Wanting to Eat Less -- and Eventually No -- Meat, But Don't Know Where to Start

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  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
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    Well, don't do what I did...when I first went vegetarian in 2011 I ate pasta with marinara sauce every night for weeks! I love my pasta (am having stirfry noodles tonight, in fact) but that was too much and too unbalanced!

    You didn't mention if you're cooking just for you or if you have a partner or family. For just me, I like to keep things relatively simple...things like a taco salad of romaine lettuce, refried beans, gardein beefless crumbles with a little water and taco seasonings, olives, red onions, salsa and avocado. I sometimes add some vegan sour cream. The same beans and "meat" can go inside a tortilla for a burrito.

    Personally, I don't do a lot of meals that consist of "protein, starch, and veg" all separate on the plate. You can certainly eat that way as a vegetarian, but I prefer things like soups, stews, casseroles, and foods that are more traditionally vegetarian like hummus, dals, curries, stir fries, that kind of thing.

    It's a vegan meal plan, not vegetarian, but plantbasedonabudget.com has a one week suggested meal plan available for 5 dollars, and the meals are very inexpensive. I also like budgetbytes, minimalist baker, connoisseurus veg, and other vegetarian/vegan blogs.

    Also, my diary is open! Feel free to look it over and message me if you have any questions.
  • flagrantavidity
    flagrantavidity Posts: 218 Member
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    Best thing I found to replace a burger patty was a large portobello mushroom sautéed in a homemade balsamic oil dressing and grilled, it has a umami flavor. My wife and I like going meatless a day out of the week and this is our go to for dinner. e0jsa07xeuno.jpeg
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  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    Just make everything that you normally like to eat, remove the meat part and use a substitute.

    hamburger patty becomes an Impossible Burger patty
    meat lasagna becomes veggie lasagna
    steak and potato becomes tempeh and potato
    chicken tacos becomes tofu chorizo
    beef stew becomes bean stew

    swap chicken and beef stock for vegetable stock, add beans instead of chicken to salad, eat cheese and hummus sandwiches instead of turkey...

    There are a lot of options, and a lot of vegetarian products on the market now that require very little prep or seasoning. Many restaurants offer a decent amount of vegetarian options or are willing to accommodate requests.

    Can you buy the Impossible Burger where you live? Where I am we only can get them from restaurants.

    Yep! Chicagoland Whole Foods. I think I've also seen it at Plum Market and Treasure Island Foods.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
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    A pity, i've only ever seen beyond burger in stores and have never seen impossible burger. Admittedly, I'm not much of a burger person, but still....it's always nice to have more options.
  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
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    Funny thing about the Beyond Burger. It's definitely the closest burger analog I've found, but it kind of annoyed me. It's expensive and it leaked grease all over my pan and stuck and I had to really wash my pan. With a Boca patty I can just microwave it for a minute on a plate. I think I've gotten spoiled since going veg*n.
  • AmyOutOfControl
    AmyOutOfControl Posts: 1,425 Member
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    Some of the best tips I can think of:
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
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    Do you have any veg restaurants near you? Maybe visit one a few times and try different things to see what you like. Tofu is super delicious when you press it and then bake or pan fry. To press cut the block in half lengthwise (so it’s not as thick), then wrap in towels and put something heavy on it. I usually use my cast iron. Leave it for up to an hour and you get super chewy yummy tofu that soaks up sauces and marinades really well.
  • peggym4640
    peggym4640 Posts: 156 Member
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    This is old school but there's a cookbook called Veganomicon. This is awesome for basics of cooking with whole plant based foods and some great recipes. Good luck.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    peggym4640 wrote: »
    This is old school but there's a cookbook called Veganomicon. This is awesome for basics of cooking with whole plant based foods and some great recipes. Good luck.

    Yes! Isa Chandra Moskowitz has many good ones including Veganomicon. So good!
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Cbean08 wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    Just make everything that you normally like to eat, remove the meat part and use a substitute.

    hamburger patty becomes an Impossible Burger patty
    meat lasagna becomes veggie lasagna
    steak and potato becomes tempeh and potato
    chicken tacos becomes tofu chorizo
    beef stew becomes bean stew

    swap chicken and beef stock for vegetable stock, add beans instead of chicken to salad, eat cheese and hummus sandwiches instead of turkey...

    There are a lot of options, and a lot of vegetarian products on the market now that require very little prep or seasoning. Many restaurants offer a decent amount of vegetarian options or are willing to accommodate requests.

    Can you buy the Impossible Burger where you live? Where I am we only can get them from restaurants.

    Yep! Chicagoland Whole Foods. I think I've also seen it at Plum Market and Treasure Island Foods.

    That's awesome! I hope Minneapolis gets it soon.
  • georgieamber2
    georgieamber2 Posts: 229 Member
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    vegan here:) try bolognese / chilli and replace the meat with diced mushrooms or soy mince ((both taste so delicious)) - I can send you my bolognese recipe if you'd like, just add me and message me:). Stirfrys are also a good option not needing any meat at all and still being delicious. Fajita seasoned mushrooms, peppers, onions and courgettes in wraps / lettuce cups with guacamole and salsa. Soups like leak and potato or carrot... stews loaded with veggies and served with pasta. Pasta and "meatballs" made with mushrooms or a creamy, garlic pasta with peas. Veggie ramen... all good things:) xxxxx ((feel free to message me for any of these recipes - tried and tested and all my favourites))

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