I am thinking about becoming a vegitarian, what could I eat. It seems like I wouldnt have many choices.?

Question

Can anyone tell me what you get if you have to eat fast food. Do you cook daily? Eat a lot of fruits? Do you feel weak after working out?

Answer 1

As for what to eat at fast food restaurants (even though they should be avoided all together): http://www.vegcooking.com/diningOut.asp

I do cook daily and I happen to be an excellent cook. I even have several people, who aren't veg, who LOVE my food. There are lots of veg cookbooks and websites to help with the transition.Try a book called "Skinny B**ch". Don't be fooled by the title, it has a serious overload of helpful info when it comes to the questions you are asking.

I do eat tons of fruit, but it's not because I'm veg. It's for their cleansing properties; fruit is loaded with antioxidants.

You ask about working out... I do yoga religiously, walk/jog 5 miles each morning, and weight train at least 3 times a week. You have to learn to find your proteins in beans and nuts.

Check out this link for a FREE vegetarian starter kit:

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

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Do not eat fast food; whether you are vegetarian or not.

Being vegetarian means you will be exposed to a wider variety of foods, contrary to what a lot of people think.  As if beef, chicken and pork are really varied and exciting foods!

If you need to eat out, Thai and Indian have a lot of interesting vegetarian options.  You can usually substitute tofu in any of the Thai dishes that are regularly made with chicken.

Cooking can be interesting and a lot of fun.  I wouldn't recommend tofu to try to prepare; it is pretty boring and tasteless and you wouldn't like it.  Try using Tempeh or Seitan to replace chicken or meat in most foods.  Tempeh and Seitan are both pre-cooked and sold ready to eat.  You can put them in stir-fry, pasta sauce, rollup sandwiches, salads, etc.  Tempeh can be sliced and makes a good substitute on BLT sandwiches.

The idea that you would feel weak after working out is ridiculous.  There is no reason for that.  There is actually more protein, fiber, and complex carbs in most vegetarian meals than in a hamburger or bucket of chicken.

Answer 3

There is a lot of choice for food if you're a vegetarian, for example: rices, currys, vegetarian pizza, noodles, spaghetti etc...

And if you are missing meat, I suggest you eat Quorn branded meat, which is vegetarian, but just flavoured like meat. Make sure its got the V sign on, though!

Answer 4

try morningstar brand,they make a lot of good veggie food from veggie bites to ckicken and beef,groound beef.but is not real meat,thats the best part of all

Answer 5

yay!  i've been a vegetarian for over 3 years now and i can tell you it only gets easier!

though, fast food isn't that great for you no matter what, sometimes you just don't have a choice!  most fast food places have salads and burger king even has a veggie burger.  wendy's has baked potatoes and salads, etc.  the only place i have a problem with is mcdonald's because i don't like their salads and their french fries are made in the same grease they use to make chicken nuggets, so the only thing i can get there is the fruit and walnut salad or fruit and yogurt parfait... not too many choices there.  taco bell is my favorite, though, there's so much to eat there. i've ordered just about everything with "beans instead of meat" and it always fills me up.  most restaurants have vegetarian options too.  anything that has a lot of ingredients in it, like a special sandwich or something, can be made without meat and be really good.

i usually cook at least one meal daily, unless i'm out and about, then i just get something fast food.  try morningstar farms products and boca burgers.  they have faux lunch meats, meat balls, ribs, chicken patties, pepperoni, etc.  you can basically eat what you usually do, just substitute one of the many vegetarian products for what you'd usually eat and you're good to go.  most of those products have way less fat than meat and have the nutrients you need.  go here: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes and you can find tons of quick and easy yummy recipes.  

i stopped eating meat kind of abruptly and didn't really think about it much, but i felt SO much better after i quit, i never even wanted to go back.  my metabolism sped up and the rest of my body felt so much better.  i have more energy now, i think, than when i ate meat.  i have more room for the good stuff my body needs now.  def. not weak after working out.  not at all.

i do eat alot of fruits and vegetables.  the biggest thing you have to worry about is getting enough calcium, vitamins d and b12, and protein.   i drink alot of soy milk and eat alot of different greens and don't have a problem, so if you balance your meals, you're good to go.

congrats on thinking about becoming vegetarian!!! it's so much better! i feel better all around and will never go back to eating meat.  

hope i could help and good luck!!!

