Advice on becoming a vegetarian?
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ashleynnm
Posts: 17 Member
I've recently considered becoming a vegetarian and would like to know if any of you vegetarians out there have any advice? How was it for you when you first started? Thank you!
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Replies
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I've seen some people here do it in an unhealthy way. You need to like fruits and veggies. Do you eat green salads, beans, avocados, broccoli?0
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Being vegetarian is great and a bit easier now than it was 20 yrs ago. Being raised in the Deep South and deciding to go veggie around 14 yrs old meant it was a tad hard...I was on my own to figure it out. Not much info available either, pre-www.
Veggie friends help a lot, veggie cooking classes are awesome for making it fun and meeting people, veggie cookbooks with yummy pictures help too.
I keep it it simple. Primarily cook my own food ... Although now there are a lot of vegan / veggie stores popping up everywhere! Some folks seem to think eggs are vegetarian,? , I don't. So...
From experience: Be aware of getting enough b12, calcium/magnesium, trace minerals/electrolytes - eat a VARIETY of fruit, veg, grains, beans, nuts, dairys, etc. it's easier to eat junkie because our options are a bit limited when it comes to convenience and social situations, but it is getting a lot easier with the "go vegan" craze (although maybe it'll last). Visit group happy herbivores on mfp too, may be helpful.0 -
- Find replacements if you crave meat -- I really like gardein "chicken" nuggets and some of their other products, and it helps if I ever want something "meaty"
- Pinterest is a godsend for recipes
- aware of b12/iron (i haven't had a problem with iron-- lots of legumes/dark greens)
- there are SO many vegetarian/vegan products out there, snacking is easy haha
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JanetYellen wrote: »I've seen some people here do it in an unhealthy way. You need to like fruits and veggies. Do you eat green salads, beans, avocados, broccoli?
Yes, I do eat a lot of greens actually. Normally I will only eat a salad while at restaurants and don't eat much meat to begin with, besides grilled chicken. But unfortunately I don't eat beans or avocados very often.0 -
- Find replacements if you crave meat -- I really like gardein "chicken" nuggets and some of their other products, and it helps if I ever want something "meaty"
- Pinterest is a godsend for recipes
- aware of b12/iron (i haven't had a problem with iron-- lots of legumes/dark greens)
- there are SO many vegetarian/vegan products out there, snacking is easy haha
Thank you so much! Definitely will check out Pinterest for some vegetarian recipes to try.0 -
Being vegetarian is great and a bit easier now than it was 20 yrs ago. Being raised in the Deep South and deciding to go veggie around 14 yrs old meant it was a tad hard...I was on my own to figure it out. Not much info available either, pre-www.
Veggie friends help a lot, veggie cooking classes are awesome for making it fun and meeting people, veggie cookbooks with yummy pictures help too.
I keep it it simple. Primarily cook my own food ... Although now there are a lot of vegan / veggie stores popping up everywhere! Some folks seem to think eggs are vegetarian,? , I don't. So...
From experience: Be aware of getting enough b12, calcium/magnesium, trace minerals/electrolytes - eat a VARIETY of fruit, veg, grains, beans, nuts, dairys, etc. it's easier to eat junkie because our options are a bit limited when it comes to convenience and social situations, but it is getting a lot easier with the "go vegan" craze (although maybe it'll last). Visit group happy herbivores on mfp too, may be helpful.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I love fruits and vegetables and try to eat them as much as I can. I think the only challenge I may come across with is staying vegetarian while out at restaurants or places that have limited options. But I'll definitively give it a try.
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I know you specified 'vegetarian' but there's no harm in exploring the best cookbook of all time which happens to be vegan - It's called THUG KITCHEN! It's an awesome book and it helped me learn to cook with really wholesome ingredients. Truly, it has changed how I cook.0
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Being vegetarian is great and a bit easier now than it was 20 yrs ago. Being raised in the Deep South and deciding to go veggie around 14 yrs old meant it was a tad hard...I was on my own to figure it out. Not much info available either, pre-www.
Veggie friends help a lot, veggie cooking classes are awesome for making it fun and meeting people, veggie cookbooks with yummy pictures help too.
I keep it it simple. Primarily cook my own food ... Although now there are a lot of vegan / veggie stores popping up everywhere! Some folks seem to think eggs are vegetarian,? , I don't. So...
From experience: Be aware of getting enough b12, calcium/magnesium, trace minerals/electrolytes - eat a VARIETY of fruit, veg, grains, beans, nuts, dairys, etc. it's easier to eat junkie because our options are a bit limited when it comes to convenience and social situations, but it is getting a lot easier with the "go vegan" craze (although maybe it'll last). Visit group happy herbivores on mfp too, may be helpful.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I love fruits and vegetables and try to eat them as much as I can. I think the only challenge I may come across with is staying vegetarian while out at restaurants or places that have limited options. But I'll definitively give it a try.
