Tips for going vegetarian

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

For a long time now, I have been thinking about going vegetarian. I am finding it more and more difficult to enjoy my meals after seeing some gruesome images related to meat production/animal testing etc and I feel compelled to give up eating meat.

This poses many issues; I live in a house of meat eaters, have a girlfriend who's house I eat at frequently and this household eats a lot of meat too. I am surrounded by meat every single day, in every place that I go. These factors make the prospect of a meatless diet quite difficult.

What advice can comrades give on the situation? I am sure that there are people on here who have made decisions in similar conditions--can you provide any tips regarding the matter?

[leftace53]

I was actually just thinking about starting up this thread!

Some comrades of mine have gone vegetarian, and told me about the health, and ideological satisfactions that came of it. I'm not surrounded by meat eaters, but I have an issue with the taste of vegetarian things. I just like the taste of meat, and have no idea how to go about finding good tasting vegetarian options.

I will leech off of this thread's advice :)

[Sir Comradical]

Well I'm Indian which means I can go a whole week without eating meat and just not notice at all. However I do eat meat, but not ridiculous amounts, I prefer fish. There's plenty of great protein sources: tofu, chickpeas, kidney beans, paneer, lentils...take any of these and turn it into curry. Voila!

[Sir Comradical]

I was actually just thinking about starting up this thread!

Some comrades of mine have gone vegetarian, and told me about the health, and ideological satisfactions that came of it. I'm not surrounded by meat eaters, but I have an issue with the taste of vegetarian things. I just like the taste of meat, and have no idea how to go about finding good tasting vegetarian options.

I will leech off of this thread's advice :)

Can't find good tasting vegetarian food?

Look up Palak Paneer. Main ingredients - spinach and paneer.

That's my favourite dish and I'm a meat eater.

[leftace53]

Yea, my background is indian as well, but I don't really enjoy indian food too much, I like paneer, but not spinach (years of my mom forcing me to eat it just turned me away from it). Some vegetarian foods taste alright, but meat just tastes so much better :(. I'll try some chick pea sandwiches though :)

[Steve_j]

For me personally, i just came from a similar situation and just came out and told people straight up that i was changing my diet and specified why. Some people questioned it, some people didnt, but i found everyone accepted it and was very accommodating.

Things were a little easier for me as i already bought and cooked my own food at home so it was no additional strain on my parents, as for socially, bbq's or dinner at friends/girlfriends houses, i found bringing a couple of veggie sausages or other quick solutions really helped, that way i felt i wasnt a strain on my host.

Leftace, if you want that "meat taste" still, well its more texture, but textured soya protien is great, i get chunks and mince from the local asian supermarket to feed meateaters when they come over for dinner, most of them seem pretty impressed with it (or they are just polite) or you can check out Quorn (not sure if you have it in canada) or something similar but its dam expensive IMO.

Best tip i can give, get yourself familiar with the kitchen, i really love to cook and there is some much to be explored that you usually wouldnt touch, if you dont already it might be something you can learn to love plus, with a little succes you might even get your family/flatmates a little more interested in some vegetarian food.

As for drunken nights out, the ultimate kebab replacement, go for falafel or grilled halloumi in pita (im in london and i have found most places will have it)

If you want some veggie recipies let me know, will be more than happy to point out my favourites :)

Edit: Should have also mentioned, read up on balancing your diet correctly, it will take a little work at first but after a while it will just become habbit.

[Palestine]

Ok am an Arab, I personally LOVE MEAT, but here its not a capitalist thing, where cows are treated badly, they are in farms, but however I would like to recommend to you 2 dishes whenever you eat them you will be full and can't think of anything else.

Hummus, basically its chickpeas grounded finely with tahini sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Its a great dish and you have to eat it with pita bread, and have a diced tomatoes and pickles with it.

The second one is Fool, not fool as in stupid lol, this one is made from cooked black eyed peas, with cumin lemon juice and garlic, topped with olive oil and parsley, also eaten with the above.

A great sandwich would be falafel but that i don't know how to make :S its mainly chickpeas made into sort of a paste, and fried tastes great, you can have salad to go with it.

