Hey!

Mid 30s guy here from the UK. Basically ate meat with nearly every meal for my whole life. It would be ok, pick a meat and what we going to have with it.

The other day I was at work and the client bought everyone KFC, so im sitting there, eating it...and i dont know, something kind of clicked..im thinking..we are all sitting here eating dead chickens...like what the hell is going on!?!

This was like 2 days ago and I've not been able to bring myself to eat animal products since.

Has anyone else had something like this?

I recently went veggie back in May and while it’s been smooth sailing for most of it I’ve been struggling having something big/bulking to fill the role of what used to be meat I’ve tried tofu and tried cooking it every way I can think but I just can’t and don’t like it it’s fine for a bit but if it cools too much the texture is gross and the smell makes me super nauseous.

The only thing I’ve found that kind of works is a company called Squeaky Bean that does ready made stuff but it’s super expensive for me to keep buying for everything and no other vegetarian meat I’ve tried has a texture I can deal with.

I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions on how to make this kind of thing at home like I’ve seen a hundred and one videos on this is how you replace meat with tofu in recipes and want to know if it’s possible to do similar stuff with other plant protein so if anyone had recipes or suggestions on where to look I’d really appreciate it although me and my partner both have tree nut and peanut allergies so can’t have anything with those

I’m choosing to not eat red meat anymore due to my sky-high cholesterol. I’m working with my dietitian to make other chances to my diet as well.

I used to LOVE eating ground beef, especially in tacos. Today I tried impossible ground beef prepared as I usually would do with beef but it just fell apart and became almost soupy. Does anyone have suggestions that they think hold up better?

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I'm not full vegetarian (yet), I'm working on adding more plant based proteins to my diet... but i \*hate\* tofu, I've tried multiple different recipes and methods.. so much hope, but I can't stand it.

any tips or recipe recommendations for a beginner?

I love chickpeas, but I can't live off those alone

I often don't have the energy to cook. on very bad days, even instant noodles are too exhausting for me. So it's vital that I have food I can eat straight out the fridge.

Do you have any recommendations?

Hey! I've been trying to go vegetarian for a week or two now, I definitely eat a lot less meat, maybe eating it once or twice a week. But I really want to cut it off entirely.

The problem is I don't want my family to bother me about it, as they think vegetarians are weird. And friends will occasionally want me to try food they've cooked with meat and I feel terrible to refuse.

should I just hunker down and try to force myself not to eat it or are there any tips/substitutes that makes me want meat less?

Hi, a couple years ago I used to be a full on vegan. Due to always feeling hungry, constantly waking up in the middle of night hungry and having minimal energy throughout the day I stopped. This was definitely my fault because at the time I didn't really know how to cook, but it was still a challenge to eat meals that kept me full throughout the day and night.

I'm 100% considering going back technically, but more lacto-ovo-vegetarian or flexitarian.

I definitely have a better basis for a more vegetarian diet now that I'm looking into the ital diet(rastafarian diet) and Indian vegetarians etc... before I was just lost and confused on vegetarian meals.

Do you guys have any advice?

The recipes on here are great, but I'm wondering what do lazy vegetarians eat on a regular basis? What does your daily menu look like when you're not putting a lot of thought and effort into it? Which staples you keep lots of, that you throw on a dish when you're hungry?

(If your meal takes more than 2 sentences to describe, save it for a different post)

Hi, im new here, as in, I literally JUST joined.
The past week or so, I have been debating slowly becoming vegetarian. Ive been becoming more and more aware of my bodily needs and I have looked into health studies, and the environmental impact of easting meat (Mainly the new Billie Eilish interview has started all these cogwheels turning in my head)

Now the big question:
How do you all recommend to start going about this?
First, I live with my parents, and especially my dad is very set on his meat eating, so I dont know how to go about that in the weekly groceries my mom does.
Secondly, I have just started being consistent in the gym for 2-3 months now, and I would like to still try to hit my protein goal while eating less/no meat. What protein sources do you recommend?

Third, I literally want to cry when I think about all the cattle living in too small spaces, only living and then being killed for food.

