I need stories and advice from vegeterians who were die-hard meat eaters.?!
Answers: I've finally decided I want to become a vegeterian for purely ethical reasons. I've been a very compassionate person towards animals all of my life, and after growing up to the ugly world and realizing how the meat industry works, it has sickened me. I want to finally make an effort into starting this new diet. The problem is that I've been eating lots of meat all of my life, so making this huge transition is going to be extremely hard. I would like to know someone who were in my shoes, how they finally became a full-fledged vegeterian, and which meat substitues actually tastes a lot like meat. I'm afraid of trying tofu and other soy products, but right now I'm willing to try it out. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
The only meat I was really into was chicken and turkey, I had a bit of a hard time giving them up. But then I watched Meet Your Meat and after just a couple of minutes I was done with eating those animals. Bocca and Morningstar Farms make really good chik-n patties, nuggetts and strips that taste like real chicken (my omni bf agrees). I don't like the fake hamburgers but you should try them because you might. Also the fake pork ribs taste exactly like a real pork rib, and I have heard that the corndogs and hotdogs are good. I just never liked real hotdogs so I wont bother to try them. If you watch those videos, Earthlings or Meet Your Meat, you wont be able to forget what you have seen and that could very well make meat not look so good anymore. Good luck.
I was an omnivore 1 year ago. But then, last March, I watched the documentary "Earthlings" and I saw the Meet Your Meat video and I went vegan in one day. I've been vegan ever since and I'm never looking back.
You can find these videos easily online. For the Meet Your Meat Video, simply type in www.meat.org and watch the video (make sure you have some tissues nearby). For the Earthlings movie (2 hour documentary) do a google search for "earthlings" and then click on video near the top of the screen or just click on the links below.
Well I am a vegan who was a *die-hard* cheese eater, I mean I loved cheese so much I never thought I would give it up, but at the time I knew nothing about veganism really. Dairy has always made me sick, but I didn't realize just how horrible it was. I saw this video of how dairy cows are treated, then I researched on it, and veganism, then became a vegan. Since I do not like abuse or anything of such, so a video of that was all I needed to never eat cheese again. Plus there are vegan alternatives to everything pretty much!
Actually most of the meat substitues r made from soy & flour... so u must not taken it usually becox of the high carborhydrate... take more bean & egg as protein... be a vegen also will feel hungry faster, so u can eat more in a meal... read more magazine or u can check in website bout what u should to take for make sure u will not leak in nutrient... congratulation to u & good luck..
Reading all about these sad animals tortures will really have an effect on you. Something that could chnage you would be the stories of the chickens in slaughter houses for places such as KFC. Knowing these animals are born and raised just to be killed and eaten is one thing, but it turns extra sour when you learn that the poor things are tortured by people moments before they are killed. Going to a mraket and seeing all the meat packets on shelves you have to think about how many animals were killed for it, and even more so how many are being killed right now. You see the blood, and smell the dead flesh. All just for your pleasure? These animals have feelings just like people. They have fear in their eyes when lined up on a slaughter belt, you can hear there cries and its gut wrenching. Some animals are so young, just babies taken away from their mother and not only the baby suffers. Because the mother of that young cries for her baby.
There can also be healthy benefits from a life like this. Its better to stuff yourself with fresh foods rather then the meat of a dead animal. Juts make sure you get plenty of complete protiens (which can be found in benas and rice eaten togther) and you can also eat nuts for extra protien. If you feel sluggish, take a Vitamin supplents (make sure you get B12)
hi, I have been a veggie all my life. - I know that doesnot answer your question. But I wanted to show you support anyways! - You can do it! good luck!
I've been a vegetarian for almost two years now, and let me tell you -- it's one of the hardest and best decisions I've made. I used to eat meat every day, twice a day, so it took me a while to get accustomed to not having it. The first couple months were hard -- I would slip and eat something with animal products in it. What you can do is slowly wean yourself off of meat, so it won't come as such a shock. Now I don't even think about not eating meat, it comes naturally. Give it a few months and you'll be fine. As for meat substitutes, I like Morningstar products. They should be in the frozen food section at wal mart. A vegetarian lifestyle, while saving innocent animals from a cruel death at the hands of a factory worker, can also really improve your health and help you lose weight (if you need it. . . I dropped a couple pants sizes since my change in diet, and it rocked :). Just make sure you're eating the right things, like lentils and veggies, and not a ton of sweets or pre-packaged foods.
What you're doing is awesome, and I wish you luck! :)
I'm still a die hard meat eater.;-)
I was a meat eater for 20 years, and one day, thanks to KFC, I became a vegetarian. Although I stopped eating all meat, fish included, I had meat cravings for two years. I was repulsed by the smell and the taste of meat, but I could not get rid of the cravings. I have been clean of meat for 20 years now and I'm happy about my choice. Yes I would slip up and give into a chicken sandwich, but I would not enjoy it. I believe that meat is a mental addiction, and given enough time you will get over the cravings. I am not a fan of meat substitutes, as I don't like the taste of meat, but tofu is good. Tofu doesn't have a taste, but takes on the flavors of what it is added to, like soup. All I can do is tell you to give it some time and the cravings will go away. Good luck.
A lot of vegetarians are black and white thinkers, and both black and white are harder places to actually live than in the gray. It's still better to cut back on your meat intake by say 50% or so at first than continue on full meat. You can also switch to meat sources that are more ethical and green. I am a pesco-vegetarian (like most of the world out there beyond US borders). I was "full fledged" vegetarian for years. Most vegans are short lived since a lot of people give up... You should find the right balance for you that you can live with. I haven't eaten meat or fowl for 13 years though, so I'm not sure what replacement products taste like meat. The morningstar farms products are pretty easy to digest though... for starters, (like what I do for my non-veg friends) I'd suggest using the "ground beef" like products in sauces.