But listen buy organic meat, and try to lessen the amount of meat you consume, no need to deprive yourself, buy from sources you know they treat the animals good.

[Revy]

There are many protein alternatives to meat. If you are just going vegetarian and not vegan, there is protein in eggs and dairy as well as similar vitamins and minerals commonly found in meat (Vitamin B12 is only found in animal products). There are also plant sources of protein like beans, legumes, and nuts and nut butters. I suggest you research into vegetarian cooking as that will help you make the most enjoyment out of your meals.

There are meat substitutes like tofu, seitan, tempeh, TVP, and of course soy brands like Boca and Morningstar that have more flavor and similarity to the real thing, if that's what you'd prefer. But the Boca Original Vegan burger is bland, I do not recommend it. Some people don't think eating these processed soy products are healthy (but that's still under debate, apparently they say only fermented soy products like tempeh and soy sauce are healthy, but tofu is not fermented and it's eaten a lot by Asian cultures....), so you might want to try getting more natural sources of protein and see how much you like that...

- former vegan.

[Lyev]

A lot of African and Eastern cooking is fantastic for a vegetarian diet. I think this partly due to the heat in these countries so keeping meat for long amounts of time must be harder. I can wholly reccomend the chef Yotam Ottolenghi for some delicious vegetarian recipes. I am vegetarian myself by the way. Tofu is great, as are lentils, pulses, beans etc.; good luck on your meat-free journey!

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

I've gone two days strong without meat now. It's easier than I thought at this stage, the hard part will be avoiding kebab shops on the way home after being at the pub! Thanks for the tips, comrades.

[ellipsis]

A good way to start is to begin picking the vegetarian option instead of meat if you have the option. Ethnic food is a good way to find veggie options. So thats a good first step IMO.

[Invincible Summer]

For a long time now, I have been thinking about going vegetarian. I am finding it more and more difficult to enjoy my meals after seeing some gruesome images related to meat production/animal testing etc and I feel compelled to give up eating meat.

This poses many issues; I live in a house of meat eaters, have a girlfriend who's house I eat at frequently and this household eats a lot of meat too. I am surrounded by meat every single day, in every place that I go. These factors make the prospect of a meatless diet quite difficult.

What advice can comrades give on the situation? I am sure that there are people on here who have made decisions in similar conditions--can you provide any tips regarding the matter?

In addition to advice already given in this thread, I would like to add this:
learn to cook.

Seriously, if you care about your health at all, do not try to live off of store-bought "vegetarian" options, as they are usually drenched in some sort of sauce or have high sodium content. Lots of vegetarian "meat" items are pretty shitty too, but you can find some gems. I find the best "fake meat" stuff is found in East Asian food (mainly Chinese Buddhist), but I'm not sure how common that food is in your area.

If you're having issues with hunger, then eat more frequently, drink more frequently. Increase your fibre intake so you can stay full longer.

I'd say also try to find vegetarian restaurants and try the food to give yourself ideas on what to eat at home.

The rest of my family are omnivores as well, but they were actually very supportive of my vegetarianism, even to the point of them becoming more "flexitarians" (or eating vegetarian when it was convenient for them). My gf is a vegetarian as well, so I have no probs on that front. Just be prepared to answer lots of questions about your new diet though.


I was actually just thinking about starting up this thread!

Some comrades of mine have gone vegetarian, and told me about the health, and ideological satisfactions that came of it. I'm not surrounded by meat eaters, but I have an issue with the taste of vegetarian things. I just like the taste of meat, and have no idea how to go about finding good tasting vegetarian options.

I will leech off of this thread's advice :)

Lots of vegetarian meat substitutes suck... I'm sure you're familiar with Yves brand stuff since you're in Canada? Yeah, that stuff blows.

I'd definitely recommend checking out some Asian mall for vegetarian stuff, like bean curd, seitan, etc.

Tempeh is actually pretty good, but it's an acquired taste. It's fermented soy patty... got a bit of a nutty flavour to it, but if you know how to cook it it's great.

