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I'm considering it... after the recent video with the McDonald's egg farm I'm just disgusted by the way animals are treated in factory farms. I have no problem with the fact that humans are higher on the food chain and animals may have to die to feed us, that is fine, but the way they're treated while they're alive just disgusts me. I already rarely eat beef and never prepare it, but I'm ready to ditch turkey, pork, chicken, and eggs as well now (I will still eat fish... so I guess I am not really going veg, but since I don't really feel fish are either intelligent or mistreated it does not hurt my conscience to eat them.)
Where I'm stumped is... what will I eat? I'm a 23 year old male and I eat a lot of food. I do eat salad every day already so I guess I can try different kinds of salads, but salad to me is just not an entree. I'm not really interested in using products like boca that often, and I can probably eat fish 3 times a week or so, but what in the world can I make those other nights?
I'm not totally helpless and am looking up recipes on my own, but I figured it'd help to ask people with experience.
pasta - lasagna, any kind of pasta with marinara sauce, you can add fake sausage, veggie crumbles, fake meatballs, crumbled tofu or tempeh to the sauce if you want something heartier. or chop up mushrooms really small, saute them and add them to the sauce.
tempeh - it's a little out of the ordinary but it's a great source of protein, a safer way to eat soy, and can be really delicious. there are tons of recipes out there - one really simple preparation that i love is crumbling the tempeh, tossing it in barbecue sauce til well coated, sauteeing in a little oil until it starts to caramelize, then putting in a few shakes of soy sauce, cooking for about another minute and eating with a starch and a vegetable or on a roll with coleslaw.
tofu - put it in soups, stews or stir fries, fry it, marinate and bake it, mash it up to make "ricotta" for lasagna or stuffed shells, etc
just eat a sensible diet and eat food you enjoy and don't worry too much about "replacing" meat - you will get enough protein. most americans eat way, way more protein than they actually need and you don't need to eat a protein-rich food like tofu with every meal.
you can also try learning about some vegetarian-friendly cuisines like indian food, chinese food, southeast asian food, etc.
you don't seem to be interested in being vegan (although, i will put on my preachy vegan hat and say that factory farms that produce eggs and milk are just as horrible as the ones that produce meat, and you did mention the mcdonalds egg farm so... you might want to consider at least getting that stuff from small local farms), but i'd still recommend isa moskowitz and terry romero's vegan cookbooks - you can always use real milk, cheese etc in their recipes if you want. they are just really good, basic meatless cookbooks. vegan soul kitchen by bryant terry is another good one. and the moosewood cookbooks by molly katzen and the vegetarian epicure by anna thomas are classics. try taking some cookbooks out from the library and see which ones you like.
i know a lot of people who have learned to cook or greatly expanded their culinary horizons after going vegetarian or vegan - beyond any other benefits, it's really a great exercise and learning opportunity.
That's awesome that you're making the move towards more vegetarian foods. I would get a good cookbook, the poster above mentioned a good author. Also there are tons of recipes online. I tried alot of different ethnic foods when I got rid of meat.
As far as fish are concerned, if you are moving away from flesh foods and possibly other animal products because of ethical concerns, you might want to research the fish industry. Google "bycatch" and see what comes up. Also, scientists have shown that fish have many pain receptors and being what is essentially suffocated is a pretty gruesome way to go... I would also watch "earthlings" it's an excellent film that you can watch free online. Good luck!
I promise you that I eat a healthier, more varied, interesting, colorful, and satisfying diet than any carnivore that I know! I'm never at a loss for new, fun recipes---just not enough time to use all the recipes I have!
I eat a lot of brown rice and beans (black and red) dishes. I make enough to last a few days.
For a quick meal, I may also have one of these (they're found in the frozen foods section). I might bake a sweet potato, and include some cooked dark leafy greens with it (kale or collards). On the side, I will have a regular salad with it.
So happy that you have made this choice!
Around here we have some winter staples, some we eat each week.
Veggie Chilli is easy and lefy overs can be used the next day, when it's even better. I have several recipes, one with all fresh veggies, one with Gimme Lean meat analog and another green chilli with Kworn and white beans
Another favorite - Swedish meat balls, with gravy, mashed potatos, salad or veggies. To be authentic sweet and sour beets are good.
pasta and meat balls with salad - I use a good quality jarred sauce that I doctor up a bit.
All winter, once a week we feast of soup. I make it on Sundays usually and it's another forgiving dish that almost always tastes better the next day. I call this Serve Your Self Sundays = I pick up a good quality bread, and every one does just does that. Great with a Winter Fruit Salad with Apples, Pears and Nuts, or if you want to get fancy, A Waldorf Salad can be made easily.
Since you've decided to go with the more moderate "vegetarian/pescatarian" and not the vegan route, I'd recommend getting eggs from your local farms, if you live near any. Don't get more than you think you can consume in a week's time, and keep them refrigerated until use. If you can get dairy from a local farm, *especially* goat's milk and goat cheese, you'll be the richer for it. Same with fish - if you can get it fresh off the dock, OR fresh off your own fishing line (in waters that are fishable, obviously), you'll be well rewarded.
My absolute favorite best A-1 vegetarian (not vegan) restaurant in the whole world is Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, CT. Claire has also written several cookbooks and they are packed with all kinds of amazing recipes.
Her Lithuanian coffee cake is to die for, by the way, and so is her carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I believe she makes a vegan version of that as well.
You can find her books on Amazon.com; just google Claire's Corner Copia.
I eat a lot of brown rice and beans (black and red) dishes. I make enough to last a few days.
For a quick meal, I may also have one of these (they're found in the frozen foods section). I might bake a sweet potato, and include some cooked dark leafy greens with it (kale or collards). On the side, I will have a regular salad with it.
Rice and beans has become my staple food. I eat it like 3 times a week, and I'm not sick of it yet either.
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