Vegetarian questions
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If you are invited somewhere, make a large bowl of something yummy to bring and share with everyone. Make sure it's got protein so that you can have a substantial meal even if none of the other side dishes are vegetarian. I usually bring a large pasta or rice salad and a dessert. Invest in a few good cookbooks, and google veggie recipes that have gotten good reviews, you'll build up a list of go-to recipes in no time. Vegetarian Times magazine usually has good ones, and they list the nutritional info of each one.0
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I am 31 and have been a vegetarian since I was 13 yrs old. I’m being honest here that if I could eat meat – meaning not get totally grossed out – it sure would make life a lot easier. Like another person mention – you end up eating a lot of side dishes. I like Morning Star veggie patties, so when the family is having a burger I throw one of those on the grill. I would think hard about it as it doesn’t make life easy – at least for me. You could also think about eating organic and grass fed etc meat. Probably have to do research on that, but it’s another option if meat doesn’t gross you out like it does for me.0
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I've recently become vegan. You do just start saying "no" to things, but it's a less socially-awkward "no" than "I'm on a diet."
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Telling a host that you are a vegetarian is pretty self-explanatory to most people. Some people will not get it, but you can't control the way others think or feel. You can only do what you think is right for you.0
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In terms of eating at the homes of other people, it's not rude to say that you don't eat meat. They'll accept it. For ten years I didn't eat beef or pork which is what my MIL cooks most of the time. It was fine. I told her why I don't eat those meats and I told her to not worry about cooking something for me. I make sure that I eat before I go there and I eat the sides at her house and then I eat when I come home.
Just explain to people why you went vegetarian, they'll understand. I've recently stopped eating all meat for health and also just because it was a natural progression of my eating habits. I may get some strange looks from the meat lovers I know but they're respectful.0 -
In terms of eating at the homes of other people, it's not rude to say that you don't eat meat. They'll accept it. For ten years I didn't eat beef or pork which is what my MIL cooks most of the time. It was fine. I told her why I don't eat those meats and I told her to not worry about cooking something for me. I make sure that I eat before I go there and I eat the sides at her house and then I eat when I come home.
Just explain to people why you went vegetarian, they'll understand. I've recently stopped eating all meat for health and also just because it was a natural progression of my eating habits. I may get some strange looks from the meat lovers I know but they're respectful.
I always tell people not to even worry about it, that I'm visiting for the company not the food and that I won't starve to death in a couple hours if I can't find anything to eat.
But, honestly, (and I also live in the Southeast), I have yet to attend a dinner or a party where there wasn't something I could eat.0 -
In terms of craving meat - when I stopped eating beef I would crave hamburgers. Then one day I gave in and it was the worst mistake of my life. That's curbed any cravings I have now. Everyone is different. I have had a few (because I looooove chicken) but when I think about my reasons for going vegetarian, I get over it. Plus, being a vegetarian doesn't mean depriving yourself of flavour and taste so you just have to think about another yummy meal. With all the faux-meat products out there, it's pretty easy to be a vegetarian these days and still fulfill your cravings.
Tips - tons of great internet websites to read before you do it (that's what I did.) Ease into it. Go meatless a few times a week while you try out vegetarian meals and find ones that will be your go-to meals. Or, do a trial period. Give yourself a time (a week, a month) knowing that it's not forever will motivate you and 99% guarantee that at the end of the trial period you'll want to keep going.
For ten years I didn't eat meat or pork. Then I started cutting down on the amount of chicken I ate, adding more meat free meals. And now I've stopped eating all meats. I still allow myself some dairy, though do choose some vegan dairy options. Maybe one day I'll give up the dairy completely. But I find that going step by step has made things easy for me.0 -
Thank you everyone so much for the replies!!
My main reasons to go vegetarian are mainly for my health. I don't think meat is necessary and it causes many diseases and other ailments. I do enjoy meat but I don't think I couldn't go without it. I hardly eat red meat at all, maybe a couple times a month, I never eat pork, so chicken is my main thing. I think that would be pretty easy to replace, as many of you have said, with bean fritters & burgers instead. I love veggies, fruits, nuts & beans so it's no problem to me.
I'm glad to hear that most people are understanding. I most definitely wouldn't expect anyone to go out of their way for me. My mom is a big meat eater and I always go over on Sundays with my boyfriend and she cooks most of the time, so I can see her being a little confused with me about this.
I'm definitely going to go at this gradually. And thank you SO much for the website listing, awesome!!0 -
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.
Good for you! It's great to experiment with what works for you (whether for ethical, health reasons, or just to try something different). I haven't had any resistance to mentioning that I'm a veggie (a pescatarian actually, I still eat fish) when accepting a dinner invite. Lots of my friends have decided to give it a try as well so that makes it easier. I do crave meat products on occasion, specifically fast food burgers. Besides those I never really liked meat so I don't miss anything else. Although not sure how much "meat" is actually in fast food burgers...haha. I did some reading too before I took the leap, great idea.
