Vegetarian questions

I'm really thinking about becoming vegetarian. But I have some questions...

What do you do in social situations? Like going to someone's house, like the in-laws for instance, and they serve meat at the main dish? You can't just be like NO, I'm not eating that. lol I just don't know how I'd handle those kinds of things.

Also, do you ever get the craving for any meat products? I currently eat meat products fairly often, like maybe one type a day (turkey on my sandwich, chicken on my salad, etc). I want to be able to give it up but it seems so difficult.

Any tips or ideas about it in general? I'm researching it ALOT before I jump in, I don't want to have to quit.

If you mean vegetarian as in 'not eating meat' that's fairly easy: take your own substitute when you go to someone's house and explain you wanted to save them money. And quorn products can be used on salads etc you can also buy quorn sandwich meats
However, a true vegetarian can't eat a lot of stuff because of gelatin - including a lot of sweets, chocolate etc. The decision to become vegetarian should not be taken lightly

I thought about it for a while and then realised i couldn't give up Haribo's haha!

I'm really thinking about becoming vegetarian. But I have some questions...

What do you do in social situations? Like going to someone's house, like the in-laws for instance, and they serve meat at the main dish? You can't just be like NO, I'm not eating that. lol I just don't know how I'd handle those kinds of things.

Also, do you ever get the craving for any meat products? I currently eat meat products fairly often, like maybe one type a day (turkey on my sandwich, chicken on my salad, etc). I want to be able to give it up but it seems so difficult.

Any tips or ideas about it in general? I'm researching it ALOT before I jump in, I don't want to have to quit.

Even if the main dish is meat, there are usually plenty of side dishes that aren't. People understand that I don't eat meat. It's not a big deal.

I don't get cravings for meat. I thought I would, as I LOVED meat and ate it all the time before going veg. Sometimes the smell of it cooking makes me think about it, but the idea of eating it again actually turns my stomach, so that's a pretty big detterent (sp?).

Really, I just stopped eating it and wearing it, etc. But it is a learning process. I still eat eggs and dairy, so I get protein and some other vitamins from those. I cook in cast iron frying pans, which leeches iron into food and that helps with avoiding anemia. And there are supplements you can take if needed.

DW and I are going the "Flexitarian" route. That means that we eat as vegetarians most of the time, but have one or two meals a week that have meat.

However, a true vegetarian can't eat a lot of stuff because of gelatin - including a lot of sweets, chocolate etc. The decision to become vegetarian should not be taken lightly

What chocolate has gelatin in it? If it's got marshmallow, sure. But a chocolate bar shouldn't have it.

I didn't mean chocolate has gelatin in, i was listing it as a completely different product

OK. Re-read what you wrote.

Either way, why wouldn't a vegetarian be able to eat chocolate? You may be thinking of vegans, in which case only milk chocolate is out.

I have been a vegetarian since '89 and there has been such a shift in that time. People are so much more veggie friendly than they used to be.

When someone invites me for dinner, I happily accept. I tell them that I'm a vegetarian so they don't need to prepare any meat for me. However, I let them know that they shouldn't cook anything special for me because I like to fill up on the side dishes (which, to me, are the main dishes). I always offer to bring food. If I say this casually, kindly and warmly then people are always happy to accomodate. If folks feel like I'm "preachy" or judging them then it can get tense (understandably). I come from Kentucky so going home to visit years ago used to present a challenge. Over the years, my family has incorporated more vegetarian meals into their diets too so veggie burgers, salads, bean burritos and spaghetti are easy choices that we can all enjoy.

I wish you all the best. Enjoy excellent health and yummy food!

i eat side dishes at other peoples houses. also, there is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian so if you don't eat meat then let the host know. don't expect them to cook up a great vegetarian meal but they may want to know why you aren't touching the roast beef.

i am not 100% vegetarian b/c i stil eat some seafood and i will taste test the meat that i cook for my family. if i do anymore more than taste test i normally get sick so i try to limit it to that.

My entire family is vegetarian, due to religious reasons. Here are a few things to try and, in my opinion, are so much better then the everyday grocery store substitute.

Worthington is a company that makes vegetarian alternatives to many meat products. You can find it in most health stores (just ask). They make a chili that I like to fool my friends with because it tastes so close to the real thing and they have a product called Frichik that is good lightly breaded and browned (with nonfat cooking spray of course). They are also low in fat and high in protein (bonus). I think that it is much easier to switch over if you have good substitutes for the things that you like.

Keep a package of veggie burgers with you lol. That way you can not require the host to make something special for you which I've always hated.
I've been vegetarian my entire life so adapting things has always been normal to me. If I go to a restaurant and they don't have anything I always ask for them to remove the meat, or I'll order a burger minus the burger lol it's actually pretty good.
I've been vegan for a year now and I've had to REALLY adapt things! =]

If you want to be vegetarian for ethical reasons that is fine but don't do it because you are under the mistaken belief that it is healthier to exclude meat.

Just about everything has a substitution. I made chickpea cutlets and ate them instead of the chicken cutlets I made for the rest of the family. I have made blackbean burgers in place of ground beef burgers. You can make your own seitan, which has a meaty-like consistency, it's made of vital wheat gluten, spices and such, it can be roasted, fried etc and depending on the flavors used to make it can also be used as a sub for pork sausage or pepperoni. I use Morningstar Farms veggie sausage patties on my english muffins in place of pork sausage. There is a product called Gardein, which has a very similar texture as chicken.
Be careful of replacing meat with a lot of processed meat substitutes which aren't necessarily healthy alternatives if you're eating them every day.
When I make my husband grilled chicken for our salads I spice up some black beans or pinto beans or garbanzo beans and cook them in a bit of olive oil for my protein. I use mushrooms in pasta sauce to give pasta dishes more texture and a meaty bite. There are so many ways to replace animal products.
Try some blogs:
OhSheGlows
FatFreeVegan
HappyHerbivore
VegKitchen
TheVeganRD
Engine2Diet
TheKindLIfe
vrg.org
PCRM.org
VegetarianTimes

Some good cookbooks
Veganomicon
Vegan on the Cheap
Forks Over Knives

There are also a few vegan/vegetarian groups here. Go to groups and search vegetarian.

When dining at someone else's house just let them know beforehand that you don't eat meat but don't expect them to go out of their way to make you something else. Open the door to the discussion and whether you should bring your own meat substitute or not. Most people understand as long as you're not trying to convert them and don't judge them for eating meat.