vegetarians ONLY

College Confidential Community
1

<p>i know you are thinking... another one. ugh. </p>

<p>well i only really wanna hear from vegetarians. i know you are probably looking even if you aren't and well go ahead. </p>

<p>i don't wanna make this another discussion thread about whether it is right or wrong, cause i think i've made my decision. </p>

<p>so the new year is almost here, i'm gonna make a new years resolution -- no more meat for lindsey =). i don't care if you think it is wrong or against human nature or the bible... oh well. </p>

<p>so basically, i've talked to my mother about it and she's fine with it and totally supportive. i know that it is kinda my opinion of what i can and can't eat, but i was just wondering what seems to work for all you vegetarians out there. i mean how extreme do you go. </p>

<p>also, what do you do to make sure that you get all the nutrients needed to stay healthy (ie protein). i am a complete newbie to this whole idea, but it's what i want so any input you have would be greatly appreciated. </p>

<p>thanks,
lindsey</p>

2

<p>that's great! good luck!
I think a big part of the decision on how extreme to go is going to depend on how committed you can be. going completely vegan will be a lot harder at first than just cutting the meat. if you decide to continue eating dairy and eggs you really shouldn't need to worry about any nutrients such as protein. if you decide you are though, any vitamin supplement should do. I also really like nutritional yeast in a lot of things. it has a lot of nutrients, and adds a great cheesy flavor to things!
fake meats (in most grocery stores) are also good, but it might be easier to wait a while to try those so you won't be comparing them to meat.
Although I consider PETA to be a little extreme, the site <a href="http://www.goveg.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.goveg.org/&lt;/a> has a lot of good information, and has "vegetarian starter kits" you could try.
let me know any other questions you have! I'll be really happy to talk to you about it!</p>

3

<p>Hey Lindsey! Congratulations on your decision! I refused to eat meat as a child, then ate it for a few years, then became vegetarian again 25 years ago. I have never looked back! My son is now 18 and has never tasted a bite of meat in his life, and he is quite strong, healthy, intelligent (and good-looking too!) and has never missed it - in fact he thinks it's gross.</p>

<p>TheVeganActress is right on and I have more to add but it's late so I'll leave some more info tomorrow. For now just know that it's really not that hard and you will probably notice a positive change in how you feel.</p>

<p>More later!</p>

4

<p>I'm getting all sentimental now, because this is the one-year anniversary of my own decision to go vegan. I've always hated eggs and never cared much for dairy, so after I cut out meat, the rest came easily. Very quickly, I noticed that animal products just didn't appeal to me anymore, and I actually stopped seeing them as food. To eat meat seemed to make as much sense as eating a shoe, or gravel... it sounds strange, but the change in mindset was that drastic. </p>

<p>My favorite "meat substitute" is seitan, which is made from wheat and is firmer than tofu (which I still think is pretty slimy). I usually buy it at Whole Foods. Tempeh is another option; it's made from soybeans just like tofu, but it's a completely different texture. Fortified soymilk is a great source of protein, calcium, and vitamin B-12 (the only vitamin that needs to be obtained from animal products or produced synthetically), and can be directly substituted for cow's milk in cooking or baking. Legumes (beans or lentils) come in different varieties and are a good source of protein; try Mexican or Indian recipes (chilis, dhals, etc) or other types of ethnic food for some great flavors.</p>

<p>Sorry this is a bit disorganized, but those are just some tips I've picked up along the way. I'll post later if I think of something else.</p>

5

<p>We have another convert. Lindsey, you have already done more than most people by making an attempt to give up meat. It will probably be tougher for you since your parents aren't vegetarians, so you might be tempted to eat some of their meat-based dinners. Just think of it as roadkill on a plate because that is pretty much what it is, a dead animal.</p>

<p>As for meat-alternatives, I go for the Morningstar Farms vegetarian products. They make everything from veggie burgers to veggie corndogs. If you want to take the vegan route though, these products aren't an option because they have egg in them. I think that Boca makes a vegan burger, so you could always get that one if you want. However, if you just want to be meat-free, these products are great. I eat them as some sort of meal pratically every day.</p>

6

<p>i LOVE the morningstar 'chicken' strips- awesome for stirfry.</p>

<p>if you have a trader joes near you, i highly recommend it- extremely affordable and a wide variety of veggie/vegan food.</p>

