I grew up on a farm in Northern California, so there really wasn't the option for a "faceless" meat. I decided when I was 15 that I wanted to try to be vegetar

I grew up on a farm in Northern California, so there really wasn't the option for a "faceless" meat. I decided when I was 15 that I wanted to try to be vegetarian, I quit cold turkey and have been vegetarian or vegan ever since. I'm 40 now. My advice: - Learn to cook. You'll want to eat unprocessed foods that come from good sources. Don't worry about how much protein you're getting. There is no need to supplement with protein shakes or fake meats. Amino acids are plentiful in all whole foods except fruits. Nuts, peas, beans and whole grains are all rich with protein. If you're eating whole foods you shouldn't really have to worry about it. For example, why buy isolated whey protein when you could purchase ricotta (made from whey) or pea protein when you can have split pea soup. The whole food will be more nutritious and hell of lot cheaper to make. On that note, purchase an electric pressure cooker, an immersion blender and some basic cooking utensils if you don't already have them. - Learn how to ferment foods. A lot of grains, legumes and vegetables have mild amounts of phytotoxins that are removed during the fermentation process. Sourdough breads, yoghurt, kefir, kimchee, sauerkraut, etc. are all great sources of vitamins, minerals and umami flavors that are not in the "fresh" sources. - If you decide to be ovo-lacto vegetarian, find a good local farm for eggs or dairy (local for milk, not so necessarily local for cheese). You'll be saving a lot by not buying meat, so make sure you're purchasing ethically raised chicken eggs. Eggs are great foodstuff. Chickens are also easy to raise yourself if you want to feel closer to your food. - Don't evangelize. Over the years your reasons will change. Answer peoples questions when they ask (and they will), but don't push YOUR personal decision on others. - Have fun with it!