Becoming a Vegetarian

[EmmyJN]

Hi, everyone!

I would like to become a vegetarian, not a vegan. It's only meat I don't want to eat. I've heard horror stories about people who get really sick or vitamin defficiant because they don't watch their diet closely as a vegetarian. I know about protien-replacements, but I wanna know some tips.

Are there any specific vitamins I should start taking? Any suggestions for meals and good veggie-friends foods?

Thanks!

[EmmyJN]

That's cool :) Can you give me any tips for cooking it? Like, how do you know when its ready, how much of seasonings or sauces should you put in it to make it taste right?

And where do you buy yours? I use Health Hut.

[fabulousgrl]

I can understand your concern about tofu, but I have found that if cooked properly tofu doesn't have a taste of its own.  I put tofu in with my smoothie for breakfast and I also will saute it with onions, garlic and diced tomatoes and then put it into things like tomato sauce for spaghetti sauce and then add oregano and basil to taste.   Then it just becomes another vegetable in your meal.  I have done the same with vegetable soup.  Yesterday I tried no-meat meatballs made from tofu and I really liked it.

[EmmyJN]

I will certainly check out that cookbook, thank you! My biggest problem right now is that I don't like tofu all that much, and when I find meat replacements they'll taste more like tofu than anything... But I'll check this out for sure!

Also, I do eat eggs, and I LOVE milk. I take vitamin D3 right now (it runs in the family, we can't absorb the stuff) and I will look in to B12. I'm hoping I don't have to take the B12, but I will certainly keep it in the back of my mind to look for it.

[Barb135]

Meat is also a major source of vitamin B12, so make sure you replace the meat with plenty of eggs, milk, etc.  If you plan to drop all meat products, then you may have to look at a B12 supplement, since B12 is vital for energy and proper nerve function.

[1MommaK]

check out Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean Diet! She also has an Eat-Clean Vegetarian Cookbook that just came out.

You will definitely get all the nutrients you need AND it will be delicious

[EmmyJN]

Thank you so much for your advice :) I really appriciate such a detailed reply.

I'm very excited for this. I've wanted to be a vegetarian for a while, but my parents always said no. Now I figured, I'm 16---almost 17---and I work, I can afford to buy my own substitue meat products if they don't want to. If I want to try it, why not go for it, you know?

And they did the whole "Well, if you don't like it...," speach. If it turns out their right, then they're right, you know? No harm, no foul.

Thanks again!

~ Em

[dogcrazie892]

Hi, I have been a veggie for 8 years, before I was a full-on meat eater ! And I have never had any problems at all !

No you dont need to take any tablets or pill or supplements (only vegans do).

You will need to make sure you are having enough iron as meat is the main source for this. So the horror stories are probably because they didnt replace the meat- they just cut it out completely therefore no iron.

Meat gives you iron, protein and fat there are many lovely foods you can replace them with.

The main one is a brand called Quorn- you can buy mince, sausage rolls, scotch eggs even like "chicken style" quorn dishes. (All quorn products are great for on a diet, I found because they are lower in calories and mainly better for you.) There will always be a quorn section in every supermarket.

Other stuff you can get is soya and tofu products, but I dont find them as tasty, but you might !

Also these are great aswell- the bean family (baked bean, kidney bean etc), mushrooms, nuts, hummus, peas and lentils.

If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask :)