I've been a vegetarian for a month now and enjoying every minute of it. yesterday at work I was so hungry that I was ready to eat some form of meat. But it took every ounce out of me to stop that urge and I did it. It was a close call. Any suggestions on how to stop these urges?

Well if hunger was the cause the obvious solution would be to eat more. You might want to keep something in your desk or in the car to snack on - like granola bars.

If you're craving something in particular there should be a vegetarian equivalent. A lot of people don't really know that starting out. There's really not much that you could have as a meat-eater that you can't have now. Just need to be aware of your options.

Another thing you should be aware of - sometimes when your body isn't getting enough of something it needs you will crave foods that contain it.

I second Michael on the nutrient thing...

If only being veg a month, you may not be properly supplementing your diet to make up for the nutriets, etc. found in flesh. Load up on the green leafy veggies, as too low of iron count can be the culprit for MAD meat munchies (I speak from experience)...

If you are, indeed, taking in all vital nutrients and eating the *healthy* veg*n way (not just cheese pizza and ice berg salads...again from experience :sealed: ), then it could just be your "psychological body" adjusted to no meat.

Keep up the good work :)

:nigel: Cheers.

The one time I thought about meat, I quickly turned my thinking to the suffering animals. That put an end to it real quick. If that doesn't work, go here: http://www.meetyourmeat.com/. That's what made me go veggie in the first place.

Sometimes you may just crave the texture and flavor of meat. I did that at first. I have three words for you: Gardenburger Meatless Riblets. *drool*

If you're not a big BBQ fan, there are many, many meat alternatives that are very satisfying and very meat-ish. Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They have some great veggie meat balls and soy nuggets.

Two words: Nut butters. :yes:

Sometimes you may just crave the texture and flavor of meat. I did that at first. I have three words for you: Gardenburger Meatless Riblets. *drool*

If you're not a big BBQ fan, there are many, many meat alternatives that are very satisfying and very meat-ish. Do you have a Trader Joe's near you? They have some great veggie meat balls and soy nuggets.

I don't think Tampa has a Trader Joe's but I do go to Nature's Harvest which is a health food store. I go there every now and then. I do get Boca,Morningstar Farms veggie burgers though.

First off, congratulations! A month of vegetarian eating is a great achievement. :yes:

Congrats also on resisting the urge. I agree with Michael, it's a good idea to keep some snacks with you. When I started eating vegan, I had to learn to bring food to campus with me so I could resist the vending machine when I got hungry. Granola bars, veggie jerky, and pieces of fruit are easy to tuck into your bag for those moments. If you like Pop Tarts, those are good for snacks (beware of the frosted ones though -- they contain gelatine from animal bones). Or any of the many kinds of cereal or fruit bars that are out there now. :)

Alright, let me clarify: Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, soynut butter, etc., spread on bread or crackers. They all have lots of protein, which will keep you going and keep you from getting hungry too soon. Perfect for snacking when you're hungry and you start drooping.

I find some of the new summer barbecue smells to be deadly around this time of year, so I totally hear you fuyoo. It helped me to develop new little routines that are veg that I enjoy, such as special snacks as mentioned above, or having a nice veg bbq with friends to "reconsecrate" grilling and make those cravings be for good food and good company instead of meat. And exploring all the new foods that are mentioned in the other posts is a good way to keep your energy level high AND feed your face at the same time.:p

But, as above, you're doing great!

The other thing that will help is to eat meals that have whole grains and/or beans in them and especially pack a lunch that has these things in it. That will help keep you fuller longer so you won't feel like eating anything that moves (or not :boobies: ). And the old addage of breakfast being the most important meal of the day is very true so start eating breakfast if you don't already.

And if there's something inparticular that you're craving and wanting to make a vegetarian version of, just ask. There are LOADS of great cooks around here that are excellent with conversions and only too happy to help out so don't be afraid to tap those minds. :)

Good job on the willpower, it takes alot, hang in there.
Well if you're not making your lunch, you should start. If you buy the right things then you should be ok. If you need a snack, go with nuts, they're healthy & crunchy. :hungry:

If it's just a passing craving for meat, a good filling meal will usually solve that problem. Maybe you should keep an extra bean and rice burrito in the fridge at work, or even keep peanut butter or some kind of nut butter (they're really good) around at work to make sandwiches or celery sticks with.

If you're craving something specific, there are a lot of substitutes: Boca burgers make awesome hamburgers, Yve's and whoever makes the "Smart Brats, Smart Bacon, etc." both have really good lunch un-meats. Quorn sells a substitute that tastes almost like real chicken breast (actually, it's better tasting than some chicken breasts I've eaten). There are tons of ground beef substitutes and most that I've tasted are really good.