Best wishes to you 0 -
Some chocolate isn't vegetarian because of whey powder, a by-product of cheese- if the cheese was made with rennet (calves' stomach lining) then the whey powder isn't vegetarian, and neither is the chocolate (e.g ferrero rochers- although the 12-packs are made in a different factory and are Ok- and mars bars for a while.although they have made them vegetarian again- in 2007 all mars products were made with non-vegetarian whey, but they changed it back because so many people complained). Also smarties aren't vegetarian and never have been because the red ones have carmine in (E120 I think) which is crushed up beetle legs.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.0 -
I NEVER EVER crave meat, and when I am in social situations such as the inlaws I do exactly that.....I tell them that I am NOT eating what they have prepared, they don't care, they know I do what I have to do be healthy and are proud of my weight loss so no offence taken by them. I sometimes even bring my own food. I have also had them over for dinner and served a vegetarian meal. If I am going to a restaurant I go online and look at menu first and try to pre plan what I'll have and we tend to stick to our few fave restaurants anyway.0
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Thank you everyone so much for the replies!!
My main reasons to go vegetarian are mainly for my health. I don't think meat is necessary and it causes many diseases and other ailments. I do enjoy meat but I don't think I couldn't go without it. I hardly eat red meat at all, maybe a couple times a month, I never eat pork, so chicken is my main thing. I think that would be pretty easy to replace, as many of you have said, with bean fritters & burgers instead. I love veggies, fruits, nuts & beans so it's no problem to me.
Just thinking of meat as a condiment is much easier. Being a vegetarian, especially a vegan takes a lot more planning than simply trying to eat wisely and less. You've pretty much evolved to eat a little meat and a lot of plant material. The problems arise when you eat animal products in large portions with every meal. And, who cares if you pass on the meat or ask for a small, small portion?0 -
Thank you everyone so much for the replies!!
My main reasons to go vegetarian are mainly for my health. I don't think meat is necessary and it causes many diseases and other ailments. I do enjoy meat but I don't think I couldn't go without it. I hardly eat red meat at all, maybe a couple times a month, I never eat pork, so chicken is my main thing. I think that would be pretty easy to replace, as many of you have said, with bean fritters & burgers instead. I love veggies, fruits, nuts & beans so it's no problem to me.
I'm glad to hear that most people are understanding. I most definitely wouldn't expect anyone to go out of their way for me. My mom is a big meat eater and I always go over on Sundays with my boyfriend and she cooks most of the time, so I can see her being a little confused with me about this.
I'm definitely going to go at this gradually. And thank you SO much for the website listing, awesome!!
If you want to be veg, go for it. But, really, you aren't going to be any healthier just because you gave up eating animals.0 -
Thank you everyone so much for the replies!!
My main reasons to go vegetarian are mainly for my health. I don't think meat is necessary and it causes many diseases and other ailments. I do enjoy meat but I don't think I couldn't go without it. I hardly eat red meat at all, maybe a couple times a month, I never eat pork, so chicken is my main thing. I think that would be pretty easy to replace, as many of you have said, with bean fritters & burgers instead. I love veggies, fruits, nuts & beans so it's no problem to me.
I'm glad to hear that most people are understanding. I most definitely wouldn't expect anyone to go out of their way for me. My mom is a big meat eater and I always go over on Sundays with my boyfriend and she cooks most of the time, so I can see her being a little confused with me about this.
I'm definitely going to go at this gradually. And thank you SO much for the website listing, awesome!!
If you want to be veg, go for it. But, really, you aren't going to be any healthier just because you gave up eating animals.
Why do you say that??? There is tons of evidence saying the American diet is killing us- the high fat diet. I've heard & read countless articles saying that with the overconsumption of meat we consume, it's causing a huge increase in heart disease, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease and much more. I already have high cholesterol somehow at the age of 24 and I'm pretty thin. I think the best choice for me would be to alter my diet as much as I can to help prevent that.0 -
Thank you everyone so much for the replies!!
My main reasons to go vegetarian are mainly for my health. I don't think meat is necessary and it causes many diseases and other ailments. I do enjoy meat but I don't think I couldn't go without it. I hardly eat red meat at all, maybe a couple times a month, I never eat pork, so chicken is my main thing. I think that would be pretty easy to replace, as many of you have said, with bean fritters & burgers instead. I love veggies, fruits, nuts & beans so it's no problem to me.
I'm glad to hear that most people are understanding. I most definitely wouldn't expect anyone to go out of their way for me. My mom is a big meat eater and I always go over on Sundays with my boyfriend and she cooks most of the time, so I can see her being a little confused with me about this.
I'm definitely going to go at this gradually. And thank you SO much for the website listing, awesome!!
If you want to be veg, go for it. But, really, you aren't going to be any healthier just because you gave up eating animals.
