Going vegetarian in 2026

Windigo

Windigo

Kitchen Witch
Joined
29 Jul 2019
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We've ( me and my husband) made the decision to commit to becoming vegetarians in 2026.

With the current scientific research on climate & health, and my updated knowledge on animal welfare, going on the way we used to doesn't feel right.

But where does one start this journey ? I've been plant based more than ten years ago but feel like a beginner now.

What kind of resources helped you transition if you're vegetarian or vegan? And what are things we should prepare for? Advice welcome!
 
The good news is that it is easier now than it ever has been. I should add, in particular in the UK or Australia. Not sure about elsewhere. There are many more options for vegetarians mainly due to the growth of veganism. So many restaurants and supermarkets offer vegan options. Products like seitan, which was virtually impossible to find are now sold in my local supermarket.

But, you are in the Netherlands so I am not sure if the same is true there.

I would say, don't do it suddenly. Start with eating vegetarian, say three days a week to give you time to adjust.

Are you planning on cutting out fish and seafood too?
 
I should add that so far as I know SatNavSaysStraightOn is the only regularly contributing vegetarian on the forum (she is vegan with eggs). I am probably 75% vegetarian but do eat fish and shellfish. I do cook meat for others though. I've quite a lot of experience cooking vegan, which is far more challenging than vegetarian.

karadekoolaid is also someone here who eats and cooks a lot of vegetarian fod.
 
Morning Glory said:
The good news is that it is easier now than it ever has been. I should add, in particular in the UK or Australia. Not sure about elsewhere. There are many more options for vegetarians mainly due to the growth of veganism. So many restaurants and supermarkets offer vegan options. Products like seitan, which was virtually impossible to find are now sold in my local supermarket.

But, you are in the Netherlands so I am not sure if the same is true there.

I would say, don't do it suddenly. Start with eating vegetarian, say three days a week to give you time to adjust.

Are you planning on cutting out fish and seafood too?
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We're already eating vegetarian for 3 to 4 days a week, it's our intention to switch completely next year. Indeed we do intend to stop eating fish as well.

Seitan isn't sold in my local supermarket, but I do know where to get it and I also already have it at home anyway because it's tasty and useful. I prefer it to most store bought alternatives. It's definitely easier than it used to be, though in NL as with everything food related the international market is a little ahead of us.

I will still finish what is left in our 3 freezers though.
 
Windigo said:
We're already eating vegetarian for 3 to 4 days a week, it's our intention to switch completely next year. Indeed we do intend to stop eating fish as well.

Seitan isn't sold in my local supermarket, but I do know where to get it and I also already have it at home anyway because it's tasty and useful. I prefer it to most store bought alternatives. It's definitely easier than it used to be, though in NL as with everything food related the international market is a little ahead of us.

I will still finish what is left in our 3 freezers though.
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Ok I didn't realise you were already eating that way 3 or 4 days a week.
 
Windigo said:
We're already eating vegetarian for 3 to 4 days a week, it's our intention to switch completely next year. Indeed we do intend to stop eating fish as well.

Seitan isn't sold in my local supermarket, but I do know where to get it and I also already have it at home anyway because it's tasty and useful. I prefer it to most store bought alternatives. It's definitely easier than it used to be, though in NL as with everything food related the international market is a little ahead of us.
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But you got easy access to tempeh!
And I am not a vegetarian, neither do I want to be, but I happily swop a meat dish for tempeh
 
Windigo said:
I don't post everything I eat on here, usually post about 3 to 4 times a week so you can easily not notice.
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Yeah- everything you post always looks so delicious that I never consider whether or not its vegetarian. Its because you said you feel like a beginner I assumed you weren't cooking vegetarian often.

I think you probably already know how to cook vegetarian really well. Are there specific resources you are looking for?

In terms if what to be prepared for, a lot of people say bacon craving! But you might well get cravings for certain meat or fish dishes you loved.
 
