h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Surely we need the protien and stuff that's found in meat? I've heard of vegetarians having to take supplements coz they're not getting some of the vital stuff that's in meat. Though I'm not denying that we need to eat more veg, but that's a healthy eating debate rather than a veggie debate.

Well, going veggie means readjusting your eating habits entirely - eating different stuff rather than just what you'd normally eat, hold the meat.

I only consciously went veggie after I realised I hadn't eaten meat for half a year (kind of the same reason as giving up my television, I never turned it on, but I digress) - there's a reason the cliché vegetarian spends a lot of time in health-food shops. A normal, processed western diet *without* the meat doesn't give you enough proteins and things, you need to eat more fresh veggies and whole grains to compensate.

Before I figured that out, I actually spent several months acutely depressed simply because my brain wasn't getting enough B vitamins - and since I use them up more quickly than normal people, I do take supplements once in a while when I feel the symptons kick in, but five eggs per week and eating more nuts and (low-fat, high protein) dairy products helps. That's why I wouldn't go vegan.

Fair point. One of those things you really have to think about and plan and be careful with.

I know of vegetarians who don't like salasd/vegeatbles and have been made fun of. And I know there are more things to eat than salad, but we all *need* veg of some sort.

That's the trouble - we generally need lots more veg than meat, so eating the parsely on the plate your steak came on won't cut it

I've had to force myself away from the student-y "fry something up and throw in some frozen peas if you remember" school of cooking - I now plan meals around whatever is on special at the greengrocer's Sure, I'd *like* to be able to live on just pasta with cheese, bread and jam, and chocolate, but sadly, it doesn't work that way.

Oh yeah! No matter how much you like something you get sick of it after a while. And it can't be that healthy.

I've even heard vegetarians complain when they go out or to someone else's house for a meal and the person cooking doesn't realise that there's more for them to eat and serves them a plate of steamed veg or something. Could be nice but with something else.

That's a great idea to go with the grocer's offers. Then you get the variety and you know you'll be getting enough.

Also cheaper - I can't use up a family-size pack of veggies before they go bad, and it would mean eating the same thing every day for a week - this way, I usually get two days' worth of fruit and veg for under 2€

As for the plate of steamed veggies - airlines are worst about this. When I flew to the US on our field trip, the others got a ham and cheese sandwich. I got bread with three slices of cucumber. They got a Mars bar and a bag of crisps - I got a granola bar and some limp melon slices. They assume you're some kind of fat-free, flavour-free health nut

In London many years ago Ken Livingstone (recent Mayor of London) was the leader of the Greater London Council.

He changed the staff canteen (which catered for many hundreds of people each day) to be vegetarian. However, being a clever politician he also changed it to Indian cuisine. The turnover increased dramatically and nobody moaned about the lack of meat but praised the high quality of the food.

If you are going to go veggie it's useful to find a vegetarian cuisine you like before you make a sudden change then you can maintain the balance of your diet.

In Harrow, whcih is quite close to where I live there is a vegetarian restaurant where the chef is a Buddhist Monk, so I am told, and their menu has pork, beef, fish, lamb and chicken on it but there is not a scrap of meat in the place. These are all substitute dishes (which is made clear on the menu).

I believe in China many years ago Buddhist cooks perfected these flavours and textures to make it easier for devout meat eaters to change their religion to Buddhism.

That's quite a good idea to change to Indian food or whatever. At least they have flavours and everything.

Can't believe that airline!! Sounds ridiculous!!

Sound advice, Vestboy. That's the trouble - if you take meat *out* of something that normally contains meat, it's going to taste "wrong" - find something that has no meat in it to begin with!

Though walnuts are usually a good substitute for bacon bits

Walnuts? I like walnuts. Must try them in something then.

Surely you can't just leave the meat out? Or I heared of a pizza place near me that made a pizza half veggie and half meat and they admitted to making a full meat pizza and taking the meat off one half. Sounds a bit dodgy to me.

I eat a lot of walnuts and sesame.

And that's dumb Pizza is one thing that's very easy to make with no meat - I usually make it to use up all the veggie scraps I have left.

yeah. That's what I thought. You just don't put meat on it.