any suggestions on becoming vegetarian

[blondie58]

Hi All

One of my goals this year is to eat a lot less meat, not that I eat too much anyway, but I am really leaning towards being a vegetarian again. I say again, as twenty five years ago, I went through my latent "hippie" phase and went vegetarian. I didn't really know what I was doing, though and gave up after finding it a little difficult to maneuver. Now, though with the web I think that it really might be an easier task. Does anyone have any favorite websites, books, anything to help someone who is thinking of becoming a vegetarian?
Thanks in advance and happy New Year! Dawn

[LeftyMom]

1. bookwise, are you looking for a cookbook or a nutrition book or a book that justifies being veg?

As far as websites go, vegweb.com for sure. They have eleventy gazillion recipes, and I've never had one with good comments not come out.

As far as stores go I like Pangea, which is at veganstore.com

[blondie58]

4. yeah, I guess I am looking for resources to help me in this quest

I tried it for about a year, some twenty years ago, and I do remember how difficult it was. Those websites look really goood, thanks- I can't wait to check them out. We are starting to get better stores here, we have Wild Oats and Sunflower Market, and I live about ten minutes from Boulder, which should have many stores. I am sure that I will be asking more and more questions.

[K8-EEE]

16. Question for you

What are your favorite foods now?

It helps to find yummy alternatives to them, for instance, I always loved Mexican food so I've learned to make killer tacos, chili, rellenos, etc NOBODY misses the meat...not even the carnivores! Basically I put guacamole on everything but the kitchen sink so I'm a happy camper.

It took me a while and some experimentation though to get used to this new style of cooking.

[yewberry]

2. That's a pretty big question, ma'am.

I guess what I'd first ask is, what is your reason for doing it?

Okay, for example, my husband went veg in the mid-90s for reasons of food safety. He read 'The Jungle' and 'Mad Cowboy.' I went veg back in the awful 80s and didn't seek out a lot of community resources, so I still don't know about a lot of what is out there.

A lot of folks I know who were looking a veg diets for environmental or cruelty reasons read Diet for a New America (Robbins) or Silent Spring (Carson) or Meat Market (Marcus...this one will make you want to produce all of your own food).

There are groups like vegsource with forums for people who are just looking for recipes or support around the process of going veg, or even places like veganlunchbox for easy food ideas.

Or, you could keep asking around here. We're a pretty welcoming group (though there may be a few new folks from time to time who might want to pass judgment...best to just ignore that stuff).

So, hey, what are you looking for? I know that someone here will know how to find it!

[blondie58]

3. yeah. I guess I did ask a very vague, obscure question at that!

but my first reason is the reason that I tried it back in the eighties- I don't want to eat anything that looks back at me. Sometimes meat just tastes like flesh.

I also think that a vegetarian diet is probably healthier and could be good for weight loss. I am not overweight as my job is very active, being a letter carrier with the post office, but my guy is a little bit and he is thinking of going vegetarian also.

I guess that I wanted to just pick your brains, so to speak and I already like the reading suggestions that you've made. I just bought The Jungle to read and I read Silent Spring back in the eighties and it did leave a big impression on me. I just knew that someone on this site would have some excellent suggestions, I have learned so much since joining and initially lurking on DU. I will go search out vegsource and veganlunchbox- gosh, I love the internet!

And you're right the issue of food safety is probably more important now than it has ever been.

Well, this is a great start. Thank you both so much for your suggestions. I think that it will be much easier now, than when I tried twenty some years ago.

[some guy]

5. It will be much easier than it was.

Promise.

I tried to go veg in the late 70s-early 80s, and it was a disaster. Apart from the advice people have already posted, one thing you can do is simple web searches. Just put in a food idea you desire and add vegetarian or vegan as a search criteria. Then you can spend a few minutes reading different recipes for the thing you had in mind, and decide which recipe option sounds most like what you want to try.

Since you're in Colorado, if there is a Vitamin Cottage close by, that's a pretty good store for vegetarian shopping. The one by me just moved and expanded, it's much nicer.

Be sure to check out the recipes posted at the top of this forum. The ones I've tried have all been really good.

