New veggie and missing meat?

[squashedalmondcroissant]

First of all, I realise I'm not quite in the right place but since there isn't a vegetarian section I thought I'd try here as some of you might have the same feelings!

I'm an omnivore but am switching to being vegetarian. I've always liked veggie food and sometimes would actively choose it over meat based options. I'm trying to be healthier and I feel being vegetarian makes me a lot more aware of what and how I eat so it will be better for my health and I'm also increasing unhappy with the ethical issues arising from large scale farming and meat production. I would eventually like to transition to vegan but it's just too much all at once so I'm going to try and wean myself off animal products gradually.

That being said I really like meat. I love the taste and the variety, plus I work as a professional chef and it is difficult being in the industry and having dietary restrictions of any kind.

Has anyone else struggled with the move to being vegetarian/vegan? I've previously just eaten whatever I like when I like and not really given it a second thought so I feel it's going to be challenging until it becomes a proper habit and that will take time. Am I alone in this?

I struggled too and now only eat chickens we've raised ourselves and absolutely no meat from large scale farming. I do eat kangaroo which has been ethically caught in the wild. I know that's not what vegans want to hear of course but I get too disparate when I don't have any meat.

Are you craving meat in general, or a specific type of meat or meal? I think this is an important distinction. If it’s the latter, the solutions are fairly simple. Find a vegan meat replacement. It might not be perfect, but should tide over cravings. A lot of the time I craved the taste of the seasoning and the texture, not the actual meat itself.
If you’re craving all meat, could be that you’re not getting enough protein, salt, fat or vitamin B12. Make sure you’re eating whole proteins and perhaps take supplements if you’re not already doing so.

If you are going vegetarian primarily for health reasons, what about including a small amount of locally reared, organic meat in your diet. When I first gave up eating meat, I did this for a few months - small amounts of higher welfare meat, once or twice a week, rather than cheap chicken or processed stuff daily. After a couple of months, I'd got used to cooking and eating vegetarian and found I could take it or leave it regarding the meat so I gave it up altogether.
This is probably a healthier approach than replacing meat with processed meat substitutes.

I am a vegan, was vegetarian for a few years before that.

I would recommend a gradual approach. Maybe switch to being vegetarian one day a week, and then gradually increase until you're meat free every day. Don't be hard on yourself and don't feel like you've failed if you slip up - we all do.

It is a different mindset. when I was first veggie I thought 'what the fuck am I going to cook???' But now it feels completely natural to me to cook up vegan meals.

@NannyR I do think that's a really good compromise but unfortunately I am on a budget so I can't afford the extra cost of the more ethical meat. In an ideal world that would be my preference but I just can't justify the extra cost!

Tbh I don't eat a lot of processed meat replacements as I just don't find them appetising and would rather just eat veg/pulses etc. My dp is vegan and we have a vegan household so most of the time I do eat vegan meals anyway but I just can't bear the idea of never eating eggs and cheeses ever again 😞 I don't eat much of them anyway but I just want to still have the option occasionally if I really want to eat them.

I love pork and seafood but I could quite happily never eat red meat or chicken again 😊