Vegetarian TO NON-VEGETARIAN question

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fuelingit
fuelingit Posts: 47
in Food and Nutrition
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
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  • healthyKYgirl
    healthyKYgirl Posts: 272 Member
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    bump - curious about this too...
  • jonibc
    jonibc Posts: 104 Member
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    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
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
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    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
    fuelingit Posts: 47
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    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
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    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
    Molly_Maguire Posts: 1,103 Member
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    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
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    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
    laurenellenmarie Posts: 331 Member
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    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
    laurenmcallister Posts: 37 Member
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    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
    bluebird321 Posts: 733 Member
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    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
    Kandiiberry Posts: 1
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    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
    jus_in_bello Posts: 326 Member
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    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
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    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
    evelina90 Posts: 19 Member
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    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! :wink:
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    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
    nitepagan Posts: 205 Member
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    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
    Kanohane Posts: 112 Member
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    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
    TheeGeeMarie Posts: 59 Member
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    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
    sometimes_blondie Posts: 241
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    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
    Ellyabell Posts: 49 Member
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    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.

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