Vegetarian TO NON-VEGETARIAN question

XXXMinnieXXX

Chicken is probably a good starting point. Not too strong of a taste, can be flavoured so, many ways and a none offense texture. X

wellbert

fish is meat.

Jennaissance

I was vegetarian for 12 years and vegan for about 5. Now I eat anything. I just try to take some vegetarian/vegan principles into my eating like eating meat less than once a day and really caring where it came from.
I don't think I did anything special to add it back into my diet, but I'm pretty sure I went from being vegan to eating some fish, then the dairy. I never felt ill or full or tired. In fact, I felt great in the beginning!

3foldchord

I was vegetarian, but only for a couple years,I wasn't getting enough protein.
I had to start slowly. My tummy felt weird at first, but soon got use to it. My fatigue and headaches are a little better with the extra protein

fuelingit

Your HRM looks cool! What HRM is it? X

suunto m4

Jennaissance

One other thing is that I really don't think people need to eat meat for health reasons. I get just as much protein on my vegetarian days as I do on days I choose to eat meat. There are only a few things I've heard of that are only found in meat. So anyway, I think the decision should be about what you like and what makes you feel good. There are plenty of ways to have a wonderfully healthy diet eating vegetarian or vegan. It's just more limiting and often requires more time in the kitchen.

gibsy

I was a vegetarian for three years and found when I went back to eating meat my digestive system had absolutely no problem with it whatsoever. I actually felt *better* pretty much immediately. I honestly think the idea that your digestive system would react badly to reintroducing it is a myth. It's more the psychological hurdle of making that big choice and processing how you feel about it. How could your body forget how to digest meat? Yeah if you ate healthy as a vegetarian but as soon as you reintroduced meat you just cut the vegetables and went head first into KFC, then sure you might have trouble. Otherwise, you'll be fine. If you want to eat chicken breast I promise you your body is not going to have any problems with that. It's very light stuff. Is this your concern?

Just take it a day at a time. When I started eating meat again it was the first time I ever had to cook it for myself, because I became a vegetarian when I still lived with my mom and went back to meat when I lived on my own. Cooking it was so strange at first! But it's actually the easiest thing in the world to cook. Seriously. How to Cook Everything is a really good resource for learning basic techniques if this is something you are worried about.

katy84o

For about 4 years I didn't eat any meat other than fish. I slowly started incorporating meat back into my diet for the same reason as you. I wanted to get more protein. I can't really eat soy because when I do, I break out really bad on my face. Before cutting out the meat I had a nice complexion, and it took me almost three years to figure out that it was the soy. I stopped eating it for about 2 weeks, my face cleared right up. Then I drank a cup of soymilk and had tofu twice in the same week, and my face exploded. lol Anyway, I slowly added meat back in by eating deer that one of my family members had killed. I wasn't vegetarian for animal rights, obviously. But before my boyfriend and I decided to eat some meat again we both agreed that it had to be either killed by us or a family member, or from a local farm or organic. I still don't eat much meat because it's expensive. And I've thought about cutting back even more to just once per week.

But to your question of how to go about incorporating it again, I would say try something you know you once liked. And I wouldn't go and eat a whole chicken breast. But maybe have a half of a breast on a salad. Or chop some up for a chicken salad. You don't want to eat to much right away, I have read that it can really mess your stomach up. I never had that problem but I know two people who ate beef after years of not eating meat and one guy got sick, like vomiting and really bad cramps. And the other had so much pain they still haven't eaten red meat.

JOHNJMOYER

I have given up beef but because of the low calorie and high protein aspects of chicken, I continue to eat that, although I feel really bad about the missery the chickens must go through. It's hard for me to deal with it...I try not to think about it but it is really hard not to...it was a hard decision to make. I eat it but I don't gorge myself on it.

Check out the movie "faces of dealth" and you will see how they kill the poor cows and chickens and then look at the documentary "super size me" and you will see stuff about the fast food industry....YUCK!!

3foldchord

For those that don't get the question.... It is common for people to get upset stomach from meats when they have gone a while without them, so it's good to go slow when adding meat back to their diets.

RitaSantoss

Well maybe you should try out the leaner meats with less fat such as chicken or turkey. Depending on how they are cooked, they don't have such an overpowering flavour that will throw you off on the first go. I'm not vegetarian, but I rarely incorporate dark meat on my diet. I stick with the white one.

ripemango

I was vegetarian for 8 years. I *think* what you are trying to ask is will your body revolt once it is shocked with animal meat. My reintroduction to meat occurred at a buffet and I had steak, chicken, lamb, shrimp....i basically had some of every type of meat available. I did not experience any ill effects from consuming meat after having none for 8 years. Of course, your experience may vary but this was mine.

fuelingit

I was a vegetarian for three years and found when I went back to eating meat my digestive system had absolutely no problem with it whatsoever. I actually felt *better* pretty much immediately. I honestly think the idea that your digestive system would react badly to reintroducing it is a myth. It's more the psychological hurdle of making that big choice and processing how you feel about it. How could your body forget how to digest meat? Yeah if you ate healthy as a vegetarian but as soon as you reintroduced meat you just cut the vegetables and went head first into KFC, then sure you might have trouble. Otherwise, you'll be fine. If you want to eat chicken breast I promise you your body is not going to have any problems with that. It's very light stuff. Is this your concern?

