This isn't really a controversial topic, but I couldn't think of where else to put this. And I didn't see a thread started on the topic yet. If there already is though, just lock it I guess.
I'm thinking of going Vegetarian. I've given this a lot of thought over the years and I think I'm finally ready to take this step. When I walked past the meat room the other week in a store, I felt very lightheaded and sick to my stomach and I can't bear to think of happens during the actual slaughtering of the animals. Now I'm not going Vegan, but I probably Ovo-Lacto. However, I don't want to just start eating unhealthy and loading up on junk food and sweets, I still want to be healthy. Especially since I still want to try and lose weight. So, I want to make sure to get enough proteins and nutrients, and I would like some tips on how to do that, please. I have already talked to my doctor about this, but I would like some input from those of you who are already experienced with this type of diet, since it also helps to hear from people who have already been there. So, any other vegetarians out there who could help me out? Maybe give me some advice and/or maybe recommend some of your favorite meals? Thanks in advance!
Also, feel free to discuss your thoughts on Vegetarianism here as well and help others out too. This thread isn't just for me after all. :) Please be respectful of others' opinions though.
Forums Serious Talk Vegetarianism
@Lithinel: Do you have any allergies to any food types?
I haven't been able to eat meat since I was about 14-15ish years old, it upsets my stomach so I was forced into being a vegetarian, (though I don't mind it at all!!).
I myself am also losing weight, and I know it's super easy to stock up on junk food when first becoming a vegetarian.
Like I was asking before, if you had any allergies, because the best source of protein that I have found is in nuts, and seeds! If you cut up nuts, or put seeds in the food your making, you don't even really taste them and it's a lot of protein! Or you could just eat nuts and seeds normally as well, just be careful with buying them pre=seasoned because they hide a lot of salt and stuff in them, I normally buy them unseasoned, and season them myself.
You are also gunna want to be eating a lot of vegetables, find the ones you like, even try new types if you can, and cook them, or eat them raw, if you do cook them adding the seeds and nuts is super easy! I find I love green/orange/yellow/red peppers! As well as mushrooms, even sweet potatoes!
With losing weight though you are gunna want to eat at the very least 3 meals a day, and little healthy snacks in between each meal.
I use a site that my friend showed me called Yummly, they have easy and tasty recipes there, as well as you can pick and choose what you don't want in them! They also have a phone app.
If you have any questions feel free to ask, I'm not a professional or anything!! Just been figuring things out myself and all ~
@aries:
Thank you so much for all of advice and recommendations. I'm glad that someone responded to this thread so quickly. I don't have any food allergies that I know of. I know for a fact I'm not allergic to nuts at least. So those are indeed an option, which is a good thing since you mentioned they're a great source of protein. Plus, I like quite a few types of nuts, so I'll definitely be sure to include them in my diet. Beans are a good source of protein too if I remember right, correct?
I have actually been finding more and more vegetables I like recently, since I've been trying new ones to see what I like for when I go vegetarian. I'm kind of easing into slowly since I'm doing this by choice rather than doing everything at once. But I do find I like mushrooms when they're mixed with something else, not so much on their own. And three meals a day with healthy snacks in between, thanks! That will definitely be of some help to me. I will defintetly remember that.
Thank you again for the advice and for letting me know about the site. I'll definitely be sure to check it out. And okay, thanks so much for being willing to answer questions. I may just end up asking you if I do end up having some questions.
Thank you so much for all of advice and recommendations. I'm glad that someone responded to this thread so quickly. I don't have any food allergies that I know of. I know for a fact I'm not allergic to nuts at least. So those are indeed an option, which is a good thing since you mentioned they're a great source of protein. Plus, I like quite a few types of nuts, so I'll definitely be sure to include them in my diet. Beans are a good source of protein too if I remember right, correct?
I have actually been finding more and more vegetables I like recently, since I've been trying new ones to see what I like for when I go vegetarian. I'm kind of easing into slowly since I'm doing this by choice rather than doing everything at once. But I do find I like mushrooms when they're mixed with something else, not so much on their own. And three meals a day with healthy snacks in between, thanks! That will definitely be of some help to me. I will defintetly remember that.
Thank you again for the advice and for letting me know about the site. I'll definitely be sure to check it out. And okay, thanks so much for being willing to answer questions. I may just end up asking you if I do end up having some questions.
I was vegetarian for about 6 years and pescetarian for 4.
i just ended that to eat chicken. for me it's red meat that makes me ill.
i LOVE veggies. i eat a lot of rice with veggies. pan fried all together.
there are a lot of faux meat things that i love. there are faux ground beef and burger things that are great.
i make chili with tons of veggies and the faux ground beef stuff.
but i mainly ate veggies and rice and various protein things.
like the nuts or the faux meat.
i still eat a lot of vegetarian options. i prefer a lot of them still xD
good luck on your journey! :D
@Lithinel: Feel free to message me anytime!! No worries or anything.
I feel the same way about mushrooms too, and yes, beans are great too!!
