For vegetarians who were once meat eaters?

Question

how hard was it for u to make the transition

what r some good hearty dishes to make as a vegan

something not to tofu..lol

something to make it easier to convert

Answer 1

it was hard at first but once you get used to not eating the meat, it doesnt phase you anymore! i just stop eating it.

and try brands like Boca burgers and morning star farms..they're a little pricey but its worth it and its better than tofu!

Answer 2

it was really hard for me at fist. i would try and give up. and i went through that about 4-5 times. and then i just gave meat up(i do eat fish and dairy though because i dont understand how drinking milk hurts the cows) and now i dont ever have a taste for meat.

Answer 3

It wasn't that hard for me to cut our meat, dairy, and eggs directly. I try my best to not eat/ buy stuff with animal products in it. Sometimes I miss something though. Will-power wise, it's usually not that hard, but it can be kind of challenging at times like when my dad brings home ice cream and doesn't bring me any non-dairy ice cream or I'm all out of non-dairy ice cream.

Some of my favorite things to eat that don't have tofu in them are...

chilli with kidney beans, corn, and olives. Sometimes I'll add soy cheese (without casein). I think it tasted real good with Triscuit wheat crackers.

Tacos with refried beans (I like to get regular canned beans and smash them up), corn, and salsa.

sandwitches with veggies (I like to get sub bread, smear eggless mayo and a mix of eggless mayo, mustard, and agave nectar on it, then put my favorite veggies.)

cereal with soymilk

Answer 4

i always make vegan pancakes, just get the bisquick kind and use...

2 cups of the mix

1 cup of soy milk

1/2 applesauce

&& sprinkles are optional lol

Answer 5

It wasn't too hard for me.

After I realized that I COULD resist eating meat, it got a lot easier.

I just eat the things I used to eat, but i don't include meat.

I ate spaghetti the other night, but I didn't have meatballs.

Answer 6

What about vegetarians who are now meat eaters?

You left us out.....(sigh).

= )

Answer 7

I made the transition and it wasn't difficult at all. There are tons of options. I don't really crave meat so I haven't tried meat substitute products, but I hear they have gotten pretty good. I eat a lot of pastas with veggies or red sauce, black beans and rice with fresh salsa, Chinese noodles with stir-fry sauce and veggies, leafy green salads, whole grain bread with jam or peanut butter, etc. I also like to have easy snacks on hand like berries, raw almonds, carrots, and whole grain cereals.

Answer 8

Not hard, I really wanted to.

Pasta, bean burgers, grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, ... with fake meats- you can have ur favorite foods without the cruelty. I am not a fan of imitation beef-- but I could eat fake hot dogs/chik'n patties all day long!! so goooood. and i know u said no tofu but u should really try get some extra firm and marinade it in a meat marinade(no meat in it) and then some paprika then bake.. i really like it.

Answer 9

It is rare for any of them to really do this 100%. Mostly in public they don't eat meat, but when traveling out of town where people won't know them they can be found and popular steakhouse. But when they return to school or work, they continue to preach to everyone else and make a fuss when eating out to attract attention for themselves. Meat is an excellent source of protein, which is why people continue to consume it in private. Ask you family doctor, he or she will tell you that 4 oz of meat each day is part of a good healthy diet.

Answer 10

The transition was very easy for me- I have not missed since. Although I adore tofu, I think a great dish that I personally love is Spinakopita, which means Spinach Pie. It has cheese, Phyllo, and of course Spinach

Answer 11

maybe you can try vegetarian salmon,,

this is the link http://www.bbfood.co.cc/

Answer 12

Most vegans will tell you the only hard thing about becoming veg*an is other people's reactions.  

There are loads of websites devoted entirely to vegan cooking, just google vegan recipes.  Otherwise, try some "fake meats", they're usually good for new vegans, and try to replace what you liked eating before with close vegan versions, Sheese, for example, tastes almost like (processed) cheese.

Answer 13

I transitioned slowly - one item at a time! First I stopped eating the pieces of meat in a meat-broth soup, then when i was used to that I switched to vegetable soup...etc.  It probably took months and I eliminated chicken last of all.

I think trying to give up everything at once would have been too difficult for me personally.  I´ve been vegetarian for 14 years and meat still smells good.  For the first 10 years, I still occasionally wanted to eat it, but I didn´t.  I think it takes a looong time to get rid of cravings.

Try Amy´s vegetarian burgers instead of hamburgers and soy cakes and brownies from Whole Foods if you live near one.  They taste different but after a while you´ll appreciate the difference.

Try cooking a lot of new things. The 101 cookbooks website has many great ideas.  Try using a lot of lentils, peanuts, and other items with protein in your diet.  If you don´t like tofu, try putting soymilk in your smoothie.  Eating a lot of protein will keep you from getting too hungry/weak and eating meat because it´s the first thing you see.  Try to read some books or websites about vegetarian nutrition so you´ll get more ideas.  

And please don´t listen to people that say if things are difficult to you you shouldn´t do them!  Most things worth doing are difficult, right?

Answer 14

well all i can say is that....

if there's a WILL there's a WAY

NO GUTS NO GLORY...

i just wanted to have a healthy life...

thats it...

it just started with a GOAL

and everything follows...

so easy right?

