Healthy Eating Thread

[dragonflies]

I'm really trying to become a vegetarian, have already cut red meat from my diet and trying to cut pork, fish, etc... out too.

Anyone have any suggestions how to do this and stay healthy? I know taking multi-vitamin helps make up if I'm missing any vitamins in my diet.

I'm also trying to use stuff that has no animal by products, already found soap that doesn't have any.

Just curious if anyone else has this lifestyle? I read it's a much healthier way to live

[Mr. Vixen]

I am a vegetarian, and have been my whole life. I just dislike meat. I eat chicken from time to time, however. I can't give you any good advice on how to become a vegetarian though, because i've just always been one.

[DaytimeFan]

I play around with vegetarianism and veganism. I probably eat that way 4 days out of the week...the other 3 will likely involve some dairy or meat, I simply don't have the discipline for it, particularly cheese. I don't really like most meat, so that isn't a hard sell, however, a burger or steak here or a spaghetti bolognese there or a piece of chicken, that I do, usually socially. At home, it's mostly vegetarian or vegan. I don't buy any clothing made from animals so leather is out.

One of my best friends is vegan and the model of health, here's how to do it.

-Take a vitamin to ensure that you have your B vitamins (the bulk of which come from animal products) so that you don't feel exhausted.

-Fortified products like spreads and alternative milks (I love almond milk) are a good source of vitamins that come from animal products.

-Tofu needs major flavouring from something like teriyaki sauce, buy the extra firm kind and fry it in a little coconut oil so that it's crispy.

-Vegan protein powder does exist, it comes from pumpkins and is a nice little kick, I recommend it for fruit smoothies (a scoop of pumpkin protein powder, a cup of almond milk and a cup of berries, blend till smooth).

-Almond milk is a great substitute for dairy, I find that dairy leads to nasal congestion for me, switching to almond milk has made a huge difference.

-Keep foods flavourful, so don't skimp on the good olive oil and grilling your vegetables.

-Whole grain pasta is far better for you, cooked al dente, thanks to the fibre.

-Quinoa is a great thing to add, tastes like rice, nice mix of complex carbohydrates and protein.

-Chickpeas....try them. I hate them, but my friend swears by them.

I think taking an Omega 3 supplement, be it from fish or from flax, is important for your heart. I also will never give up the skincare I use which has some animal derived ingredients (ie glycerin) in them.

Overall, take it slowly and don't feel bad about slipping up every once in a while. Good luck!

[dragonflies]

Thanks

I don't think I can give up dairy, I'm a milk fanatic LOL. I have tried tofu soup and loved it. I've eaten meat my whole life, but knowing how these animals suffer just so we can have meat, or beauty products, etc...is a turn off plus I hate touching raw meat

[darraholic]

Does Almond Milk taste like dairy milk? I get sick drinking milk, but I'm one of those people that hate trying something different lol.

[DaytimeFan]

It tastes very pleasant. Less rich than dairy milk, but I prefer it.

[EricMontreal22]

I've been a vegetarian since I was 9 and saw some film about slaughterhouses. LOL It *really* annoyed my family at first (I remember for about a month it seemed like my mom would make all of my favorite meat dishes) but I learned at a pretty young age to cook for myself, and it quickly stopped being a problem. I admit at some point in my teens I started eating seafood too, to an extent (it was probably my love of sushi that did me in) so I'm actually an ovo-pescotarian or some such word I never get right. I do eat some dairy and eggsas well, though I'm pretty anal about getting free range eggs (actually I get them from my brother's chickens at the moment lol), etc.

For a while, shortly after myself, my twin sister was a vegetarian as well, but that ended for her in college (she claims it was chicken wings that got her back into it)...

It really isn't hard to keep up once you are aware of what you're doing, I've never had issues with lack of iron or other things people get warned about. I actually think that now that I'm in my early 30s it's also done a lot to keep me thin and healthy when I see my friends gain weight (I do excercise but not as much as I should, and probably drink at least as much beer as they do--but maybe it's just genetics too). But the main reason I do it is for ethical reasons (which is again somethign some vegan friends of mine harass me about, especially as I deat fish though I try to be conscious of where I get the fish). To be honest the main issue I have with it is I am not remotely a militant vegetarian--it's what's right for me, but I don't care if you eat meat around me, or whatever. Yet, I find at dinner parties, etc, I almost always encounter at least one person who gets instantly defensive when they find out I don't eat meat, and starts lecturing me on how humans wer emeant to eat it, bla bla. It's like they're so worried that I'll judge them they have to go on the defrensive--and on the other level, as I mentioned, I also get lectured by some fairly militant hardcore vegans about being a sham vegetarian, LOL.