I just mainly snack on pumpkin/sunflower seeds! They are so good with a little bit of garlic!!
Flax seeds are really helpful too! I normally sneak those into my food.
Smoothies are good as well, you can actually get protein ones or buy protein to put in them, for breakfast or lunch!
I'm glad you are so willing to try new veggies, I feel like that is a really hard part too, so you are ahead of the game already ~
EDIT: Also cheese is greatttt!! I have just slices of it, or mix it in with my veggies, it's great for protein!
Honki o misete miro.
@pixiebuns:
Thank you so much for the good luck and the tips. I actually just recently bought some faux meat to try out to see if I like it. So I guess that is indeed a start.
@aries:
Thanks again! For all of the tips. I really appreciate it. Especially since I haven't done this before.
I absolutely love smoothies, so I'll definitely have to look into adding some protein to some.
Thank you so much for the good luck and the tips. I actually just recently bought some faux meat to try out to see if I like it. So I guess that is indeed a start.
@aries:
Thanks again! For all of the tips. I really appreciate it. Especially since I haven't done this before.
I absolutely love smoothies, so I'll definitely have to look into adding some protein to some.
i love meat... i couldn't go without it but thats just me, i know loads of vegetarians, i do like vege food, i also know that vegetarians are the WORST farters, seriously they could kill with their gas, its also been proven that meat eaters fart less... lol just throwing that fact in there, i should go vege as i'm intolerant to alot of meats now, bacon is the worst for me. you should try the Quorn range, also mac'n'cheese burgers are awesome... and coliflower cheese grills!!
Ahhh, vegetarianism! I would take the step if I could. I'm really not a big fan of meat in general, and do eat primarily vegetables, fruits, grains, etc., but there are some meat products to which I am hopelessly addicted. :C
> If you like fish / are willing to eat it (pescetarian), eat it often! Raw is best, but can be pricey (you can buy sushi-grade fish at some markets). As others have mentioned, nuts and seeds are perfect, loaded with energy; and since you plan on going ovo-lacto, you can get plenty of protein from cheese, yogurt, and especially eggs.
> Veggies and fruits are your best friend and should make up at least 50% of your diet. Snack on them frequently. Buy loads of them when they're on sale; buy them frozen and make smoothies (+ yogurt and supergreens for protein and energy)! If you're into cooking, you can make some soups that use both vegetables and fruits (they're not weird/sweet, don't worry).
> "You can eat a pound of bacon for breakfast if you want, so long as you don't have any carbs" - quote from a guy I used to know who tried the Atkins diet. It's not exactly correct, but the point is that you can eat plenty of protein and fat so long as you don't eat a bunch of bread with it.
> Drink plenty of water! Drink a glass in the morning, before/with your meals, throughout the day, whenever works for you. It'll help sate 'hunger' pangs (which are often actually 'thirst' pangs) and I often do it to fill my stomach and reduce the urge to gorge on snacks. c':
> If you like fish / are willing to eat it (pescetarian), eat it often! Raw is best, but can be pricey (you can buy sushi-grade fish at some markets). As others have mentioned, nuts and seeds are perfect, loaded with energy; and since you plan on going ovo-lacto, you can get plenty of protein from cheese, yogurt, and especially eggs.
> Veggies and fruits are your best friend and should make up at least 50% of your diet. Snack on them frequently. Buy loads of them when they're on sale; buy them frozen and make smoothies (+ yogurt and supergreens for protein and energy)! If you're into cooking, you can make some soups that use both vegetables and fruits (they're not weird/sweet, don't worry).
> "You can eat a pound of bacon for breakfast if you want, so long as you don't have any carbs" - quote from a guy I used to know who tried the Atkins diet. It's not exactly correct, but the point is that you can eat plenty of protein and fat so long as you don't eat a bunch of bread with it.
> Drink plenty of water! Drink a glass in the morning, before/with your meals, throughout the day, whenever works for you. It'll help sate 'hunger' pangs (which are often actually 'thirst' pangs) and I often do it to fill my stomach and reduce the urge to gorge on snacks. c':
@vixiemoocow: Hey, to each their own. I have actually tried quite a few different varieties of the Quorn food and they are quite good. I have not tried mac and cheese burgers, but I do love both veggie burgers and black bean burgers. Even better than regular hamburgers actually.
@vii: This is something I've pondered on for years and it was just late 2017 that I finally decided to take that step. For me my guilt of eating animals and desire to no longer eat them won out over my fondness of certain meats, but it is a choice that is entirely up to you of course. Thank you for all of the pieces of advice as well. I may have to start including eggs in my diet a bit more frequently so that I can still get my protein as well as the other things that you mentioned, though I'll have to pay attention to yogurt and make sure I don't get any with gelatin.
General update for anyone interested: I'm easing into this slowly, so I haven't gone completely vegetarian as of yet. However, in the last few months, I've removed beef, pork, and turkey from my diet entirely and don't miss it a bit. There are still times where I'm eating fish and chicken (the latter being much less often) but the days I do, I limit it 1-2 meals per week. All other meals I am meat free. I've also been doing research and taking out foods with gelatin in them (like marshmallows, and certain candies) but I'm still working on that since I don't know ALL the foods that contain it. Needless to say, I am quite proud of my progress so far and I feel a lot less guilty than I did when I was an omnivore.
