How to Become a Vegetarian, the Easy Way

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

While being a vegetarian isn’t for everyone (and neither is Pamela Anderson), I talk to lots of people every day who tell me they’d like to become vegetarian, but it seems like it would be too hard, and they don’t have the willpower.

But becoming a vegetarian, for me and for many others, is the easiest thing in the world.

If you’re not interested in becoming vegetarian or vegan, please skip this post (and don’t flame me in the comments). But I’ve had numerous people, just in the last week or so, ask me to post about becoming a vegetarian, as I seem to have become a poster boy for vegetarianism (move over, Pamela Anderson!).

So in this post we’ll look at some suggestions and tips for becoming a vegetarian without too much difficulty, and some reasons you might consider it.

Why Become Vegetarian?
Again, let me state that vegetarianism isn’t for everyone. If you are fanatically devoted to meat (and I was at one time, so I understand), you might not be interested. If you already eat healthy, or you’re not interested in your health, you might not be interested.

But there are some reasons, for the rest of us, to consider it (and these are just a few — see these 49 reasons or these 21 reasons for more):

Cut the fat. While meat provides a lot of protein, it also provides a ton of fat — especially saturated fat. Which means that by cutting out meat, you’ll be cutting out a lot of bad fat, and replacing it with things that are probably not only lower in fat, but that contain some good fats. This greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, and in fact numerous studies have shown that vegetarians tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, as well as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other diseases. Read more here.
Less food poisoning. Food poisoning gets millions of people each year — and many of them from meat, which is a good breeding ground for harmful bacteria, especially if not stored, prepared or cooked exactly right. Cut out meat and you lower your risk of food poisoning (especially if you also cut out eggs and dairy, but that’s optional).
Reduce the suffering. You probably don’t want to hear about the horrific treatment of animals that are raised for food, even before they are slaughtered for our benefit. But suffice it to say, there are great amounts of suffering involved, and by cutting out meat, you are reducing your involvement in that. Read more here.
Help the environment. There are actually numerous ways that the meat industry harms the environment, from a waste of our resources (animals raised for food eat enough grain to feed the world), to a waste of fuel, to the pollution caused by their waste matter, and much more. Read more about that here.
Help your weight loss. It’s possible to be vegetarian and eat very unhealthy foods, including Coke and fries and fried stuff and pizza and chips. But it’s much more difficult. Studies repeatedly show that vegetarians are slimmer and are less likely to be obese than meat eaters. If you’re trying to lose weight, being a vegetarian can be a good part of your program.
Get more nutrition. In general (though not necessarily), vegetarians replace meat with more nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and so on. If you do that, you will be getting more of the nutrients your body needs, giving you better health, less illness, and more energy.

20 Tips for Becoming a Vegetarian
So, if you’d like to become a vegetarian, without too much trouble, here are my suggestions:

Have good reasons. If you just want to become vegetarian for kicks, you probably won’t stick with it for long — not because it’s hard, but because any lifestyle change or habit change requires a little bit of motivation. You need to first think about why you want to become vegetarian, and really believe in it. The rest is easy.
Read up. Before starting anything new, I tend to read as much as possible about whatever it is that I’ll be doing. I suggest you do so with vegetarianism. Check out a couple of good books from the library (or better yet, borrow from vegetarian friends). And there are tons and tons of good sites on the Internet. One of my favorites is GoVeg.com.
Find good recipes. You don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new cookbooks, although that’s certainly an option. But again, there are many great recipes online. Try GoVeg.com … another favorite of mine is Post Punk Kitchen (also see their forums). In fact, it can all be a little overwhelming … but don’t worry, you don’t need to decide on anything. Just look through the recipes, take note of a few that look really good, and decide to try a few of them. You have the rest of your life to test out other recipes!
Try one recipe a week. My suggestion is just to try one new vegetarian recipe a week. If you like it, add it to your collection of staple recipes that you eat on a regular basis. If the recipe isn’t that great, try another next week. Soon, you’ll have a good list of 5-10 great recipes that you love to cook and eat. And really, whether you’re vegetarian or meat eater, that’s probably all you really eat on a regular basis anyway (for dinner, at least). Most people only have 7-10 recipes that they cook regularly. Once you have that many vegetarian recipes, you are good to go.
Substitutions. Also try your regular recipes that you love, but instead of using meat, use a meatless substitute. So if you love to eat spaghetti or chili, for example, substitute a ground-beef alternative from Bocca or Morning Star and just cook it the way you normally would. There are alternatives for just about any kind of meat, and some of them are quite good. You can go on eating what you normally eat, but meatless.
Start with red meat. I suggest a gradual transition into vegetarianism … although you can do it all at once, I’ve found that for many people, a gradual transition works better. There’s no need to give up all meat at once. Try a few new recipes, maybe eat one vegetarian meal for the first week, two for the second, and so on. If you do this, start with red meat, as it is typically the least healthy.
Then the other meats. After a couple of weeks of going without red meat, try cutting out pork for a couple of weeks. Then cut out chicken, the seafood. With this two-week approach (and you can even make it 3 weeks or a month for each stage if you want to go more slowly), you’ll hardly notice the difference. I’ve found that I don’t crave meats anymore, although I did for about a week.
Consider dairy & eggs. Vegetarians vary widely on this, so there’s no mandate to give up dairy or eggs if you’re giving up meat. Do what feels right for you. But if you go meatless for awhile, and want to try to go a little further (in terms of health, the environment, and helping animal suffering), consider these foods. For one thing, they are often high in saturated fat, especially compared to soy alternatives. It was easy for me to give up eggs, as I’ve never been a huge fan, but transitioning to soy milk took a few days to get used to … although I can’t stand the taste of milk now. :)
Think about your staples. A useful exercise is to make a list of foods you regularly eat, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. Not meals, but ingredients. And then think about vegetarian alternatives, and make a new list. For example, instead of eating chicken in a stir-fry dish, you might try tofu. With a new list of staples, you should have no trouble stocking your fridge and pantry.
All in one go. Some people prefer to give up meat all at once. While this takes a little more determination than the gradual solution I advocate, it’s not that hard, really. Just prepare yourself by taking some of the steps above (finding recipes, substitutes, a new list of staples, and reading as much as possible), and then give it a shot. It should only take a few days to get used to it, and then you’ll have very little trouble after that. The only issues you’ll have to work out, once you’re used to going without meat, are things like eating out, eating at others’ houses, and other similar issues. Read on for more on these.
Adequate protein. One myth about vegetarianism is that you don’t get enough protein. Actually, meat eaters usually take in way more protein than they need. Protein requirements for the average adult are lower than people think. If you eat a varied diet (not just junk food, for example) that includes vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, soy protein and the like, you will be fine. It would hard to create an eating plan where you’re getting inadequate protein (the junk food example would be one). Another myth is that you need to eat different types of protein within a single meal (or even a single day) to get complete protein from plants … actually, as long as you eat varied proteins (such as those listed above) over a few days, you’ll be fine. And soy protein is a complete protein, just like meat.
Junk food. Again, you can be a vegetarian and be very unhealthy, if you eat junk food. Being a vegetarian is not a license to eat junk food (although you can probably indulge yourself a little more often now that you’re not eating meat). Try to stick with fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, soy protein, low-fat dairy and other nutritious foods for the most part.
Ethnic food. One of the great things about becoming a vegetarian is that it often spurs people to try new and interesting ethnic foods (or reminds them of foods they love but don’t eat much). Great vegetarian dishes can be found all over the world, from Italian pasta to many Indian dishes to spicy Thai food to Chinese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Mexican, South American and more. It can be interesting to do a series of theme weeks, trying vegetarian dishes from a certain country for one week, and then moving around the world and sampling other great ethnic foods.
Tell friends & family. If you’re really going to become a vegetarian, you’ll have to talk to the people you know and love about it. You’ll still be dining with them, at restaurants, at their homes, at social gatherings, at work, and so it’ll be better for everyone involved if they know what you’re doing (they might prepare a vegetarian dish for you, or you might bring one for them to try), and if they know the reasons why. Some people might have a hard time with it. Just try to explain it to them, without getting defensive or argumentative, and ask them to be understanding (and maybe to give some of your food a try). Don’t try to force vegetarianism on anyone, or sound preachy, but do give them more information if they’re interested.
Have fun. Most of all, don’t make becoming a vegetarian be a restrictive, grueling ordeal. If you feel like you’re depriving yourself, you won’t last long. But if you feel like you’re doing something good, and trying out some great-tasting food, you’ll stick with it for much longer (for life, I hope). Have a great time along the way.
Plan ahead. Often what gets in the way of new vegetarians is that they go somewhere, and don’t think of what they might have to eat. Going to a party or a dinner can be much better if you prepare a great dish and bring it along (let the host know about it first). An errands trip doesn’t have to result in you going to McDonalds, starving, if you pack a lunch or bring some snacks.
Cook ahead. Another problem is when we don’t have any vegetarian food ready to eat, and so we resort to whatever is easiest (if we don’t feel like eating or are too hungry to wait). Instead, you could cook a big pot of vegetarian chili or soup or something, and have it in the fridge for when you’re hungry and don’t have time to cook.
Vegetarian snacks. I love to eat fruits and cut-up veggies, but there are lots of other great snacks you can eat. Roasted (or raw) almonds, hummus and pitas or veggies, blue corn chips and salsa, low-fat granola, berries with soy yogurt, whole-grain cereals, Kashi crackers … dozens and dozens of snacks, actually, if you take a look around. Have plenty on hand, at home, at work, and on the road.
Vegetarian restaurants. There’s only one vegetarian restaurant on Guam, and unfortunately it’s closed on nights and weekends (it’s a Seventh-Day Adventist joint, open for lunch on weekdays, and it’s great). But you might live in an area with dozens of great vegetarian restaurants. Give them a try! You might discover some wonderful food, and thank your lucky stars you decided to give vegetarianism a try. Otherwise, most restaurants will have some vegetarian options, or can cook you a vegetarian dish on request.
Vegetarian convenience foods. In your supermarket’s frozen section, you’ll probably find a lot of vegetarian foods that can be microwaved. You might give some of these a try (I love the Amy’s brand). Beware that, like most convenience foods, these are more expensive than home-cooked stuff, and most likely not as healthy. But you can find some fairly healthy foods there too. At any rate, it’s always good to have a couple of convenience foods in the freezer, just in case.

