how am i gonna become a vegetarian? All the suggested protein products (like peanuts, soy, beans, soy, more beans, more soy) i hate. i cant get myself to like them, and not for lack of trying either. but w/ out them, i dunno if i get enough protein. actually, i charted how much protein i get for a day and i do get enough... it adds up, practically everything has a little protein... but my mom mdoesn't think its good enough unless i eat soy and beans. (i am 13 btw). so how can i be a vegetarian? please help.
You're in a tough spot my friend. I understand your woes. I am vegan and there are a lot of veggies I actually don't like. All I can suggest is let soy and beans grow on you. I really love Veggie Ground Round or Smart Ground. It is made from soy.. but if you mix it up to make spaghetti sauce you can't even taste the flavor. I use it to make curry dishes, stir frys, potatoes, veggie medleys, lasagne, burritos, so much. If you use the right spices you can learn to really like it. I can't believe you don't like beans! I love beans. There's got to be some kind of bean you like, you just haven't tried it yet. Also invest in veggie burgers ( Gardenburger is good ) and hot dogs ( Smart dogs are good ) and sausages ( Gomme Lean is good ). Those are good starter veggie foods because they mock the meaty stuff pretty well. Just keep an open mind and heart and something inside you will click. if you really want to be vegetarian you will be.... eventually. Just take your time with learning to adapt. You reasons for wanting to be a veghead may be of assistance or not. I'm vegan for ethical reasons so it was pretty easy for me to find and enjoy protein alternatives. I feel all sentient beings have the right to live free and unbound and untortured. But if you're just doing it for health reasons it's much harder I think. It's just too easy to go back to your old ways of eating. Good luck! I really hope you find a taste for these things. Hey.. I know.. go buy some Tofutti Cuties. You're sure to love those. They're little ice cream sandwiches made from soy and they are SOOOOO good. I've given them to friends without them knowing they're soy and everyone has loved them. It may not be the most necessary food but it's a start. You can find them at most health food stores and some Ralphs stores.
Experiment with diffrent sources of protein. Diffrent cheeses (mozzerela, riccotta etc) might do it, and there's always eggs. Don't give up, it takes about ten tries before some people develop a taste for a particular food. If you're still eating meat then it might be harder, try not to compare them. Read up on all the info you can get hold up. And good luck TTFN Sage
this may not be the most helpful suggestion, but if you hate soy and beans then you could just not use them at all. there's a ton of recipies for stir fries and curry that you could just throw vegetables in and forget the soy. there's a lot of protein in milk, (although i would reccomend vanilla soy milk over cows milk ) and eggs and i don't know if you've tried it or not but tofu i've heard is just good for you all around. it is a product of soy beans but it tastes like nothing (until you cook it, it just takes the flavour of whatever you cook it with) and it has a similar consistency to chicken. good luck with being veggi!
lol, thanks everyone. but is there anything w/ out soy? i didn't really explain myself... when i eat soy i get sick. ugh. do protein bars work?
do you actually have a problem digesting soy, or is it "tastes gross queasies?" try a few meat analogs (they make moms happy) and really know your protien requirements. Staying lacto-ovo could keep mom calm, so add the yougurt and chese and eggs in, too. Personally, I avoid eggs. Do try the crumbles. I like making my own seitan, which is often marketed as "wheat meat." I don't care for tofu, and I use it in very few dishes.
well... it felt like it was the digestion problem, but i felt it, like 2 minutes after eating the soy, so i think it could have just been the taste gross thing. um... i feel really stupid, what are meat analogs and lacto-ovo? and thank you very much 4 helping me, peoples here are awesome...
Meat alternatives. Veggie ground round (to put in spaghetti sauce, chili, etc), Yves Veggie Dogs, Gardenburgers, etc. are my favorites
i can't help you with analogs, but a lacto ovo vegetarian is one who still eats dairy products and eggs. I'm lacto-ovo, and it means that you still get a lot of the things -- like protein, vitamin b12 -- that you usually get from meat. and i wouldn't feel stupid if i were you. there's no reason you should know this stuff if you haven't been vegetarian for long. i was veg for like, a year, before i started researching it. it's good to see you're doing it properly, finding out what you need to know first. i did it the stupid way around.
No need to feel stupid, everyone has to start somewhere. And you can't learn unless you ask. Meat analogs: Fake meats like veggie hotdogs etc, or else food such as tofu which is a subsitute for meat. Lacto-ovo: A vegetarian who eats dairy products and eggs (lacto = milk, ovo = eggs) Aww you're welcome sweetheart. TTFN Sage
