How and what can help some of my meat cravings?

Question

i've been a vegetarian for about 3 years now and i'm getting some really bad meat cravings all of a sudden. what are some things i can do/eat to help? ;D

pleash and thanxx

Answer 1

Me too! I was talking to some friends and they suggested getting my iron levels checked, just in case. Craving meat could mean you are in need of some iron or B12. Maybe you could try to up your protein intake for a couple of days, see if it helps out at all? I try to eat beans and lentils daily and this helps a lot. A simple snack of cheese and crackers can help regulate blood sugar levels and curb those cravings as well. But if your cravings are accompanied by fatigue, forgetfullness, etc, it would be worth a shot to have yourself checked for possible anemia.

Answer 2

I had a friend who wanted very much to become a vegetarian but her habit energies were strong to eat meat and there were times she would really crave meat. I suggested a simple aversion technique. When someone was cooking meat on the grill in the neighborhood, just as the fat was sizzling and she could feel the desire to eat meat rising, I just opened the trash can lid and had her stick her head in a take a deep whiff! Very quickly, she had an association of meat = putrid garbage. A little extreme, but most of what we do is habitual, so any help we can give our psyches, the better.

Answer 3

Your body is craving protein.

So protein you shall give it.

Peanut butter is full of protein but can be rather fatty as well.

You can try alternative meats from Gardenburger or boca and several other brands.

(I love Gardenburger's Vegan ribs)

However if you are not a vegan, you can eat eggs to help satisfy this hunger as well.

Answer 4

Because of the timing (~3 yrs w/o meat) I would suspect a vitamin or trace mineral deficiency is the cause of your cravings.  Your liver stores 3-4 years' worth of many of the necessary nutrients for your body, including B vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, and a whole bunch of others found in meats, poultry, and fish.

Fortunately, most of these nutrients can be found naturally (often in beans and legumes), so it's relatively easy to adjust your diet to provide what you might be lacking.  You can also try vitamin supplements to support your diet.  See http://www.healthgoods.com/Education/Nut... for more info.

Answer 5

Morning star has one of the most realistic veggie meats I have ever tasted. I went to my pescetarian friend's house and her mom gave us spagetti and veggie meat balls. It was delicious.  

Answer 6

soy meats :P  they make a soy version of just about every meat out there! cook it up like you would the meat and enjoy.

Answer 7

If you are having cravings, your body is trying to tell you that it's missing something.   Have you considered adding more tofu into your diet...to increase your protein intake?  It might help.

Another option might be something in a protein shake.  

You will know if a few days if missing protein is the problem or not.  

Answer 8

Is it specific meats you are craving- or-

do you just need a good chew.

I used to dream about a leg of lamb [haven't eaten anything like that for 30 years] but it was just a dream, I think I wanted to chew, like a dog with a bone.

Actually I tried chewing licorice root, weird, but satisfied the chewy urge thing.

Answer 9

My strong cravings were gone after a year and have never returned.

When I see beef jerky at the store I'm always reminded of how flavorful it was, since it was one of my favorite snacks, but I don't actually want to eat it.

Are you maybe spending too much time around places that serve meat?

Do you have friends that are eating meat around you a lot?

I suggest eating soy based meat substitutes (soy burgers, soy chicken) any time you get a bad craving.

And make sure you're getting enough protein, iron and B12 to ensure that these aren't legitimate cravings produced by your body in an attempt to remedy a deficiency.

Answer 10

increase your protein intake

Answer 11

Our bodies will crave for things that are missing. If your body only ever experienced that nutrient from meat, then you will crave meat.

All the nutrients you require can be found in the plant kingdom. That's where the animals got them!

But you may need to broaden your diet to include a bigger variety of nutrients.

Here are some suggestions:

Take wheat grass, preferrably fresh. Take sea vegetables. Take Blue Green Algae. Grow your own sprouts from seeds and members of the pea family like mung beans, chick peas (garbanzo to Americans).

All the above foods should be eaten raw, as most of your food should be raw to get the nutrients otherwise destroyed by cooking.

Take Yeast extract for vitamin B12

Answer 12

Go to a meat slaughter house then u will stop ur cravings for meat....

Answer 13

get some morning star products and have fake burgers and also try out some vegetarian ribs. i swear they taste a lot like the real thing! good luck--keep at it :)

remember that being a vegetarian saves countless animals per year and that every time you eat a real pig, you are eating a creature as smart as a two year old child!

Answer 14

Real meat will not only assuage your craving but may supply some essential nutrient you have been missing.

Answer 15

meat flavoured crisps. they are actually vegetarian.