Happy healthier eating. :hi:

[blondie58]

6. yep, there is a VItamin Cottage along with the

overpriced Wild Oats and we now have the www.sunflowermarket.com by old Elitches in north Denver, also. You know, that was about the same time that I tried it and gave up because it was so difficult. I love the internet, though- there is so much to learn and so much information out there! I have always had a hard time eating something that looks back at me- I have to put in the category (in my brain) of being just food. Thanks for the positive thoughts!

[peacebuzzard]

7. I think you already found your help.

welcome to the forum. This group has been my prime source of information over the last few years. Because of some of the discussions/comments I was inspired to switch from eating an occasional seafood meal or tuna to vegetarian and then finally made the move to vegan over a year ago have not regretted it at all. My reasons are similar to yours.

Recently ran extensive blood work and all my vitamin and mineral groups were normal except for inositol (a B vit. which is easily depleted by coffee and I love coffee in the morning!) That said, I have decided to supplement recently but it is very low scale.

Welcome, blondie58. :hi:

[flvegan]

9. You're one of us, peacebuzzard

This is a fine group. I'm proud of this collective here. Very proud.

[peacebuzzard]

12. thanks! I've been looking for my tribe for a long, long time!

nothing like a virtual electronic neighborhood to balance out the tasks of daily life!

[blondie58]

10. thanks for the warm welcome, peacebuzzard

I can see what an endless source of information this group is going to be. I stumbled upon it awhile back and the first post that I read was a posting by mycritters2 on the murder of his friend, the snake. It was eloquently beautiful and poignant and it left a big impression on me about the caliber of the people that post here. I say stumbled because it is truly hidden, and not where you think it would be. Thank you again and I can't wait to try some of the recipes!

[peacebuzzard]

13. I come here for relief from lots of factors.

comedy: yes, some. recipes: wow, some will change your meal preps.

Of most importance to me though is the relief I seek when I can just no longer stand the realization of so much injustice and suffering inflicted upon other species. I am sure everyone here has their mailboxes stuffed with pleas of help for so many animal groups. I read them all, try to help some...we all have limited resources. But, when the weight of the injustice bears down, for a break I come here.

[flvegan]

8. I have to give you credit. Lots of it.

Going veg 20 years ago...can't even imagine.

*caveat* Picking brains is a NON vegetarian activity...or somthing. Ha ha...see? We're funny here in the Tofu Ghetto.

ANYway, you've got some good suggestions in this thread. I'm just here for the comedic relief.

[blondie58]

11. thanks. fivegan

and I do like comedic relief! Tofu Ghetto? SOunds like a placce that I would like to frequent! I can tell from reading posts, that there are a lot of good hearted people here. I think that laughter is very beneficial to one.

“Laughter is one of the very privileges of reason, being confined to the human species.”
Thomas Carlyle quotes (Scottish Historian and Essayist, leading figure in the Victorian era. 1795-1881)

[Boudica the Lyoness]

14. I went cold turkey in September 1974

My first husband bought me a book called 'Cooking with mother nature' by Dick Gregory. I just quit right then eating all meat. I was a lacto-ovo for years but now the only animal product I consume is none fat milk in my tea.

[K8-EEE]

15. Hi!! My suggestion is this: EAT THE MOST DELICIOUS FOOD!

VEGAN CUISINE IS SOOOO GOOD!!

I am only a half-atarion and occasional meat/dairy eater but honestly it's getting more and more occasional just out of preference.

The more I learn about/cook vegan food (which I mostly got into because of my vegan teenager & my dad who went vegan at age 70) the more I truly prefer it.

There is a learning curve about the meat-alternative products. You have to learn which are good and the cooking techniques, and of course it's helpful that I live in L.A., I'm sure that we have much more selection of vegan restaurants than most places.

Find things you love to eat, find equivalents of your animal-food faves (ie, veggie burgers for hamburgers) try different stuff until you find the ones you really like.

[nankerphelge]

17. Free vegetarian starter kits...

www.afa-online.org/starterpack.html

www.mercyforanimals.org/vegan_starter_kit.asp

www.peta.org.uk/feat/ukvegkit

www.vegetarianstarterkit.com

www.vegkids.com/order.asp

www.vegkit.org

[blondie58]

18. what a wonderful bunch of sites, nankerphelge!

thank you very much!!