In the famous, or is it infamous, thread
Life on Planet Earth > In regards to eating meat
a number of people have expressed how 'difficult' it is to go vegetarian. And, that thread has gotten really heated. So, I thought I'd start a new thread, to lighten things up, for the benefit of those who are genuinely interested in reducing or eliminating their meat intake.
Thread Rules:
1. NO debate about meat eating. If you wish to discuss or debate meat, or argue whether it's 'spiritual' to eat animals, please do so in the aforementioned thread. You might even find a bit of abuse there, if you're into that sort of thing!
Argument
2. No meat recipes in this thread, please. Not being elitist! Meat recipes are simply off-topic. If you wish to start a new thread about meat recipes, you are free to do so, and I promise (scout's honor!) that I will leave your thread alone. I won't even peek! So please honor the topic of this thread and keep recipes vegetarian. This simply means no cow, pig, chicken, turkey, deer, fish, etc. ie. nothing that ever had a face, fur, feathers or fins. And that does include clocks! NO clock recipes allowed!
3. If anyone derails this thread with meat recipes, argument or abuse, the thread will be cut up with scissors and/or shredded. We wouldn't want that now, would we?
4. Recipes and tips on being vegetarian are allowed and encouraged.
Ok, ready?
I'll start.
TIPs on making the transition to vegetarianism E-Z
1. Don't try to make too many changes too quickly. Be gentle on yourself. Many people start out just by eliminating 'red' meat first, and just do 'chicken and fish' for awhile, and then try eliminating the chicken, and then eventually (when you're ready) the fish...OR by substituting a vegetarian meal once or twice a week. Get the family acquainted with some great recipes, and they won't even miss the meat!
2. Eating out: Most burger places now serve veggie burgers. Italian restaurants always have some cheesy lasagne, or, if you're avoiding the fatty cheese, a tomato-y pasta. Mexican restaurants always have potato and egg tacos, rice and beans, and guacamole. Steak houses always have salads and baked potatoes, and many serve 'veggie platters' of rice and steamed veggies. Asian food is easy; many of the entrees are similar to the 'normal' dishes except they substitute tofu. Even fast food places now have veggie options. They might not be the healthiest, but hey, neither are their other options!
3. If you are concerned about sticking out like a sore thumb, or terrified of getting ridiculed by your family or friends, or have heard horror stories from your veggie friends who were invited to mow their neighbor's lawns with their teeth, don't despair! Remember that you don't owe anyone an explanation! Just say "I'm on a diet" and they'll just think you're trying to cut your cholesterol or lower your blood pressure. After all, it worked for Bill Clinton! Everyone knows that! They won't think you're weird at all. Not like when we did it back in the hippie days! You newcomers have it easy now!
4. Tofu. This is #7 on the list of "why people fail at becoming vegetarian." They buy that nasty white stuff in the Chinese grocery store, pour out the smelly yellow water, and then try to eat it plain. UGH!!! Who would ever continue on the veggie path if they had to eat that bland, smelly slime!!! Solution: First of all, check the expiration date. Tofu does tend to get sour if it's past its prime. But when fresh, it has a pleasant, slightly lemony smell. So make sure it's fresh. Then, get a proper recipe before you try to tackle tofu. Don't fall for the myth that all vegetarians must eat tofu plain in order to get their protein! If you want to wait on the tofu, that's ok! You'll do just fine on veggie burgers, eggs and cheesy stuff for awhile. You can always attempt the tofu later, once you find some good tofu cookbooks (of which there are many). Better yet, let your first exposure to tofu be at a Thai or Chinese restaurant. They do tofu right! and you don't even have to be a vegetarian to enjoy it!
5. Let the pro's cook for you at first. If cooking vegetarian seems daunting to you, then don't attempt it. There are plenty of veg cookbooks that are E-Z and use 'normal' ingredients - you don't have to get into advanced stuff like miso, or start growing your own sprouts. And you certainly don't have to spend $$ investing in expensive equipment like a VitaMix, juicer or dehydrator (unless you want to for your health of course). You can start simple, with ingredients you already have in your cupboard.
That's it for now! I don't want to overwhelm anyone with any actual recipes! My point for now is that you don't even need to learn to cook vegetarian, to start transitioning to vegetarian! You can start just by substituting with veg foods at your favorite restaurants!
