Any vegetarian/vegan?

[matildared]

I am trying to stop with meat for ethical and healthy reasons. Any advices?

[RMB398]

Hi there Matildred

(are you the same person I said hi to in the Monday weigh in last week - if so Hi again and hope you had a good week)

I gave up meat 31 years ago mainly for ethical reasons. I have to say that I now eat fish. I started back on that about 15 years ago due to dealing with lots of people (maily women) who were in their late 50's and early 60s with poor bones and joints- At the time I was a relatively unhealthy vegie eating lots of full fat cheese which is never really the answer & for some reason at the time I thought that fish might be the best thing I could eat to keep those bits healthy. Having said that I don't eat a lot of it and I do try to buy from 'sustainable' stocks and, if there had been the quality of sustainably farmed meat around when I gave up, I might have just reduced the amount of meat I ate instead of giving it up all together.

It's odd but now I just don't see meat as food anymore.

I find that cooking up loads of lentils and chick peas - (that kind of thing) and freezing them so they are always on hand to put into anything you're cooking is a massive help becuase you don't have to plan so far ahead. Also when freezing them do it on a tray in the freezer first before you bag them up. That way you don't get a bag or box of stuff that you can't break up into the amount you want.

I also do eat quorn which is also very quick and easy - and very low fat.

I think the main thing really is to be ready to cook from scratch rather than eating ready meals. It's lower in salt as well which can only be good for you.

Do hope this helps

& all the best with it all

Cheers

Ruth

[matildared in reply to RMB398]

Hallo ruth!yes it is me.. I always cook or myself and I don't eat pre-cooked food!I stopped eating lamb rabbits horse(yes in Italy we eat rabbits and horses..) agesago I was 8 and 13. Now I just need tostop rk and chicken, whih, I have tosay is not sodifivul. I will try quorn soon, am very curious!

what about most common mistakes a vegeterian can do?

[RMB398 in reply to matildared]

Hi again Matildared

I really think the main thing, especially if you're trying to watch your weight as well, is to watch how much full fat cheese you have.

Also I guess you'll have to come to decide how far you want to take your vegatarianism. Some people go the whole hog (excuse the pun) - and give up all animal derrivatives while others simply cut down. The decision is yours.

And, of course, if you look into it you might find that giving up milk products is actually better (for the animals and the planet) than giving up all meat entirely. - It's a massive debate and even the 'ethical' reasoning can get confused. I know very little indeed - just probably enough to know that there are loads and loads of questions about it all.

For example if you're giving up meat for ethical reasons... are they the ethics of global food production - i.e. can we feed eveyone if eveyone eats meat at the same rate as your average american? - or do you not like factory farming methods - or do you just hate the idea of eating cute little fury things? ( I also have eaten rabbit - when I was little it was a cheap source of protein - especially when my grandad would catch them)

So many questions you see.

I've been quite extreme about it in the past but these days as you know I eat fish.

Quorn is one to try but it does contain eggs and I'm not sure if they are factory farmed. The advice I'd give if you're going to try it, & especially if you are used to good home cooked italian food, is to flavour well.

I really hope you manage. When I first started I never said - I'd never eat meat again... I just said that I wouldn't eat it for now. - Still wish I'd finished the other half of the salami sandwich I was eating at the time though... Hey ho. - - (sorry no smilies on here - I've not worked out how to do them yet and I'm using a computer not a phone to post.)

All the best

Ruth

[Gemstars81]

I am vegan. Eat raw as much as you can as this what helps most with health issues. So loads of salads! Also be sure to get loads of fruit in your diet so you don't get hungry and reach for something off the veggie path. Good luck

[Penel]

Be careful to make sure you are getting your vitamins B12 and D, along with enough calcium and Omega 3.

It's also useful to look at the types of food eaten in countries where the population are vegetarian.