Being vegetarian isn’t easy and it takes time and effort to prevent yourself from becoming a junk food vegetarian.  By this, I mean eating crappy snacks and things because it is harder to make a full meal or find something filling.  I was a junk food vegetarian for a while and managed to get about 40 pounds heavier than I wanted to be.  Stopping the constant junk food snacking is essential to keeping fit and healthy.

Cook More

If you already cook, then more power to you.  Making your own food is a great way to make sure you know what is in the food and know that it is healthy.  There are a ton of recipes on the web and you should buy a few good vegetarian cook books to keep on hand as well.  Watch for future posts on both websites and books you should know about.

Cook Easier

Yes, I know that we are all busier than ever and don’t have time to cook.  Find things that are simple to make, but still healthy and tasty.  My series on eating vegetarian without cooking is a good place to start.  Check back to find new additions to this series.  I am going to feature step by step instructions for simple things to make using just your microwave or toaster oven.

Another good resource for this is a post I found at AllRecipes.com.  The post lists 20 ingredients to keep in your pantry or fridge and then has 20 different recipes you can make from those basic ingredients.  Here is the link for the aptly titled Twenty for Twenty: Vegetarian Edition.

Eat Less

Yes, this is a tip.  We as a society have gotten into a bad habit of overeating.  You just don’t need that much food to survive and thrive.  Recent research has even shown that eating less can extend your life.  Most restaurant portions are huge and far more than one person should consume anyway.  When we eat out, my wife and I split dishes and usually are completely full eating 1/2 of a regular portion.

If you get takeout split it at home, or eat half and save the other half for lunch the next day.  This saves you calories and saves some money!  Right now in my fridge I’ve got a tupperware full of my left over spicy crispy tofu waiting for me for lunch tomorrow.

Do What Works For You

Don’t feel like you need to meet anyone’s standards or expectations except your own.  If you can’t quit completely eating meat set yourself a personal goal or time line.  Then do your best to stick with it.  If you can’t quit eating meat, find locally raised or organic humanely raised options.  I personally find vegan to be too hard to fit into my lifestyle, so I stop at vegetarian.  I also eat fish on a rare occasion.  This helps to mix things up and for me it works.  Again, I am answering only to myself.

Help Me Help You

If you have a great tip please make sure to post it in the comments.  Also, if you are having a specific problem trying to be vegetarian – let me know!  In my 17 years of being a vegetarian I’ve probably encountered the same problems you are and I can help.