For me, poultry looks too "animal-like" and I also ha never cooked it before, so I was nervous about food poisoning... So I started with ground beef, bacon, lunch meat, and processed stuff... Then progressed to ground turkey and canned tuna and chicken breast, and now I can even eat a steak if it is over cooked and not at all pink!

Obviously, my progression was based on what grossed me out the least, I'd suggest doing something similar and adding things in slowly.

evelina90

yeah that's my main problem. i love carbs. but for some reason with chicken breast and ground natural chicken breast, i can see myself consuming it for snacks and meals more often.. especially since i DREAD eating greek yogurt, protein powder and so on. i love eggs mixed with egg whites too, but i don't want that for more then one meal a day.

i googled the question and read that you should start small.. chicken broth, etc.. and then slowly start adding it back into your diet. THEN it went on to say that you can experience constipation and digestive problems (great, i already suffer from this) and saying that you should buy probiotics and stuff (money money)..

You NEED to start VERY slow. When I started eating meat again I had very big digestive as well as bowel issues(instead of constipation I experienced very violent diarrhea-for weeks!!!) , because I did NOT take it slow :happy: Everybody is different, but I think the longer you have been a vegetarian/vegan the harder it's going to be for your body to "accept" the meat, even if it's chicken. Try to stay away from any fatty meats, in the beginning. Good luck!

Awkward30

yeah that's my main problem. i love carbs. but for some reason with chicken breast and ground natural chicken breast, i can see myself consuming it for snacks and meals more often.. especially since i DREAD eating greek yogurt, protein powder and so on. i love eggs mixed with egg whites too, but i don't want that for more then one meal a day.

i googled the question and read that you should start small.. chicken broth, etc.. and then slowly start adding it back into your diet. THEN it went on to say that you can experience constipation and digestive problems (great, i already suffer from this) and saying that you should buy probiotics and stuff (money money)..

I had no digestive problems from reintroduction... But starting slow would prob make it easier. Probiotics are probably unnecessary

nitepagan

I consider myself a flexitarian, someone who restricts meat, but not totally vegetarian. My daughter, Ginny, who lives with me claims to be a carnivore, so it is real hard for me to be a true vegetarian. I think eggs and milk products are ok for a vegetarian. I do not feel right about eating fish, the last time I made steamed clams, soft shell, like you get along the Atlantic Coast from Chesapeake Bay north to Nova Scotia, I had a lot of bad feelings as I was killing these mollusks and eating them. I did not enjoy them as much as I should have enjoyed them. I make a lot of stuff for me to eat, outside of what I make for Ginny and me to eat. If I had my drothers, I would not eat meat anymore, but my situation makes that difficult.

So, should you start eating chicken, if you feel it is something you have to do, then do it. But I feel that you should not do this. I feel and think about the pain and anguish the animal goes through so you can choose to have meat. I also realize I am eating way too much meat. So, we have to struggle with our feelings and make better choices.

This morning I will be having a sausage and fried egg sandwich, the sausage is vegetarian sausage, but bought them yesterday as I wanted to try veggie style. The real sausage will go back in the freezer or in the garbage.

Kanohane

hence the subject line, i'm wanting to hear from people who WERE vegetarians but then started eating meat again for diet/health reasons. i don't eat meat, only fish and eggs etc.. however i sometimes want to incorporate poultry back into my diet.. i really don't enjoy protein shakes, black beans, greek yogurt, etc as much as i should and i want more protein in my diet. i remember enjoying chicken breast before i cut meat completely out (i was really young when i decided to stop eating meat). i don't know where to start, i'm also hesitant about trying it.. someone help! lol

Have you tried protein bars?Whey powder? Special K products?peanut butter,? there are so many more protein sources than meat.
I hate meat and it makes me nauseous to eat it, all meat, and yes, fish is meat...especially hate any kind of pork !!! I stopped eating meat when I was very young, around or before 10, I told my parents it taste like blood and all my labs are perfectly fine and always have been...unless you meant you're a vegan....

TheeGeeMarie

Since you're already eating fish, the transition to poultry won't be as jarring to your system. When I transitioned from ovo-lacto back to eating meat, the first thing my doctor told me to do was incorporate fish. Definitely take it slow and see how your body reacts, but you probably won't have any problems unless you really over do it. Grill a chicken breast as opposed to eating a massive steak for example. Red meat is more likely to upset your stomach.

