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Veg*n wanting to try and go vegetarian

Guinepig

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I am wanting to try and slowly wean myself off meat and go vegetarian but, I have a few questions.

1) Can I still eat fish, eggs, and dairy products if I am vegetarian? I love cheese! I don't think I could go without it lol

2) How should I tell my dad and mom that I want to try and go vegetarian? I don't think that they will think it is a good idea, and they like to buy meat from the store a lot.

3) I have heard that being vegetarian is more expensive. Is this true?

4) I am going to start a garden in the spring. What fruits and veggies would you recommend planting?


5) How would you recommend getting all the vitamins and nutrients that I need?


6) Last but not least, Sometimes I stress eat. And when I do I usually go for lunch meat that is in the fridge or cheese. (I try not to go for the lunch meat anymore after I accidentally ate some expired ham :sick: Thankfully I only had a tummy ache that night. No puking thankfully!)
 

Icarus_Hermes

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1. Pescetarians eat fish. Vegetarians don't eat any meat, including seafood, but they can eat eggs and dairy. Vegans don't eat any animal products- no meat, eggs, or dairy.

2. No matter how you pitch it, they may not be supportive. In my experience, people come around eventually when they see how committed and happy I am in the way I eat more than how I explain it.

3. No, vegetarian alternatives are often cheaper.

4. Cherry tomatoes are very easy (and yummy!) to grow.

5. There are a lot of articles online on which foods support which vitamins. What adjustments you need demands on what you already eat. I eat better now than before I was a vegetarian because I make more of an effort to eat a good balance.

6. Not sure if I should encourage, but there's a lot of vegetarian junk food! My weakness is pizza.
 

Guinepig

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Thanks [MENTION=31988]Icarus_Hermes[/MENTION] I am not planning to go vegetarian cold turkey. I am planning to slowly wean myself off meat.
 

bmt28

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You can do it! Offer to help make your own meals when you talk about this with your parents. Being vegitarian is not expensive. I try to eat as much fresh food as possible so that means frequent trips to the produce department in the winter, trips to the farmers market in he he summer ( really fun!). Be patient with your parents, they will get there if you continue to explain that this is what you really want. Personally, I am much happier as a vegitarian. Do you have any friends that are vegitarian? I found that connecting with my fellow vegitarians was a great support especially during that transition. There is a ton of resources on the web to help you relearn how to cook and eat.
 

Guinepig

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My sister is vegetarian. My dad isn't to keen on me wanting to give up meat
 

Pinny Gig

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Icarus_Hermes has answered your questions, but I wanted to add if you really like burgers you can make a slow transition into the meatless world by eating portabella (mushroom) burgers. They're really good and are pretty "meaty" in their own right. Mushrooms have nutritional value (don't believe the myth!!) but you'll still have to research a lot on getting proper vitamins/etc.

Best of luck!!!
 

joys_cavies

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Haha I'm going vegetarian to. This thread had all my questions. My doctor and mom figured out a way so I could go vegetarian (lots of food problems and some medical) so I wasn't allowed to for a really long time! Now I can! I just had to quit chicken cause I'm allergic to red meat lol. This thread helped a lot.
 

Icarus_Hermes

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Yesss, portabella mushroom burgers are so good. Portabella mushroom anything is so good. There's a ton of veggie burger options out there, we have way more variety than beef/turkey burgers.
 

barbaramudge

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I can't help with most of your questions but I did want to share this: several of my daughters friends have done it, and they didn't start out with their parents support. After talking with the parents of those that were successful this is what I've learned....most parents are swayed by: well researched kids, kids who are respectful, kids who clearly put in the effort. Many started out, having demonstrated how much research they did and by agreeing to eat fish a couple times a week. They also had concrete plans in place on how they would get their nutrients and how they could do it without creating chaos for the rest of the family. As a mom, I can tell you that meals (and shopping/planning for them) are stressful enough without working around dietary restrictions. Anything you can do to demonstrate that this will not turn into a huge hassle will help you get the support you need. I also recommend that in your excitement you don't try to change anyone else. They may decide to do some with you, and it may even progress to others in your family making the change but only focus on you. Most parents really do want to be supportive but sometimes we get hung up on the difficulty of making changes, fear about whether or not it will be ok health wise and wondering whether or not you are really committed or if it's just a passing phase. Your folks want what's best for you. If you do your homework and approach it the right way you are likely to get the support you want. Best of luck to you!
 
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