How to Find Vegetarian Substitutes

Finding vegetarian substitutes is not nearly as difficult as it used to be just a few years ago. These days more and more people are turning to vegetarianism for reasons other than animal cruelty. Many people are trying vegetarian options as a heart healthy alternative to meat.

• Look in your local grocery store for a vegetarian section. More and more chain grocery stores are realizing there is a large market for these types of foods and are beginning to cater to the customer. You will find more than just the boring packages of tofu, there are lentil and legume based items as well as fake sausage, fake bacon, fake bologna, fake any kind of meat product you can think of. These are all meat free and usually much lower in cholesterol and fat because of it.


• Ask your friends and family to consider different restaurant choices when going out to eat with them. They may be tired of the same old, same old and completely willing to try a vegetarian friendly restaurant in lieu of greasy fast food. If a completely vegetarian restaurant is a little too outside their comfort zone, it is easy to compromise by going Mexican or Italian. Both of those cuisines offer a lot of natural vegetarian options.


• Purchase a vegetarian cookbook to get you started on making some meals at home. There are hundreds of books from which to choose, start with just one or two books so you don't get overwhelmed and give up. You can find gently used books online as an alternative to purchasing brand new, more expensive books in the stores.