I know this isn't really related to beauty....

Feb 4, 2013

Abby B.

This isn't exactly related to beauty but I'm trying to go vegetarian and I was wondering if you have any advice, tips, or suggestions on how to keep it up. I keep slipping without even thinking about it, so do you know of any good websites or things that could help me with this? It would be much appreciated!!!!

Feb 4, 2013

Allison W.

My sister's also trying the same thing and I think youre both crazy!! Lol. Jk. I couldnt see myself not eating meat, Im a carnivore I guess. Haha. But she tends to struggle too, with temptation. I cant recommend anything to resist temptation, but I can tell you that you'll need to take extra vitamins/proteins that you would be getting from meats. If not you could run into deficiency problems up the road. But good luck, I respect your decision because I could NEVER do it. Lol. :) 

Feb 4, 2013

Dhanvi T.

I was born a vegetarian into a vegetarian family so I guess it's easier for me at home. I never have any temptations of meat because I just think meat smells terrible and think about the innocent animal that got killed just so that you could eat it. I have never had any deffiency but that's because I have never eaten meat. If you want to fill in the protein you're going to miss, eat hummus , beans, and other high protein foods. Good luck!!!

Feb 4, 2013

Stephanie D.

I guess it has to do with motivation. You're a lot more likely to make a permanent dietary change when you're facing down type 2 diabetes or celiac's than you are if you're just feeling slightly guilty about the fluffy bunny rabbits (frankly, I don't really care for the way rabbit tastes, but I do love me some Bambi).

Think really long and hard about why you made this change and why it's important to you. Try to remind yourself every time you smell some delicious, crisp bacon. Think about WHY you want that bacon, or that burger or whatever. Are you really just craving salt? Are you missing the texture? Try to identify why you want the food.

You can also inspire yourself with some amazing looking foods on foodgawker.com and veganyumyum.com.  

Feb 4, 2013

Savanna S.

it really depends on why you're becoming vegetarian. I haven't eaten meat in 3 years and I've never slipped up. I watched a lot of animal cruelty videos which absolutely killed me but made me mentally stronger when it came to giving up meat. I also read a lot of articles on the health benefits of vegetarianism. looking into what changes are going to need to be made to your diet is helpful, you can't just cut out meat and continue eating the way you do now. you'll have to exchange meat for something else, spinach is great for you and you can also get "fake meat" it's called tvp I think and it's dried, but when you cook it it is like a mince consistency. tofu is another great and delicious substitute for meat, just make sure you flavour it well. just do a lot of research, I find that having a reason why you're doing helps. my sister did it just to be cool and lasted 3 months with a lot of slip ups. keep in mind the foods you're eating because iron deficiency can happen extremely quickly with lack of meat if you're not eating properly. check out websites such as wspa and safe. 

Feb 4, 2013

Ave M.

Just don't put a label on it. I rarely eat meat, in fact I don't even really like it anymore but I will never consider myself a vegetarian. It's just an unnecessary label. I doubt anyone cares what you eat, but if you call yourself a vegetarian and slip up people will tend you think of you as hypocritical. Why not just eat less meat. I might eat meat once a month if that.

Feb 4, 2013

Madison W.

Slowly start to cut back on how much meat you are eating. You will miss it less and be less tempted by it. Also find non meat dishes that you really like. For me that's anything with peanut butter. Be really careful about things like anemia and getting all of your needed nutrients daily.

Feb 4, 2013

Abby B.

Thanks for all the help! 

Feb 4, 2013

Brittany A.

I went cold turkey on vegetarian 6yrs and haven't had any problems with it. If you are truly motivated it shouldn't be an issue, so like what was said before, think about why you are doing this. And just remember, make sure you make up for the loss of iron (greens are great for iron intake) and protein (beans, hummus, soy, etc). And do NOT replace your meat with a bunch of junk food, I have realized that is what a lot of people do. Also, a lot of people go into being a vegetarian thinking it will make them skinny, if you are healthy about it that is not true, you will stay the same size, so if that is your motivation (like it is for some), then I would switch to another method. There are a lot of great soy meats out there, but don't compose your diet of those, learn to make vegetarian meals yourself, there are so many great meals. If this is what you really want, good luck, and just remember what motivated you to do this when you have trouble. I am going vegan as soon as I move out from my moms and I can't wait, I already eat vegan whenever I can get the chance and I love it.