Just take it a day at a time. When I started eating meat again it was the first time I ever had to cook it for myself, because I became a vegetarian when I still lived with my mom and went back to meat when I lived on my own. Cooking it was so strange at first! But it's actually the easiest thing in the world to cook. Seriously. How to Cook Everything is a really good resource for learning basic techniques if this is something you are worried about.

thanks so much for your input. i agree with you on the psychological part now that i think about it. and yes, digestive issues was my concern! KFC does not appeal to me at all haha! definitely will take it slow if i decide to eat it again.

bilberryjam

I was vegetarian for about 15 years and decided to re-introduce a little meat back into my diet this year. I can't say why exactly, it was just something I felt I wanted/needed to do.

Call me a cliché, the first meat I had was BACON :happy:

But because, psychologically, it was weird to chew through flesh (even if it was crispy) I cut it up small and mixed it with mozzarella, tomato and basil and had it as a sandwich.

It would be easy to apply the same principal to chicken - instead of starting with a drumstick, you could have it as part of a curry or casserole or stew or whatever.

This doesn't apply to chicken, but I do find it easier to eat smoked meat, as the flavour distracts from what I'm actually eating (in a good way.)

I did use probiotics at first. I didn't get sick, but I can't say the probiotics stopped me getting sick. I am on team "go slowly and give your gut time to adjust" though.

All that said, I still don't eat a lot of meat. I try to buy meat from animals that go outside and that's often x4-5 the price. Plus I'm the only meat-eater and it goes off quickly. And psychologically I still find it very weird. So I'm interested to see if other people can help me, too.

Lastly, I don't think you (or I or anyone here) is letting vegetarians down. It's a diet, not a bloody cult. We're allowed to 'leave' and that doesn't reflect on anyone but ourselves.

kittyr77

No meat for twelve years but did eat eggs and fish.
Then over a weekend i ate lamb, venison, ham etc, no ill effects whatsoever. Everyone is different tho.

bankmd

I was a pescatarian (ate fish but no chicken or red meat) for 22 years. I read The Perfect Health Diet, which convinced me to eat meat. I also decided that big agro-business likely was supported by what I ate. So if I ate corn and soy products that are used to cheaply feed cows that suffer because this is not part of their normal diet, I was not addressing my ethical concerns. So I wanted to eat in a humane way, and went to Whole Foods and bought the steak that was rated tops in their rating system. I now order grass-fed beef that comes to me frozen from a place that takes pride in raising animals humanely. (I know, not the question, but part of eating meat for me had to do with resolving what I was doing with myself in my mind).

I thought I might not have the enzymes to properly digest red meat, but it wound up not being an issue. I felt much better, although I was first confused at first about how to cook meat. I now tend to fry thawed meat in coconut oil on a medium heat, usually about 4 minutes on each side (depending on thickness). I started eating meat again maybe a year and a half ago. I think my body was all of the sudden getting nutrients it had not seen since my teenage years. I also do not eat wheat and avoid soy. I have gotten off my asthma medicine and evidently look a lot healthier.

MichelleLaree13

You should start eating a little bit slowly. Vegetarians dont always have the enzymes to break down meat anymore so when they eat meat it causes GI problems. If you start eating meat again your body will make the enzymes. Just dont chow down on a fat steak first thing. Try a little chicken in your pasta or salad and see how it goes.

LeRevCooper

Well maybe you should try out the leaner meats with less fat such as chicken or turkey. Depending on how they are cooked, they don't have such an overpowering flavour that will throw you off on the first go. I'm not vegetarian, but I rarely incorporate dark meat on my diet. I stick with the white one.

Racist! :laugh: J/K

I'm also a vegetarian and have been one my whole life because I think eating dead animals is gross, and I don't like the taste of eggs, but I'll eat them in cakes or cookies or whatever. I've never tried most meats, but as a kid, I would sometimes eat the white meat from chicken and turkey, and I've had bacon a few times.
After reading this thread, I'm debating incorporating some chicken into my diet. I don't get enough protein, and I do get headaches a lot and feel tired a lot of the time as well. So maybe I should try that. Just thinking...

StefanieTCWC

yeah, i think you were perfectly clear in what you were asking. Since you are pescotarian (eat fish, seafood, etc) then your body is already still producing plenty of the enzymes required to break down meats/ proteins. However, stay on the leaner side of things, and prepare it with just vegetables (steamed, light sautéed) in the beginning. and stay away from high fiber or whole wheat things (pasta, quinoa, brown rice) while eating say chicken breast in the first week or two so you don't over load your digestive system all at once (high fiber foods take a long time to digest, this is why they keep you full longer).

at the very least, the easiest way to not have GI tract issues is to stay away from processed foods like vegan cheese or soy nuggets or whatever. they are foreign to your body and are more difficult to break down since they generally have so many additives or preservatives that simply are not in their natural state. eat lots of veggies (as your fiber source) until your body "tells" you that it's used to the new meat again then slowly start adding these other things you love back into your diet. and if you like veggie juice, this is a great way to stay regular!

oh, and btw, i am currently in school to become a registered dietitian :-)

bilberryjam

After reading this thread, I'm debating incorporating some chicken into my diet. I don't get enough protein, and I do get headaches a lot and feel tired a lot of the time as well. So maybe I should try that. Just thinking...

I'm thinking of trying quorn chicken first, to see if I can get used to the texture (I know it's not quite the same, but it's similar) before I try the real thing.