Making a slow move to vegetarian.

Yep, I'm that person who said they could never give up meat. I've given up fast food and am now on my way to giving up red meats, and will eventually be down to fish, fruits and veggies.

So, where the hell do I start? What are some good books/cook books? Do I need to be eating vitamins? Weight gain/lose?

I've told my parents I'm eating fish and chicken for meats for now on. My mom will prob cook atleast 100 meals that I won't be eating and my dad will be fine.

Thanks for any help.

 

I'm kind of in the same boat. 'Cept I didn't eat much meat to begin with

It's much easier than what it's made out to be (although I did slip up, and am back to day three).

The impression I get is that you do not need to eat vitamins or take any supplements - I'm pretty sure a balanced vegetarian diet will cover all your daily needs of protein, etc.

I take a 'balanced vegetarian diet' to mean lots of vegetables and fruit, some nuts (watch out about that though), some carbs like pasta and rice and grainy bread, some tofu (i love my tofu! Try mixing it up with some onion and carrot, cook it, and shove it in a burger ), and since you're not going vegan, crackers and cheese, yoghurt and eggs. Soy yoghurt and soy milk are both really good btw

Anyone see anything wrong with the diet above? ^ If so, tell me. Or else I might die from some vitamin deficiency

As long as you eat enough of the right food, I don't think you'll lose/gain any weight. You could gain some weight if you eat too much bread, pasta, etc, which apparently a lot of new vegetarians do. I think you'll be fine.

 

I love many of the high in iron foods, so I'm good on that. I do take a B-12 suppliment. But, as mentioned above, if you eat balanced, then you should not need to take anything. You will probably be getting more nutrients than you have been getting on a regular omnivorous diet.
Do you plan of phasing out chicken and fish later?

 

I agree

 

Maybe in the futuer, not now though.

 

Though I am all for your switch to a vegetarian diet. The idea you will be getting more nutrients than an omnivorous diet is false. If you eat a healthy vegetarian diet and have a broiled chicken breast you don't lose nutrients there..you've just added an item..not taken anything out of your diet. That being said, if it's right for you go for it. I would say go light on the soy, for protein various types of beans (navy, black eyed peas, kidney beans etc) mixed with wild type rices (the combination gives you complete amino acids). You can use white rice..but so starchy and bland..use the wild stuff, get more fiber better for you. Go light on nuts/fruits, nuts are high in fat/calories, fruits generaly have lots of sugar. Veggies, have at them. broccali is very good and you can't really overeat it, dark leafy greans are always good as well, carefull with kale and spinach, hith phos to cal ratio which makes it hard to obsorb the calcium..ok as part of the diet but not as a staple imho. Though I will never be a vegetarian, I have been a cook for over a decade, and knowing diet is part of my job. The more animal products you cut out (cheese, milk, eggs, fish) the more limited your options become, not bad, but something to be aware of. There are lots of gravies on the market which are meat free but use milk or eggs, puddings often use milk, etc etc, just things to be aware of. Good luck and I hope it works for you. Just don't hate all us omnivores, we're not bad, just different.

 

check out the veggi thread nature

 

N2T: Go light on nuts/fruits, nuts are high in fat/calories, fruits generaly have lots of sugar.

This is false. To much of anything is bad for you, obviously, but nuts however fatty contain the 'good' fats that help your body and also are a fantastic source of protein. And fruit is possibly one of the best things any person could consume. They do have sugar but like everything it's natural sugar that your body uses for energy, not crappy processed sugar. Besides that it tastes delicious and fruit is packed with fiber naturally along with a ton of other great for you vitamins. Remember with fruits and veggies to mix your colors, different colored foods hold different nutrients so you want a bit of everything and the darker the color the better it usually will be.

 

Keep in mind that sugar is sugar. If it's processed or not, doesn't matter as far as calories go. Nuts though they have good fats, still have alot of fat and calories and can easily be over eaten. Much like meat eaters tend to have issues seeing what a serving of meat is, people also tend to overeat fruits and nuts so it's something to be carefull of. Keep in mind I'm not saying to cut these out of the diet in the slightest, just to try to avoid over eating them. Perhaps my wording was not the best, but I wouldn't say my statements were false.

 

I meant it in the sense that with a veggie diet you tend to eat a lot healthier. At least I did, and many people that I have talked to also admit this. You expose yourself to new things that are a lot healthier for you. Yes, it is possible to get the same nutrients on an omnivorous diet, and some do, but most, not so much. And there are many veggies out there that don't pay attention to a healthy diet. But when you limit yourself for some things, you tend to look for other things to add in. And for myself at least, it has been replaced with a lot of healthier things. If that makes sense.

 

eating fish & chicken = not veg

 

I will agree with that, by paying attention to your diet, you tend to eat healthier. Though I am omnivorous, I do try to eat a healthy diet rich in non meat items, and I eat the right amount of meat in the diet as well as live an active lifestyle. Chicken isn't part of a vegetarian diet, however some people do include eggs, dairy, and fish..it's always up the the person and what they feel is right. Congrats on the switch and I hope you enjoy the results.

 

personally i think its best to just stop eating everything all at once

 

Well, of course this would be the optimum way of going about things, but not everybody has this self control.

 

be careful. last month after i went to the dr he told me i woul dgo into protein shock and hget sick if i ate meat,, choose carefully., but if you do choode veggie ot vegaN,, youll feel great

 

If you start looking into how feed animals are processed it will become less a matter of self control and more a matter of respect for all living beings.