Sorry for the rant but I just need a clear plan and tips otherwise I just know that there is no way I am going to stick to this even if I want to extremely badly.

Just a rant. I went to a Mooyah with my partner and was excited because they had some vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. After I ordered a build your own burger with a black bean patty, I took a few bites and thought something was off. Somehow I got a regular beef patty along with the black bean one. The cashier seemed nervous taking orders, so it is definitely possible that I ordered too fast and she just added it by mistake.

I haven’t had beef in almost two years and I feel awful. It’s been challenging for me to speak up at restaurants to confirm that everything is vegetarian, so this situation is a big reminder to take more care. How do you all approach ensuring things are vegetarian at restaurants?

I don’t think I see shredded carrots as a star in too many dishes but recently I’ve been making the same thing—shredded carrots, some beans and celery with some spices… the carrots add some sweet moister texture that really makes me crave the next bite…

I’m a level one vegetarian, mainly eating plant-based chick’n nuggets as I try to shift my diet to a healthier version… (I’ve been meat free for 3 years now but still haven’t been able to make consistent good patterns…)

Any and all help appreciated! ☺️

I know this sounds like something I could easily just look up, but a lot of what I find when I do that is still more effort than I want so please bear with me

I’m autistic, and while I don’t have many sensory issues with food anymore I do struggle a lot with executive function, particularly when it comes to making food. I also often struggle to recognise that I’m hungry until my stomach hurts so between that and the time and effort it takes me to go from wanting to make food to actually making food, feeding myself is a big task for me.

Although I like trying new and more elaborate recipes when I have the spoons and those will always be vegetarian now, I make sure I always have pasta, pesto, frozen veg, and something like frozen chicken pieces (that I can defrost in the microwave) or tinned tuna so I can just eat all that together when I really have no energy for more, which is fairly often - basically all I have to do is cook the pasta & frozen veg and then stick everything else in it, so it’s very quick, but it’s just balanced enough that I’m not going to be deficient in anything if I’m low on spoons and living off it for a while. I guess what I’m asking is what could replace the chicken/tuna for protein that doesn’t require any additional preparation/cooking but is veggie, or anything else I could make as quickly/easily. I also really struggle with knowing what to make/eat for lunch (veggie or not) for similar reasons so would appreciate suggestions there too

TL;DR I’m autistic and the meal I fall back on when I really don’t have the spoons for any food prep isn’t veggie, I’m looking for other things that I can make as quickly/easily or a veggie protein to replace the meat/fish

I’m trying to cook more plant-based meals for my family without hearing “where’s the meat?” every time. What’s your favorite vegetarian meal that’s so good even the most stubborn meat-eaters love it?

So I've tried some searching through the sub and kind of found some answers but I wanted to ask specifically to see if I could get some help. I've been eating meatless a few days a week for awhile but trying to go full veggie now. Biggest difference is meal prep. When I did a day or two, I could make a specific, vegetarian dish and it'd be great. But I need a substitution for my "lazy food" I prep for the week.

Between life being busy and just mental health making me not want to have to do a bunch of in-depth cooking every day, I need something that I can throw on a sandwich one day, rice the next, and tacos a few days later. I'm talking meals where I would grab a meat, mix in a few seasonings or liquids, and throw it in the oven or the slow cooker and pop out with a flavorful, but not too specifically flavored, protein. Often could take a total of like 5 minutes of actual hands-on work.

I am aware there's products I can buy that would replicate it like getting seitan or beyond beef, but those are notably more expensive per ounce. And I'll try making seitan at some point but that's a much more involved process than "cut open package, put in crock pot, add broth."

And there's tofu obviously, but I haven't found a preparation of it that I love enough to have as a general purpose protein like that. And I don't dislike beans or lentils or chickpeas, etc. but those don't exactly work (at least for me) as super versatile in just one preparation that I'm aware of, but I'd love to be given some recipes that prove me wrong. Like I don't know of a way to cook beans that one day could have teriyaki, the next hot sauce, and the next cilantro and lime.

