thinking about going vegetarian 🥦

[strawb]

i've been thinking about going vegetarian for a long time, and something reminded me of that this morning so i started thinking about how realistic that is for me. i think it is realistic because i'm not a big meat eater/lover - my partner is but i wouldn't mind making meat separately for him.

my question is mainly about the foods i'd be surprised to find meat/animal ingredients in - i know about the obvious ones but i have a feeling there's a lot of food i'm not aware of that i couldn't eat. what surprised you the most when going vegetarian? what did you find the hardest?

*also i should note i'd actually be going pescatarian not fully vegetarian!

 

[Welshgal]

I was pescatarian (mostly fully vegetarian) for two years and I definitely think the first few weeks are the hardest as your body is used to meat and craves that salt/fat from it. Once I was passed that I found it surprisingly easy and started to prefer the meat alternatives. However I over did it on soy products and started to have health issues which eventually lead to my Dr suggesting to cut out soy completely for a few months and to eat a bit of meat again which I did.

If you „only“ plan on eating vegetarian/pescatarian I don’t think there are too many hidden foods. Gelatin is tricky but I can‘t think of anything else right now. It‘s going vegan that‘s a bit more difficult at first because there‘s milk powder (or whatever it is) in lots of stuff.
Oh and double check when getting tortellini or similar at restaurants. I once got meat filled ones even though it seemed to be a vegetarian meal from the menu!

 

[strawb]

@Welshgal thank you so much! actually, gelatin is the very thing that inspired me to ask this it made me think there could be more similar examples that i don't know of. i would also not rely on soy alternatives a lot because i have an intolerance to it so only have it in small amounts - any other alternatives that you've found to be nice?

 

[Welshgal]

@Welshgal thank you so much! actually, gelatin is the very thing that inspired me to ask this it made me think there could be more similar examples that i don't know of. i would also not rely on soy alternatives a lot because i have an intolerance to it so only have it in small amounts - any other alternatives that you've found to be nice?

I like Quorn! We don‘t have it in Germany so I didn‘t eat it a lot but I remember absolutely loving their bacon. And pea-based stuff is also nice imo. definitely takes some time getting used to though!
Maybe try starting out by going veg a few days a week? I started doing only veg breakfast and then breakfast+lunch.

 

[strawb]

Maybe try starting out by going veg a few days a week? I started doing only veg breakfast and then breakfast+lunch.

ah that's a really good idea taking it meal by meal! i'm having a veggie lunch & pescatarian dinner today, so perfect day to start

 

[Megansnarkle]

A lot depends how strict you are going to be with it. My husband is pescetarian but has never been too fussy about examining sweet ingredients if offered one (he's not a big sweet eater) to check on gelatin or cheese for the use of rennet.

 

[Giggling Squid]

My sister went strict vegetarian a few years ago and the thing that surprised her most was the fact that Parmesan is not vegetarian

 

[strawb]

My sister went strict vegetarian a few years ago and the thing that surprised her most was the fact that Parmesan is not vegetarian

interesting, i never knew this either!

 

[Giggling Squid]

View attachment 1176777

interesting, i never knew this either!

It was almost a dealbreaker for her. That and Percy pigs.
She uses this instead. Not Parmesan but she reckons it’s close enough. Parmesan is also in things like pesto

Parmesan style Cheese Wedge | VEGEX

www.vegex.co.uk

Smoky bacon crisps are vegetarian though

 

[Piff paff puff]

Congrats on your decision (if you choose veggie)
My comment is more about the vegetarian lifestyle. I didn't find not eating meat difficult as I always preferred other foods but I live in a very cold part of the UK and would really benefit from a good pair of leather boots! As I wear boots for almost 6 months of the year. My none leather boots only last for that time.