Life on Planet Earth > In regards to eating meat
a number of people have expressed how 'difficult' it is to go vegetarian. And, that thread has gotten really heated. So, I thought I'd start a new thread, to lighten things up, for the benefit of those who are genuinely interested in reducing or eliminating their meat intake.
Thread Rules:
1. NO debate about meat eating. If you wish to discuss or debate meat, or argue whether it's 'spiritual' to eat animals, please do so in the aforementioned thread. You might even find a bit of abuse there, if you're into that sort of thing!
Argument
2. No meat recipes in this thread, please. Not being elitist! Meat recipes are simply off-topic. If you wish to start a new thread about meat recipes, you are free to do so, and I promise (scout's honor!) that I will leave your thread alone. I won't even peek! So please honor the topic of this thread and keep recipes vegetarian. This simply means no cow, pig, chicken, turkey, deer, fish, etc. ie. nothing that ever had a face, fur, feathers or fins. And that does include clocks! NO clock recipes allowed!
3. If anyone derails this thread with meat recipes, argument or abuse, the thread will be cut up with scissors and/or shredded. We wouldn't want that now, would we?
4. Recipes and tips on being vegetarian are allowed and encouraged.
Ok, ready?
I'll start.
TIPs on making the transition to vegetarianism E-Z
1. Don't try to make too many changes too quickly. Be gentle on yourself. Many people start out just by eliminating 'red' meat first, and just do 'chicken and fish' for awhile, and then try eliminating the chicken, and then eventually (when you're ready) the fish...OR by substituting a vegetarian meal once or twice a week. Get the family acquainted with some great recipes, and they won't even miss the meat!
2. Eating out: Most burger places now serve veggie burgers. Italian restaurants always have some cheesy lasagne, or, if you're avoiding the fatty cheese, a tomato-y pasta. Mexican restaurants always have potato and egg tacos, rice and beans, and guacamole. Steak houses always have salads and baked potatoes, and many serve 'veggie platters' of rice and steamed veggies. Asian food is easy; many of the entrees are similar to the 'normal' dishes except they substitute tofu. Even fast food places now have veggie options. They might not be the healthiest, but hey, neither are their other options!
3. If you are concerned about sticking out like a sore thumb, or terrified of getting ridiculed by your family or friends, or have heard horror stories from your veggie friends who were invited to mow their neighbor's lawns with their teeth, don't despair! Remember that you don't owe anyone an explanation! Just say "I'm on a diet" and they'll just think you're trying to cut your cholesterol or lower your blood pressure. After all, it worked for Bill Clinton! Everyone knows that! They won't think you're weird at all. Not like when we did it back in the hippie days! You newcomers have it easy now!
4. Tofu. This is #7 on the list of "why people fail at becoming vegetarian." They buy that nasty white stuff in the Chinese grocery store, pour out the smelly yellow water, and then try to eat it plain. UGH!!! Who would ever continue on the veggie path if they had to eat that bland, smelly slime!!! Solution: First of all, check the expiration date. Tofu does tend to get sour if it's past its prime. But when fresh, it has a pleasant, slightly lemony smell. So make sure it's fresh. Then, get a proper recipe before you try to tackle tofu. Don't fall for the myth that all vegetarians must eat tofu plain in order to get their protein! If you want to wait on the tofu, that's ok! You'll do just fine on veggie burgers, eggs and cheesy stuff for awhile. You can always attempt the tofu later, once you find some good tofu cookbooks (of which there are many). Better yet, let your first exposure to tofu be at a Thai or Chinese restaurant. They do tofu right! and you don't even have to be a vegetarian to enjoy it!
5. Let the pro's cook for you at first. If cooking vegetarian seems daunting to you, then don't attempt it. There are plenty of veg cookbooks that are E-Z and use 'normal' ingredients - you don't have to get into advanced stuff like miso, or start growing your own sprouts. And you certainly don't have to spend $$ investing in expensive equipment like a VitaMix, juicer or dehydrator (unless you want to for your health of course). You can start simple, with ingredients you already have in your cupboard.
That's it for now! I don't want to overwhelm anyone with any actual recipes! My point for now is that you don't even need to learn to cook vegetarian, to start transitioning to vegetarian! You can start just by substituting with veg foods at your favorite restaurants!
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