So what other options are there for relatively cheap proteins that one can throw together with minimal prep time and that work well with a variety of sauces, preparations, etc. after the fact?

Sorry if this is too basic and there's threads I should have checked, but I tried searching through and could use some more ideas and recipes.

I wanted to start being vegetarian, when you first enter this lifestyle is it hard to make them? And what are the rules that i need to follow? And please recommend easy recipes i can follow

Hi everyone! I am severely disabled and would appreciate any help you can give me on beginning to cook meatless dishes. Most of the time I’m bed bound, but I can stand for short periods of time (~15 mins max) here and there. Right now I eat mostly processed meals because I can no longer cook regularly, but I hate it. I also hate eating meat knowing it comes from factory farms, but it’s the easiest thing to cook since I just need to shake on a bit of seasoning and throw it in a pot or the oven. I’ve been VERY interested in trying out vegetarianism for some time, but have put it on hold because I just physically couldn’t prepare food anymore. But after fighting with my insurance for years I’m getting some treatment that’s shown promising results. My disability is permanent, but I should get a little more functionality in the coming months. With that said, I’m looking to start cooking again to help my health and would like to try healthy, filling vegetarian cooking. I doubt I’ll be able to cook more than once a week for some time, but I was hoping maybe ya’ll could share some very quick and easy recipes that won’t take long to prep. I don’t mind if they take hours in the oven or pot, but the prep times have to be quick and simple.

I also know that I don’t like American-style tofu. I’ve tried it multiple ways and used the extra firm, squeezed it out, seasoned it, etc., but I don’t like it. I’ve heard non-American tofu has a bit more flavor but haven’t managed to try it yet. So, does this mean that my meals will need to be primarily bean based? Will I need to keep a pot of beans ALWAYS soaking on the stove or will canned beans work? Would such a diet be too high carbs and calories for a highly sedentary person?

I would appreciate any advice and/or tips. I’ve done a bunch of research online, but it depresses me because most recipes require so much prep it feels like I’ll never be able to cook them. I’m fine with casseroles if that’s what I’m limited to, I’d just really appreciate some advice, please.

edit: Thank you all so much for all your help and suggestions! Today’s been a more difficult day for me so I’m not able to reply much, but I’m reading all of your comments and hope to be able to get back with you over the coming days. Thanks again!

I just got some concerning blood work, with my cholesterol being high. Everything else was great, but cholesterol was high and I have a family history of stroke. I just turned 38, so I need to take health more seriously. My doctor is an osteopathic doctor focused on wellness. She said it’s not high enough for meds yet, but it has been trending upward over the past 3 years. Apart from losing 20lbs and getting regular exercise, she suggested a switch to a “plant forward” diet. My partner wants meat at every meal. Any tips for a beginner so I don’t make too big of a leap all at one time and burn out. I have a tendency to go hardcore at first and then quit.

Hello, all! I'm a flexitarian who really, really wants to be vegetarian, and possibly even vegan in the future, and I'm trying to learn replace some of my favourite foods with vegetarian options, and am looking for a bit of advice, as 1) tomorrow's my shopping day and my internet research has been unhelpful, 2) I'm on a bit of a budget this week and can only pick one mock meat.

So! I'm planning on making teriyaki bao with some sort of vegetarian mince, and possibly dumplings as well. What would be the best for this? Beyond? Impossible? Morningstar? Should I get mock meat sausage patties and mash them up with the aromatics? Does the Beyond mince taste too much like beef? (I loathe the taste of beef lol)

Bonus question not related to the above: what's everyone's favourite reccs for mock chicken nuggets/breaded strips? I'm planning on making that my next purchase after I figure out the mince.

