I need some advice on Vegatarianism

[ILoveTheUsed]

Well I cut out cow,pig, and turkey and fish for about 6months now and then i cut out chicken for 2months..i didnt really understand what they did and ive watched videos and researched it..its horrible and im totally againist it.
but people think im stupid or wrong for not eating meat nor eggs..but its the 21st century and if people know what they do to those poor animals and still eat meat thats being ignorant. right??

I guess my questions are
whats the diffrence between being a Vegatarian or a Vegan
i get really confused
and i know what to eat..but i dont have a big appetite for alot of Vegatables and i want to eat healthy..any help??

and meat doesnt even have protein in it since they drug them up so much?

i dont know..i cant really get out what ineed help with.

[kjmckenzie]

Vegetarians eat milk products like cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, milk, and eggs, but no meat.

Vegans don't eat anything that is animal derived (all of the above) plus no honey (although I struggle with this one as it is in tons of stuff). Also you have to watch out for sneaky stuff like gelatin, whey, and casein.

Rice and beans is a good place to start. You can eat lentils, and check out some Middle Eastern restaurants for felafels and hummus. If you don't like vegetables try adding them to things like pasta sauce. Stirfry with tofu is also a good way to get vegetables because you can put a yummy sauce on it.

I would suggest getting a good vegan cookbook (I'm sure Erin can recommend one to you ) with some simple recipes and go from there.

Good luck!

[afitch5]

Peanut butter and jelly are good...I just had some on a hemp tortilla. Nuts, seeds, beans=lots of protien. Rice is a good filler if you have trouble feeling hungry after a meal.

[attachedmum]

we have a few cook books that we like and are aimed around veggies being "fun"
Nava Atlas has some good ones, also there is a blog called the vegan Lunch box which has some really good ideas
have fun researching
mardi

[Wistful Wanderer]

Well, I don't think you are stupid at all. You are doing a very thoughtful thing for the animals, the enviroment and your health. =)

It really depends on what you can find in your area to be honest. Things like pasta, houmous, lots of fruit, peanut spread, jam, marmite, beans on toast, stews, soya yoghurt, dairy-free icecream, tofu, Cheezly (a vegan cheese, it's very satisfying.), porridge, nuts, cereals with soya milk (if you've given up milk), home made pizza with all sorts of veggies on top..

I've been told just about anything can be made into a vegan version, I recently made myself a yummy spaghetti bolognese using some RealEat meat-free mince, a basic tomato sauce, spaghetti (of course, heh.) and some of the vegan cheese on top. =)

[liblady1]

Veganism is a lifestyle, not just what you eat. Vegans don’t wear leather, fur, or wool, buy products from companies that conduct non-required animal toxicity tests:
http://www.caringconsumer.com/pdfs/companiesDoTest.pdf
Or frequent zoos, rodeos, circuses, or other places where animals are held in captivity or forced to perform.

Also, it’s about economics. It doesn’t matter if you give the hard-boiled eggs on your salad to someone else. The restaurant gave you those eggs, and are going to have to buy more to replace them. Economically, you might as well have eaten them. It's also a mistake to consider yourself vegan if you buy meat and dairy, eggs, or animal skin for your family. Until you have stopped funding cruel and unhealthy industries, you're not a vegan.

[christianmoche]

peanut butter and jelly is the best

[Vanessa M]

I used to be confused by this too. I think it is important to note that veganism is a lifestyle as liblady1 stated. It a great choice, but requires many people to change many aspects of their life. I must admit I struggled at first, but it became easier because I transitioned slowly.

[kellyabbot]

You should reconsider and eat vegetables - they are very important for your body. Being vegetarian does not necessarily mean you'll eat healthy if you don't have a balanced diet