How to get over meat cravings?

Question

I've been a vegetarian for a week now and the cravings are unbearable.

Answer 1

i've been a vegetarian for 6 years & i totally get where you're coming from.  theres a ton of non meat products that resemble the taste & texture of ground meat, deli meat, sausage, burgers, everything.  boca & morningstar farms are really good.  a lot of grocery stores now have vegetarian or organic sections that have a lot of this stuff. markets like the mustard seed market have a ton of these products. & health food stores as well.  i've made some homemade "burgers" from cookbooks that taste just like real meat...a lot of cookbooks' recipes are right on with the taste.

as for alternate ways to beat the craving other than finding similar foods, think of an actual whole, live animal sitting on a plate and just imagine eating it that way.  thats disgusting enough to not want to eat it anymore

Answer 2

Boca burgers, quorn, morningstar farms crumbles

Answer 3

bocca burgers are amazing!

Answer 4

There is a really good frozen product called "Vegan Riblet."  It's a soy based thing with lots of bbq sauce. I think it's made by Gardenburger--I get it at Trader Joe's.  It's really good.  Also, tofu dogs are great, or fill up on refried beans/mexican food.  I really like "Amy's" brand refried beans with grean chiles.

Answer 5

Morning Star Farms makes some of the BEST meat substitutes in the world. I took a piece of their beef patty and a real patty and asked my uncle to try both and tell the difference between them. He couldn't! They provide anything from bacon to sausages to chicken nuggets. They also provide things that aren't meat related like broccoli & cheddar bites and teriyaki bites. Watch some of PETA videos because they can convert a butcher. Anyway good luck and don't give up! Your doing something good for the environment, your wallet, and most importantly you.

Answer 6

I've been a vegetarian for 10yrs and I started off with mock meat to overcome craving for real meat. Try not to let your stomach go empty coz u are more vulnerable when u are hungry. You must cut down on mock meat when u have no more craving. I used to love deep fried food like chicken wings, but I substitute it with fried wanton, french fries, popiah etc...it really works!

Answer 7

I have been a vegetarian for 24 yrs and am in very good shape, but it takes work.  A lot of people who become vegetarian think they can just cut out meat, but they really need to replace it.  Your body is probably craving protien.  I am one of few vegetarians who hate tofu.  But try it at a chinese restaurant where they deepfry it.  Yummy...   Or, even though it sounds gross, by silken brand soft tofu and put it in the blender with lots of strawberries and some sugar to make a smoothie.  Its delicious.  If you cant choke down either of those, try veggie patties.  Boca burgers black bean burgers are delicious.  Or make homemade chilie with tomatos, beans, and Veggie crumbles.  The frozen section of most grocery stores have lots of healthy vegetarian options.  Just remember you need plenty of protien every day.

Answer 8

hrmm i'm sorry but it's thats gotta be tough question

Answer 9

There are lots of analogues out there--Gardenburger, Amy's burgers, veggie deli slices, veggie dogs, veggie crumbles.  If you want to start making tofu, I have tips in my profile.  I also make my own seitan (wheat meat), which is an excellent substitute and a good source of protein.  You can use seitan in almost any recipe calling for meat.  If you simmer it in small "chops" or chunks, you get an almost juicy texture when you cook it.

I'm a bad girl in that I like my analogues after being vegan for six years.  Oh, well.

Answer 10

I work in a veggie vegan bar and I've noticed that the most popular sandwiches are all "meat - like" items like a french dip, rueben, or bbq pork sandwich.  I'm not sure where you're from but there are several protien substitutes that taste awesome (this coming from a non vegitarian.)  

Field roast (in Seattle) takes the place of most red meats, and asian "lucky" ham works for chicken and pork.  

Hope that helps!