Why do you say that??? There is tons of evidence saying the American diet is killing us- the high fat diet. I've heard & read countless articles saying that with the overconsumption of meat we consume, it's causing a huge increase in heart disease, high cholesterol, coronary artery disease and much more. I already have high cholesterol somehow at the age of 24 and I'm pretty thin. I think the best choice for me would be to alter my diet as much as I can to help prevent that.
A balanced, healthy diet that includes meat products is no less healthy than a balanced, healthy diet that doesn't.
But if you want to argue the point, you can talk to my meat-eating grandmother who is 96 and only now starting to go downhill health-wise. She can tell you about her older sister who died last year at 97 who actually had no health issues, she was just very old (she died in her sleep) and her mother, who also died at 97 and never even had a cold. They all ate meat, every day. They even ate red meat and sausage and pepperoni. My great-grandparents were off-the-boat Italians and that's what they grew up eating and continued eating.
I am a vegetarian for ethical reasons, but I'm no healthier as a vegetarian than I was as a meat-eater.
Also, after being vegetarian for two years, being pretty thin and being 33, my cholesterol levels were close to 300. It's genetic, not diet-related, in many cases. And high cholesterol in itself is not an indicator of bad health. What's your blood pressure? What are your triglycerides? What's the ratio of your HDL to your LDL? My doctor wasn't that worried, but he put me in touch with a nutritionist who told me I was already doing exactly what she would have told me to do (eating and exercise-wise).0 -
Make sure you do research on a vegetarian diet. You need to make sure you are getting the right vitamins and minerals. I take a vegan pre-natal (not preggers), vegan omega, and a few others. I eat mostly vegan- I have seafood and cheese once and a while. But I think I will go 100% vegan again soon. I just fell better not eating dairy and fish are treated just as bad as other animals in factory farms.
A few people have mentioned ohshe glows.com ~ great blog!!! Also Veganonmicon (sp) is a great cookbook. As well as Appetite for Reduction.
I just let people know that I am no longer eating meat because of health reasons. And I will alwyas bring something to eat. My sister is vegetarian also, so my family is conditioned to have meatless options.
Good luck!!! And make sure you are going veggie for the right reasons!!0 -
Check out the Happy Herbivores group on here too. The blog PeasandThankyou.com also talks about the transition from an animal product diet to a non-animal product diet. 0
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I've been vegetarian since I was 13 (nearly 20 years now), initially I think it was for typical teenage-whim reasons, but over the years I've gotten to the point where I really don't like the idea of what meat is, if that makes sense, so I don't think I could ever go back. I think if I absolutely *had* to, I could handle doing a bit of fish, but I've not been stuck starving on a desert island yet, so who knows! :laugh:
I was lucky enough to have a mum who isn't big on red meat, so I never really had a lot of it growing up. I genuinely couldn't tell you what pork chops or roast beef or steak tastes like - I really can't remember! And as far as bacon goes (the classic vegetarian downfall), I always liked the smell, but was never that keen on the taste, so I certainly don't miss that!
Regarding visiting other people's houses for dinner, I always just let them know in advance that I don't eat meat or fish, and offer to bring a veggie dish for me to have if they want. My in-laws are really good - we normally have a big roast dinner when we go round theirs to eat, so all they have to do is stick a couple of veggie sausages in the oven for me to have with the rest of the trimmings.
I guess it doesn't hurt that I must be one of the most chilled-out veggies around - I'll happily cook meat for my OH and I NEVER lecture people on it, I don't care what other people eat. In fact, it's usually the other way round - all I have to say is "I'll have the veggie burger, please" and there'll be at least 1 ardent meat-eater who launches into a huge rant about why I should eat meat, even though I never said a word about it...0 -
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.
My recommendation for social situations is to make sure your friends and family know in advance that you are vegetarian. When they invite you over, mention it. If you're the only vegetarian among friends and family, you can offer to bring the vegetarian main dish. "That's so nice, Aunt Sue! We'd love to come over. I'm not sure you're aware I became vegetarian recently and I would love to bring a dish to compliment the meal if that's okay." Rarely will anyone be offended when they realize that you're just taking the burden off of them.0 -
I've been a vegetarian for over 7 years, and I've found substitutes for almost every type of meat that you can think of.
Of course there are veggie burgers and such, some of the better brands are morningstar farms, and gardenburger.
Morningstar makes veggie bacon, chicken patties, nuggets, and fake ground beef as well, along with a ton of other stuff.
Tofurkey makes sliced lunch "meat" that is really really good and low in calories.
Quorn makes imitation chicken breasts that you can use just like chicken in recipes, they also make a turkey loaf that is amazing.
Yves makes imitation ground beef, veggie hot dogs, shrimp, tuna.
Match makes vegetarian crab, turkey, chicken (check out their website, it's hard to find in stores)
Gimme Lean makes a lot of the same stuff too.
If you have a kroger near by, they sell most of this stuff in their natural food section.
About the whole social situation thing, just let people know that you don't eat meat ahead of time, or offer to bring a vegetarian dish to share, that way you have something to eat as a main course.
Most people are pretty welcome to the thought, and don't get offended lol.
Good luck!!0
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