My wife has me 70% of the way to vegan. I feel much better. Might land on pescaterian eventually/mainly. Any tips on transition?
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M$8 Answers
The main drawback/transition for me, above anything, was cost. It's more expensive to eat well and hit your nutritional/protein guidelines as a veg/vegan/pesca than as a standard American. Salmon costs more than ground beef, fine cheese costs more than a slice of pepperoni pizza. Some would say that convenience takes a toll (it does, no quick trips to In N Out Burger are in your future), but I never ate at those places anyway so it didn't matter.
Take my advice and turn the transition into a nutritional rebirth. Don't just cut meat out of your diet, but take a step back and use the opportunity to completely re-evaluate your diet and nutritional intake. I *enjoyed* going veg/pesc because it constantly reminds/forces me to be more aware and decisive about what I put in my body. While my friends are content to order a "double double" because it's "easy", I'm the guy that will likely be driving them to the hospital for a diabetes checkup.
Practical Hints:
*If you have a craving for meat, think about what you're really craving - sometimes it's just the sauce or preparation method. You can still smoke fish, you can put barbecue sauce on just about anything, and a high-quality veggie burger is pretty darn tasty with all the classic fixins. (example: I crave the crunch of pickles & mustard more than ground beef sometimes.
*MorningStar and Quorn are my favorite veggie-meat companies. Quorn products are avail. in Whole Foods and are the most "realistic" I've seen in large-scale grocery stores to date.
*Stews are delicious and underrated. Open up a bunch of cans in your closet and you have a protein and fiber filled masterpiece in no time and for little $$. My favorite go-to stew recipe (all can ingredients are "salt free" variety):
Can mix veggies, can diced tomatoes, one cube veggie broth, can kidney beans, 1/2 can jalapenos and water chestnuts, a handful of whole wheat pasta or grains. Top with pine nuts and a sprinkling of cheese for an awesome, hearty, $5 meal :-)
*QUOTE: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each hamburger patty from a fast food restaurant contains meat from an estimated 1,000 cows (not a hint, just something to make the transition easier ;-)
Guilty Admission:
I *will* break every now and then for a good steak. However, if I eat any meat, I make sure it's grass-fed, organic, and humanely raised. I'm not perfect but what can I say, I'm a Texan ;-)
Summary:
Since you have money in the bank and tend to eat at more full-service restaurants vs. fast-food joints, you're in good shape. You have the power to choose and pay for what you want, which is the biggest hinderence, I believe, to the switch. Enjoy the change-over and relish in how much healthier (and thus better/smarter/stronger/faster) you are than everyone else around you. Rock on and veggie-pig out!
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M$
being vegan has its own benefits , you get the max veggie energy benefits, you save animals( even fishes)
fishes are good but think being a strong veggie!
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M$
Also if you're considering going vegan or vegetarian, make sure you're properly educating yourself first: https://www.westonaprice.org/abcs-of-nutrition/267-myths-of-vegetarianism.html
I can't argue with you feeling better though, if it works, it works. But I would carefully monitor body fat % and energy levels between meals for the next 3 months or so.
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M$
ha, and for me it's pictures exactly like that make me *not* want to eat meat ;-)
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M$- If your family is vegan, you have a chance. My wife and kids are carnivores, so it's much more practical for me to be mostly vegetarian but to go with it when there's chicken in the soup
- Mark Bittman is hands-down my best resource for cooking. He's a low-footprint, low-meat, low-process advocate, but not vegetarian. And his recipes are scalable in complexity and offer lots of variations for what you like or what you have around. If giving up eggs is a hangup, which it is for me, then the More-veggie-than-egg fritata, or his Paella, are a perfect examples of the benefit of even an incomplete transition.
- The Imus cookbook was a big influence in my transition, and the 3-bean chili is a winner for times when I might have wanted the heartiness that typically escapes veggie food. And the food is bigotry free even if the show isn't.
I'll follow to see if you get better answers that I can use.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I'm about to hold an intervention!
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M$
I've heard pescaterian used pretty liberally - meaning the can eat fish, dairy and eggs. That's pretty much where I sit, with the occasional carnivorous splurge. I could never go full vegan, it would be too hard for me to get enough protein/enjoy life ;-)
A pescaterian can eat fish, so sushi is not out... nor is a milkshake.
And on a personal note. I'm a 4th generation vegetarian (no animal flesh) and I have never had a problem obtaining protein in my diet even though as an adult I've developed an intolerance for the peanut.
I hear joked a lot that you never see a fat vegetarian and I am living proof that is incorrect. :) I enjoy good food and don't dwell on sweets. I actually get too much potassium in my diet somehow so I have to watch that. But protein and other nutrients from proper food combinations have never been an issue.
The good news is that as your body stops having to fight through all the meat to get to the goodness your body will become sensitized to proper food digestion and you'll get more nutrients from your food. Like a smoker learning to breath again.
As for TVP (textured vegetable protein) manufacturers, I grew up with Worthington (which now owns Morningstar) and Loma Linda Foods.
Great answer! I tend to agree on the method of cooking and the taste etc. I dont tend to miss meat but I love the sauces and gravies so have to work to be sure those are still available.
Thanks for the comments @maggieray and @bwell79! You nailed it maggie, sometimes a certain sauce can really turn something around. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think I could eat tofu and red/yellow curry every night and be perfectly content! @bwell79 you should see the grief I get from my family whenever I go back to Texas! In fact, I'll even upload a screenshot of the latest text message from my brother (visiting Texas as we speak for the holidays). He sent it this morning from Whataburger, our favorite hamburger joint back home. What a jerk ;-)
Wow, that was an answer above and beyond. I agree with CoreyMac. I grew up on a farm where we butchered our own beef. I could not stand the sight of it. I cannot say I do not eat meat...but I am careful about what kind and where it comes from.
Way to go Corey....leave it to a Texan to speak about beef!!