hey all - ive been vegetarian for a little over a year now and ive been thinking of eating fish....

im looking for advice and support - not criticism

i dont WANT to eat fish but im tired of not having options when i go out to eat and when i eat w/ friends...ive been eating a lot of carbs and dairy to replace meat and it isn't helping w/ my weight or health....

i dont know - does anybody else out there eat fish but not any other meat? i think if i ate fish i would be able to cut WAY down on dairy....

any comments will be appreciated
thanks in advance!

Well, look at it this way:

What is your end goal? Veganism? Near Veganism? Vegetarianism?
What is more important? Getting rid of dairy or not eating meat?
How would your friends and family react? Is that important?

Some "experts" suggest giving up dairy before giving up meat, as dairy is often a lot harder to give up then meat for some.

Suggest some veg-friendly restaurants. VegDining.com should be a good start.

If you're not opposed to eating fish you could just call yourself a pescetarian and be done with it. That's someone who eats fish but is otherwise vegetarian.

If you're wanting to go veg for ethical reasons something to keep in mind is that a cow dies to feed numerous people whereas a fish dies to feed only one.

It sounds like you're doing this because of social pressure, if that's the case you should really try to get over it. It's not fair to have fish suffer and die just because you want to fit in.

But really, every little bit you do helps. If you think eating fish will help you stick with it longer then it's better than nothing.

i dont WANT to eat fish but im tired of not having options when i go out to eat and when i eat w/ friends...ive been eating a lot of carbs and dairy to replace meat and it isn't helping w/ my weight or health....
!

I feel your pain there. When all I can choose from is pasta or steamed veggies, duh, I order the pasta. But it certainly isn't helping my waistline.
I don't have any advice, but I just wanted you to know that I feel that way too sometimes. I won't be eating fish, but I've thought about it. Usually as I order yet another, plain baked potato.:hungry:

Have you looked around in the "eating well in veg hostile restaurants" thread for ideas? I think that if you're eating out enough that the quality of food there is impacting your health that you would probably do better to eat home more regardless of your diet. I know that in every restaurant I've worked in most meat products (including fish) are covered with "go juice" before being sent out, AKA melted butter to make it it shiny/juicy, in addition to all the fat that is used in cooking, so I don't know that restaurant fish, shrimp, etc is going to be any better for you than the veggies, pasta, etc. you could get when out.

Usually when I'm out I feel like I'm eating more healthfully than the omnis around me, maybe you just need some tips on creativity?

Pasta doesn't hurt my waistline, but I don't eat any dairy, where a lot of the fat may come from.

Steakhouses are the trickiest in finding something to eat. You can always order off the menu.

I like Sushi places (lots of Veg options), Chinese Food, Indian Food, Italian Food & Mexican Food. There are plenty of choices in these areas. Now I find many rest. have a veggie burger on the menu if you are craving a burger, one I went to recently had 3 veggie burgers to choose from....very cool. :cool:

Have you looked around in the "eating well in veg hostile restaurants" thread for ideas?

thread linky (http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=47169) :D

thread linky (http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=47169) :D

Thanks, I was going to be helpful but I'm too lazy :sleep:

There was a time years ago when I briefly thought of eating fish again to make going out to dinner more enjoyable for me. I am SO glad I didn't!

When I felt like that I thought about how selfish I was being - I am able to go out to dinner and enjoy time with friends and family. That should be enough to make me happy. What about the dead fish on my plate? I just thought about its suffering and realized that my life is pretty great even if I have to eat another salad and plain baked potato at dinner. I love a good meal as much as anyone but I can be satisfied by anything that gives me nourishment that didn't have to die in the process.

Of course eating alot of extra dairy isn't really great either...maybe you could try to become vegan and not eat either one! :yes:

When I am visiting a restuarant where I can't find a good veg meal, I order a couple side orders like a crossiant and hashbrowns. If you're worried about carbs, try ordering just a plain small salad with veggies.

About the fish, I think you should do whatever you feel best doing. Don't feel "guilty" because that will just put you in a bad mood. If you do choose to begin eating fish again, while doing it read up on good healthy vegan meals and make a recipie book, and then give up fish when you know you're ready.

I'm kind of spoiled because I'm surrounded by veg restuarants here (pssstt...move to Chicago and you won't have a problem!). But I've foudn when I end up in a non veg. friendly place, they'll often whip em up soemthign not on the menu. I can ask for a waist friendly salad with balsamic dressing, or a pasta dish sans butter and meat sauce, or grilled veggie skewers/veggie stirfry.

The options are almost always there, you just have to ask for them :D

When I am visiting a restuarant where I can't find a good veg meal, I order a couple side orders like a crossiant and hashbrowns. If you're worried about carbs, try ordering just a plain small salad with veggies.

Just a tip: (if I remember correctly, you're vegan, not lacto/ovo, forgive me if I'm wrong)...

Croissants and most other pastries are almost always made with butter (unless you're in a specialty restaurant, obviously :) ).

