Hi everyone. I stopped eating meats,egg,fish, about 2 and a half months ago. I was expecting it to be a challenge, but I found it was actually one of the easiest things I've ever done. Anything you can send me, or tell me that might help me out please feel free. I'd love to meet someone who can share with me, chat with me about what they know. :) Thanks so much!!! ~JaMIe~

What kind of information are you lookin for ? ?

Well i did the whole transition thing, so i wasn't as concerned then, about slip ups and what not, but now that ive been totally meat free, im mostly concerned now with finding foods i like that don't have animal bi products in them. Like what should i look for? I've avoided eating alot of foods cause im just not sure what im looking for. Yogurts, cheeses. I also would love to find a good cookbook, so if u have any suggestions. I probably sound so stupid, so please be patient. I dont' have any vegetarian friends, or anyone at all for that matter to ask, which is why im here i guess. Cause i need some help if that makes sense? I also live in a very small town, in the middle of nowhere. Theres no health food stores in sight so i have to rely on what i can get at the local supermarket. I've done alot of reading, but some things id just rather get direct answers for. I've considered going non dairy as well, but thats a little ways down the road. The more i read, the more i want to. I want my body to adjust though over time to going without things, i just feel taking it slow is better choice for me. I'm sure ill need more help when the time comes for that. :) So far the only encouragement ive gotten has been when i have conversations with my dog and he says, thank you for not eating my animal friends anymore. :) And he doesn't really say that, i just pretend he does. lol And lets not forget the 200 picnics ive attended this year where everyone has asked....why aren't u eating a burger? U dont want steak??? Why not??? lol So, any advice, any good reading suggestions would be great...thank you :)~

Your dog is wise. I've had a dog ephiphany a well - funny how creatures are sent from somewhere to deliver life-changing messages - anyway I digress... Welcome - your direction is true - always believe that! I went to a "post-wedding" party today where they celebrated by eating dead animals, and it was just - so disturbing...I do mean welcome! THIS is support - other than the K-9 kind!!! Go to Peta.org and see "Meet your Meat" - you'll be so glad you didn't do the company burgers...and check out vegan.com. Truly, welcome... Hurray- you're here!

Jamie I found a lot of information by going to peta.org
you will find a list of products there that contain animals - here is a link:
http://www.caringconsumer.com/ingredientslist.asp
i hope that helps you!
congrats and welcome :)

Peta and "Meet Your Meat" are very disturbing and upsetting but do have a strong and ultimately very important message to share... I actually DON'T reccommend them to people right away though...

There is a LOT of information right here on this board that can be of a HUGE help to you if you're willing to read and check back and do a little research...

First of all, let me point out the handy-dandy "SEARCH" function. It's on the upper right of the page in the toolbar.... if you click on it there's a search box that drops down and you can enter ANY word you're curious about and it'll peobably come up with all sorts of things...

To make that search more specific and (in my mind easier to read through) go to "Advancd Search" and chose the very last option listed "Show Results in Posts" which narrows down your choices to specific posts where your search query is mentioned...

This method answered TONS AND TONS of my questions when I first joined.

I also got in the habit of PMing more senior members who seemed like they were knowledgable on various topics. Ths answered a lot of the questions I thought would be too stupid to ask in the forums. Of course I soon discovered many other people had the smae questions - so there ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS!

And there are lots of knowledgable people here as well, so any question you have: Either it's already been asked - and you can easily find a hundred answers in doing a search... OR a lot of people here will readily know the answer and be able to help you when you ask...

That said........

Glad you're here! Good luck!!

Thank you all so much! You have been so helpful, definatly have checked out PETA's website, definatly have to download that movie when i get my computer back, and the search function is very handy indeed *smiles* I actually have just another question? I said i live in a small town and well the grocery store i have just doesnt' have a great selection as far as vegetarian friendly foods are concerned. I mean, a small section behind the produce is basically what i have. Other then stuff i find by searching through the store and what not. Any suggestions on how to find more foods to chose from? And if anyone here lives in or near central PA, that would be great if u could recomend a place. I dont' mind traveling to find some new yummy things to munch on hehe

:pibo: :bobo: :vebo:

Central PA, huh?? I live about an hour south of Uniontown......so I know what you mean about having a hard time finding vegetarian/vegan products! I generally go to the People's Co-op in Morgantown, WV....but I guess that's a bit far for you. What's your nearest large city? They might have a Whole Foods market.

If you are anywhere near Harrisburg, there is a wonderful vegetarian club there. I just "met" them the other day, when I emailed them about starting a veggie club in my own community. They take bus trips all over Pennsylvania, and might be able to give you some recommendations on stores. Their website is http://www.greenstreetvc.com

Yea, im like 40 minutes from Harrisburg, so im definatly going to check out that site. Thanks so much! :pibo:

Hey Jamie! Some advice - if you find a good veg product that you're interested in eating (I especially like Amy's and Dr. McDougall brands), you can talk to a manager at your local grocery store and ask them to order it for you - they usually will! Also, check out some great food/snack-y stores online, like www.veganessentials.com. Yummy stuff!