Further Reading
There are tons of other good resource out there that cover way more ground than I can do in this post. Here are just a few to start you out:

Scott Young: How to Become a Vegetarian
Ask MeFi: Can a carnivore become a vegetarian?
VegCooking: Making the Transition
Vegetarian Society: Going Vegetarian

Also see:

If you liked this article, please bookmark it in del.icio.us and vote for it on Digg. Thanks!

How to Become a Vegetarian, the Easy Way

Every Friday is Health Tip Day at Zen Habits.

But becoming a vegetarian, for me and for many others, is the easiest thing in the world.

So in this post we’ll look at some suggestions and tips for becoming a vegetarian without too much difficulty, and some reasons you might consider it.

But there are some reasons, for the rest of us, to consider it (and these are just a few — see these 49 reasons or these 21 reasons for more):

Cut the fat. While meat provides a lot of protein, it also provides a ton of fat — especially saturated fat. Which means that by cutting out meat, you’ll be cutting out a lot of bad fat, and replacing it with things that are probably not only lower in fat, but that contain some good fats. This greatly reduces your risk of heart disease, and in fact numerous studies have shown that vegetarians tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, as well as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other diseases. Read more here.
Less food poisoning. Food poisoning gets millions of people each year — and many of them from meat, which is a good breeding ground for harmful bacteria, especially if not stored, prepared or cooked exactly right. Cut out meat and you lower your risk of food poisoning (especially if you also cut out eggs and dairy, but that’s optional).
Reduce the suffering. You probably don’t want to hear about the horrific treatment of animals that are raised for food, even before they are slaughtered for our benefit. But suffice it to say, there are great amounts of suffering involved, and by cutting out meat, you are reducing your involvement in that. Read more here.
Help the environment. There are actually numerous ways that the meat industry harms the environment, from a waste of our resources (animals raised for food eat enough grain to feed the world), to a waste of fuel, to the pollution caused by their waste matter, and much more. Read more about that here.
Help your weight loss. It’s possible to be vegetarian and eat very unhealthy foods, including Coke and fries and fried stuff and pizza and chips. But it’s much more difficult. Studies repeatedly show that vegetarians are slimmer and are less likely to be obese than meat eaters. If you’re trying to lose weight, being a vegetarian can be a good part of your program.
Get more nutrition. In general (though not necessarily), vegetarians replace meat with more nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, and so on. If you do that, you will be getting more of the nutrients your body needs, giving you better health, less illness, and more energy.

20 Tips for Becoming a Vegetarian
So, if you’d like to become a vegetarian, without too much trouble, here are my suggestions:

