Becoming a Lacto-ovo-vegetarian

[Amanda Yi]

Hello guys!

So as you read in the title of the thread, I am making a change from eating everything meat to a Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. I have been finding myself more and more turned off to meat products since I watched Food Inc. on Netflix. I have decided to make this change but still stick with the dairy and eggs, hence the lacto-ovo part lol.

For those who are vegetarians old and new, are there any useful tips, resources etc?

We ordered chinese tonight and I struggled for a moment seeing all the yummy chicken dishes on the menu. I was proud of myself to decide on a mixed veggie chow fun dish, so i was super proud of myself! Going on day #2 no meat!

So yeah any tips, resources and suggestions would be awesome! :)

Thanks! <3 A

[KristinCB]

so crazy.. I've been making the switch too. I watched forks over knives and don't want to eat any of it.. LOL!

I don't think i'd ever go FULLY vegetarian/vegan however I haven't been missing eating it like I thought I would.

[KristinCB]

In terms of advice - i've been finding there is a HUGE crazy community on youtube so lots of resources there however I'd be leery of some of them.. there are a few crazy ones out there.

[mariewilcox]

I've been a vegetarian for 33 years and vegan for the past 8 months (although I prefer the term whole food plant based as described in Forks Over Knives because I didn't become vegan or vegetarian or ethical reasons and sometimes vegan just brings to mind crazy :thumbdown:) I dropped dairy for health reasons and let me tell you I have felt sooo much better since ditching it.

At any rate, you can be a vegetarian or vegan and still eat totally unhealthy - there's tons of not healthy things that are vegan - Oreos for one! LOL Stick to whole foods (meaning not processed) and try to avoid meat substitutes - they really aren't that great, IMO.

I would start with dishes that are easy to turn vegetarian - Mexican is super easy to eat without meat. I think a lot of Italian dishes are easy too - spaghetti without meat, veggie lasagna, etc. Stock up on rice and beans, other grains such as quinoa, potatoes (white and sweet), fresh fruit and veggies, and frozen veggies.

Also, you will find that people will be totally offended by YOUR personal choice - this has always baffled me but it is something I still run into 33 years later. As if my choice to eat or not eat something affects their life :huh:

Check out vegetarian dishes on Pinterest - you'll find tons.

Any time you want to ask a question or just need some support, feel free to PM me :)

[LeeAndra]

Definitely not vegetarian (bacon & I are in a mutually satisfying LTR, thankyouverymuch!), but I would love to have a meatless meal once (or even twice) a week to cost down on costs and get some nutrients into my family. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread!

Marie, can you recommend a meatless main dish that will fill up my husband/not cause him to whine that there is no meat & he is so hungry? :p

[mariewilcox]

Definitely not vegetarian (bacon & I are in a mutually satisfying LTR, thankyouverymuch!), but I would love to have a meatless meal once (or even twice) a week to cost down on costs and get some nutrients into my family. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread!

Marie, can you recommend a meatless main dish that will fill up my husband/not cause him to whine that there is no meat & he is so hungry? :p

LOL - is he picky about vegetables and/or beans? Bean and cheese enchiladas are always a hit with my omni friends when they eat at my house or spaghetti with onions and peppers but minus the ground beef. You could also make lasagna with a sauce that has peppers and onions and with your usual cheeses. I also will often make vegetarian chili for my omni friends - lots of onions and peppers with different beans and cooked quinoa added in to take the place of ground beef.

[Amanda Yi]

I've been a vegetarian for 33 years and vegan for the past 8 months (although I prefer the term whole food plant based as described in Forks Over Knives because I didn't become vegan or vegetarian or ethical reasons and sometimes vegan just brings to mind crazy :thumbdown:) I dropped dairy for health reasons and let me tell you I have felt sooo much better since ditching it.

At any rate, you can be a vegetarian or vegan and still eat totally unhealthy - there's tons of not healthy things that are vegan - Oreos for one! LOL Stick to whole foods (meaning not processed) and try to avoid meat substitutes - they really aren't that great, IMO.

I would start with dishes that are easy to turn vegetarian - Mexican is super easy to eat without meat. I think a lot of Italian dishes are easy too - spaghetti without meat, veggie lasagna, etc. Stock up on rice and beans, other grains such as quinoa, potatoes (white and sweet), fresh fruit and veggies, and frozen veggies.

Also, you will find that people will be totally offended by YOUR personal choice - this has always baffled me but it is something I still run into 33 years later. As if my choice to eat or not eat something affects their life :huh:

Check out vegetarian dishes on Pinterest - you'll find tons.

Any time you want to ask a question or just need some support, feel free to PM me :)

this is very helpful, Marie! Thank you! And I will definitely hold you to that and message you if anything! :)

THANKS!

