my intro

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to introduce myself. I go by the name Willow and I have been a

vegetarian for about 2 or 3 years now. For me the decision was more for my

health. Not that I am implying that meat eaters are unhealthy, but just that

the way meat is prepared is often very unhealthy. I just wanted to make a

positive change in my life. My two daughters are not vegetarian because my

oldest daughter (16 yrs) chose to be vegetarian for 2 years when I was not a

vegetarian and I allowed her the choice since she knew what it was like. My

youngest (7 yrs) is also not one because her father who has visitation with

her would never agree to keep her on this diet, and it is not worth the

fight for me. So I do this by myself. My biggest issue right now is that my

finances are very, very low right now and I tend to eat what is cheap, not

what is healthy. Not to mention that I also want to lose about 20-30 lbs. So

what I am hoping to gain from this group are advice on how to eat healthy,

preferably without having to buy too many of the vegetarian substitutions

(like Bocca) as they put a dent in my budget. I really like to eat as

natural as possible. Organic is not a big deal for me, as again, I can't

afford it. But I like the idea of eating from natural foods and not anything

processed. I would also like to find ways to blend my diet with that of my

childrens. Basically I want to be healthier, and any advice anyone has to

give me would be great.