I almost always use avocado in place of mayo. But I was never big on mayo-heavy type recipes anyway, or mayo in general.

I became a vegetarian (occasional but infrequent milk/eggs) at the end of August. I've lost 20 lbs so far and I haven't been working out much in that time, so it's entirely from changing from a carb-and-meat-heavy (practically carnivorous) diet to almost entirely fruit, veggies, and whole grains diet. Becoming a vegetarian = becoming healthy for me.

Oh, and I LOVE Boca burgers! Whenever I'm feeling a craving for meat I eat one of them instead. Also try "Chik'n fillets" -- delish -- and Chinese "vegetarian turkey" (which is really a tofu-and-stir-fried-veggies-in-soy-sauce dish).

Congrats on getting married!! That's so exciting

been veggei for 4 years and only 16 and im trying the vegan diet this summer to help with my weightloss but more for the animals <3

not much of a meat eater but after reading so much on meat like hormones and stuff i feel my body will benefit from becoming a vegetarian. I don't know I figured i try like 5 to 4 times of week of just veggie and fruits not meats, chicken or fish and then take it from there. Are there any ideas or things that you can recommend me to stick with it. I mean my mind is made up i know that it is better for you any animal meats are loaded with saturated fats.

thank you
linet

Hey linetrovira!

I have been a vegetarian (well, technically I eat fish 1-2x a month) for 11 years. While I definitely think eliminating factory farm animals from one's diet is good for health, I don't think animal meats in general are "bad" for you. Meat isn't "loaded" with saturated fat, and saturated fat is an important part of one's diet.

I gave up meat cold turkey (hehe) so I don't know if I have tips on helping you stick with it. But... I don't think there is anything wrong in simply reducing the amount of meat you eat if you enjoy eating meat. I think in the vegetarian/vegan world there is too much emphasis on labels- being "vegetarian" or being "vegan." You can be healthy eating meat and you can be unhealthy being vegetarian. The important thing is eating LOTS of fruits and vegetables, keeping carbs in moderation, and eating none or a modest amount of animal products. (As Michael Pollan says, treat meat like a garnish or side dish.)

There are of course ethical or personal reasons why some people live strict vegetarian/vegan lifestyles, and I understand why those individuals want to stick to that 100%. But if your motivation is health and you think it would be easier to "stick with it" if you eat meat on occasion, that's great.

Your plan to eat veg 5 days a week is a great one. The most important thing is to up the fruits and vegetables. I guess my bottom line is don't sweat the label of "vegetarian" if it is something that's difficult to stick with