I'm probably going veggie, maybe, but don't hold me to it.

spark240

I’ve gone down this route about a month ago....health wise I don’t notice much difference at the moment, though I notice I don’t fall back in the chair “ feeling stuffed” after a meal.

It’s a bit trickier out than at home, but I always find something....I’m not a big Foodie really so I’m not that fussed.

Vegetable Lasagne is good, Salmon stir fry, Meat free Pizza is easy, then always the Fish & chip shop !

lost a few pounds but that’s about it.

Morally I feel a lot better, but at family meals we still have a bit of chicken.

spark240

Oh.....and watch Gamechanger on Netflix if need convincing about energy ...

ThePrettyDamned

Me and ladyprettydamned cut our meat consumption right down. Saved us loads of money

hywelg

RaymondLin said:

Wazmeister said:

For those who have gone vegetarian, what do you think the health benefits have been ? Have you felt better ?

I know that the Japanese are like 97% meat eaters and they have the longest life expectancy.

As have the Greeks. But they have a much better balance of veg and meat than we do, and they don't eat the processed crap that we do. And thier veg tastes way better than our equivalents.

Jez6345789

As had been said if you can’t cook learn to as it’s no healthier being a veggie if you just eat the processed shit and no cheaper. 

I notice it big style living in Spain and coming back to the U.K. Lidl here has virtually zero ready meals or pre made stuff with low nutritional value yeah pizza and a few pancake rolls. Lidl in the U.K. is as packed with endless ready made crap.

we have lost 2 generations to the can’t cook won’t cook mentality nobody taught them so they don’t. 

To to give yourself an idea as to how crap and deceitful the U.K. industry has become. Here is an example.

busy day the MRs to save time on a work night bought an  M&S moussaka for dinner.  Very tasty it was until you look at the label it’s 52% fat content,  Realistically minced lamb is 12-14% where does the rest of that shit come from it’s added to give mouth feel texture and bound together with an emulsifier so it does no appear greasy. The human soul says thank you for Fat Sugar and salt 

same with most ready made foods read the label and make it yourself as the U.K. is being taken for idiots

Emp_Fab

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Salt-Sugar-Fat-Giants-Hooked/dp/0753541475

A real eye-opener of a book.

Emp_Fab

I've now got two Thug Kitchen books, the BOSH! book and River Cottage's Veg book.  I might have a nosey at Jamie Oliver's latest one too.  I've also ordered a tofu press.

Next week I'm ordering a kaftan, a hookah pipe, some dream catchers and patchouli oil.

Bridgehouse

Emp_Fab said:

I've now got two Thug Kitchen books, the BOSH! book and River Cottage's Veg book.  I might have a nosey at Jamie Oliver's latest one too.  I've also ordered a tofu press.

Next week I'm ordering a kaftan, a hookah pipe, some dream catchers and patchouli oil.

Name change request to @Shaman_Fab ?

DrJazzTap

My partner is a lifelong vegetarian, I have been off and on. We've just given up drinking milk, as the thought of drinking another animals breast milk weirded me out (also concerns about dairy farming).


Going back to the veggie thing, even if you cut down on your meat intake that's the main thing. We don't eat a lot of takeaways anymore. I have fought against whether or not it's for me. I have taken the hugh fearnley attitude of not eating a lot of meat but trying to get the best i can when I do eat meat. No KFC, frozen food junk, burger van crap etc.

I cycle past a burger van on my way to work, just the stench of the cold fat makes me wretch. Which is odd because it's the same smell I remember from going to monster truck shows with my dad as a kid. 

If you can do and stick to it, all the power to you!

If you have chance try and get a table at a decent vegetarian restaurant. That is mind blowing. We have one in bath called Acorn, and I never knew you could infuse such complex smokey flavours onto vegetables. Also hands down one of the best places we've ever eaten (and my partners favourite ever restaurant) is Terra Terra in Brighton. 

p90fool

We stopped buying meat earlier this year, really because I just don't find all those flaccid bits of chicken and vacuum packed beef in the supermarket very appetising. 

I'm not a vegetarian by any means, I just stopped buying meat. I also don't buy peanut butter, but I don't really feel the need to give that a name either.

It's pretty easy for us tbh because we always cook our own food from fresh ingredients and never buy pre-packaged meals. It amuses me when people say that a particular supermarket doesn't cater very well for vegans/vegetarians, when all that means is they've ignored all the vegetables in the entrance and headed straight for the ready meals!

I have no moral objection to meat eating, only with the industry required to supply a population which wants to devour great slabs of it three times a day. If it was a treat for everyone a couple of times a month then quality and welfare standards would rocket. 

RaymondLin

DrJazzTap said:

My partner is a lifelong vegetarian, I have been off and on. We've just given up drinking milk, as the thought of drinking another animals breast milk weirded me out (also concerns about dairy farming).


Going back to the veggie thing, even if you cut down on your meat intake that's the main thing. We don't eat a lot of takeaways anymore. I have fought against whether or not it's for me. I have taken the hugh fearnley attitude of not eating a lot of meat but trying to get the best i can when I do eat meat. No KFC, frozen food junk, burger van crap etc.

I cycle past a burger van on my way to work, just the stench of the cold fat makes me wretch. Which is odd because it's the same smell I remember from going to monster truck shows with my dad as a kid. 

