Any other vegetarians out there?

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erkuhns79
erkuhns79 Posts: 46
in Food and Nutrition
I decided that starting Jan. 2nd (I allowed myself a morsal of pork yesterday), I will cut meat out of my diet. Not for health reasons (I rarely ate red meat anyway) but more for moral & environmental reasons. I think my vice will be chicken...I love(d) chicken. But, after doing some extensive research, I don't love chicken so much anymore. I thought about cutting dairy and eggs as well but I just find that to be near impossible given that those products are contained in so many other products and treats. So I'll icksnay the 'vegan' title for now and just stick to 'vegetarian.'

Anyway...I wanted to see if there were any other veg-heads I could socialize with on here? Maybe swap recipes or talk about new vegan products? :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • erkuhns79
    erkuhns79 Posts: 46
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    I decided that starting Jan. 2nd (I allowed myself a morsal of pork yesterday), I will cut meat out of my diet. Not for health reasons (I rarely ate red meat anyway) but more for moral & environmental reasons. I think my vice will be chicken...I love(d) chicken. But, after doing some extensive research, I don't love chicken so much anymore. I thought about cutting dairy and eggs as well but I just find that to be near impossible given that those products are contained in so many other products and treats. So I'll icksnay the 'vegan' title for now and just stick to 'vegetarian.'

    Anyway...I wanted to see if there were any other veg-heads I could socialize with on here? Maybe swap recipes or talk about new vegan products? :flowerforyou:
  • yoginimary
    yoginimary Posts: 6,783 Member
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    I'm veggie - been so for over 20 years (dang, that makes me sound old). I don't even consider it a food anymore. It's not as hard as it used to be when every restaurant put meat in everything or when there was lard in potato chips and oreos (not that we eat those, right?).

    For going out to eat, try happycow.net and click on the restaurant guide. Italian is usually a good option as well, but it's not low-cal.

    I'll invite you to be a "friend" and we can chat more if you like.

    Mary
  • mnatural
    mnatural Posts: 6
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    Another Veg head out here. I'm new here, glad to see other vegetarians out there.
  • erkuhns79
    erkuhns79 Posts: 46
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    Yea - Veggie friends! I'm new to the whole vegetarian thing, so I may need support in the beginning of the my transition. :happy:
  • mnatural
    mnatural Posts: 6
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    Like Mary, I've been a vegetarian for a long time. Any help I can provide, just ask. My challenge right now is finding low carb, low fat, high protein foods.
  • jmain2qr
    jmain2qr Posts: 8 Member
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    Congrats on your decesion!!
    Don't worry with the right support group it won't be hard at all. And whenever you think about eating meat just counter that thought with thoughts of how the animals are treated, what is in them, etc.

    I have been vegetarian for 8 yrs and vegan for 2 yrs.

    I can totally give you book, website, organizations, and recipes recommendations.

    Just let me know what you are looking for. :smile:
  • erkuhns79
    erkuhns79 Posts: 46
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    I just got back from the grocery store...and wow is vegetarian (more specifially, meat alternative) food expensive!!! I had bought boca burgers before, but today I decided to venture down the ORGANIC aisle. I should probably think about taking out a second mortagage to pay for this :laugh:

    I also went to Border's and invested in two great vegetarian cookbooks - one is catered to 'starving college students' and the other is a very simple recipe cookbook. Although I've been out of college for 7 years now, I sometimes feel like I'm living on that college paycheck.

    I've been doing tons of research on how to eat vegetarian on a budget. Most everyone says buy beans, rice & spices in bulk...and try going to Indian, Chinese, or Mexican markets. They also suggest buying veggies from the local farm market (I'm in Pennsylvania, so that won't be a problem).

    Any other tips??
  • cp005e
    cp005e Posts: 1,495 Member
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    Hey there,

    I've been a vegetarian (wow) 16 years now - since I was 13, and never looked back. So congratulations on your decision, and welcome to the club! Because you're going veg primarily for moral reasons (like me), it should be easier for you to stick with it.

    If you buy a lot of packaged "meat substitute" products, it can definitely be expensive! I'd recommend trying to create meals that are veggie-centric, and then use those sorts of things to give you the mouth-feel you need to eat the veggies. This approach has worked really well for my husband - he isn't vegetarian, but we keep a vegetarian household. And he's the primary cook in the house! He hardly ate any vegetables when we first met, but now he eats and cooks so much healthier. Over time, you'll start getting more comfortable with fresh ingredients and won't need to rely as much on meat-substitutes and starches. TVP is also really easy to make and is relatively inexpensive in bulk.

    I just picked up a new book - "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman. I've only had it a few days, but it looks like a FANTASTIC reference on vegetarian cooking and ingredients, with tons of recipes. It's huge!

    Anyway, congratulations again and good luck!
  • kmckesson
    kmckesson Posts: 13
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    pre-packaged vegetarian foods are pretty expensive but you can make your own stuff at home if you're willing to put a little time into your meals.

    regual tofu that comes packed in water is cheap and tastes great and you can stir fry or grill or use it as a base in pasta sauces or crumble it into stuff. also the soy curd that comes dry is great for chili or pasta as a ground beef-like substitute...

    it all pretty much takes on the flavors of whatever spices you add to it so you can be pretty creative.

    also edamame is an easy snack and you can eat it cold so it travels well.

    hmm... i guess i eat a lot of cheese, yogurt, bread, oatmeal and cereal... those are my staples besides the tofu... a lot of vegetarian restaurants/delis actually sell home-made meatless patties for better prices than boca so maybe go by your local one and ask about that.
  • lovableditz
    lovableditz Posts: 21
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    I have been a vegetarian for 7 years now. i basically eat alot of dairy in order to get protein.

    my favorite thing to make is bean cheese and rice burritos cause they are cheap and i cook maybe like 20 at a time and freeze them. the trick to making them yummy is to mix the rice beans and cheese together so you dont get bites that are all rice and then i like to melt cheese on top.
  • DanielleG
    DanielleG Posts: 15
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    I am not a vegetarian but I much prefer veggies over meat any day. Several mentioned beans for protein but you can also eat nuts and peanut butter.

    Here is a veggie recipe I like:

    In a skillet saute sliced onions and green bell pepper in a small amount of oil. Steam some broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. When onions and peppers are done add some BBQ sauce. Put all veggies in a pita or on a flour tortilla. (I prefer the flour tortilla.) You can add cheese too. I like to add mushrooms to mine.

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