I Want to go Vegi... but i don't know what type of food to eat what do i do?

Question

Should i ?? But if i do what food do i eat to get all the things i need.... HELP!

Answer 1

Being veggie means that you do not eat meat or any animal products. How far you go with this is debatable- most veggies are happy to eat eggs provided they are free-range (ie avoiding things like mayonnaise or other egg-based products unless the eggs are free-range) and most veggies eat cheese (vegetarian) and drink milk. Some veggies won't check that cheese/wine etc is veggie because their concern, full-stop, is that nothing has died for their plate. You need to look out for gelatine which is a setting agent most commonly used to set jellies/sweets but actually used in a lot more than that. Again, as this is a by-product rather than what the animal was killed for some veggies are happy to eat gelatine. Leather too is something you need to decide on- it's not a byproduct despite the urban myth so do you want to wear it or not?

In terms of what you do eat- eggs/cheese/nuts/legumes (ie beans and pulses)/tofu/tvp/quorn are all perfectly healthy "meat substitutes" but obviously if you load up on one thing then you're not going to be eating a healthy diet anyway. The best thing to do if you're new to veggie eating is to get yourself a decent veggie recipe book and go from there. The Vegetarian Society's website has masses of info and recommendations for books. It's a really cheap way to eat too. Have a look round the recipes on there and decide for yourself what you might want to eat and the types of dishes that suit you. I've been veggie for 15 years (there's no way on earth I'm going back either) and I find that "one pot" dishes like stir-fries, risottos and pilaffs suit me best because a) I'm too lazy to wash up 50 pots and b) I like that kind of casual one pot- one bowl food. I also find that curries/stews/tagines are better than "Western" potato/veg/main item type meals.

You might want to make a decision about fish. Some veggies do eat fish sometimes which strictly speaking is a meat, but I know from personal experience that sometimes it's the lesser of two evils. I suppose the reasoning on its crudest level is that a fish is taken out of water and dies, rather than being put through some horrendous transportation/stunning/murder procedure like cows, pigs, chickens etc are exposed to. Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) has the best terminology for this I've heard- he called himself in one interview a vegequarian, which as well as being a fantastic portmanteau is a brilliant term for someone who eats fish but considers themselves largely vegetarian. As far as I know (but I may be wrong), he eats fish that hasn't been farmed and I find that perfectly reasonable. My main reason for being veggie is that the way meat is intensively farmed is either unregulated or regulated in a slap-dash way resulting in unnecessary suffering on the part of the animal; that veg are far more ecological sound in terms of production; that a diet based on veg/legumes/grain is healthier than a diet based on (potentially largely) low quality meat and also that I just don't think something should have to die for my plate. Having said that, if at some mythical point in the future all meat IS humanely raised and killed then I concede that my arguments would not necessarily stand up and also that I would feel myself that I no longer had as strong a reason as  previously for not eating meat.

Despite rumours you may have heard about veggies being weak, anaemic, and generally sickly, I and other veggies I know do not find this to be the case at all. In addition, a massive portion of the world are habitually vegetarian for reasons such as religious beliefs. I have been anaemic in the past and I admit I am prone to it but I'm a female with endometriosis (i.e as a result of which I have really heavy periods) and I refuse to take a multi-vitamin on general principle because I believe a veggie diet to be not deficient in any way, but some people do find iron and b12 to be difficult to obtain. There are plenty of ways to get this though- commercial breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals; eggs/legumes are a source of iron and you only need to look at nutritional info for everything else I've mentioned to see that it's not hard to get what you need. When I look back at times I've been anaemic and times when I haven't, I've can see where I've neglected my diet. Whether you eat meat or not that's something we're all personally responsible for.

I suppose my quick answer to your question would be to ensure you maintain a varied diet- i.e kept all your food groups (fats/proteins etc) up because then you can be fairly sure that you are getting what you need. Really though, the important thing is to listen to your body- it will tell you if there are things you need. I'd also add that being vegetarian is not as "out there" as people seem to think. I feel far better being veggie than I would being full of meat, the idea of which after 15 years makes me want to puke. Give it a go- you'll soon find out that it's a great way to eat and something to be proud of.

Answer 2

Hello,

Giving up meat is a wonderful thing to do as long as you do it in a healthy way and go veg for the right reasons. A lot of people give up meat and just eat junk!

I'd suggest taking a multi-vit just incase, however, if you are eating a variety of foods you will not need one. If you are giving up dairy then def take a calcium supplement.

Main nutrients from meat: protein, iron, b12, and zinc.



Vegetarian high protein foods include: beans, soy, tempah, seitan, nuts, peanut butter, tofu, veggie burgers, and seeds. (eggs and dairy products if you aren't vegan) Make sure you include 2-3 servings a day of one or more high protein foods/day.

*vegetables and grains also have a little bit of protein in them.

A great source of b12 is dairy, eggs, and nutritional yeast (not brewers yeast that you use in breads).

iron and zinc is found in dried fruits, nuts, seeds, cereal, breads, and vegetables.

For more info check out: http://www.vegnutrition.com/nutrition/in...

Answer 3

Lentils, Tofu, Lentil Burgers, Tofu Burgers, Vegetarian indian curries, Vegetarian thai curries, Vegetarian spring rolls, Vegetable soups, Chargrilled Veggies, Salad sandwiches, Grilled Cheese, Felafel wraps, Cous Cous, Potato Salads, Baked Vegetables, Hommus dip, Vegetarian Nachos, Vegetarian burritos and tacos, chips and salsa.. some of many

Answer 4

u should deff go vegg

it hard at first but gets easier

u should try boca veggie burgers

just make sure u eat lots of fruits and veggies

good luck   :)

Answer 5

First of all that question gets asked several times each day and the answers to it are archived. Each time it was asked there was a Best Answer too. So you might want to see what other people have had to say in addition to the answers you receive here.

You need to make sure that you are getting the protein and complex carbohydrates you need. You need beans, legumes, whole grain brown rice, quinoa, you need tofu and tempeh and you need to be sure that you eat widely of the fruits and vegetables available in season. The CDC says a minimum of 5 a day. You also need to be sure that your food is both organic and not genetically modified (No GMO).

There are convenience foods available in the Health Food Stores and places like Whole Foods and Trader Joes as well as in the Supermarkets to a lesser extent; things like Soy based Hot Dogs, Soy Based Breakfast Sausage, Tofurky makes an Italian Sausage and a Bratwurst and  there are many other new products that are vegetarian and plant based on the market all the time. Since you may not know how to prepare these foods please go to

http://www.your-vegetarian-kitchen.com/h...

for excellent recipes and important information of how to make this shift away from flesh foods to a plant based diet in a healthy way.

Good Luck

Answer 6

I lived with a vegetarian. Two things. READ READ READ about going vegetarian. Make sure it is for the right reasons. Second, do you have a Whole Foods Store near you? That is a great place to start out getting better quality vegetables and fruits. One other thing. Google all you can about being a vegetarian. Good luck.