Vegetarian

[shoesies05]

Hey there,

 

I'm new to being a vegetarian.

can anyone give me tips on diet and like websites to visit or books?

 

Thanks!

[wwjd]

hello,

 

congrats on becoming a veggie eater. may i ask why you decided to do it?

 

anyway, if you're just starting out, then i suggest that you start off slowly or else the change will be too drastic for your body, resulting in dizzy spells, light-headedness, or sharp hunger pains.

 

to circumvent this, you can either start off slowly, by replacing high-fat products with fat-free versions of them and by gradually reducing your meat intake. this is sometimes easier as it allows your body to slowly adapt to your new eating regime, but if you have already given up meat altogether, all you really need to do is make sure your protein, calcium, and other vital nutrients are met, and that you eat enough so as to gather enough calories for one day.

 

the only nutrient i've had some trouble with is the b-12 vitamin, actually, since it's not naturally present in plants. in order to get your healthy dose of it, you should try taking some b-12 supplements about twice a week or simply using soymilk in your cereal, fortified by b-12.

 

to start off, i'd suggest you make your first several meals "heavy" so that your stomach doesn't get throw off-key because of the diet change. since you will be reducing/eliminating meat and poultry, grain (like rice) and potato-based dishes are preferable, since they are particularly high in fiber and vitamins A and C (specifically in sweet potatoes), as well as other nutrients.

 

also, make sure you increase your intake on calcium-rich foods, which can be found in vegetables such as broccoli, bok choy, black beans, and tofu. in order to preserve most of these natural nutrients, try to have them raw instead of cooked, as cooking destroys about 50 percent of the nutrients (which you really can't afford with this way of eating).

 

hmm, i think that's it. oh! and try to not to drink too much alcohol for the first couple of weeks. i'm not sure why this happens, but i found that my alcohol tolerance went way down after i switched to vegetarianism, and i kind of had to build it back up again. perhaps this was because of the reduced protein intake, but i'm not all that sure.

 

here is my favorite site: http://www.vrg.org/

 

it's not that flashy, but it has some good recipes.

 

just remember: tofu is your friend. and nuts are good snacks.

 

good luck!

[Touche]

I'm sorry I can't help you. I love red meat and I love eating things with faces.

 

What are you some kind of masochist?

 

Anyway, what about fish, shellfish, etc. To my knowledge shrimp don't have faces. And certain fish have really ugly faces, so they shouldn't count, right?

[Jinnah]

Go to http://www.peta.com

 

You can get a free Vegetarian Starter Kit.

 

The website also has a ton of info.

 

Also, if you visit a health food store you can find meat substitutes for everything. Most grocery stores have some vegetarian meat substitutes as well.

[DutchGuy]

If you do it because of the animals:

*Gelatin contains cow bone marrow.

*No more leather clothing.

*Keep in mind that farmers use traps and poison to keep animals from eating their crops.

[Touche]

If you do it because of the animals:

*Gelatin contains cow bone marrow.

*No more leather clothing.

*Keep in mind that farmers use traps and poison to keep animals from eating their crops.

 

Great post, DG!

 

I just love the Dutch by the way!

[woodsfield]

I'm new to being a vegetarian.

 

what's that??

 

seriously, this is place just down the street from me that "they" say is AWESOME.

http://www.thegrit.com/

they have a cookbook for sale, that my brother has and loves.

been once, but i'm a meat and taters man.

[Touche]

what's that??

 

seriously, this is place just down the street from me that "they" say is AWESOME.

http://www.thegrit.com/

they have a cookbook for sale, that my brother has and loves.

been once, but i'm a meat and taters man.

 

:love:

[directx]

You now whats really easy?

 

Only eating animals that eat only vegetables!

 

There is your vegetarian meal right there! Because what is the vegetarian animals meat made out of? That's right! Vegetables!

 

It's like natures own solution!

[burning 4 revenge]

If you don't eat pigs can you hang out with the vegetarians?

[woodsfield]

You now whats really easy?

 

Only eating animals that eat only vegetables!

 

There is your vegetarian meal right there! Because what is the vegetarian animals meat made out of? That's right! Vegetables!

 

It's like natures own solution!

:lmao::lmao:

[shoesies05]

It's cuz of the animals...

 

and yea, i used to a meat eating girl... im from a town that invented and is known for its world famous tri tip and is covered in BBQ's throughout the neighborhoos on the weekends...

 

But I can't stand the way the animals suffer, not just through the slaughtering process, but also how they are raised and transported.

 

There are many other small factors that made me decide to become a veg. also, but mainly the animal cruelty. See- it would be a different matter if it was like hunting where the animals are killed instantly, and not raised in a cruel way. but its not, fish... i havent made up my mind yet about them. its a touchy subject- because its not as cruel. but then so many other animals are captured and killed in the process, i dunno i havent eaten any fish and i doubt i will...