Feb 4, 2013

Christiana K.

I will second Brittany. Also, if you are ever on the lookout for a comprehensive cook-book, you might want to try "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman. I've had it since I went veggie a few years back and love it. Some good recipes can also be found on my food blog "Adventures in VeggieLand", should you fancy a visit. Good luck!

Feb 4, 2013

Danielle B.

The best way to do it is to really want it. I could with no problem because I don't care much for meat. I did it once and was good for about six months. But everyone else had a problem with it because everyone I know uses meat. 

Feb 4, 2013

Megan M.

Read the ingredients on everything!! There are so many times I've eaten foods like candy only to have some one else tell me or to read the ingredients later and find out there's meat in it or gelatin. Be careful about that stuff. Otherwise I just motivate myself by thinking about why I'm vegetarian. Just by thinking is it really worth the taste of a slice of bacon compared to a life? I've been veggie now for 2 years and I've accidentally ate gelatin a few times but other than that no problem. I used to have lots of dreams to that I'd eat meat accidentally and freak out xD it's kind of funny. Anyways good luck!! Congrats on going veggie =] 

Feb 4, 2013

Emily W.

The ingredients tip is a big one! I have friends who tried to go vegan (which is more than you're trying to do I know) and they were eating Jello for snacks. They honestly didn't know where gelatin comes from... 

Feb 5, 2013

Natalie T.

What are some of your favorite and most missed non-veggie dishes?
What have you slipped up on?
What things will you miss the most?
Any other questions!?

I can help you figure out a replacement for these or ideas for dishes with similar qualities or flavors if you'd like. =) You'll soon get into the swing of things and it will be super easy and enjoyable.



You really have to check the ingredients for everything. Its a little harder when you're vegan and have to look for milk fat and whey and such. Finding vegetarian items is a much easier task. Especially look at ingredients in soups and anything with a sauce/dressing or seasoning! ALWAYS ask questions at restaurants especially with soups/sauces/dressings/anything fried. Some places may make things differently than others (some Thai places use chicken broth in soups while other use veggie broth, Japanese may have fish based miso soup while others don't, some places may fry or cook things in animal fat instead of a vegetable/olive/whatever oil, etc). A lot of times products are made with chicken stock where you would never even image! I always asked about ingredients when trying something home made (after my only known accidental slip while trying someone's mashed potatoes made with chicken broth as a kid). As Megan mention, you always have to check candy if you like sweets! Gelatin is one of the grossest products, it almost transforms sweets into the candy equivalent of a McRib.

You really have to watch your protein and iron intake. I was extremely anemic as a vegetarian, so taking an iron supplement may be something you may want to research or talk to your parents or doctor about.

You'll easily get into the swing of things with a little practice! I still eat tofu and meatless meat products out of habit and preference. Honestly, buying the tofu, soy, or vegetable based "meats," make creating vegetarian meals a lot easier at the beginning before you get into making veggie meals without relying on those as a main component. They have vegetarian (rarely vegan) options for everything from chicken nuggets to hot dogs and ground beef to sandwich meats. I honestly prefer the taste of these replacements to real meats, but it may take getting used to at first. Veggie bacon (by morning star, not vegan) is honestly the most delicious thing ever.

There are many GREAT cook books out there for veggie eating. Even if you don't follow the recipes, they can give you really great ideas for interesting flavor arrangements without using meats or animal based flavoring. I definitely suggest investing in at least one of those. I bought one called "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz when I was vegan in my teens and I still use it (even if I replace things with vegetarian or meat options). Lots of quick and delicious ideas on a budget! 

Feb 5, 2013

Brittany A.

Natalie said a lot of smart things. I will say this though since a couple of people have mentioned it, if it say gelatin you might want to research it, there are actually multiple types of gelatin, one being seaweed, and they usually don't list what kind. It usually isn't veg friendly, but some are. This is something I just learned about recently so I haven't done too much research into it yet, sorry.

Feb 5, 2013

Natalie T.

Yes, Brittany, great point!
There are many alternatives to gelatin including agar-agar and carrageen, but the most common I would say is pectin. Pectin is an alternative that is used in many candies now a days, but I always still check =)