Central PA, huh?? I live about an hour south of Uniontown......so I know what you mean about having a hard time finding vegetarian/vegan products! I generally go to the People's Co-op in Morgantown, WV....but I guess that's a bit far for you. What's your nearest large city? They might have a Whole Foods market.

If you are anywhere near Harrisburg, there is a wonderful vegetarian club there. I just "met" them the other day, when I emailed them about starting a veggie club in my own community. They take bus trips all over Pennsylvania, and might be able to give you some recommendations on stores. Their website is http://www.greenstreetvc.com
Shine, I'm about 1 1/2 hours from Harrisburg (I live in Martinsburg, WV). I checked out this website and it seems really great. I'm thinking about going to the Poplar Springs event now. Keep me posted about your veggie club. :)

Yup its real easy to find food without meat/fish/eggs.... i actually went to a sea food place in novi, MI just because my colleagues took me there...but even they fixed me a great pasta meal when i couldnt find anything on the menu which was vegetarian....it is going to be difficult initially geting the diary products out though, but if you really want to, you can! btw i am a lacto vegetarian... i.e i still consume dairy products occasionaly.. well good luck :elf:

Also, the best thing to do is to grow your own food if you can. It is natural and plus it is home-grown for crying out loud lol.

oh dear, growing my own food, thats a whole other thread entirely. lol I dont have the best of luck with *growing* things...even the easiest of things. My poor summer plants. RIP~My petunias~ ....they were a good flower....until i forgot to water them...lol

most grocery stores have the following things:

fruits
vegetables
beans
nuts and seeds
grains such as rice (try brown rice)
various seasonings/herbs and such

many will carry soy milk or rice milk (or both) in the 'health' section or in the baking section.

All you need to be vegan or vegetarian is basic foods. you can make your own veggie burgers from scratch (takes about 45 minutes)--these sorts of things. No problem.

i'm sure your grocer has enough for you to be healthy. Also, if you're vegetarian, check out farmer's markets and small farms for eggs and dairy products.

I know i have enough to be healthy, and im aware of the options my grocery store is offering to me now, ive been living off of them for the past few months....i was more interested in finding more options. Finding a health food store close by where i could try out more things, different name brands...etc. I also would like to try more vegan friendly foods, that my store does not carry. Like, toffuti *hope i spelled that right, forgive me if i did not* for instance. Also, like fast on the go meals, i work two jobs, plus i have a son and a dog who need my TLC when i get home. I dont' want to spend time making food lol :)

Finding a health food store with the faux meats and name brands would be nice, but I can tell you, I live in a large town with no health food stores, co-ops or the like... I shop at a conventional grocery store for myself and three kids and we are never lacking in variety.
I totally understand the busy lifestyle - I am taking classes, I work as well, and I swear my kids have some sort of activity every evening, so often our meals are quite rushed. My one compromise is that they do eat some cheese, (though I'm totally vegan).

It sounds like you live near some larger towns that might have health food stores or the like - plan a trip, when your budget allows, and you can stock up on some of the goodies you've been wanting to try.

I know I try and get to Whole Foods about every other month to stock up on the items I can't find in town... but for the most part I tru to not eat pre-packaged and processed foods - saves on the budget and on the ability to shop locally.

As for as prepring foods fast, there are threads here about that as well. Try to plan ahead - do your cooking on the weekend and freeze, whatever works for you - Your crockpot will be your best friend for soups, stews, chilis. If you have a self-timed oven you can do baked potatos, lasagna and other casseroles. If you have a rice cooker with a timer - better yet, you can also arrive home to rice or any other grain, hot and ready for supper. Pressure cookers - though some people are scared of them - they're totally unlike those exploding dinosaurs of the '70's.. and they will cook beans or potaos or veggies quite quickly as well.

I always keep tortillas, pitas or plain ol' bread, and salad fixin's handy and we have dinner ready in 20 minutes most nights...

the best advice i can give you is that being vegetarian/ vegan gets easier the longer you do it! you find more foods you like and learn to cook different things.

i live two blocks from a co-op, but i don't shop there often. i go to a regular grocery store because it's cheaper and still has everything i need from day to day.

if you're looking for fun vegan stuff, i like veganstore. com. they have all sorts of vegan treats, many that you can't even easily find in health food stores.

Are all vegetarians this friendly? lol You guys are fantastic. Really :)~ Thank you so much. :pibo:

*blush!* We're just proud of you and happy that there are good people making good decisions! ^_^

i find that the fastest food is raw food. it's so easy to make salads, bean dips, and what not and carry them with you. this is mostly what i do. i'm on a budget, and convenience foods are too much for me.

Well I had my first real taste of criticism for my beliefs tonight. I normally avoid talking about my decisions with people alone, because they tend to make an $*% out of me. Anyways, I was at work and just kind of shrugged it off...of course every reason i came up with, every explanation of my choice, was countered by ridiculous statements that had nothing to do with what i was talking about. They asked a question and i answered. *sigh* Going to snuggle with Maximus now. He always makes me feel better.
xoxoxoxoxox~jamie~