Like Daytime fan I also avoid leather and other animal products (though I admit when I spent the Summer in italy, the friends I stayed with gave me some really nice leather boots their uncle made himself, and I did accept, and wear those, with a bit of guilt--but for me personally it's more about being aware in general I guess).

(The only suplement I take daily is a b vitamin actually, though obviously people's mileage about what they need changes).

[SFK]

My cousin is a pescatarian and she's really the first person who opened my eyes to the idea that some people don't eat meat simply because they do not like the taste, not for ethical reasons. I always assumed it was the latter. But her boyfriend loves to fish and she cleans the fish and all that. Depending on where we spend Christmas/TG, the relative who hosts always makes a few things special for her as she doesn't eat turkey, ham, et cetera, and doesn't like green beans and collard greens cooked with pork.

I try my best to eat healthily and sort of follow a Dr. Perricone inspired diet, but I LUUUURRRRVE a rare-to-medium rare steak and I indulge my paleolithic tendencies. I love chicken but never order it out as I feel like I ate chicken all my life growing up and I assosiate it with, "I could have had this at home." I love porck too and I have a real weakness for the deli section in the grocery store. Picking out my meats and cheeses and having them slice them to order, it's such a retro grocery experience.

I was watching that documentary on the founder of PETA and she talked about how she would buy fresh ground free range beef not far from where I'm from actually as well as free range eggs on her ride to work. She'd crack the raw eggs over the raw beef, mix it up and eat it as she tended to the shelter animals in the morning. Okay. Admittedly, the Andrew Zimmern in me is oddly intrigued by this tartare concoction, but NOT for even twice a month let alone daily. That's how much she loved meat and she still gave it up when she saw what went on in slaughter houses. I admre that, and yet about a million *bitch got issues* buzzers went off when she shared that.

One thing about meat that does in fact skeeve me out is parasites. Particularly wormsand paricularly in fish. I saw a worm wiggling in a package of fish at the grocery store once and I could not eat fish for months. Sadly, this is not all that uncommon.They flash freeze fish to kill worms and they run them over these lamps that shine light through their transparent flesh so worms can be removed. If I ever *looked down* and saw Slimey from Sesame Street circling the bowl my first thoughts would be, "Lord, take me NOW."

[DaytimeFan]

That's why I don't really eat meat. I simply don't like it all that much. A burger in the summer, a steak at a gala and a piece of chicken at a friend's house...absolutely and I enjoy it. But I hate pork, hate seafood and hate most cuts of red meat. I simply dislike the texture, taste and handling of meat by in large...so eating less meat is effortless for me. I don't eat based on ethics at all. If anything, I eat based on science.

[alphanguy74]

SFK... I've done a ton of fishing my whole life, and occasionally you do run upon a problem of a parasite in a fresh water fish... but they are very visible, and pretty rare, at least around here. these are fish of course, that are considered game fish, and are illegal to sell in stores and serve in restaurants, Bass, Crappie, etc. I am a TOTAL animal product person. I honestly feel that we are to be a part of nature, and we are not above it, however... there are certain things I object to. Such as fur taken from the wild. I don't feel that an animal should be taken from the wild unless it is going to be eaten, not for the sake of vanity. A farm raised animal for fur, I'm fine with. I do have a very weak stomach, and cannot EVER dress an animal, although I don't have a problem shooting one. I do this with squirrels all the time, and yes, I have freaked out many a former co-worker by bringing leftover fried squirrel in my lunch. Like Daytime fan, I cannot live without my cheese. I love cheese of almost every hue, it's one of the great things in life. I honestly don't feel being vegetarian is any more healthy (Davy Jones was Vegetraian, and Linda McCartney died in her fifties, and she was vegan), I do feel that going ORGANIC is the key to EVERYTHING. And I feel that chemicals in the food supply will be found to be the leading cause of disease, although me must also remember that cancer did exist long before pesticides did. I will say that 85% of my meat eating is poultry and fish, I just like them much better. I tend to like them because they have a lighter taste, unless your'e having hamburgers or tacos or something. I will say that PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS are your friend if your'e vegan. I adore these things, and when used on pizza, I don't miss the meat at all, not one iota, especially if you lay fresh basil leaves over it before you bake it. I also love beans of every kind. "Butter beans" or large limas, are one of the best things on earth, I can eat them every week with no problem, and they are so good for you. SFK.. I am one that never puts any pork in my vegetables, many white folks don't I like nothing but butter and salt, I want my vegetables to taste like nothing but vegetables.

