Confessions of a New Vegetarian

Happy Anniversary to me! Today marks the second month of being meat-free. Sadly, this has not been an easy road. I’ve grown up eating meat and have been socially conditioned to feel it is the “entree” portion of a meal. But recently, I’ve seen little evidence that allows me to continue on a meat-eating path. It’s bad for the environment, the majority of animals in our system are treated poorly, and most importantly (to me), for the first time in my life I am a dog owner. Seeing what amazing range of emotion and personality come out of that tiny fur-ball has me thinking twice about the cognizant thought present in all animals.

So, I’ve spent the last two months eating side dishes, which are majorly carb-laden, and junk foods which contain no meat but are full of things I can’t pronounce and aren’t making me feel all that great. Help!

The Raw Truth:

• I’m still eating fish. Yes, I am aware that in some eyes this does not make me a “real” vegetarian but it is a way of weaning myself off meat and getting some much needed protein. I try my hardest to ensure that the fish I do eat is fresh-caught, not farm-raised, although this is not always a possibility.

• I’m always hungry. True, I could be snacking on nuts and hay but I never feel quite full at the end of that type of meal. So I starve and then binge on something monumentally unhealthy.

• I don’t like tofu. Oh, I want to like it! I have tried it in firm form and in crumbles, in the shape of meat and plain white blocks. Nope, not for me. The texture drives me crazy.

• I don’t have a ton of time. After working all day, the last thing I want to do is make a mess in the kitchen. It would be wonderful to have some fast and healthy options.

• I live in San Francisco. So, this should be easy for me, right? While it’s true SF does have many veggie-friendly places, their standard (re: affordable) restaurants have few options, and when you take fish out of the equation I’m back to eating sides or a plate of steamed vegetables.

• I am hypoglycemic. Meaning I have to be very careful about the ratio of carbohydrates to protein I’m eating. Because this is tricky, sometimes I feel better eating nothing at all.

• I feel deprived all the time, then I feel guilty for feeling deprived. If a friend orders bacon for breakfast, I want it. When my boyfriend sinks his teeth into a juicy cheeseburger I feel like ripping it from him and shoving it into my mouth. But I feel guilty, so I eat a carrot. Hopefully, this will go away in time.

So, forward-thinking Care2 readers, who better to turn to for advice? Ideally, I’d like the experience of being vegetarian to be a stand for integrity, the planet and the beings occupying it. Of course, feeling physically good while doing it would be a huge plus. How can I integrate this new lifestyle into my old one, without a complete culture shock? Thus far, I feel like I’ve been holding my breath and am afraid of falling back into my comfort zone if I don’t learn some new habits–quickly. Any thoughts?

By, Veronica Peterson, Web Editor, Care 2 Healthy and Green Living

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Michele W.

5:27AM PDT on Oct 1, 2011

I'm in a similar place to you. Not with meat, poultry or fish, I don't miss eating them at all. It is dairy, cheese and eggs that I miss.

send a green star

Liev B.

8:08PM PDT on Aug 24, 2011

Mai, my reply is seriously overdue, but it bears saying, even belatedly: if your friend were on an excellent diet, then she wouldn't have been sickly thin and "not feeling right." Saying that meat greatly improved her health by returning her to a healthy weight means she wasn't getting enough fat and protein. But plant-based sources of fat and protein abound: avocados, nuts, seeds, healthy oils like olive oil, grapeseed oil, and so on.

There is nothing in meat that you can't get easily from the same place where the animals got it: from plants (or, in the case of B12, yeast). So it is impossible that a person could get sick from a plant-based diet as long as the plant-based diet is nutritionally complete and balanced. Not only that, but your friend, being vegetarian, was eating PLENTY of animal-based foods, probably daily, in the form of dairy and eggs - probably even fish (meaning that she was eating MEAT all along - there is no difference between sea-animal meat and land-animal meat). In your friend's case, it was simply a sub-par diet. Oh, she might have been very attentive to it and included plenty of whole, fresh foods and so on, and you might have observed her eating plenty of salads, but that doesn't mean it was nutritionally complete, by any means. In our meat-heavy society, it's hard to do vegetarianism and veganism right.

