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Any vegetarians or vegans out there? Need your support.
- Thread starter jc0481
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I've been a vegetarian for quite some time now, and have no second thoughts about being one. I am able to maintain a well-balanced, nutritious diet, and love being a vegetarian.
There are lots of meat substitutes as mentioned by others in the thread. The largest company in the US that makes meat substitutes is Morningstar Farms. Some of their products are very tasty and taste better than the real thing IMO (I'm referring to their chicken nuggets and original veggie burgers - they look, smell, and taste exactly like the real meat alternative), and others not so much.
There are lots of meat substitutes as mentioned by others in the thread. The largest company in the US that makes meat substitutes is Morningstar Farms. Some of their products are very tasty and taste better than the real thing IMO (I'm referring to their chicken nuggets and original veggie burgers - they look, smell, and taste exactly like the real meat alternative), and others not so much.
I've also been vege for quite some time now. Absolutely love it. It's easier if you've got a partner who is keen to go along for a ride with. A good idea is frequenting the vege restaurants in your area when you first start out for recipe ideas and to increase the breadth of foods that you would think of when shopping. And I'm sure it's already been mentioned but make sure you find yourself the very best greengrocer that you can. Try not to buy any veges from the supermarket is possible. They'll taste so much better. Good luck 
Don't take this too personally, but when I read "I need your support" this was the first thing to pop into my head,
In all seriousness though if you want to do this, do your research and make a decision. If you run into problems you can always go back to chicken
In all seriousness though if you want to do this, do your research and make a decision. If you run into problems you can always go back to chicken
Yeah you love this stuff.
Canines are true omnivores
Oh yeah these look the same
human
horse
chimp
tiger
Just saying, it aint nearly as clear cut as you want it to be.
Going to try a vege week next week with some meat sub products (mycoprotein). Doesn't sound so tasty but it's been on the back of my mind for a while, think the thread sparked it up again.
Don't eat just meat sub products, a lot of them aren't very healthy (lots of fat, etc).
Most are still healthier than meat (no cholesterol, low saturated fat etc) that being said I try to get greens and carbs in every meal as well. Balance is key, vegan or not
I try to balance my diet by eating a wide variety of meats.
I devoured a lettuce once, but that's because it lay on top of my steak. Sorry, but that bitch had to go.
I devoured a lettuce once, but that's because it lay on top of my steak. Sorry, but that bitch had to go.
Actually a lot of meat substitutes are worse than meat because they compensate for the lack of taste by having more fat and salt. It's usually better (health-wise) to eat organic meat than to eat most of those over-processed meat substitutes. Of course if a person is vegetarian or vegan and meat is not an option it's fine to have those once in a while but overall they should be avoided. Vegetables, legumes and grains are much better choices.
When I say "meat substitutes" I mean "fake meats". Those are usually very unhealthy. Tofu, tempeh, seitan and others are fine.
Although I started eating vegan about seven years ago, I'm now what some people call a "flexitarian," mainly in the interest of family harmony. (My wife still eats red meat a bit.) Animal products make up maybe 2-3% of my food intake. If I go over that, I feel funky the next day digestive-wise.
I was able to make the jump to vegan rather easily, since I like Asian food and had already become accustomed to tofu and other protein sources. Not everyone is like this, though. I also recommend a "weaning period".
There are three nutrients you should be aware of that can be difficult for vegetarians and vegans to maintain:
Avoid all-in-one multivitamins; it's like going after a gnat with a shotgun. If you're concerned about getting enough of a particular nutrient, consider that specific supplement. Anything else will be wasted-- literally.
Another good vegan book, online in PDF for free if you know where to look, is called Vegan: The New Ethics Of Eating, by Erik Marcus. It has great information, and features the stories of Howard Lyman the "Mad Cowboy" and Dr. Dean Ornish's vegan program to not only stop the progress of heart disease without surgery, but to reverse it. After my grandmother passed away battling heart disease, and seeing the effects it was having on my mother's side of the family, I decided to break the cycle, and this book provided lots of motivation.
I was able to make the jump to vegan rather easily, since I like Asian food and had already become accustomed to tofu and other protein sources. Not everyone is like this, though. I also recommend a "weaning period".
There are three nutrients you should be aware of that can be difficult for vegetarians and vegans to maintain:
- Calcium. You can get it from broccoli, from soymilk or from fortified orange juice. Spinach, although high in calcium, is NOT recommended as a source of calcium; spinach contains oxalates, which inhibit calcium absorption from the spinach and any other calcium source eaten with it.
- Iron. Broccoli and kale are good sources, as is spinach. Be sure that you eat a source of vitamin C with these, as vitamin C helps make plant-based iron more usable in the body. If you do eat spinach for the iron content, make sure you get your calcium from other meals that day.
- B12. This is the only nutrient humans require that has no reliable plant-based source. Luckily, you won't need much, and in fact you can probably coast for a week on the excess B12 you've stored in your body by eating meat up to this point. A B12 supplement or a small amount of nutritional yeast can help in this regard.
