thcur123
12-04-2002, 09:56 PM
I'm interested in becomming a vegetarian. I'm still going to eat dairy and egg products for now... i'll eventually become a vegan, but i'm done with eating meat for both ethical and health reasons.
Anyways, I need a really good source of information on becomming a vegetarian. I need to know what foods i'm supposed to eat to replace meat products, or if i'm supposed to take any vitamins or anything like that and how much of each food I should eat every day. I'm worried about vitamin deficiency, and i'm also going to start a construction job (very physical) and I was wondering if I should buy and protien powders for this? plus...I eat ALOT. I'm 18, I weigh 155-160lbs. and i'm like 6'0-6'1.
Anyways, I need a really good source of information on becomming a vegetarian. I need to know what foods i'm supposed to eat to replace meat products, or if i'm supposed to take any vitamins or anything like that and how much of each food I should eat every day. I'm worried about vitamin deficiency, and i'm also going to start a construction job (very physical) and I was wondering if I should buy and protien powders for this? plus...I eat ALOT. I'm 18, I weigh 155-160lbs. and i'm like 6'0-6'1.
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Magpiezoe
12-05-2002, 12:01 PM
Hello, You might consider taking vegetarian cooking classes. The Seventh Day Adventist sometimes offer cooking classes for everyone, and you don't have to join the church. Just call up your local chapter. The course I had was a vegan course, and they tell you how much protein and what sources to get the protein from. They even give you a notebook with recipes and information on how to balance your diet. The down fall is that you will need a blender, because they use it to make cashew cheese. You might also check out the health complexes and health stores for lists of vegetarian cooking classes by other organizations. I took one at a health complex that was just vegetarian, not vegan. The food was really good, but they didn't give out as much info. at the Seventh Day Adventist did. The classes that I took were $5.00 and $8.00 per class. It's fun, you get to test taste the food, and you can ask questions. For magazines, I like Vegie Times the best. Good luck and enjoy yourself. I'll admit that I didn't go vegetarian; however, I still eat a lot of vegetarian food. It was rather difficult to cook meat for my family and not eat it too. I also find it to be a little expensive to buy the food I need plus the traditional food for my family.
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Magpie
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Magpie
stpltly
12-05-2002, 08:13 PM
I went vegetarian when I was 12, and vegan a couple years later, which forced me to learn to cook because my parents refused to prepare special meals for me. As the other poster said, a cooking class would probably be helpful, but if you know the basics, some good cookbooks would probably be sufficient.
[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 12-06-2002).]
[This message has been edited by moderator2 (edited 12-06-2002).]
auntjudyg
12-06-2002, 01:27 PM
There are a number of good sites on vegetarianism . . . just put it in your search engine.
thcur123
12-06-2002, 05:19 PM
thanks for the replies. I guess i'll have to look into some kind of cooking class for vegetarians. In the meantime i'll go looking for books at some book store. thanks again
stpltly
12-06-2002, 11:49 PM
I would highly recommend the Vegetarian Journal published by the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG). The bimonthly magazine includes cooking tips and recipes, info on nutrition, guides on where to find specialty items, book reviews and more. One of the founders of VRG is a Registered Dietitian so you can be assured that information is legit. Check you local health foods stores or magazine racks at larger bookstores, or try an online search.
Angelene
12-08-2002, 12:45 AM
You'll find that you already know what foods to eat. You don't necessarily need to replace meat with a different food; you need to change your menu. Make sure you're getting your nutrients. It's almost too easy to rely on cheese when you first become vegetarian b/c there doesn't seem to be any other food. Until you look, that is.
Use tofu in cooking for calcium, protein, and to add texture to your food. You'll learn to cook with tofu over time. I'm not even a big fan of it, but still use it when I bake, cook certain stir frys, make tofu-pasta sauce, lasagna, etc. It's very versitile and good for you.
Over everything, make sure you're eating HEALTHY. Most people that ditch vegetarianism after just a little while say that they "just didn't feel good" or that they "weren't getting enough" of something or other. It's really because they didn't try hard enough to adapt to a different lifestyle. You can explore new foods--mexican, thai, chinese, greek--and find foods you love. I never would have eaten falafel before I became veggie. Or bean tacos. Now I freaking can't get enough! Open your eyes and your tastebuds, b/c you've probably never eaten this good!
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"Never give up, never surrender!"
Use tofu in cooking for calcium, protein, and to add texture to your food. You'll learn to cook with tofu over time. I'm not even a big fan of it, but still use it when I bake, cook certain stir frys, make tofu-pasta sauce, lasagna, etc. It's very versitile and good for you.
Over everything, make sure you're eating HEALTHY. Most people that ditch vegetarianism after just a little while say that they "just didn't feel good" or that they "weren't getting enough" of something or other. It's really because they didn't try hard enough to adapt to a different lifestyle. You can explore new foods--mexican, thai, chinese, greek--and find foods you love. I never would have eaten falafel before I became veggie. Or bean tacos. Now I freaking can't get enough! Open your eyes and your tastebuds, b/c you've probably never eaten this good!
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"Never give up, never surrender!"