[sammydoll]

Actually.. going Vegetarian really is the biggest thing you could do to help both yourself (if you do it right and eat balanced) and the environment. Peta's demonstrations are extreme but going vegetarian is by no means overrated.

In general Vegetarians have lower BMI, lower cholesterol/fat intake (and lower chances of having a heart attack), and longer life expectancy. Obviously if you've watched videos you know about some of the environmental perks.

Again, good luck! <3

I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years now (though before i went veg i only ate white meats and no seafoods, so it wasn't hard for me.. was just a gradual decision.)

[purplekitty]

Originally Posted by sammydoll

I'm a vegetarian but know many vegans. I suggest you start by just going veg. Contrary to what someone said here- Peta is actually a great resource to help you go vegetarian!

http://www.peta2.com/STUFF/s-recipe.asp

^^ check this out.. looongg list of vegan food from everywhere.. that whole site in general is great.

The most important part of going veggie or vegan is to get enough protein- so explore dishes with beans, tofu, spinach, etc.

Good luck!

I agree, that is a great resource!!
I've been a vegetarian for quite some time now, and it's the best thing I have ever done! I feel a lot more healthy and just better about myself. It has also been very easy for me to live a vegetarian lifestyle. I don't even think about meat, I don't even like to touch it.
Anyways, you are doing a great thing and are making a great decision! There are so many food and vitamin sources to get all the nutrients you need, and being a vegetarian/vegan is much better for your health in the long-run.
Let us know how it goes!

[ScienceNerd]

I am totally uneducated..I didn't even know there was a difference in vegan and vegitarian. I will definitely be taking baby steps. I'm going to try like veggie burgers or whatever as substitute for ground beef in my mexican food. Do you guys have any suggestions because I am in love with my burritos and that will really be the only difficult thing to change while giving up red meat.

[caitlin1214]

Vegan means no animal products - milk, eggs, meat . . . .



Vegetarian means no meat.



You could try the vegetarian substitute for ground beef.

If you just want to give up red meat, you could just go for chicken. (And make sure it's free range.)

[sammydoll]

Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind.. So as well as not eating any meat, seafood, dairy, or eggs.. it also typically means you don't wear leather or other animal skins.. though there are many people who call themselves vegan who are not this strict. This also includes not using products tested on animals, etc.

Vegan as a definition would also X out things like honey and Jell-O.

check out http://www.vegan.org

[sammydoll]

As for fakemeat- i'm not a huge fan but i love Gardenburger brand veggieburgers. You can use them in any dish as you would ground beef (just crumble it) and Whole Foods always has a great selection. My favourite is the 'Black Bean Chipotle' :) http://www.gardenburger.com

[agreenst]

Originally Posted by jellybebe

I haven't touched red meat for 16 years, but I do have chicken and fish. It all depends on what you're comfortable with. Sounds like you could definitely do without red meat, but what about seafood? For me, it's way too healthy to give up - I like those omega-3s! IMO eating should be about fun, not deprivation and torture.

I totally agree! Torturing yourself isn't worth it! I guess i am more of a flexitarian than a vegetarian, as occasionally i will eat some seafood. I know that if i wanted to i could cut out seafood and therefore be eating no meat, but heck, i'm now living in New Orleans for college. It's part of the culture, and i know that there would be times where i would be missing out on things if i said absolutely no to seafood.

[caitlin1214]

Originally Posted by sammydoll

Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind.. So as well as not eating any meat, seafood, dairy, or eggs.. it also typically means you don't wear leather or other animal skins.. though there are many people who call themselves vegan who are not this strict. This also includes not using products tested on animals, etc.

Vegan as a definition would also X out things like honey and Jell-O.

check out http://www.vegan.org

As well as anything with gelatin in it. (Certain types of gummi candies for example.)

[ScienceNerd]

Gelatin hmm...I have a lot to learn. I think fake meat will be the easy part, but it will be a long time, if ever, before I'm able to give up poultry.

[caitlin1214]

That's fine if you don't want to give up poultry.


It's your choice and we love you either way.


What you can do is make sure the chicken is free-range.

[BagsRME]

I came across this thread by doing a search on vegan diets. I went vegetarian last year but went back to eating meat because I was not balancing y diet and became anemic. I have decided that as of April 1st I will go on an entirely vegan diet, and tofu seems to be my best friend at the moment, because I'm in a transitioning period.

[jen512]

sorry just found this thread trying to search for easy vegan recipes (if anyone has any- i need easy lunch ideas!) but anyway, sciencenerd, i just wanted to make sure you realize that EVERYTHING has vegan substitutes, I buy vegan mayo, vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream, ice cream, etc. It's delicious- and I buy mine directly at my regular grocery store, we unfortunately don't have a whole food yet...

[Amarante]

^You may already know about this but try "Skinny Bitch In The Kitch". They should have it on Amazon. Don't be turned off by the title, it's a great series of books by some saucy vegan ladies.

[HauteMama]

I was vegetarian for about 15 years, but I never could have gone vegan. Vegetarian is simply no meat - so no poultry, fish or red meat, no soups made with an animal-based broth, etc. I also did not eat gelatin. But I like to bake and could not have eliminated eggs from my diet completely, nor could I have given up milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream or honey. It takes a lot of research and dedication to be vegan.

And don't feel that you need to fit some predetermined mold of eating. Start slowly. If you want to begin by eliminating red meats and only eat poultry or fish, then that is a great start. You may later decide to go fully vegetarian. After that you may actually decide that being vegan is right for you, but don't let anyone else make you feel like you HAVE to include or eliminate anything from your diet. Your body will tell you what works best for you - for some people that is being omnivorous, for others it is vegetarianism, for others it is vegan and for still others it is raw foods or macrobiotic diets or something else.

[caitlin1214]

I was at the grocery store and I discovered Guardian Angel products. They're cakes, muffins and cookies made for people with food allergies.


They contain:

NO peanuts
NO nuts
NO eggs
NO dairy


The bottom two satisfy the vegan diet.



Here's their website:

http://www.guardianangelfoods.com/eng/home.htm