How to Become Vegetarian
Part 2 of 5
Don’t miss Part 1: Why Go Vegetarian
Last week I talked about the many reasons why it’s good to become vegetarian. This week I’ll explain exactly how to make that transition. So many people have said, “I really want to go vegetarian. I just don’t know how.” Hopefully this post will answer many of those questions. All of this is based on my experience so use it as a guide but do what makes you feel most comfortable.
First Step: Decide Why You’re Becoming Vegetarian
It may seem obvious to decide why you want to become vegetarian but it’s important. At times it can be tempting to eat a piece of chicken or Cold Stone Creamery ice cream. When you find yourself in that situation, it’s important to instantly remind yourself why you’ve made this commitment. Is it for your health so you can live to see the future? Is it for the planet so we all can live to see the future? Or is it because you want to limit the amount of suffering and torture imposed upon animals raised for food? It may be a combination of all three but most likely one reasons stands out from the rest. Take some time to write it down so you can remind yourself later.
Second Step: Learn What Vegetarians Eat
Many people think that by becoming vegetarian you are depriving yourself of “good” food. People tend to think this lifestyle is “limiting” or “difficult”. This can not be farther from the truth. Anybody that has been vegan for more than a few weeks will tell you that eliminating animal products from their diet has opened the door for so many new and interesting foods.
Before we get into foods you most likely have never heard of, let’s talk about some simple alternatives you can eat instead of the animal products you are used to. Sometimes these alternatives are called “mock meat” or “mock cheese”. I prefer to call them what they are. All of the following recommendations are tested and approved by me. However not all of them are vegan so I no longer eat some of them but I can guarantee that they are vegetarian and we must all start somewhere. We’ll talk about how to spot non-vegan ingredients a bit later.
Chicken & Turkey Alternatives: Boca Chik’n Patties, Field Roast, Gardenburger Breaded Chik’n, Morningstar Farms Chik’n Strips, Tofurkey
Hamburger Alternatives: Amy’s Kitchen burgers (many varieties), Boca Burgers (vegan option), Gardenburger (vegan option), Morningstar Farms (vegan option), Yves Meatless Beef Burgers (vegan)
Sandwich Meat Alternatives: Tofurkey Deli Slices (vegan), Yves Meatless Deli Slices (bologna, ham, turkey, salami, pepperoni, roast beef, smoked chicken all vegan)
Ground Beef Alternatives: Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles, Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles
Eggs: Ener-G Egg Replacer (for baking), Tofu (for scrambling)
Milk: soy milk (high in protein), hemp milk (high in protein), rice milk, almond milk
Butter: Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread (vegan, seriously it’s better than butter!)
Cheese: Vegan Gourmet (good for melting), Lisanatti Almond Cheese (good for sandwiches), Veggie Slices (good for sandwiches)
Mayonnaise: Follow Your Heart Vegenaise
Sour Cream: Tofutti Sour Supreme
Cream Cheese: Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
Ice Cream: Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent (yum, yum, yum), So Delicious
Yogurt: Silk Live! Soy Yogurt, Turtle Mountain SO Delicious Dairy-Free Yogurt
Now let’s hope that answers the question people like to ask; “What DO you eat?”. Shazzam. We vegans eat a lot! And we get to eat more than meat eaters because most vegan food is lower in fat. Many of these same companies also offer meatless hot dogs, bacon, and sausage.
Here is an important tip. Now this is key so listen up. Don’t expect these foods to taste like the meat or animal products you are trying to replace. Instead open your mind to the idea that you are trying a totally new food. Be curious about the flavors and textures and treat it as a new food experience. Most of them do not taste like their animal-derived predecessors and that is ok. You are on a new adventure so appreciate the new experiences ahead of you! As Isa Chandra-Moskowitz says, “Your taste buds will catch up with your ethics.” Trust me it’s true.