Answer 15

i didn't find it hard at all...in fact, it's actually been pretty liberating!! i decided one day that i wasn't going to eat meat anymore and haven't had a bite of it since.  if it's something that you know you want to do, and if you're passionate about it, you can do it.

some good vegan dishes are:

falafel

bean burritos

stir fry

vegan chili

veggie kabobs

stuffed peppers

there are endless options!!

you may want to try experimenting with tofu....it's pretty much flavorless so you can make it taste like whatever you want.  different kinds of tofu can be used in different ways, and it can be a great meat-like substitute if cooked correctly.  it's worth a shot, i would say! =)

as far as making the transition easier, one thing that worked for me was to print out quotes from famous vegetarians/vegans that inspire me and remind me why i'm doing what i'm doing.  i put them in my office, on my fridge, anywhere that i know i will see them.  it's a good pick-me-up when you need support!  here are two of my favorites:

"truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds theirs.  we live by the death of others: we are burial places! i have from an early time abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as i will look upon the murder of animals as they know look upon the murder of men." -leonardo da vinci

" 'thou shalt not kill' does not apply to the murder of one's own kind only, but to all living beings; and this commandment waas inscribed in the human breast long before it was proclaimed from sinai." -leo tolstoy

i hope i have helped, and GOOD LUCK as you start a more compassionate life =)

Answer 16

You know if you have to force yourself to convert to a vegetarian, maybe it's not for you.

Answer 17

Vegan chili & corn cake recipe

CHILI:

*1 large can crushed tomatoes

*1 can chili magic

*1 lb. light life ground, msf ground, or boca ground

Put all of those ingredients into a pot and heat them to boiling.  Boil them for 10-15 minutes or until heated through...stir occasionally.

CORN BREAD:

*1 packet Chichi's corn cake mix

*1 can of creamed corn

Follow directions.  You have to start this before the chili because it takes longer.  Follow the package instructions, only use soy milk instead of water and butter.

When both things are done, use a serving spoon to scoop some cornbread into a bowl.  Spoon some chili over the corn cake or beside it in the bowl.  It makes a nice presentation ans trust me it's wonderful!  Try to take a little corn cake and a little chili in each bite.  This recipe costs under 15.00 and serves 4-6, depending if you eat too much or not like I do :)

If you are not as lazy and busy as I am, you can add diced onions and such into the chili.  I don't have the time or the patience.  

Making the transition was easy for me.  I stopped eating meat "cold turkey"...literally.  I saw www.meat.org and that was enough for me!

If you have any other questions or want any other recipes, send me an e-mail through Y//A by clicking on my screen name.  Take care.

Answer 18

It was easy. I had a major adversion to beef as soon as I got pregnant, 9 years ago. Even before I knew I was pregnant, I couldn't stand the smell/taste of beef!!!

Sorry, dunno the rest....... Just regular stuff, without the meat. I eat a lot of cheese though.

Answer 19

it was kind of difficult cause my parents didnt think i was serious so for a long time i just ate noodles and pb andjs, but than when they realized it was easy, there are amazing brands like Boca and Morning Star, those brands sell everything hamburgers, hotdogs, scrample, all meatless though, but the taste is great, i especially love the boca burger with cheese in the middle, taste like real meat

Answer 20

Heya

It wasnt hard at all for me.

I just gave it all up 1 day and never looked back. now i cant stand the though that i used to eat meat. =] xx

Answer 21

Actually it was not hard for me at all. I just can stand meat ever since i was young since that time i ordered steak and it was not cooked properly. I usually take vitamins for i cannot get sick and my doctor gave me a prescription for iron is some really nasty syrup type of thing. To the recipies thing im sorry but my mom cooks for me so i have no idea on how to make them lol You gotta love moms :)

Answer 22

I started being a vegetarian when I was twelve and it wasn't hard for me. I thought about the animals that were being killed just so I could have protein on my plate. It wasn't really hard for me because the day I became vegetarian, I didn't have any meat day of and just thought it would be better for me to be vegetarian.

If you're vegan, try making dishes with beans, legumes, veggies, or tofu. Try making some curry, hummus or tahini.

Answer 23

I stoped eating meat back in my early 20's, I'm 52 now. I didn't have a hard time since I never really liked the taste of meat. I'd suggest getting yourself a couple veggie cookbooks and trying different recopies. I still eat eggs and dairy now and then, so I'm considered a lacto-ovo vegetarian.

Answer 24

I second the Gardenburger Riblets, they are AMAZING. There was a girl in my english class last year who always told me she could never become a veggie because she would miss meat too much, so I brought some to class and she actually told me that with those she could be a vegetarian! HAHA

Anyway. I really like salads, soups, pastas... alot of the time I just eat alot of simple foods. Fruit salads, raw train mixes, salsas... stuff like that. A lot of new vegetarians tend to focus on what they can't eat rather than what they can. People tend to think of food as all that processed c**p but in reality real food is what we have in nature, SIMPLIFY!

Although its nice to have comfort foods or those favorites! Here are a few websites with good recipes...

http://vegweb.com/

http://www.theppk.com/recipes/

http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-C...

Just do some research find recipes and meals that appeal to you!

Answer 25

My husband and I quit cold turkey.  It wasn't hard at all.

As far as something to make the transition easier.

Gardenburger Ribs--we've served it to meateaters (who KNEW we were veggie) and they've actually said "I thought you were a vegetarian."

We just had some this weekend--better than McD's McRibs!

We went to our friends' house last Thursday (they're not veggie) and they made a really simple pasta topped with veggies sauteed in garlic and veggie broth then topped with asiago cheese--it was delicious!

I use tofu maybe once a month at most.  There are so many different things that can be eaten.  Start with some dishes you already eat that are veggie (tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches--I know they're not vegan...)

Good luck!