If you went vegetarian for moral reasons and are considering eating meat for health reasons, you may feel a little better with free-range organic products. I'm hoping to transition back to vegetarian, but I'm on a training program where that's not an option until I'm at my goal weight and running longer distances regularly. I feel a little better about eating free range chickens, because at least they weren't miserable their whole lives.

sometimes_blondie

I was a vegetarian for about a year in college, then picked back up to eating meat.

Chicken breasts are easy to prepare. If you have a slow cooker, you can put them in raw and cook them in water for shredded chicken that goes well on top of pasta, in tacos, in burritos, etc. You can also put them in the slow cooker with a jar of salsa on top and make a really easy and tasty dish that way. The chicken and salsa can also be baked in a covered casserole dish or glass pan with aluminum foil on top. You can grill it, fry it, bake it, etc. Lots of ways to prepare it.

Just be sure to keep your hands clean when handling the raw meat. Wash before and immediately after and don't touch anything with raw juices on your hand.

Great suggestion!! My new favorite recipe: a package of chicken breasts, a jar of salsa, a tablespoon of homade taco seasoning and a small can of tomato sauce. Throw it in the crockpot on low for 6 hrs or high for 4 hrs. Shred with a fork when done and wrap in tortillas with your favorite taco toppings. Delish!!

Ellyabell

I was a vegetarian for about 16 years and started to eat meat again beause I wanted to travel in countries were you just can't know what's in the food all the time and my body was not able to handle any meat at all at that time.

It took me over a year to enjoy meat again. Started with fish and chicken, only one or two bites and hated it for the first few months. Now I am totally fine with any kind of meat besides pork. And I can eat pork as well, I just don't really enjoy the taste. I love chicken, fish, lamb or a good steak from time to time now. Feel free to send me a message if you have any further questions.

supplemama

I was a vegetarian for 24 years, from ages 14-38. I'm 40 now so it's been almost 2 full years since I've gone back to eating meat. I didn't do it for health reasons, I just started eating meat again because I wanted to. Well what triggered it: All 3 of my children were raised vegetarian and I always told them they could make the decision to eat meat at the age of 10. None of them showed any interest in eating meat at all at that age. My daughter, now age 23, tried chicken when she was 17 and decided she did not like it and resumed being a vegetarian. My oldest son still has not tried meat, and he will be 18 soon. So anyway when my youngest son, now almost age 15, was 13 he decided he wanted to try meat and took to it like a fish takes to water. In cooking meat for him I was around it all the time and some of it seemed appetizing. So I decided to try it...I was nervous at first because I wasn't sure how my body would react to animal flesh after decades of absence, but I was ok for the most part. I quickly learned that I still have trouble digesting beef, pork, etc so I mostly stick to birds and seafood. When I do have beef or pork it's in small amounts, like a few pieces of pepperoni on a pizza or a small sausage.

I agree you should start slow. I threw up a few times because I was eating too much meat too soon. I would suggest trying a chicken drumstick or a can of tuna to start with...then a few days later try something else small. Work your way up to daily meat eating, if at all, and don't have meat with every meal.

LeighAnna115

I assume you probably became a vegetarian for ethical reasons.

If you are trying to slowly incorporate meat back in to your diet try only eating farm fresh/ non factory produced meat. I certainly don't want to get into the debate of "is it right or wrong to eat meat" because that would just be messy. But to many, there is a big difference between meat that is hunted or locally/small farm produced as opposed to factory farm produced meat.

Large scale factories feed an incredible amount of hormones to their animals as well as place them on unnatural diets to promote fast weight gain. They also keep them in small pens and don't care much for the welfare of their animals, they are in business for fast profit.

Small operations tend to be very different. Animals are given ample space, fed a natural diet, and are slaughtered very humanely. Meat from these animals tends to be lower in fat and simply much healthier in general. As a previous vegetarian, transitioning to this type of meat may be easiest for you. This type of meat however will be more expensive. Look for labels like "grass fed". Organic does not guarantee natural diets, they are most likely still fed fatteners and mass produced. Organic only certifies that the animal is "synthetic free". These links explain the difference between grass fed and organic well.

http://www.thunderbasinbeef.com/thunderbasin_update_0901_009.htm

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/nutritional-differences-between-pasturefed-chickens-vs-non-2413.html

Again, everyone has a different viewpoint on eating meat. But if you became a vegetarian for ethical reasons, as most do, this would probably be an easier way for you to incorporate meat back into your diet. If you ever want a link for more info on eating small (non factory produced) just let me know. I studied this a lot in college as an Animal Science major.