Avoid all-in-one multivitamins; it's like going after a gnat with a shotgun. If you're concerned about getting enough of a particular nutrient, consider that specific supplement. Anything else will be wasted-- literally.
Another good vegan book, online in PDF for free if you know where to look, is called Vegan: The New Ethics Of Eating, by Erik Marcus. It has great information, and features the stories of Howard Lyman the "Mad Cowboy" and Dr. Dean Ornish's vegan program to not only stop the progress of heart disease without surgery, but to reverse it. After my grandmother passed away battling heart disease, and seeing the effects it was having on my mother's side of the family, I decided to break the cycle, and this book provided lots of motivation.
I don't get the whole point of these fake meats and soy cheeses. If you want to become vegan/vegetarian, then don't turn around and have fake hot dogs and cheeseburgers and try to convince yourself (and others) that they taste "just like the real thing". Because they don't. Our local greyhound rescue group switched their grille fundraiser at their semi-annual open house to only vegan hamburgers and hot dogs a few years ago and the proceeds went way down. Even the greys know the difference and don't pull their owners towards the grille as much. Nothing is sadder looking than giving a dog some food and having them drop it on the ground and look up for something else. Greyhounds are pickier than other breeds, but they aren't that picky. Trying to convert others into being vegans with this stuff won't work.
My wife and I have vegan friends who have invited us over for dinner. I have plenty to eat with the salads, fruits and pretty much everything up until they bring out their main course. It is invariably some kind of vegan lasagna that they are quite proud of because it "tastes just like the real thing". It doesn't; soy cheese tastes like donkey. I wish they would just have vegan pasta with sauce or even some kind of stir-fry instead of trying to go all-out with the lasagna. All it does is make me crave real lasagna dripping with real cheese and meat. Then there are the deserts. It seems that to compensate for not using eggs they put in WAY too much sugar or other sweeteners. To the OP, if you have a major sweet tooth you will probably love vegan deserts. It was just too sweet for me.
While I do agree to some point (those fake meats very rarely taste anything like meat) when I tried to become vegetarian I did make some vegetarian versions of meat dishes. In my case it wasn't about trying to make them taste like meat, it was just about making a vegetarian version of a dish I liked because otherwise I couldn't eat it. So I made vegetarian lasagna, vegetarian tacos, etc. None of them were anything like the meat version but they were really good and that was the point.
Also what you have to understand is that if someone has been a vegetarian/vegan for a while they might not even remember what actual meat tastes like and they're so used to the fake meat/cheese versions that they actually think they taste the same.
But I do agree that if someone wants to become vegan/vegetarian it's better to actually embrace it and get used to eating fresh veggies and legumes and all that stuff instead of just relying on fake meats.
EDIT: Also, the eggs in (most) desserts are actually really easy to replace since the eggs just act as a binding element, they don't do much for flavour so they're not the reason why vegan desserts are too sweet.
Ftw
HA. I don't eat things with faces.
I make sure the face is removed before I eat it
But seriously, good luck. A few friends have "gone vegetarian" and they all have gone back to eating old-school human food within a year of starting.
Don't take this too personally, but when I read "I need your support" this was the first thing to pop into my head,
In all seriousness though if you want to do this, do your research and make a decision. If you run into problems you can always go back to chicken
HA. I don't eat things with faces.
I make sure the face is removed before I eat it
But seriously, good luck. A few friends have "gone vegetarian" and they all have gone back to eating old-school human food within a year of starting.
We've reduced our traditional meat consumption in our house by only getting minimally processed meat products. What that means is we don't have time to get to the butcher on a regular basis and thus only buy on the weekend. Since we prefer fresh over frozen, that means we have cut that down to once a week. Fish, on the other hand, we tend to buy frozen wild caught if it isn't a locally caught swimmer.
The higher prices we pay encourage us to be judicious, but what we eat we enjoy.
Besides, how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?
You've just summarized the reason. Changing habits does require an investment of time and research. Cutting meat meat out requires taking the time to learn how to compensate for the switch from meat proteins to plant based. Cutting all animal products requires even more research, as you need to investigate and learn what products contain eggs and milk that you might not have suspected. It isn't as difficult as getting rid of wheat, but it is a process.
Fear has nothing to do with learning. Learning has everything to do with learning.
Neither do I . Faking your way around meat is just euphemizing your beliefs. You are better off just making a full substitution and figuring out how to get a texture or taste that is natural. The folks that surprise me the most are the ethical vegetarians/vegans that do this. By buying in to the fake meat industry, all you do is prop up the actual meat industry, show producers that people will keep buying products because it has a taste and texture that they are looking for.
The higher prices we pay encourage us to be judicious, but what we eat we enjoy.
Besides, how can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?
