New Vegetarian.....?

Question

ok so I have decided im gonna be a vegetarian and i need some suggestions for foods that can give me the nutrients you get from meat but doesnt have meat in it.. hope that made since it was hard to get on paper hahh! welll thanks before hand!!

Answer 1

First of all, congrats for making the leap! It's a difficult choice, but an even more difficult lifestyle to stick to.

Now, many people will tell you that you can't get balanced nutrition from fruits and veggies alone, but they are mistaken. Being a good vegetarian actually teaches you a lot about your body, and what sort of diet you should be eating. Obviously, not all vegetarians follow an appropriate diet (on my first go-round i lived off of sprite remix and skittles), but those that do are much healthier and happier than the average animal eater.

The biggest issue is protein. I'm sure you'll get enough carbs and fat from things you normally eat, but your source of protein is being replaced. Things like quinoa, tofu, tempeh, beans, chickpeas, etc are excellent sources of protein (and MUCH healthier than meat alternatives). Once you learn the basic properties of these foods, it will get easier to cook them and they won't seem so scary. I know many people joke about tofu, but when prepared correctly it is delicious!

if you're into pre-prepared meals, Amy's makes excellent TV dinners, and most are vegetarian-friendly. Morning star farms also makes vegetarian things like breakfast scrambles, burgers, etc. Boca makes burgers, and they're decent. I like them better than morning star's.

As far as fast food goes, burger king also has a veggie burger, and most sandwich shops like subway and quiznos have veggie subs that i really enjoy.

I would suggest picking up a couple of vegetarian cookbooks, either from the library or a book store.

One thing to be careful about is soups. Many are made with beef or chicken stock, which is NOT vegetarian. If you get into a consistently vegetarian diet, and accidentally eat something with meat in it (like soup made with chicken stock), your stomach will protest. The enzymes used to digest meat deplete over time with disuse, but they never completely go away. Because your body doesn't have adequate digestive enzymes to break down the meat, you will have an upset stomach until your body adjusts (which takes a few weeks).

Whew, that's a lot of info.

Good luck on your foray into vegetarianism, and try to stick with it! Your body (and the animals) will thank you!

Answer 2

And take a multi vitamin and calcium supplement.

Don't be afraid to experiment with your own home cooking, much more healthy then store bought chemicals.  It is good to know what is in what your eating,     your body is yours.

Answer 3

First of all, I just became a vegetarian about a month ago and was asking similar questions.

What I've learned through becoming a vegetarian is that it isn't about what kinds of food to purchase, overly, it's more about learning new recipes and getting out of old habits.

I suggest that you find new recipes from Yahoo Answers and buy lots of vegetables, pasta, beans, chick peas, lentils, brown rice, whole wheat breads, etc.

Enjoy!

Answer 4

you should really check out some vegetarian sites and go get some vegetarian books

veggielinks.com

alllveggielinks.com

goveg.com

vegweb.com

veggieconnection.com

vegconnect.com

ecomall.com

as well as you should talk to some people who are vegetarian or try meeting people who are vegetarian so they can help you with the transition

do your reseach as to why your becoming vegetarian so that you are more motivated and determined to stick with it

congratulations and good luck

Answer 5

beans

nuts

tofu

temph

seiten

veggies

fruits

Answer 6

vitamin b12 is in milk and eggs.

Answer 7

egg beaters (iron, calcium)

spinach

swiss chard

brocoli rabe

oatmeal

raisins

brown rice

whole grains

although people will say soy, you should watch it because it messes with your estrogen and your thyroid... watch your B vitamins and iron, mostly... supplementing is a good idea, also nuts (almonds are good) enjoy!

Answer 8

tofu, soy... try veggie burgers made by either morning star or bocca, both are good. also, if you like lasagna, instead of making it with beef try soy crumbles it tastes exactly the same and you don't have to cook the beef, so it takes less time too!!