Little Help, Please?

[neko_veg]

I'm trying to become a vegitarian. See, the thing is--I love the tase of meat, but I hate to think of where it came from, because I'm a bit of an activist. I need to know the first step. I've done some research on that, but I didn't find anything...

[hoodedclawjen]

the first step.... hmmmm.

why don't you watch some gruesome videos about how animals are treated and 'processed' and the like. that'll put you right off your meaty dinner.

and then maybe look at what foods you enjoy, and think about how to make them vegetarian- we can help if you tell us what you'd like to adapt. and then look at new food things that you fancy trying. have a look in our recipe section. try new foods! :)

try and have a meat-free meal every day, or do a vegetarian day a few times a week. then when you've got the hang of it, set a date to go vegetarian, and go for it!

[Poppy]

There are wonderful meat substitutes these days. Tofurky, Lightlife, Yves just to name a few.

[Michael]

First step...

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=61678

[tree128]

It's awesome that you are making this switch!

These days vegetarianism meals are in abundance! There are few places you can go that do not have any veggie options. There are even frozen vegan and vegetarian dinners and burritos in many supermarkets (Amy's brand) and canned soups. A lot of companies have opted to write 'Suitable for vegetarians' on their products--or if you see a green 'V' on any packaging that means it is vegan--and totally vegetarian friendly.

When I went vegetarian my hardest thing was sandwiches (because I was still in high school and bringing a sac lunch everyday) try making a sprouts, hummus, tomato, etc sandwich (whatever you normally like on a sandwich minus the meat.) Then do the same for other dishes that you eat regularly. Stir fry with tofu. Breakfast with vegetarian sausage (Morningstar Farms has a lot of options.) Boca burgers have many different options. And there are always veggie dogs. You'd be surprised how much these fill that 'meat-y void.' I found for myself that it wasn't the meat that I craved so much, but the condiments. Soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, etc. The best part is that everyday I see more and more of these vegetarian companies in the regular super markets. Also check into local health food stores (http://www.happycow.net--has local health food stores and vegetarian and vegan restaurants all over the world.) If you have a Trader Joes near you, they might be a good place to start.

Wherever you go wander around, and take some time to look at the products. Maybe looking at some vegetarian options will get you more excited to not eat meat. I know I am still that way!

The less meat you eat, the less you crave it. Our bodies are funny that way.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

[neko_veg]

Ulch! I think I'm gonna be sick. Thanks for the video...I think.

[Hats]

Yeah the video is what finally pushed me over the edge into vegetarianism. It's pretty bad. :(

I too like the taste of meat but there are some great meat alternatives available. Boca chicken patties are quite good and I can't really tell the difference to be honest.

[Sensi]

For me, the first step was simple: just stop consciously eating meat. If you know it has meat in it, don't eat it.

The second step for me was learning the ins and outs of ingredients. This means, do your research about what to look out for (broths, gelatin, oils, etc), learn what has animal in it, and don't eat foods with these products in them.

[Earthling]

I started out the same as you, and the way I did it was to set time limits. When I went veggie I said it would be for a month, for several reasons:
1. So if I couldn't do it, I only had to put up with it for 30 days then I wouldn't get "I-told-you-so" looks from my mum.
2. So if I was finding it hard I could tell myself "only 20 more days" or whatever.
3. Because it didn't seem so final.

Then when it was SO much easier than I ever anticipated I just kept pushing back my deadline. In three days it's my veggie-versary and I get the odd craving for meat, but all I have to do is tell myself that I CHOOSE not to eat it, and that if I really want to eat meat, I can. I then find that my meat cravings are not as strong as my compassion towards animals.

But my advice would be to set yourself time limits and give vegetarianism a try for a set period - whether it's a week, a fortnight, or a month like me - and see how you find it without putting too much pressure on yourself. I'll bet you find it as easy as I did. Secondly, don't beat yourself up if you make mistakes. I ate things with gelatine in and non-vegetarian cheeses at the beginning because I didn't think to look at the ingredients of certain things, I just assumed they were veggie. If you get disheartened every time this happens you'll never do it!

