Is anyone else thinking of becoming a vegetarian?

First let me say that I am not against eating animals at all. I used to laugh and call myself a meatetarian. I used to LOVE a nice thick juicy steak or really any meat product.

Ever since surgery however I find it disgusting. I think about eating it and it sounds so yummy. I get all these ideas of how I can prepare it. The problem is the chewing. At first I thought My stomach did not like meat anymore. Everytime I would take even a bite or two it would sit inside me and make me feel so uncomfortalbe. Then I realized that even though I thought I was chewing it a lot...it needed to be chewed even more. Chewing it even more made it taste disgusting. By the time Im done chewing it...it has no flavor and is just a nasty pile of mush in my mouth. I no longer have a problem eating it but its taken all the joy out of it. Im so frustrated. I used to love salmon and shrimp but after a while that tastes disgusting too. I am especially bummed because I know meat is a huge source of protein.

So will I ever be able to chew it less than I am right now? I don't mean swallowing it whole or anything, just a little bit less. If not I seriously think I may go vegetarian.

I've been a vegetarian for about 25 years.  I have no idea if you'll be able to chew your meat less in the future or not.

I would love any protein source recommendations Kelly! I was a vegetarian about 10 years ago but not in the healthiest of ways. I obviously want and need to do it right this time if I do decide to do give it a whirl.

I eat a lot of yogurt.  Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt.  I also eat cheese a lot.  I eat lots of beans.  I also use a fair amount of meat substitute products like veggie burgers.  They have soy crumbles which are a lot like ground beef.  I've made chili with it and not told people what it was made of and they did not realize it wasn't real meat.  There is also fake chicken and fake bacon and fake sausage.  Occasionally I eat eggs but I don't like them a whole lot.  Omelets are OK once in a while.  Cottage cheese is a great source of protein but I can't stand it.  I've tried to like it, tried adding different things to it, etc.  I think it's the texture that gets me.

I use protein shakes and protein bars sometime, if I'm not getting enough protein for the day or sometimes just 'cause I like them.  I can get enough protein just from food, though, if I plan carefully.

I like the Qorn products - they are vegetarian and taste wonderful! Somehow, chewing forever, when you know it isn't meat, doesn't gross me out as much as chewing for a long time on meat. Don't get me wrong. I still eat meat but I do love vegetarian stuff and when meat grosses me out that's where I head. And it does gross me out every now and again.

I love the Quorn products too.  Much better flavor than the soy products I think.  And for the first time in my life I can eat stuff that's supposed to have ground beef in it and my stomach doesn't hurt.  That's been a wonderful change for me. 

Kelly,

Any favorite recipes or vegetarian recipe sites that you prefer. I have never been a meat lover and now I'm having serious issues with any meat or fish source I try. I would love to begin exploring some vegetarian recipes to see if they work for me.

I'll give you my two favorite chili recipes.  One is a traditional style chili and the other is a white chili.  A lot of the things I cook are actually adapted from non-vegetarian recipes.  I find a recipe that sounds yummy and substitute something else for the meat.  I'll give you my favorite bean recipe, too.  It's very spicy, just be warned!

White Chili

2 bags Morningstar Farms fake chicken, cut into small pieces
one onion, diced
one red bell pepper, diced
one can (4 oz) diced green chilies
one cup salsa (I use medium but you can use hot if you prefer; I just buy the store brand)
three cand vegetable broth
three cans Great Northern beans
one tablespoon minced garlic
cumin
garlic powder
onion powder

In a big pot, sauté the garlic, onion and diced red pepper in a little olive oil until slightly soft.  Add the chicken and sprinkle liberally with cumin, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Stir and cook for a couple minutes.  Add the broth, beans, green chilies and salsa.  Stir.  Add ½ teaspoon of cumin, ¼ teaspoon of onion powder and ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder (or more if you want it spicier).  Stir.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes.

Traditional Style Chili

2 bags Morningstar Farms soy crumbles
one onion, diced
two jalapeno peppers, diced fine
two cans veggie broth
one can diced tomatoes
one tablespoon minced garlic
chili powder to taste (I use about two tablespoons)

In a big pot, sauté the garlic and onion in a little olive oil until slightly soft.  Add the soy crumbles and diced jalapeno peppers and cook for a couple minutes.  Add the broth, diced tomatoes and chili powder.  Bring to a boil, stir well, then reduce heat and simmer about 40 minutes.  Serve it with shredded cheese on top if you like.

Island Red Beans

Four cans kidney beans
one onion, diced
one tablespoon minced garlic
two habanera peppers, diced fine (the original recipe I had for this dish called for poblano or Anaheim peppers but I like it with habaneras.  The others might be less spicy, though, if you don’t want it as spicy)
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
¾ cup tomato sauce
two cups water (more or less, depending on how saucy you like your beans)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

In a large pot, sauté the onions and garlic in a little olive oil until slightly soft.  Then add the diced peppers and cilantro and cook for a few more minutes.  Add the kidney beans, tomato sauce, water, oregano, pepper and salt.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 40 minutes.

Please see my Vegetarian eating plan I created on my profile page.

I know 3 or 4 post ops in my support groups who have ended up vegetarian. They all seemed to find that digesting meat proteins to be very difficult, always ending up not feeling well. They don't seem to have the issue as a vegetarian.  DAVE