Have good reasons. If you just want to become vegetarian for kicks, you probably won’t stick with it for long — not because it’s hard, but because any lifestyle change or habit change requires a little bit of motivation. You need to first think about why you want to become vegetarian, and really believe in it. The rest is easy.
Read up. Before starting anything new, I tend to read as much as possible about whatever it is that I’ll be doing. I suggest you do so with vegetarianism. Check out a couple of good books from the library (or better yet, borrow from vegetarian friends). And there are tons and tons of good sites on the Internet. One of my favorites is GoVeg.com.
Find good recipes. You don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new cookbooks, although that’s certainly an option. But again, there are many great recipes online. Try GoVeg.com … another favorite of mine is Post Punk Kitchen (also see their forums). In fact, it can all be a little overwhelming … but don’t worry, you don’t need to decide on anything. Just look through the recipes, take note of a few that look really good, and decide to try a few of them. You have the rest of your life to test out other recipes!
Try one recipe a week. My suggestion is just to try one new vegetarian recipe a week. If you like it, add it to your collection of staple recipes that you eat on a regular basis. If the recipe isn’t that great, try another next week. Soon, you’ll have a good list of 5-10 great recipes that you love to cook and eat. And really, whether you’re vegetarian or meat eater, that’s probably all you really eat on a regular basis anyway (for dinner, at least). Most people only have 7-10 recipes that they cook regularly. Once you have that many vegetarian recipes, you are good to go.
Substitutions. Also try your regular recipes that you love, but instead of using meat, use a meatless substitute. So if you love to eat spaghetti or chili, for example, substitute a ground-beef alternative from Bocca or Morning Star and just cook it the way you normally would. There are alternatives for just about any kind of meat, and some of them are quite good. You can go on eating what you normally eat, but meatless.
Start with red meat. I suggest a gradual transition into vegetarianism … although you can do it all at once, I’ve found that for many people, a gradual transition works better. There’s no need to give up all meat at once. Try a few new recipes, maybe eat one vegetarian meal for the first week, two for the second, and so on. If you do this, start with red meat, as it is typically the least healthy.
Then the other meats. After a couple of weeks of going without red meat, try cutting out pork for a couple of weeks. Then cut out chicken, the seafood. With this two-week approach (and you can even make it 3 weeks or a month for each stage if you want to go more slowly), you’ll hardly notice the difference. I’ve found that I don’t crave meats anymore, although I did for about a week.
Consider dairy & eggs. Vegetarians vary widely on this, so there’s no mandate to give up dairy or eggs if you’re giving up meat. Do what feels right for you. But if you go meatless for awhile, and want to try to go a little further (in terms of health, the environment, and helping animal suffering), consider these foods. For one thing, they are often high in saturated fat, especially compared to soy alternatives. It was easy for me to give up eggs, as I’ve never been a huge fan, but transitioning to soy milk took a few days to get used to … although I can’t stand the taste of milk now. :)
Think about your staples. A useful exercise is to make a list of foods you regularly eat, for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and snacks. Not meals, but ingredients. And then think about vegetarian alternatives, and make a new list. For example, instead of eating chicken in a stir-fry dish, you might try tofu. With a new list of staples, you should have no trouble stocking your fridge and pantry.
All in one go. Some people prefer to give up meat all at once. While this takes a little more determination than the gradual solution I advocate, it’s not that hard, really. Just prepare yourself by taking some of the steps above (finding recipes, substitutes, a new list of staples, and reading as much as possible), and then give it a shot. It should only take a few days to get used to it, and then you’ll have very little trouble after that. The only issues you’ll have to work out, once you’re used to going without meat, are things like eating out, eating at others’ houses, and other similar issues. Read on for more on these.
Adequate protein. One myth about vegetarianism is that you don’t get enough protein. Actually, meat eaters usually take in way more protein than they need. Protein requirements for the average adult are lower than people think. If you eat a varied diet (not just junk food, for example) that includes vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, soy protein and the like, you will be fine. It would hard to create an eating plan where you’re getting inadequate protein (the junk food example would be one). Another myth is that you need to eat different types of protein within a single meal (or even a single day) to get complete protein from plants … actually, as long as you eat varied proteins (such as those listed above) over a few days, you’ll be fine. And soy protein is a complete protein, just like meat.
Junk food. Again, you can be a vegetarian and be very unhealthy, if you eat junk food. Being a vegetarian is not a license to eat junk food (although you can probably indulge yourself a little more often now that you’re not eating meat). Try to stick with fruits and veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts, soy protein, low-fat dairy and other nutritious foods for the most part.
Ethnic food. One of the great things about becoming a vegetarian is that it often spurs people to try new and interesting ethnic foods (or reminds them of foods they love but don’t eat much). Great vegetarian dishes can be found all over the world, from Italian pasta to many Indian dishes to spicy Thai food to Chinese, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Mexican, South American and more. It can be interesting to do a series of theme weeks, trying vegetarian dishes from a certain country for one week, and then moving around the world and sampling other great ethnic foods.
Tell friends & family. If you’re really going to become a vegetarian, you’ll have to talk to the people you know and love about it. You’ll still be dining with them, at restaurants, at their homes, at social gatherings, at work, and so it’ll be better for everyone involved if they know what you’re doing (they might prepare a vegetarian dish for you, or you might bring one for them to try), and if they know the reasons why. Some people might have a hard time with it. Just try to explain it to them, without getting defensive or argumentative, and ask them to be understanding (and maybe to give some of your food a try). Don’t try to force vegetarianism on anyone, or sound preachy, but do give them more information if they’re interested.
Have fun. Most of all, don’t make becoming a vegetarian be a restrictive, grueling ordeal. If you feel like you’re depriving yourself, you won’t last long. But if you feel like you’re doing something good, and trying out some great-tasting food, you’ll stick with it for much longer (for life, I hope). Have a great time along the way.
Plan ahead. Often what gets in the way of new vegetarians is that they go somewhere, and don’t think of what they might have to eat. Going to a party or a dinner can be much better if you prepare a great dish and bring it along (let the host know about it first). An errands trip doesn’t have to result in you going to McDonalds, starving, if you pack a lunch or bring some snacks.
Cook ahead. Another problem is when we don’t have any vegetarian food ready to eat, and so we resort to whatever is easiest (if we don’t feel like eating or are too hungry to wait). Instead, you could cook a big pot of vegetarian chili or soup or something, and have it in the fridge for when you’re hungry and don’t have time to cook.
Vegetarian snacks. I love to eat fruits and cut-up veggies, but there are lots of other great snacks you can eat. Roasted (or raw) almonds, hummus and pitas or veggies, blue corn chips and salsa, low-fat granola, berries with soy yogurt, whole-grain cereals, Kashi crackers … dozens and dozens of snacks, actually, if you take a look around. Have plenty on hand, at home, at work, and on the road.
Vegetarian restaurants. There’s only one vegetarian restaurant on Guam, and unfortunately it’s closed on nights and weekends (it’s a Seventh-Day Adventist joint, open for lunch on weekdays, and it’s great). But you might live in an area with dozens of great vegetarian restaurants. Give them a try! You might discover some wonderful food, and thank your lucky stars you decided to give vegetarianism a try. Otherwise, most restaurants will have some vegetarian options, or can cook you a vegetarian dish on request.
Vegetarian convenience foods. In your supermarket’s frozen section, you’ll probably find a lot of vegetarian foods that can be microwaved. You might give some of these a try (I love the Amy’s brand). Beware that, like most convenience foods, these are more expensive than home-cooked stuff, and most likely not as healthy. But you can find some fairly healthy foods there too. At any rate, it’s always good to have a couple of convenience foods in the freezer, just in case.

Further Reading
There are tons of other good resource out there that cover way more ground than I can do in this post. Here are just a few to start you out:

Scott Young: How to Become a Vegetarian
Ask MeFi: Can a carnivore become a vegetarian?
VegCooking: Making the Transition
Vegetarian Society: Going Vegetarian

Also see:

If you liked this article, please bookmark it in del.icio.us and vote for it on Digg. Thanks!