You've just summarized the reason. Changing habits does require an investment of time and research. Cutting meat meat out requires taking the time to learn how to compensate for the switch from meat proteins to plant based. Cutting all animal products requires even more research, as you need to investigate and learn what products contain eggs and milk that you might not have suspected. It isn't as difficult as getting rid of wheat, but it is a process.
Fear has nothing to do with learning. Learning has everything to do with learning.
Neither do I . Faking your way around meat is just euphemizing your beliefs. You are better off just making a full substitution and figuring out how to get a texture or taste that is natural. The folks that surprise me the most are the ethical vegetarians/vegans that do this. By buying in to the fake meat industry, all you do is prop up the actual meat industry, show producers that people will keep buying products because it has a taste and texture that they are looking for.
Can't say I've ever seen a fat vegetarian.
How old were you when that was taken?
Can't say I've ever seen a fat vegetarian.
I have.
A lot of vegetarians just go from eating meat to eating fatty vegetarian food: greasy pizza, pasta with lots of cheese, fries...
Ease of delivery and integration. A burger is a very efficient way to eat, and veggie burgers make use of all the same cooking equipment and condiments as a real burger. They also allow one to eat vegetarian at barbecues, restaurants, pot lucks, and other social events with minimal extra preparation or consideration.
I agree. I have been vegetarian for... a year now. I quit smoking a year
ago, quit world of warcraft and smoking ciggarettes and started doing
a lot of cardio. Being vegetarian and a runner is good because I can
indulge on some serious carbs.. : )
I run 5k every day and 10k 2 times a week. I do also take vitamins, but that is it. Not vegan, just vegetarian. Now really the thought of eating meat is what makes me sick. ahaha The occasional craving for it is
almost gone as quick as it comes.
I'd highly encourage anyone wanting to try it, you gain a lot of energy
and you drop weight like mad. Just make sure to *make up for it* with
protein from nuts or soy, or a supplement. It's awesome. Plus when
you go shopping, your grocery cart looks healthy
.In the two years I have been working out and the year I paired it with
vegetarianism, I have lost 80 pounds or so. I went from 210 to 130,
45% body fat to whatever I am now, and 40 inch waist to 28. I figured
that I wasn't getting any younger and it was time to just get out and
get hungry to be healthy. I am glad I did. Anyways, here are some pics
for those interested. One is a before pic.. me playing THPS on an old
Windows box I had.. and neglecting the stupid Gazelle exercise machine
that I got from Walmart. Dude.. the treadmill is where it's at, and running
outside.
LOL those are even old pics.
Attachments
Or you could save your money and research the subject on the interwebs.
From eatright.org...
Vegetarian Eating - Fact vs. Fiction
Myth: Vegetarians need to take vitamin or mineral supplements.
Fact: Most healthy vegetarians dont need to take supplements although there may be exceptions. Someone switching to a vegetarian diet should meet with a registered dietitian to be sure that all necessary vitamins and minerals are being consumed from food sources.
Myth: Vegetarian diets are lacking in protein.
Fact: Many plant-based foods contain protein. Grain foods, such as bread, cereal, pasta and rice, or nuts, beans and tofu are just a few vegetable-based foods that contain protein.
Myth: Vegetarians dont get enough calcium in their diet.
Fact: Vegetarians who dont eat dairy products can obtain calcium from green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens and foods fortified with calcium.
Myth: Vegetarians need to take vitamin or mineral supplements.
Fact: Most healthy vegetarians dont need to take supplements although there may be exceptions. Someone switching to a vegetarian diet should meet with a registered dietitian to be sure that all necessary vitamins and minerals are being consumed from food sources.
Myth: Vegetarian diets are lacking in protein.
Fact: Many plant-based foods contain protein. Grain foods, such as bread, cereal, pasta and rice, or nuts, beans and tofu are just a few vegetable-based foods that contain protein.
Myth: Vegetarians dont get enough calcium in their diet.
Fact: Vegetarians who dont eat dairy products can obtain calcium from green, leafy vegetables such as spinach and collard greens and foods fortified with calcium.
I love when people post absolute FUD about a topic like it is fact.
You don't need supplements to be vegan.
You don't need to watch what you eat anymore than anyone else does being vegan.
Sorry we can agree to disagree, but on average it is a much healthier choice for most people even with the fake meat stuff.
You don't need to make "sure you get enough protein".
Just try to eat balanced meals with a little bit of protein, a little bit of carbs and a little bit of greens and you will be just fine.
At the end of the day it is a personal choice, a positive, ethical one that will change your life for the better.
/End of thread
You don't need supplements to be vegan.
You don't need to watch what you eat anymore than anyone else does being vegan.
Sorry we can agree to disagree, but on average it is a much healthier choice for most people even with the fake meat stuff.
You don't need to make "sure you get enough protein".
Just try to eat balanced meals with a little bit of protein, a little bit of carbs and a little bit of greens and you will be just fine.
At the end of the day it is a personal choice, a positive, ethical one that will change your life for the better.
/End of thread