@vii: This is something I've pondered on for years and it was just late 2017 that I finally decided to take that step. For me my guilt of eating animals and desire to no longer eat them won out over my fondness of certain meats, but it is a choice that is entirely up to you of course. Thank you for all of the pieces of advice as well. I may have to start including eggs in my diet a bit more frequently so that I can still get my protein as well as the other things that you mentioned, though I'll have to pay attention to yogurt and make sure I don't get any with gelatin.
General update for anyone interested: I'm easing into this slowly, so I haven't gone completely vegetarian as of yet. However, in the last few months, I've removed beef, pork, and turkey from my diet entirely and don't miss it a bit. There are still times where I'm eating fish and chicken (the latter being much less often) but the days I do, I limit it 1-2 meals per week. All other meals I am meat free. I've also been doing research and taking out foods with gelatin in them (like marshmallows, and certain candies) but I'm still working on that since I don't know ALL the foods that contain it. Needless to say, I am quite proud of my progress so far and I feel a lot less guilty than I did when I was an omnivore.
@Lithinel: You're welcome! Perhaps someday I'll reach the point of full commitment. There are constant reminders everywhere since most of our neighbours have horses / cows / goats / some kind of "livestock" animal.
Also, a nifty portion trick I've found is your protein per meal should be about the size of the palm of your hand. Helps a lot in making sure you get enough every day!
Also, a nifty portion trick I've found is your protein per meal should be about the size of the palm of your hand. Helps a lot in making sure you get enough every day!
@vii: If you ever do decide to make the commitment, best of luck to you. For me it came pretty easily, but for others it is harder. I have found it rather worth it so far. And thanks for the portion trick. :)
@VixieMooCow: vegetarians and vegans eat more bean products, so they fart more, but, when I was a vegetarian, I farted less than now when I do eat meat.
@Lithinel: little tip: check the ingredients before you buy anything. A lot of things do have animal products in them, such as candy.
@tuijp: Thank you for the tip, I have actually gotten in the habit of checking ingredients and researching the source of the products.
Unicorn is a deer until a
@Lithinel: I used eat a lot vegetables and fruits as a kid
I still do, don't get me wrong but I've always wanted to
try tofu I don't why either maybe at one point I just wanted
to eat only fruits and vegetables.
Unicorn horn gets made!
@Lithinel: I used eat a lot vegetables and fruits as a kid
I still do, don't get me wrong but I've always wanted to
try tofu I don't why either maybe at one point I just wanted
to eat only fruits and vegetables.
Unicorn horn gets made!
@unicorn: I've actually been wanting to try tofu myself. So if I can let you know how it tastes if I try it first. :)
a colorful unicorn
@Lithinel: tofu doesn't really have a taste, unless it is cooked with something with something that has flavor. I'd like to know the texture, so I can go buy it and try it out. I think one of the stores in my town, might still sell tofu. I've been wanting to try it for years. Maybe this summer I will try it
without a horn!
@Lithinel: tofu doesn't really have a taste, unless it is cooked with something with something that has flavor. I'd like to know the texture, so I can go buy it and try it out. I think one of the stores in my town, might still sell tofu. I've been wanting to try it for years. Maybe this summer I will try it
without a horn!
If you can’t say something nice, Don’t say anything at all!
@unicorn: Ah, okay. But sure, I can let you know about the texture then if I try it before you do. I mean you wouldn't have to take my word for it, but I'd be more than happy to give you an opinion.
@totalanimefan: Thanks for the input. I've made some pretty good progress already, I've actually found I really like black bean burgers, and most vegetarian substitutes. So that's helping out pretty well.
@totalanimefan: Thanks for the input. I've made some pretty good progress already, I've actually found I really like black bean burgers, and most vegetarian substitutes. So that's helping out pretty well.
@Lithinel: I would recommend the Japanese Silken Tofu if you can find it. Its soft and silky in texture and its the only tofu I like. It is good breaded then fried but you gotta be very careful not to break it. If you do it right it looks like this 
Mmm I LOVE fried tofu! I season mine and fry it in a pan with a little oil. Tasty, delicious, crispy snack! And they're good with ketchup... but I wouldn't be caught dead saying that... It's easier to fry the firmer tofu, but there is something to be said about the texture of silken.
Now I want tofu dangit... But there's no way I'm going to get some from the store right now |D
Now I want tofu dangit... But there's no way I'm going to get some from the store right now |D
[ often multitasking unsuccessfully ] | [ I may take a while to respond, but haven't forgotten you! ♥ ]
qu'est-ce que tu vas chercher?
qu'est-ce que tu vas chercher?
@Vii: Riiiight? It's amazing! I usually dump mine in some spicy gravy and eat it with rice.
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Having you as a Voltie would be awesome.