Going vegetarian for 30 days?

[adx]

My wife doesn't like red meat or pork so I end up going without either of them for a long time. I think I might eat pork once a month and red meat even less than that. For a while we were eating too much chicken, but we've been cutting that back to once or twice a weak also.

The biggest question is: does sheetz have a vegitarian menu?

Surprisingly the answer is yes (sort of). They have a lot of salads on their menu and other ways that you can basically order anything that has meat without meat.

 

[dataz722]

Surprisingly the answer is yes (sort of). They have a lot of salads on their menu and other ways that you can basically order anything that has meat without meat.

But you know he won't be able to do that.

 

[david_42]

My problem was iron uptake. Did vegan for about 18 months, GF had been doing it for a decade. At 16 months I was so anemic, when I tried to donate blood, the sample almost bounced out of the tube! So, I went on iron supplements, which made me ill. So, I gave it up. The chronic diarrhea stopped when I went back to being an omnivore.

 

[mc_eric]

Dude, if you're giving up on tomatoes, you have obviously never had a good tomato. It's too late to try to grow your own, but they are in season now. If you're serious about going vegetarian, get some beefsteak (or heirloom) tomatoes. They call them beefsteak for a reason.

Seriously, the tomatoes that you get in the supermarket are crap. They're like the bud light of tomatoes. real tomatoes have an amazing complexity of flavor. Don't hate tomatoes, they are your friend.

sorry for the rant, but I LOVE tomatoes

 

[jmilton1987]

Fresh tomatoes and peppers are great for you and taste great, also they can be incorperated to make sauces which can help flavor things other than meat. Learn to love onions too as they can make any dish outstanding. To add protien eat more eggs, also stir fry is your friend it takes litterally 5 to 10 min to make and is great for you. If you don't like cabbage or lettuce try spinach, also artichokes can be verry hearty when made right.

I am a big meat eater too, but I lost almost 30 lbs this summer by riding my bike instead of driving and also eating less meat and very little beef. Also if you are going to be eatting lots of potatoes a nice trick which is better for you is to replace sour cream with plain yougurt, near same consistancy and zing plus it helps with digestion. Also avacados can be a good replacement to a sandwich opposed to lunch meat.

here is a link to my favorite vegan/vegiterian place in Milwaukee click on the menu to get some ideas. I swear by anything on this menu. I will eat it just as readily as I will eat a meal that has meat. Riverwest Co-Op Grocery & Cafe » The Co-op Cafe

 

[srm775]

A few years back I looked into vegetarianism and found out that women who are pregnant and vegetarians must take vitamin B capsules or their child would have developmental issues. Since meat is the main source of B vitamins and your giving it up, I'd look into whether or not you'll need to supplement. I myself take B complex for three reasons;
1. Alcohol consumption depletes B vitamins.
2. B vitamins help maintain good mental health.
3. B vitamins boost your energy.

You're not consuming the right kind of alcohol. Brewer's yeast (psst - the kind you find in the beer we all make) is one of the only sources that contain all the B vitamins you need.

Vitamin Facts: vitamin B group

 

[beerkrump]

I've been an ovo-lacto vegetarian for over 15 years. You can do it. It's a lot easier than it was a decade ago. There is a wide variety of protein alternatives available in just about every grocery store. In most major cities you can find vegetarian restaurants.

I think the biggest hurdle for most is that Americans are brought up believing that every meal is meat plus side dishes. If you look at many International foods you'll find that many have a great variety of vegetarian choices.

+1 to edamame Grew it in my garden for the first time this year and it was awesome. My family has already requested that I plant at least twice as much next year.

+1 to ground round protein crumbles - Put them in tacos, chili, sloppy joes, hamburger helper... all good stuff.

Good luck.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Wife is vegan and I am vegitarian, so hopefuly we can be helpful, feel free to pm me if you've got specifics. Veggie crumbles are awesome! They are teriffic in pasta to give it a meat texture. Someone had mentioned Qorn, also an excellent product. I haven't seen any suggestions for seitan or tempeh, which are wonderful sources of protein. Seitan (say-tan) can be cooked up many different ways to give it all sorts of texture or flavors. Look in to it. Temphen is good for grilling. Others have made the suggestion of getting a cookbook, I highly agree! You will be surprised with what you'll find, and I garuntee you'll discover something you love. Start off by just doing some online searches for recipes.
It is important to remember that "imitation" animal meat is not going to taste like animal. Nor should it. It's different food. Oh yeah, and grilled portobellas. Yum!

