Well, good luck, and to your health. I, for one, love soy. I had soy hot dogs today, with some potato salad, and potato chips, and it was delicious. Blood Pressure: 130/78 Blood Glucose: 127 Weight: 212 lbs.
Good choice. more people should do it, for whatever the reason. I made teh change a year ago now and haven't looked back. Though I didn't plan it. just made an experiement to see how often I could pick a vegetarian meal instead of meat. if there was only meat I would eat it. happened only once and it was fish. So eating plant based food is not a choice... eating meat is. there is always the alternative available. And the only reason for eating meat (it tastes good) is outweight by a million reasons not to. So I don't.
Good luck, Kenbushway. I am a vegetarian for 15 years now and I don't regret it. Although I allow myself to eat meat three times a year: Once during BBQ season and the other times in cases of invitations where all the food has meat in it. To get proper vegetarian food can be difficult sometimes even in restaurants, not to mention vegan food.
Thank you. Yeah I've noticed how hard it is to find a plant based breakfast without egg or cheese used in it, which is somewhat frustrating. I am building recipes around the vegetables/fruits in season. I saved my self some headache by not starting at the beginning of spring because it and winter have the least available fruits and vegetables. I've already planned out half a month (because summer starts 21-22) of in season meals, 3 per day. I got to say though about as much preparation goes into some of the salads I've seen as a big thanksgiving dinner takes. This will test my cooking skills which is another added benefit.
It wasn't a push against eating meat because I still don't have any moral obligations against doing that. I know that not everyone could adapt a plant based lifestyle. Those with IBS to name one, those with no teeth or poor quality is another. Also if you live in cities or in really cold places you don't have the ability to eat fresh vegetables and especially fruits. I myself though do have an option though. Lean meats, grass feed aren't and won't give you the issues that industrial does, that is really the kind of red meat that is bad for you. Its bad enough humans eat corn syrup but cows do as well now and we take that in when we eat them. That is just compounding the lbs of sugar Americans alone eat each year already.
Good luck ! I gave up meat for a bet nearly 30 years ago. I don't like beans and pulses which make it a bit awkward sometimes, but there's still plenty I do like. Still fancy lamb, steak and fish occasionally, but not so much it's worth killing something about ! PS - I've got IBS and vegetarianism doesn't effect it adversely. In fact my consultant told me the extra roughage in my diet helps combat it.
Hey there, I've been a vegetarian for about 11 years (was vegan for 6 of those and still have vegan stretches sometimes). If you ever want to chat about anything or have questions about how to keep healthy while being veggie (you do need to watch what you eat and make sure you're getting everything and supplements don't hurt), feel free to PM me. By the way, if you do stick with it, these people are awesome: www.veggieboards.com I don't rely on them much now and haven't logged in in... lord knows how long... but I relied on them SO MUCH for my first few years of vegetarian life! They do fun activities there too like an annual Secret Santa, etc. And it's overall just a great place to talk to other vegetarians.
^^It is a bit more difficult for restaurant breakfasts, but there are a ton of vegan options for breakfast if you make it at home. I actually...don't eat breakfast... haha. But if I do and I'm not eating eggs or milk, I go for oatmeal, or any vegan cereal (if you have a health food store by you there are tons) with soymilk / almond milk etc. There are a lot of almond and soy based yogurts too. Also if you want something more meat-like there are vegan/veggie sausages, burgers, breakfast sandwiches, etc. Also fruit smoothies. Maybe add some veg protein or nuts to your smoothies. If you like cooking (I don't..) you can make vegan waffles, pancakes, and more. There are a bunch of online recipes. www.veggieboards.com also has a dedicated recipe section. And there are a lot of nut butters to try besides just peanut butter. Almond butter and fruit (or jelly) on whole wheat bread was my go-to when I was strictly vegan. http://www.veggieboards.com/forum/40-breakfast/
Almond milk is sooooo good! I've only been a vegetarian for a little under a year and a half, but my stats don't lie. It's helping me deal with HBP and diabetes like a champ.
Here it is standard to offer muesli (granola) for breakfasts in cafes and soy milk would always be available. You could add fruit etc.. Most menus here have V and VG next to the item indicating if it is vegetarian or vegan. This isn't just hippie cafes, it's everywhere. A lot of people have lactose intolerance so they look for the VG. You can also always get fried tomatoes and mushrooms and baked beans and toast.. a vegan breakfast can be pretty big.
Oh yeah no argument here. I've been veggie for over 10 years (vegan for 6) and never have trouble at restaurants. It's all about knowing how to order! In a big city it's way easier. When I'm in NYC I have sooo many options. Small towns can be tougher. But there is almost always an option. Not sure where the OP is located.
Meh, that's a tiny (if vocal and annoying) minority. It makes about as much sense to say, "Some of the most vicious people I have ever encountered are the Christians of Westboro Baptist Church." Yeah, but...duh? They're obviously not representative of the whole bunch. In my experience, vegans get a lot more shit from meat-eaters than the other way around. Frankly, I don't think it's anyone's business what anyone else eats, but you'd be shocked at how many people feel free to start the attacking once one says one is vegan. And being vegan is hard, true, but it's not that hard. The kickers are the things people don't think about, like pork byproducts in toothbrushes...
I find a couple of slices of toast (preferably hand cut from a wholegrain loaf) way more filling than serial, museli, porridge etc.
The latest research supports that: supplements are basically useless, unless you have a deficiency, and may actually be harmful. It is really easy to get a balanced diet as a veggie, but as a vegan it is a bit harder (though doable), so a supplement might be necessary. You should ask your doctor. Here's a good read about supplements.
Mushrooms are good for breakfast. Fry them up in some olive oil, put in a bit of onion if you like it, some half tomatoes stewing/frying next to them and have that with toast. Takes very little time and you will find the mushrooms filling. Or get yourself a rice cooker and have bowl of rice with vegies on it for breakfast. Leftovers from the night before or some fried up vegies. You can cook a whole pot of rice and then wrap it in saran wrap in individual portions and freeze it, microwave the next day and add veg. You don't need a rice cooker of course, but it is an easy way to make rice that sticks together nicely for using like this.