Considering Becoming a Vegetarian

[SportsMom]

Hello. My name is Andrea and I'm seriously considering becoming a vegetarian. I don't know much about it...always thought it was someone that just didn't eat meat for whatever reason. Since February I've lost 58 pounds and have about 25 more to go. Lately, every time I eat meat I feel sick, gassy, bloated and awake a lot at night. I just simply don't feel well. It has prompted me to do some reading and I really feel like I could be healthier without meat. I've never loved eating a big hunk of meat so I don't think it will be hard, and I love a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans. Any help or suggestions to start would be very much appreciated.

Oh, and there really isn't a good selection when it comes to shopping for vegetarian/vegan products where I live. That makes it a bit hard too.

[Seppie]

may i ask which country you live in?

when you say they don't have much veggie stuff, do you mean fake meats? if that is the case i would reccomend looking in health food shops and oriental grocery shops for tofu, tempeh and other substitutes. you may even find veggie burgers, sausages and pies in health food shops :)

your supermarket is likely to sell many vegetarian/vegan products, it's just about reading the packaging, as not all veggie/vegan products boast about it.

a great way to 'ease into' veg*nism is to adapt favourite meals. like make a veggie chili, either using fake mince, or just making it with loads of veggies and beans. or maybe trying asian cooking, which often have veg*n dishes, or dishes that are easily adaptable.

find a great veg*n recipe book!

if you want to try some meat substitute products that aren't available in your area, another consideration is to look online and get some special things delivered.

it's also important to make sure you're getting everything your body needs, just the cruelty-free way. research veg*n nutrition online.

the vegetarian society and vegan society have helpful information:


http://www.vegsoc.org/info/foodfacts.html

http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutrition/b12/

http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/ - helpful info on becoming vegetarian

vegetarianism is an easy and enjoyable lifestyle. i wish you well on this venture :) if you have any questions feel free to post it here, we're here to support each other!

good luck!

[Mr. Sun]

Welcome to Veggieboards. I don't eat much in the way of veggieburgers or ricemilk or whatever so it really isn't that hard to be vegan without those. Just focus on those foods you mentioned: a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans. Add in some grains and you're good to go. If you eat a variety and you eventually become vegan, the only supplement you'll need is b12 unless you have some kind of illness.



Good luck with this new way of eating. :)

[rabid_child]

I've been a vegetarian for about 14 yrs now and I don't buy a whole lot of "vegetarian foods." Most of my meals center around veggies, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, pastas, that sort of thing. I do use tofu, and make my own seitan, and use rice milk (though plant milks are pretty easy to find these days!). I rarely buy veg*n convenience foods because they're damn expensive! And a whole foods diet is healthier anyway.

Sounds like you're on the right track. Just keep eating a wide variety of different colored foods and make sure you're getting enough calories and you should be doing well :) Good luck.

[Abyssinian]

Welcome! I'm the kind of vegan who chooses to stay away from most mock meat. I love tofu and tempeh though. Most mock meats are pretty expensive and they tend to be pretty unhealthy. You mentioned you've lost weight, great job. That's amazing. If you want to be as healthy as possible and keep loosing weight at a steady pace, you probably shouldn't eat the more processed stuff anyways. The most important thing is to eat a healthy and varied diet with lots of beans, fresh vegetables, whole grains and fruit.