Reddit reviews The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet

Another vegan chiming in. I went vegetarian in 2006 (I think?) and vegan in 2013. I went meatless/animal-less for both the environment and animals, but the health perks aren't too bad. :)

There's so many sources!

• Seitan
  
• Tofu/tempeh
  
• Beans (pinto, navy, black, kidney, red, chickpeas...)
  
• LENTILS! This is a staple of mine. I have lentils almost every week. You can put them in soups, salads, stir fries, just by the spoon...And there is a variety as well. Perfect for working out.
  
• Grains like quinoa, millet, farro, rice, barley
  
• Nuts/seeds (almonds, hemp, CHIA, flax, sunflower)
  
• Nut butters
  
• Sprouts
  
• Eating a variety of plants
  
  Eating enough protein is something I actually don't worry about. I try to eat the rainbow (as silly as that sounds...) every day, and I don't find myself feeling weak or strained. Sometimes I am exhausted and wiped, but that is just me forgetting to eat when I get busy then not actually getting the correct vitamins. I feel extremely healthy, and my blood work from a few weeks came back with great results.
  
  I do strength train and work out regularly. I also LOVE hiking, and I can hike 20+ miles a day if needed, and my veganism hasn't caused setbacks. Some people use protein shakes, but I have not found it necessary.
  
  If this is something you are interested in, I REALLY recommend checking out Becoming Vegetarian by Vesanto Melina (RS MD). (There's also Becoming Vegan if you are curious)
  
  These books are absolutely amazing. They breakdown all the nutrients within each vegetable, protein source, fruit, and nuts/seeds in easy-to-read charts. They also discuss nutrition myths, delve into why you may be wanting to make changes, and offer various meal options for people who are trying to lose/gain weight or are athletes that are transitioning to a plant based diet. So fucking helpful. I still reference to my "Becoming Vegan" and "Becoming Raw," and I have been doing this for a bit!
  
  They are also evidence based, so all the research is cited with a glossary in the back.
  
  There's also /r/veganfitness that is supportive and has a FAQ if you are interested. Feel free to PM if you have any questions, too!
  
  Edit: Formatting

It's really not hard to go veg. A good introductory book on diet & cooking is a good way to get started.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Becoming-Vegetarian-Essential-Healthy/dp/1570671443/

It's an older book, but The New Becoming Vegetarian was very helpful to me when I was transitioning to vegetarianism. It's written by dieticians, and is very informative on the nutritional content of foods. There are a few recipes in the back, but due to the expensive nature of the ingredients (at least for my budget) I haven't had any opportunity to try them.

I found "Becoming Vegetarian" to be a great, comprehensive, thorough introduction and reference book for the diet. Highly recommended, and good on you for wanting to research.

http://www.amazon.ca/The-New-Becoming-Vegetarian-Essential/dp/1570671443

I recommend reading The New Becoming a Vegetarian and Eating Animals. The first one will get you up to speed on how to get what your body needs without meat, and the second one will help you learn how to talk about it when your family and friends give you shit. Good luck and congratulations!

'Becoming Vegetarian' - Melina & Davis

Found this to be a good book recommended to me here on reddit. Offers an unbiased look at our body's needs and how to fulfill them through a vegetarian diet.

Might I also recommend a different take on this, one that stems from balancing the many needs we have from our food - nutrition, convenience, social life, health/fitness and cost:

"Vegan Before 6" - Mark Bittman

This book pretty much sums up everything you need to know:
http://www.amazon.com/New-Becoming-Vegetarian-Essential-Healthy/dp/1570671443

Upvote for this based on the authors' other book
Becoming Vegetarian