To suddenly and very reluctantly be vegetarian?

[Carnivorenomore]

I love meat. I've always been one of those people who never even considered not eating meat. I made jokes about bacon. Then I suddenly went off it completely. No idea why. I haven't eaten meat for three weeks now, I can't even think about eating meat. I gave away my favourite crisps because they have dried chicken in them so I can't even say it's a flesh thing.

I bought Quorn today. I've had to admit I'm probably a vegetarian now. I've started feeling a bit funny about eggs and milk. What the hell is happening to me?! I genuinely have no desire to be veggie, nowt wrong with it but it's not me.

Has this happened to anyone else? Is it likely to stop? I don't know myself anymore

AliceAbsolum I haven't, don't really want to go there at the moment!

I became vegan last year after being mostly vegetarian for a long time. The reasons were purely ethical. I couldn't justify saying I love all animals & have respect for other sentient beings (I do) but it's okay to raise some to intentionally slaughter. It upsets me now to think I waited so long to make this change. The thought of eating meat now makes me feel physically ill.

I have seen how Quorn is made but the only effect it had on me was make me crave Quorn nuggets .

I've spent 30 years going through phases of eating meat, then being vegetarian, then back to eating meat again.
For the last year I've been almost completely vegan, apart from the odd indulgence when I've had one too many .
I love meat but for me it was all about the animal welfare. The meat, dairy and egg industries are awfully cruel, there is no denying that.
What I didn't expect was the changes to my health. I've lost weight, my acne has disappeared, my cluster headaches have gone, I rarely get a cold and even my back pain seems to have improved.

Well I've been out and done a quick vegetarian food shop! I bought:

Chickpeas
Quorn mince
Linda McCartney sausages
Mushrooms
Strawberries, bananas, grapefruit and apples
Various salad veg
Quinoa
Red lentils
Vegan chorizo(??)
Broccoli
Sweet potatoes
Organic natural yoghurt
Organic milk
Free range eggs

Hopeful I can make lots of veggie alternatives to the family meal with my little haul.

For the vegetarians on the thread - is there anything I'm missing? Anything that you've discovered since becoming vegetarian that I should try?

Not vegetarian but have you tried tofu? Once you learn to cook it it's very nice and very useful.

Also beans are great.

For the vegetarians on the thread - is there anything I'm missing?

I’m not vegetarian but I’d add nuts to your list assuming no allergies. They’re great for fats and nutrients. Pecans and hazelnuts are my favourite.

I tried tofu once at school and hated it. Never dared touch it since!
Got a tin of butter beans and 2 tuna kidney beans already in the cupboard.

I want to find some paneer for the weekend. Quite fancy making a paneer and spinach curry!

@ShatFic is there any difference to standards in the dairy industry with organic produce?

tried tofu once at school and hated it
I can believe that.
I love tofu but it has to be marinated or cooked right. I like it in a batter and as a tofu sweet and sour.
Silken tofu is wonderful in deserts such as an apricot fool.

You should try it again. If correctly prepared it's really good and so versatile.

You are probably right. To be honest there's probably a lot of food I didn't like as a child but love now (leeks anyone??).

@Carnivorenomore just realised I have totally hijacked your thread sorry!

cricketmum84
I prefer Seitan to quorn.
I sometimes make my own but often buy it.
The best burger I ve ever had was a big fat Seitan burger with red onion,tomato, bbq sauce, mayo and lettuce.
I couldn't have one every week as it would spoil it as a treat but my goodness, they are fantastic when you want some fast food!!

Haha! Go ahead, I'm enjoying it and learning stuff

@Sexnotgender I love pecans! Yes they would be lovely on my fruit and yoghurt for breakfast.

LaurieFairycake. You should read The Secret Life of Cows by Rosamund Young(A farmer).

Also, where's the hummus? Or are you making your own?

cricketmum84
I think you are better looking at what style of ( veggie) cooking you are doing and shop around that rather than think' vegetarian ' food.
For example, it's a while since I've used quinoa so that woukdnt be on my list at the moment. I'm really not a fan of quorn so I would never buy that either.

However i have just come out of my ' middle eastern cooking ' phase where i was making a lit if flat breads and lebnah so I was using a lot if yogurt and yeast.
This week I've been using my Joe Wicks cook book and the Green tin book, so I've been using a lot of courgettes!!!

When my lad was young ( about 7)he had a tantrum saying he doesn't like vegetarian food' He was reminded that he likes jacket potaro and cheesey beans, weetabix, fried egg on toast, egg mayo butties, tomato soup with cheese topping, chips and gravy, mushroom stoganof sponge cake, rice pudding, ice cream.etc!

I think it is easier not to think of things being " vegetarian food" and "food"

I just thought of something else I use a lot, I buy ready made polenta and gnocchi for very quick meals ( I also make my own, it's dead easy)

Also, where's the hummus? Or are you making your own?
I make my own. It's ready in seconds. I make my own baba ganush as well, although that takes longer as I slow roast the aubergine.

If you want to ease your way into tofu then Cauldron do marinated tofu pieces that are great. I cook them a lot longer than they say as I like them crunchy. Maybe just keep trying them as you’re cooking until you find your sweet spot with them.

Waitrose stock Taifun Tofu. It’s in the chiller section near the pate/dips etc. It’s a small block about the size of a pack of playing cards. I LOVE the basil infused one (despite loving olives, I’m not keen on the olive one). It’s very firm and you just slice it and eat it. It’s great in salads etc. It’s FAB just on its own 🤣

As I said earlier, I don’t eat Quorn - it makes me gassy and I know SO many people who have a reaction to it. I personally think it’s something we will look back on and think WTF?!?! Again, you can get other ‘mince’ alternatives. I don’t really bother though, I just use lentils or whatever.

Being vegetarian can be as cheap or expensive as you can afford for it to be.

notacooldad fancy a life change? I could do with a live in chef...please 😊💕

notacooldad what's your veggie Middle Eastern cookbook, please? I've been looking for one.

www.cauldronfoods.co.uk/recipes
For all the tofu sceptics have a look at this.
I've tried dome of the recipes with the kids that I work with and I got a thumbs up from them! (teenagers)

Well it IS disgusting! A similar thing happened to me whilst working in catering years ago - I just suddenly saw the Sunday carvery gammon i was carving as a bit of dead animal flesh rather than food. Never ate it again & gradually became fully veggie.

Glad you're seeing it as a positive thing and embracing it now. You will be (more than) fine not eating meat :)