Vegetarians/Vegans?

[luckypal]

Hi guys, are there any vegetarians or vegans out there? I would want to start being a vegetarian, then hopefully become a vegan in the future. Do you have any tips on starting? Or maybe you have some super duper yummy recipes to share to help me get over my cravings for meat

Thanks!

[yennnnn]

Hello!

Keep in mind that you're a vegetarian, and protein comes from meat. TOFU is one of the most sought meat alternative! And soy milk for more protein. Para balanced pa din.

For vegetarian restaurants, you can try Bodhi (it's very popular in food courts sa SM malls) and NomNomNom (along E. Rod cor. Tomas Morato)

[luckypal]

thanks i'm going to buy mock meats this weekend. i think it will be easier to go veg if i have those in my new diet

[V_for_Victoria]

You can also check out Indian groceries for mock meat and beans and lentils (another source of protein), as there are also Hindus who practice vegetarianism. Do you plan to be lacto-ovo for now?

I used to have good vegetarian food at the Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital (formerly Manila Sanitarium)'s cafeteria.

I also endorse this super easy veggie burger recipe: http://www.myfoodgeek.com/2007/04/01/best-veggie-burgers-ever/

I'm open to vegetarian/vegan food, but I can't completely embrace it as my lifestyle, as I love meat too much.

[luckypal]

You can also check out Indian groceries for mock meat and beans and lentils (another source of protein), as there are also Hindus who practice vegetarianism. Do you plan to be lacto-ovo for now?

I used to have good vegetarian food at the Seventh-Day Adventist Hospital (formerly Manila Sanitarium)'s cafeteria.

I also endorse this super easy veggie burger recipe: http://www.myfoodgeek.com/2007/04/01/best-veggie-burgers-ever/

I'm open to vegetarian/vegan food, but I can't completely embrace it as my lifestyle, as I love meat too much.

cool thanks for the link! i know i love meat too, but after seeing all those videos in PETA and how animals are mistreated, i don't think i can bear eating another burger without remembering them. we'll see if i can pull this vegetarian thing off.

[byutijunkie]

i used to be one for 3 years until i got pregnant.  for it to be successful, you have to pace yourself and not plunge into it so soon.  try doing it once a week muna, then 2x a week until such time that your body (and your taste buds) will be attuned to your new diet.  it's not easy being a vegetarian.  lalo na madaming temptations and we hardly have restos that cater to this diet. so prepare yourself well and do not rush into things nor pressure yourself.  also, dapat you're doing it for the right reasons and not because you want to lose weight.  otherwise, you won't last.  make it your lifestyle. good luck!

[V_for_Victoria]

You also have to consider nutritional supplements, for the nutrients you'll be missing by foregoing animal products, like iron and calcium.

[luckypal]

yes, thanks i'm taking it slowly naman. my regular diet consists of more veggies than meat naman talaga. i'm just trying to entirely cross out meat altogether. hirap nga... esp when i'm surrounded by people who eat meat regularly. hay.

i'm choosing to be vegetarian because i like the health and environmental benefits the lifestyle brings. i feel like i'm serving a higher purpose if i stick to it

[gorgeouschef]

gusto ko rin sana ng gantong lifestyle. pero mahirap talaga.. ano ba tawag kung yung karne lang na kinakain mo is fish?

[h0n3ysuckl3]

^ Pescetarian

[thereluctantstylista]

Oh man...I got curious about this thread because I was in a vegan challenge for 3 weeks last year, I was even writing journal entries about it (some of them are public at http://www.whereisaif.com/tag/vegan).  I had to travel to Malate for mock meat (but the one I went to has a very good selection.)

Anyway, being vegan is very VERY hard especially here in the Philippines.  Almost everything contains dairy or eggs!  You have to prepare your own food if you want to be careful, and at most you can just eat at Chinese restaurants.  If I were you, opt for a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet where you can consume dairy and eggs as well.  It'll make your life easier.  If you're curious, though, that vegan diet got rid of my bit of belly fat in just 2 weeks.  Also, if you're in this for long term, don't just binge on meat if you get tired of the diet.  I missed meat so much that I ate it right after my 3-week challenge/bet, and I got sick the following week.

[byutijunkie]

^i had a similar experience when i tried going back to eating meat before.  my mouth rejected every small piece of meat i placed in my mouth for a time.  iba na kasi yung texture niya eh to the point that it feels alien na...just like eating dirt or something =)

but someday i do hope on going back to being a vegetarian...probably when i'm a bit older na...like 40s or something. 

[luckypal]

thanks for sharing your experiences, guys. hirap nga maging vegetarian hay.... temptation is everywhere!!!!

[aruba]

thanks for sharing your experiences, guys. hirap nga maging vegetarian hay.... temptation is everywhere!!!!

I know...and you'd feel like caged in eating fish and veggies.. like you'd want to cheat yourself sometimes.. but.. you will get used to it if you are really eager to convert yourself into a vegan or pescetarian.. I am a pescetarian... i only eat fish and veggies.. used to eat pork, beef and chicken my whole life and one day i realized like i am getting old and needs to start a healthy lifestyle before i feel sorry for having not-so-healthy lifestyle when i was younger.

Goodluck!

[cayennepepper]

Wow,, Nice information..
Thank a lot,, 

[babylove08]

i was lacto-ovo vegetarian talaga. but since we travel nawala talaga ako sa track! then ang palaging sineserve na food sa house always meat. hay grabe! they know naman na i only eat vegies. so napapasama na ko sa kain kahit konti lang. thank god im living with my husband na since i cant convince him to eat plain vegies we serve food 2 menus. one meat and one vegies. ofcourse i cook pero di ko tinitikman [textspeak!] meat [textspeak!] husband ko. hehe! just want to share. bodhi is the best love the fresh lumpia there and the spinach. in las piñas naman [textspeak!] branch na pinupuntahan ko.

[thereluctantstylista]

^ talaga? Grabe hindi ko matake ang lasa ng Bodhi.  That's why I resorted to just cooking my own food and taking trips to that little, obscure Vegan shop in Malate for frozen vegan food.  In CubaoX, meron naman dun cafe, Green Halo.  They're vegan/vegetarian.

[sue323]

i was lacto-ovo vegetarian talaga. but since we travel nawala talaga ako sa track

Lol! That has been my problem too. Especially when I'm in the Philippines, pag panahon ng fiesta, pero meat ang handa :-)  Now I'm a pesco-lacto-ovo vegetarian.  I love fish talaga and it's a good source of healthy cholesterol, hence I don't intend to eliminate it from my diet. 

[cerulean]

alwynne24: I'll definitely recommend the BF Organic Market to my sister! She needs to lose weight (she's obese). Not that she's planning to become a vegetarian of some sort but she loves tofu. Maybe it can be her alternative to beef and pork on some meals. Thanks so much for the info!

thereluctantstylista: I want to do that 3 week challenge! (You got me at "got rid of my belly fat.") Honestly, I don't think I strictly implement such diet. I mean, a lot of the veggie viands I eat contains meat and I love eating eggs. But maybe it's a good start if I stop eating pork? What do you guys think?

[luckypal]

^ yup, eliminate one type of meat from your diet gradually until you get used to it. you can do it, girl