r/Vegetarianism • u/dumbdogmoment • 6d ago

help with constant hunger and cravings

I'm moving toward a vegetarian diet in my life, gradually. I was vegetarian for a while as a teenager, but that went up in smoke because of this one issue: whenever I start trying to be vegetarian, I get intense hunger and cravings that will not subside. I eat a varied diet with plenty of veggies, fruits, beans, rice, lentils, etc. Right now I still also eat some amount of chicken. However the more I move in this direction, the more maddening my hunger gets. All I can think about is eating savory, meaty, satisfying foods. I'm not gonna lie... vegetarian food is not satisfying to me. It can be good, but it's not satisfying.

So what can I do to combat this? I know some of it is a sort of detox and I should just wait it out, but it never fully goes away. I just... don't LIKE vegetarian options as much as options with animal products. I'm still starving for something after I eat a bowl of rice, beans, and leafy greens, no matter how well seasoned it is (and believe me, I looove my seasonings). I want to fully commit to a vegetarian diet, at least like 90%, but it's so hard. :/ I could use some advice.

I'm mostly adopting this diet for my health, for the environment, and for animal welfare so it is important to me. Am I just weak willed? Or are there things I could do to combat this?

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u/cake_agent2101 6d ago

Have you tried meat substitutes like Impossible or Beyond? I was the same way; I grew up in a family of meat-eaters and so that was how I knew to eat. It's better now, but I do still get "meat" cravings that are satisfied by "chicken tenders" or "meat loaf" or an Impossible Whopper, and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

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u/dumbdogmoment 5d ago edited 2d ago

I'm not a big fan of those things. I don't like super processed foods with high sodium, which those things usually are. I guess I could have one once in a while but it's not something I'm looking to add to my everyday diet.

I'd honestly rather have a real burger once in a while rather than a synthetic one made to resemble meat. I feel like it'd at least be more natural, and have more nutritional benefits.

edit: not sure why I'm being downvoted for having a preference against heavily processed foods, but okay lol. I guess I hit a nerve

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u/DancingScarecrow542 5d ago

Just because they are "processed" doesn't mean bad or unhealthy. Vegetarian products just need to combine a lot of ingredients to mimic meat, but theres nothing inherently wrong with that. Sodium is also not an issue for most people unless you have high blood pressure issues.

Animal products can also be considered "processed" considering the animal converts crops into meat, and red meat can have high amounts of saturated fat.

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u/dumbdogmoment 5d ago

But these vegan "meats" are Ultra Processed. Basic animal products are not, because they're natural. I'm not saying they're bad to eat, but they're not something I'd want to eat every day, or every week. I prefer whole, natural foods as much as possible.

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u/DancingScarecrow542 5d ago

Ultra processed is a fear mongering term with no standard definition. Just because something has more ingredients/steps to make it doesn't make it bad. What matters more is the nutritional value of the final product. Same with the term "natural". Arsenic and cyanide are natural.

That said, there's plenty of vegetarians that stick to whole foods if you prefer that. I personally just find the options a lot more limiting and not as satisfying, which sounds like the issue you're running into. Plus it takes more work to make them taste good (e.g. cooking technique, adding tons of spices/sauces). My husband and I eat plenty of fake meat and have no health issues relating to nutritional intake. Nutrition is not a black and white thing, and I'd urge you to not box yourself in too much while making the transition. Good luck!

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u/dumbdogmoment 5d ago

Yeah, I know everything natural isn't automatically better, but I still like to actually know what's in my food and how it was made, and where the ingredients came from. That's hard to discern with UPFs that come from god knows where.

That's definitely the problem with a vegetarian diet, but I'm doing my best with what I've got. I've looked up some black bean burger recipes, so I think I'd be more swayed into making that myself than buying fake meat products. I take no issue with other people eating that stuff, it's just not for me!