1. If it suits you to do things gradually – take
your time. Some people give up red meat first, then poultry (remember,
that’s chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese), then fish. Others eat
vegetarian food one day a week, then two or three days and eventually
every day. The important thing is to work out what will suit you and stick
with
it.
2. Don’t be put off by a bit of teasing or ill-informed
scare stories. Vegetarians are sometimes the brunt of jokes and prejudices – usually
from people who know very little about their own health and dietary needs.
3. Try something new. Take a fresh look around the shelves
of your local supermarket and health food shop and get to know as many
different vegetarian foods as possible, including meat alternatives like
mince and sausages made from soya or Quorn™, tofu, pulses, cous cous
and all sorts of fruit and vegetables.
4. Buy a vegetarian cookbook (or borrow one from your
local library). Whether you need simple step by step instructions or gourmet
dishes to impress your friends, there are literally hundreds of vegetarian
cookbooks around and you can buy recommended titles online at www.vegsoc.org/store.
Alternatively, you can view hundreds of recipes free here on our website
5. Learn a little about nutrition. A
healthy vegetarian diet isn’t
difficult (see our Basic
Nutrition info sheet) but if you’ve grown
up eating meat, you will have to change some of your habits and the
easiest way to stay healthy is to understand what your body needs.
6. As you get more confident about vegetarian food, take
the next step by making sure you always buy free-range eggs and vegetarian
cheese. You can also start being careful about hidden non-veggie ingredients,
using our stumbling
blocks information sheet.
7. Don’t
go it alone. Make sure you tell any vegetarian friends that you
are going veggie and ask for their support and advice. Join The Vegetarian
Society to make sure that you always have access to our expert advisors,
information-packed quarterly magazine and discounts in all sorts of veggie-friendly
places. And, to avoid any embarrassment when friends are cooking for
you, remember to let them know in advance that you are vegetarian.
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