Most restaurants have a vegetarian option. I'm not vegetarian, although I lean that way, but when I go out for dinner most of the time I will go for the vegetarian options just simply because I like them better.
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I d turn back if I were you....0
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I know you specified 'vegetarian' but there's no harm in exploring the best cookbook of all time which happens to be vegan - It's called THUG KITCHEN! It's an awesome book and it helped me learn to cook with really wholesome ingredients. Truly, it has changed how I cook.
Thank you for the suggestion! Will look more into it
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Being vegetarian is great and a bit easier now than it was 20 yrs ago. Being raised in the Deep South and deciding to go veggie around 14 yrs old meant it was a tad hard...I was on my own to figure it out. Not much info available either, pre-www.
Veggie friends help a lot, veggie cooking classes are awesome for making it fun and meeting people, veggie cookbooks with yummy pictures help too.
I keep it it simple. Primarily cook my own food ... Although now there are a lot of vegan / veggie stores popping up everywhere! Some folks seem to think eggs are vegetarian,? , I don't. So...
From experience: Be aware of getting enough b12, calcium/magnesium, trace minerals/electrolytes - eat a VARIETY of fruit, veg, grains, beans, nuts, dairys, etc. it's easier to eat junkie because our options are a bit limited when it comes to convenience and social situations, but it is getting a lot easier with the "go vegan" craze (although maybe it'll last). Visit group happy herbivores on mfp too, may be helpful.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I love fruits and vegetables and try to eat them as much as I can. I think the only challenge I may come across with is staying vegetarian while out at restaurants or places that have limited options. But I'll definitively give it a try.
Most restaurants have a vegetarian option. I'm not vegetarian, although I lean that way, but when I go out for dinner most of the time I will go for the vegetarian options just simply because I like them better.
I will start paying close attention as to which meals I could ask for a vegetarian option, seeing as I do go out often. I've never asked for a vegetarian option of a meal but sometimes end up choosing something that is vegetarian and it turns out to taste quite nice.
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Being vegetarian is great and a bit easier now than it was 20 yrs ago. Being raised in the Deep South and deciding to go veggie around 14 yrs old meant it was a tad hard...I was on my own to figure it out. Not much info available either, pre-www.
Veggie friends help a lot, veggie cooking classes are awesome for making it fun and meeting people, veggie cookbooks with yummy pictures help too.
I keep it it simple. Primarily cook my own food ... Although now there are a lot of vegan / veggie stores popping up everywhere! Some folks seem to think eggs are vegetarian,? , I don't. So...
From experience: Be aware of getting enough b12, calcium/magnesium, trace minerals/electrolytes - eat a VARIETY of fruit, veg, grains, beans, nuts, dairys, etc. it's easier to eat junkie because our options are a bit limited when it comes to convenience and social situations, but it is getting a lot easier with the "go vegan" craze (although maybe it'll last). Visit group happy herbivores on mfp too, may be helpful.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I love fruits and vegetables and try to eat them as much as I can. I think the only challenge I may come across with is staying vegetarian while out at restaurants or places that have limited options. But I'll definitively give it a try.
You cannot rely on fruit and vegetables if you eliminate meat. You need to find good protein, fat and iron sources, and a salad will not help. Do not forget legumes, grains, oil. If you are going to eat eggs and milk it is might be simpler, otherwise, you need to up beans, nuts etc. And do not forget sources of fat.0 -
I've been vegetarian/vegan for 40 years. I didn't miss meat when I stopped eating it and fairly soon afterwards (months to a year perhaps ?) the smell became repulsive. I have always preferred vegetables over any other food though so I consider myself a 'natural' vegetarian. Not all people are. My children were raised vegetarian. My daughter is like me and will be a life-long vegetarian. My son turned to pork and beef as soon as he left our home. My wife has become a happily acclimated vegetarian, but she would be a chicken/fish eater in a different life.
Restaurants have never been a problem for me so long as they do not stink of dead meat. I just pick a non-meat dish and enjoy my food. This might be easier for me than you depending where you eat. My family does not like 'American' food and international places tend to have a variety of non-meat dishes.
I'm not much of a bean eater other than fava, but I never get tired of lentils and tofu. From reading threads here on MFP it seems like vegetarians and vegans like to cook and eat at home. It is true for my family too. In that vein I have to recommend a good pressure cooker. It is the best investment in our kitchen outside of fire and a fridge we have ever made. Well ... about as good as a *really* good chopping knife.
So yeah. Eat lots of vegetables for your health, no matter what. And get ready for a tremendous explosion of taste and variety.0 -
️Hubby and I eat lots of green leafy veggies.
I make sure to get 45 grams of fat a day.
I am not vegetarian but many of my meals are.
