oops...I slipped! help!

[Balthazar]

so yesterday was going to be my 8th day of no meat (new record for me!)...but...I slipped. I'm not totally down and out, but it still makes me wonder if complete vegetarianism is for me. I have managed eliminate to meet/dairy from my kitchen. it's just going out to eat and social situations that I'm still having a hard time with...and the thought of NEVER eating meat again is just so overwhelming :/ but..I'm determined...and I'm sure there are some of you who have been where I am and made it through it.

so anyways, on a positive note, I think this is what it will take...I wanna hear some of the most delicious recipes you guys have, because honestly, my favorite foods have meat/dairy in them. It might help to find some new favorite foods. what are my favorite foods you ask?

steak and shrimp, smothered in cheese
pizza (any kind)
breaded mozzarella cheese sticks
chips and cheese dip
fried chicken
bbq hotwings

so maybe you know of a realllly good veggie cheese replacement, or maybe you have a new recipe altogether. whatever it is lemmie know...thanks! :)

[hoodedclawjen]

don't think in terms of forever- its way too much. one day at a time is fine. :)

so... are you trying to go vegan? no dairy? do you have access to meat substitutes? in america there are a lot of fake chicken products.

[Sewwattsnew]

I've never eaten actual-chicken hotwings, but I love the Morningstar Farms ones, if you live where you can get those. I don't know if they have dairy in them, though, which it sounds like you're trying to eliminate.

I've been meaning to try a cheeseless pizza, as I hear they're really good. You said you like any kind of pizza, so I assume that means most toppings, so just do crust, sauce, and as many veggies as you want! It's not that hard to make pizza at home, but I've heard that the sauce and crust at Pizza Hut are dairy-free.

What you're doing is wonderful but maybe you'd find it easier to cut out meat first, and then start on dairy? And be sure to try new snacks, not just substitutions, because maybe you'll find a new favorite!

[Star*Shine]

Yes, I would try cutting out meat, get some fake chicken, and for now, if you want eat dairy and eggs until you feel comfortable giving those up if you want to go vegan. It won't be as hard that way. As you get used to it, it's easier, and it helps knowing you'll be healthier. Personall I STILL eat unhealthy, but eating veggie even if it's lacto ovo makes sense for health anyhow.

[Hotchilidog]

There are plenty of faux meats out there, I've never really understood the appeal myself but they do act as a good transitional tool. I think the main issue you have though is a mental one by focusing on an entire future without meat. It can be quite daunting when you look at going veggie in those terms.

You have to ask yourself why you want to give up meat, once you turn the decision into a positive step that you have chosen to take it becomes easier to deal with.

If you feel that you are denying yourself something then the decision becomes a negative and in all honestly it is unlikely you will be able to see it through in the short term. For some it can be an easy transition, for others it is more difficult, no two people are the same. Keep plugging away, and try not to burden yourself by over analysing your choice, just go with it and you will get there.

Good Luck. Just visit the recipie section for foodie inspriation there are tons of great ideas on here.

[Nessus]

We had a vegan pizza thread a while back. You might want to take a look at that. And if you can deal with tofu (an acquired taste, I know) you could try baked tofu with bbq sauce (there are lots of recipes online that you could try). I also like the chickpeas romesco recipe from the Veganomicon. They use ground up almonds to give the tomato sauce a creamy, almost cheesy texture. And I think it tastes reeally good.

As a general rule, I don't try to find direct replacements for cheese. Instead, I try to find food that fills the same role, but has its own character (my approach to meat is pretty much the same, btw). For example, I usually go for hummus on bagels rather than mock-cream cheese (although tofutti is pretty good as soy cheeses go). For me, curries seem to fill the void that cheese leaves, so if you like indian food at all that would be a good area to start exploring. If you don't already have a vegan cookbook, I'd suggest you get one. (If money is tight, remember we've got a recipe section here -- or you can check your local library.) Exploring new recipes is a lot more fun than spending your time thinking about what you're missing.

So the approach I'm recommending is different than those who are suggesting mock-meats like Morningstar et al. I'm not saying they're wrong, just that my approach worked better for me. Try out either one... or both. If a suggestion doesn't work for you, don't worry about it. Try something else. And don't beat yourself up about slipping up. It's not good, but it happens to the best of us. Just get back up, dust yourself off, and move on.