I want to be a vegetarian but when I go veggie I get ill. Tips please.

[Fluffycloudland77]

I'm also allergic to milk. So a lot of quorn products are out too, any recommendations for which veggie ready made stuff like veggie sausages are nice would be welcome too.

Dh will not be joining me so I need things I can prepare in advance and freeze.

[joanofarchitrave]

What kind of illness do you get?

[SmeeHee]

What do you mean when you say you get ill?

There are lots of things in the Linda McCartney range that are vegan suitable so milk-free. I'm not a veggie but my mum is vegan so I'm well acquainted with the veggie freezer section - I'd recommend having a look in larger branches of all the different supermarkets to work out which "processed" foods you like (I found quite a few things in Asda's own range that my mum likes).

In terms of stuff you can make yourself then freeze I always make too much batch cook veggie pasta sauces and chilli which freeze and reheat well.

In terms of stuff

[Fluffycloudland77]

It's a general "oh my god I'm exhausted and going to die" feeling. I get so low I go back to eating meat.

Loads of people around the world dont eat meat so I'm clearly doing something wrong.

[SmeeHee]

Dunno where that extra "in terms of stuff" appeared from - I previewed the post and everything!

[SmeeHee]

So you're not getting a balanced diet when veggie then? Could be anaemia - have you been to your GP for blood tests? It's obviously better to try to address it by ensuring that you get everything you need through your diet but worth trying an iron supplement/multivitamins and minerals if it helps you to stay veggie if that's what you want.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Agree that your problem is probably malnutrition, particularly shortage of things like iron and B vitamins which are easily available from meat and present, but in lower amounts in plant origin foods. For that reason avoid the ready-made stuff (which tends to be very poor nutritionally) and really get to grips with which foods contain the best sources of vitamins/minerals. This NHS link for example.

You also need to make sure that you are getting the right amount of calories from your new diet. Plant foods tend to be bulky but low in calories which make them ideal for someone trying to lose weight. But if you're filling up on low-calorie bulk too much, you can find you simply run out of energy. That will also make you feel like crap.

I can recommend a website called CalorieCount. It's free to sign up. If you log your food choices for a few weeks you can run an analysis at the end of each day and see if you've hit the targets for various vitamins, minerals and, of course, calories.

[nickelbabe]

yy definitely not getting a balanced diet.

check out the vegetarian society's website for ideas and make sure you get something from each food group every day.

iron is easily neglected in a veggie diet, but nuts and leafy green veg will help. with lots of vitamin c to help absorb.


you can get all sorts of goodness from fake milk (soya, rice, oat etc)

[nickelbabe]

vegetarian society

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

Agree it sounds you are malnutritioned in your veggie diet. I tend to cook lots of beans, lentils, tofu (and cheese) when I do veggie. If you use tinned beans and ready cooked lentils there's hardly any cooking involved. Same with tofu, it's wonderful in stir fries.

[nickelbabe]

health and nutrition

[Fluffycloudland77]

Thank you everyone, I've been out at work so I didn't see this before I bought the Linda McCartney pies.

I hadn't thought of eating bigger portions either.

[worldgonecrazy]

What are your reasons for going vegetarian? How quickly do you get ill? Some people just aren't cut out for an entirely vegetarian diet and seem to get ill quickly, whilst other people can go completely vegan and remain healthy.

Could you just eat meat once a week but ensure that the meat is organic/free range and has had a decent life? What about eating fish?

If you're switching to soya mince or veggie sausages, then why can't your husband join in? I don't personally like the "fake meat" products and avoid them and all the pre-made veggie foods. A typical weekly meal plan for us might include:

Risotto (whatever vegetable is in season, so asparagus in early summer, squashes in autumn). You could make it non-veggie by throwing in some chopped ham.

Pasta with roast vegetables. (Roast cherry toms and mushroom are our favourite.)

Pasta with melted cream cheese and frozen spinach stirred in, sprinkled with parmesan (not entirely vegetarian due to the parmesan).

Sausage and chips - just use veggie sausages.

Fish and salad, with a potato side (mash or wedges)

None of those meals take longer than 30 minutes to cook from scratch.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Dh is against it because his ex was veggie and had pernicious anaemia, no matter how many times I try and tell him it was caused by lack of intrinsic factor (which is why she had B12 injections not tablets) he won't believe it. If he read it in the bloody telegraph then he'd believe it. I think he associates it with people being ill.

I don't want to be responsible for animals being slaughtered anymore.

I've no objection to cooking or handling meat for dh though, it's everyone's choice at the end of the day.

[nickelbabe]

i think the fact that your DH is against it because of his ex would make me quite angry.
WTF has your dietary decisions got to do with him?

please remind him that you are not his ex and that if you choose to be veggie, that's your choice.

yes, it does sound like hers was genetic, not dietary.