[alphanguy74]

One green that we eat here are lambsquarter greens. they grow wild, so we never have to plant them. they are high in calcium, and every other vitamin known to man, and I like them better than spinach. And of course, ASPARAGUS. Being my favorite vegetable, I could literally eat it every single day and never tire of it. I also make a casserole with broccoli, thinly sliced carrots, beschemel, lots of curly parsley, cheese, and crushed saltines that is to die for. I would say pork is my least favorite, unless it is bacon. I find what I like about sausage is the spices, and not the pork really, so I use the same spice with ground turkey, and like it even better, Also, one way to use bacon and not get nearly so much fat, is to buy the jar of real bacon pieces, and use like a teaspoon full in scrambled eggs, you get that bacon flavor with half the calories and fat.

[SFK]

LOL, I hear you. Mind you, we don't put hamhocks in salad or anything like that, just when we make a huge pot of greens or green beans usually on a holiday.

I know it sounds terribly hypocritical, but I am a huge animal lover yet I have no problem with leather, suede, fur, et cetera. There is definitely a disconnect though I've tried to educate myself. All of my family wore skins and pelts growing upand I always liked the look and feel. However, I tend to agree with you alpha, I have no issue with farm-raised fur like Scandanavian mink which are treated like kings compared to American livestock, but people stepping on raccoons' necks and skinning them alive in China is barbaric. And if a trapped animal can't be killed instantly, my heart breaks at the prolonged suffering. I support the trapping of nutria in Louisiana as they are an enviornmental nuisance and good for their economy as people eat them as well as wear them, but I'm against under water traps that are sometimes used to drown the nutria, as well as muskrat and beaver. Two of the most prized furs, Russian sable and lynx, were unsuccessfully bred in captivity and continue to be trapped, though they have made strides with breeding sable.

My uncles hunt and I have enjoyed venison and rabbit though I've never done squirrel. I don't know if I'd ever be able to stomach a reptile or amphibian unless prepared by a master chef.

[SFK]

Have you ever heard of Poke salad alpha? It's a wild green that I haven't had in over twenty years, but folks used to pick it along the road (and in the graveyard ). It's highly toxic and has to be boiled twice. I of course did not know this as a child and thank God my grandfather and them knew what the hell they were doing.

[alphanguy74]

Yes... a reptile or amphibian, I could never do. I don't know why. I have tried coon and possum, but have to say that I like neither. Rabbit on the other hand... FABULOUS. Of all wild game, Rabbit is the best in my book. the french eat it quite a bit. Lamb is another meat I don't care for, it has a strange flavor that I can't handle. One thing I LOVE, and is one of my favorite foods that happens to be vegetarian, is fried grits. Cook those grits as normal, turn them into a shallow loaf pan or something similar, let them sit in the fridge at least 6 hours, then turn them out, slice them, and coat in flour and pan fry in a couple tablespoons of oil. I use butter, but if one was vegan, I would suggest sunflower oil, the flavor of that oil goes best with grits. This is another thing I mix sauteed portabellas in my grits when they are cooking initially, and this makes fried grtis so good you'll slap your mama!

[alphanguy74]

Yes... Poke Salat is something I've never eaten. I'm ascared to try it! LOL I do know being a horticulturist, that it only can be picked when it first emerges from the ground, and when the shoots are still green, when they begin to turn purple, then they are poisonous. The poisonous alkaloid in them is what causes the purple color. I think some people boil them twice to be "sure", but if picked at the proper time, it certainly isn't neccessary.