Mostly, too, make sure you're eating as much of a variety as you can. This will ensure that your diet is well-rounded and that you will be getting the nutrients you need. You may want to consider a multi-vitamin, B-12 supplement, and flax oil. (I think anyone, including omnis would benefit from all three of those.)

The other thing that will help is to eat meals that have whole grains and/or beans in them and especially pack a lunch that has these things in it. That will help keep you fuller longer so you won't feel like eating anything that moves (or not :boobies: ). And the old addage of breakfast being the most important meal of the day is very true so start eating breakfast if you don't already.

And if there's something inparticular that you're craving and wanting to make a vegetarian version of, just ask. There are LOADS of great cooks around here that are excellent with conversions and only too happy to help out so don't be afraid to tap those minds. :)

What I nomally make is usually Brown rice,vegetables, and beans and mix them together. Sometimes I'll subsitute the brown rice with pasta. Also when I can get them are sweet potatoes.

ooh! That's my favorite combination, too. Sometimes, I'll spice up the rice water in different ways so there's a flavor variety going on even though it's "technically" the same dish. That grains, beans, veggies combination also works with different grains, too, like millet and quinoa AND with different beans like pinto, chickpeas and kidney beans. Serious yum, there. Even with sweet potato (EVERYTHING'S yummy with sweet potatoes... :drool: ).

ooh! That's my favorite combination, too. Sometimes, I'll spice up the rice water in different ways so there's a flavor variety going on even though it's "technically" the same dish. That grains, beans, veggies combination also works with different grains, too, like millet and quinoa AND with different beans like pinto, chickpeas and kidney beans. Serious yum, there. Even with sweet potato (EVERYTHING'S yummy with sweet potatoes... :drool: ).

I mix beans with my rice like chickpeas,blackbeans,blackeyed peas, and red kidney beans.

When you are hungry you are probably more susceptible to craving meat. I know I've felt like that before. Try eating some of your favourite vegetarian foods when this happens. Once you get more used to vegetarianism, it will get a lot easier, trust me! When I first became vegetarian every dinner seemed a big deal, but now I hardly think about it, it's just a way of life now :)

Meat is a stimulant & is an addictive substance. The cravings will lessen with time. Alot of good advice here on substitutes! Good luck!

gah! i just posted a really long reply and i lost it :cry:

well in a nutshell it was:
Yves makes some really great products, i love the sausages. breakfast links and sausage patties, both are really good and taste a lot like real sausage to me. and the patties go with anything. great for a quick lunch: i'll cook up some ramen/super noodles (ie mr. noodles. i leave them whole and drain the water after cooking so it's just noodles not soup) and fry up some sausage patties on the side. i also add frozen veggies to the noodles while cooking sometimes. i've microwaved noodles at work this way, it works pretty well. if you have a good leakproof container you can put water in with the noodles when you pack your lunch and by the time you go to cook it the noodles are already softened so they only need a minute or so in the microwave. and the sausages are microwavable as well. this is a fairly high calorie and filling lunch, it'll keep your mind off meat for sure.

if you don't have a microwave at work or time to sit and eat something like that, a sandwich with Yves slices works too. the turkey slices taste like bologna to me but the salami is really good :lick: and the ham isn't bad. Yves also now makes pasta bowls. lasagna or penne etc in a plastic bowl that you microwave. they're actually really good and are made with ground round (fake ground beef) lots of protein, pretty filling, and i think most omnis wouldn't know it's not real beef if you didn't tell them :P

One word: Tofu Dogs.
Another word: Boca Italian Sausages.

I've been veg for about 3 years and still want to eat something in the meaty-department like a hot dog or burger. so if you can find replacements for things like that, you'll be good to go. You can put all your favorite toppings on those things, too!

One word: Tofu Dogs.
Another word: Boca Italian Sausages.

I've been veg for about 3 years and still want to eat something in the meaty-department like a hot dog or burger. so if you can find replacements for things like that, you'll be good to go. You can put all your favorite toppings on those things, too!

I've tried the Boca Italian Sausages and they were great.

I've found that for the first few years after you become a vegetarian/Vegan, your cravings have more to do with a salt and sugar addiction (especially salt.). Since becoming a vegan 18 years ago I think I reduced my salt intake from about 3000mg per day to less than 1000mg per day (usually MUCH less). It took alot of getting used to. After you get over those nasty addictions, food tastes so much better.

If you feel hungry all the time, load up on those carbs. potatoes do wonders. I've been on 100 mile bicycle rides where all I ate were potatoes and bananas.

Fake meats scare me. They are so salty and tend to just increase that addiction that so many of us have.

Potatoes :drool:

It matters what kind of meat... there are great alternatives to some (like beef jerky) and for others, there isn't. Beans may help as well (just check the ingreadiants if they are canned... lots of junk is hidden in cans)

... you could also make up some cards with pictures of slaughter or whatever, and whip them out whenever you feel a craving :D

quite a gross idea though hehe