I have quit eating meat...give me your best advice.

[driver8]

I have toyed with the idea of not eating meat for quite awhile, and had cut down my consumption of meat quite a bit. I have now decided to take the next step and not eat meat at all and I was wondering if any of you had any good advice that you would like to share with me.

Thanks!

[flvegan]

1. Congratulations!

My best advice is to learn to cook if you don't already know how. Grab a few vegetarian cookbooks and find a few things you like. I've noticed the cost of prepackaged veg*n meals is creeping up like everything else. Other than that, just eat a healthy, balanced diet like you have been, just without the meat.

Also, be ready for an overall rise in energy and happiness. Every person I've spoken to has stated that once they stopped eating meat, after a month or so, they just felt "better" in general.

[driver8]

2. Thanks! I am really excited about this change in my life.

My wife has already told me that I had better learn to cook...I'm looking forward to that, too!

[Critters2]

3. The fake meats are a useful tool in making the transition.

I really ate a lot of fake meats when I started out. Didn't know how to create a meal without meat as the entree. So, feel free to make use of these. If you're like me, you'll phase them out over time. There are some I still love--corn dogs and riblets--and which I eat as occasional treats. But I've gotten better at eating more variety and relying less on the patterns I had when eating meat.

Many people have trouble getting used to eating tofu or seitan. I think it's an issue of texture rather than flavor. For help with this, order occasionally from your favorite Chinese or Thai takeout, asking them to use a sauce you like, General Tsao, Sweet and Sour, etc, but cooking with tofu instead of meat. Seitan is great in pepper steak dishes.

And I second flvegan's advice to purchase a couple of vegetarian cookbooks. These will help you learn how to build a meal. I have a friend who often suggests that people sign up for a website like ediets, sparkpeople (which is free), calorie king or the like, and set your preferences for a vegetarian diet. Then, for a month or two, follow the meal plan they give you. This will get you set in healthy eating patterns. My denomination has a site like this for church employees, sponsored by our health insurance program. Your employer may have something similar.

That's my advice! Thanks for making this choice, which helps the animals, the planet and your body! You'll be glad you did!

And welcome to the Tofu Ghetto! :hi:

[flvegan]

4. critters makes a fine point about the "mock meats"

I've phased some out, but the Riblets and Chickn Grills from Gardenburger are regular staples of my diet.

Sadly, with the untimely passing of Unturkey, it's Tofurky for Thanksgiving.

[LeftyMom]

5. I'm going to have to teach you my lentil loaf recipe.

It tastes eighty skillion times better than Tofurkey. I have to hide it from my Dad, and he's a total steak and potatoes guy, and none too sure about the potatoes.

[driver8]

8. Could I have your lentil loaf recipe, also?

That sounds like a dish I would like!

[Ellen Forradalom]

12. Me three

I love lentils.

[nam78_two]

14. Could you share your lentil loaf recipe LeftyMom?

:hi:
I always love learning new good vegan recipes.

[blondie58]

17. I would love that recipe also, LeftyMom!! please!

[Ignis]

13. RIBLETS! Oh gods RIBLETS!

I'm not sure how I survived so many years as a vegan without Riblets, but they're certainly a crowd-pleaser. I served up a batch of Riblets-on-sourdough sandwiches to a mixed veg/non-veg crowd the other day, and everyone loved them.

[driver8]

9. Thanks for the advice...I really appreciate it.

My wife and kids love tofu...but the texture thing has always been an issue with me. I guess I need to get over that.

I didn't eat a lot of meat before -- mostly chicken with an occasional burger. I'm hoping the transition isn't too difficult for me. I am happy with my decision, though, and looking forward to learning how to cook vegetarian.

Thanks again for your advice.

[CrispyQ]

28. Baked tofu - it's the best!

First, congrats on your decision to go veg! There are so many benefits to the veg lifestyle! My biggest piece of advice is to not give up if you have a few cooking disasters. When I first went veg I made some dishes that were -- well, not awful -- but they tasted like nothing. Very bland & not exciting at all.

While there are some very tasty meat alternatives out there, many of them are highly processed & they are getting very expensive! White Wave baked tofu, while very good, is almost $4 for 8 ounces while a 16 ounce tub is about $1.79. So I sacrificed a few tubs of tofu & finally got the baking thing down pat. I used to press the water out first but now I don't bother. I just slice it & bake it. The key is to bake in a slow oven. Even set at 25° higher, your tofu can go from a little too mushy to too chewy in a short amount of time.

BAKED TOFU

One block of water packed tofu. (I bake three blocks at a time!)
With the long edge horizontal, slice each block of tofu into seven slices.
Spray a cookie sheet with oil & place the slices on the sheet.
Season the tofu slices. See below for suggestions.
Bake at 325° for 35 minutes.
Flip the tofu slices & season this side.
Bake for another 35 minutes.

