Any semi-vegetarians?

[walkdmc]

I'm a full-on carnivore considering cutting back my meat consumption to only 2-3 meals/week. I'd also like to quit all refined sugars in place of a mainly plant-based diet. I have kids to feed and think they'd benefit from a little meat in their diets.

Anyone else go from a major meat eater, meat every day, to occasional meat-centered meals? Did it help you lose weight? How was/is your energy level? Were/are you able to workout with serious exertion while eating mainly plant-based foods? Can you recommend any books, websites or other resources?

TIA!

 

[MikeofRose&Mike]

I am a semi-vegitarian, I eat meat when out at work events, it's easier than special meals. Usually 1-2 meals per month. Plus I eat seafood when I get the chance. Typically when on vacation at WDW.
In addition to cutting back on meats, I have got rid of high fructose corn syrup and trans fats from my diet. Not sure which one is to blame, but over the last few years have dropped about 20lbs and have my blood pressure and cholesterol are under control.

Mike

 

[walkdmc]

That's great! Do you have any issues when you eat meat? I hear vegetarians talk about feeling tired and sick when they eat meat after abstaining for a while.

Ultimately I'd like to be a full vegetarian but don't think that's practical for me. I'm 39 and going all-vegetarian might be a little too much for me.

Do you cook at home a lot? What references/cookbooks do you use?

 

[rubato]

I've been a vegetarian but quit in January. I made it a whole year with no animal products, but it was just too tough to go out to eat. Now, I only eat meat if we're going out and there aren't any good vegetarian options. And, if I can get seafood instead of regular meat, I'll do that. I cook all our meals at home as vegetarian and then, add meat for my husband and son after I get mine out. It works fine for us. I eat a lot of greek yogurt and eggs for protein so I can still be fit and healthy.

 

[walkdmc]

Tandy, I find your arrangement interesting. What made you decide to forgo meat for a year? I'm thinking of doing it along with my DH and kids but could never do it alone (I don't think I could).

Of course, it may not be something you're willing to share and that's fine, thanks for any info.

 

[StacyMarie]

My 15 year old daughter has been a vegetarian for almost a year. She came home from school one day after watching a movie that dealt with meat processing, etc. and has been a vegetarian since. I went full on vegetarian in January. I also quit all processed foods. If it comes in a box, can, jar, or bottle, we don't eat it in this house. I stopped drinking everything except water and juice that I make in my juicer (fruit and vegetable). After the first week, I felt like a new woman. I also run and since cutting out all the junk and chemicals, my running distance and speed has improved dramatically!!! Good luck.

 

[walkdmc]

Stacy, where did you learn about vegetarian cooking? Did you give up eggs and dairy too?
TIA

 

[StacyMarie]

Stacy, where did you learn about vegetarian cooking? Did you give up eggs and dairy too?
TIA

I had to do some research when my daughter decided she wasn't going to eat meat anymore last year. We even took her to a dietician so I could make sure she was getting enough protein. With the amount of dairy that she eats, she was getting plenty of protein. I also went to Barnes and Noble and sat there for a couple hours and found some cookbooks. I had no problem going vegetarian because there isn't a vegetable out there that I wont eat. I love them all As for eggs, I like eggs but never liked the yolk so I do eat egg whites once in a great while. Never liked milk or yogurt or cottage cheese so I don't eat those. I replaced ice cream with fruit smoothies, my favorite being strawberry, pineapple, banana, a little ice, and little bit of water (no dairy). I do eat a bit of cheese but not that often, mostly parmesan sprinkled on a salad. I make my own salad dressing using balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a garlic clove and salt and pepper OR balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a teaspoon of dijon mustard.

I don't eat bread either, never was much of a starch eater to begin with. I do eat sweet potatoes and I eat a LOT of portabello mushrooms. You can grill those babies and they are so yummy and almost take on the taste and texture of steak if seasoned right Also, a huge killer for me was salt and Diet Coke. When you cut out all the processed stuff, you eliminate a ton of salt in your diet. I lost 30 pounds in 7 weeks and I bet at least 10 pounds of it was water retention from salt intake.

Basically, anything my DH and other DD that are meat eaters eat, it can be turned into a vegetarian meal with just a little tweaking. My DH has even significantly cut out a lot of meat in his diet. My other daughter is a lost cause. She is what I would call a "meatatarian". She would eat all meat and only meat if I let her, lol!

Good luck!!!

