I’ve been a vegetarian for my whole life (21 years) just as i’ve been brought up this way. I’m thinking about starting to eat meat, for both social and health reasons. Has anyone had any experience with changing from vegetarianism? or ideas on what I should eat first? Its most likely going to be in a restuarant, as i still live at home with my parents where meat is a no go.
I was raised a vegetarian also, made the switch to meat in college. Initially, your body will react pretty severely with pork and fattier cuts of beef (a mistake I made), so I would start off with fish and chicken which will be less of a shock to your system.
Also keep the portions small at first and pair the meat up with grains, veggies and your traditional vegetarian diet. Indian meat dishes were actually a nice transition for me. Once you get used to the fish and fowl step it up to lean cuts of beef like a filet or sirloin. Your body will adapt pretty quickly and soon you will be able to eat any meat you want. Good luck
My friend is doing the same thing… she’s pregnant and wants her baby to have as much nutrition as possible. A different situation but what helped her is getting a hold of traditional bone broths and making soups, then adding small amounts of meat with veggies to that. And she uses bone broths as a base for sauces. It’s supposed to help absorption. Some times she’ll sip on a cup of broth before eating her lunch, which is usually one third animal meat.
http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/broth.html
Obviously, getting a hold of this stuff is easier said than done but many gourmet type stores have broths, or rather, stocks for purchase.
A slow cooker may also be a worthwhile investment. You can use it to make stews and add bits of meat to that… Of course, you mentioned it’s probably not gonna happen anytime soon with your home arrangement. 
Seek out a respected steakhouse that gets it’s beef from around there. Find out from which farms and what those cows are eating. There are a few places in the city near me that sell grass-fed and finished steaks although they aren’t even advertised as such! I’m drooling already jeez…
And yes, seafood! Go get wild salmon every once in a while… scallops are also good, very protein dense… They’ll usually serve it with pasta and a cream sauce.
Maybe you can smuggle some jerky into your room? Beef is good, their is also turkey, bison, salmon, etc.
Thanks for that guys, I’m going for dinner next weekend so I may go for a curry and order something off the meat menu oooh. Shame about the billions of calories in the sauce…
Post a video of you eating a bloody steak in front of your horrified parents! Ahahahahahahhaaha MEAT IS GOOOOOOOOOD
[quote]TermInNate wrote:
Post a video of you eating a bloody steak in front of your horrified parents! Ahahahahahahhaaha MEAT IS GOOOOOOOOOD[/quote]
Stick to the point of the thread. Not everyone is as selfish as you.
Toby-W, what are these ‘health’ reasons for starting to eat meat?
[quote]bulking27 wrote:
TermInNate wrote:
Post a video of you eating a bloody steak in front of your horrified parents! Ahahahahahahhaaha MEAT IS GOOOOOOOOOD
Stick to the point of the thread. Not everyone is as selfish as you.
Toby-W, what are these ‘health’ reasons for starting to eat meat?
[/quote]
I like the fact that you bumped a half-month old thread and used 1 of 2 posts on T-Nation to call me selfish.
Your other post is equally excellent.
what are the health reasons for chowing down a kilo of whole grains each day ?
Be careful. Your digestive track is used to the vegan lifestyle and If you switch you will experience a bit of a shock to your system. I’d continue onto what you’re doing. No need to eat dead meat. I eat a mainly vegan diet myself and feel great. If you chose to eat meats - eat them raw. Cooking destroys the protein anyhow.
[quote]burbanky wrote:
Be careful. Your digestive track is used to the vegan lifestyle and If you switch you will experience a bit of a shock to your system. I’d continue onto what you’re doing. No need to eat dead meat. I eat a mainly vegan diet myself and feel great. If you chose to eat meats - eat them raw. Cooking destroys the protein anyhow.[/quote]
stop confusing a fellow who’s on the right track. Saying something like “Cooking destroys the protein anyhow” is completely misleading and downright ignorant. Even if HEAVY exposures to high temperature does destroy a small part of the protein amount(<10%). Only severe overcooking(do you always burn your steak to a charcoal ?) will significantly reduce the protein.