Answer 6

There's tons of variety as a vegetarian.  Any dish conceivable can be made meatless, either by using a meat substitute or just by leaving it out.  There are millions of vegetarian recipes online, hundreds of good vegetarian cookbooks, and lots of prepared vegetarian foods available in most grocery stores.  I'm vegan, so I don't eat dairy, eggs or honey either and I find endless variety in my diet.

I avoid fast food because it's garbage, but there are some reliable bets for vegetarians if you're on the road or something.  Subway is a good bet because they have a variety of veggies and some have a veggie patty you can add in addition to veggies, cheese and dressings.  Taco Bell's beans are made with vegetable shortening and their cheese is rennetless, so a Taco Bell bean burrito is suitable, as are any menu items without meat.  Burger King has a veggie burger, which I've heard mixed reviews about (I've never tried it because it's not vegan.)

I do cook almost daily.  But I base my diet heavily on whole foods and use very little prepared foods, so that's a choice I've made and I love to cook.  I also plan ahead and make larger batches of freezable dishes so that I have something good to eat when time is constrained.

Google the vegetarian food pyramid for your other questions.  Everyone should be eating 5-9 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, regardless of whether they are vegetarian or not.  Some people eat lots of fruit and some don't.  It's not like a requirement or anything.

And, no, there's no reason why you should feel weak after working out.  A properly planned vegetarian diet includes all your necessary nutrients and supports an active lifestyle.  There are vegans and vegetarians excelling at the highest levels of sport, including Olympic gold medalists and Ironman triathlon champions.

Answer 7

Here are some choices for breakfast:

2 gluten-free waffles

2 Tbs. all-fruit jam

2 oz. soy sausage

or

2/3 cup cooked steel-cut oats

1/2 cup blueberries

1 Tbs. almonds

or

1 cup soy yogurt

3/4 cup sliced peaches

3/4 cup rice cereal

So, plenty to pick from.

Answer 8

ive never had meat, i guess it just became a life choice for my parents so we never cooked it or bought it, but i am still allowed to if i want but i juts cant bring myself up to it anymore lol

anyway, fast food is usually fries, coke, and nowdays LOADS of places have vegetarian options or substituions. like burgerking has has a vergetarian combo, think its number seven. u can also buy veggie dogs (hot dogs), and veggie burgers i suggest Yves Veggie cusiene (they taste AWESOME and meat eaters cant tell the difference. I have also had substitute chicken nuggets, and loads of other stuff.

if u went to a local grocery store, u could probably find lots of options.

since all of the items i listed above would fall under the "alternatives" part of meat and alternatives, u should still be well rounded in the food groups, but i suggest talking to ur doc. about a supplement and eating LOTS of beans, and nuts and stuff

hope i helped <3

its not that hard once u get used to it  

Answer 9

I have been a vegetarian (not vegan) since I was 8.  Lately there are a lot more choices for vegetarians compared with past years.  Many restaurants offer multiple choices for vegetarians and many even have a whole section devoted to it.  

Also, many restaurants will cater to you and serve the meal without meat.

If you are going out to eat and you are unsure of what they offer, look them up online for a menu or call them to ask what they may have.

I do eat fruits and veggies but I am not limited to just that.  Pastas(vegetarian lasagna, pasta alfredo, etc), Pizza (veggie pizza), Salad...there are many more, you just need to look!

I dont feel any more weak than the normal person after working out.  Although, I do try to take my vitamins daily so I am not malnourished.  Get a good multivitamin and you should be good!