If you can do and stick to it, all the power to you!

If you have chance try and get a table at a decent vegetarian restaurant. That is mind blowing. We have one in bath called Acorn, and I never knew you could infuse such complex smokey flavours onto vegetables. Also hands down one of the best places we've ever eaten (and my partners favourite ever restaurant) is Terra Terra in Brighton. 

If Soya milk is cheaper than regular milk i would get that over normal milk.  It tastes so much better.

Snap

@Emp_Fab welcome to the veggie world.

One thing I have noticed over the last couple of years is that fewer people you meet feel the need to interrogate you about the reasons behind being veggie. That is really tedious, as are preachy vegans.

I stopped eating meat for the same reasons as you, and have never liked fish (it stinks and tastes of fish ffs!)

Avoid binging on fatty stuff like cheese, and pre prepared food.

Get a decent set of spices and herbs, get your head round how to use them, and eat fresh. Have a do at the various grains like bulgur, quinoa, kamut etc- all full of protein and fibre.

Take a vitamin supplement - so you don't run low on b vits and iron. Just in case.

Tofu - horrible if you don't cook it right. If you dry fry it first, it toughens up and loses the sogginess. Smoked tofu is good.

Tofurkey - watch this stuff, it's dead salty.

Aubergines - there is a knack to cooking them, if you put them on some kitchen roll and rest something heavy on top of them for 30 mins or so, the water presses out of them and they aren't soggy when you cook.

Get to know your lentils - different types have different consistency. Basically red go soup/dhal like, puy are meaty.

Dried veg vs tinned. Load of baloney. You take all this effort of soaking your kidney beans or chick peas overnight to find they taste exactly the same as tinned ones.

benefits? Your colon will be cleansed after a while. Also be aware you may experience great volumes (both in size, duration and decibels) of flatulence as your bowel adjusts to new challenges!

DrJazzTap

RaymondLin said:

If Soya milk is cheaper than regular milk i would get that over normal milk.  It tastes so much better.

We did try soya, not for us. It's funny a few of my friends have all moved away from drinking cows milk and onto different types. One of them swears by oat milk. 
We dont drink that much milk, just in our morning coffee and for porridge. Hazelnut or almond works for us in coffee. Still haven't found anything that works in tea, almond is okay but does taste a little odd. Our main concern is getting one that is unsweetened.

EricTheWeary

I'm not keen on non dairy milk and the calories can be horrific. However, I use almond milk on my cereal now which is a good substitute for skimmed milk. 
If you want non dairy milks in hot drinks look out for the 'professional' versions from places like Makro as they don't split. 

RaymondLin

DrJazzTap said:

RaymondLin said:

If Soya milk is cheaper than regular milk i would get that over normal milk.  It tastes so much better.

We did try soya, not for us. It's funny a few of my friends have all moved away from drinking cows milk and onto different types. One of them swears by oat milk. 
We dont drink that much milk, just in our morning coffee and for porridge. Hazelnut or almond works for us in coffee. Still haven't found anything that works in tea, almond is okay but does taste a little odd. Our main concern is getting one that is unsweetened.

I think it depends what you are used to.  Growing up in HK soya is the norm and I am used to the taste from a very young age so that's what i am most comfortable with.  My regular order from Starbucks is actually Vanilla Soya Latte.  Although more often than not when I do that people think i have some kind of allergy to Lactose. 

gubble

The answer is Mazda MX-5

Gassage

One of my rugby pals, former England regular who really struggled to keep his weight down throughout a 9 yr inernational career (back row forward so 6'4" and c. 19 stone) has now switched to a 2wk on/off vegan/normal diet and says it's incredibly effective and working for him to keep his weight down in retirement.

RaymondLin

Sounds like he is over eating when he is not watching what he eats and under estimates the calories in his meals.

LastMantra

My mum makes an awesome Indian cheese curry. Lots of veg. Well tasty.

Gassage

Snap said:

@Emp_Fab welcome to the veggie world.

One thing I have noticed over the last couple of years is that fewer people you meet feel the need to interrogate you about the reasons behind being veggie. That is really tedious, as are preachy vegans.

I stopped eating meat for the same reasons as you, and have never liked fish (it stinks and tastes of fish ffs!)

Avoid binging on fatty stuff like cheese, and pre prepared food.

Get a decent set of spices and herbs, get your head round how to use them, and eat fresh. Have a do at the various grains like bulgur, quinoa, kamut etc- all full of protein and fibre.

Take a vitamin supplement - so you don't run low on b vits and iron. Just in case.

Tofu - horrible if you don't cook it right. If you dry fry it first, it toughens up and loses the sogginess. Smoked tofu is good.

Tofurkey - watch this stuff, it's dead salty.

Aubergines - there is a knack to cooking them, if you put them on some kitchen roll and rest something heavy on top of them for 30 mins or so, the water presses out of them and they aren't soggy when you cook.

Get to know your lentils - different types have different consistency. Basically red go soup/dhal like, puy are meaty.

Dried veg vs tinned. Load of baloney. You take all this effort of soaking your kidney beans or chick peas overnight to find they taste exactly the same as tinned ones.

benefits? Your colon will be cleansed after a while. Also be aware you may experience great volumes (both in size, duration and decibels) of flatulence as your bowel adjusts to new challenges!

As closing arguments go, pass me some bacon.