 

[::Snow_White::]

I have been a vegetarian since October! I stopped eating meat completely in one day, and I didn't think it was too bad. I am training for a half marathon and have never had a problem with a lack of energy, if anything I feel lighter and it helps.

I think something that's hard is to eat more and more vegetables and rely less on bread and pasta. I didn't lose weight at first but since I started counting calories and eating way more vegetables I have been dropping about 2 pounds a week since January.

I have made a couple vegan meals so this is one blog that I always make a lot of recipes from: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/ They are all vegan, but I am sure you can substitute most of it with dairy. I would just look up vegetarian recipes and you'll find tons of different things! I read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Foer, it doesn't help much in terms of lifestyle but it just has some facts and figures of how meat is processed. I have always watched Forks over Knives which is a really good documentary.

I eat tofu a lot, once you figure out how to cook it right, it tastes delicious. http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/29KWj...hen/2011/08/01/five-ingredient-tofu-scramble/
This with some peppers and http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/07/27/secret-ingredient-savory-hash-browns/ is something I make often. It's great!

Just for the record I do eat dairy and eggs, but I like to try vegan meals every so often! Also my best friend was a serious carnivore, but she went vegetarian almost immediately too. She's had a few slip ups, but I've never heard her complain about a lack of energy. She did have a burger once and said that she didn't feel very good afterward. I take a vitamin everyday as well to make sure I get everything that I need. I honestly don't think it's too hard to find vegetarian meals and there is usually at least a couple things at restaurants to eat. If anything, most have cooked vegetables which you can order. Something you may need to look out for (if you choose) is that a lot of food uses chicken broth. When at a restaurants if you want, just let them know you are a vegetarian, most will accomodate. Good luck!

 

[pjlla]

Good for you for trying to reduce your meat consumption. I think it is a good thing for many reasons.... health, budget, environment.

I guess I would consider myself a "semi-vegetarian" as well. But I live in a house with two carnivores (DH and DS) and a non-vegetarian non-pescatarian (not sure of the spelling, but DD will not eat ANYTHING that comes from the ocean). DH does a low carb diet most of the time, so finding a meatless meal for him is a challenge. DS has some food allergies and is picky, so feeding him can be challenging too.

We do meatless Mondays most of the time. This usually involves a salad and/or a soup meal (vegetable bean soup, broccoli cheddar soup, meatless minestrone). I also try to have another meatless meal some time during the week. This is usually pizza (homemade to keep an eye on the carbs and fats).

I could pretty easily give up most meats for myself, but would have a hard time going vegan. I like cheese and eggs too much.

My biggest warning would be to watch your CALORIES. I think many people get into vegetarianism thinking they will just start dropping pounds. But if you are eating vast quantities of cheese (especially full fat cheese), peanut butter and other nut butters, nuts, rice and beans (often topped with cheese), full fat tofu, eggs (as opposed to egg white) etc, the calories can really add up!

Check out the magazine Vegetarian Times. I've seen some great recipes in there!

Best of luck............P

 

[rubato]

Tandy, I find your arrangement interesting. What made you decide to forgo meat for a year? I'm thinking of doing it along with my DH and kids but could never do it alone (I don't think I could).

Of course, it may not be something you're willing to share and that's fine, thanks for any info.

It's funny, but my reason is the same as StacyMarie's daughter. I saw the movie Food Inc, and just couldn't eat another animal. Just google pink slime for a small taste of what is in our meat.

I was vegan for 5 years before I got pregnant 13 years ago. That was hard. Vegetarian is a lot easier. There are cookbooks and websites that can help you out.

Even if you cut meat out one or two days a week, you're moving toward a healthier lifestyle. I wish you luck with whatever you decide. If you have any other questions, let us know.

 

[StacyMarie]

Good for you for trying to reduce your meat consumption. I think it is a good thing for many reasons.... health, budget, environment.

I guess I would consider myself a "semi-vegetarian" as well. But I live in a house with two carnivores (DH and DS) and a non-vegetarian non-pescatarian (not sure of the spelling, but DD will not eat ANYTHING that comes from the ocean). DH does a low carb diet most of the time, so finding a meatless meal for him is a challenge. DS has some food allergies and is picky, so feeding him can be challenging too.

We do meatless Mondays most of the time. This usually involves a salad and/or a soup meal (vegetable bean soup, broccoli cheddar soup, meatless minestrone). I also try to have another meatless meal some time during the week. This is usually pizza (homemade to keep an eye on the carbs and fats).

