It has been said that it is easier to change one's religion than to change one's diet.
Giving up meat isn't easy.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to do it, you can't just stop eating meat all at once and expect to be able to stick to it.
Much like crash dieting, it just doesn't work.
Feeling like you're being deprived will not give you any incentive to make a permanent change.
You need to phase meat out gradually.
Go through all of your favorite recipes that you usually make.
Are any of them vegetarian already? Such as macaroni and cheese, or red beans and rice? Can any of them be made vegetarian - such as spaghetti with a chunky mushroom marinara sauce instead of meat sauce, or meatless chili? Think about the way you eat.
If you: A) Have meat at every single meal every single day of the week, use Week 1 to eliminate meat from just one meal every day - and it doesn't have to be the same meal each time.
For example, if you eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, a chicken salad sandwich for lunch, and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, make your lunch an ALTC sandwich: avocado, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar.
On whole grain bread.
You definitely want it to be filling.
There, you've replaced one meat dish with a vegetarian alternative.
Replace just breakfast the next day, and just dinner the following day.
Mix it up.
B) Have meat once or twice a day, every day, use Week 1 to eliminate meat from one whole day.
Plan one of your favorite vegetarian recipes for that day, or try a new vegetarian recipe that looks particularly good.
It could also be something as simple as ordering the Veggie-Lovers pizza instead of the Meat-Lovers pizza on Friday night, or replacing your breakfast sausage with a vegetarian variety.
Morningstar Farms makes a really tasty - and spicy - vegetarian breakfast sausage.
Their meatless sausage links are tasty, too! (and no one is paying me to say that - I really like them and in fact have a box of each in my freezer as I write this) C) Have meat regularly but not every day, use Week 1 to build on that.
Really dig into those vegetarian recipes you and your family like, and try a new one during this week.
The transition won't be as difficult for you as for those who eat meat every day.
Here is what the rest of the twelve-week plan will look like for Group A: Week 2: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal every other day for three days (such as M/W/F).
Week 3: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal every other day for four days (such as Su/Tu/Th/Sa).
Week 4: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal for five days (such as M-F).
Week 5: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal for six days (save your "meat treat" for a special day, like the weekend BBQ).
Week 6: Eliminate meat from two meals every day this week.
You're halfway there! Week 7: Eliminate meat entirely for one day only.
How about Wednesday? It's the middle of the week, you'll get through it.
Week 8: Eliminate meat entirely for two days (such as M/F).
Week 9: Eliminate meat entirely for three days (such as M/W/F).
Week 10: Eliminate meat entirely for four days (such as Su/Tu/Th/Sa).
Week 11: Eliminate meat entirely for five days (such as M-F).
Week 12: Eliminate meat entirely for six days (save that last "meat treat" for a special occasion).
Week 13: Congratulations, you have become a vegetarian! Now if Group A, who previously ate meat at every meal of every day, can do this in twelve weeks, think how much easier it will be for those members of Group B and Group C.
All you have to do is modify the weekly plan a bit - you might even be able to accomplish the change in less time, if you really want to.
If twelve weeks seems too fast for you, make it twenty-four weeks, giving each incremental change two full weeks to take hold before moving onto the next step.
Go at a pace that is comfortable for you and your family.
Use the transition time to explore all kinds of different vegetarian recipes, and don't be afraid to try something new.
Sample the soy- or wheat-based meat alternatives and find out which ones you like and which ones you don't (because, believe me, all are not created equal).
Check out the vegetarian menu at your favorite restaurants - most restaurants have several selections to choose from, and you might discover they are better than what you've been eating there all along.
Giving up meat isn't easy.
Whatever your reasons for wanting to do it, you can't just stop eating meat all at once and expect to be able to stick to it.
Much like crash dieting, it just doesn't work.
Feeling like you're being deprived will not give you any incentive to make a permanent change.
You need to phase meat out gradually.
Go through all of your favorite recipes that you usually make.
Are any of them vegetarian already? Such as macaroni and cheese, or red beans and rice? Can any of them be made vegetarian - such as spaghetti with a chunky mushroom marinara sauce instead of meat sauce, or meatless chili? Think about the way you eat.
If you: A) Have meat at every single meal every single day of the week, use Week 1 to eliminate meat from just one meal every day - and it doesn't have to be the same meal each time.
For example, if you eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, a chicken salad sandwich for lunch, and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, make your lunch an ALTC sandwich: avocado, lettuce, tomato, and cheddar.
On whole grain bread.
You definitely want it to be filling.
There, you've replaced one meat dish with a vegetarian alternative.
Replace just breakfast the next day, and just dinner the following day.
Mix it up.
B) Have meat once or twice a day, every day, use Week 1 to eliminate meat from one whole day.
Plan one of your favorite vegetarian recipes for that day, or try a new vegetarian recipe that looks particularly good.
It could also be something as simple as ordering the Veggie-Lovers pizza instead of the Meat-Lovers pizza on Friday night, or replacing your breakfast sausage with a vegetarian variety.
Morningstar Farms makes a really tasty - and spicy - vegetarian breakfast sausage.
Their meatless sausage links are tasty, too! (and no one is paying me to say that - I really like them and in fact have a box of each in my freezer as I write this) C) Have meat regularly but not every day, use Week 1 to build on that.
Really dig into those vegetarian recipes you and your family like, and try a new one during this week.
The transition won't be as difficult for you as for those who eat meat every day.
Here is what the rest of the twelve-week plan will look like for Group A: Week 2: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal every other day for three days (such as M/W/F).
Week 3: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal every other day for four days (such as Su/Tu/Th/Sa).
Week 4: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal for five days (such as M-F).
Week 5: Continue eliminating meat from one meal each day, and eliminate it from a second meal for six days (save your "meat treat" for a special day, like the weekend BBQ).
Week 6: Eliminate meat from two meals every day this week.
You're halfway there! Week 7: Eliminate meat entirely for one day only.
How about Wednesday? It's the middle of the week, you'll get through it.
Week 8: Eliminate meat entirely for two days (such as M/F).
Week 9: Eliminate meat entirely for three days (such as M/W/F).
Week 10: Eliminate meat entirely for four days (such as Su/Tu/Th/Sa).
Week 11: Eliminate meat entirely for five days (such as M-F).
Week 12: Eliminate meat entirely for six days (save that last "meat treat" for a special occasion).
Week 13: Congratulations, you have become a vegetarian! Now if Group A, who previously ate meat at every meal of every day, can do this in twelve weeks, think how much easier it will be for those members of Group B and Group C.
All you have to do is modify the weekly plan a bit - you might even be able to accomplish the change in less time, if you really want to.
If twelve weeks seems too fast for you, make it twenty-four weeks, giving each incremental change two full weeks to take hold before moving onto the next step.
Go at a pace that is comfortable for you and your family.
Use the transition time to explore all kinds of different vegetarian recipes, and don't be afraid to try something new.
Sample the soy- or wheat-based meat alternatives and find out which ones you like and which ones you don't (because, believe me, all are not created equal).
Check out the vegetarian menu at your favorite restaurants - most restaurants have several selections to choose from, and you might discover they are better than what you've been eating there all along.