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Vegetarians/Vegans, come in please
Hi---
I am considering a lifestyle change, and I am quite serious about becoming a vegetarian. I had no intentions of becoming vegan at first, but the more research I do, the more I am leaning towards it.
One thing I know is that meat has become less and less of a necessity to me over the years, my desire to eat it has decreased, and after reading several books over the last couple of weeks, I am even less inclined to eat it. I think Skinny B!tch sealed the deal, LOL!
I think I will take baby steps, my goal is 30 days at a time.
Can you tell me, how do you do it? What do you eat at restaraunts? What do you eat when friends invite you for dinner? I need to NOT be a pain in the a$$ about this as much as possible.
Also, any good book that you suggest? Cook books or website recommendations?
TIA
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Vegetarians/Vegans, come in please
I have been a vegetarian since I was 15 years old (I am 35 now) so it's hard for me to think outside of being a vegetarian..even though I make meat for the family every evening. As far as going out to eat most places have veggie selections now so it is really pretty easy. I also always ask if I can substitute with something else...like I'll notice they have asparagus on another menu item so I'll ask to replace something like chicken with the asparagus (in a salad, pasta etc.) and they are usually very ageeable. Most everyone who knows me knows I don't eat meat, poultry or fish but if a dinner happens and the person does not know (a school friends etc.) I just say "I'm a vegetarian but it looks like there are plenty of sides here for me to munch on." I never ever ever make a stink about it and I've been in odd situations over the years with people who know I don't eat meat.
I don't cooke from veggie cook books but I'm sure there are a ton out there.
Good luck!
I've been doing it for so long it's like second nature to me!
restaurants are easy-though sometimes that means ordering stuff off the app menu or combining side dishes or whatever. The one thing that annoys me is everyone I'm with opening up the menu and proceed to point out to me what is there that I will eat...I can read! worry about yourself! LOL
dinner...I don't know-I never say anything. I always feel bad b/c people tend to panic when they know I'm veg (or at least they used to...not so much anymore) I just brush it off-assure them that they can make whatever they want and I'm sure there will be plenty for me to eat. It's not really ever been a problem. Well, except the argument I have with my Grandmother every year about why I won't eat turkey on Thanksgiving!
cookbooks: I really like Laurel's kitchen. Moosewood is good too. I have a bunch of random other ones, but none of them are vegan.
I read a book called "The China Study" which explains how/why animal protein can cause so many health problems. It was fascinating! I tried to eat vegan as much as I could after that, but no doubt - it was hard. I did a lot of tofu/soy, beans, lentils for protein. Lots of fruits and veggies. And soy milk or almond milk. As for restaurants, I would order things like veggie wraps, burritos or fajitas. Or tofu w/veggies. I found myself eating out less (which was a good thing for the waistline). But since I didn't consider myself a "real" vegan, I'd order meat every now and then
There is a small cookbook called The Glad Cow which had some pretty good recipes. I still cooked meat for my DH and DS, but always modified my portion of dinner. If they were eating hamburgers, I'd do a veggie burger. If they had chicken stir-fry, I'd sautee some tofu for me. Spaghetti with meat sauce for them...sauce w/sauteed soy sausage for me.
If anything, it really forced me to eat better and I avoided a lot of processed foods. Now that I'm pregnant, I eat meat again...but I'll definitely cut back or cut it out after this baby comes. Good luck!!
I initially had intentions of going vegan, but I cannot give up cheese. Milk--eeh, I liked Soy and Almond Milks just fine..but cheese...I cannot give up my cheese....
I also read skinny b!tch...and I guess, actually I'm not really even vegetarian. I wont eat beef, pork, chicken.....but I have no problem with fish...the book wasn't very convincing about dirty seas = dirty fish...because if that was the case then wouldn't the air we breathe be dirty and its the air that vegetables are grown in. So I eat fish. And I guess honestly I would have no issues with eating hunted meat...like wild Turkey or deer because it doesn't have the hormones and such.....anyways.
