Vegetarian/Vegan anyone?

123Allyxox
123Allyxox Posts: 112 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I feel like its time for a change. I don't feel well and I'm starting to think its my diet. I want to transition to a more plant based diet but living in a house full of people who eat animal products I think its going to be a rough journey.. Any advice? (also i'd love some like minded friends, please add me if you would like:) )



Thanks!

Replies

  • ChelsChels88
    ChelsChels88 Posts: 9
    I vegetarian,
    If you want to change over you cant take into account other people. If you are cooking a meal for everyone just swap the meat for quorn and its the same just healthier, even tastes a little better
  • stephgas
    stephgas Posts: 159 Member
    easiest way to cook for meat eaters is make things like stir fries - you can cook the veggies and meat separate, then add meat to theirs. pasta dishes - add meatballs or sausage to theirs. and in all honesty, if you do the cooking - they eat what you make! find a few neat looking vegetarian recipes and try them out. i make quinoa and black bean enchiladas that are really yummy. or have make your own pizza nights - you can make mushrooms and zucchini and peppers or whatever and offer some pepperoni and crumbled sausage and bacon for the carnivores.

    i eat a very limited amount of meat for numerous reasons. i cook meat at home once or twice a month and eat meat at restaurants six or seven times a month (and a lot of those are fish).
  • LorrsMcD
    LorrsMcD Posts: 8 Member
    I've recently become a vegetarian again. I was veggie in my teens/early 20s for around 15 years and then went back to the dark side. I'm older now and seeing sense again and went back to being a veggie with a view to it being mainly plant based and as vegan as possible.

    Living with meat eaters can be hard but there's lots of ways around it. It's easy to make veggie versions of what they are having - things like spag bol/chilli/curry are all incredibly easy to make veggie either using fake meats or just vegetables and pulses. If they are having a roast, you can have all the veg and potatoes and just make a veggie main - either find a recipe for something but even a veggie bake/pie thing from the supermarket will do.

    Also remember, a lot of meat eaters will enjoy veggie meals too - I make veggie bean burritos and my boyfriend eats them happily - only difference between his and mine is that he has grated cheese on his.

    It might be worth considering batch cooking too - make up big batches of sauces/curries/chillis etc and split into portions to freeze them then you can take out whatever the family is having. I used to make batches pasta sauce and at the same time make up some vegan pizzas with some cheap bases, the sauce I made + extra veggies and just stick them in the freezer and they were ready for the oven whenever I wanted.

    I think the main things are - if you cook - great! if you can't cook, learn! because it will make it soooo much easier. Also, I'd say it's good to get the basics down first - think about what you eat normally and see if it can be veganised in any way - once you've got a good base of regular meals to make I'd encourage experimenting and keeping it interesting - there are thousands of great vegan recipe sites out there. Planning helps a lot, making sure you have the right things in - it's easy to eat the wrong things if you have nothing in to snack on or you get hit by a craving and have nothing but animal products in the house.
  • MRiggsIT
    MRiggsIT Posts: 1 Member
    I completed my transition to vegetarian 2 years ago and began my transition to vegan this year. A slow transition worked best for me, I just started replacing one meal a week, or trying a vegetarian version of something until one day, I was just ready to be completely vegetarian. Don't get stuck in replacements, eventually I found a love for meals that were truly plant based and weren't trying to be a veg version of a meat eaters meal. But the most important advice that I can offer in this journey is, don't get hung up on someone else's labels. I eat a predominantly vegan diet, but will eat eggs or cheese occasionally, and for me that's ok. I'm making this change for me and my family, not some holier than thou label nazi that that thinks I'm not vegan enough because I eat honey. Good luck, it's been one of the best things I have ever done, for my health and for my animal loving conscience.
  • sistrsprkl
    sistrsprkl Posts: 1,010 Member
    I've been a (lacto-ovo) vegetarian since I was 16 (I'm now 34). My family ate meat, my roommates ate meat, and now my own family eats meat. It's really not a big deal at all, I cook a lot and make it work with no problem. It was more difficult when I was vegan but still doable. There are lots of meals where meat can be left out and added at the end. Just be creative, there are plenty of resources out there. I like Vegetarian magazine.

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