Answer 10

Becoming a vegetarian isn't actually as hard as you think it will be. There are so many things that you can eat instead of meat but I suggest that you eat from Quorn as they have lots of dishes with meat in them but vegetarian. Also, you will still get plenty nutrients. And being a vegetarian means that you can sill have things like chocolate and crisps but you should always look at the back just in case (look for a tick by the Vegetarian Society). And you can still eat out as nowadays, most restaurants have a vegetarian alternative (even KFC Canada have a new vegetarian burger!). Hope this helps x*x

PS Visit www.goveg.com for vegetarian food recipes and to order a free vegetarian starter kit! ;)

PSS And no, i do not feel weak after exercise. In fact, since I have became a vegetarian a couple years ago, I can breathe easier and my skin is softer ;O

Answer 11

You don't "have" to eat fast food.  But if you feel you must, check out the Vegetarian Resource Group (www.vrg.org) webpage for information.

I disagree that you shouldn't cook tofu.  It takes practice, but you will eventually get good at it.  Check my profiles for tips on avoiding mushy tofu.

What can you eat?  Anything that isn't meat, gelatin, or rennet.

I do eat some convenience foods--prepackaged mock meats--but I do try to cook two or three times a week.

Answer 12

fast food sucks whether you are veg or not.... if i have to for some reason i get a veggie burger at the places that offer them or a salad or something, but i wouldnt' want to eat there even if i ate mea.t..

when i go out to eat... most places have at least a couple options... veggie burgers, pasta dishes, sandwiches, or at the very least soup and salad... depends on the ethnicity... some restaurants naturally have more veggie foods than others... i'm not a fan of steak houses but if i have to go, even there i can get a meal....

i cook a lot... but it's not always super elaborate :)  the soy meats are good becuase you can just replace them for meat in whatever you made before....

i like to make veggie chili (couple types of beans, soy ground meat, veggies, chili seasoning...), pasta salad (pasta, veggies, beans, italian dressing), veggie burger and sweet potato fries, soy ribs with potatos and veggies..... for breakfast i love the soy sausage patties with cheese on a whole wheat bagel... the other night i made pasta in alfredo sauce with quorn brand soy chicken and morningstar farms brand soy bacon and various veggies and it was SOOO good... experiment.... tofu is good to stir fry with veggies... sometimes i stir fry the soy steak strips with broccoli in teriyaki sauce and have some dumplings with it .... oh mexican is good too... i like to make burritos and tacos with the soy ground meat and it tastes great!

there's lots you can do... just be open minded and started looking for new stuff and different things...

i probably should eat more fruit :x  i stock up on frozen veggies a lot for when i don't get fresh stuff.

those rare occasions i work out? :P  no... i get more than enough protein in my diet... peanut butter on wheat bread and an apple is my fave after work out snack.

Answer 13

to Euro_son:

I eat chicken, beef & pork, but I've been exposed to a variety of foods you can't imagine.  Being non-vegetarian also does not mean your limited to just eating meat.  People who eat meat are omnivores, not carnivores.

Answer 14

WHAT?! Not a lot of choices?

You seriously have TONS of chioces.

I cook most nights. Tonight Im cooking black bean burritos.

Meat is not everything. And almost all meals can be adaptedd to a vegetarian lifestyle.

Ok, this is most likely what I will eat today.

breakfast: cereal and vanilla soymilk, grapefruit juice, fresh pear

lunch: hummus on toast, cheese on tricuits.

snack: maybe some craisins... not sure about this yet...

dinner: black bean burritos!!!

The only fast food place I really go is Subway and I get the veggie patty. Its delicious. Ive heard that at Taco Bell you can sub beans for meat and make anything there vegetarian. I also know to burger king, they have veggie pattys.

As for feeling weak- I never feel weak. In fact I have MORE energy now than I did when I ate meat.