I want to become a vegetarian, but meat just tastes so good?

Question

I love mexican food (even though I'm white), and I always keep taquitos in the freezer. But, vegetarianism seems so much healthier and cleansing to the body, and I would love to become a vegetarian. What should I do?

Answer 1

First of all, you have to really really want it - it takes discipline and an absolute commitment. For me it's a health issue as well as a moral issue, so i don't ever crave meat.

The good news is: even if you love the taste of meat now, if you really stick with it, in time you will not miss the taste, and will in all liklihood find it disgusting and wonder how you allowed yourself to consume a dead animal's flesh for so long. You will crave other things which you may have to try to acquire a taste for. Mexican foods made with beans instead of meat are much better for you and you can learn to crave that instead. It's the same with things like sugar. Someone addicted to sugar and fast food will crave those things and want them all the time. If that person quit cold turkey and ate healthy foods and low to no sugar -- and it may be hard at first-- eventually your body and mind stop wanting those things and you will fall into this lifestyle of eating foods that can really do something for you. You will want that for yourself when you look better and feel better.

For now i would start slow - don't overwhelm yourself. Substitute meat dishes with beans, veggie burgers, tofu dogs, etc you can find very good ones at trader joe's or whole foods and stop and shop, etc or learn to make your own if you have the time. Find a soy or rice milk you like and stop drinking milk. Non dairy butter can easily be found with all the other butter products, and is better for you and in my opinion tastes great. There are lots of varieties of hummus that is great on sandwiches. There are endless options. Depending on where you live it may be harder to find a good selection, but you would just need to be creative in a situation like that.  You can do it! But it's not just about changing what you eat, it's really a change in lifestyle, so you need to be ready for that. Exercise may help motivate you as well. A good book to read "the hip chick's guide to macrobiotics," and/or "the way we eat: why our food choices matter." Good luck to you!

Answer 2

imagine the actual animals and how they're reared. try and connect this idea with meat in your head. it should help :)

Answer 3

Dont eat meat for the taste because you eat to live not live to eat. Go to your local store and you might find some pretty good mock meats. If you are looking for some good vegetarian taquitos try nates they have both chicken and beef flavor.

Answer 4

Not long ago I started to change my diet as of June 20Th and I loved meat especially pork. I wanted some free stickers from PETA (against animal cruelty organization) in a freebee site and thats all in the mail but I also received a book about the "slaugterhouses" that these chickens,pigs,cows go through and I just had to vomit. I read this book and I went to their website and wanted to see where this info was taken from and who took it etc... I even learned where Tyson gets their chickens and KFC as well and the articles are true and documented. People who worked there; how dirty and gross, contaminated, sicking to the stomach these pictures really are! You have to see this for your self and it will make you decide fast like me. I love being healthy (and don't smoke) and try to keep active and changing my carnivorous ways of eating was the last thing I had to do. We don't know what goes in our bodies when we buy that meat at the grocery store. From that day forward till this day I don't and refuse to eat meat. I pile up more on veggies,drink flavored soy milk,veggie burgers,eat beans,buy soy butter,nuts,breads eat more fruits. The website will help you to find name brands of foods you can eat. You feel and look healthier. Check recipes on the web. I can go on and on but you get the picture. I hope all this was helpful ;)

Answer 5

Only you can decide that.

Answer 6

My mum was on a healthy diet for a while and she didn't eat meat, so instead she used 'Quorn'. It tastes so much like meat, but it is so much better for you, and possibly even healthier.

Answer 7

Ask yourself why you want to is it for the moral issue or the health issue. if its because you no its immoral to kill an innocent animal for food then giving up meat shouldn't be a issue

Answer 8

20 Tips for Becoming a Vegetarian

So, if you’d like to become a vegetarian, without too much trouble, here are my suggestions:

1. Have good reasons. If you just want to become vegetarian for kicks, you probably won’t stick with it for long — not because it’s hard, but because any lifestyle change or habit change requires a little bit of motivation. You need to first think about why you want to become vegetarian, and really believe in it. The rest is easy.

