Need vegetarian help!

Pandabug93

Hello, so I've been a Vegetarian for about 7 months now, but I can never eat healthy enough.

Basically, all I've been doing is taking the same unhealthy foods and subtracting the meat. It really isn't good, and I'm just useless at knowing how to eat healthy and figuring out what to buy at the grocery store.

Does anyone have a bunch, and I mean a bunch, of pointers and tips for me?

For salads, I like them but even those I never know how to make properly and I can't seem to find a low fat dressing that I like.

I'm trying to be healthier, I'm just not sure how to.

Thanks in advance (:

tappytaptap

1. Tofu is now your best friend
2. I think I tend to eat more carbs than "meat eaters" but i exercise a lot so i guess i work it off
3. have you tried a balsamic vinaigrette when it comes to salad dressings? I am SUPER picky with dressings but this one is a favourite of mine and is so simple
4. Add T.V.P. to recipes... it will make you feel fuller and replace meat in your diet easier (TVP = texturized vegetable protein)

hopefully this helps you a little....

TheMaidOfAstolat

Check out vegweb.com

Tons of recipes, also feel free to PM me or friend me. I'm a life long veg and was a vegan for several years.

You have to learn to balance your foods and nutrients out.

Meals take planning....you can't just randomly decide to have something often as you;ll be missing out on key nutrients.

Take a multi everyday!

vzepol

Also check out fatfreevegan.com some of my favorite recipes come from here.

shimmergal

Here are some ideas and tips -
1. Black Bean Tacos (TJ's corn tortilla 2pcs+ black beans + avacado paste + black beans + cut cucumber and tomatoes + light sour cream) - yummy
2. Tofu/Paneer wraps (Whole wheat Tortilla + Cheese + Lettuce + sliced cucumber and carrots + Tofu strips or indian paneer)
3. Potato, carrots and Peas curry - Heat 1tsp oil , add cut onions. Once cooked, add diced potoates, carrots and peas and saute a little bit. Add diced tomatoes and 2 tbsp curry powder, salt to taste, 2 cups of water and cook for 15 mins until potatoes are soft. If you want it spicy, add a jalapeno pepper or 1 tsp of chilli powder). Serve with rice or naan or tortilla.

To have more success as a vegetarian, you gotta to brush up your cooking skills and get creative. It helps a great deal if you try some dishes from indian cookbook (not indian restraunts which are loaded with cream/fat in vege dishes), asian recipes.

You can head to TJ's and get lot of vegetarian stuff from the frozen aisle.

Hope this helps

tammyquinnlmt

I don't do tofu, but I use portobello mushrooms and eggplant for that meaty feel. I also keep brown rice made in the fridge for a quick rice dish. My favorite is mexican brown rice. I just use brown rice, black beans, corn, cheese, and salsa. Its really yummy and satisfying. I also measure my portions on carbs and fats otherwise, I get carried away.

Bootzey

Surf the vegan blogs. There is great food/recipes out there. And experiential. I have been a vegetarian for over a decade and still managed to maintain all of this weight

sweet_lotus

Basically, all I've been doing is taking the same unhealthy foods and subtracting the meat. It really isn't good, and I'm just useless at knowing how to eat healthy and figuring out what to buy at the grocery store.

Does anyone have a bunch, and I mean a bunch, of pointers and tips for me?

Hey! I went through the same thing when I first became a vegetarian.

The first step for new vegetarians is to figure out how much protein you need. This isn't as scary as it sounds. Your body only uses a certain amount of protein every day and then filters the rest out through your kidneys. Unless you're weight training, lactating or ill, it's likely that you'll probably only need the minimal amount. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends that adult women eat at least 46g day, which is about 10% of calories on a 2000 calorie diet.

So, what I did at first was to familiarize myself with good sources of vegetarian protein and figure out how much they had per serving. Some examples: one cup of canned kidney beans has13g of protein, one cup of milk has 8g, 1/2 cup of peanuts has 12g. Even foods like vegetables and bread have small amounts of protein, so, you can see that it's not difficult to get enough. And a lot of plant protein has the added benefit of great nutritional elements: nuts and seeds have good (unsaturated) fat, and legumes have fiber, and both have a lot of vitamins and trace minerals.

By including a protein source with each meal and snack, you'll be fine. Some vegetarians find it helpful at first to replace meat with grocery store not-meat products, like morning star farms soy chicken cutlets or sausages. To be truthful, I never really liked them (except the tofu dogs but helped me transition until I was comfortable with cooking balanced vegetarian meals.

Some other tips: whether you're vegetarian or not, it's good to learn a bit about basic nutrition. Generally the fresh, unprocessed food is better but there are some good packaged time savers once you learn to read food labels. When I'm not eating meals I like to eat basics: fruit, nuts, whole grain cereals, sometimes dairy. Browse the forums and look for vegetarian people threads. Often people have their food diaries open and you can get some good ideas for healthy eating.

A lot websites mentioned above are awesome and great places to start.

Good luck to you!

Good luck to you!

That_Girl

Tofu is not your best friend. In moderation it is great, but too much soy messes with your hormones and can cause issues.

I've been a vegetarian for years. Then I ate meat for 3 years, felt like poop, and went back to vegetarianism about 7 weeks ago.

My daughters have been veggies since birth.

You can look at my food diary if you like. The key is getting creative with foods and ethnic foods.