What is the best way to transition from meat eating to vegetarian?!

I don't know if it's the "best" way, but I just went cold turkey. Woke up one morning, decided I was going to make a life change, and that was that. Never went back. Before I made the transition, I knew I wanted to be vegetarian "someday" and I knew I never LIKED meat to begin with. But I didn't know WHEN I was going to do it or how (i.e. "cold turkey" (sort of a pun) or not), until that very morning when I just woke up and decided.

As for what you need nutrients wise & where to get it, here's my personal complete "vegetarian" list of items to specifically look out for considering your change in diet. Forgive me, but, I gave this exact answer to someone before, and it's so long I just copy n' pasted instead of writing it down all over again. It's the same information, and I think you'll find it VERY helpful. Of course, this list will be longer if you one day decide to go vegan. =)

Zinc. You need zinc to keep your immune system in optimal shape, heal wounds and metabolize carbs, proteins and fats. Vegetarian sources include legumes (beans and lentils), whole grains, nuts, seeds, soy, dairy, and fortified foods. Try Vegetarian Chili for a super-easy (microwave!) way to pull together a meal rich in zinc-containing foods.

Iron. Not getting enough can leave you weak, pale, and easily tired. Vegetarian sources include fortified cereals and grain foods, legumes, soy, dried fruit, and green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. This Lentil Spinach Soup would be a great pick because it contains both lentils and spinach. (Omit the chicken, obviously, to keep it vegetarian!)

Vitamin B12. Besides meat, the only good sources of naturally occuring B12 are dairy and eggs. Vegans should take a supplement or use fortified foods like soymilk. A Breakfast Burrito or Garden Omelet (both of which have eggs and cheese) would help you get B12, and both take less than 10 minutes to make. Bear in mind though, that 91% of the B12 in eggs is in the yolk, so use whole eggs instead of whites.

Vitamin D. implicated in preventing chronic diseases from cancer to cardiovascular disease. Vitamin D is also needed for bone health, regulation of the inflammatory response, and absorption of dietary calcium. You may know that you can synthesize vitamin D in your skin with exposure to sunlight. You can also get D from a vegetarian diet by choosing milk and dairy foods fortified with vitamin D. In light the of recent research though, it appears that higher levels of vitamin D than the RDA are beneficial, so this one instance in which I recommend taking a supplement of 400-1000 IU.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). involved in the reactions necessary to utilize carbohydrates, fat, and protiens for energy. Good sources include mushrooms, spinach, romaine, broccoli, eggs, soy and dairy foods. Why not throw together a vegetable-rich stir fry with tofu or tempeh on a weeknight? You’d get lots of different B12 sources there from the vegetables and the soy.

Calcium. Choosing 3 dairy foods a day will provide enough calcium for an average adult, or you can substitute non-dairy equivalents like soymilk, soy yogurt. (But check that nondairy foods have added calcium, because some don’t.) Some quick ideas for meeting calcium needs include smoothies, yogurt with nuts, fruit or flaxseeds stirred in, or a dairy dessert like Riccotta Cream or instant pudding. You can also use milk in tomato soup to bump up the nutrient content of an instant meal, like this Creamy Tomato Soup.

Protein. Our body nerves, tissues, bones all are made up of proteins. So proteins become very necessary for them to grow and repair. Another function of protein is that it produces antibodies which fight with the bacteria, viruses, toxins and many foreign substances that are harmful for the body. Moreover when you are injected by cold, flu etc. it helps in the cellular healing process. The best sources of protein are chick peas, baked beans, tofu, cow's milk, lentils, soya milk, museli, boiled eggs, peanuts, bread, and hard cheese.

Omega 3 fatty acids. There are many functions of omega 3, some of which are: increasing energy and performance, easing PMS, lowering risk for cardiovascular disease, aiding in weight reduction, strengthening the immune system, regulating organs and glands, speeding up the healing process, improving digesting and lessening the chance of infection. Omega 3 fatty acids can be obtained by eating flaxseed, omega-3 fortified eggs, omega-3 fortified butter, omega-3 fortified cheese, walnuts, various leafy greens, and flaxseed oils.

There aren't really any health differences between phasing out meat slowly and quickly. As long as you make sure to keep getting enough nutrients across the board, you can transition at a speed that's comfortable for you.

The most important nutrients in meat that you'll need to compensate for are protein, iron, and vitamin B12. B12 is found in all animal products, so as long as you keep eating dairy and eggs, you should be set. Dark greens will provide you with iron, beans and legumes are good sources of protein, and eggs are a good source of both protein and iron. You can also take iron and B12 supplements if you find it difficult to integrate them into your diet naturally.

vegetarian of 10 years :)

Just see what works for you. I went cold turkey (what a horrible expression!) but was the only vegetarian on a farm with about 70 meat heads, and I was the cook! So I had to do a lot of meat dishes and I was tempted and succumbed on more than one occasion.

All the vitamins and minerals in meat are in vegetables, except for B12 which is in nori but also is supplemented to many vegan foods like soy milk and nutritional yeast. The other major thing is omega 3 fatty acids. These are found in plants, but only in short chains like ALA. Our brains really need the long chain EPA and DHA omega 3's, and although we do convert the short chain to DHA ourselves it is not a very efficient process in humans. The best solution is to get vegetarian DHA from algae oil, which you can get bottled or in vegie caps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=679TqVwWS…

Go slow because going cold turkey could backfire making it more difficult to start up again. I've known people who literally took years before cutting meat completely out of their diets. But they reached their desired goals.

Another thing I strongly recommend (which I see you are already doing, smart girl) is to educate yourself on nutrition. The absolute WORST advertisements for vegetarianism are frail vegetarians who look like walking death because they never bothered learning how to supplement what they use to get from meat.

Good luck & good health to you.

hahaha 'cold turkey' now that is just plain cruel!