I love lentil soup with Parmesan cheese. Also chic peas with hemp seeds. Hubby loves black bean chili. We keep tofu in the fridge but do not cook with it often. It can be added to any dish including scrambled eggs.
For fast food choices consider Wendy's baked potato with the butter and sour cream that comes with it. Also a slice or two of cheese pizza plain or topped with veggies.
Here is a link to vegan options at taco bell http://www.peta2.com/lifestyle/vegan-taco-bell/
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I was a vegetarian for the majority of my childhood by choice. The texture of meat bugged me. Anyhow, there's really no right or wrong way to go about it. Just finding good sources of protein you can tolerate eating is all I would worry about. You might have to get creative depending on your protein goals per day.0
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Being vegetarian is great and a bit easier now than it was 20 yrs ago. Being raised in the Deep South and deciding to go veggie around 14 yrs old meant it was a tad hard...I was on my own to figure it out. Not much info available either, pre-www.
Veggie friends help a lot, veggie cooking classes are awesome for making it fun and meeting people, veggie cookbooks with yummy pictures help too.
I keep it it simple. Primarily cook my own food ... Although now there are a lot of vegan / veggie stores popping up everywhere! Some folks seem to think eggs are vegetarian,? , I don't. So...
From experience: Be aware of getting enough b12, calcium/magnesium, trace minerals/electrolytes - eat a VARIETY of fruit, veg, grains, beans, nuts, dairys, etc. it's easier to eat junkie because our options are a bit limited when it comes to convenience and social situations, but it is getting a lot easier with the "go vegan" craze (although maybe it'll last). Visit group happy herbivores on mfp too, may be helpful.
Thank you so much for the helpful advice. I love fruits and vegetables and try to eat them as much as I can. I think the only challenge I may come across with is staying vegetarian while out at restaurants or places that have limited options. But I'll definitively give it a try.
You cannot rely on fruit and vegetables if you eliminate meat. You need to find good protein, fat and iron sources, and a salad will not help. Do not forget legumes, grains, oil. If you are going to eat eggs and milk it is might be simpler, otherwise, you need to up beans, nuts etc. And do not forget sources of fat.
I will keep that in mind! I do eat dairy pretty much on a daily basis so I believe that it will make it simpler for me to become vegetarian while still getting some nutrients.
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ericGold15 wrote: »I've been vegetarian/vegan for 40 years. I didn't miss meat when I stopped eating it and fairly soon afterwards (months to a year perhaps ?) the smell became repulsive. I have always preferred vegetables over any other food though so I consider myself a 'natural' vegetarian. Not all people are. My children were raised vegetarian. My daughter is like me and will be a life-long vegetarian. My son turned to pork and beef as soon as he left our home. My wife has become a happily acclimated vegetarian, but she would be a chicken/fish eater in a different life.
Restaurants have never been a problem for me so long as they do not stink of dead meat. I just pick a non-meat dish and enjoy my food. This might be easier for me than you depending where you eat. My family does not like 'American' food and international places tend to have a variety of non-meat dishes.
I'm not much of a bean eater other than fava, but I never get tired of lentils and tofu. From reading threads here on MFP it seems like vegetarians and vegans like to cook and eat at home. It is true for my family too. In that vein I have to recommend a good pressure cooker. It is the best investment in our kitchen outside of fire and a fridge we have ever made. Well ... about as good as a *really* good chopping knife.
So yeah. Eat lots of vegetables for your health, no matter what. And get ready for a tremendous explosion of taste and variety.
I am already starting to look into some delicious meals that are vegetarian and I'm hoping that I can continue on expanding my knowledge on vegetarianism and can eventually be a full vegetarian. I've decided to start by cutting out red meat primarily, since I don't consume much of it anyway. Thank you for the wonderful advice!0 -
️Hubby and I eat lots of green leafy veggies.
I make sure to get 45 grams of fat a day.
I am not vegetarian but many of my meals are.
I love lentil soup with Parmesan cheese. Also chic peas with hemp seeds. Hubby loves black bean chili. We keep tofu in the fridge but do not cook with it often. It can be added to any dish including scrambled eggs.
For fast food choices consider Wendy's baked potato with the butter and sour cream that comes with it. Also a slice or two of cheese pizza plain or topped with veggies.
Here is a link to vegan options at taco bell http://www.peta2.com/lifestyle/vegan-taco-bell/
Looking at some vegetarian (fast food) meals right now, as well as some home cooked ones. Thanks for the link!
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lmaharidge wrote: »I was a vegetarian for the majority of my childhood by choice. The texture of meat bugged me. Anyhow, there's really no right or wrong way to go about it. Just finding good sources of protein you can tolerate eating is all I would worry about. You might have to get creative depending on your protein goals per day.
Will indeed add some protein rich foods into my diet as I become a vegetarian. I appreciate the advice!0
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