<p>for protein, i eat protein bars (lunas are my favorite), soy chips, veggie burgers, nuts, beans (veggie chili!), etc.</p>

7

<p>My favorite veggie burgers are Gardenburgers. They come in a few different flavors and most of them are vegan. I agree with huskem55 that Luna bars (or any other protein bars) are great, healthy snacks. Try adding walnuts or any other nuts to a regular salad for some extra protein (delicious with a balsamic vinaigrette). Also, The</a> Post Punk Kitchen has some pretty good recipes.</p>

8

<p>"To eat meat seemed to make as much sense as eating a shoe, or gravel..."</p>

<p>That is SO true! People often ask me if I am tempted to eat meat, and I always tell them that I honestly do not think of meat as food. It just doesn't register in my brain any more than eating a shoe would register as brain. It really is the truth! It is completely alien to me now.</p>

<p>All of the above suggestions are great. There are LOTS of great veggie fast foods in the frozen section at Whole Foods. These will do when you're in a hurry and are especially helpful when you are just starting out. </p>

<p>Are you in college now? If so, most colleges have veggie options because vegetarianism is becoming increasingly popular, so you shouldn't have any trouble there.</p>

<p>If you like to cook, then there are lots of great veggie cookbooks. Here is one just for college students:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Students-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Revised-Recipes/dp/0761511709/sr=1-1/qid=1167495268/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5970522-5421614?ie=UTF8&s=books%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Students-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Revised-Recipes/dp/0761511709/sr=1-1/qid=1167495268/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-5970522-5421614?ie=UTF8&s=books&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>This one is good because the recipes are quick and easy and don't use exotic ingredients. And, all recipes have instructions for both veg. and vegan adaptations.</p>

9

<p>I think the first step is to decide whether you want to be lacto-ovo vegetarian or vegan.</p>

<p>Some of the vegans on this forum might disagree with me on this, but here is my opinion:</p>

<p>I have been veg. for 25 years, and vegan for about 5 of those years. I am currently not vegan but leaning towards that direction again. To me, quitting meat was like taking a religious vow: The day I decided to give up meat, it was a FINAL decision. I have never looked back or regretted it. There was no 'occasional sinning.' It just was not an option.</p>

<p>It is a strict NO. Not negotiable. If I am at a party and they serve pepperoni pizza, I cannot and will not just pick the meat off and eat the remaining cheese pizza. To me, that pizza is now tainted. Neither will I ever eat vegetable soup made with chicken broth. I know some people aren't too strict, but on meat I am very strict.</p>

<p>That's the way I feel about meat. </p>

<p>Many vegans feel the same way and extend that feeling to dairy products. Personally, I just don't feel the same way about dairy products. Even when I was vegan, I was not that strict on the vegan part. I didn't buy eggs or cheese but if I was eating out and something had milk or eggs as an ingredient, I didn't mind too much. I didn't order anything cheesy but I let an egg or dairy ingredient slide.</p>

<p>The reason is that even when I was a vegan, milk, cheese and eggs just never grossed me out the way that meat does. To me, avoiding dairy and eggs was more of an ethical and health decision, whereas quitting meat was...very...FINAL. Meat is positively GROSS. I just never felt the same way about eggs and dairy because they are animal-derived products but they're not the actual dead animal. To me, there is a difference.</p>

<p>I do NOT intend this to be a debate between lacto-ovo and veganism. We are all on the same side here! They are just different degrees of commitment. I am just offering some ideas that you might consider, so you can decide where you want to draw YOUR line.</p>

<p>To me, veganism is more 'advanced' than lacto-ovo. It really depends on your level of commitment. If you feel very strongly about going vegan, then go for it! There is plenty of support for you!</p>

<p>If, however, you are a committed to giving up dead animals, but are a bit more wishy-washy on the dairy/eggs, then I would suggest you commit to quitting the meat for now, and ease into being vegan later, when and if you decide that's what you want to do. The reason is that you will be more likely to succeed if you take on something that is less challenging for now. In my opinion, it would be better to continue the dairy and/or eggs for awhile, get comfortable and solid on your new lifestyle, and then IF/when you are ready, take the next step.</p>

<p>In other words, unless you are very solid on your commitment to go vegan, it might be better to make the commitment to quitting meat and succeed at that, than to try to take on too much, get overwhelmed, and backslide.</p>

