15 Beginner's Tips for Going Vegetarian (Updated!)

Changing your diet can seem overwhelming. Especially if not everyone in your family wants to join you. What foods can you eat on this new diet? Which are definitely out? Where do you start?

These are my top 15 tips for going vegetarian, whether you're just starting out or need a jumpstart.

There are several types of vegetarian diets, depending on whether you eat eggs, dairy or fish. But no matter which you choose, it takes a commitment to changing your diet, if only for one or two days a week.

My life is busy, like many people's these days. And I'm the lone person in my family to move towards a plant-based diet. I tried several approaches to going vegetarian, but it didn't always stick. I finally accepted that I needed to be more mindful about this change.

So I thought I'd step back from recipes, and share some tips that have helped me through the years. I hope they may help you too, no matter where you are in your own journey.

Jump to:

• Tips For How to Go Vegetarian
• #1: Be gentle with yourself
• #2: Do it gradually
• #3: Don't make too many changes at once
• #4: Meal plan with a vengeance
• #5: Experiment!
• #6: Know your plant-based protein sources
• #7: Beans!
• #8: Vegetarian-ize your favorite meat dishes
• #9: Jazz up dish using condiments
• #10: Find a buddy
• #11: Set a date to begin
• #12: Meal prep ahead
• #13: Swap out carbs like pasta and bread
• #14: Get a few good tools
• #15: Reimagine your pantry
• Final Note

Tips For How to Go Vegetarian

When I began my own vegetarian journey, I wanted to go to sleep as an omnivore, and wake up as a vegetarian. I wanted it to be easy and immediate. Unfortunately that didn't work. For me, it's been a gradual evolution to a new way of eating.

Let's face it. A boot camp "make it happen" mentality often fails us when we stand at the refrigerator at 6pm without a plan. Too often, "Let's do this!" becomes "I'll start over tomorrow".

So where do you start?

#1: Be gentle with yourself

A major change in your diet, even if your family and friends are super-supportive, is an upheaval in your life. It starts a journey of new foods, new recipes, and new prepping techniques. Then add to that, new ways of shopping and storing all this new food.

Be patient with yourself, and always keep in mind that going vegetarian is YOUR journey. It's up to you how you want to approach it.

Design your journey in a way that is best for your own body and life style. If you have a busy life, don't start with meals that take an hour or longer to make.

And keep in mind that it can also take some time for your digestive system and cravings to adjust to a new way of eating. So be patient with your body.

If you end up being Pescatarian (allowing fish) or you only cut your consumption of meat in half, it's all good. Anything that reduces the amount of meat on our plates is a good thing in my book.

#2: Do it gradually

The biggest changes in my life have been evolutionary ones. Revolutionary changes have never stuck. I even quit smoking by gradually weaning myself down from a 3 pack-a-day habit to nothing. (I know, I know. Please don't judge.) I haven't had a cigarette now in over 3 decades.

Do it in steps, so it's not overwhelming.

Here are some ideas:

• Start by eliminating beef and pork. Next, tackle chicken. And finally, fish; or
• Go vegetarian 2 or 3 days a week and build up from there; or
• Go vegetarian until dinner.

If you want to go vegan, I recommend starting with moving to a vegetarian diet. Then work on dairy, and then eggs.

#3: Don't make too many changes at once

It's hard to take on more than one big dietary challenge at the same time. So if you want to cut out sugar, for example, decide which challenge you'll tackle first.

Taking on too many challenges at the same time increases the chances you'll fail at both.

Once you're comfortable with the first dietary change, take on the next challenge.

#4: Meal plan with a vengeance

When we don't have a plan, we often buy things we shouldn't at the market. Am I right? We follow our cravings and often go for what's easy.

Having pasta four nights a week, or more, is rarely the right choice, even if it's vegetarian.

Meal planning is a great way to stick to both your shiny new vegetarian diet AND meet the needs of your family. Especially when you're not all following the same diets.

Pick a day in the week, say Sunday, that you'll always be able to plan out the meals for the week. Make a grocery list, and head to the market.

And don't forget to include protein snacks into your meal planning.

#5: Experiment!

Have some fun with it. Here are some strategies to try:

• Try a new fruit or vegetable every week.
• Experiment with plant - based meat substitutes, but don't rely on them for everything. Examples are Beyond Beef, Morningstar Farms, Quorn or Linda McCartney's foods.
• Pick a new cuisine that offers lot of vegetarian dishes, such as Indian or Middle Eastern food. And find three new dishes you want to make.
• Pick up some magazines at the market that look interesting.
• Find 10 vegetarian or vegan blogs you like. There are hundreds of them out there these days, with new ones popping up all the time.
• If you're on Facebook, do a search in Groups for vegetarian groups that share recipes.
• Buy a spiralizer and start spiralizing some veggies. Many markets also have packages of spiralized veggies. They cook up so much faster and a great way to get more veggies on the plate.

Set a goal of finding 10 new EASY vegetarian dishes that you love. Bonus points if they can be easily adjusted for any meat eaters at the table. Then add them to your weekly or monthly meal rotation.

#6: Know your plant-based protein sources

Research ways to get protein on a vegetarian diet. Not getting enough protein is one of the leading reasons for vegetarian fatigue.

There are a LOT of plant based options, ranging from beans, quinoa, eggs, tofu, pumpkin seeds and nuts. So if you have these items on hand, you'll be fine. Here are some ideas:

• Add cooked beans, quinoa or tofu to casseroles.
• Having a few hard boiled eggs on hand to make a quick salad.
• Have tofu already pressed in the refrigerator, all ready to go.
• Find protein powders you like. And be sure to check the ingredients, as many add sugars to the powders. I order Plant Based Whole Blend IsaLean® Shakes online, and add it to my morning yogurt every day with chia seeds.

