Transition from meat-eater to vegetarian

[BFG]

Over last two years I have given up smoking (used to smoke 20-30 a day), given up drinking (beer mainly but a lot of it!) and lost alot of weight via weight watchers. I am now interested in cutting out meat from my diet and would like some advise on how i make the transition from being a meat eater to a vegetarian. Do i need to take Iron tablets or a multivitamin? Is it safe to change dd5's diet without extra vitamins or should she have a vitamin supplement. I want to do it properly and would appreciate some advise. We all eat loads of fruit, veg, nuts, yoghurt etc each day but want to cut out meat.

Try The vegetarian society for advice. My ds (aged 6) is veggie and I don't give him supplements but he too eats fruit, veg, nuts, eggs and dairy products. Well done on all your achievements, most impressive!

hia BFG. Well I cut out meat when I was 15. It takes a bit of time to retrain your mind I would constantly have to remind myself about what not to eat. There are plenty vegetarian protein and iron rich foods - brown rice, spinach, lentils, pulses. and the meat substitues like quorn which is really low in fat too. i think as long as you include nutrient rich food i cannot see the need for supplements. Theres been a recent debate about the effectivness of vitamin suppliments, maybe you should double check with a health proffesional about dds diet though as im not too sure. Well done on giving up smoking. HTH

I went the other way, but still eat a fair bit of veg/semiveg food. I don't think you need multivitamins - my best advice would be to go out and buy some nice cookbooks! Do remember you won't necessarily be cutting down on calories by being vegetarian; concentrate on pulses rather than nuts or dairy if that's important to you.

I've been veggie since I was 16 & none of my kids has ever had meat. We don't use supplements & haven't had any health problems.

I was vegetarian from age 21 - 41. At the end of this period I began to suffer acutely from anaemia. We do eat lots of fresh veg etc but it stopped working for me at the age of 40. I now include fish in my diet and take a daily supplement of multivitamins and minerals, and I don't have anaemia any more.

I personally think iron supplements are a good idea for menstruating women even if you eat meat as huge numbers are anaemic anyway. A simple multivitamin with iron would be all you need. I try to take one every day and I'm not a vegetarian.

I have been vegetarian since I was 10 (am now 24). I sometimes take vitamins but not as a rule. I don't really think too much about what I eat and I seem to be very healthy. I do eat fish now and again (not a great lover of it) which may help.

I think your diet sounds varied and healthy.

thanks for all excellent advise and thanks for link wickedwaterwitch. Sounds like loads of people are changing from meat eaters to vegetarian. Will keep you posted on progress