Posted on 17 August 2007 in Health Tip Day |
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Comments (119)

graham Says:

August 17th, 2007, 8:39 am

I don’t want to get side-tracked from the point of this post, but is your first paragraph claiming that Pamela Anderson *isn’t* easy?! ;-)

Kyle Pott Says:

August 17th, 2007, 8:42 am

Great post, Leo! Thanks. One question: When you first dropped meat from your diet, did you experience any cravings? If so, how did you curb them and did you ever “fall off the wagon?”

I will definitely keep your tips in mind as I begin my vegetarian regimen starting this Thursday.

-Kyle

William Mize Says:

August 17th, 2007, 8:50 am

I’ve been a strict veggie, with occasional skirmishes into veganism since 1995, and I’ve had no regrets at all.
Amazing article, Leo.
I’m going to share it with some online communities that I visit on a regular basis.
Required reading, and well played, sir.

- Bill

Leo Says:

August 17th, 2007, 8:59 am

@Kyle: To be honest, I do remember a few cravings in the beginning, especially if I was at a restaurant with my meat-eating family and they ordered one of my favorite meat dishes. I think the key for me was finding great veg dishes I really enjoyed, and therefore looking forward to trying those great dishes, and not really thinking about what I was missing. Focus on the positive, not deprivation. But the cravings were only once in awhile, and not all the time. And after a week or two, I didn’t miss meat at all.

Good luck with your vegetarian regimen, Kyle!

@William Mize: Glad you liked the article … as someone who’s been a vegetarian longer than I have, feel free to answer any questions that pop up on this thread (and that applies to other vegetarians), as I have a feeling there might be a few … along with some misconceptions (that I should have pre-empted in the post, now that I think about it).

@Graham: I’m not even going to touch that one. :)

Scott Young Says:

August 17th, 2007, 9:15 am

Amen Leo! Great post.

Jeran Says:

August 17th, 2007, 9:22 am

Thank You So Much!

Chakka Says:

August 17th, 2007, 9:30 am

Fabulous post, Leo! I have been vegetarian for 5 years, and vegan for a few weeks. The tip about ethnic food is spot on. I love Ethiopian, Middle Eastern and India food for this reason. I think that vegetarianism could save the world if more people did it. The amount of resources used to raise animals for slaughter is appalling.

Your article was informative without being critical. I think many people expect veggies to be judgemental jerks (I blame PETA for this).
Keep up the good work.

Jul Says:

August 17th, 2007, 9:53 am

Great tips!

It amazes me how the myth that vegetarians don’t get enough protein just refuses to go away.

Rohit Says:

August 17th, 2007, 10:22 am

Very good post.. I read somewhere that human intestine (shape and length) are more suitable digesting veggies than meat. As author said, no need to worry about mercury in fish or mad cow or chicken pox :)

ObeseVegan Says:

August 17th, 2007, 10:28 am

There are no studies linking lots of fat to heart disease, and it has been shown that diets high in fat/low in carbs have a reduced chance of stomach cancers. I suggest researching the anabolic diet, Google for the “stronglifts” blog. He makes good points, but at times can be very bias.

I went from vegetarian to vegan to anabolic to many other diets. Since science so far has no clear conclusion on nutrition and diets yet, I stick to these basic points:

Moderation is the key.

Cut out the chemicals; No nicotine, aspartme, preservatives, concentrated corn syrup, etc.

Eat 5 fruits/vegetables a day. Some fruits contain a lo tof sugar in the form of fructose, so careful with this.

I eat fat, but I stay away from saturated fat, getting most of my fats from hemp products and nuts.

I cut out milk and dairy products. I don’t how it affects my bowl movements. Makes them slow and requiring a “push.” I had the best bowel movements as a vegan. My shit came out in one “log” without a push.

The only thing I might change is adding some dairy products such as an egg a day and maybe a little yogurt every once in awhile, for my immune system.

paul Says:

August 17th, 2007, 10:35 am

it amazes me how many friends/family think i don’t have a balanced diet and think that’s really not much i can eat… i don’t crave anything, i don’t feel restricted, and my diet is much better now that i’m veg than when i ate meat!

Craig Says:

August 17th, 2007, 10:37 am

I think allrecipes.com is a terrific recipes site, and in the Advanced Search Vegetarian and Vegan are both checkbox options.

I am not a consistent vegetarian but I have been trying to recognize opportunities to eat lower on the food chain and to take them.

I think “lowers your food budget” should be among your top reasons - tofu is cheaper than steak!

Lauren Says:

August 17th, 2007, 11:12 am

Great post! I’m coming up on ten years of vegetarianism, and it’s done so much for my health, my energy levels, and my wallet over the years. I almost always bring a lunch to work since I have little reason to go to one of the local restaurants, and I often pack food from home when I go on road trips, too.

I live in the southern U.S. where there are a lot of misconceptions about vegetarianism and vegetarians (we’re all PETA supporters; we’re all skinny and tired; et cetera). I like to throw off people’s stereotypes by being fit and healthy and non-preachy. ;)

Aimee Says:

August 17th, 2007, 11:16 am

I’m mostly vegetarian, but it’s really hard when you have a spouse that is a carnivore. Trying to cook for both of us has been a challenge, and made it hard to be a complete veggie for me. However, I have to say that when I don’t eat meat I just feel a lot better. :) Good post!

Carl Zetterlund Says:

August 17th, 2007, 11:19 am

Being vegetarian is one thing, but you have to eat intelligently. There are a lot of vegetarian meals that are completely unhealthy.

Anyway, great post. I love when people spread the news of not eating meat. Meat is bad. Look it up!

Teo Says:

August 17th, 2007, 11:32 am

Thanks for the great list of resources! I’ll be working my way through some of these for awhile! Also, I have one to add. It’s the Old Ways food guide pyramid which is an easy and quick way to make sure you’re getting a balance.

I also recommend taking advantage of co-ops, farmers markets, and whole foods markets. If you go ovo-lacto, you can get eggs from happy chickens, that walk around outside. Ditto with milk and cows. Grass-fed cows produce healthier dairy, too. Many times you can talk directly to the farmer about his or her work. Getting locally raised, really fresh produce at the farmers market is as much entertainment as grocery shopping.

I couldn’t believe how good I felt after cutting meat and processed foods from my diet. I had more energy, slept better, and started losing weight at the healthy rate of about 2 lb per week. This continued until I lost close to 30 pounds and hit a healthy weight, then, magically stabilized. After three years, I’ve gained and lost some, but I find it much easier to track the impact of food and exercise on my weight and body composition.

Although it occasionally makes for some social awkwardness, it is easier to explain to waiters, friends, and family why I won’t eat something. They see it more as a lifestyle choice, and don’t pressure me to make exceptions as much. It makes things more comfortable socially than simply refusing to eat something because it has orange pools of hamburger fat. For that matter, it’s easier to stick to it yourself, too.

Karol Says:

August 17th, 2007, 11:47 am

I am a fan of every food, specially carbs (italian food is my passion) I didn’t notice before but a lot of my favorite food are vegetarian recipes. So I think it won’t be a problem for me to become vegetarian. Although I am a little concern about my daughter being a vegetarian. She is 3 years old and it seems she is alergic to cow milk, but we also notice that soy milk gives her side effects (breast development) So without meat, cow milk and soy products…is there a way to raise a healthy and strong child?

