Vegetarian?!
Vegetarian?
i want to become a vegetarian, im gonna start this summer, but i know i cant just stop eating meat. what do i eat to get the same protein i get from meat? im not gonna stop drinking dairy products or eggs. and also, do i eat more fruits and everything? or do i eat the normal servings as a should everyday?
Answers:
It is a myth that you need to eat lots of protein. Think about it - the people who advocate that you must eat a lot of protein are probably those who stand to lose most if you stop eating it. People like those in the meat industry or those with old and out-dated understandings of diet.
The typical meat diet contains way too much protein than is actually good for you. You need to remember that protein, once digested, is broken down into amino acids for your body to use. A good vegetarian diet can more than adequately provide all the amino acids your body needs.
For more information on starting out as a vegetarian visit the VegSource web site forums (link below) for beginning vegetarians.
Source(s):
http://www.vegsource.com/talk/beginner/...
If you eat dairy and eggs, along with whole grains, veggies, legumes and nuts, you will get everything you need. You dont need as much protein as you think you do.
Read all about it here. It's easy. Now you only have to learn to make it tasty.
I would reccomend slowly removing meats from your diet, starting with poultry then progressing to beef etc. Yes, you are going to need to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, but most likely because you're probably not eating the reccomended daily level already. If you are, good for you, if you're not, then start by adding one more serving a day until you reach 6-10 servings a day. Your body will be used to eating extra protein, because meat provides more than you need, so eat a little bit more than the guides tell you to for the first little bit (two weeks or so) If you include tofu, rice, and legumes in your daily diet as well as the vegetables, you shouldn't need to worry about protein after the initial two weeks. There was a cookbook put out by Vegetarian Times with excellent resources on this matter; it's got great recipes and articles on nutrition.
For breakfast, have cereal or toast, waffles, etc. whatever you normally have. For snacks, have granola, fruits, veggies, rice cakes, or nuts. Nuts are a good source of protein. I'd also take vitamins for protein. Lunch, PB sandwich, rice and mized frozen veggies from the store, pasta. Dinner, whatever you feel like, without meat! If you're doing this because you love animals, I wouldn't eat gelatin either, which is animal fat.
To be a vegetarian just stop eating meat of all kinds--beef, chicken, fish--etc..you can still eat eggs and have dairy products...Get info from a nutritionist or from books or the internet about proper nutrition..many people are vegetarian and very healthy-my brother has been a vegetarian for most of his life--and he is huge--as in big and tall...(He is also addicted to milk!)..Most people I know are vegetarian and we are all healthy...talk to others who are vegetarian and get more creative with food--look up asian and indian recipes --there are many vegetarian recipes that will give you ideas...Trust your body...and your cravings...good luck
Don't go vegetarian overnight. It is very bad for your body to completely get rid of a food group soon. You need to slowly start eliminating meat from your diet, maybe no chicken one day, then beef, then pork, etc. With fruits, vegetables, grains, soy, nuts, etc. you'll be getting the same amount of protein. I take a pill for iron [I have trouble replacing it for some reason, and it's easy] and also a veggie and fruit supplement, it puts my mind at ease, knowing I'm getting everything I need. I HIGHLY recommend Morning Star Soy Chick'n Strips, they're heathy, and absolutely delicious. ^_^ Well, best of luck to you!!