And it’s not because I’ve been feeling deprived or had crazy meat-fuelled cravings. Eating rice and lentils, as a matter of fact, and thanks to you, I know I like them. Season and serve with a dollup of yoghurt. :). Inspired by Molly’s Mujadara over at Orangette. I make sure I'm getting a sandwich or so at least a few times a week (with whole grain bread), and then I make homemade pizza on Thursdays. It’s taking some research and creativity to plan full meals that go well together, so I’m glad to have found your site. Great lessons learned, and great inspiration for more meat-free days. It’s worth cooking lentils and split peas-but not chick peas which may as well be bought in tins as the saving isn’t much and they are fiddly. If you feel tired then double the dose until you catch-up. I think there was a comment from Tracey (I hope I have the name right) on your Vegetarian month page – that many of the recipes are very carb focussed which can (bizzarely enough) make you feel like you have no energy. What do I do?! Multivitamins will help. You think vegetarian is limiting? You really don’t get it, do you? Instead try for lentils (easier to digest) or even using a protein powder to catch up the protein intake instead of only beans. hi mongoose I haven’t come across Quorn yet – will keep an eye out for it! Or maybe it was just something you wanted to try, and that’s ok too. It seems limiting at first, but I actually eat a greater variety of food now that I’m vegan than I ever did before. Do this for a few weeks and see if you don't feel better. Thirdly, one may be weaker but may experience immune system boost, cleaner blood and less sicknesses. As a high school student it is a bit difficult to get a sufficient amount of protein and iron during the day when I have very little time to dedicate to food preparation. But it seems you are not one of the sensitive ones. I am kind of underweight and I know I don't eat enough. I fixed it by drinking a lot more water and also making sure I get more simple carbs. Switching directly to a high fiber whole foods diet from omni eating crap is going to take some adjusting. Great article. I expected some adjusting but this has been pretty and. To be honest I had some of the best meals I’ve eaten this year. Thanks, jules. ! It also supports heart … ‘Borat 2’ actress speaks out about infamous scene, How Va. gym managed to avoid coronavirus outbreak, 'Math doesn't care about' Trump fraud claims: Official, Blank ballots: 'I could not give my vote to either person', What Trump's defeat means for global populism, Heart condition forces Penn State star to retire, Toobin fired by magazine following Zoom incident, Naked sculpture of feminist icon ignites backlash, Virus isn't the only thing keeping people from theaters, Few legal wins so far as Trump team hunts for proof of fraud. I think some of my favourite dinners were when my Irishman took over the kitchen. It can be difficult to get enough protein and fat if you're eating only veggies, and it's easy to swing too far in the other direction. Admin-October 5, 2020. I don't recommend the pills, they will constipate you. Thats what I do. Also, I'm 14 and I'm only 5 feet tall. 2) Eat a variety of veggie foods - much more than you're eating now. I would have been lost without it! erin – I’m with you on bacon and not being all or nothing. Symptoms of iron deficiency: fatigue, pale skin, chest pain and shortness of breath, brittle nails, headache, poor immunity, and more. Nuts and beans are good sources of protein. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Anyway, love the blog and photos :). (I don’t eat seafood from the grocery.) Glad you had a good experience going veg. Required fields are marked *. That gives me the flexibility to use chicken stock or an occasional piece of bacon, etc., while keeping my focus on beans/grains/vegs. I agree with Jude – mushrooms should feature more in vego diets – there used to be an ad on the telly with a butcher calling them ‘meat for vegetarians’ because of the amount of B vitamins that they contain. In fact, you haven’t really made any ‘excuse’ for being non-vegan, you’ve simply asserted that you like the taste/texture of meat too much to give it up. The other thing is that iirc, some types of protein are more easily absorbed by your body than others. Your problems are likely, a) that you aren’t eating enough, because you needed less meals to get enough energy as a meat eater and. So, let me spell it out for you, Jules & friends: most vegans once enjoyed eating meat (& dairy & eggs), many as much as you – I know I did. I love how many aspects you’ve covered – everything from the pitfalls of sudden dietary change to making dining-out easier (and interesting). Take the advice of the other comments as well. I will put down here some things here that you have to eat every day in order to be healthy. Maybe there were and I didn’t know about them. Its not just adding in the protein based foods but that you have to eat specific quantities in order to make your quota. The results of the vitamin B12 study will be published in a peer reviewed scientific journal. http://kathrynelliott.com.au/blog/2008/05/08/q-a-thursday-the-b12-in-your-diet. Your problem could be fiber intake. liz – loving the flexitarian idea – might have to borrow it! Health. ? If you're not active it will mostly turn to fat. You're not doing yourself or animals any favors by not eating right. Also, the B12 thing is not a joke. Don't be one of those vegetarians that doesn't eat vegetables!! =). I can see why you're having problems. Salad. C. The average amount of B12 in mushrooms is still to be calculated, but is not likely to be more than 5% of the RDI. I’ve been vegetarian for 16 months already and I think that was one of the best decisions of my life. Not the fact the you're a vegetarian. As we always ate a great many vegetables and a wide range of cuisines the transition was not so bad. I have been vegetarian for 15 years and vegan just over a year. We’re too poor to eat a lot of red meat, but we do eat a lot of chicken and sometimes pork. When done right, you can be a very healthy vegetarian...but you have to actually pay attention to what you're eating. I’m in the tail end of the same