Vegetarianism... any suggestions for a big meat eater that is about to make the jump?!
Vegetarianism... any suggestions for a big meat eater that is about to make the jump?
Anyone else went from few veggies to only veggies? Any suggestions on doing it successfully?
Answers:
It is not as hard as some meat eaters make it out to be. Before I went vegetarian I was a major meat eater. I hated vegetables(I would only eat carrots, and corn).
One day I decided to become vegetarian and haven't looked back since. I think the key is knowing what to cook, and I'll admit at first I was not happy with what I was eating(as my recipes were limited). When I found more recipes(I just collect them from everywhere, books, friends, internet, etc) I discovered that I wasn't missing anything(taste wise) by not eating meat.
If I really liked a meat based dish I found a way to make it vegetarian(it wasn't the meat I missed, but the dishes themselves). I loved chicken and broccoli, so I found that tofu and broccoli was just as good. When I missed tacos, I replaced the meat with taco seasoned rice. Sloppy Joes, I used lentils. It all about creativity.
I also found that the more vegetables I ate the more I liked them. I used to hate broccoli(unless it was chicken and broccoli), now it is one of my favorite veggies, the same with cauliflower, asparagus. For some of the veggies it took a few times, mostly experimenting with cooking(steaming times, etc)
There is nothing in meat that you cannot get from a vegetarian diet. Remember to eat a large variety of fruits, vegetables, beans and grains.
To make the switch some do it all at once and others do it gradually. There are different benefits from both ways. All at once is more final, no way to tell yourself tomorrow I'll cut out the ..., I don't feel like doing it today, While gradual gives you a chance to find recipes and get used to not eating meat over time(cutting out a different meat each week).