thinking about going vegetarian 🥦

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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!
 
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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!
 
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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?
 
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Welshgal

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.
 
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strawb

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

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.
 
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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
 
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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.
 
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strawb

funny about the bacon crisps

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!
 
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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.
 
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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 🧑🏼‍
 
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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!
 
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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
 
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strawb

Lizzie Mintdrop said:
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
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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!
 
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strawb

WeepingCassandra said:
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!
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thank you so much! that's the important stuff

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


starting tomorrow!!
 
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