Test the tofu for consistency. If it is too soft, bake it for another 5-10 minutes. Test again. If you decide to bake it some more, flip it first. The more you bake it, the chewier it gets.

The other day I got a real crumbly block of tofu. When I cut it into slices, parts of it just crumbled. So, I just crumbled the whole block, spread it out on the cookie sheet, seasoned it, baked it. After 30 minutes, I mixed it well, re-seasoned it & baked it some more. I ended up with a really delish, low-fat, vegan 'crumble.' I've used this crumble as a base for Shepard's Pie. It's also good seasoned with Mexican spices, to use in tacos & tostadas. Baking tofu is definitely the way to go!

Here are some various seasoning combos that I've tried & like:

Bragg's Amino Acids -- Bragg's Amino's has a really nice flavor, but it is salty. In a pestle, I mix together vegan Parmesan cheeze with Italian herbs - usually basil & marjoram. I pour some Bragg's on the tofu, spread it around with a brush, then sprinkle the cheeze/herb mixture on top.

Teriyaki -- Brush your fave teriyaki sauce on the tofu. Sprinkle some of the Penzeys Northwoods or Northwoods Fire on top.

Tamari & Hot Mustard -- In a small bowl mix together your fave hot mustard & a low sodium tamari. Mix to taste. Brush on the tofu. Sprinkle with some Chinese Five Spice.

Citrus Tamari -- In a small bowl mix together about 1/4 cup of thawed orange juice concentrate with 1/4 cup tamari. Adjust to taste. Brush on the tofu.

BBQ -- Brush the tofu with your fave BBQ sauce. Sprinkle with Penzey's BBQ spice.

Another good thing to try is tempeh. I used to hate tempeh, then I learned how to cook it. I always steam tempeh first. Sometimes I slice it into very thin slices & sometimes I crumble it. Put it in a pan & add enough water to just come to the top of the tempeh. You can use broth if you like. Then steam the tempeh until the water has cooked off. Your tempeh is now ready to be fried, baked, or used in a dish like Sloppy Joes or Salisbury Steak.

My two favorite cookbooks are:

Vegan with a Vengeance
How It All Vegan

And this site has a ton of veg recipes: http://vegweb.com/

Good luck! Veg cooking is so much fun! I've found veggies to be way more adventurous in their cooking than meaters. Not sure why that is.

[livetohike]

6. Congratulations!

First of all, I recommend reading "Diet For a Small Planet" and "Recipes for a Small Planet". They were the first books I read back in 1972 for an overall view on vegetarianism (and some good recipes that have become mainstays in my repertoire).

I made some mistakes as a new vegetarian back in 1970. Beans, cheese and rice add a lot of calories!! I remember looking for something to "take the place of meat" on the dinner plate. That's why I think the fake meat entrees are so popular - but expensive.

Look at some of your favorite ethnic meals and make them meatless. For example, cheese or bean enchiladas, bean tostados, cheese manicotti, vegetable lasagna, rice stuffed peppers, chili with all beans, etc. You'd be surprised at how many favorite meals you already eat that won't require much altering to make them vegetarian.

There are many, many good cookbooks out there. You can borrow them from the library. I recommend all of the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbooks and all of Mollie Katzen's cookbooks. Most of the recipes don't require going to a special market for the ingredients and many of the recipes are quick to make (Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home have a majority of recipes that take less than 30 min.)

Good luck and welcome to the group :-).

[driver8]

7. Wow -- some great advice! Thanks!

I am really excited about my decision -- it is something I have been thinking about quite a bit and decided to finally do something about it. My wife has told me that I am going to need to learn to cook and I am kind of excited about that, as well.

Thanks for the advice...I appreciate it.

[govegan]

10. Great News! You have taken a very positive step . . .

for yourself and your loved ones. Not only will your health and well-being improve, but you are helping to liberate the planet from the destructive dominion of mankind as well.

One element of advice I always give: Check out the most excellent educational materials available from Dr. John McDougall's website. Here is a direct link to the store portion: http://www.drmcdougall.com/books_tapes.html You can review and sign up for McDougall's monthly newsletter as well.

I have not heard some of the very latest releases now available, but I strongly recommend "The Pleasure Trap" and "McDougall's Medicine". Dr. McDougall gives some great in depth coverage of the biochemistry aspects of the introduction of animal products into the diet. Chapter 9 in McDougall's Medicine is called "The Molecules of Life". When you have a grasp of the scientific foundations that make a starch-based vegan diet eminently logical, you will find that the ceaseless propaganda that is used to dupe so many will be easy to identify and debunk.