<p>I think the vegans will agree with me that quitting the meat is the most important thing.</p>

<p>It is VERY easy to go veg. if you include cheese. You can always even get something at most fast-food places. E-Z's has a veggie burger. Subway, Schlotzky's, Taco Cabana, even Taco Bell...all have veggie sandwiches or tacos with cheese. (Taco Cabana has a black bean vegan taco that is great). I don't know what part of the country you're in but my point is that it's really easy to get something cheesy. Cheese pizza is always easy. (Just ask them to use a clean knife when cutting the pizza so you don't find nasty little shreds of meat on it that fell off the knife. I routinely ask them and they don't mind.)</p>

<p>If you decide to go vegan, it is a bit more challenging when eating out, but it can be done. I will leave the vegan suggestions on eating out to the vegans. </p>

<p>If you do dairy and/or eggs, you don't need to worry about nutrients. You will be fine. If you decide to go vegan, then there are really just 2 guidelines to remember:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Make sure you eat something 'hearty' like rice and beans, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, seitan, etc. every day. You don't have to worry about combinations or anything fancy - just don't live on salads and junk food. (You shouldn't eat a lot of junk food anyway, but it's a little more important when you're vegan.) As long as you eat enough to satisfy hunger, and make sure to eat some reasonably healthy foods, you should be fine.</p></li>
<li><p>The only nutrient that tends to be lacking in a vegan diet is vitamin B-12. This is easily remedied by a simple supplement. Just go to any health foods store and get one. The best absorbed B-12 is in liquid or sublingual form. The multi-vitamins and 'B-complex' vitamins also have B-12. (Again, if you do any eggs or dairy, B-12 is not an issue.)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>That's it! It really is simple!</p>

<p>Here is a great site for info and support:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.vegsoc.org/index.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.vegsoc.org/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>There are others too - I'll see if I can dig them out.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

10

<p>I'd like to share a story from when I became a vegetarian:</p>

<p>I had been the biggest junk food junkie in the world, but had some health problems so went to a nutritionist who told me to quit eating red meat and junk food.</p>

<p>I did that for about 6 months, along with taking vitamins, etc. </p>

<p>Then, I read a book that turned me on to vegetarianism. So, I decided to become a vegetarian.</p>

<p>A few days after making my decision, I went to a barbeque picnic with some people from work. They all knew that I didn't eat red meat, and since they were cooking beef, they brought along some chicken JUST FOR ME.</p>

<p>I just didn't have the heart to tell them that I no longer ate chicken either!</p>

<p>So I decided, what the hey, one more time won't hurt.</p>

<p>And I TRIED to eat it. I really did! I TRIED.</p>

<p>But, I just COULD NOT DO IT!</p>

<p>I took a couple of bites and thought I was going to throw up!</p>

<p>Later, one of the friends told me she noticed I didn't eat the chicken. That's when I told her I was now a vegetarian (and, NO, chicken is NOT a vegetable! I hate it when people say 'Oh, so you are a vegetarian? Well, you eat CHICKEN, don't you? GRRRR!)</p>

<p>Anyway, it was really funny how it happened. It was like a switch got turned off in my brain, and suddenly meat, ANY meat, was simply no longer viewed as edible.</p>

<p>You may or may not experience that switch going off. But that's how it happened for me.</p>

11

<p>Tidbit: If you are into music, then you'll know that AFI are ALL vegan. Very cool!</p>

<p><a href="http://www.afireinside.net/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.afireinside.net/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<hr>

<p>That post-punk site is awesome! I hadn't seen that.</p>

12

<p>CORRECTION to my earlier post:</p>

<p>I get annoyed when people call themselves vegetarian when they still eat meat 'occasionally.' To me, someone who eats meat occasionally is NOT a vegetarian! They may be eating a mostly vegetarian diet, but they are not a 'vegetarian'!</p>

<p>Likewise, I need to correct my earlier statement. Since I was never strict about avoiding eggs and dairy 100%, by definition I was never actually a vegan. </p>

<p>I was just a vegetarian eating a mostly vegan diet.</p>

<p>(Sorry if I annoyed or offended anyone.)</p>

13

<p>^yeah! it's amazing how many people say "oh you're a vegetarian? you eat fish right?"</p>

