Is this a bad or good food decision?

solaceowl
solaceowl Posts: 53 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I stopped eating meat and increased my intake of greens and other vegetables. But I picked meatless meat products. Can this make up for not eating meat? Also I just drink water and tea...I had a slip up of drinking one soda in 6 months. Is there another alternative for soda?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Its not good or bad from a weight loss standpoint. Personally, i would waste my money on fake meat substitutes as they dont nearly taste as good and depending what they are made of, it may not provide complete nutrition. The main advantage to real meats is they provide complete amino acids which some substitutes cant.

    Why did you eliminate meat? Was it the pretense that meat is bad?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Yes the products are o.k.. You can eat lentils, pinto beans, black eyed peas, and so on for protein. Also seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax seed,. . ) and nuts.
  • solaceowl
    solaceowl Posts: 53 Member
    Its not good or bad from a weight loss standpoint. Personally, i would waste my money on fake meat substitutes as they dont nearly taste as good and depending what they are made of, it may not provide complete nutrition. The main advantage to real meats is they provide complete amino acids which some substitutes cant.

    Why did you eliminate meat? Was it the pretense that meat is bad?

    I stayed with a roommate who was vegan and the meatless products were actually tasty. I do not think meat in particular is bad. Yet I tend to overeat with meat and I just wanted to stop for while since I want to lose weight.
  • maddiepenko
    maddiepenko Posts: 8
    Hi Solaceowl,

    This is not a yes or no answer. It's more like...How does not eating meat make YOU feel? What are the changes in your own unique body?

    There are no rules in health & weight loss that apply to everyone.

    I quit meat once. I had no body odor, my skin looked better, I felt lighter and everything was generally better. However, I still craved meat once in a while. My body knows what it needs and so I started eating meat again, but only when my body is asking for it so I still reap some benefits of a low-animal diet.

    Honestly, not a fan of fake-meat products. The reason being that they are a) processed, which makes it hard to lose weight, and b) they must be filled with all kinds of weird chemical flavours which are probably toxic to the body, and c) they just don't taste the same...my motto is if you're gonna be bad then do it right! in this case, just eat the real meat!

    Whatever your reasons may be, if you're not eating meat then my suggestion is to start eating chia seeds. Chia seeds are a complete protein with all kinds of other goodies in them and they're super easy to incorporate into your diet. Simply drop a tablespoon into a large glass of water, sprinkle some on your toast with almond butter, dip your banana in them, sprinkle them on your salads...whatever! Getting enough protein is not an issue if you're quitting meat.

    *************************

    Alternatives for soda?

    If you're after the taste & experience, then try Pellegrino carbonated water with some agave nectar and say.....lemon & ginger? or what I used to do is buy the POM pomegranate juice, then pour some of that in a glass with carbonated water.

    Whatever you do, just try avoiding processed sugar.

    Hope this helps!
    xx Maddie
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
    If you give up meat, make sure you take B-12. To get all the amino acids you need, you need to eat beans or lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds. You didn't say if you're eating eggs and cheese?

    I'm not a fan of the fake meat products - they just don't seem very healthy to me for a few reasons:

    1. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is in a lot of those products, and TVP has MSG in it. MSG is bad for your brain, and increases appetite.

    2. Soy, another ingredient in fake meat, is still being debated. Is it healthy or unhealthy for us? No one knows for sure.
    And you have to remember that tofu is a highly processed food.

    3. MSG. It's in most fake meat products under disguise as "natural flavoring" or "yeast extract" etc. Look up "Code names for MSG for a complete list.

    I think eating fake meats once in a while is probably OK, but not the best idea to eat daily.

    Best wishes to you!
  • solaceowl
    solaceowl Posts: 53 Member
    Thank you your a life saver. I always had a hard time kicking soda, but this should help. Should I kick coffee? I love coffee so much. I will do more research on it and probably go back to eating meat. I just feel much better not eating meat including my skin has been wonderful.
  • solaceowl
    solaceowl Posts: 53 Member
    I do appreciate the tips about fake meats. Now I will be more cautious when i go shopping. Yes I do take vitamins including B12. Thank you.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    You might try adding protein powder into your diet instead of the meatless protein products. Most are made from whey, so are dairy based, but there are even some that are vegan. There are a ton of flavors out there so I'm sure you'd find one you really like. You can make a protein smoothie, adding fruits or vegetables to it, too.

    I have a friend who drinks club soda plain out of a can. Seltzer water is just plain water with added carbonation so that's also a good alternative. To either of those you can add some fruit juice and a little agave nectar or stevia. Be creative with your flavor choices: cucumber and lime or melon or mint, berries, citrus, melon. The options are endless!

    I personally LOVE the True Lemon line of products to add to plain or sparkling water. It comes in little packets and it's just crystallized fruit with a little cane sugar added. Each packet equals a wedge of citrus fruit and it's perfect for carrying in my purse so I can add a little flavor to my water when I'm dining out or am just on the go. I've been finding it at my local Wal-Mart grocery store but they're also sold through Amazon or the company's website. One warning, if you add it to sparking water use a glass because it'll fizz up in a bottle!

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