 

[strawb]

It was almost a dealbreaker for her. That and Percy pigs.
She uses this instead. Not Parmesan but she reckons it’s close enough. Parmesan is also in things like pesto

Parmesan style Cheese Wedge | VEGEX

www.vegex.co.uk

Smoky bacon crisps are vegetarian though

funny about the bacon crisps

Congrats on your decision (if you choose veggie)
My comment is more about the vegetarian lifestyle. I didn't find not eating meat difficult as I always preferred other foods but I live in a very cold part of the UK and would really benefit from a good pair of leather boots! As I wear boots for almost 6 months of the year. My none leather boots only last for that time.

very good point! i do live in an extremely warm climate so i wouldn't really have an issue with this but thank you for the heads up about the lifestyle as i'd also like to use only cosmetics that don't test on animals, which i think i pretty much already do but would like to be more educated on the topic!

 

[1001 others]

Good on you!

My only advice would be to ease into it, and see a nutritionist if you're able to (just to make sure you're getting all the nutrients your body needs).

Also, so your partner doesn't feel deprived, I would have nights where you can have the same meal together, and nights where he can have meaty stuff. We do that in our house, which works well.

 

[strawb]

@1001 others thank you! that's also a good idea for dinners. he loves his meat and i don't mind so much preparing it for him although he's the better chef when it comes to that 🧑🏼‍

 

[WeepingCassandra]

I ate haribo for a couple of weeks when I went veggie before I realised it had gelatine in

My OH is a omnivore still, I’m a flexible veggie - try to avoid eggs and dairy where I can but don’t stress too much about it and very very occasionally eat fish (mainly fish and chips tbh!) but I’m trying to go plant based soon as I notice such a difference with my IBS symptoms when I cut out all animal products. In our house if my OH wants meat, he has to buy it and cook it - if we’re out he’ll normally have a meat meal.

We eat a lot of tofu (make sure you press and season it properly) and enjoy making seitan for meals. Also like a lot of meat substitutes - it’s just a matter of trying things!

 

[strawb]

@WeepingCassandra i do like tofu and seitan! generally a lot of our meals are based on fish and seafood so going pescatarian is much more realistic for me, but i try to avoid dairy anyway because it doesn't sit well with my stomach - no matter how much i love it

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

Tangy cheese doritos aren't veggie, nor are cheesy cheetos. Lots of wines and some beers/lagers aren't veggie.

However, if you eat something accidentally, it's not that big of a deal, just start again with your next meal

 

[strawb]

Tangy cheese doritos aren't veggie, nor are cheesy cheetos. Lots of wines and some beers/lagers aren't veggie.

However, if you eat something accidentally, it's not that big of a deal, just start again with your next meal

oh no, wine why is that?

 

[soymilk]

i've been "veggie" for about 12 years now, in that time i was also vegan for 5 years; in the last 6/7 months i've started to eat fish so now i would call myself pescatarian. I don't eat dairy, with the exception of cheese every now and again but that's it - that's just bc i find it a bit sickly! I always think it's a good idea for people to cut out / reduce their meat intake as I do believe it's not the best for us or for the planet! my bf eats meat but he eats a lot less since being with me, for him it's something he can enjoy in a restaurant etc.

try not to worry about the transition, it's okay to make mistakes at the beginning when you're not sure what you can or can't have!

 

[WeepingCassandra]

oh no, wine why is that?

They filter a lot of alcohol through isinglass (fish guts). There’s a good website call Barnivore that can tell you what alcohol is veggie!

 

[strawb]

They filter a lot of alcohol through isinglass (fish guts). There’s a good website call Barnivore that can tell you what alcohol is veggie!

thank you so much! that's the important stuff

i've been "veggie" for about 12 years now, in that time i was also vegan for 5 years; in the last 6/7 months i've started to eat fish so now i would call myself pescatarian. I don't eat dairy, with the exception of cheese every now and again but that's it - that's just bc i find it a bit sickly! I always think it's a good idea for people to cut out / reduce their meat intake as I do believe it's not the best for us or for the planet! my bf eats meat but he eats a lot less since being with me, for him it's something he can enjoy in a restaurant etc.

try not to worry about the transition, it's okay to make mistakes at the beginning when you're not sure what you can or can't have!

thank you so much! i think it's a very similar situation we're in


starting tomorrow!!