re: Switching to vegetarian diet

good luck! And good on you for trying it out to see if it's something you want to stick with.

I'm not really one for following recipes, but I just bought Thug Kitchen's cookbook yesterday ... amazon had it on sale for $2.99, I suggest it if it's still on sale, if not check out their website. They are simple dishes with stuff you have around the house.
Honestly, google is your friend. If you have a craving for something, you can almost always find a veg friendly version online. Gumbo, jambalaya, tacos, chili, etc.

Don't believe the BS that you will be eating a salad every meal. You can make a badass salad though. If you find yourself craving stuff you had before (burgers, fried something), grocery stores have these frozen vegetarian friendly versions. Yes they are made of soy (not all of them), and no soy is not going to kill you - for those who are going to have something about it. Gardein has a good burger and beyond meat is another company to check out.

i eat a lot of meals with rice, beans, sautéed veggies. It doesn't really get old for me. Don't get caught up in eating the same thing all the time so you don't get bored with it.

Giving up meat is not that big of a deal, so don't let others give you a hard time for it. If it makes your body feel better, keep at it! It's worth the health benefits. If it doesn't work out, even doing it once or twice a week could make a big difference in the way you feel. Good luck


Thug Kitchen -cookbook
Oh She Glows- I've used many of her recipes before.
Veganomicon - popular veg cookbook