2. Read up. Before starting anything new, I tend to read as much as possible about whatever it is that I’ll be doing. I suggest you do so with vegetarianism. Check out a couple of good books from the library (or better yet, borrow from vegetarian friends). And there are tons and tons of good sites on the Internet. One of my favorites is GoVeg.com.

3. Find good recipes. You don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new cookbooks, although that’s certainly an option. But again, there are many great recipes online. Try GoVeg.com … another favorite of mine is Post Punk Kitchen (also see their forums). In fact, it can all be a little overwhelming … but don’t worry, you don’t need to decide on anything. Just look through the recipes, take note of a few that look really good, and decide to try a few of them. You have the rest of your life to test out other recipes!

4. Try one recipe a week. My suggestion is just to try one new vegetarian recipe a week. If you like it, add it to your collection of staple recipes that you eat on a regular basis. If the recipe isn’t that great, try another next week. Soon, you’ll have a good list of 5-10 great recipes that you love to cook and eat. And really, whether you’re vegetarian or meat eater, that’s probably all you really eat on a regular basis anyway (for dinner, at least). Most people only have 7-10 recipes that they cook regularly. Once you have that many vegetarian recipes, you are good to go.

5. Substitutions. Also try your regular recipes that you love, but instead of using meat, use a meatless substitute. So if you love to eat spaghetti or chili, for example, substitute a ground-beef alternative from Bocca or Morning Star and just cook it the way you normally would. There are alternatives for just about any kind of meat, and some of them are quite good. You can go on eating what you normally eat, but meatless.

6. Start with red meat. I suggest a gradual transition into vegetarianism … although you can do it all at once, I’ve found that for many people, a gradual transition works better. There’s no need to give up all meat at once. Try a few new recipes, maybe eat one vegetarian meal for the first week, two for the second, and so on. If you do this, start with red meat, as it is typically the least healthy.

7. Then the other meats. After a couple of weeks of going without red meat, try cutting out pork for a couple of weeks. Then cut out chicken, the seafood. With this two-week approach (and you can even make it 3 weeks or a month for each stage if you want to go more slowly), you’ll hardly notice the difference. I’ve found that I don’t crave meats anymore, although I did for about a week.

8. Consider dairy & eggs. Vegetarians vary widely on this, so there’s no mandate to give up dairy or eggs if you’re giving up meat. Do what feels right for you. But if you go meatless for awhile, and want to try to go a little further (in terms of health, the environment, and helping animal suffering), consider these foods. For one thing, they are often high in saturated fat, especially compared to soy alternatives. It was easy for me to give up eggs, as I’ve never been a huge fan, but transitioning to soy milk took a few days to get used to … although I can’t stand the taste of milk now. :)

9. Think about your staples. A useful exercise is to make a list of foods you regularly eat, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. Not meals, but ingredients. And then think about vegetarian alternatives, and make a new list. For example, instead of eating chicken in a stir-fry dish, you might try tofu. With a new list of staples, you should have no trouble stocking your fridge and pantry.

10. All in one go. Some people prefer to give up meat all at once. While this takes a little more determination than the gradual solution I advocate, it’s not that hard, really. Just prepare yourself by taking some of the steps above (finding recipes, substitutes, a new list of staples, and reading as much as possible), and then give it a shot. It should only take a few days to get used to it, and then you’ll have very little trouble after that. The only issues you’ll have to work out, once you’re used to going without meat, are things like eating out, eating at others’ houses, and other similar issues. Read on for more on these.