I used to eat meat ALL the time...sometimes even 3 times a day...It was just how I was raised...Like yourself, I've also always been an animal lover, so eating certain meats always kind of bothered me...Until one day I decided I was going to research the topic and the meat industry and I was disgusted. I became a vegetarian overnight and haven't eaten a single piece of meat in a year. I don't eat any fake meat (I don't like the taste). I eat a lot of soy, tofu, vegetables, beans etc. I've never felt healthier and I am in the best shape of my life. I also don't eat any dairy products because I am lactose intolerant, so that has something to do with it also.
Hope this helped!
I used to be a die-hard meat eater. :-( I loved ribs, gyros, cheeseburgers, turkey and fish.
My turning point (very much like the first responder) was watching the "Meet your Meat" video on the PETA website. I could not have imagined those atrocities in my wildest dreams.
I had made up my mind at that time that I would be a vegetarian, but I was not totally 'convinced'. That pushed me over the edge and I've never wanted to go back.
I'm not big on meat-substitutes. They are heavily processed foods and they should be eaten in moderation. I do like:
MorningStar Farms - "crumbles" (resemble ground beef), chick'n nuggets, veggie burgers.
Bocca - Veggie sausages and vegan veggie burgers.
LightLife - Chick'n strips (great for stir fry), GimmeLean "ground beef"
Just ease yourself into tofu. Remember -it's not a requirement in order to call yourself a vegetarian. :-)
I hope you don't mind an answer coming from an on/off vegetarian. I am currently a meat eater. It seems you have taken step one already and that is an education. I would suggest that you find a Seventh Day Adventist church in your area and go on a Saturday morning and ask about vegetarian diet. While you may not agree with the religion I promise you will find it most helpful to talk to some people there about being a vegetarian. Many Adventist are vegetarian and some are vegan.
Having said that do not expect vegetarian meat to taste like the real thing because it USUALLY DON'T. Fri Chick put out by Woringthon foods is supposed to taste like chicken. It taste nothing like chicken, it does however taste very great, and it is a vegie "meat" I love. Bologno is put out by Woringthon and it is kind of like Bologna, but I love the Bologno far better. Grillers Original by Morning Star Farms are the best tasting invintation of hambugars possible, for taste but don't a thing like hambugars. They are however very great tasting, I love Grillers Original.
The easiest stuff to find that vegetarian is Bocca and Morning Star Farms. From persoanl experience Morning Star Farms is better than Bocca! Both are found at any grocery store in the frozen food section. Then there is LomaLinda and Woringthon foods which make lots of vegetarian foods. They are usually sold at an Adventist Book Center. The store name could be shorted to either ABC or ABC Christian!
If you live in Michigan then you will want to find a store called Apple Valley. It is a vegetarian store that has every type of vegetarian food possible. The locations are in Berrien Springs, Kalmazoo, GrandRapids, Holland, Cadillac, and Battle Creek. There is also one Apple Valley near Chicago in Westmont IL.
You asked about tofu. Tofu is a "blank slate." It can taste like anything you flavor it to be. Tofu is a sponge basically so if you don't generously flavor it then it won't taste good. Tofu is only good when fixed properly so be ware of that.
Yes best possible idea is to look up a Seventh Day Adventist church {if not for the religion- fine} but for the knowledge of those inside about being a vegetarian. Not all of them will but most should know about meat substuites.
Welcome to a whole new world! I think that you will find that a meat-free diet improves your life in many ways - I have more energy and less stress, less fat and more fun. A few years ago, I moved to a ranching community and worked for the Dept. of Agriculture. Needless to say, eating steak was pretty much a requirement of the work and social climate! (And "vegetarian" is a bad word.)
Then, I stopped eating meat as a one-month experiment... but I felt so much better that I haven't returned to eating meat. I was worried that it would be difficult socially, but as long as I don't preach to others, it seems to be fine.
Learning to cook tofu is helpful - it takes on the flavor of pretty much anything you cook it with! As for meat substitutes, I love MorningStar "sausage" crumbles and patties, and the Boca spicy "chicken." The key is not to expect these foods to be exactly like meat - just enjoy them for what they are: lowfat, animal-friendly, protein powerhouses!
Good luck!!!
I used to love the stuff, I confess. But after I turned 30, my body started having trouble digesting the stuff. One day, I'm eating these wings, and I was so disgusted, I decided then and there to go veg. I'd been doing some research already--whether I was considering it or it was for my boyfriend (who's been veg longer than I have), I don't remember.
So I did some research, discovered the dairy-veal connection and a lot of other nasty things about dairy, discovered how horribly hens kept for eggs are treated, and I decided to go vegan.
For veggie burgers: Gardenburger is pretty good, but most of their stuff is not vegan, just vegetarian. Amy's Texas Burger is my all-time favorite. I don't care for Boca burgers, but I will eat them.
There are veggie hot dogs, veggie deli slices, veggie crumbles, veggie sausages. Gardenburger also makes riblets, which are scarily reminiscent of the McDeathburger McRib sandwich.
Don't be afraid of trying tofu. It takes practice, but you will probably find a method that works for you. Try tempeh. It's an Indonesian food made of fermented soy protein. You can marinate and fry or bake, or you can just crumble into a stew or make a chili with it.
I also make my own seitan (wheat gluten). Sarah Kramer's "La Dolce Vegan" has some really easy simmering broths to make it. Seitan is a great substitute, but the premade stuff in the store is overpriced and not very good. I simmer the gluten dough in large lumps so I can gut it up anyway I choose.
Also, you can get a vegetarian starter guide from www.cok.net.
Good luck!