Becoming a vegetarian?

Ok so I looked at a thread in the INFP area about vegetarianism and why people are Veggies and I said I wouldnt become one because I am a very picky eater but I watched one of the videos on there and now when I eat meat I feel so guilty, I HATE animal cruelty and I do not approve of it so eating meat makes me feel like i'm going against my morals and seeing as the only meat I eat is chicken & occasional bit of bacon/gammon I'd hope it wouldnt be too hard (I already do not eat Lamb because I think its cruel eating babies)...

ANYWAY, onto the point!

I need advice and tips on 'turning' veggie (Not Vegan... sorry dairy is the one thing I love!), I heard it can be healthy for you but my problem is, the only vegetables I like are carrots, sweetcorn & peas, OH and if you count potato! Also I have suffered with anaemia before...

So yep the whole point of this is:

1. How can I transition to veggie with as little 'discomfort' as possible (I mean without craving meat and without annoying my family because they all love meat)?
2. Ways to make my diet as healthy as possible so I do not end up with anaemia again?
3. Personal advise, how you stuck with it, any tips, any meat equivalents etc?

Thank you for any help/advise etc that you can give! x

p.s. this is in no way a spur of the moment thing, I have been thinking about it for years i've just never had the proper push until now.

Not a vegetarian, not really interested in becoming one, but as a side note on your "I think its cruel eating babies" a lot of the farmed chicken you see, buy, find in some restaurants, the average age of the chicken is only a few weeks, actually. I believe Tyson slaughters at the age of 6 weeks. I have heard of companies slaughtering at the age of 4 weeks. Next time you go to the grocery store, look at the chicken. You can find packages of 'young chicken' thigh quarters and they're just massive. I've raised birds before (not for food) including Quail, and ducks. Sure, my ducks ended up huge, but not in 4-6 weeks.


Because I'm not a vegetarian, and likely never will be unless a health problem dictates I cut off meat, I'm instead very careful about where I buy my meat, and where it comes from. It's hard when I don't have a lot of money, but I think it's important to know who raised the animals, and to know how they were cared for.

If there are issues, I think it's more important to educate people on the matter, than just say 'well I'm just not eating meat/fish/whatever' which a lot of people will do. Like the issue with nets, and fishing. Instead of gee, I'm not supporting the fish industry. Support people who don't use nets, and harm the ocean. Support sustainable fish instead.



As for tips, the one thing that comes to mind is there's a pro cyclist who has gone vegan, except he eats salmon twice a week for better iron absorption so if you were going anemic was because of an iron deficiency, that could be something you might keep in mind.

For transitions, maybe take it slow and slowly cut meat out, and replace it with other things as you go. Cut more meat out as you learn more. Luckily now with the internet, there are a lot of resources with plenty of recipes for people who are vegetarian. I love everything I've made from this website so far, and they have plenty of vegetarian recipes, some of which I've made; Vegetarian Recipes | Simply Recipes

@Powder monkey thank you for that alternate point of view. If I could trust where I was getting my food from completely I would, but I just cant, like recently a free range pig farm got closed down for animal cruelty and they were advertising 'animal welfare' 'kindness and quality', also I cant afford any of it, I have to stick with supermarket cheap meat, i do not even want to think about how those animals are treated (and thats with the UK's animal welfare laws!).
But I understand your point, if people did buy from (lets use your example) fishermen who didnt use those nets then it would help them and not helping the cruel companies at the same time but its too hard for me to figure out who does what.

Also that idea of eating salmon is a great idea... only problem, I dont like salmon, or fish xD

Thank you, I am looking at the recipes in the hope I can find something yummy :P

Originally Posted by Totalbrit

1. How can I transition to veggie with as little 'discomfort' as possible (I mean without craving meat and without annoying my family because they all love meat)?
2. Ways to make my diet as healthy as possible so I do not end up with anaemia again?
3. Personal advise, how you stuck with it, any tips, any meat equivalents etc?

1) Just buy products that replace meat (you can get Quorn products if you aren't vegan, or soy products like veggie burgers/sausages etc which all taste pretty nice in my opinion, maybe not as strong but nice). Make sure you have enough protein, like eating nuts and legumes as well.
2) Make sure you eat a lot of dark green veggie (like kale) as they have higher iron levels. Eggs are good for iron too and healthy (the cholesterol in them apparently doesn't cause problems).
3) I got meat cravings on and off and ignored them. Basically, don't buy meat, don't cook meat and if people around you are eating it then eat something that you like so you don't feel left out. I didn't eat enough protein, so watch that, and also check on omega 6 and 3 as they can drop. Vitamins are useful too.

I never understood why vegetarians get so hung up about animal abuse and seem to forget about the human abuse thats still rampant in most of the world.

Originally Posted by Temur

I never understood why vegetarians get so hung up about animal abuse and seem to forget about the human abuse thats still rampant in most of the world.

I don't know about others but my reasoning is this... I do not forget. But I believe human problems are caused by humans, animal problems are caused by, humans! I don't not sympathise with people who are living in war filled countries or are poverty stricken and I will never forget the pain some people go through on a daily basis!

Originally Posted by Temur

I never understood why vegetarians get so hung up about animal abuse and seem to forget about the human abuse thats still rampant in most of the world.

Well they wouldn't eat a human either if that's what you mean...

Most vegetarians who give up meat for ethical reasons are also concerned about human rights.

Originally Posted by Totalbrit

I don't know about others but my reasoning is this... I do not forget. But I believe human problems are caused by humans, animal problems are caused by, humans! I don't not sympathise with people who are living in war filled countries or are poverty stricken and I will never forget the pain some people go through on a daily basis!

I agree. I support animals more than humans with charity donation etc because of this. Animals are harmed by humans and their environments are destroyed by humans. People hurt themselves and other people too, but at least people can pick up guns and fight back if they choose to (like with rebellions and stuff). Animals don't get that choice.

Originally Posted by tine

Animals are harmed by humans and their environments are destroyed by humans. People hurt themselves and other people too, but at least people can pick up guns and fight back if they choose to (like with rebellions and stuff). Animals don't get that choice.

Thats what I was trying to say but I couldn't think of the words xD Animals do not get a choice!

Originally Posted by Temur

I never understood why vegetarians get so hung up about animal abuse and seem to forget about the human abuse thats still rampant in most of the world.

I can't speak for everyone, but I know many vegetarians - myself included - who avoid meat for human rights reasons even more than animal rights reasons. Livestock production actually diverts an unbelievable amount of resources in the forms of crops, water, and land away from people, especially in developing countries. What makes this worse is that most of the meat eaten in the world is eaten by those in wealthier countries (who can easily replace meat with other sources of protein), whereas for those with limited options due to poverty or regional conditions meat can be a valuable energy and protein source they could not otherwise obtain. Raising animals for meat also causes environmental damage that harms humans in both the short- and long-run. I've seen statistics showing that livestock production causes more environmental problems than the transportation industry does.