 

Thnx to those who gave me tips on websites, and nutrition, and everything.

 

I already ordered my veggie starter kit from PETA, but i just moved and its going to my old house. I need to forward all my mail here.

 

And i won't buy leather anymore. I do have some learther boots that cost me a lot of money and I've had them for a while so I'm not giving those up- but I deffinetly wont buy animals skin for any reason.

 

Uhm- yea and no jello either.

 

[missdeathwish]

Flexitarian, going back to vegetarian here. I went veggie for the same reason as you. Basically, I thought the meat industry was pretty damned gross. (Lots of good books out there.)

 

In any case, a few things to consider:

~It might be easier, since you're doing it for the animals, to phase out meat by switching to organic free-range. In general, beef is your best bet (strictest standards). Avoid birds. They're always treated the worst. Go for ethically-raised eggs, as well. You could also go for buffalo, which is tasty, healthy, AND impossible to raise on a feedlot. Don't think of it as a concession. You're supporting farmers who are making ethical choices. :-) Wild Ideas buffalo farms is excellent... in addition to producing totally organic, natural meat (and bypassing the slaughterhouse completely by harvesting on-site), the owner restored natural prairielands. Cool! This is a lot better than eating MacDonalds or stuff from the corner store. It also is a lot more expensive, so it's a good way to transition from the "meat as a main course" to "meat is flavoring" to "what's meat?" in your meals. Consider it, especially if you lean heavily on meat.

~As for leather... yeah, it is a dead cow's skin. However, it is a lot more environmentally sound than synthetics. Hence, less waste. There are a lot of reasons to go vegetarian... the environment is another good one.

~A reading list:

Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon (excellent book!)

Diet for a New America (not a cookbook, but about the meat industry)

Fast Food Nation (has a chapter on it)

A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian (has a lot of valuable info for grown-ups, too)

~Don't replace meat with eggs and cheese. Reason #1- most cheese isn't vegetarian. (Tillamook is!) Rennet, an enzyme that curdles the milk, comes from the stomach lining of an unweaned calf. Ewww. Reason #2- The eggs come from birds who are not treated well at all, unless you do your reasearch and know for sure. Reason #3- It's really not that healthy... eggs and cheese do contain protein, but also saturated fat and cholesterol and other things you should try not to eat in excess. Reason #4- You are SO much more creative than that.

 

Good luck to you! And congratulations.

[missdeathwish]

PS- Regarding fish... I personally think fish is one of the worst. While wild-caught live a good life, there's no nice way to kill a fish. For the deep-water ones, they have to experience decompression as they're hauled up in the net. All fish that are commercially caught need to suffocate to death. Again, I'm probably one of the only veggies who will say this, but if you eat any animal flesh, I think the large mammals are the best. They have the strictest regulations for how they're treated.

[KittenMoon]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I'm don't eat much meat in general.

 

I gotta recommend Morningstar Farms brand for meatless alternatives- their "chicken" nuggest and "buffalo wings" are awesome. In college, our convinience store sold them, and even anti-vegetarians got them because they were so good.

 

They have a lot of other stuff too- I've not had a bad item from them.

[sb129]

I am not a veggie either, but i can easily go a week without eating meat, and often have veggie days simply because i love fruit and veg and some veggie options (like vege lasagne) taste better than their meat counterparts.

I was brought up on a farm and we always had really fresh good cuts of meat, so i have an issue with paying so much for yucky stuff you get in the supermarkets here in england. And the english meat industry is terrible for things like CJD, BSE, and foot and mouth.

Wonderboy is a fisherman and feels the same way about fish- if its not been caught that day by him or someone he knows, its not worth eating.

 

Do you guys get Quorn in the states? Its a meat substitute thats made out of manufactured mycoprotein. Its pretty good if you can get your head around the fact that its made by a pharmaceuticals company, which isn't the most ethical industry out there.

 

Some preservatives in some things (ie red wine!!!) are made from animal derived products - i was amazed to discover this from a friends GF. She is a vegan and such a strict one she comes across as anally retentive and irritatingly superior. maybe thats just her, but she did tell me some stuff that I was surprised by.

 

You can't eat jelly sweets either because they have gelatine in them. No more haribo or starbursts.... or even some chocolate!

 

I will not give up wine or chocolate for anybody.... except if I was pregnant i would ditch the wine and eat chocolate to compensate.

[heatherlinks]

Most of Indian people are vegetarian, you can visit some Indian's cooking sites where they have some tips on how to become a vegetarian with all the recipes.