Just a tip: (if I remember correctly, you're vegan, not lacto/ovo, forgive me if I'm wrong)...

Croissants and most other pastries are almost always made with butter (unless you're in a specialty restaurant, obviously :) ).

Don't they just smack in the oven and call it a day? The cafe I go to usually lets you add your own butter if you like. :sealed: I hope that's the case anyway, maybe I'll ask next time.

PS: I don't know if I can really call myself vegan because I eat honey :(

Don't they just smack in the oven and call it a day? The cafe I go to usually lets you add your own butter if you like. :sealed: I hope that's the case anyway, maybe I'll ask next time.

PS: I don't know if I can really call myself vegan because I eat honey :(

Crossants are made by rolling butter between the layers of dough thats why they're flakey.

At the risk of sounding unsupportive, this doesn't seem any different than saying, "Well, I'm tired of not having enough choices in restaurants, so next time I think I'll have steak." Would you do that? No? Then why would you insert the word fish? There's no ethical difference between eating a fish and eating a steak, the nutritional and environmental differences are relatively insignificant.

Seek out restaurants with more choices and eat out less.

At the risk of sounding unsupportive, this doesn't seem any different than saying, "Well, I'm tired of not having enough choices in restaurants, so next time I think I'll have steak." Would you do that? No? Then why would you insert the word fish? There's no ethical difference between eating a fish and eating a steak, the nutritional and environmental differences are relatively insignificant.

Seek out restaurants with more choices and eat out less.
That last sentence really isn't helpful in the slightest. It's saying "To be a vegetarian, not only do you have to give up all the foods you used to eat and look semi-weird to your friends, but you should ALSO adjust your lifestyle so you go out less with them!"

And fish and steak are completely different from a nutritional standpoint.

Crossants are made by rolling butter between the layers of dough thats why they're flakey.

all crossants? so do i have to cross them off my list for good?

I've never had trouble finding something to eat. I could understand it if I were vegan but I'm not, and I didn't see where the OP indicated they were vegan either.

instg8r - Maybe if you tell us where you eat we could provide specific options.

Any restaurant I've been a patron of that didn't offer veg*n options on the menu has been open and accommodating to my special requests.

all crossants? so do i have to cross them off my list for good?

Yes

i dont WANT to eat fish but im tired of not having options when i go out to eat and when i eat w/ friends...ive been eating a lot of carbs and dairy to replace meat and it isn't helping w/ my weight or health....

You seem to be mislead about carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are NOT unhealthy or fattening. A good example is the Chinese people; their diet is more carbohydrate based than North Americans. Yet a much higher percentage of North Americans are fat. You should be concerned about calories not carbohydrates. You need to study more on that subject. Try reading the book "Becoming Vegetarian". It's written by people that are both nutritionists and vegetarians.

I know that it's hard to be vegetarian when you go out with friends and see that as a valid reason to eat meat for some people. But keeping weight down isn't a reason.

That last sentence really isn't helpful in the slightest. It's saying "To be a vegetarian, not only do you have to give up all the foods you used to eat and look semi-weird to your friends, but you should ALSO adjust your lifestyle so you go out less with them!"

And fish and steak are completely different from a nutritional standpoint.
We all ought to be eating out less. The overwhelming majority of restaurant food is incredibly unhealthy, and offerings for vegetarians are typically laden with high-fat dairy. Eating out less does not mean one must spend less time with one's friends-- maybe it means one engages in healthier pursuits with one's friends, or perhaps it means one has them over for home-cooked meals more often. Seriously, if one is eating out often enough that the lack of choice is becoming that big a problem, that's too often.

The major studies I've looked at on the nutritional effects of a meat vs vegetarian diet, including the Adventist Health Study, the Framingham Heart Study, the Ornish study, and the China study, showed only minor differences in health outcomes between people who ate different types of meat and different amounts of meat. The strongest health benefits were realized by those who didn't eat any type of meat. The overall conclusion one can draw? Cutting down your meat intake or switching to only one kind of meat doesn't really help that much. If you really want to improve your health, don't eat any kind of meat.

That last sentence really isn't helpful in the slightest. It's saying "To be a vegetarian, not only do you have to give up all the foods you used to eat and look semi-weird to your friends, but you should ALSO adjust your lifestyle so you go out less with them!"

And fish and steak are completely different from a nutritional standpoint.

I agree with Tess, if someone is eating out so much that it impacts their health they need to eat out less. Its almost impossible to eat out frequently and maintain good health. Even the health conscious vegetarian, etc. resturants I've worked in used way more fat, salt, sugar, etc. than I do in my home cooking. Her problem is almost guaranteed to be less what she eats when out and more that she eats out so often.

all crossants? so do i have to cross them off my list for good?


Yes. I can't believe that you didn't notice. Croissants are so buttery and greasy. You have to keep in mind that the majority of breads and pastries that you get in any cafe, bakery, or restaurant are not going to be vegan. Some things, like croissants, are never going to be vegan unless otherwise stated.