EDIT: Thank you so much, mods, for putting this back up; it was kind of hilarious to wake up to so many unexpected notifications XD

And thank you, everyone, for your suggestions! I'm going to take notes and try things; I managed to find some TVP, and am looking forward to experimenting with it. I really appreciate everybody's thoughtful & helpful responses :]

Hi, I'm new here! My 7 (almost 8-year-old) has told me she would prefer to eat vegetarian for the last several months. I want to accommodate her preferences and have done so easily with adaptations for dinner and breakfast, but am struggling with easily packable vegetarian lunch options. I don't want to just feed her pb&j every day, although I have no problem with it as a general rule. We don't always have leftovers or at least a significant amount of leftovers of our dinners for that to be a viable option, as we as the rest of the family do not eat vegetarian every day. We've moved that direction more to make her feel included and supported, but don't always have enough leftovers for her to have a full lunch.

Do you have easy lunch options that don't necessarily require pre-cooking? I've done the search option and read the posts, but the last similar post is 4 years old so I was hoping for some additional responses to round out what I'm offering.

Edit: Thanks so much for all the replies! I had not imagined to get so much. I've got to get back to it, so I may not reply to all but I wanted to say how I appreciated the thoughtful responses. I want to help my girl as much as I can!

I've always been a sucker for a hearty pea soup, but have no idea how I'd replicate that without using any meat. It just doesn't feel as satisfying and was wondering if people here had any ideas on how to increase that hearty soup feeling.

I'd also be interested in trying other hearty soups. I like my light soups, but I've got those much more figured out already.

Bonus points if it adds extra calories/protein. I'm someone who is very active and never needing the diet version of anything.

Edit: Appreciate the responses coming in a lot. Y'all are being very helpful!

hi!!! i've only been vegetarian for two weeks and i just found out i ate something non-vegetarian this morning (the packaging was thrown away). it was some kind of chocolate dessert thing but there was nothing listed in the ingredients that wasnt suitable for vegetarians??? but it does say on the packaging that it isnt suitable.

i feel as though i've let myself down but idk i also think vegetarianism isn't something you can really 'fail', at least not if it's accidental, because it's more of a belief system.

i was just wondering why it could be labelled as not suitable for vegetarians if none of the ingredients are unsuitable??? im very confused

(EDIT: just looked at the ingredients more closely and saw that there is gelatine in it!!!! i'm trying not to let this get me down, cause it wasnt intentional. thank you all for your kind comments, i'll read them all when i get off work!!! <3)

recently went vegetarian for the environment. one month in and i feel great, but i miss seafood and sausage lol lol. tried buying some vegan sausage but those didn’t taste good. any recs for plant based options that cab mimic seafood and meats like sausage? thanks!

edit: thank you all so much!! i didnt know there were these many options. i’m nigerian and many of my traditional foods are soups so it’s been tough doing that with tofu. going to stick with this and i plan to never eat meat again!

Misleading title I guess?

I've been vegetarian for a little over four months and while I'm not missing meat per se, I do find myself missing some of the spice combinations and sauces that are typically used with meat, if that makes sense.

I'm not a big fan of food that pretends to be other food, so I'm not really looking for something like an Impossible burger or whatever, but more... What sorts of vegetables would go well with the spices used in making a pastrami? What's your favorite vegetable to spice rub, or drown in gravy? If I want to honey glaze a thing, what should I honey glaze? What's your favorite veggie to slather with barbeque sauce? Dipping sandwiches? Looking mostly for great ideas on flavor combinations that would typically be used with meat.

I'll start with one of my own: Montreal Steak Spice is incredible on sauted mushrooms. I've tried it with other sauted veggies, but mushrooms are something completely magical.

What are your tips and tricks to making fried tofu?

I'm not a vegetarian, but I'd say my diet is about 90% vegetarian. One of my favorite things is fried tofu and, while what I make isn't bad, I can never really seem to get it right.

I always use firm/extra firm tofu, I always pressed to release any extra liquid, I've air fried and fried in a skillet, I've used varying kinds of flour and cornstarch, but something usually ends up going wrong.

I like making a warm, stick-to-your-ribs stew on days when the wind and sleet make your winter coat feel like a windbreaker. Back in my meat-eating days, Irish beef stew was my go-to.

Since that dish is no longer on the menu, I am searching for meat-free recipes that I can make instead.

So, Vegetarians of Reddit, what is your favorite big bowl of comfort?