Vegetarian?

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funnygirl5
funnygirl5 Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I'm considering becoming a vegetarian.... (mostly). Meat doesn't appear to agree with me much (more so red meat than chicken). However, how do you get the variety in your diet (I'm used to salads).... Any suggestions on how to get started slowly?

Thanks
Sam

Replies

  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    Check out the Groups section for Happy Herbivores and Team Vegan. There's lots of support there for vegetarians and vegans.
  • funnygirl5
    funnygirl5 Posts: 8
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    Brilliant.... Thanks so much :happy:
  • natpalit
    natpalit Posts: 113 Member
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    Hey,

    I am a vegetarian, and have been for the past 3 years, and eased into it for 2 years before that. So I'll point out before that I'm obviously going to be biased. I think it has lots of advantages! If you're willing to put in the time and effort to cook healthy meals for yourself it can be much cheaper than a meat based diet, and because you're not depending on the "flavour" of the meat you will often start to use lots more herbs and spices, which have a range of health benefits. You will also more than likely start cooking a much wider variety of fruit and veg, meaning you get a better range of vitamins.
    There can be pitfalls of course, if you eat out a lot, choosing to go vegetarian will often mean resorting to cheese based dishes, which are high in saturated fats.
    Perhaps start by just having one veggie meal a day, which could be less daunting.
    I think a great starting point would be to pick a list of your top ten vegetables, and then check out online veggie blogs, for recipes using those ingredients.
    Also, make sure you're getting enough protein by packing in adequate portions of dairy produce, eggs, lentils, or grains like quinoa.
    I am of course happy to offer any more help or advice. :)
  • neverquit16
    neverquit16 Posts: 17
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    I tried to be a vegetarian last year. All was fine till I realized I have an extreme iron deficiency :frown: , but with that being said I plan to go back soon. I recommend lots of vitamins and to start out as a pespatarian (spelling is probably wrong there). That way you are only cutting out the red meats, but can still eat fish and chicken. It's like a stepping stone that could help your body adjust. I also recommend it because you said your body only had issue to red meats, and you might discover that it's the way of life for you that could be better than a full out vegetarian diet. Wish you the best:flowerforyou: !!
  • funnygirl5
    funnygirl5 Posts: 8
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    Thanks for the info... It's much appreciated. I've tried going into it full on straight away before and it didn't work. This time I'm going to take it slowly.

    Natpalit, I'm sure I'll have questions for you at some point :smile: thanks for the offer of help...

    Sam
  • lenaelkins
    lenaelkins Posts: 27
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    I've been vegetarian for about five years, but recently switched to veganism after reading Skinny ***** by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin. I highly highly highly recommend reading it- it's the "no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous". Seriously, it will change your life, and it's SO fun to read. It will also make you a "skinny *****"! Hope this helps. Good luck! :)
  • smaugish
    smaugish Posts: 244 Member
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    I tried to be a vegetarian last year. All was fine till I realized I have an extreme iron deficiency :frown: , but with that being said I plan to go back soon. I recommend lots of vitamins and to start out as a pespatarian (spelling is probably wrong there). That way you are only cutting out the red meats, but can still eat fish and chicken. It's like a stepping stone that could help your body adjust. I also recommend it because you said your body only had issue to red meats, and you might discover that it's the way of life for you that could be better than a full out vegetarian diet. Wish you the best:flowerforyou: !!

    It's pescatarian, and it's someone that eats fish (no poultry or red meat) as pesca= fish.

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