[Foldered]

Ethnic food is a good step for sure, much of the advice in the thread so far is great. Just do a little bit of research and you'll find that making the shift is easy and fun (I payed way more attention to my cooking after becoming vegan). I recommend cooking with beans as a staple, too. Baked beans are my go-to when I don't have time to make something plentiful.
There's only a few Yves products I eat when I don't have time to cook, but if there were more options where I live, I wouldn't buy their stuff. In somewhere like Vancouver, I wouldn't have to sink that low.
Another thing to keep in mind, unless you're planning on still having dairy/eggs, is that, depending on where you live, you probably won't be going out to eat as much. There aren't very many options for vegans, especially when travelling (I recently had butter on something that I thought would be vegan when I ordered it because I didn't want to waste the food). If you live in a bigger city, you have many more options when it comes to eating out and also getting good groceries.
I only have one vegan friend that I'm close with, but my mom is (has always been) vegetarian.

EDIT: I fucking love tempeh. I make this (http://www.tempeh.info/recipes/recipes.php?recipe=461) as my go-to tempeh dish and it's fucking delicious.

[Ele'ill]

Less fruits and more fibrous veggies- watch your blood sugar levels even if you haven't had issues with it before. I knew someone that 'went vegan' for a week and fucked their diet up by eating too many oranges. Grapefruits in the morning- never oranges.




Some things to look forward to while eating vegetarian are being able to spend 5-10 bucks and have enough frozen veggies for about two months worth of meals- Being able to throw Kale and Squash onto a skillet for 2 minutes with nothing more than salt, pepper and olive oil and be able to eat and go- no sanitizing dishes in the way you would having cooked chicken etc

You can still make and eat french fries.

Veganaise and Organic ketchup mixed together tastes like thousand island dressing

[MarxSchmarx]

Less fruits and more fibrous veggies- watch your blood sugar levels even if you haven't had issues with it before. I knew someone that 'went vegan' for a week and fucked their diet up by eating too many oranges. Grapefruits in the morning- never oranges.




Some things to look forward to while eating vegetarian are being able to spend 5-10 bucks and have enough frozen veggies for about two months worth of meals- Being able to throw Kale and Squash onto a skillet for 2 minutes with nothing more than salt, pepper and olive oil and be able to eat and go- no sanitizing dishes in the way you would having cooked chicken etc

You can still make and eat french fries.

Veganaise and Organic ketchup mixed together tastes like thousand island dressing

Freezing your vegetables is an excellent suggestion. Unfortunately this doesn't work well with onions or tomatoes, but virtually every other vegetable, it is a viable alternative. Squash products, in particular zucchini, freeze very well and can be kept for long times. Same goes for brocolli.

One thing you might want to also try are avocadoes. They are fatty and very fulfilling, and are in season in the northern hemisphere.

Also, as many comrades have suggested, ground bean products make for excellent alternatives to ground meats - for example bean burgers and tofu spaghetti sauce. This is very true, and in fact mixing them with brown rice is a way to add to their gluten content and keep them sticking.

[bricolage]

what the hell is 'ethnic' food?

[Quail]

Try shopping in health food shops as opposed to supermarkets. I buy soya mince which is really cheap and better than stuff like Quorn. Search online for recipes, and as someone said above, learn how to balance your diet. I was never a massive fan of meat, but perhaps you could try making tasty food that isn't meant to taste like meat, so that you don't feel disappointed? I'm totally adicted to falafels and humous. I probably eat far too many chickpeas, but they are very tasty and a good source of iron.

Just explain to people that you are vegetarian and explain why. They should accept it. If you find any nice veggie recipes, you could also offer to cook for your family or your girlfriend's family.

[Foldered]

There's also a lot of great (and I emphasize that for a reason) vegetarian/vegan recipe blogs out there with amazing recipes and tips. If you're looking for inexpensive, but substantial ways of eating, there's a lot out there. If you're really into cooking and always have been, there's vegetarian blogs that'll satisfy that too.
I've been using Vegan Dad and Fat Free Vegan quite a bit recently. Great stuff.

[Invincible Summer]

what the hell is 'ethnic' food?

