BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Vegetarian What's Your Biggest Vegetarian Challenge?

Mine used to be living with carnivorous men.

Now, it's several:

iron--I have anemia,
concern about weight gain--I eat mostly low-carb because I can really binge on breads/grains, and
designing a healthy diet for me without reliance on meat for protein/iron/satiety.

I'm not a big meat lover, and don't care much for red meat. Chicken I can take or leave. I love fish and ground turkey. And, eggs.

Dairy--I do love cheeses and low-carb (low-sugar) yogurt. I drink soy milk occasionally, mostly in protein shakes.

That's a lot of challenges, huh? I really don't have ethical issues with eating meat, but I am concerned about the quality of meat (well, all commercial food, really) re: hormones, antibiotics and so on.

Hey SqueakyWheel!

Thanks for the feedback and encouragement. I pray that I am able to continue to give you great info.

Now as for your celiac and all, what can and / or can't you eat?

Funny enough... [and I don't know if you've had a chance to look at the Operation : Eat Great Cheap post, but if you haven't click on it and take a look. Rosie put a challenge to me and yours [the celiac] happens to be one of the things I took into consideration for those who may be dealing, such as yourself, with celiac and want to be able to make dollars and 'sense' out of the whole getting healthy food without selling off your firstborn.

The ingredients I'm looking at are:

• vegan
• gluten-free
• low fat
• no refined sugar
• simple to put together
• variety
• healthy
• organic
  and
• inexpensive

Do you eat tofu, mushrooms, root starches, exotic fruits?

When you cut out the meat, what are you eating in its' place? What do your meals consist of when there isn't meat involved?

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Hey Robin,

Can you tell me what it is about meat that does that for you?

With fragrance and aroma being your area, you may be able to isolate certain aspects of what triggers in you when you catch a whiff of a steak grilling.

What do you think it is for you? If you can... walk me through the experience.

For me it's the nostalgic qualities.

When I smell a grill going and I'm driving or riding through an area...

I have to stop and take it all in.

I mean, if someone is talking to me, I'm talking to them, watching something...

it doesn't matter what it is, I have to stop and breathe it in deeply.

It's one of my favorite aromas.

It reminds me of growing up; block parties; backyard get togethers; family; summertime back east; and shear, undiluted, unadulterated and uncompromised joy.

Hey Deb!

Actually, it doesn't sound like a lot to me. I think that those are very real and legitimate concerns that many people face whether vegetarian or not.

When it comes to quality it can be a difficult thing to know exactly what you're getting whether it be animal, vegetable or mineral and with all of the conflicting information out there it makes it all the more challenging.

Let me pass a few questions to you, if you don't mind, just so I can get a clearer picture.

What do your meals consist of on average on a day to day basis?

How long have you experienced anemia?

Are you currently supplementing for your health? and if so, What type(s) of supplements? and have you checked to see how well your system is absorbing them?

Do you currently have any food / other allergies?

Jason - I am going to have to think about that "need" for meat. What triggers it? I don't know. Perhaps it is also psychological.........."I'm not eating meat and I should be"...or something like that.

I used to have anemia like BellaDeb - but I was still in high school. My last physical showed I was OK in that area still - no anemia.

This was mentioned above... my biggest challenge avoiding meat is when my husband cooks a steak.

I was a vegetarian for over 10 years and a vegan for several before I met him. Then, I returned to eating meat.

Now, I'm back to veggie. I think it's easier to fall astray depending on your reasons for going veggie in the first place. It just grossed me out. I wasn't an animals rights activist (even though I like animals).

Now, my primary reason is I believe it's healthier. But, like everything else that's "good for you" (exercise, etc)... it's not always easy to stay on the path.

Hey everybody,

I just published another article that touches on a few concepts that may be helpful. If you click the link it'll take you right to it.

I hope you find this helpful!

Jason, great article, you are truly putting so much of your self into helping all of us.
Thanks a bunch!
"Rosie"

Jason - thanks! I will check out that post. I can eat tofu, mushrooms and root vegetables and love them all (in fact, the only food I don't like is BEETS!) One thing I've done that has been a huge help is that I joined a farm co-op this year. Each week I get a big bag of organic local produce and it forces me to be a creative cook (I also love to cook).

I think that in all honesty, if I got a bit more exercise my body could deal with a little more carbs, and I do tend to eat a lot more cereal, fruits, gluten-free breads and such. Certainly there are a lot of thin vegetarians and I can't have THAT unique of a constitution - right?

To the poster who gets tempted by the smell of grilling meat, I hear you - it is magnetic. One little thing that I say to myself is "boy, that smells great and I would LOVE to have a burger - but would I love it SO much that I would be willing to kill an animal to have it?" It works every time.

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that for those of you who work with tofu I've got a great set of techniques for you here. Just click on the link.

It's about tofu and some of the principles and techiniques I use to prepare it.

Bon Appetite!