Thinking about going vegetarian... help?

Question

Okay so I'm thinking of becoming a vegetarian. Can anyone give me the details on it, and if you are one, what you like about it? How do you get the nutrients found in meat?

Answer 1

My mom is a vegetarian and I am a ridiculously non-strict vegetarian.  I prefer not to eat meat, but I'm in love with ham.

If you are a vegetarian you can still eat fish, they are not animals. The most need nutrient in meat is protein, so you could take protein supplements as an option. Eggs also have a lot of protein.

Tofu actually has a chemical in it that isn't very good. I don't remember what it's called, but excess tofu is unhealthy.

I don't recommend becoming a vegan as vegans are nuts, haha. I don't say that because I'm prejudiced, but I thought about it, and I think that whatever we could survive off in nature, we can eat. This includes eggs. When we were cave people, we used animals skin for clothes, and I don't see what the point is in not drinking milk. The sensation of needing to be milked for a cow is like having to go pee. It needs to be done.

Being a vegetarian isn't that hard. Just eat healthy, like you should normally do. You gotta watch it when you go to restaurants, though.

Answer 2

There are different types of vegetarian.  Do you want to vegetarian, yet still eat some things like milk products, eggs and fish, or do you want to go totally vegan, elminating any and all animal proteins?

First, people do not need as much protein as most people think.  It's fairly easy to get protein from other sources, such as grains, legumes (peas, beans, peanuts), nuts (walnuts, almonds), dark greens like spinach and enriched grain products such as pasta.

Multivitamins are always a good idea.  There are some amino acids, vitamins and minerals that vegetarians are at a high risk of being deficient in, such as iron and Vitamin D.  Vitamin B-12 is only found naturally in animal proteins, so you would need to supplement your diet there.  

The American Heart Association has some good information - here's the link:  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.j...

The US Dept of Agriculture also has some good information:

http://www.mypyramid.gov/tips_resources/...

As for myself, I'm a meat eater with vegetarian overtones, since I've been introduced to a vast number of delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes by friends who are veg/vegan.   I like meat too much to give it up completely, but I enjoy some of the health benefits of a lighter, lower fat diet.  

Good luck!

Answer 3

Hey, I've been a veggies for a while now, and in fact, once you know your facts, being a veggie can be even easier than not. Many tofu/soy products such as meatless coldcuts, chicken burgers, stir fry strips etc. are available, and far healthier for you as well. Yves makes some excellent products. Right here http://www.yvesveggie.com/compare.php you can see some of the vast differences, mostly in calories and fat between vegetarian supplements and the real thing. Hope this helps!