I could pretty easily give up most meats for myself, but would have a hard time going vegan. I like cheese and eggs too much.

My biggest warning would be to watch your CALORIES. I think many people get into vegetarianism thinking they will just start dropping pounds. But if you are eating vast quantities of cheese (especially full fat cheese), peanut butter and other nut butters, nuts, rice and beans (often topped with cheese), full fat tofu, eggs (as opposed to egg white) etc, the calories can really add up!

Check out the magazine Vegetarian Times. I've seen some great recipes in there!

Best of luck............P

This is SO true! Be careful. You can still be an unhealthy vegetarian!

It's funny, but my reason is the same as StacyMarie's daughter. I saw the movie Food Inc, and just couldn't eat another animal. Just google pink slime for a small taste of what is in our meat.

I was vegan for 5 years before I got pregnant 13 years ago. That was hard. Vegetarian is a lot easier. There are cookbooks and websites that can help you out.

Even if you cut meat out one or two days a week, you're moving toward a healthier lifestyle. I wish you luck with whatever you decide. If you have any other questions, let us know.

I knew somebody would know the name of the movie I was talking about. I couldn't think of the name. She watched that in health class in 8th grade and never ate meat again

Good luck to all!!!

 

[glss1/2fll]

I really like Ginny Callan's Horn of the Moon Cookbook. My family doesn't even notice that there is no meat--but there are eggs and cheese. For years my DH and I were what we called "economic vegetarians." We were too poor to afford meat, but if you wanted to buy us a steak or pepperoni pizza we would scarf it down! Now we're semi-vegetarians. I really don't like to deal with meat so we probably only eat it 3 times a week.

Good luck going meatless!

 

[walkdmc]

Linda, thanks for the cookbook recommendation. I will check it out.

My 10yo DS gave up hamburger after reading Fast Food Nation which I think is the book that spurred the Food Inc. movie. Before DS read that book, he used to look forward to McDonald's Happy Meals with a hamburger. Now, about 2 years after he read FFN, he still refuses to eat any hamburger.

Since he's already on that path, I might play Food Inc. for him.

BTW, we just watched Forks over Knives on Netflix instant streaming. For anyone considering giving up meat and dairy, it's a good movie.

 

[Rose&Mike]

The current go to term for part time vegetarians is a "flexitarian". If you google it you will come up with a bunch of links.

I have been a vegetarian since 2009 (except for the occasional hot dog--don't ask) and since going g-f last year I don't get too stressed out about gelatin. If I think about it, it grosses me out, but the reality is that sometimes it is hard to be gluten free and a vegetarian especially when traveling. But that's another story.

I think becoming a vegetarian can be a process. I had to relearn how to cook in some ways. Re-establish what my go to meals are, learn what is quick and easy. Learn time savers.

The two cookbooks I use the most:

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Bittman
Anyone Can Cook-Step by Step--Better Homes and Gardens

The BH&G book has a lot of simple instructions on how to do simple things like--peel an avocado or what to do with a leek. It's not a vegetarian cookbook, but I use it a lot.

I get a bunch of recipes from vegetarian times, martha stewart, and allrecipes.

And I do agree on the watch your calories. I think the big thing is to figure out what a serving is--for instance how many almonds are in a serving or how many tablespoons of peanut butter. I don't have any foods that are off limits, but I am aware of the amount of nuts and cheese I am eating.

I think once you have been doing this for a while you will find it gets easier.

 

[MellieluvsDisney]

I have been a vegetarian on and off for the past 18 years. I went years without eating meat, and when I started to eat meat again I did not experience any discomfort at all.

I usually eat mostly vegetarian/vegan at home and eat meat when I do go out, but it is mostly in the form of seafood and fish. But, like others have said, even when I became a vegetarian years ago, I gained weight because I was an unhealthy vegetarian, eating fast food like cheese pizza, french fries, candy bars...these were all vegetarian, right?

I will say that I feel much better when I eat mostly vegan, I feel like my skin clears out, I think better, and just feel better overall. But, unfortunately, I find it hard to stick to a vegan diet when going out, or on vacation. So, I am more comfortable doing a flexitarian diet eating plenty of fruits and veggies.

 

[rani8600]

I went vegetarian in June of 2010 and have been vegan since feb 2011. Best decisions i have ever made. i highly encourage anyone and everyone to move in that direction. Whether in small steps or jumping right in, your body will appreciate it