OK I tried this question in this thread and I’ll guess it got buried in the middle of other things as I got no response. However, I really want to know.
The question would be for those of you who have switched from being meat eaters and occurred to me the other day during a delicious meal of grilled zuccini, tomatoes, and mushrooms along with a salad and steamed green beans(all garden fresh I might add). The meal also included garlic shrimp and chicken breasts marinated in some new Lawry’s marinade(which was also used on the veggies). I quickly annihilated all the veggies on my plate and was left with the shrimp and chicken. This was odd in its own right but the veggies were VERY good.
The question is that while I enjoyed the veggies immensely I lacked a sense of fulfillment until finishing the shrimp and chicken and I have noticed this in the past when eating similar meals. Did those of you that converted experience anything similar, at least for a period of time?
Realizing that those of you with a mental block against killing animals would have an easier timebecause the meat would disgust you but what about those of you who just did it in the interest of your health?
Sorry that was kind of a long ways to go to get to the question.
Well, I’m not a vegetarian, but I frequently eat meatless meals. The one thing that occurred to me is that a vegetarian wouldn’t eat just vegetables at a meal like that. There would probably be at least a pile of rice or some other grain or pasta. Possibly grilled or baked tofu or tempeh as well.
I think that meat-eaters who turn vegetarian often do have to train themselves out of the idea that it’s not a meal unless there’s a big piece of meat at the center of it, if that’s what you’re asking.
The extra fat that you get from meat also leads to a feeling of satiety - you feel “full” sooner. Veggies, being lower fat (generally), don’t cause you to feel as full. The extra fat is why eating a 50g bag of chips makes you feel more full than if you ate 50g of carrots.
My WAG: as a meat eater, you are used to higher fat meals, so when you don’t feel as full after a meal of veggies, you crave the extra fat that the meat gives you.
I eat meat sometimes, but frequently eat vegetarian meals and notice the same thing you did. I compensate with large quantities of ice cream - it makes me feel full, and I get to eat ice cream!
I’m not a vegetarian, but I do have an interest in nutrition & cooking, and I’m with cher3. You didn’t have a full meal - you had grilled veggies, a salad, and some steamed greens. You need protein and/or starchy carbs to fill up. If you had eaten some spaghetti with marinara sauce and parmesan cheese, I’m guessing you would have felt fulfilled. You would have also eaten a completely vegetarian meal.
You can do this the other way, too. Imagine eating a meal consisting solely of a piece of steak and a grilled & marinated chicken breast. Chances are you’d be a little less than fulfilled at the end of the meal, and be wondering where the veggies & potatoes/rice/pasta/bread was.
Athena, I disagree. It’s from a meat-eating perspective that you call that less than a full meal. And I don’t need a meat substitute to fill me up. When you decide to cut meat from the diet there isn’t some vaccum to be filled, although I do agree with the OP that sometimes you have to change habits. For example, about a year before I became vegetarian(ish), I had the idea to “try” vegetarian. This meant I prepared stir-fry, but omitted the chicken. It tasted like something was missing because something I expected was. Trying to convince myself that the extra broccoli was “like” having some meat in there just wasn’t the same.
But now after eating as a vegetarian more or less for the last five years, meat in a meal usually tastes like heavy excess, nasty weight. Like, ground beef or sausage in pasta. I don’t miss anything when I eat it meatless but I feel something is intruding if it’s there. Does that make sense?
On the other hand, other favorite meals of mine without meat have no substitute that I can see: bean tacos or burritos, various pasta dishes like lasagna, lots of spinich and lettuce salads with ingredients like oranges and soy nuts. I also eat a lot of grains like rice and quinoa, topped with various beans and legumes. So maybe I’m “subsituting?” I don’t know; I don’t miss it, that’s for sure.
I find that it depends on what meal I’m eating. I usually have one protein rich meal a day, and usually that meal will have a lot of carbs in there, too. I find that if I skip that big meal, though, the next day I am craving eggs or tofu or cheese. Basically, I listen to my body and if it wants more protein, I give it more. But after 4 years of vegetarianism, the psychological addiction to meat is gone. As to the question of if I ever felt unfulfilled, I phased meat out of my diet so gradually that I didn’t notice that much.