Yeah it's kind of a silly, Eurocentric term, since every food is "ethnic." I guess you could say "ethnic food" describes cuisine that is specific to a certain culture, bypassing fast food staples like hot dogs, pizza, burgers, etc (at least here in N America).

I think vegetarian/vegan food is easier found in East Asian/SE Asian cuisine, but that's just my experience.

[lombas]

I've gone two days strong without meat now. It's easier than I thought at this stage, the hard part will be avoiding kebab shops on the way home after being at the pub! Thanks for the tips, comrades.

You act like it's an addiction... I was a vegetarian for three years, starting from one day to another - never had any trouble.

I stopped because I didn't want to eat stupid pasta dishes at restaurants (over here they don't have a wide choice for vegetarians) and didn't want to force other people to cook differently for me.

Now, I just never eat red meat and poultry and fish only occasionaly at home.

[bricolage]

Yeah it's kind of a silly, Eurocentric term, since every food is "ethnic." I guess you could say "ethnic food" describes cuisine that is specific to a certain culture, bypassing fast food staples like hot dogs, pizza, burgers, etc (at least here in N America).

I think vegetarian/vegan food is easier found in East Asian/SE Asian cuisine, but that's just my experience.

Oh right, that's odd, I reckon if you started calling stuff like that ethnic food here you'd probably get a smack.

But yeah Indian restaurants are normally the best for vegetarian food.

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

You act like it's an addiction... I was a vegetarian for three years, starting from one day to another - never had any trouble.

I stopped because I didn't want to eat stupid pasta dishes at restaurants (over here they don't have a wide choice for vegetarians) and didn't want to force other people to cook differently for me.

Now, I just never eat red meat and poultry and fish only occasionaly at home.
It's not an addiction. Meat was just a huge part of my diet due to convenience more than anything else.

Thanks for the tips everyone.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Which parts do you particularly need tips for? I'm a pretty experienced vegan so if you have any specific questions like protein or meat replacements please ask, I am more than glad to help. I'm just not good at explaining general things.

Edit: If you can get your hands on some samosas you will never stop thanking me for the suggestion. They are truly an amazing food.

[Foldered]

I stopped because I didn't want to eat stupid pasta dishes at restaurants (over here they don't have a wide choice for vegetarians) and didn't want to force other people to cook differently for me.
It's easy for me because I don't really have other people cook for me often. That, and most people I know that would be close enough to cook food for me know that I don't eat meat.
I understand the stupid pasta dish thing, too, but I can't even really do that (because I don't have dairy). I just don't really eat when I go to restaurants, depending on the situation.

[Invincible Summer]

Which parts do you particularly need tips for? I'm a pretty experienced vegan so if you have any specific questions like protein or meat replacements please ask, I am more than glad to help. I'm just not good at explaining general things.

Edit: If you can get your hands on some samosas you will never stop thanking me for the suggestion. They are truly an amazing food.

Samosas are the shiznat, although you have to get good ones. I've had some pretty terrible samosas in my day. They're also pretty bad for you.

Dosas are also excellent

[Foldered]

We should make a vegetarian recipe thread, or at least revive the other recipe thread.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Samosas are the shiznat, although you have to get good ones. I've had some pretty terrible samosas in my day. They're also pretty bad for you.

Dosas are also excellent
Terrible samosas? Were they the frozen kind? You have to go to a little Indian place to get the good ones. When you stumble across some good ones, they are really good. I do agree they can be bad for you, having the oily pastry crust. That's why I only have two or so every two weeks as a treat.

[Red Saxon]

Throw diced tomates, olives, mushrooms and olive oil into a skillet and then throw them onto a piece of toast with cheese.

Best fucking lunch ever.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Throw diced tomates, olives, mushrooms and olive oil into a skillet and then throw them onto a piece of toast with cheese.

Best fucking lunch ever.
Take away the cheese and that sounds fantastic!

Dipping whole-grain bread in garlic hummus is a great tasting way to get protein if anyone is interested. It's quick and not expensive either.

