I used to think I wasn't much of a beef eater until I stopped eating it in 2008. I was wrong. From going to cookouts and running to a drive-thru before heading home, beef was just as pravalent in my diet as seafood.

Now that the U.S. is dealing with another mad cow crisis (by the way, mad cow is always going on-we just don't hear about it until many people get ill or die) in our meat production, I decided to talk about some delicious alternatives to eating beef.

These burgers don't taste like regular beef and aren't as tough but you will feel better about eating them. I promise if you start eating this way, you will acquire a taste for veggie burgers.

My introduction to veggie burgers was Boca. I hated them (and still do) because of the way they smell and their cardboard on a bun taste. I remember thinking, "See, this is why people don't eat this crap." I haven't had one since '09, so maybe the recipe has improved but the smell hasn't. Hubby still eats them.

Next, I moved on to Morningstar (which has more vegetarian than vegan products) and enjoyed their black bean patties until I became a vegan.

Then I started eating Annie's vegan patties-very good and they have several varieties.

Now, we enjoy my favorite homemade version.

Some tips:

*Don't give up if you try a brand or recipe that you don't like. I'm so glad that I didn't allow Boca to be my vision of what a veggie burger is.

*Don't be afraid to top your burger with condiments to get used to the texture and flavor.

*Baby steps are okay. I went from eating beef; to enjoying Morningstar's black bean burgers; to eating Annie's brand; to making my own right at home. You can do it!

Learn more about how factory farms typically operate in the U.S. here.

Have you tried any vegetarian or vegan burgers? What are your favorite brands/recipes? Let's talk about it in the comments.