emmalene1984

I was a gung ho vegetarian for years and years, then due to health reasons I had to up my protein intake and I did this thru the addition of poultry and fish in to my diet, only organic and free range though, I didn't have any issues with my digestive tract, I only ate chicken maybe a few times a week, only ever for one meal a day to start with, now I eat chicken more frequently but generally still stick to one meal a day. The only time I had any issues with digestion was when I accidently consumed some beef or lamb mince a few years ago (I don't know which it was) and I believe that is because red meat is so much harder to digest anyway.

good luck to you, do it slowly, keep it clean and natural, Don't start of with something like KFC, go for home prepared fresh chicken breast. see how you do, make sure it's all cooked properly and all surfaces etc are kept clean, wash your hands lots etc, don't want to catch salmonella now do you :-)

fuelingit

So you didn't make this very clear...Are you saying you want to start eating poultry again? So....start eating poultry, then. I don't get what the big deal is. Do you not know how to cook it? Need recipes, what? Not really sure what you're asking...

i know how to cook meat. i've prepared it a billion times for my family and boyfriend. i just personally do not eat it. i want to hear from people who were vegetarians then started eating meat again, and how their body reacted etc - since i am thinking about reintroducing poultry back into my diet.

fuelingit

i googled the question and read that you should start small.. chicken broth, etc.. and then slowly start adding it back into your diet. THEN it went on to say that you can experience constipation and digestive problems (great, i already suffer from this) and saying that you should buy probiotics and stuff (money money)..

I don't think you need probiotics or anything like that. I certainly didn't, and I had IBS when I started eating back chicken. Just prepare it at home, and eat small portions to start with, and you'll be fine.

thank you tons

Yogi_Carl

I consider myself a flexitarian, someone who restricts meat, but not totally vegetarian. My daughter, Ginny, who lives with me claims to be a carnivore, so it is real hard for me to be a true vegetarian. I think eggs and milk products are ok for a vegetarian. I do not feel right about eating fish, the last time I made steamed clams, soft shell, like you get along the Atlantic Coast from Chesapeake Bay north to Nova Scotia, I had a lot of bad feelings as I was killing these mollusks and eating them. I did not enjoy them as much as I should have enjoyed them. I make a lot of stuff for me to eat, outside of what I make for Ginny and me to eat. If I had my drothers, I would not eat meat anymore, but my situation makes that difficult.

So, should you start eating chicken, if you feel it is something you have to do, then do it. But I feel that you should not do this. I feel and think about the pain and anguish the animal goes through so you can choose to have meat. I also realize I am eating way too much meat. So, we have to struggle with our feelings and make better choices.

This morning I will be having a sausage and fried egg sandwich, the sausage is vegetarian sausage, but bought them yesterday as I wanted to try veggie style. The real sausage will go back in the freezer or in the garbage.

Do you not think that animals are killed to produce milk, dairy products and eggs? You are wrong, as was I as a vegetarian.

fuelingit

thanks everyone for their help!! i appreciate it a lot

billsica

I only read the first post.
I was a vegetarian for about 15 years. When I got married I started eating fish, mostly because I had no choice on our honeymoon.

I got fat during that 20 year period, so don't think vegetarians can't wolf down pizza.

When I started to run upwards of 5 - 8 miles my body started hurting and felt like it was falling apart. I started to just crave meat. I never did wile being a veg. Particularly red meat. So I started eating it and didn't get that pain anymore.

Now if you start eating meat, plan to spend a week or so on the toilet, that's going to suck big time,

Chewing was also weird. My jaw would get sore from not being used to some of the meat, like a steak. I still don't care much for chicken, the fat and skin are almost too much for me.

I sometimes regret eating meat a lot of the times, but not as much as being a lazy fat a**, so you got to pick your poison.

astrylian

I was a vegan for three years and stopped about 5 years ago - the first month or so, I was extremely, extremely tired all of the time as I began introducing dairy/meat back into my diet. I would nap almost all day, every day, after I ate.

xHelloQuincyx

i couldnt resist the general taos orange chicken at a buffet, and ended up barfing all over. (couldn't handle the processed meat)prolly wasn't worth it haha. ive pretty much secretly turned my boyfriend semi vegetarian now that we live on our own, but for practical reasons. Meat is more expensive, i dont like the taste of it, i hate touching it/ anything raw and bloody. and my family was vegetarians for years, so i would much rather have my bean sprouts. I do love a few dishes, mainly chicken, and just slowly introduced them back into my life.