[Red Saxon]

Take away the cheese and that sounds fantastic!.I've tried it with vegan cheese and it tastes just as good, if not better.
The olives add quite a kick and really compliment the tomatoes.
:3

(It's a wonderful bruschetta idea)

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

I've tried it with vegan cheese and it tastes just as good, if not better.
The olives add quite a kick and really compliment the tomatoes.
:3

(It's a wonderful bruschetta idea)
Does it still have the same kick if it's just olives or just olive oil? Or do they have to be together?

[Red Saxon]

Does it still have the same kick if it's just olives or just olive oil? Or do they have to be together?Olive oil really doesn't have the same salty/bitter taste that green olives have. The olive oil is more to help combine the flavors of the ingredients and to keep them from burning on the skillet.

The mushrooms of course add their own taste (and are awesome for protein) but they really don't have that taste that gets you interested in the same way olives do.

Of course olives and olive are kinda high in fat, but it's good fat so I never really minded all that much. (and you being vegan [I guess] would find that a plus)

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Olive oil really doesn't have the same salty/bitter taste that green olives have. The olive oil is more to help combine the flavors of the ingredients and to keep them from burning on the skillet.

The mushrooms of course add their own taste (and are awesome for protein) but they really don't have that taste that gets you interested in the same way olives do.

Of course olives and olive are kinda high in fat, but it's good fat so I never really minded all that much. (and you being vegan [I guess] would find that a plus)
I don't mind the fat as long as its good fat(its poly and mono-unsaturated fats right?). Anyway, thanks for the recipe:), I will try it for lunch tomorrow. I will have to post here how it turns out.

[Red Saxon]

I don't mind the fat as long as its good fat(its poly and mono-unsaturated fats right?). Anyway, thanks for the recipe:), I will try it for lunch tomorrow. I will have to post here how it turns out.Oh yeah, the fat is unsaturated as far as I know. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Oh yeah, the fat is unsaturated as far as I know. Can't wait to hear what you think of it.
Though I'll have to do without the vegan cheese(I don't have any with me). Either way it will be delicious:).

[Pretty Flaco]

Quinoa is a protein powerhouse and there are many milks (soy, hemp, almond) that use quinoa for boosting nutrient content.
My family runs on quinoa, and I'd suggest anyone considering a meatless diet try it.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Quinoa is great protein source and has a wonderful flavor. This is the brand I eat:

http://www.worldpantry.com/altereco/img/product/alt-000144.jpg
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prmenbr=688899&prrfnbr=783814

Which brand do you eat and how do you use it?

[Foldered]

I buy red and white quinoa in bulk, normally. I use it in the place of rice (sometimes) for stir-fry dishes, in cold salads in the place of couscouse, and just as a bed for roasted vegetables.

It's pretty versatile.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Nooo! I can't find my pan(my kitchens a mess)! Now what am I supposed to do?:(

[Foldered]

Nooo! I can't find my pan(my kitchens a mess)! Now what am I supposed to do?:(
Microwave!

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Microwave!
Thanks:)! Now I'll have to go make that thing Red Saxon was talking about.

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

Thanks:)! Now I'll have to go make that thing Red Saxon was talking about.
Fuck!(I don't have any olives). Oh-well. I'll make it sooner or later.

[Illiteration]

I've tried quinoa once and I wasn't too sure about it...what are some good ways to use it? I've been vegetarian for seven months and am edging towards veganism, it's just a matter of willpower and learning some new recipes. :)

[Veg_Athei_Socialist]

If you have the money, the books Veganomicon:
http://dailygoods.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/veg.jpg
and Vegan Soul Kitchen:
http://books.google.com/books?id=LktlXASBLTUC&printsec=frontcover&img=1&zoom=1&l=220

have great recipes for beginners. I will have to post some soon if I find the time.

[Adi Shankara]

I tried going vegetarian for a while...the longest I could last was 3 months. Meat is just too important of a food for a healthy diet, in my opinion.

but yes, if you're trying to go that route, South Asian cuisine is probably the best vegetarian cuisine out there, also, Laotian and Thai food have good vegetarian dishes to them too, though they aren't strictly vegetarian (although the buddhists in SEA eat meat--go figure :P )

also, if you are just wanting a pick me up...bean and cheese quesadillas fried in coconut oil can't be beaten.