It is not so difficult as it may sound. But it does and will require effort on your part. Dr. Douglas Lisle provides great support in "The Pleasure Trap." This has 3 outstanding lectures giving historical perspective to the plant-based diet, and in depth explanations of difficulties from the view of a psychologist. "The Pleasure Trap" is also available in book form.

Work to give up dairy as well, if you have not yet considered it. It can even be more detrimental to your health and well being than some of the other animal products. Insulin-like Growth Factor 1, IGF-1, is nasty stuff when consumed from bovine sources. It has been described as a high-octane fuel for cancer cell growth.

If you don't have a lot of time or resources, just think of keeping it simple. Buy grains, nuts, legumes and seeds in bulk. Get some good basic recipes that you like. I recommend a book like Nava Atlas' The Wholefood Catalog. It is good to have a quick all-around reference for simple preparation of the basic whole foods.


:pals:

[driver8]

11. Thank you so much for all of this great info!

Everyone has been giving me such great advice and wonderful resources...I really do appreciate it.

Thanks again!

:hi:

[nam78_two]

15. Do you enjoy cooking?

That is certainly one of the best ways to get into it :hi:. One trusty old book I have had for a while is this one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x146908

I will post more stuff to this thread later. Great choice btw :hi:.

[driver8]

16. Is this link correct? Did not take me to a cookbook... n/t

[XOEnterprises]

18. I just became vegetarian this last November.

The one thing that I remember after the "I really just want a chicken sandwich" phase was craving really off the wall things-sweet potatoes were the most common, but there were a couple other things, too, like an entire jar of peanut butter. Your body is going to try to find substitutes for things you were getting in meat. Just go with it.

[driver8]

21. The "chicken sandwich" craving has really kicked in!!

Haven't had the off the wall cravings, yet.

Thanks for the advice!

[nankerphelge]

19. Free Vegetarian Starter Kit

http://www.goveg.com/order.asp

goveg.com has a number of recipes, etc. also.

[driver8]

20. Thanks for the link!

I ordered the starter kit!

[TBF]

24. Thank you as well - I've been gradually cutting meat out of my diet

but I'd like to find substitutes so I can completely ditch it. The good part is that I don't like the taste of alot of meat anyway (which may have to do with being an animal lover and feeling guilty that I haven't made this choice long ago). Interestingly in my last pregnancy I developed an aversion to chicken - couldn't eat it at all. So I ate beef a view times a week and did my best with dairy and cheese. Baby turned out just fine.

[flvegan]

25. Some of the analogues are sooooo good.

The ones that "replace" meat. The Riblets and Smart Bacon...oh, baby!

[TBF]

26. Those sound yummy - I'm going to look for them at the grocery.

I figure even if I can't completely convert my husband, I can do alot to cut out meat for me and the kids (they're young). My husband isn't completely adverse to the idea either - just finding substitutes seems daunting.

[LeftyMom]

22. At first, I'd get weird meat cravings, and I found that nuts helped.

I figured a meat craving meant my body needed either protein, fat or salt, and nuts took care of any of those.

I was on a very strict diet that was very low in fat, when I eased up on it somewhat, I stopped having cravings.

[peacebuzzard]

23. Veggie hot dogs and veggie burgers complete w/whole grain buns

and all the condiments. After all, it's the condiments we love....mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, chips (the organic, good oil type), soy mayo, Not to mention the wholesome grilled bread to place the veggie dogs and burgers on.......

I bet you can't tell the difference, but your body certainly will!

Just a note: you will be spending more for your food, but it will be far more satisfying and so much better for you. It took me quite sometime to make the total transition to where I wanted to be myself, but now my body is in a total healing process. I must confess I had been quite ill with many ailments and the transition to vegan life style has blessed me with more vigor and quality of life. I use food as my medicine, that is the way I look at it!

Welcome and bon appetit

PB:bounce: :hi:

[Annces]

27. Read a lot of vegetarian or vegan blogs

Just a few of these should make you a solid non-meat eater. I found that it was a million times easier to pass by McDonald's after I really got to reading and feeling associated with vegetarians and vegans.

Of course finding good vegetarian meals is important.

[K8-EEE]

29. Sure-fire cure for the "chicken sandwich" craving!

Try the fake chicken patties from Boca -- the spicy one is SOOOO good and my carnivorous husband loves it!

I love the spicy Boca chicken patty on a crunchy french roll, with Veganaise (better and fresher tasting than mayo!) lettuce, tomatoes an some avocado. YUM! If you have some of those wicked garlic fries from Trader Joe's in the freezer, or sweet potato fries, those go really well with this.