Fyi, your body can take alot of abuse. U wont die or suddenly fall sick even if you eat exclusively big macs + fries&coke for 10 years straight. And the fact that vegans manage to live similar to a meat-eater does not make it good.
Hypothetically, take 2 guys with similar age/genetics/training routines/etc.
One is on a “healthy” vegan diet. Another one eats lots of grilled lean chicken/turkey, grass-fed red meat, steamed salmon, 2 table spoons of fish oil, and supplements with Superfood to gain his daily vitamins/minerals/phytonutrients/antioxidants, since he wont be able to eat as much veggies/grains/beans as a vegan.
Tell me do you honestly believe the meat-eater is NOT better off in every aspect of life than vegan (physically and mentally/cognitive).
something like steamed salmon is one of the best things you can do for your body. Keep being blind tho.
[quote]Drivethruhero wrote:
burbanky wrote:
Be careful. Your digestive track is used to the vegan lifestyle and If you switch you will experience a bit of a shock to your system. I’d continue onto what you’re doing. No need to eat dead meat. I eat a mainly vegan diet myself and feel great. If you chose to eat meats - eat them raw. Cooking destroys the protein anyhow.
stop confusing a fellow who’s on the right track. Saying something like “Cooking destroys the protein anyhow” is completely misleading and downright ignorant. Even if HEAVY exposures to high temperature does destroy a small part of the protein amount(<10%). Only severe overcooking(do you always burn your steak to a charcoal ?) will significantly reduce the protein.[/quote]
the less you cook the more nutrients a food retains. Period.
I modified my original post before i saw your reply
"the less you cook the more nutrients a food retains. Period. "
That does not in any way make eating it raw.
Ill eat my grilled chicken with 95% of protein in it while you enjoy it raw with 100%. Have fun.
[quote]burbanky wrote:
the less you cook the more nutrients a food retains. Period.[/quote]
Burbanky, your statement is true, but the conclusion you’re obviously drawing from it is false. The process of cooking can actually “unlock” (make available for digestion) far more nutrients than would be available in a raw food.
Read this:
[quote]brancron wrote:
burbanky wrote:
the less you cook the more nutrients a food retains. Period.
Burbanky, your statement is true, but the conclusion you’re obviously drawing from it is false. The process of cooking can actually “unlock” (make available for digestion) far more nutrients than would be available in a raw food.
Read this:
[/quote]
I’m not talking about absolutes. As a whole cooking depletes. It comes down to a personal decision I guess. This is a quote from the article you posted.
“but of course, when the choice is given, it is best to eat raw whatever is palatable in that form”
how do you “destroy” a protein ?
[quote]burbanky wrote:
I’m not talking about absolutes. As a whole cooking depletes. It comes down to a personal decision I guess. This is a quote from the article you posted.
“but of course, when the choice is given, it is best to eat raw whatever is palatable in that form”[/quote]
I agree with that. The word “palatable” in the quote is important, because it seems that cooking is beneficial when breaking down the cell walls (and releasing the nutrients of) specifically “unpalatable” foods–ones that are tough/fibrous and whose nutrients cannot be easily accessed when in the raw form.
Omnivore > carnivore
Whoa! this must be a life changing event. How did you get your protein requirements per day? Whey, legumes, (clears throat)…soy?
[quote]Growing_Boy wrote:
Whoa! this must be a life changing event. How did you get your protein requirements per day? Whey, legumes, (clears throat)…soy? [/quote]
I’m a vegetarian and I can’t seem to get my proteins lower than 180grams a day (and I weigh 106pounds)…it is VERY possible to get enough protein, and I only have a whey shake pre and post workout.
By the way are you from Chicago? I saw your avi picture from an old friend on his phone last year.