[Indbakke]

Hi, I'm new here, as well as to vegetarianism in general. Maybe this should be posted in the introduction forum, but I'm not sure.

Actually I'm not even vegetarian at all, but I'm fascinated with the whole 'culture' surrounding vegetarianism. Aside from that I know the "three pillars" of arguments.

I) Animal Ethics (I have watched MYM and know of horrid animal cruelty, but it's not my main motivation)

II) Health (Also not my main motivation, but interesting still)

III) Environment Ethics (Probably one of my main motivation, methinks)

And the unofficial ones:

IV) Curiosity (Definitely my main motivation)

V) Persuaded by friends (I've got a couple of vegan friends)

Now, my biggest problem is that I don't cook my own food ATM (my mother does). However, in less than 6 months I'll move out, which means that I'll have to cook my own stuff - right now I don't even know how to fry a cake [sic] . My plan is to go straight to vegetarian if at all possible (if I have to learn the basics of cooking, why not the vegetarian basics?).

Aside from that, I've got the problem that I (like many other teens) am lazy as hell.

I've never bothered to cook anything, so I guess "my vegetarian lifestyle" should start out with something _VERY_ simple.

And a last question: Any other around here who mainly became vegetarians out of curiosity? Is that not a motivation-factor at all?

Anyway, feel free to point me to some bookmarks for "veg*ism for extremely lazy dummies who can't cook".

 

[isowish]

<< lazy teen vegan who went pescatarian at 12 out of curiosity and the likes!

(but going lacto-ovo and vegan later on were ethical decisions)

I'm not sure what kind of information you're looking for, so I'll concentrate on the 'lazy' teen aspect since that's what I'm most knowledgeable in

* curries. Buy sauces in a jar or can (but label read! you will have to get used to label reading everything for grossness like lard and fish stock!) a ton of vegetables that can be pretty much anything but include onions, and some rice. Fry the onions first, add the rest of the vegetables and then the sauce, and simmer away while you boil your rice. I <3 curries. You can throw a meat sub. in there if you want, but there's no need really.

* I don't know where you live so this might be a stupid suggestion: baked beans. Here in the UK, almost all canned baked beans (the exceptions are the obvious ones like the ones with sausages in) are vegetarian, but I've heard in the States they're not. Craziness

anyway, these are a good source of protein, they're tasty, and they're CHEAP. You can have them with toast, or baked potatoes, or you can splash out on goodies like potato scones.

* salads, sandwiches, fresh fruit, nuts, vegetarian ready meals - there are a ton of things that require no cooking experience at all.

* cereal with milk or non dairy milk is the easiest vegetarian breakfast in the world and not at alol scary to a non-veg.

* stir frys. Add veg. Add nuts if you want. Add sauce if you want. Stir. And Fry. Easy as hell.

There are a TON of easy to cook things. I can barely cook, and I make almost all my own vegan meals without starving. But I cba to list any more here

Welcome to VB! I hope you decide veg*nism is right for you!

(oh, I also recommend "Student Veggie Grub" which was my first ever cookbook of my very own. Easy stuff, cheap, and delicious)

 

[Indbakke]

Hi, and thanks for replying.

Yes I was not exactly sure what info I was looking for myself.. Maybe just "general stuff" (whatever that is).

Thanks for your reply and the tips! It's nice to know that one can survive veg*ism even though I'm bad at cooking. :smile:

I forgot to mention that I live in Denmark, so many of the tricks and advice I find on the net about good "brands" to buy, can't be bought here...

Thank you for the welcome anyway

 

[cftwo]

Check out this thread for some vegetarian cookbooks with easy recipes http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/s...ad.php?t=67270. Also, take advantage of the next six months and ask your mom to teach you some cooking basics - even if she's teaching you how to cook meat (yuck - sorry, the idea doesn't appeal to me), you'll still be picking up some basic skills that will translate well to vegetarian cooking. Maybe get her to teach you some basic pasta dishes, or some throw-together casseroles. We can help you vegetarianize them later.

 

[IamJen]

Going veg when moving out sounds like a good plan.

It might sound like a big proposition, but really a lot of the things omnivores eat regularly are the same as what vegetarians eat....salad, beans, veggies, bread, fruit, cereal, etc. So, even if you can't find the "cool" things recommended on here, you should be fine. There's a large recipes section here at VB too, so you can hunt for some simple recipes perhaps.

That said, I'd think that your vegan friends may be able to point you in the right direction with regard to veg. convenience foods. I'm not sure in which part of Denmark you're located, but I think it's not so bad for veg-heads. You might find some helpful information on the Danish Veg. Society's page as well http://www.vegetarforening.dk/index.htm. I'm not really sure what's there, since I don't read Danish.

There are a couple of other Scandinavian VBers, so perhaps they'll have some ideas on specific products that are likely to be available in Denmark.

 

[Lucine]

I am vegetarian out of love and respect for animals ;-)

veganism and vegetarianism is not the same thing... vegan is no dairy at all, no animal products... I eat cheese and honey and drink milk but no meats of any kind or animal fats.