Jordan Says:

August 17th, 2007, 12:06 pm

I have been a pescatarian since last Thanksgiving. That means the only meat I eat is seafood. It took some adjustment but now I’m used to it. There are times when I crave a nice steak, but it passes quickly. Great Post!

Margret Says:

August 17th, 2007, 13:24 pm

More like carbtarian. Man was made to eat meat. Look before you leap - http://www.beyondveg.com

Kieran Says:

August 17th, 2007, 13:34 pm

I’d just like to interject a caution about adding too much soy to your diet if going vegetarian.

There are a number of studies that show that soy consumption can cause various health problems. Karol’s post touches on one issue.

Google “soy dangers” and read around. Look for sources you feel are trustworthy and make up your own mind.

I thought it was important though that the issue be raised. I know a lot of vegetarian that consume tons of soy and are not aware of the controversies around its safety.

Alex Says:

August 17th, 2007, 13:37 pm

Interestingly enough I started going vegetarian this week, and so far-so-good. I feel better overall and started shedding a few pounds.
Preparation is the key, I have to do more planning for my food then I did before.

I been also reading the Food Revolution… great book, packed with facts and less emotions about the reasons for being a vegetarian. I cannot believe that we allow the food industry to *poison* us like that.

Thanks for the timely post.

Kim Isaac Says:

August 17th, 2007, 15:03 pm

I found this post interesting. I have been thinking about becoming a vegetarian due to some stomach problems. I liked your steps. I’ll give them a try. Thanks

Vickie Says:

August 17th, 2007, 15:39 pm

Leo,
I love your blog! My husband and I became vegetarians in March due to health issues with me. I became type 2 diabetic but have nearly reversed it due to eating in this manner. We have both lost a lot of weight, feel better, look better, and for the first time I have not had an allergy episode this time of year, which is my worst here in Oklahoma. I never knew how delicious fruits and vegetables were until I cut out all the other things on the SAD (standard american diet). Thank you for posting this and opening others eyes. Our daughter has now joined us and I have stopped serving red meat to our boys. They still have range fed chicken, turkey, and seafood but red meat is a goner. I could not live without our Vitamix! It has been the best investment we have made since changing our lives.
Love your blog!

WonderRandy Says:

August 17th, 2007, 15:48 pm

Great post Leo! Thanks!

There are tons of resources online for people who are interested in vegetarianism. If you do a quick Google on it, you’ll find lots and lots.

I recommend:
http://www.veggieboards.com - the largest vegetarian message board community on the web
http://www.vrg.org - vegetarian resource group
http://www.vegsource.com
http://www.vegweb.com
http://www.vegetarian.meetup.com - meet up with vegetarians in your own community

Also, for those who would like to know more about the animal suffering involved with factory farms, there are a few movies I strongly recommend:

Meet Your Meat - http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=61678
(available lots of other places online as well…)
Earthlings - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967
(WARNING - both of these films contain graphic hidden-camera footage of animal cruelty. NOT for the faint of heart)
Peaceable Kingdom - If you can find it… It seems to have been pulled from google video, and it looks like a newer version is being prepared. Tells the story of Farm Sanctuary (www.farmsanctuary.org) a rescue organization for abused farm animals.

I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly 12 years, and it’s never been seriously challenging. To me, animal flesh simply isn’t food. It would never occur to me to stop at KFC for a meal. In our very privileged society, it is no longer necessary to kill other beings for food. It’s simply a choice we make.

Shelly Says:

August 17th, 2007, 16:30 pm

Thank you for a great post on becoming a vegetarian.

Melanie Says:

August 17th, 2007, 16:48 pm

I stopped eating meat from land animals in 1986, and stopped eating seafood in 1993. In my experience #14 and #15 really proved valuable– I don’t even usually identify myself as a vegetarian, because in the US the term has become loaded with so many bad stereotypes.

I agree most strongly with #13, Ethnic Food. Anglo-American cuisine, and its precedents in Northern Europe, don’t do much for vegetarians. Go with cuisine from Buddhist or Hindu cultures– Vietnamese, Indian– or from the Mediterranean, and you won’t feel like you’re missing out.

Leo Says:

August 17th, 2007, 17:16 pm

@Kieran: Actually, the “soy dangers” thing is a common myth, and it’s one spread by the meat industry. And it’s one that people seem very ready to believe, despite a strong lack of verified, peer-reviewed evidence, and a wealth of verified, peer-reviewed evidence to the contrary.

For some alternative viewpoints to the ones you might have read, see also:

http://www.compassionatecooks.com/all_about_soy.htm

http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/3476771.htm

There are many more links to good articles on these pages, so if you’re interested in the facts, you’ll have some good reading here.

gp Says:

August 17th, 2007, 19:13 pm

We’re finding more and more that guests at our B&B” request vegetarian menus. Having been an ovo-lacto veg most of my life… this has been a piece of cake ! :)

gp in montana

Fred G Says:

August 17th, 2007, 19:18 pm

Excellent post as always. How do you balance your lack of good source of protein in your diet? This has always lingered in the back of our minds.

A good site to look at vegetarian friendly restaurants in California is http://veggiemonologues.blogspot.com/.

Dasha Says:

August 17th, 2007, 19:27 pm

I’ve always hated hated hated meat and still do not understand how anyone can eat the stuff! I’m getting a dog soon and want to cook some of his or her meals myself and I’m not sure how I’m going to be able to handle the meat… oh boy :)

I now understand why people have such a hard time with it though, because I recently decided that I also will not consume High Fructose Corn Syrup. This has been in the past several months and I am having insane cravings for soda. Seriously, crazy cravings. I’ve been substituting diet soda (no more than 2x a week) but hope to cut that out as soon as possible.

Logan Says:

August 17th, 2007, 19:45 pm

Thank you very much for this article. I have been considering becoming vegetarian mostly for health reasons. This is just another nudge I need. Wonderful stuff! I have enjoyed your blog for a very long time, but this is my first time commenting.

Your genuine attitude towards helping others really shows through. That will make you all the more successful. Keep it up, and thanks for improving my own life!

CapMarvel Says:

August 17th, 2007, 20:15 pm

A timely post as I recently decided to phase seafood out of my diet completely. I was raised in a vegetarian, and later a vegan, household. Started eating fish here and there once I was on my own but lately I’ve been having some health and ethical concerns about eating seafood. Now I’m married to a carnivore who has no complaints over the mostly vegetarian meals I cook.

I’m grateful to have a spouse that doesn’t challenge or mind my dietary choice and often cooks veggie and vegan meals too. He now notices a big difference in how he feels when he eats meat or hasn’t had a sufficient amount of vegetables in his diet.

As someone mentioned, eating intelligently is also key. For the most part I eat ‘clean’. Raw, fresh baked, or steamed foods, in their simplest form, no white flour or sugar, additives or preservatives, and fancy sauces and limited to no dairy. Also helps keep the extra pounds off!

Leo Says:

August 17th, 2007, 20:49 pm

Thanks for the wonderful comments everyone! I’m enjoying reading about others’ journey in the world of vegetarianism.