transition. Use cronometer and find what your caloric/nutritional needs are and then split so all meals are approx the same calories to help keep your energy more stable. You’ve also added tons of fiber which can be uncomfortable at first. Eat an apple a day or any other fruit that you like but don,t go by without eating fruit! Popular articles. Or use it as a more protein-rich alternative to plain rice to serve with a veggie curry. If animal fat was needed why is carbs preferred first? Interesting to hear about your experience becoming vegetarian – I became vegetarian almost 20 years ago and like Lynne learnt a lot from books but I also had friends who were vegetarian so that helped too – I have never wanted to eat meat and some days it seems so normal to be vegetarian that I get surprised when people do eat meat. I’ll definitely be more careful about my diet and I’ll try to experiment a bit more. I will definitely be trying some of the recipes on this site; they seem to be relatively easy and yummy. I went vegan 2 days ago in a moment of wonder and dare…..! ? You said you had a fairly unhealthy diet before. Please contact me if you have any other questions, 1. I might throw in some kale or green beans, too, just because I like any excuse to add in more green veggies. Everything in moderation! A multivitamin can be useful, also because your food is not so energy dense, snacks between meals can help to keep your energy/ blood sugar up. You might look at something like My Fitness Pal just to make sure you're getting all your nutrients in the right balance. make the most of veggie protein sources Unlike my initial thoughts, being vegetarian doesn’t mean you just eat vegetables all day every day. I'm not growing any taller, but you're still young, you might grow some more. And will make me think about my meat eating more, rather than making choices out of habit. (or maybe just an idea of when it can be used as a reasonable substitute for chicken, pork or tofu). To start off with it’s fine to eat some junk foods, like toasted cheese sandwiches or chips, and eventually you should be able to put away beans like a champ. :). I wouldn’t turn down meat on a “special occasion”, but generally I go for the vegetarian option. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is common when following a vegetarian lifestyle. Find a replacement for the meat in your meals too. Things that aren't processed like snacks and prepackaged foods. I'm 5 feet tall and I'm 22. What are other benefits of going Vegetarian other than saving animal lives? Try making some fruit smoothies or drinking a glass of OJ right when you get up. I can’t wait to see how/if your food will change now that you’ve been trying out so many vegetable dishes and will start eating meat again tomorrow. I’m sort-of vegetarian – I use meat as a garnish rather than the main meal. But as I’ve found from experience, vegetarian burgers or lasagne can actually be lovely. Being a vegetarian isn't just about cutting out meat, it's about ADDING vegetables, and judging by what you are yesterday, you are overloading on carbs and simple sugars. Your email address will not be published. hey sarah thanks for your comment – you’re right of course – this mistake also extends to omnivores. You are still growing and you need to be eating right. I will have to check back. Tbh don’t feel the need to go full health food to begin with. Also, “some” lentils and quinoa or tofu is not enough you have to eat a fair amount. I had the same thing two years ago when I started, it's nothing to worry about just a part of the transition mate. All is revealed over at my Vegetarian Monthpage. Jx. You can also start taking a liquid supplement if that is not enough. People usually transition over a long time and gradually for this reason. Ive been off meat for years. Another option would be some plain greek yogurt with berries or granola if you need to add in more calories. As for tofu, try different methods, my personal favorite is marinating it in olive oil and soy sauce for 30mins and then baking it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mushrooms do have B12 present. I’ve been a semi-vegetarian (I eat fish) for about 7 years now and I never regretted this. We are vegetarians because we want to be healthy but if we don't eat right we end up sick and in the end it is not worth it. I couldn’t give meat up completely, but I am trying to go meatless during the week and save my meat eating for weekends. I've switched to eating mostly vegetables, beans, and rice with some occasional fruit. I don't know why, but rice was never enough for me. While I loved richness that the long caramelised onions gave to the dish and the texture of the lentils cooked from scratch, I have to say that this fast method held it’s own in terms of its nourishing, soul-satisfying properties. The B12 present is bio-available, in exactly the same form as B12 in beef liver and fish. Does that sound like a healthy day to you? I found my energy levels increased considerably once I started to eat chickpeas and tofu – which are good sources of iron. :) You rice & lentils recipe looks very attractive! Eat at least 4-6 small meals a day if possible. tracey thanks so much for sharing the B12 link – fascinating stuff! i have been a vegetarian for quite some time and i am going vegan now. I'll go from feeling great and having tons of energy to feeling super nauseous, tires, and weak. Being vegetarian has strengthened my love of vegetables and legumes, but if anything it’s made me appreciate and respect the meat and fish that I do eat. Add onion and chilli and cook over a high heat stirring frequently until softened and starting to brown. I’m in love with chickpeas; they’re my favorite source of non-meat protein, especially dressed in a salad with some red wine vinegar and good olive oil, maybe a garlic roll for accompaniment… ooh, I made myself hungry and I’m eating lunch. Anemia is when you don't have enough iron (most of which one gets from meat), and that could very well be the case, but the only treatment you need at this point is just making sure you balance everything properly and eat whole foods and not processed junk, and once you start doing that, you should be fine.