It is easier and cheaper to live and eat as a vegetarian

cooking is easier, and tofu is cheaper than meat

 

[Beachbnny]

I did this too! I moved out of my mother's house and straight into veganism (which is a big jump, try vegetarian first). Learning how to cook, even though I'm fairly lazy too, was actually really interesting. I had to learn about nutrition, label reading, shopping, and eating out all at once. It was actually really cool, a big change, and felt like I was finally making my own choices. 6 years later I've learned so much and I'm a pretty good cook...

You'll be fine. I agre that you should ask your Mom to help you learn how to cook some things at least some basic vegetable tips. Look at recipes online that seem easy and offer to cook some vegetarian sides for dinner with your family one night... your Mom would probably love it!

 

[GanyGreenBean]

An easy way to make some veggies is by putting them all cut up into a foil bag and crunching it shut. Then throw it into the oven for about 1/2 an hour or more till they are to your liking. Perfect to toss with oil over some pasta.

 

[Tom]

A few weeks ago, one of our members (Meatless) was working on an article about environmental aspects of vegetarian diets, and asked for leads about this:

http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/s...ad.php?t=66446

A few of us responded. Perhaps you'll find it of interest. We also have a forum for environmental topics ("Environmental Issues", in the Activist Form section) as you've probably found out by now.

As for cooking... I don't care much for fussing in the kitchen either, but usually I don't feel like eating out. When I happen to make something that takes a long time to cook, like bread or boiling dry beans from scratch, I make extra so I can freeze it and just thaw it out when I want to eat it. Try getting some cookbooks out of your local public library, and if you find any you really like you can buy them to keep. Lots of recipes in our cooking forums here look appetizong too, but I haven't tried many of them yet... like I said, I don't hang out in the kitchen much.

 

[Indian Summer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indbakke

I forgot to mention that I live in Denmark, so many of the tricks and advice I find on the net about good "brands" to buy, can't be bought here...

I find that many brands that they have here in the UK are the same as I've seen in my home country, Norway

However, the brands I've in the USA were often different.

Also, I started out much like you: went vegetarian after moving out from my parents' and knew next to nothing about cooking. A good portion of zealotry was what did it for me

 

[onyxmi]

I am not a vegetarian yet, but I invested in one of those really pricey vita mix blenders. It has helped me to eat fruits and veggies, rather than meat. They show them at Costco sometimes, trade shows , fairs ect... They can probably be found on ebay. They are the same kind of blenders used by Jamba Juice, and Starbucks for Frappachinos. I was relectuant to buy it, but I got sold by the sales pitch, and it really was worth the money. It effortlessly makes smoothies, ice cream, mixed drinks, and soup, which is really cool. Its powerful enough to make hot soup you can pour straight from the blender. Its easy to clean. It comes with a recipe book. All you need to do is throw a bunch of stuff in a container so its not really like cooking. Its the best kitchen appliance I ever bought. But I think this would be great for a lazy vegetarian. You could ask for one as a housewarming gift

 

[Happiness22]

Good luck with the transition. I started out going vegetarian for enviromental reasons but also out of curiosity. That was 4 years ago and by doing my research I became aware of the health and animal cruelty issues as well (leading me into a vegan lifestyle for a while). I'm sure that the more you learn the easier it will become to make the switch and stick to it. I am also a extremely lazy cook. I find it helps me to always have a good 'base' of food in the kitchen. Healthy, quick snacks (like carrots, salad, pita/hummus) so I don't starve and resort to one large unhealthy meal (oh large bowls of pasta how I love you...). There are amazing veg*n cookbooks out there. "How it all vegan" is a good one and "Healthy Life Kitchen" was great at helping me set up my kitchen with healthy foods. Good luck and happy eating!

 

[sally429]

I went vegetarian about 6 months before I moved out of my omni parents house too. I just talked to them and asked them to either have meatless sides or to add the meat last when that could so that I could get a portion befroe they did. They were really supportive and even shopped for veggetarian alternatives for me, That was more that I expected them to do.

I decided to go vegetarian because I am kinda grossed out by eating a dead thing mostly. Although I do crave it occasionally. I stayed a vegetarian though because I did a lot of research and foud out even worse things.

I suggest you do some research for yourself and see what you find out.

 

[synergy]

Good luck with the transition.

Curiosity about veg culture was what got me interested in the whole idea too.

For a whole lot of general information, check out the tip of the day thread that is stickied at the top of this forum.

 

[VeggieFrank]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indbakke

Any other around here who mainly became vegetarians out of curiosity? Is that not a motivation-factor at all?

no. not at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indbakke

Anyway, feel free to point me to some bookmarks for "veg*ism for extremely lazy dummies who can't cook".

sure. ready? google "vegan recipe

 

[Indbakke]

Well.. Long time, no see. Just wanted to say that I've gone pescotarian now.

And I've tried Quorn for the first time ever. That's good sh*t

Will see how this turns out..

 

[bluegold]

hay Indbakke thats pretty good you seemed to be working through it all .....imm hows those cooking skills

 

[honeyfugle]

Indbakke, congrats on going pescetarian!

how are things going food-wise? how are recipes going for you?

do you plan on going fully veggie or staying pescetarian for a while?

 

[cojo]

I wanted to be veg when I was living at home but never managed to do it for very long until I got married and moved out. My husband respects my decision and I never realized how much easier it was with support until I did it. I can stand up to my parents now but when you're so close to them it's very difficult to stay veg*n.