Any advice for a newborn vegetarian?!
Answers: I just became a vegetarian 6 weeks ago and have been successful at not eating meat so far (except fish, I'll quit eating that later) but I keep eating things I didn't normally eat before like a lot of snack foods. I became a vegetarian to improve my health and it has worked so far, but I feel I've had a relapse due to my constant snacking to take the edge of the desire to eat meat. What would you suggest? Vegetarians only please.
Hi Kels
Congratulations on you being easy on yourself making the adjustment. I wonder if your desire to eat meat is because you're body is wanting more protein or whether it's because you don't yet have a lot of recipes in your reportoire just yet.
If it's the protein side of things you could eat more eggs (quiches, fritatas) or dairy. If you are into the pH diet or don't want eggs or dairy try green drinks and get good Omega 3 & 6 oils into your diet (helps you lose weight and gives you gorgeous skin). I found green drinks (wheat grass, barley green, vital greens etc) really stabilised my blood sugar and got rid of my 3pm chocolate fix.
The easiest thing when you first start is to just replace meat with alternatives - yes it's processed food and that's not the healthiest but it will really help in that adjustment period. At first I went straight for the meat substitutes and was eating them twice a day.
Meal ideas:
* quick & easy meat substitutes - vegetarian sausages, franks, burgers, nuggets etc
* home cooking - beans and lentils can be used in most of your normal meals such as casseroles, mexican meals, curries etc
* fish / seafood - unprocessed seafood with lots of salad or vegies.
For more meal ideas, go to Google.com and enter vegetarian recipes.
Failing that, you can change your snacks to be more healthy:
* vegies or rice crackers with hummus, salsa or home made guacamole
* Nuts
* Dried fruit
Eat a steak it'll make you happy
Give it time! But, I guess that's not really helpful..
Do you eat meat substitutes? Those used to help me with cravings. They're not exactly healthy, but they're better than eating a bunch of snacks to satisfy a craving.
Try making lots of different foods. Check out vegweb.com for some recipes. Once you get really into it, you'll find so many new flavors and combinations that you won't feel like anything is lacking.
Also, if you feel like you can't just stop snaking, go for the healthy standards, like carrot sticks or celery.
Oh, and the best way to stop cravings (for me at least) is to actually think about the meat.. as in, think about the dead body it represents. I've been a vegetarian for 11 years, but I still get the odd craving. Once I picture what actually goes into a sausage, or what part of a cow the meat for a hamburger gets cut out of, I get a little grossed out and the craving ends.
Eat meat, it is your destiny... come to the dark side!!
Snacking is normal, vegetarian or not. Excessive snacking isn't.
I suggest you stock up on healthy snacks, like carrot sticks, cereal, etc. Keep them handy, and you will find yourself reaching for them rather than the junk.
Congrats on becoming vegetarian though, keep it up.
Uh, snack on fruits and vegetables or drink tea and water.
If you are having problems with craving meat, watch this http://meat.org
Eat some meat. For crying out loud, don't buy into the vegan hype. Meat is amazingly good for you.
give it time
i was like that when i first became vegetarian
i found that when you feel like snacking on something, distract yourself with something else... go for a shower... paint your nails...
if your actually hungary then eat fruit and then find something to distract yourself with... preferably doing something that it isnt possible to eat at the same time as doing your chosen distraction