Hey guys, I'm Heather and have decided that now is the time to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle. I actually did abstain from all meat products for about 2 years while in high school but most certainly did not do so in the most healthy of ways (um yeah french fries are not really a vegetable) and dealt with quite a bit of resistance from my parents (they were concerned about my health, justifiably so since I wasn't so big into veggies then). I've been thinking about this for about 6 months and it doesn't seem to be going away. I do have a few meat products left (mostly fish) and while I'd like to toss them out it seems more cruel to me to have them go to waste. There will be no more coming into the house so once these are gone I will be meat-free. I'd eventually like to switch to a vegan lifestyle but I'm not quite there yet. I do use only soy milk but man cheese and eggs are another story.

Anyway to my point, I understand mostly the nutrients that my body needs but I noticed some of you guys didn't seem to be fans of using a lot of soy/tofu products? I agree the Boca/morningstar items are a little more processed then should be desired but are there any other drawbacks to soy meat? I'm all for chowing down on some nuts, beans etc but a girl needs some variety! I do plan on grabbing one of the books recommended in the sticky but wondering if you had any quick advice for me? Thanks!

Yay Heather, congratulations! I think you'll find being a "healthy" vegetarian very easy!

A while ago there was a bunch of bad press about soy, but I have never had a problem with it. I don't have soy at EVERY meal, but I definitely eat soy products throughout the week.

Here is a good link that has info about the whole soy issue: http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com/page/page/3476771.htm
Bryanna has great recipes too.

Thanks Josephine!
Getting ready to read through the page now. Hate we're not on the same BL team

I KNOW! I thought just somehow the fates would have us on the same team! Maybe next challenge we can request the same team!

Yep we'll have to do that! September seems so far away but I know it'll be here sooner then I expect.

I have one can of tuna and some tilapia left that I'm giving away to a friend. I tried to eat my last chicken breast last night and since I've decided to make this commitment it just tasted gross. One more frozen dinner then meat free :-0

I eat the soy products. I just started back eating vegetarian working towards vegan. Right now I need those products to make a change and stick to it. I can eat the way I ate before just substitute the fake meat products for the real stuff. I plan on moving away from those once I am fully used to not eating meat anymore. One step at a time, I find that if I do it all at once I will quickly fall of the wagon and start binging. I can't take too much restriction at one.
As far as books, I highly recommend Food Revolution by John Robbins. It really just hit home for me and even though I wasn't 100% committed yet I found myself looking at meat and being disguisted. Next I have the China Study to read, which I have heard good things about.

I don't eat a lot of soy products. I may eat tofu once in a while and other soy products but I do try to concentrate on things like whole grains, legumes, veggies and fruits. There are also so many ways to cook beans. Lentils are awesome and versatile.

Thanks ladies. Switzie I think I'm with you, I view the products as more of a transitional item. Right now about all I know how to make with beans and lentils is chili and while it's good I'm not eating that every day for the rest of my life!
Thanks for the book recommendations, I'm going to the bookstore sometime this week.

Vegan with a Vengeance and Veganomicon are great books. They have tofu recipes but really do minimize the processed products.

Hey, congrats on your choice in becoming a veggie Heather! I wouldn't worry too much about the press, not long ago I heard something along the lines of "Diet Coke: Drinking a can per day causes intelligence" in the press (and no doubt sponsored by diet coke themselves! I think nowadays pople are trying to prove to us that almost everything is abd for us, whislt giving us these lines of 'you must eay so many veg a day, you must have this amount of vitamin, this amount of etc.'

Anyway, You'll find the vegtarian lifestyle will really benefit you health. You'll find your vegetable intake will really improve and you'll be so much more likely to create your meals with tasty FRESH ingrediants. And it tastes so much better! Good luck!

Thanks Spoz. I too tend to take all the press with a grain of salt. I am trying to do more whole foods and less processed, not cutting them out completely just for time constraints, so this will cut down on the processed soy anyway. Today is actually my first full on veggie day, had some meat products I wanted to finish/give away before beginning. I hate the idea of waste. I was surprised how easy it was to plan a day with plenty of food, protein, and vitamins!! I ordered a couple of cookbooks from Amazon yesterday so should be a veggie chef in no time lol!

I know exactly how you feel! Although it's not food, I feel really bad about throwing away a leather coat I have had for a very long time. I dont like the idea of wearing an animal but it feels like a waste!

Let me know which books you get and if they're any good! It's really fun making vegetarian dishes, although many of my cook books are quite high calorie ones and I find it difficult finding weight loss books for veggies..

I ordered 20 Minutes to Dinner: Quick, Low-Fat, Low-Calorie Vegetarian Meals and The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet. Estimated shipping isn't until next week though. Grr Amazon!! I'll let you know what I think once I have them though.

I also had received Cooking Light Magazine as a freebie and was skimming through my new one yesterday. Of course there's plenty of meat dishes in there but they had several dishes that I could eat as a meal also, some that would even qualify as Vegan. They also have a vegetarian section on their website. I have several recipies I'm anxious to try!!

Thanks! I don't think I can get the magazine over here but I'll certainly check out the wbsite