How can I stay vegetarian without caving in?

Ok, so I really want to become a vegetarian, not just because I love animals, but because there is health benefits, but every time I try, I cave in to meat, and then I just start eating meat again. I really want to give it a go this time because I think it will be beneficial to me in the long run, so what foods would you recommend that are non-meat and taste better than meat, and any extra advice?



Best answer gets 10 points.How can I stay vegetarian without caving in?
Hey, if you're struggling to give up meat then you have 2 options to help you through this.

Either find foods you like just as much as meat, or find a replacement which tastes like meat.

Taking the first option, there are so many delicious vegetarian foods to chose from. Find your favorites and keep them handy, so that you can turn to them when you're feeling weak. Dried fruit is a personal favorite of mine, but it's very subjective so find one that works for you.

Alternatively, make the meals you used to, but using things like quorn, or TVP in place of the meat. It may taste slightly different but you should find you get used to it soon enough.

The longer you can stick to eating all the tasty, nutritious foods that nature has to offer, the easier you will find it never to go back to meat.

Good luck with it.

X
Are you taking time to properly plan your vegetarian diet? Are you eating enough calories? Are you getting enough of the proper nutrients?



The human body is a wonderful thing. It will resist abuse. If you're NOT doing all of the above, it's going to be hard to convince your mind and body that being vegetarian is good for you.



Nothing tastes like meat. Nothing satisfies your meat cravings except meat, but with proper planning, you can probably get those cravings down to a minimum. Remember not to rely too heavily on soy products or heavily processed foods and to eat plenty of calories. And be sure you're getting enough protein, iron and take a supplement for B12. A food diary would probably be good to track what you're actually eating.How can I stay vegetarian without caving in?
Don't rush yourself! For some people it is a long transition (full disclosure, I myself am a pescatarian, so I still eat seafood). For me, it was easiest to first cut out red meat. Then for a couple of years I ate chicken/fish maybe twice a week. Next I cut out poultry, and now I'm a pescatarian. I don't think that I'll ever make the full transition to vegetarian, but who knows? Eating less meat is a great first step, and maybe if you don't punish yourself for occasionally eating a little meat (even plan to eat it every once in awhile), then it will be easier to give up over the longer haul.



The book below, The Gradual Vegetarin, has been helpful. I wish that I had found it sooner in my own process of transitioning.
It's not healthier to go vegan. That is, unless you take ****-loads of pills to get the correct amount of nutrients. I don't care how much people say that "humans were not meant to eat meat" but the fact of the matter is, it's in our DNA. We have canines, for ripping apart flesh. We have molars, for grinding fruits and vegetables. We are omnivores. We need protein in order to replenish cells and repair damaged tissues. Now, if you just don't like the taste of meat, then that's okay. You can go vegan. Just be smart about it. And like you said, you love animals, so go ahead, go vegan. However, what annoys the hell out of me is when people go vegan because they say that it's "not right" to eat meat. This is all my opinion based on well-known facts, so please, just stfu if you think I'm wrong. Keep your opinions to yourselves and I'll do the same next time.How can I stay vegetarian without caving in?
A few things you could try.



- Make sure you have some good and tasty food to eat with lots of protein because of the beans.

Some great and tasty recipes are veggie chili. A vegetarian chili recipe has lots of protein and is very tasty.

http://www.chili-everyway.com/vegetarian…



- Plan your menu ahead of time



- Wean yourself slowly. Here are some good ideas and steps to take

http://www.chili-everyway.com/How-to-Bec…



- Do not beat yourself up







A tasty snack that is very healthy is a toasted pumpkin seed recipe

http://www.chili-everyway.com/pumpkin-se…
we indians are vegetarians!! so believe me when i say indian curries are way better than meat

look at these

paneer butter masala http://www.keral.com/food/Receipe/Lekshm…



gobi http://lh4.google.com/image/seemaajith/R…

butter nan http://www.mandir.ch/image/ButterNaan.jp…
I caved in at least three times before I became a vegetarian for real. It's all in the mind as with anything you quit that you were used to.

Think of the innocent life that was cut short so you could feed yourself. It was totally unnecessary.



PS all vegetarians need is a mult-vitamin.



A vegan needs a lot more vitamins, especially Calcium.
I have been vegetarian for about a year. I still find it hard to resist my cravings for meat. Espicailly when my family and I go out to eat and someone has ribs. But I just think about what they do in slaughter houses. And what what is actully on the plate, not just ribs but part of a daed pig.
Well what I did was, every time I wanted meat or something, I would just remind myself of how disgusting I would feel if I gave up, and how I would be a quitter. Or, I remind my self that I'm shoving an animals dead carcass in my mouth...that one sure did the trick O.O
hey ok

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;…
Gradually start eating more fruits and veggies.
I used to go to meat.org everytime I had a strong craving. After a while I didn't have cravings anymore.
if your going to crave meat then the vegetarion diet just isent for you.



just look at what they really do in the sloughter houses and you wont crave it anymore.