@Fred G: I don’t have a problem with protein … I just eat a varied diet with soy protein (like fake ground beef or chicken, or soy milk or soy yogurt, for example), tofu, lots of beans, nuts, whole grains, veggies. A lot of food has protein, and it adds up to a sufficient amount. If I do a workout, I’ll usually mix up a shake with soy protein powder, soy milk, and berries to give me the extra protein I need for building muscle.

Sarah Says:

August 17th, 2007, 22:41 pm

Great post, I’ve been wanting to try this for a few months, now I can start!

Helen Says:

August 18th, 2007, 0:04 am

Some articles suggest that studies have shown that there are no adverse affects from soy consumption, others list several. My view is, if soy can produce the measurable effects mentioned in this article, then I’m not feeding it to my children.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/april/050400pusoy.htm

But the thing is, you really don’t need soy. The most common uses of soy is to make ‘meat substitutes’ - things like imitation sausages and bacon with meat-like texture. Far better than this sort of ‘pseudo vegetarian’ diet (and let’s face it, most of these products have a texture like rubber.) is to focus on including legumes like chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and lentils.

Likewise with using soy milk - find alternatives to cereal and milk, such as fresh fruit with muesli, including nuts and seeds for protein and calcium. A lot of what we eat is habitual.

I recommend the Hare Krishna cookbooks - I have one by Kurma dasa, ‘Great Vegetarian Dishes of the World’ which has some really wonderful recipes from all over the world - curries, Italian and Spanish dishes.

Also watch your fiber intake - if you suddenly go wholegrain when you aren’t used to it, you’ll suffer! Beans and legumes are high in fiber too, so you might want to continue with a bit of refined carbohydrate (white bread and pasta) while you get used to it.

And of course, you can always go semi-veg, if being vegetarian isn’t your bag. If everybody reduced their intake of animal protein just a little, that’s a step in the right direction, isn’t it.

B12 deficiency is sometimes a problem (more so than lack of protein) and some vegans get B12 injections for this. I think the vegetarian sources have less ‘bio-availability’ if that’s the right word. Something to read up on.

Karol Says:

August 18th, 2007, 0:41 am

@Leo: I don’t want to fight about if soy products are good or not. But I don’t think that “soy dangers” thing is a common myth. I saw the effects on my daughter, I don’t have to be convince by meat eaters. The problem could be that some people are more susceptible to the bad effects of the soy, specially babies and small children. Maybe my daughter will eat soy as a ground up and be ok, but in this age is really poisoning her system. We carry on a lot of tests to determine the causes of her breast development and the only conclusion we came to was that soy milk was the problem. She stopped drinking soy milk and two months after we saw and improvement. My point is: if you eat soy products and you are fine, then don’t stop because somebody told you is dangerous. Maybe your system could tolerate it. But in small children and babies be really aware (some children don’t have any side effects at all, so for them this is not a problem also)

Leo Says:

August 18th, 2007, 1:55 am

@Karol: It’s possible to be allergic to soy, as many people are allergic to dairy, peanuts, berries, shellfish, or anything really. However, soy has not been shown to be dangerous to the general population.

Everyone, please, if you want to spread the myth that soy is dangerous, please do so elsewhere. I’ve had this debate more than once on this site, I’ve provided sources that disprove this propaganda by the meat industry, and I’m not interested in repeating myself endlessly.

Kyle Smale Says:

August 18th, 2007, 2:24 am

I have enjoyed your articles, and I support the 6 points you mention for becoming a vegetarian. I have been vegetarian for 25 years, (I lapsed and ate seafood for a while, but have now cut that out). Anyway, in reason #5, why do single out pizza as being an unhealthy food? This is a delicious wholesome ethnic food that can easily be prepared without meat — what is your beef anyway?

Personal Development for the Book Smart Says:

August 18th, 2007, 6:40 am

Great post! I have a related article you may be interested in. It’s about my 10 day vegan diet experience:

http://richgrad.com/detoxifying-the-body-my-10-day-vegan-diet-experience/

Leo Says:

August 18th, 2007, 7:34 am

@Kyle: Actually, pizza doesn’t have to be unhealthy, but it usually is, even without meat, because of the cheese … as most places make it, the cheese makes the pizza full of grease and fat. However, if you made it with low-fat cheese (just a sprinkling) or even with no cheese at all — just put some sauce and veggies and drizzle some olive oil over the veggies — it could be healthy. Also, using whole-wheat crust makes it even healthier, and you won’t notice the difference.

I was referring to pizza from the usual pizza places (Pizza Hut, Dominos, Round Table, etc) as unhealthy, again because of all the fatty cheese.

Adam Snider Says:

August 18th, 2007, 14:04 pm

Thanks for this article, Leo. I’m not planning on becoming a full-fledged vegetarian/vegan myself, but I am trying to cut back a lot on how much meat I eat.

This will give me some good ideas on how to make sure I don’t fall back into the habit of eating meat on a near daily basis.

Michel Says:

August 18th, 2007, 15:05 pm

I don’t want to “flame you on the comments” but

1) A vegetarian diet IS NOT necessarily healthier or more nutritious than eating meat;
2) “Vegetarians tend to have a lower risk of heart disease, as well as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and other diseases”
That’s simply not true. Vegetarians my have lower risk of heart disease than eat meaters that eat an unhealthy diet. But Peta fundamentalists x Macdonalds addicts isn’t a fair comparison.

3) Help weight loss
Again an untrue statement, the issue is calories, not meat or no meat.

I can’t understand why some vegetarians try to convince eat meaters to give up their diet. I think that becomes a kind of faith or religion to some people. Weird and sad.

Christine Says:

August 18th, 2007, 21:22 pm

I became a vegetarian pretty much as you describe, first cutting red meat, then poultry, and finally fish and seafood. I don’t miss it, and it’s been a while. Tonight I went to a Mexican restaurant, and ordered spinach enchiladas. Yummy!

Lee Says:

August 18th, 2007, 23:54 pm

I married a vegetarian who made no major effort to convert me. She would answer any questions I may have had and occasionally I would eat a veggie meal but it wasn’t until we were going through a rough patch and to save money I offered to go without meat for a while and just share her meals.

We did that for a couple of months and I don’t think I really noticed it after a couple of days. Then we were at her parents and they had cooked a roast and I ate that.

God I was sick, it was all so heavy in my stomach and could feel it all through my teeth. I was revolted and discovered that I had moved very slowly into vegetarianism. I then made the effort to learn more about why one would and the environmental impact etc.

Now I can’t imagine eating meat. I don’t care if others do I just wish they could leave me well enough alone when they find out.

Brad Rowden Says:

August 19th, 2007, 6:18 am

@Michael, while I agree with you that vegetarians should not try and preach to meat eaters that what they eat is wrong, I do not think Leo is trying to do that with this blog submission.

I have been thinking about going vegetarian for some time, even just for a month, just to see if I can notice any difference, and this blog post is magic for anyone in the same boat as me who is considering doing the same thing. Lots of good information here.

A couple of weeks ago my girlfriend was out of town and for one reason or another this led me to eating more home cooked meals, as opposed to going out regularly together. When we go out, I tend to eat a lot of meat. At home however, I found myself eating many more vegetables, and I seem to recall feeling more full of energy.