 

[Edcculus]

Instead of turning this into an exercise of abstinence, use it as a way to permanently change your eating habits.

I agree with beerkrump. Its all about a mindset. You might not need to go vegetarian. I know I never could. I usually eat meat once or twice a week. Even then, its usually not a steak, porkchop etc. I'd consider my diet more "Italian". The problem with America is that being a rich country, we can afford to eat meat every day. A long time ago, especially in Italy, they couldn't. Thats why a lot of dishes, like meatballs, were created to stretch meat over more than one meal.

There are plenty of non-meat options for meals. Don't eat any meat at breakfast. I guess bacon on the weekend is ok. Eat sandwiches with avacado or hummus instead of deli meat. Get an Italian cookbook. There are plenty of dishes that don't involve meat. LIke I said above, a lot of Italian dishes either strech meat, or emulate it. Instead of Veal Parmesean, make Eggplant Parmesean. Italian cuisine presents a plethora of meatless pasta dishes. If you are used to the Americanized Spagetti with store bought sauce and ground beef, get ready for an awakening!

Also, remember that you don't need a bunch of side dishes. With huge serving sizes in America, we are used to eating until we are full. If you are full, you really just ate too much.

 

[Papinquack]

You're not consuming the right kind of alcohol. Brewer's yeast (psst - the kind you find in the beer we all make) is one of the only sources that contain all the B vitamins you need.

Vitamin Facts: vitamin B group

I'm really overdosing on B vitamins then :rockin:

 

[gxm]

Check out Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian". I'm still a hug fan of his meat biased "How to Cook Everything" too. The Vegetarian version could help you change your focus of veggies as side dishes to veggies, beans and grains as meals.

 

[claphamsa]

Ok, too lazy to read the full 5 pages of posts.... I was a veg for 7 years (big shock) but I would never do it again, its too hard to be healthy, then again since you hate most vegetables its just the other extreem.

why would you not eat tofu? It has no flavor! you can make up some great tofu chilies stir fries. Etc! tofu tastes like what you mix it with.

 

[dataz722]

Ok, too lazy to read the full 5 pages of posts.... I was a veg for 7 years (big shock) but I would never do it again, its too hard to be healthy, then again since you hate most vegetables its just the other extreem.

why would you not eat tofu? It has no flavor! you can make up some great tofu chilies stir fries. Etc! tofu tastes like what you mix it with.

You eat plenty of tomatoes durring that time?

 

[Hambone]

I'm too lazy to read all of the responses but this sounds like a terrible idea to me. Just eat more fish, chicken and turkey. Every vegetarian I know seems to be a real ******. Either that or a no good hippie.

 

[Reverend JC]

I have an uncle who is a PETA employee. His daughter is a stinky hippe who show pigmys how to put on rubbers by using a stick. So she will find rubbers on sticks outside of their huts in the morning.

Anyway, the two of them really turned me off to a vegtable only diet.

Lately as I ease into my 2nd year of 30s it is becoming appearant that my metabolism is slowing and I do not eat nearly as much as I did before.

I have been toying with the idea of trying out the whole vegitarian thing.
The problem is not that I hate veggies....I love them. All of them. It is the fact that I LOVE red meat. son of a b!tch do I love it.

Is there any benifit to the diet if you eat a tender, delicious, succulent filet once a week? maybe a small one like an 8 oz?

I do not eat fast food very often....one a month

I order veggies first them maybe rice if i do have the steak.

My wife makes a mean bean dip with cannalini beans.
I think I have the means to do it, can i stay away from the delicious beef?

 

[dataz722]

Filet is actually the only red meat that has ever been certifed by the american heart association. Or maybe it is in the process of it.

 

[claphamsa]

I'm too lazy to read all of the responses but this sounds like a terrible idea to me. Just eat more fish, chicken and turkey. Every vegetarian I know seems to be a real ******. Either that or a no good hippie.

this is the way to go! dont stop eating meat, just start eating better!

 

[claphamsa]

You eat plenty of tomatoes durring that time?

/me checks pulse...

nope still alive!