#7: Beans!

Make friends with beans. Cook up a fresh pot every week of different kinds and experiment with them. They are a fabulous meat replacement, and provide so many health benefits. And heirloom beans are even better!

Yes, you can use canned, but making a pot of fresh beans is so much more delicious. And infusing flavors while they cook make them delicious.

• Infuse beans with flavors like onion or garlic while they cook.
• Add a dried ancho pepper to the beans for a smoky flavor.
• Herbs are fantastic with beans. Add them to the pot while the beans cook, and remove them at the end. Add fresh sage leaves or rosemary to white beans, and serve them with cherry tomatoes, freshly cracked black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Divine.
• Be aware that beans, except soy beans, are

The flavors of cooked beans are even better if you first quick soak the beans in a brine solution. This is true no matter what method you use to cook them.

A Note About Gas

If you get gas or discomfort from eating beans, you have a lot of company. There is a specific carbohydrate in beans that is very difficult for anyone to digest.

Pre-soaking dried beans helps, but it probably won't eliminate the gas most of us experience. So I also recommend having some Bean-O on hand, which provides the enzyme we need to better digest beans.

#8: Vegetarian-ize your favorite meat dishes

Pick five of your favorite dinners and make them vegetarian or vegan.

Use meat substitutes like Beyond Beef for your next pot of chili or a pasta casserole, or Sloppy Joes. Or use lentil beans for a bolognese sauce.

Add chickpeas to salads in place of chicken. In fact, I often find I can use chickpeas or cauliflower in almost any chicken recipe.

Stock your pantry to turn your favorite meat-centered dishes into vegetarian meals. Check out this essential vegetarian pantry with must-have staples to help you!

Cauliflower steaks are great substitutes for meat in traditional steak recipes. Or use butternut squash steaks to replace pork chops, since this squash uses many of the same seasonings.

Swap our your Italian deli wrap with a wrap of black beans, spinach, hummus and roasted red peppers.

#9: Jazz up dish using condiments

Have a selection of condiments in your refrigerator to jazz up dishes and spike flavors.

For example, add this lemony basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto to soups and sandwiches.

Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes is another great condiment to have in the refrigerator. Ditto for Balsamic Roasted Bell Peppers, Spicy Pumpkin Seeds and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas.

#10: Find a buddy

Having a buddy to start a new workout regime is a proven way to maintain a commitment to exercise. Likewise, the buddy system can be a great help when changing your diet.

Swap recipes you find and want to make, and compare notes on what's working and what isn't.

If your family isn't supportive, a buddy can motivate you when you're having a challenging day (or week!).

#11: Set a date to begin

Don't put pressure on yourself by deciding to start your new vegetarian diet tomorrow. Plan for success. Look at your calendar and be realistic about when it makes the most sense to start.

If you know you'll be traveling, wait until you return. If there's going to be a big crunch at work requiring long hours, either wait, or make a few vegetarian meals ahead.

Mondays are generally good days to begin. You can use the weekend to grocery shop and prep food ahead.

#12: Meal prep ahead

Depending on your daily schedule, the weekend is usually the best time to meal prep for the week ahead.

If you plan to have meals with beans and want to cook your own, do it over the weekend. Ditto for quinoa and any grains. Make salad dressings ahead, and prep veggies you plan to use. You can even roast them ahead, and just warm them up later in the week.

Place everything in airtight containers, label them and store in the refrigerator.

Coming home to a partially made meal makes it so much easier to stick to your plan.

#13: Swap out carbs like pasta and bread

It's very easy, too easy, to sauté some veggies, cook up a pot of pasta, and call it dinner. I occasionally do have pasta, but it can't be your go-to 3 times a week.

Here are some ideas for swaps! The carb counts below are net carbs. This means the fiber is subtracted from the total carb count.

Food	Carbs	Carb Swap	Carbs
1 cup cooked spaghetti	41 g	1 cup zucchini noodles	2.4 g
1 cup cooked brown rice	48 g	1 cup cauliflower rice	3 g
1 cup cooked spaghetti	41 g	1 cup spaghetti squash	8 g
1 wheat tortilla *	6.3 g	1 lettuce leaf	.5 g
1 cup cooked black beans	26 g	1 cup tofu	4 g
1 hamburger bun	21 g	2 portabella mushrooms	2 g

Note *: I purchase tortillas online from Mr. Tortilla which are 1 and 2 grams each.

#14: Get a few good tools

Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping soooo much easier. If you want to simplify meal prep and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.

There's no need to run out and buy everything all at once. Here are the five things I use almost everyday in my own kitchen.

• High quality set of knives.
• Immersion blender with a mini chopper and whisk attachments.
• Good non-stick skillet
• Heavy bottomed Dutch oven such a Le Creuset
• Baking sheet for roasting

Click on the above linked kitchen tools and equipment post for specifics, and more recommendations.

#15: Reimagine your pantry

A well-stocked pantry for vegetarian dishes makes it much easier for last-minute meals on busy weeknights.

I developed a list of essentials for the vegetarian pantry ranging from grains, protein boosts, flavor enhancers, fresh veggies, and more. Click on the link and use it to create your own shopping list.

Final Note

Shifting to a vegetarian diet is safe for most people, but it's important to discuss any major changes to your diet with your doctor. This is particularly true if you're concerned about meeting your nutritional needs.

Plant-based foods are nutrient rich, but it takes some research to make sure you get enough protein, vitamins and amino acids to allow you to thrive on a vegetarian diet.