If you eat a meal, and it does not have enuf protein, you still feel hungry. Sledmans meal had almost no protein. But you do not need meat protein, as long as you are careful to balance your veggie protein (no veg has all the amino acids you need, so you need to get veg protien from several sources). OV Vegs have it easy, tho, as dairy has all the balanced protein you need.
Beans, soy, nuts, corn & rice all have protein, but soy & nuts have a lot. Be careful with the tropical oils. If you are a vegan, be sure to take a B12 supp, and perhaps a gen vitamin, also, as there are no real veg sources of Vit D, either. Sometimes a vit shortage will manifest itself as a craving, listen to your body.
The only thing I will dispute to some extent is the protein thing. While I agree it makes a difference in the meal I have some questions. While beans are mentioned as a protein source my question is do they have to be cooked to help with making it seem a complete/satisfying meal. If I eat Green Beans out of my garden I can eat them till the comes come home and really not feel full. Veggies in general out of the garden I can just sit down and eat them and never get full or at least not full for long. Is it a density thing?
Just wondering.
Also Danielinthewolvesden, I see you are practicing your restraint very well.
I became a vegetarian after growing up in a very meat 'n potatoes household. Long after learning to balance in the grains, tofu, and legumes, I still missed the comfort aspect of a meal consisting of a hunk of roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, with a side of boiled veggies and mayber a slice of Wonderbread with Imperial margarine. The psychological addiction persists to this day, especially on major holidays. Gods forbid that I should actually eat it - last time left me sick for a week.
Good note about the B-12 supplement - heard too many horror stories about long-term vegans having problems with that one.
Green beans are immature bean pods, where the actual “bean” has not been allowed to develope, thus, greenbeans are really a green vegetable, as opposed to a legume. That is why they don’t 'satisfy".
And, as long as we are just asking questions, rather than opinions, half-baked theories, or propaganda, I have no problem with the issue. An OL-Veg diet is an excellent way for many to lose a little wieght, cut down on the Chol. count, and eat a more balanced diet. Eating NO meat at all, is more healthy than eating TOO MUCH meat, which so many Americans do. But, a moderate amount (say 3oz a day) is even healthier. However, many cannot do things “in moderation”, so then, completely cutting it out is better for them. If you had a REALLY high Chol. count, even a vegan diet (but no tropical oils), with proper care, could be the way to go for some.
I was raised in a meat and potatoes kind of home and through the years my diet has changed to the point where I eat meat but usually in smaller quantities. I try to keep in mind that we only need about three ounces of protein a day. At my last physical I had a really low cholesterol count so this diet seems to be working for me.
Part of my job is planning menus and I apply my rules to where I work, the low fat moderate protein diet seems to be working for our clients as well. They are a healthy bunch and they eat better than anyone I know.
I love my veggies and often consider them to be the best part of a meal. The best part of holidays would be the mashed potatoes, lots of them.
I think there are two issues here. First is the issue of physical addiction vs. psychological addiction. When I first stopped eating meat, which I did cold turkey (sorry) 15 years ago, I got mild cravings for maybe three months. I haven’t had them since. My feeling at the time was that these cravings were psychological, not physical. My reasoning is that I get similar cravings for sweets after I eat dinner. If I ignore that craving for a few days, it goes away. (Although, now that I think about it, that wouldn’t rule out a physical addiction. Oh well…)
The second reason why new vegetarians may get cravings is that they don’t know how to eat vegetarian yet. As others have pointed out, Sledman, your meal had very little protein or fat. I know no long-term vegetarians who eat that way meal after meal. If you had eaten a balanced meal prepared by a vegetarian, I bet you wouldn’t have felt the incompleteness.
A the risk of offending purist with the concept of “meat subsistute”, (like an alcholic should drink nearbeer because he’s still THINKING about drinking?) …you know what’s good? Garden Burgers. Or Boca Burgers, which act even more like meat. And there’s lots of other prepackaged meat substitues like GimmiLean, although I wasn’t as impressed with them. Of course perversly they cost more than actual meat but…
And there’s tons of stuff you can do with tofu. Like tofuloaf. (Get tofu. Add whatever you add to meatloaf. Bake)
And of course it stirfries great. (the FiveSpice tofu is good for that.) Tofu also takes care of the protein problem.