She’s back now, and I am starting to feel lothargic again after going back to my old meat eating habits. I will shortly embark on one month of vegetarianism to confirm/validate if it was the different diet that was making me feel good. Don’t get me wrong, I eat well when I eat meat. I just think that maybe the veggies are more compatible with my system.

Thanks for the informative post Leo, there are some good links in your writing, and some more in the comments left from other readers. This I am sure will prove invaluable during my one month stint as a vegetarian (maybe longer, pending results of my little experiment). :)

Leo Says:

August 19th, 2007, 8:11 am

@Michael: Your comments are welcome, but just to be clear: I stated more than once in the article that vegetarianism isn’t for everyone, and that the article is specifically aimed at people who would like to give it a try — not at trying to convert meat eaters. Again, if you’re not interested in vegetarianism, skip the article.

However, you make some general statements that seem to ignore the points I make in the article:

* Vegetarians are not necessarily more healthy than meat eaters, and I made this point more than once. It’s easy to eat unhealthy on a vegetarian diet. Read the article again for more. However, in general, vegetarians tend to eat less saturated fat, and have lower risks of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and similar diseases … and this has been proven in numerous studies. It’s empirical evidence, not a generalization.

* Regarding weight loss, I agree — the issue is calories. However, as I’m sure you’re aware, fat contains more calories than protein or carbs, and I’m sure you’re also aware that meat contains high amounts of fat compared to vegetarian sources of protein. So on a daily basis, meat eaters (on average) take in more calories than vegetarians — again, not a generalization, but a fact based on empirical evidence. Now, there are plenty of meat eaters who take in fewer calories than many vegetarians, but I’m talking about on average — there are always exceptions, but we’re looking at trends. I agree, however, that a vegetarian can take in too many calories, and therefore gain weight, and so they need to watch calories just like anyone else. However, if they are watching calories, they’ll find it easier to do so eating less fatty foods — and a reduction in meat is one good way to do that. It’s possible to eat meat and lose weight, of course, but you just need to cut calories in other place.

Elena Says:

August 19th, 2007, 14:02 pm

Thanks for the article, Leo.

Let me a comment for people who feel amazed about vegetarianism: vegetarians just don’t eat animals. It is someting so simple. It is nothing special, nothing exceptional or extraordinary, just no animals on the plate, and millions have that diet, even from birth.

Greetings from Madrid, Spain.

Marc Says:

August 19th, 2007, 23:04 pm

I’ve been a vegetarian since 1974, so now don’t really think much about it; it’s just become what I eat. One thing not mentioned is that anyone who tries a vegetarian diet should be ready for the naysayers. The people who will criticize the most are those who wish they could eat veggie, but don’t have the conviction. For example, my hunter/fisherman super-carnivore Stepfather couldn’t care less about what I eat. In fact, he’s happy that there’s just more roast beef for him. But a former-hippie co-worker who used to be veggie but now can’t pass a McDonald’s is always on me about what I’m eating and whether maybe the can it came of was made in a non-kosher factory and blah blah blah.

Another point to emphasize is being non-preachy. Don’t give us all a bad name by trying to “convert” carnivores. As one commenter pointed out, simply living your life, and answering questions honestly and quietly will help those who are interested. Preaching will send people running the other way.

And living in Ethiopia has made eating veggie even easier! Thanks for the post.

emma Says:

August 20th, 2007, 10:37 am

One thing to take care of is having enough omega3 fatty acids in the diet. Both vegetarians and meatarians tend to fall short on these.

About the soy issue - I feel moderation is the key. Concentrating on legumes for protein and having soy mainly when you need to substitute for milk or youghurt. In Finland we have oat milk products (ice cream, milks etc.) which I sometimes substitute for soy. Rice milk would probably be the easiest for kids.?

Vegan for 12 years and it’s been great so far :)

SaraJane Says:

August 20th, 2007, 16:04 pm

I was vegetarian for 15 years and now have been vegan for the past 2. I’ve recently gotten very into trying new recipes and have found food blogs very useful (I actually just started one of my own a couple of weeks ago). Some new vegetarians or even some people that are just interested in trying a few new vegetarian recipes might want to try searching around for some. Some people post recipes of their own and/or recipes from magazines, other blogs and cookbooks.

The great thing about that is you’ll usually get a completely honest opinion on how the recipe turned out from not only the blog author, but usually also from anyone who also made the recipe in the comments. It helps to take the scary out of trying new foods. Not to mention that (from my experience) most people writing the veggie food blogs are more than happy to help answer questions about things like “how do i cook tofu?” and “What the heck is tempeh?”

Christopher Richards Says:

August 21st, 2007, 11:04 am

Wow! What a popular subject. Good post Leo.

I became a vegetarian as a teenager. Could it have been my mother’s cooking? I only learned later that gravy was supposed to move about.

She was perplexed at what to feed me. In my early twenties I went back to meat a little but I gave it up because I didn’t like it. Actually, I didn’t like the way I kept burning it.

Only later did I start to think about eating dead animals. After about twenty years I ate chicken sometimes. This was because I had a job that required me to travel all over the US. Trying to be a vegetarian in the Mid-West can be challenging. Also, one is seen as a bit of an oddity.

I gave up smoking when I was 18. I worked at a gas station in the UK and had early morning sweet tea and a cigarette. If that doesn’t nauseate you, I don’t know what does. I gave myself a sort of aversion treatment. The same went for chicken. I must have undercooked it, but I never went back.

Whenever we have behavior change, it’s not so much about what we want to do next, as to recognize what is ending. This is a very different perspective.

Some people may be trying too hard not to like meat. I am 56 and have been a vegetarian almost my entire life.

I listen to Future Shock on the BBC website yesterday (Radio 4). Apparently, vegans are choosing to date each other based on food preferences. This seems to me to make so much sense. I imagine we get along with people who share our values.

Yours in slowness,

Christopher

Richard Says:

August 21st, 2007, 12:10 pm

Hi Leo,

Thanks for the article.

Regarding point 3 - “Find Good Recipes” - do you have any favourite recipes of your own that would be easy for non-veggies to try? One of your staples, perhaps, but one that doesn’t need anything that carnivores are unlikely to have on hand, like tofu?

Many of us, no doubt, have a number of recipes we cook a lot because we like them and they are not too difficult. Trying out some of these from vegetarians/vegans might be a good introduction to switching for the rest of us!

L. Hunter Says:

August 21st, 2007, 12:40 pm

What most people forget is that vegetarianism is not a religion. It’s easy to start and stop if you think you can’t handle it. But give it a try for 30 days and see if you feel better. Do it once a year and you might even feel better only because your 30 days without meat saved someone’s life.

Leslie M-B Says:

August 21st, 2007, 16:17 pm

I became vegetarian when we dissected fetal pigs for 2-3 weeks in high school biology. I just decided I didn’t want to put such stuff in my mouth, let alone let it nourish my body. Yuck.

For me, the change was easy. I’ve since found a zillion more reasons to be vegetarian, and not once have I been tempted by meat–and it’s been more than 16 years!