<p>and I at least am not offended by the vegan comments!
personally even though I'm a vegan, I likely wouldn't push someone to immediatly become vegan (especially if you are cooking for yourself. I know I could never do it on my own). cutting all the meat is a huge and great first step.
lealdragon mentioned that you can find a lot at whole foods markets, which are great, but depending on where you live you might not have any. any health food stores are good, and regular grocery stores usually have vegetarian sections (small though) in their frozen foods. one of my favorite types is Amy's (they can be expensive though).
One thing that's hard for some people that you really just have to get used to is remembering to read ingrediants in EVERYTHING. it's pretty much just second nature now. Gelatin is something that's often hidden in things. also in restuarants be sure that they understand what you mean when you ask about vegetarian food. you don't want chicken base in that great vegetable soup!</p>

14

<p>Here are the different types of vegetarians, listed in order of commitment:</p>

<p>1.) Vegan - Will not eat any animal products, whether it be meat, dairy, eggs, honey, etc. They also don't wear leather of fur or anything that came form animals.</p>

<p>2.) Lacto-Vegetarian - Will not eat any meat, but will eat dairy products. </p>

<p>3.) Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian - Will not eat any meat, but will eat dairy products as well as eggs.</p>

<p>4.) Semi-Vegetarian - Will not eat any meat except fish or poultry. I personally don't consider these people vegetraians, but at least they show more commitment than most people. </p>

<p>Choose the one that works best for you.</p>

15

<p>thanks everyone for your support! its amazing how much more confident i feel about it when i know that people support me. i mean i even caught my mom looking up vegetarian recipes on the internet today :)!</p>

<p>i have thought about this a lot... i mean i've asked my mom about it numerous times throughout the the years and at one point (i think i was 10 or 11) i declared to be a vegetarian however, i was talked out of it by my step mother because she said then she'd refuse to feed me :(</p>

<p>i've been thinking about it and have decided that it is probably best for me to still eat dairy products for now, seeing as i am only 15 and well... i don't usually cook my own dinner. i think that i may try the vegan route in a few years, possibly when in college and i have more freedom to eat whatever i'd like. </p>

<p>i've actually never really eaten that much meat anyways, i mean while growing up my mother would buy veggie burgers as substitutes when she just got sick of meat. i also don't like fish or seafood at all... i mean at all. like i've never even liked fish sticks, so that won't be a problem.</p>

<p>i think the biggest problem for me is going to be eating lunches in school. thank god my school has vegetarian alternatives... or atleast a few. and it has a salad bar, so thats good, only a little expensive. </p>

<p>thanks for everything that you guys have posted. i now get to go grocery shopping with my mother. she even picked out a vegetarian recipe to make for the whole family. </p>

<p>if you guys have any other ideas of foods that i may be able to take for lunches or something that would be great seeing as that is the biggest trouble that i am having right now. </p>

<p>thanks a lot,
lindsey</p>

16

<p>That sounds like a good decision, Lindsey!</p>

<p>Here are a couple more that you & your mom might find helpful:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446676756/ref=pd_kar_gw_1/002-5970522-5421614%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446676756/ref=pd_kar_gw_1/002-5970522-5421614&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teens-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Judy-Krizmanic/dp/0670874264/sr=1-10/qid=1167503421/ref=sr_1_10/002-5970522-5421614?ie=UTF8&s=books%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.amazon.com/Teens-Vegetarian-Cookbook-Judy-Krizmanic/dp/0670874264/sr=1-10/qid=1167503421/ref=sr_1_10/002-5970522-5421614?ie=UTF8&s=books&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

17

<p>You know, reading all of these vegetarian threads has gotten me thinking. Maybe giving up meat isn't an unreachable goal for me. Something to mull over...</p>

18

<p>snoopyiscool, you are so cool! =)</p>

19

<p>I know, I know. :D</p>

20

<p>"I'm getting all sentimental now, because this is the one-year anniversary of my own decision to go vegan."</p>

<p>Camelia, congratulations on making it a whole year! Please tell us how you survived without meat. Was it agonizing? (just kidding!) </p>

<p>Seriously, congratulations for this accomplishment! </p>

<hr>

<p>"It just doesn't register in my brain any more than eating a shoe would register as brain. "</p>

<p>Ha, I just now noticed my typo. s/b 'as food'</p>