Hi!

Every little bit helps, so less meat is definitely better for you, the critters, and the planet... a lot of people start out that way, and then find themselves eating more and more veggie foods as they get the hang of a new way of cooking (and realize how scrumptious veggie food is!). Re: a balanced diet, just try to eat as varied a diet as you can, emphasizing whole real foods-- fill your grocery basket with fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, etc. and mix-and-match like crazy. If you shop for real food, and don't get into the rut of eating the same things the same ways all the time, it's easier than you think to get everything you need. I started out with the goal of trying one new 'weird' vegan food each shopping trip -- there's a lot of delicious things on the produce aisle (or bulk bins, or whatever) that most omnis never consider... I've learned that I love pomegranate seeds, leeks, quinoa, millet cakes, kale, butternut squash, nutritional yeast, and about a million other things I never thought to try before! Diversity and whole real foods (vs heavily processed/ chemically additived/ HFCS- and MSG- laden food derivatives) are the best and tastiest tools for ensuring you get a balanced diet... and they are fun tools to use, too!

If you are a Shelfari user, there's a post on the 'La Vida Vegetarian' discussion group called 'Brave New Food' that might be helpful, as you explore veggie cooking (http://www.shelfari.com/groups/59543/discussions/227068/Article-Brave-New-Food)... if you have any questions about new foods you'd like to try (tempeh, seitan, fennel, kale, etc), feel free to shout for help... most VW users love to talk about food, lol!

Anyway: welcome!