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PSUlover94
PSUlover94 Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
Hi I am trying to transition to vegetarian and I was wondering what are your suggestions for brands to buy at the store, snacks, all those things. Newbie here so kind of trying to figure out how to do it.

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  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,154 Member
    edited June 2019
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    Depends on what you're looking for. There are countless options, but it's hard to know what to recommend without more. As far as protein, seitan, tofu, tempeh, and and textured vegetable protein are all good starts. There are a lot of processed options out there, though they tend to be higher in salt. A lot of it is going to come down to taste preferences. I've been veg for 13 years now, and my diary is open if you want to poke around and see what I'm using.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    PSUlover94 wrote: »
    Hi I am trying to transition to vegetarian and I was wondering what are your suggestions for brands to buy at the store, snacks, all those things. Newbie here so kind of trying to figure out how to do it.

    If you have not figured out the basics of vegetarian nutrition I hope you are just in the research phase of your transition. It is not super complicated to figure out but I have seen people get pretty sick from unbalanced eating when they just jumped in.

    What do you eat now that has no meat? That might give people a clue as to how to help you.
  • OooohToast
    OooohToast Posts: 257 Member
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    Hello OP - I dont eat meat but still eat fish. I try to have two veggie meals a day - I am not a fan of meat alternatives so tend to stick to eggs and cheese for protein with the occasional hummus bender :). Then I am into the veggies which I love and wholegrain carbs where possible. There are a million and one fab combinations on the veg and pasta front with or without eggs/cheese. I also like to roast vegs with various different spice combinations and for lunches if I am out of the house, a nice wrap of some kind keeps me going for quite a while. Cutting out meat wasn't actually my choice, it came with the peri-menopause (the gift that keeps on giving) so I consder myself more flexitarian given half the chance :) I do eat eggs every day and they make a great breakfast, especially with spinach and spelt sourdough toast.

    Good luck with your new diet - this can be a great time to find out new foods and recipes !

    Oh - and I added a b12 supplement in pretty early on.

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
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    PSUlover94 wrote: »
    Hi I am trying to transition to vegetarian and I was wondering what are your suggestions for brands to buy at the store, snacks, all those things. Newbie here so kind of trying to figure out how to do it.

    I've been eating mostly plant-based, and I've been vegetarian in the past (and always during Lent).

    There's really no need for special brands or anything. I found it helpful to focus on a meal-based approach. For example, what do you have for breakfast, do you need to switch it up? I like to have protein at all meals, so that's something I pay attention to at breakfast also.

    Then again, what do you normally eat for lunch now? Do you have vegetarian options you eat now? Can you start with those and then expand? Are you getting some protein?

    Then dinner may be the most challenging if you are new to this, but I'd approach it similarly to lunch.

    For protein I tend to focus on beans and lentils and pulses, also I also have tofu quite often and tempeh occasionally (no special brands). I also get protein from vegetables (some of them have a decent amount and I eat a lot of them), to some extent from whole grains, and from nuts and seeds. But assuming you are eating eggs and dairy that makes it pretty easy -- low fat dairy as in cottage cheese and greek yogurt can be especially good sources. I also see nothing wrong with protein powder, although I'm not currently eating it.

    If it's a huge change it sometimes helps to ease into it.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    If you are looking for specific brands of prepared vegetarian protein, they're usually in their own section of the freezer case. Some refrigerated products may be in the produce section. Gardein, Beyond, Morningstar, and Boca are usually frozen. Lightlife is sold refrigerated. You may have other brands available depending on where you live, but those are some common ones.

    Beyond that, read all your ingredient labels. Many products are vegetarian, just not marketed that way (and similarly, many products that look like they *should* be vegetarian aren't). Depending on your personal beliefs, you may choose to look for broth, animal fat/lard, gelatin, and other animal-derived ingredients on labels.

    A few things to note, off the top of my head:
    - Soups are often made with chicken or beef broth.
    - Seasoning mixes, gravy mixes, etc. may have broth powder or animal fat.
    - Frosted Poptarts contain gelatin. So do marshmallows, many gummy candies, and various other sweets.
    - Some yogurt contains gelatin.
    - Oreos are vegan.

    There is plenty more, but those are the ones I can think of right now.

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