[Keely~B]

I've been a vegetarian off and on during my life. I'm sensitive to soy so I have to monitor that but really swapping protein is not that hard. I agree that vegetarian doesn't necessarily equal healthy but I'd suggest starting with soups and stir fry and easy protein swaps. Beans and whole grains, lots of vegetables, really it gives you a lot of options.

[LeeAndra]

He *is* picky abt vegetables, but if they are mixed into the main dish, he will usually eat them.

I will try your suggestions and report back. :)

[mariewilcox]

He *is* picky abt vegetables, but if they are mixed into the main dish, he will usually eat them.

I will try your suggestions and report back. :)

Does he like bell peppers? If he does I thought of another easy one - stuffed peppers. I just use my spaghetti sauce and mix it with some cooked rice and then stuff peppers that have been cut in half. Cover with foil and bake until peppers are soft and then you can uncover and top with cheese if you want.

[lovely1m]

I've been a almost vegetarian my whole life and stopped completely when I was 16. Like Marie said, people get super offended about it. They also love to offer a "salad" to you which will just be iceberg lettuce and dressing. If you want to follow my Pinterest recipe board, I have tons of recipes on there. Ethnic food is much easier to make vegetarian. Just make sure you get in enough protein; beans, nuts, Greek yogurt, eggs, cheeses, etc. Quinoa is amazing and full of protein, very filling, too.

[YepBrook]

LeeAndra, we are not vegetarians but I do cook meatless meals a few times a week. Like Marie said, beans!!! Aaron doesn't complain anymore... but somehow it does become ingrained in their heads that a hearty meal is one with meat, it's definitely not true! Some of our most filling and satisfying meals are meatless.

We do soup a lot (he especially prefers ones with potatoes, beans, etc.) and I serve it with fruit, cheese (sometimes) and crusty bread. Pasta with various things like sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, peppers, mushrooms... etc. I like to add lots of stuff to it and we sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Pasta Carbonara (that one has bacon, but... yeah... I'm OK with that). Salads loaded with stuff such as chickpeas, olives, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, peppers, tomatoes, onions, seeds, nuts, etc. We also do veggie quiche with salad, black bean and cheese quesadillas with guac, stuff like that. If I serve lighter fare with bread, he never complains.

[fifilur]

I'm not a vegetarian, but I've cut way down on meat this year. I'm really not a fan of beans though so I'm hesitant to cut out all meat.

[mariewilcox]

I forgot to mention that lentils (just the regular green/brown kind you can buy in a bag at any market) are a great substitution for ground beef also. I use them in tacos and to make my "Big Mac" baked potatoes, which are a huge hit with my omni friends also. My daughter asks for those about once a week :D

[ttt83]

#veganforever
Can I hug you for this post? :wub:
Just PM me if I can help!

[ripal]

I've been lacto-ovo my whole life! Agree with Marie's suggestions. Lots of beans/lentils, quinoa, soy (if you like) will take care of your protein needs. There is no need to buy 'substitute meat'. I always replace meat with cooked bean in most recipes. It's as simple as that. I have several boards on Pinterest. Feel free to browse thru it. There might be recipes that might have meat in it, but those are the ones that I know that I can either skip (something like bacon) or substitute with beans. My Completed Pins board is the one with tried recipes that I go back to over and over.

https://www.pinterest.com/ripal/

[carrie1977]

Definitely not vegetarian (bacon & I are in a mutually satisfying LTR, thankyouverymuch!), but I would love to have a meatless meal once (or even twice) a week to cost down on costs and get some nutrients into my family. I'll be keeping my eye on this thread!

Marie, can you recommend a meatless main dish that will fill up my husband/not cause him to whine that there is no meat & he is so hungry? :p

Funny...I'm in the same relationship with bacon. :p

Also, my hubby is a meat man. He will not go to a salad bar with me due to the lack of meat. :glare:

[KristinCB]

I forgot to mention that lentils (just the regular green/brown kind you can buy in a bag at any market) are a great substitution for ground beef also. I use them in tacos and to make my "Big Mac" baked potatoes, which are a huge hit with my omni friends also. My daughter asks for those about once a week :D

I'm going to try this for tacos tonight.. and maybe not tell my kids.. haha

[MommaTrish]

Definitely NOT a non-meat eater here, but as a non-dairy eater I thought I'd throw in the reminder that soy, from what I am learning since having to join food allergy support groups, tends to be a really sensitive food for some. Like Bella can handle soy with no problem but even the tiniest amount just kills Art's stomach. So if you have any other food sensitivities you might want to tread slowly with the soy.