How do you go from being a meat lover to being a vegatarian?

Question

I LIVE IN A HOUSE WHERE NO ONE OTHER THAN MYSELF WANTS TO DO THIS AND IN NEED ASWERS ON STEPS TO TAKE

Answer 1

just hate that CRUELTY, there is obviously good for you, good for others.

Answer 2

www.meat.org<===changed my life f o r e v e r !!!

Answer 3

I went through this about 5 years ago when I became a vegetarian. I loved the taste of meat, and my parents both ate it (and still do.) But when I explained my reasoning they respected my decision. With my mom's help (I was in fifth grade at the time) I researched how to maintain a healthy, balanced diet without meat. I made lists of all the foods I could eat instead of meat that give me similar nutrients, such as eggs, dairy, tofu, and other soy-based "meat" (like veggie burgers and "Chik'n" nuggets.)

I basically gave up meat "cold turkey" (no pun intended) and although it was difficult at first, both to find other options and to fight cravings to eat meat, after about a month or so it got much easier. After a few months, you get so used to not eating meat that it becomes easy-you automatically look for the meat-free choices at restaurants, and never think about making meat for a meal. If you have trouble, I suggest giving up meat in steps. For example, first just give up poultry, and do that for a few weeks or until you're ok without it. Then give up pork, then beef, etc. Just make sure to stock up on other high-protein foods that you like, and try lots of different fake soy "meat" to see which ones you like the best.

My personal favorite is Morning Star Farms, which is a frozen product in a green box. They make great "burgers," "hot dogs," and "chicken." All their products have lots of protein, but far fewer calories and less fat than the actual meat they imitate.

Good luck- I strongly urge you to try vegetarianism. It's good for you, animals, and the environment.

Answer 4

I'm NOT a vegetarian but a family friend is and has been for 7 years and she said she has never once craved meat since.

Hope that helps.

Answer 5

well lets see if you feed the animal just fresh veggies then kill it and eat the meats than would you be a second generation veggiyterarian??

Answer 6

I'm in the same boat as you.  First, you should make it clear of your intentions.  tell them that this is serious and not some crazy fad.  In time, they will hopefully understand.

Next is the groceries.  if your family refuses to buy food for you or even cook if you don't eat meat then you're pretty much on your own.  If they agree to buy stuff, getting stuff like Boca Burgers can make it seem less of a hassle and not a totally different diet than what they are eating.

But what you're doing is not an easy task at all.  Just take it one step at a time.  Hopefully your family will understand your intentions.  Good luck!

Answer 7

i LOVED meat before i went veg....i had a serious weakness for bacon.

the biggest recommendation i can give a meat lover who is switching is to give up ALL meat ALL AT ONCE.  if you're a meat lover and try to give it up gradually you're going to psych yourself out....it would go something like this:

"oh my gosh, this is the last ___ i'm ever going to eat!! i love it so much....how am i going to do this?"

if you give it up all at once you won't even remember what you're missing, trust me.  it's like jumping into a pool....you adjust to the water faster if you jump in instead of dipping your toes in.

i would suggest visiting some vegetarian websites for recipes as well as buying some good vegetarian cookbooks.  be prepared to experiment with food...you won't know what to do right away.  it will take some effort to get used to cooking without meat but it is worth it.

if you want to know how to deal with your family, DO YOUR RESEARCH.....that is the best advice i have.  learn everything you can about the nutrition that your body needs, where you can obtain it in a vegetarian diet, and know as much as possible about why you're going veg.  you'll get a lot of questions and if you know what you're talking about when you answer they will be more likely to take you seriously.  

if you don't want them to think it's a "phase", show them you care enough about it to educate yourself.  GOOD LUCK!!

Answer 8

You could substitute some of you meat with vegetarian meat such as veggie burgers, veggie dogs, or meatless meat. You can find them in the vegetarian section of yoyur grocery store.

Answer 9

Research all of the negative aspects of meat.  I think once you understand how much "bad" stuff is in it, it is hard NOT to want to become a vegetarian.

http://www.goveg.com/order.asp

http://www.goveg.com/theissues.asp

***http://www.goveg.com/healthconcerns.asp

http://www.goveg.com/feat/chewonthis/

Answer 10

It's simple: You DON'T become a vegatarian.

Answer 11

Its awesome to be an vegetarian. Get into the habit and try to cook different vegetarian dishes with different spices. You will love it. Try to cook vegetables with the same spices as meat.

Answer 12

Hi cat :) Congrats on becoming a vegetarian!  It's hard becoming a vegetarian so I'm going to try to make it as easy as possible :

When you go from a meat lover to a vegetarian, you need to take breaks.. Eat meat twice a week, or once a week til' you're used to not eating it much. Or start to eliminate types of meat. One week you can eliminate bacon, the next you can eliminate chicken, and so on til you have no more meat.

Think of some reasons why you want to become a vegetarian. Maybe it's for health reasons, or you want to save animals or the environment.

Get some vegetarian cook books or ask for vegetarian recipes so you can try new things or have lots to eat. I will show you some sites that have vegetarian recipes :)

http://www.webvalue.net/recipes/

http://vegweb.com/

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

Check labels for food that may not be "suitable for vegetarians" - some processed foods have hidden animal ingredients such as gelatin, animal fats and rennet. The main ones to check are vegetarian cheeses, yogurts, soups, desserts and some sweets and biscuits.

This site will help you -

http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Vegetari...

Also, if you are still craving meat you can go to a near by supermarket and buy mock meat. It's vegetarian/vegan friendly :) The best ones (in my opinion) are Morning Star products and Yves. The fake meat is usually made out of soy and vegetables.

It's a myth that vegetarians don't get enough protein, but just incase, here is a site full of protein rich foods such as nuts, tofu, and much more

http://smarterfitter.com/blog/2007/10/28...

That's it :)

Good luck!