Now if only I had the willpower (against cheese and ice cream) to go vegan. . .

Egor Margineanu Says:

August 21st, 2007, 17:12 pm

Hm, about what type of meat you speak? How is prepared ? A lot of questions so far. And it depends on metabolism of each person. As example, for me, being a vegetarian is not a problem, but still I have the same weight when I’m eating meat (no matter type of). Is matter of each person metabolism, how is vegetarian style affecting his (her) work and life style.

EKSwitaj Says:

August 22nd, 2007, 3:11 am

Good advice here. I was a lacto-ovovegetarian for about a decade before transitioning slowly to vegan. I was really surprised to find that eventually, after cutting out everything but the free ice cream from my Working Assets phone bill, I just had no desire whatsoever to eat dairy. It was also after this that I experienced some incredible health gains: lower blood pressure, significantly lower weight, and energy levels that continue to be the envy of everyone I know.

Patricia - Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker Says:

August 23rd, 2007, 3:17 am

Great article, Leo. I have been a vegetarian for close to 10 years. It wasn’t a conscious decision. It was a gradual process. I have never been a big meat eater. Hamburger and then other beef were the first to go. For 2 years, I ate chicken and turkey and suddenly found that neither of them tasted good any more so I stopped those. About 4 years ago, I developed a taste for salmon and talapia. I have never eaten much fish before that. Lately, my taste for fish is changing. I am back to not liking fish. I think our body can tell us what we need through our cravings and taste buds. After all this time, my mother-in-law still tries to get me to eat meat. I have eaten meat several times over the past 10 years when a piece of ham or a steak that my husband is eating smells so good. I didn’t feel well after eating them. The meat also doesn’t taste as good as my memory of it. I doubt that I will eat any more meat in the future. As for soy, I do some. I think it is like anything else and good in moderation. I just recently started using goat milk instead of cow’s milk because I have become lactose intolerant. My weight didn’t change from being a vegetarian. I eat more healthy now than when I first became a vegetarian. I think sprouts and live foods will be my next step. I have done some sprouts in the past and enjoyed them. Thanks for the great article.

Patrik Says:

August 27th, 2007, 6:47 am

If you are considering switching to a vegetarian diet for health reasons one idea might be to eat vegetarian for just a couple of days a week. Even a small improvement in your eating habits might have big long term effects.

Anita Says:

August 28th, 2007, 6:43 am

Leo, your post got me to thinking about this again. I currently eat about 2 oz of meat at lunch. The jump is not going to be huge. I’m reading a couple of books to get a good idea of the requirements etc. I am researching what the change to vegan diet would be since I do eat a lot of dairy. Probably I’m going to cut back on dairy and get that calcium and protein from plants as much as possible. I’m excited about making the transition.

Leo Says:

August 28th, 2007, 7:09 am

Wow, that’s excellent, Anita! Good luck, and email me if you have questions/difficulties.

charon Says:

August 31st, 2007, 2:49 am

I started just for fun, but then after a few weeks meat started to smell bad to me and I started to feel a little better regarding digestion. Also, there is a vegetarian restaurant in my area that has much wider variety of foods than other restaurants that have mostly meat meals (but it’s closed on weekends).

Lisa Says:

September 2nd, 2007, 10:26 am

Another great post!

I’ve never been a huge meat eater so going veg was an easy step for me, I feel much happier about the things I eat and it’s also taught me to read packets carefully… so now when I check if the product has meat in I also read the nutrition info and I’m starting to drop more unhealthy food.
I admire the will-power to become vegan and I would but dairy products seem to be everywhere now, perhaps in the future when I’m more confident with my cooking skills I will try it.

Just a question though, do the rest of your family eat meat still? I find it hard aranging to cook meals with my boyfriend and friends as they all seem to be die-hard carnivores!

Leo Says:

September 2nd, 2007, 23:07 pm

@Lisa: My wife and kids are still carnivores. Actually, they eat a lot of the meals I cook, because they like them — my veggie soup, chili, tacos, fried rice, spaghetti, falafels and hummus, and more. But they also eat meat, and on those days I just eat leftovers (I cook in big portions) or make something easy just for myself.

I don’t make a big deal about it … if they want to eat meat, they can. And it’s not a big deal for me to cook something quick for myself if they want to eat meat.

the opoponax Says:

September 5th, 2007, 22:56 pm

Can I ask for some advice? I’ve tried to go vegetarian (ovo-lacto) multiple times. I’m not a huge meat eater by any count (thanks, vegetarian roommate!), and it seems like such a small step to slash the remaining meat out of my diet and do it, once and for all.

But there are 2 things that I crave, and that I just don’t want to give up. Really, really good hamburgers (not McD’s but really swank bistro style, rare, with good cheese) and bacon. Luckily both are occasional splurges, not a way of life. But I wouldn’t be a real vegetarian if I ate the occasional burger or strip of bacon, now would I?

Is there a way to end those cravings once and for all? I do NOT find that they “just gradually stop” when I don’t eat meat. At this point I eat meat once a week or so (usually a little prosciutto on salad, Chicken Pad Thai, turkey on a sandwich, etc), and I’ve gone 2 or 3 months with virtually no meat on several occasions. And yet… bacon cheeseburgers…. mmmm… What can I do?

Melanie Says:

September 6th, 2007, 1:42 am

@the opoponax: No, I guess I wouldn’t consider you a “real” vegetarian with the eating habits you’ve described, but so what?

I think you’re too hard on yourself, and this beating yourself up for enjoying those few occasions of meat-eating won’t get you to all-veg satori any faster.

Maybe being a total vegetarian isn’t feasible in your life right now. Maybe it won’t be until you live somewhere with really terrible bacon cheeseburgers :)

Ed Says:

September 6th, 2007, 11:27 am

@the opponax: Giving up meat is not unlike giving up any other vice- it’s not supposed to be easy and painless for everybody. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it.

My advice would be to accentuate the positives rather than dwelling on the negatives. In other words, find non-meat foods that you really, really love, even if they are a bit unhealthy, e.g., pizza, chocolate, donuts, french fries, etc. I know this is going to be very unpopular among the health nazis, but it is a temporary means to an end. And of course this is not something you should continue to do in perpetuity. Cravings are almost always based on hunger, and by eating such high-fat, high-calorie junk foods, you are nipping the hunger in the bud. Over time, in as little as two weeks, I can almost guarantee that you will lose your cravings for most meat. Within a couple of months, you will probably lose your appetite for any kind of meat whatsoever. At this point you can start to consider how to eat more healthy foods and incorporating more veggies, legumes, grains and nuts into your diet. But at least the really hard part, kicking the meat cravings, will be behind you.

As an anecdote, I switched to vegetarianism as a spur-of-the-moment experiment. One day I just woke up and decided to give it a whirl; there was no transition period at all. I don’t even remember the last piece of meat I ate. After a day of gorging myself on anything not containing meat, I reflected on the day and decided that it was all quite simple. Of course, I was eating nothing but boxed cereal, donuts, veggie lasagna and tater tots, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything. The next day, the same thing, etc. After a week of thi