Can I be vegetarian?

Hello everyone!

For about 5 years, I have stuck to just fish and chicken (ok - turkey on Thanksgiving, too!). I have wanted to be a vegetarian that entire time but I fear that I am way too picky to make it work healthily. I have tried expanding my palate but it is just not working. Today I tried an imitation "chicken" patty that a colleague recommended and it was gross! Most imitation meat products I have tried I have not liked. I am not a bean eater at all and am not sure how to make soy work for me.

When it comes down to it, I guess I just want to be a non-meat-eater, not actually a vegetarian. My like of vegetables basically consists of lettuce, broccoli, and corn. Any ideas on how to make this work? With respect to my meat-eating, I now choose only wild caught fish and hormone-free meat which I feel better about but would like to eliminate it all together.

Thanks for listening! Hoping that others can relate to my dilemma.

Beans, quinoa... other non-meat, non-imitation meat products.

If you cut out meat you need alternative sources of iron and protein or you're setting yourself up for some medical issues in the long term. 

You're quite right - fake meats are, by and large, foul...   and I don't think they're particularly healthy either because they contain a LOT of flavourings and other nasties in an effort to taste meat-like and get the right texture.    You can get plenty of iron and protein from pulses/legumes... beans, chickpeas, lentils and similar.  Sprouted, casseroled, turned into burgers, made into soups....   If you're imaginative about how you prepare them and use plenty of flavours they're quite delicious and satisfying.   Eggs are a good for protein and iron.   Tofu's another.... but again it needs to be given plenty of flavour in a dish.   And don't forget dairy products.... foods like milk and yoghurt are very versatile.  Quinoa grain has been mentioned before and other wholegrains and wholegrain foods will add to your iron and protein intake.  Fortified breakfast cereals are worth a look too.

However, if you don't 'declare yourself' vegetarian (and I happen to think that's a smart move because you retain flexibility and freedom to choose) then you can simply not eat meat most of the time but enjoy it occasionally for whatever reason you see fit.   Best of all worlds.

I'm going to throw this out there- have you ever made seitan?  Mix vital wheat gluten with water and add whatever spices or flavorings you want.  I bake it with some paprika and barbeque sauce, then chop it up and put it in a sandwich.  It's yum.  However, it is not like meat.  Nothing is going to be like meat, and if you try fake meat with the hope that it will, you're probably going to be disappointed. 

I agree with gi-jane!  By all means limit the amount of meat you eat and add some new foods here and there.  But you don't have to label yourself- in fact, for someone as picky as you say you are, I'd say that would have pretty disastrous results.  If you want to expand your palate, the best way to do that is just keep trying new things, rather than cutting things out and sticking to a rigid regime.

I am a vegetarian and I admit at the start meat replacement products taste not so nice (to most people anyways), but only because you don't know how to prepare them right and to suit your taste buds. I suggest you find a good vegetarian recipes and take it from there. Plus I think if you want to become a vegetarian you have to want it more than just to not eat meat otherwise you won't stick to it.

Good luck! :) 

Bean soups are a great way to go.  They are hearty, filling and nutritious.  Also great for the cold winter months.  CC has a lot of great recipes.  And because it's a soup you don't notice the beans as much.  I agree limit the fake meats.  They are over processed and should not be relied on for nutrition.  My view: if I can not reproduce it in my kitchen I probably don't want to eat it.  At least not very often.

I'm a vegetarian and I don't eat fake meat, beans or tofu very often but I have a healthy diet. You could use soy milk in place of cows milk, to start off with, or cook tofu (soy bean curd) how you would chicken (bake/fry - look up some recipes on the net). Meat alternatives are handy but not necessary. If you want to become vege then youd need to do a bit of research into what you would actually eat and where you would get your nutrients from, seeing as you don't like a few vegetarian staples.

I never used to like vegetables that much but I've slowly begun to appreciate them and now I love broccoli for example, which I used to hate :) just make slow changes, try to introduce more veges and soy/seitan/quinoa/lentils/endless others in recipes and I'm sure you'll be able to do it.

I recently discovered "MorningStar Farms"  Mushroom lovers burger.  Excellent !!  Only 110 calories each and I have it on another new favorite.."Oroweat Sandwich Thins" they are 100% whole wheat, 100 calories each and I toast them, add tomatoes, lettuse, maybe a slice of onion and mustard and I have a very good lunch for barely over 210 calories.

I've tried other "fake" meat and MorningStar farms is the only one that I like.  They have several other burgers that are very good too.   If you can find them in your area they are worth trying.