What are tips on becoming a Vegetarian?

Question

What are tips on becoming a Vegetarian?

Answer 1

be sure to deticate yourself before begining.

good luck!

Answer 2

uhmm dont eat meat...

Answer 3

eat meat

Answer 4

I'd say some good tips [that aren't already mentioned] besides for the obvious making sure you're getting the right nutrition..

If you really enjoy your chicken, beef, and other meaty stuff, it really helps to slowly change your diet. Like try eating vegetarian all day for 2, 3 days a week (whatever you're comfortable with) and give yourself some slack, you're just starting out.

Figure out WHY you want to be vegetarian in the first place. Animal rights? Health benefits? Environmentalist reasons?

All of the above?

It's good to read about the benefits and such, and also talk to any vegetarian friends if possible.

Some people can get pretty defensive when they first find out you're veg. but don't let it get you down! It's a touchy subject for some, so just know why you're doing it and take it seriously. People are more likely to respect your choice if you're more informed. :)

Hope that helps and good luck!

Answer 5

well you can not eat meat... or you can just not eat meat either way, it's a good start.

Answer 6

Congrats on taking a step to saving animals!!! I've been a vegetarian for like a year now... and I realize that I can eat pretty much everything I ate before, with the exception of cheeseburgers on the fourth of july (but veggie burgers are just as good if you smother them in bbq sauce!) lol.... so anyway, tips? I would say eat a lot of vegetables... and eat a lot of soy/tofu for protein... if you don't like soy then try beans... they r very good for u and very delicious! check out recipes on www.goveg.com... and if u google "vegetarian recipes" u will find tons of stuff.... i've checked out several books from the library as well... and also, if ur looking for veg-friendly brands... i would recommend trader-joe's for ur shopping (idk if there is one near u).... they have awesome stuff... esp. morningstar farms brand is good.... they have everything from soy bacon to soy corn dogs.... enjoy!!!!

Answer 7

Basically if it isn't already obvious enough...don't eat meat.

It's really not as hard as you think. You probably eat vegetarian dishes already the way it is. Like for example, salad, spagetti and sauce (without meat...that's the way I eat it....well even before I was a vegetarian) baked potatoes...certain soups...you know. Most places you go (restruants) they should have at least one vegetarian option...though they can be hard to find depeding on the place. If they done't see if they can make something for you or leave. Um make sure you get all your nutrients and stuff, everyone stresses protein so I'm sure you've heard that.

But it's really not that whard to stay away from meat like people think.

Oh also there is a such thing as vegetarian cheese...you might want to research that also. Keep in mind things like veggieburgers and Boca nuggets and stuff like that. The morning star brand had really good vegetarian mini corndogs too.

Answer 8

Don't eat meat...but you still have to get all your stuff that meat gives you...like all the vitamins and protien and stuff.  So, try to find other food that has all of that to take the place of the meat.

Good luck  :]

Answer 9

eating meat.

Answer 10

Congrats on wanting to become a vegetarian! I think it's a great idea to go veg, and again, congratulations :) You will also not only be helping animals, but the enviorment as well. According to Dr. David Brubaker, PhD, at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for a Livable Future, “The way that we breed animals for food is a threat to the planet. It pollutes our environment while consuming huge amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. The results are disastrous.”

It is also quite healthy:

“Vegetarian diets offer a number of nutritional benefits, including lower levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein, as well as higher levels of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium, folate, and antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and phytochemicals. Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than nonvegetarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.”

--American Dietetic Association, June 2003 position paper

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My biggest advice to you would be to go your own pace. You don't have to completely go veg overnight...it took me a few weeks to get the hang of it. Just take it slow, don't rush it and it will be MUCH easier to stick with it. But if you decide you do want to do it overnight, that's fine too. Just do whatever you feel comfortable doing.

Next find your motive. Whether it's going veg for the animals, health reasons, or the enviorment. Just think about why you are becoming a vegetarian and use your reason to help motivate you.

Anyways here is a website that is filled with hundreds of fantastic recipes:

http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.a...

There are also many meat replacements out there that can help you on your "go veg" journey :D

Here is a list: http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-substitut...

The best tasting ones in my opinion are from Boca. You can get Boca burgers and Boca chicken nuggets. Both taste amazing! For hot dogs I perfer Smart Dogs, which are delicious.

If you are concerned about not getting enough protein, don't worry. There are plenty of foods out there (besides meat) that are rich in protein.  Here is a list of foods that contain protein:

almonds

brown rice

cashews

cottage cheese

yogurt

garbonzo beans

kidney beans

lentils

lima beans

peanut butter

seitan

soybeans

soymilk

sunflower seeds

textured vegetable protein

tofu

veggie dogs & burgers

You shouldn't have to take any vitamins, you will get enough iron from fake meat and plenty of protein from the things I just listed. If you start to feel tired or like you've run out of energy, eat the things on the list. Protein = energy.

Well hope I helped :) Congrats on becoming a vegetarian and good luck!

Answer 11

Make sure you suppliment the meat with other sources of protein.

It would be handy if you aren't afraid to try new foods as well. A picky vegetarian is no fun to cook for.

Answer 12

Not eating meat.

Answer 13

Don't eat meat. Get on a multivitamin, and be sure to eat peanut butter, nuts, eggs. etc. things with protein. Try the fake meat products, they're delicious! Plan a meal with no meat with your friends. Being veg is wayyyy fun!

Answer 14

Here are some tips for you ....... hope it helps ....... = )

-Consider the reasons for becoming vegetarian. These might include moral or ethical reasons, religious reasons, health reasons, environmental reasons or a combination of any of these.

-Get some vegetarian cookbooks and find some vegetarian recipes that interest you.

-Take a look around supermarkets, food stores and health food shops and see the variety of vegetarian food that is available.

-Do some research. Read up on vegetarian nutrition and vegetarianism in general. There is plenty of information on the internet and in books.

-Tell parents or a significant other about your choice. Make sure you have some solid research to back you up, as some people are very resistant to the idea of vegetarianism because of misunderstandings related to health, evolution or religion. When informing your family of your dietary choice, stay calm and polite, even if they find it difficult to accept.

-Start to eliminate the types of meat gradually, having "one last meal" with the relevant ingredient and resolving not to eat it again.

Red meat, such as beef.

Pork, such as bacon and ham, after a week.

Chicken after another week.

Fish and shell-fish, such as crab and salmon, after another two weeks.

-Get a good source of protein. Substitute plenty of cheese, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds into your diet to make sure you get enough protein. (Note that some cheese isn't vegetarian as it's made with animal rennet.) Experiment with alternative sources of protein - mycoprotein from mushrooms, tofu from soya beans, and quinoa.

-Get a good variety of fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure that you keep high levels of B vitamins, iron and vitamin C. -Vegetarians are more likely to become anaemic or otherwise mineral/vitamin deficient.

-Eat healthily. As with any change in diet, be careful to keep all of your food groups in balance. These are carbohydrates, fats, protein and fibre.

-Find good meat substitutes. Some taste quite realistic, and can help when you're new to vegetarianism and have meat cravings. Others tend to be less realistic, and are simply an interesting new food to try.

Quorn is a company that makes chicken patties, nuggets, and beef products from mycoprotein. It tastes very similar to meat.

Morningstar makes bacon, sausages and riblets that do taste very similar to meat. Actually, Their breakfast sausage patties and chicken patties taste so similair to the real thing, that they have been known to fool a carnivore or two.

Boca products taste quite similar to meat, especially the "ground beef".

Schneiders Au Naturel products are very realistic, as are Veat.