11. Adequate protein. One myth about vegetarianism is that you don’t get enough protein. Actually, meat eaters usually take in way more protein than they need. Protein requirements for the average adult are lower than people think. If you eat a varied diet (not just junk food, for example) that includes vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, soy protein and the like, you will be fine. It would hard to create an eating plan where you’re getting inadequate protein (the junk food example would be one). Another myth is that you need to eat different types of protein within a single meal (or even a single day) to get complete protein from plants … actually, as long as you eat varied proteins (such as those listed above) over a few days, you’ll be fine. And soy protein is a complete protein, just like meat.

12. Junk food. Again, you can be a vegetarian and be very unhealthy, if you eat junk food. Being a vegetarian is not a license to eat junk food (although you can probably indulge yourself a little more often now that you’re not eating meat). Try to stick with fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, soy protein, low-fat dairy and other nutritious foods for the most part.

13. Ethnic food. One of the great things about becoming a vegetarian is that it often spurs people to try new and interesting ethnic foods (or reminds them of foods they love but don’t eat much). Great vegetarian dishes can be found all over the world, from Italian pasta to many Indian dishes to spicy Thai food to Chinese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Mexican, South American and more. It can be interesting to do a series of theme weeks, trying vegetarian dishes from a certain country for one week, and then moving around the world and sampling other great ethnic foods.

14. Tell friends & family. If you’re really going to become a vegetarian, you’ll have to talk to the people you know and love about it. You’ll still be dining with them, at restaurants, at their homes, at social gatherings, at work, and so it’ll be better for everyone involved if they know what you’re doing (they might prepare a vegetarian dish for you, or you might bring one for them to try), and if they know the reasons why. Some people might have a hard time with it. Just try to explain it to them, without getting defensive or argumentative, and ask them to be understanding (and maybe to give some of your food a try). Don’t try to force vegetarianism on anyone, or sound preachy, but do give them more information if they’re interested.

15. Have fun. Most of all, don’t make becoming a vegetarian be a restrictive, grueling ordeal. If you feel like you’re depriving yourself, you won’t last long. But if you feel like you’re doing something good, and trying out some great-tasting food, you’ll stick with it for much longer (for life, I hope). Have a great time along the way.

16. Plan ahead. Often what gets in the way of new vegetarians is that they go somewhere, and don’t think of what they might have to eat. Going to a party or a dinner can be much better if you prepare a great dish and bring it along (let the host know about it first). An errands trip doesn’t have to result in you going to McDonalds, starving, if you pack a lunch or bring some snacks.

17. Cook ahead. Another problem is when we don’t have any vegetarian food ready to eat, and so we resort to whatever is easiest (if we don’t feel like eating or are too hungry to wait). Instead, you could cook a big pot of vegetarian chili or soup or something, and have it in the fridge for when you’re hungry and don’t have time to cook.

18. Vegetarian snacks. I love to eat fruits and cut-up veggies, but there are lots of other great snacks you can eat. Roasted (or raw) almonds, hummus and pitas or veggies, blue corn chips and salsa, low-fat granola, berries with soy yogurt, whole-grain cereals, Kashi crackers … dozens and dozens of snacks, actually, if you take a look around. Have plenty on hand, at home, at work, and on the road.

19. Vegetarian restaurants.  you might live in an area with dozens of great vegetarian restaurants. Give them a try! You might discover some wonderful food, and thank your lucky stars you decided to give vegetarianism a try. Otherwise, most restaurants will have some vegetarian options, or can cook you a vegetarian dish on request.

20. Vegetarian convenience foods. In your supermarket’s frozen section, you’ll probably find a lot of vegetarian foods that can be microwaved. You might give some of these a try (I love the Amy’s brand). Beware that, like most convenience foods, these are more expensive than home-cooked stuff, and most likely not as healthy. But you can find some fairly healthy foods there too. At any rate, it’s always good to have a couple of convenience foods in the freezer, just in case.