At first, I did a lot of the substitutes. My DH couldn't tell the difference....Quorn makes a wonderful chicken substitute that I'd put in chicken dishes. And Morningstar meat crumbles aren't bad. Then I just found recipes that don't have meat and no biggie...my family isn't picky if its a hot meal on the table.
Restaurants---there are always salads that you can order without the meat (or I'd get it on the side and give it to my husband), or appetizers or pasta. It's not too hard to figure out SOMETHING to eat.
Just don't be like this girl I knew who made a big freaking deal if we'd go to a restaurant. "Um...what on here is vegetarian???" Ummm...figure it out yourself...but it was like her way of announcing to the world that she was a vegetarian....weird and awkward!
Good luck!!
My husband is a Seventh Day Adventist, and they are mostly vegetarians, and the most diehards are vegans. My SIL gave me a great cookbook a few years back that has all vegan recipies that are all really, really healthy. The SDA religion has a huge base in Loma Linda, CA. Time mag did a thing on them last year that they have one of the longest life spans in the US, due mostly to their diet and lifestyle. My friend's mom is SDA; she had her 80th b-day party, and I swear she didn't look older than like 55.
Google Seventh Day Adventist cookbooks. I use it quite a bit.
Christmas 2011
That's so weird you posted this today-I was going to! I was meat free for years. I now only do chicken/turkey and fish. Even that now has been turning me off.
I just got a whole bunch of vegan books at the library to see what kinds of recipes I'd like. Vegan is hard, or at least, will be hard for me. I haven't had milk for years (I drink almond milk), but I do love my cheese.
As far as going to outings or restaurants, I haven't had any issues. My parents get annoyed, but they're dealing with it. I just don't eat the main/meat dish. It's been easy at restaurants too. I do like grace does and just ask them to sub things in.
https://generationv.blogspot.com/2010/01/resources-for-new-vegans.html
I am not a huge milk drinker, and I like soy milk and coconut milk (for my coffee)
But the cheese. How do I give up the cheese????????????????
I've been a vegetarian for 20 years so it is almost second nature to me now.
It is best to dine out at ethnic restaurants (thai, chinese, italian) because they usually have more choices than the typical steak and potato places. (Pre celiac diagnosis) I ordered lots of pasta and veggie dishes or veggie pizzas or stirfry.
When eating at friends' houses, they often made a good side dish that I could eat as a main dish. But just in case, I usually had a snack before going over.
I used to eat those Morningstar Farms fake meats a lot. But since those things are all gluteny I've become pretty good at preparing tofu. The key is to buy the good organic kind, drain it well, pat it dry with lots of paper towel, cube it, roll it in cornstarch and seasonsings and fry or bake. I make a big batch of it and then have it on salads or mix it into stirfry, fried rice, risotto, pasta/veggie dishes, etc.
I don't know how not to be vegetarian...but if you ever have questions or want recipes- let me know.
The garden of Vegan is a really fun cook book by the girls who wrote Where it Vegan- also good.
My dad is vegan- but my mom and I are only vegetarian. My brother defected a couple of years ago! dude eats MEAT. oddly he didn't have any issues when he started eating meat...My kids have never touched meat- but they lovve cheese.
I use a lot of meat substitutes, and eat a lot of vegetables and mexican food and thai food. pastas, salads, smoothies...
I wish I didn't love cheese, but I do.
Go to whole foods and get inspired in the meat replacement aisle- you'll get lots of ideas, the Quorn brand has some REALLY yummy foods- but it is made from a fungal protein that doesn't agree with some people- the taste is amazing. We use mornign star or boca ground beef crumbles in almost everything...
I am definitely cutting out most, if not all dairy. I know I will have a hard time with cheese and am not going to eliminate that as of yet. But milk is gone.I have no idea how I will manage without my cheese. I hear there are cheese substitutes that are good?
I have had many meat replacement foods, and I have liked them all. In fact, the chicken nuggets are so darn true to real chicken, that if you snuck them to someone who had no clue, they would think they were real chicken.