How do you switch from a "conventional" diet to vegetarian?

The obvious answer is to stop eating meat. I want to know what others have bought to adjust themselves and their families to a vegetarian diet. Is there an easy way to make that transition?How do you switch from a "conventional" diet to vegetarian?
It was very difficult for me to switch to a vegetarian diet. Although I was repulsed by the smell and looks of meat, I craved it for two years, but once I bought it I couldn't eat it. I ate the tofu, which I still don't like, and the fake meat, which is still bad, but nothing stopped the cravings. Over time the cravings stopped and I no longer think of meat as food. There really is no good answer, just keep a good variety of pasta, squash, fresh veggies, and lots of fruit on hand. Cook like you always do, just don't add the hamburger or chicken to the pasta or stew. Making soups is easy, and making a large salad that you can keep in the refrigerator so that all you have to do is dish out a serving at a time helps. When making a salad, cut down on the lettuce and add more of the veggies to keep it interesting, and don't use the ice-burg lettuce. It has almost no nutrition compared to the red leaf or butter lettuce. Buy an electric steamer so that steaming veggies is easy to do. I buy the 20 lbs. bags of rice, and keep several kinds of pasta and beans so that I always have a variety of foods to choose from. If it's on hand and easy to make, your going to be more willing to cook it. Good luck and remember, beef stays in your colon for 2 weeks. Sorry, had to say that.
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try this website. it has a two week menu for you to use. just check the recipes each week and get all the ingredients u need and u have all your meals planned for the entire week. after that, look for more recipes online and expand your cookbook. you dont have to eat in all the time too, u can eat things like bean burritos and some restuarants have veggie items on the menu.How do you switch from a "conventional" diet to vegetarian?
you will feel great if you do it right....

you need to get enough protien every day thats all you need at first...

it taked months till your body needs other things but I havent eatem meat in so long I have udjusted to knowing what I need without thinking about it so I don't realy remember...

you will lose weight and be healthier and live longer and have lots of animal freinds!!!!

peace!
Its easy if you adjust your mindset. People are brainwashed into thinking they "need" meat. You can get all of the protein, healthier protein at that, from a plant and grain based diet. Quinoa is an excellent, tasty grain that is a complete protein, and you get plenty from beans, pulses, legumes, nuts, rice, etc. Try bean, rice and cheese tacos, instead of ground beef. Try a vegetarian lasagne made with zuchinni and spinach. It easy, and very healthy. Look at the epidemic of high cholesterol, and remember that cholesterol only comes from animal sources. There are so many benefits, that eating dead animals just doesnt make any sense, one you have the knowledge. Good luck! My 12 year old daughter is a veggie too, and is clearly healthier than her meat eating friendsHow do you switch from a "conventional" diet to vegetarian?
Listen, people can easily say all kinds of things, and these days we're inclined to "do it ourselves" but speaking strictly of schemantics and nutrition it's almost vital to see a nutritionist and or dietician for expert advice, meal plans, and most importantly to avoid malnutrition. People are ridiculously under-educated about nutrition in the first place, and I'm sure that 9 out of 10 people in industrialized civilizations don't believe that they even can be malnourished letalone the fact that they probably are at least partly there already.



Eh hem sorry I almost got on the soap box there. As to dealing with being vegetarian while the majority of society including your peers is not? It's mostly a matter of willpower like anything else. I'm reasonably sure that you can find support groups in your general area if you look for them. Keep in mind also the fact that unless a restaurant is pure vegan then even when you order vegetarian they're preparing your food in the same kitchen that animal parts are chopped up in. So unless you're much of a cook or are willing to become one plan on subsisting on fake vegetarianism (getting a salad from mcdonalds anyone?), really boring meals (ANYBODY can make vegan soup, but who do you know that can make it taste good?), lots of at least partially prepared foods, and being undernourished.



I've recently made the switch to semi-vegetarian (no more mammals or poultry, but dairy and sometimes fish) myself so I can appreciate your situation. Fortunately I've cooked my whole life, shop organic (Vitamin Cottage lends itself to being vegetarian nicely, and happens to be frequented by plenty of pasty looking malnourished vegans who are great examples of why you should see a nutritionist to help you make the switch), don't like eating out, am a social pariah, and have a lot of time on my hands so the transition wasn't that big of a deal for me after a couple of weeks.



Good luck whatever you do, and remember that nothing that's worth it is ever easy.