Morning Glory said:
Yeah- everything you post always looks so delicious that I never consider whether or not its vegetarian. Its because you said you feel like a beginner I assumed you weren't cooking vegetarian often.

I think you probably already know how to cook vegetarian really well. Are there specific resources you are looking for?

In terms if what to be prepared for, a lot of people say bacon craving! But you might well get cravings for certain meat or fish dishes you loved.
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I feel like a beginner because right now I feel I eat a balanced menu of no meat days, fish & egg days switched by tofu or other vegetarian ingredient days.

But when going full vegetarian I need to replace those meat & fish days with equally nutritious foods that are well combined and I do not yet know how to do that well when also meeting my higher than average protein needs due to my excercise regime & GLP1 use.
 
I've been mostly vegetarian all my life. I'll eat fish and seafood, but it's uncommon. That's partly because my mum was a very fussy eater.
A couple of months ago, just before the Indian food festival, chef gave me a piece of sous-vide pork loin.
Incredible. Divine.
However, home cooking, which is 95% of the time, is mostly vegetables, with occasional bacon, ham,salami, etc.
I see no point in "going vegetarian: in 2026, especially when my palate has been exposed to some other proteins in the past 15 years!
 
Windigo said:
We've ( me and my husband) made the decision to commit to becoming vegetarians in 2026.

With the current scientific research on climate & health, and my updated knowledge on animal welfare, going on the way we used to doesn't feel right.

But where does one start this journey ? I've been plant based more than ten years ago but feel like a beginner now.

What kind of resources helped you transition if you're vegetarian or vegan? And what are things we should prepare for? Advice welcome!
Click to expand...
January tends to be the month for trying a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle for a month (i appreciate you're trying for permanent) so there are plenty of resources around to help out.

There first place to start, is to look at your diet now and establish what can really be changed or switched without a huge impact.

Most people turning vegetarian make the mistake of relying on dairy for flavour and protein. That's unhealthy as you know due to the saturated fats and quantities of it that can total during a single day.

Second step is to examine everything pre-made from sweets, to full meals. A lot of them have hidden animal ingredient such as gelatin. Unless it states vegetable gelatine, assume it is beef gelatine. Same with cheese, animal rennet features a lot in cheese unless it is specially marked suitable for vegetarians. Plant rennet comes from a fungus.

Other hidden animal products include beef dripping or tallow on frozen chips, meat based stock in seemingly vegetarian soups or stews for example. Another is wine. Fish swim bladders are often still used to clarify wine.

Your next step, is not to beat yourself up if you fail to spot a hidden ingredient. Take it as a lesson, and learn from it. Don't consider yourself "a failure" because of an industry that has had decades to hide animal ingredients in products. It's a learning exercise not an exam.

There are other things than help and assist, but I don't want to overwhelm you.

But you do need to sit down and work out how strict you are going to be and how you are going to deal with eating out or at family events.

I would also suggest you look into getting a couple of cookbooks/blogs/websites to aid the transition. I love reading cookbooks and I do find they help considerably. I used to use a monthly vegetarian magazine to help with ideas and learning about where the hidden traps are. The UK has a huge number of these (which ironically ship paper copies of these magazine from Germany) and they really do help in the beginning. There is also a mass of Asian/Indonesian vegan cookbooks nowadays where people had modified traditional recipes.


One tip i would say, is to try to find a tofu brand that you like, and also learn how to use tofu. It is a really valuable ingredient, but just like all produce, vegetarian or otherwise, there are good versions of it and bad versions of it.

Tempeh is another really great product. Very versatile and available in many different pulse bases nowadays, not just soy.

I know seiten has been suggested, but I'm not certain how suitable it is for you given your intestinal issues (coeliac) because it is solid wheat gluten. We personally avoid it, only having it very rarely when out, because we struggle with digesting it and we have no issues with gluten normally.


And there is always here you can post queries to. I'm more than happy to help, but I do also suggest you consider talking to your nutritionalist/dietitian as well. You need them on your side, helping you not trying to talk you out of it.
 
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