Start slow and choose healthy alternatives! I was not a big meat eater and the hardest thing to give up was the chicken. If you are a lover of ALL meat, I would suggest maybe first transitioning to organic meat; the cost will increase but the level of unnatural chemicals and hormones will decrease. A way to offset the cost is to alternate days that you eat meat, instead of eating meat everyday, try buying enough for every other day and/or every other meal.
One of the hardest parts of not eating meat when I first started was finding something to replace the protein. I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning but I appreciate where I started and how far I've come. I felt like I was ALWAYS hungry and I overcompensated with carbs...potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta. All of which are fine in moderation but I ate them in excess because I was not "full". I wasn't replacing the meat protein with another form of protein and I was not getting enough nutrients because I wasn't eating enough vegetables. I was tired and I was gaining weight...both of these were not good!
After realizing how much weight I was gaining I knew that I needed to do something different. I started to eat more nutrient rich hearty vegetables and added whole grains to my meals. I have also started to incorporate other sources of protein...nuts, whole grains like quinoa and beans (black beans especially). There are also other alternatives like Tofu, veggie burgers and mock meat...they are usually made with soy. I personally don't like soy and I was blessed to find Field Roast Sausages at Whole Foods...no soy, no corn, and all natural.
Being intentional in the way you eat is a lot of work when you are no longer eating meat but the health benefits outweigh any sense of burden you may encounter!