Answer 9

Being a vegetarian has its benefits, but it also comes with a checklist of things you need to be taking to supplement what your body is no longer recieving through your foods. For example, if you discontinue eating meat, there is a vitamin that you need to take to supplement your body with the specific nutrients that comes from meat itself.  Personally becoming a vegetarian wasnt for me. I tried it and I've never been weaker. However in order to have that healthy balance, I eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and I still have meats but its not everynight and I dont eat the Red meats often. Chicken and Fish has become a standard meat I eat but sometimes you just want that hamburger. everyone has their own preferences on foods and what sort of diet they stick to, but remember that our bodies are built to eat meat simply because from the caveman era, thats what we lived mostly off of. Its natural to crave meat. Its up to you on if you choose to eat it or not. I would recommend though having a healthy balance.

Best of Luck!

Answer 10

I absolutely LOVE mexican food and I'm a vegetarian! There are so many things you can put in a taco or burrito that isn't meat. I go to this place called Moe's all the time and I love it because they have a lot of vegetarian choices. You can put cheese, beans, lettuce, tomato, peppers, potatos, corn, sour cream, salsa and more. This is making me hungry now. There is also such thing as a vegetarian taquito. Here is what is in it and how you make it:

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipe...

Good luck and trust me, it's not as hard as you think!

Answer 11

watch the movie "Earthlings" and you will start to associate meat with the animal and not want to support the industry no matter how good it might taste.

It's hard at first b/c you crave meat, but after a couple months it will pass. Just keep reminding yourself why you are doing this and that should be enough motivation. It takes a lot of self discipline, but in the end it is 100% worth it.

See link below for part one of the movie.

[edit]

also, mexican food is fine if you skip the meat. Also remember to ask if they cook with lard in the beans or chicken stock in the rice. People are usually very friendly with this.

ANNNND there is hope for your taquitos! There are veggie taquitos with fake chicken / beef that taist AMAZING. The manufacturer is "StarLite". See 2nd link below.

Best of luck!

Answer 12

Try eating veggie burgers

Answer 13

try morning star products

Answer 14

try the soy "meats"

you can take almost any meal your used to eating and replace the meat in it wtih the soy versions.

i make tacos and burritos using the soy ground meat.

i add it to pasta sauce for "meat" sauce.

i make hot dogs and burgers.

i make chicken parm using soy chicken patties.

of course this is a good transition to going veg. but also start experimenting. you'll find a lot of new ideas and new things you like once you open your eyes to it.

Answer 15

I'm here to help, but I can't see you converting for long with that attitude.

Try to understand, vegetarianism is about doing what you believe is the right thing to do morally

It's NOT about doing whatever you like.

You will grow to love different types of food, trust me.

Best of Luck ;)

Answer 16

You can make any food vegetarian.  We eat tacos and all that too...Just use boca or light life ground...

Tastes good vs. ethics...Ethics wins for me.  www.meat.org

Answer 17

try using substitutes in your taquitos.......morningstar farms makes vegetarian "ground beef" crumbles that you can season and add to your mexican food.  my husband is a meat-eater and even he loves them! we use it is tacos, on nachos, and all kinds of mexican foods.  you won't even miss the meat!  it's also much lower in calories than ground beef.....

Answer 18

Just try to eat less meat.

I have the same problem. I love animals and feel sick eating them, but steak is tooo good!

I used to get it every time I went to Kodiak Jacks for dinner, but now i get something else, without meat. I only get the steak once in a while now, and I'm working twords not getting it at all soon.

Answer 19

Don't give it up if you don't want to, just eat less of it.  This is going to get some giggles, but Know your meat.  Find out where it comes from, how is it treated in life, is it kept in cages or allowed to roam?  Is it organic?  Are hormones and antibiotics used?  Is it fed clean food free from pesticides and other animal by products?  Talk to the farmer himself.  Look at his farm, check conditions.  If you don't see anything you could object to, then buy.  There may be other considerations I didn't mention that someone else might think of.  It is good to have a conscience, it helps you make good decisions when you listen to it.  Good luck.