Are you thinking of becoming a vegetarian and don't know where to start? Or perhaps you tried to go vegetarian and weren't successful. Here are some useful tips to help you on your way to becoming a vegetarian.

1. Do your research.
Search the internet and you'll find many sites with information relating to being vegetarian. Alternatively, visit a library or bookstore, there are many good books on the subject.

2. Highly recommended is a Lacto-Vegetarian diet.
A Lacto-Vegetarian diet is found in more peoples, over more climate regions, than any other vegetarian diet. A Lacto-Vegetarian diet only uses the 'products' of the animals, as we do at birth, not their bodies or potential bodies. This also excludes Eggs, a common baking ingredient.

3. Enrich your eating.
A diet rich in legumes, beans, fresh nuts and seeds, and dairy products are found to be the sustaining proteins in the lifestyles of many a nation's people. Much of Asia's diet is Lacto-Vegetarian, with the many international cuisines making their vegetarian diets a pure delight to eat.

4. See what vegetarian food is available locally.
Many supermarkets and food stores, especially the larger ones, stock an increasing range of vegetarian convenience foods, such as veggie burgers, sausages and other frozen or chilled foods that are suitable for vegetarians. Also any health food shop or natural food store will have a good selection. Many a small grocery has an Oriental section. Check the labels, but you'll find many good vegetarian products.

5. Do buy a vegetarian cook book.
There are literally hundreds to choose from. Recipe books are really cheap and readily available. There are many that specialize in quick and easy recipes, and many are aimed at beginners who are becoming vegetarian too. Some also specialize in different types of food, for example, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Mexican or Chinese.
HOT TIP! Buy a Recipe Book that will stay open on the kitchen counter!

6. Now that you have that new cookbook...
Try a vegetarian recipe - There are literally thousands of them out there, you can easily find them on the internet, from the many cookbooks available, or many cookery magazines will have vegetarian recipes.

7. Stock up on vegetarian food.
Try new things from the freezer and deli of your health food store; such as the many meatfree replacements out there. Use the meat replacements to fulfill the meat craving you're changing. Also, think about the vegetarian foods you already eat. Try to include more of these in your planning. For example: macaroni and cheese, vegetable lasagna, twice-baked potato with cheese, spaghetti with tomato sauce, vegetable soup!

8. Make a GRADUAL switchover plan!
Making a gradual change gives you time to plan while becoming a vegetarian. You'll be more likely to stick to your new diet and you'll have less disruption. However you need to make sure you don't start eating unhealthily as a quick way to replace meat, for example with lots of cheese, and high fat dairy foods. If you find yourself going for the sweets and breads to fill your cravings, well...

Have a burger!
But don't get something from your local "Hamburger Alley". Get a good restaurant burger. Take your time and eat SOME of it. Bring the rest home. You're body is going through changes too, and sometimes, it needs a little more time than your mental projection.

If you want to cut out meat gradually, first cut out the red meat and pork, then the turkey and chicken, finally the fish. Take 3 months to a year to become a vegetarian. You'll be glad you took the time to educate yourself.

9. Beware Hidden Animal Products

Check those labels when buying food. Of course depending on where you live, the labeling will be better in some places than others. Look for the "Suitable for Vegetarians" label.

Ask at restaurants what is in their "vegetable" recipes. Many places use stock in their rice, or fish sauces. Use a little caution and creative selectivity and you'll eat very well as a vegetarian.

There are many animal products used in everyday foods that make them unsuitable for vegetarians. The most common of these are:

Gelatin/gelatine - Protein from the bones, cartilage, tendons and bones of animals. Often found in desserts and yoghurts, but also some sweets and marshmallows. Substitute Agar or Arrowroot.

When you see any tempting chocolate desserts check the label, in many cases it contains gelatine! The same goes for many yogurts especially the low fat ones. Organic yogurts and other dairy produce is more likely to be vegetarian.

Rennet - This comes from the stomach lining of slaughtered newly born calves. It is used in the making of cheese. However more cheeses are being made vegetarian all the time, they should be labeled as suitable for vegetarians but aren't always.

Animal Fat - Most often found in cakes and biscuits. Substitute Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Cochineal (E120) - Red food coloring, found in some sweets, made from crushed insects.

Eggs - Not recommended for a vegetarian diet. If you bake, there are many Egg Replacers available.