I need help on becoming a vegetarian?

Question

Ive been trying to become a vegetarian for a while now.

Ive never been too big on meat, and Ive only ever eaten it because the needed nuntriants it provides. I need some ideas for easy alternatives that will keep me meat free and healthy at the same time. I also dont eat fish though so thats not exactly an option.

Also, I know nothing about fiber, irons and all those fancy health terms. so please try to keep it simple for me :)

oh and im young, I live at home. I eat what is given to me at dinner. So I cant exactly prepare a entirerly different complicated meal for myself every night. I just need some healthy alternates.

any ideas or general advise would be great :)

Answer 1

There is a good book called The New Becoming Vegetarian by Vesanto Melina that has a lot of good nutrition info.  There is also a "For Dummies" book for it.

These books are a little strident for my tastes, but the books Skinny B**ch and Skinny B**ch in the Kitch have some good info.

Answer 2

my friend whos young too just became a vegetarian a while ago! so shes a good example um... for dinner just have pastas and salad, theres likely to be something on your table with no meat. also they have frozen dinners and pre made stuff thats vegetarian thats really good! just stay strong and it might not be a bad idea to take protein shakes and some iron because ur gonna loose it due to not eating the meat and fish!:) hope i helped

Answer 3

I first became a vegetarian when I was 11 years old after seeing a horrifying commercial. At first my parents thought it was ridiculous. But after talking to my mother about it, and her seeing how strongly I felt, she supported me completely. She would make "regular" dinner for the rest of the family and always prepare a veggie version for me. This was going back in the days before things like tempeh and seitan were available here. My best advice is talk to your parents and have them help as much as possible. My mom bought a few cookbooks to help her understand and she did wonders.

That's really the most you can do if you won't cook for yourself. You didn't mention how young you are, but my guess is you are old enough to reach the kitchen counter. Perhaps suggests to help your parent prepare the meal, making your own veggie version. There are many great websites and books out there to help get you started.

I would not suggest just eating salad and pasta all the time because that is not at all healthy. Especially if you are still growing you need to be getting adequate nutrition. This books and sites can help you and your parent figure out what ot replace to keep in your terms but keep you healthy as well.

Good luck.

Answer 4

yay!

im a vegetarian so ill try & help :)

what i do is i buy this simulated ground beef.it looks like real meeat but its tofu.

it comes in different flavours and you can cook it into things or eat it by itself.

if your family has something with ground beef,you could just ask whoever is making it to substitute the meat for the tofu.

it would most likeley taste the same anyways.

for fibre..id say to have some toast in the morning for breakfast with peanutbutter,it has alot of protein[unless you alergic]

altough you mentioned you cant have a totally diffrerent meal,my mom doesnt mind making 2 different meals for our family.

as long as you are serious about becoming a vegetarian than your parents shouldnt mind either :)

hope that helped on some level...

Answer 5

Pasta is amazing. It's really simple and a full meal and a good break from veggies! When you have dinner with your family it's really easy to just make a salad. Peanut butter has lots of the protein your missing from meat, and you can put it on bread, crackers, veggies, potato chips, a spoon: pretty much everything. Go to the grocery store and wander the aisles and things will just  pop out at you! Oh! and the fake meat is really good, (it takes some experimenting for good brands) and it's easy to substitute so isn't a big deal for your family, just pop it in the micorwave and your ready to go! Taco's are great with the fake meat!