[zippyzappy]

My first step was to make up my mind firmly that I was not going to eat meat. Second step was to clean our my fridge and cabinets and give away anything that wasn't vegetarian. That was it. Instant vegetarian! (That was 19 years ago). Oh, yeah, and 3rd step was to run to the library for some vegetarian cookbooks! (We didn't have the internet in those days, at least not in our house).

Hmmm, I'd be interested in seeing whether most veg*ns made the change gradually and how many went cold-tofurky, so to speak.

[animallover7249]

Everything I was going to say has pretty much been said, but congrats on the transition. :)

[KHADIJAH]

Welcome, Just watch the video meat your meet., If that dont change your mind, I dont know what will.

[VanGoesVeg]

Great advice here. I would like to mention that the meat taste you like is not really how meat tastes:) People who grew up eating meat without all of the hormones and crappy diet can tell the difference right away. It also may help to delve into what you are actually tasting, because it isn't meat.

I'd also suggest trying things you never considered as something to eat. It's great fun and interesting to find new thing you like that you'd never tried because meat was your main "food". Mine was mushrooms and asparagus, who knew those were so yummy?

[ashlend]

My first step was to make up my mind firmly that I was not going to eat meat. Second step was to clean our my fridge and cabinets and give away anything that wasn't vegetarian. That was it. Instant vegetarian! (That was 19 years ago). Oh, yeah, and 3rd step was to run to the library for some vegetarian cookbooks! (We didn't have the internet in those days, at least not in our house).

Hmmm, I'd be interested in seeing whether most veg*ns made the change gradually and how many went cold-tofurky, so to speak.


I did the exact same thing as you. Cut out the meat instantaneously, cleaned out my fridge and freezer, then read everything I could get my hands on about veg*nism (particularly looking for meal ideas.) In the beginning, I ate easy, obvious things -- cheese pizzas, salads, pastas, and the like, but once I felt more comfortable, I started experimenting with things like soymilk and tofu (both of which are now staples in my diet.)

So as far as I'm concerned, the first step is simple: stop eating meat! The rest will follow.

[Kiseki]

When I was getting into being veggie, I gave up red meat first. I somehow reasoned with myself that eating chicken and fish would be okay because the animals were smaller. Haha!

Anyway, that's a dumb reason but it DID help. After being off red meat, I started to realize I probably could just get rid of the chicken too. Then 1 week later I said "Well, f*ck it! Might as well stop eating fish too!"

That took me a year and a half but it was DAMN easy! I never missed meat at all (and I used to LOOOOVE fish!). Why don't you try something like that instead of going cold turkey?

[mark0680]

I am within my first year of being a vegetarian. My switch wasn't because of animal cruelty or any ethical reason it was more for health. I have ADHD, Gurd, and some other issues like sleep apnea and sinus stuff. I was tired of taking meds. I did some research and found these issues could be inner related to food.

For instance sinuses were related to dairy. Sleep apnea/Gurd was related to weight gain. I read an article that someone who went vegan had received a huge boost in mental clarity.

So for me personally the journey into vegetarianism is for optimal health. Now that I have been doing this for a while the sinuses have cleared up the heart burn is going down and I am convinced now more than ever that the reason for this is a change in diet and more exercise.

Now I haven't gotten the mental clarity yet from going vegetarian, but I am not going vegan for a while. I want to stick with getting used to being a vegetarian.

Sorry for being so wordy, but it might be easier for you to take that first step if you find the right motivation. Try it for 30 days as people mentioned before. I took the meat out of dishes I was already cooking, like spaghetti, pizza, burritos. In a few weeks I realized this was not as hard as it seemed and just kept going with it. Now its a natural thing and I like it alot.

[jenni-anti-fur]

There are wonderful meat substitutes these days. Tofurky, Lightlife, Yves just to name a few.

Some are Good....Some Not So Good...but Okay

Peace Love and Happiness

Jenn