Ninanae T.

5:26AM PDT on Jul 14, 2011

If i do that, i will so hungry. So i do only once weekly..

KS G.

4:55AM PDT on Jun 22, 2011

Thanks for the article.

Jonathan D.

10:03AM PDT on Jun 21, 2011

(Added this in as it got cut off from my last post.)
PS: Try batch cooking soups and beans, they're easy and freeze good, and beans are good for protein.

10:01AM PDT on Jun 21, 2011

I too was raised with meat being the primary thing on the plate. Coming from Puerto Rico, we ate a lot of animal based foods. When my girlfriend introduced me to the vegan diet, I just jumped into it as my diet at the moment consisted of fast food, I figured it was much better than what I already ate.

What you need to do is sit down and figure out what foods you miss, and look for replacements. Miss having a scramble for breakfast? Tofu scrambles are good but since you do not like tofu you could try a polenta scramble (haven't tried it but seen recipes for it).

The point is that you don't have to give up anything, just replace the animal product. Since you do not like Tofu, you could try Seitan, or "wheat meat". It's all wheat gluten, so unless you're allergic to wheat or gluten, it would be fine for you, and has lots of protein too.

Flax and hemp seeds are a good replacement for the amino acids and what not that come from fish. Overall, as long as you eat healthy meals you should not have to worry about protein. I do not know how hyperglycemia affects you, but there's LOTS of food out there you can eat so you don't have to eat fish (or dairy if you don't want to, it's quiet bad for you too).

If you have the money, I'd go to a nutritionist that is knowledgeable about veg diets and your condition, it's what I plan to do as soon as I have the extra cash.

Good luck to you and hope you find easier, healthier alternatives that will make you feel better.

PS: Try b

Aoife O.

3:48PM PDT on Jun 16, 2011

Thanks, hope you're still going strong =)

Betty S.

10:30PM PDT on May 7, 2011

Be sure you get enough carbs and protein to not lose muscle .I had a friend who made black eyed peas sausage for breakfast.
It doesn't sound good but it isn't bad at all. He just took about 2-3 cups of cooked ,can be canned black eyed peas, drain off the water.mixed in salt,sage and black pepper, you can use ground red pepper if you want it spicy.Use enough all purpose flour to make it thick enough to make into patties ,if you eat eggs you can add one or two to help with thickening of patty. Using hands shape into the size sausage patty you desire.You can cook by using your foreman grill or using a regular skillet.. Use small amout of canola or olive oil to fry in or on the grill.

Melissa S.

5:40PM PST on Nov 11, 2010

You can get veg/vegan foods on the cheap at a lot of quick restaurants... Panera, Noodles and Co., Chipotle, Subway. Even Taco Bell, while not very ethical, has vegan/veg food for if you're starving on a road trip or late at night.

It sounds to me like you're not eating enough quality calories. Up your protein from whole foods sources (NOT epic amounts of dairy - too many vegs pour on the cheese when they transition) like nuts, seeds, beans. Get some hummus and pitas, tortillas and refried beans ...

I've been veg for 12 years and vegan the last 7 of those. I do not feel deprived. I'm often hungry but that's 'cause I'm training for my second marathon and running a lot. ;) Really, the options for vegs are insane right now. It's never been easier to eat vegan, IMO. Vegetarian is even more simple, it's just about doing the research and getting into a rhythm.

Vegguide.org will help you find affordable veg food. vegweb.com is great for recipes (user submitted and rated). There are a plethora of wonderful veg/vegan bloggers who talk about nutrition, health, food, recipes and ethics. Just google any recipe you are curious about with vegetarian or vegan added and watch all the hits come up. ;)

Also, try meat-free proteins like Gardein, Tofurky and Yves (love their bologna). Gardein is really wonderful and super fast and easy to heat up. Their chik'n tenders are fanastic, the chik'n scallopinis are great anywhere you'd use chicken breast and the pulled bbq is so good.