How does one turn a house of four omnivores into a vegetarian family?

[ginnyinWI]

37. You don't have to eat rice and beans all the time.

That is outdated information--the idea that you have to combine certain foods to form complete proteins. If you have them within several days, it's still okay. Lots of plant based foods contain protein--even pasta and potatoes, and no, it isn't inferior protein to the kind found in animal foods--it's just as good or even better.

Sorry but milk isn't such a great food: dairy is related to hormone-influenced cancers like of the breast and prostate. All animal proteins attack the body in various ways over time, like slow poisons. And the animal fats are also not good for us. I know I sound like a radical, but I am convinced that our bodies were designed to consume primarily fruits, vegetables and grains, and everything else makes us sick eventually, if we eat too much of it.

The American diet is too high in fat, protein and sugar, and we have health epidemics of obesity, diabetes, etc. to show for it.

Recommended reading: The Starch Solution by John McDougall, Forks over Knives, and these guys (The Engine 2 guys) have a very tasty approach to plant-based eating with great recipes that will satisfy: http://www.amazon.com/Beef-Meat-Healthiest-Plant-Strong-ebook/dp/B00AG0VMTC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380425510&sr=8-2&keywords=engine+2+diet+cookbook Their recipes will appeal to kids who are used to standard American dishes.

There is an endless variety of recipes you can find in cookbooks and on the web. www.vegweb.com is a good one for starters. I don't have time to try all the good ones I see! Last night we had "beefsteak" fajitas made with whole wheat tortillas, portabella mushrooms cooked and cut into strips and seasoned so they tasted meaty like steak, with onion and bell pepper slices and shredded cabbage. We had brown rice to go with it, and some corn chowder made with frozen corn, a can of green chiles and non-dairy milk.

The funniest thing about becoming a vegan is how other people always think we are depriving ourselves. It's anything but a diet of deprivation-- it is delicious! You just learn to add other things when you take out the animal products. I will say, though, that there is a period of "withdrawal" when you go vegetarian--maybe 3-4 weeks, where you will miss the old foods. But that goes away and you really begin to enjoy the new way. I did it a little bit slower. I gave up red meat first, then about 10 years later gave up the chicken and dairy all at once. Still ate fish about every two weeks. But now, two years later, I'm even tapering off on that--just not enjoying it very much anymore.