Would like to become vegetarian but....

[Prickle]

For the last 12 months i have found myself increasingly turned off by meats. Not just because of the sweet animals they come from but also because of the smell and taste.

I find this bizarre as my whole family has always eaten meat and until recently I personally have had nothing against it.
My delema sp? is that i am allergic to fructose and suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome!

What am i supposed to do? I would like to go off meat entirely but that leaves me with very little in the of sustinance.
Has anyone else had/got similar problems?

[thalestral]

I would make a list of all the things you would be able to eat first and then see whether it is truly a limited amount

Do foods such as beans and legumes have fructose in them for example? (Non-root) vegetables and whole grains? Those make up the bulk of my diet so if those foods are okay it's definitely possible!

I know people who are veg*n and glucose intolerant and they manage okay, I think once you start thinking about everything you can eat it becomes easier to see if it would suit you ^_^

[Prickle]

Thanks for your post Thalestral!

Yes i have a dietry list from my Dietitian.
If i stick (but don't) to what I 'should' eat, I can eat:

White bread, fruit loaf, crackers, white rice, Asparagus, celery, peeled potatoe, hazel nuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, plain popped corn, all meats (bleh), seafoods, dairy products (intolerant), eggs, cornflackes, nutrigrain.

I am currently trying to be good but find i don't get any energy out of these foods so am relying on smaller amounts of meats, fruits ect to get me through.

I can also eat 90% of processed foods (oven food, packet food, takeaway) but it's so bad for you!

[Prickle]

I should probably mention that so far i think i'm doing ok?

I've started making vegie stir fry, corn fritters, vegie omletes, all with a reduced amount of what i 'can't' eat.
I always thought being vegitarian would be easy but now i find myself taking time out looking at all sorts of things in the food to make sure it's ok.

[krittercrazy]

Here is a great book with wonderful recipes. The Raw 50 by Carol Alt and David Roth. With trying some of the recipes, I haven't missed meat at all. I am feeling much better, have more energy and better attitude. I would never have believed that I would enjoy a shake of romaine lettuce and bananas! or avacado milk! It was the best 17 bucks I have spent in a while.

[Sammy and Peanut]

I am having a problem with my mom saying that I will not get enough protein, but I don't care. You can always buy protein shakes. Have you ever considered a protein shake as a substitute?

[guineapigluver1]

That's exactly what my mom siad about me going vegetarian! She said I won't get enough protein. I'll try protein shakes, I hadn't thought of that.

[cherryredcutie]

Hi guys,

I've been a vegetarian for 11 years now, I stopped eating meat from one day to the other when I turned 17. You don't actually need that much protein in your diet, but you can use meat substitutes like Quorn that have quite a lot of plant based protein.