You might be wondering, “what do I do with the non-vegan/vegetarian food in my house?” Some people are so disgusted with animal products once they make the decision to become vegetarian, they throw everything away and start fresh with non-animal foods. Others, myself included, decided to eat the remaining animal products and never buy them again. I remember being forlorn over my last Cheeze-It. It seems lame now but at the time I was sad about it. Now I can tell you about a zillion other foods I love more than Cheeze-Its. Either way, the most important thing is to become educated about what you’re eating and you get some brownie points for reading this because you’re already there.
In future posts I will get more into detail about how to make fantastic vegan food from scratch but I don’t want to overwhelm those of you that are just starting out. Begin with these alternatives and over time you’ll be ready to graduate to more cooking in the kitchen. Who knows you might even find it fun! I know that sounds ridiculous but I can say that because I was the most anti-cooking woman ever but after being vegan nearly 2 years, I am finding that I love the creativity of cooking.
Third Step: Finding Vegetarian Items in the Grocery Store
Are you looking at these animal-product alternatives with a big question mark over your head? Perhaps you’ve never heard of them and you wouldn’t have a clue about where to find them in your grocery store. Don’t worry. Grocery stores are incorporating more and more vegetarian-friendly products all the time. I have been known to find Veggie Slices and Tofurkey in even the small towns of Nebraska.
In most grocery stores, milk alternatives can be found next to the regular milk. Frozen meat alternatives like veggie burgers and veggie crumbles are usually in a separate area of the frozen foods section. Pretty much everything else is usually in the “healthy” foods section.
My local Basha’s is amazing. They carry about 90% of the products I like to use on a regular basis. Sprouts Farmer’s Market is another local store that carries many “alternatives”. Sadly Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry most of these foods but they do have great nut mixes and vegan chocolate chips. My all time favorite grocery store is Whole Foods Market. What person doesn’t love that store? I mean you can get pretty much any strange thing you can imagine there including matcha green tea powder, rosewater, vegan Omega-3 – all of which I buy there.
At any grocery store, you can ask the people working there to help you find what you want. And you know how they always ask at the end of your transaction, “did you find everything you were looking for?” Take that as an opportunity to request the products you’re looking for. If enough people do, they will start carrying them.
Fourth Step: Spotting Non-Vegan Ingredients
For those of you looking to transition from vegetarianism to veganism or those of you that just want to take the leap from eating animal products to getting rid of any trace of them in your diet, here are some important sneaky, sneaks to look out for.
Whey: Whey, or milk plasma, is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It’s usually found in cheese alternatives that don’t specifically say they are vegan but it can be found in pretty much any product.
Casein: Casein is a protein that is found in milk and used independently in many foods as a binding agent. It’s usually found in cheese alternatives that don’t specifically say they are vegan.
Gelatin: Gelatin is a solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones, that is used as a binding agent. It is most often found in Jell-O, candy or like products.
Glycerides (mono/di/tri): Glycerides come from animal fats. They can be found in many products.
These are the most common but there are others that you may notice from time to time. If you want more details, go to this complete list of foods which contain hidden animal products. If this all seems too much for you at the moment, don’t stress! Just work on cutting out the big things like hamburgers and chicken breasts. You can consider what you want to do about whey, casein, and gelatin later.
I hope this post has helped those of you that are considering this fulfilling and compassionate lifestyle. Stay tuned for Part 3: Vegetarian Nutrition to continue your transformation! If you have any questions or ideas, please leave me a comment. I’m here to help you in any way I can.
What a great article and list of great veg*n products! It just goes to show that it’s easier than ever to go veggie! I love Earth Balance Buttery Spread and Purely Decadent ice cream, especially all the coconut milk flavors. Can I add a few other ideas to your list? How about Soyatoo whipped cream topping, Amy’s Indian Samosa Wraps, Daiya vegan cheese, Sweet ‘n Sara’s vegan marshmallows and S’mores, and So Delicious coconut milk beverages, kefir, and creamer?
Thanks Cyndi for the great additions! I have not tried any of those but I will now. I’ve heard the Daiya vegan cheese is the bomb! Now I just need to find it.
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