Vegetarian dieting

sunshinestate

It is such a struggle losing weight as a vegetarian! In the past, when I dieted, I could eat loads of protein and stay full forever. It is so much harder without meat. I miss my turkey and chicken breasts!

Any tips?

m0dizzle

Vegetarian here!
Quinoa is full of protein! Also, for breakfast I like to make a smoothie with Silken Tofu in it to pack in protein. Legumes and beans are your best friend! Get some Lentils and chick peas- they go well with a lot of things.

sunshinestate

Thanks! Quinoa for breakfast? I never would have thought of that. I've been too scared to try tofu in smoothies. It just seems so weird. I guess you can't knock it until you try it.

m0dizzle

I was too, silken tofu is made for smoothies, its basically the consistancy of greek yogurt once blended. Throw some berries in and maybe almond milk and its delicious!

gingerb85

You do need to be careful of carbs and high fat dairy. Many vegetarian recipes will have one or the other - or both.

Beans and lentils are good for you, full of fiber and protein, and they are filling. If you chose a grain, go for a whole grain. Brown rice instead of white. Try other grains, too. Bulghur. Millet. Quinoa. Whole grain pastas instead of white.

I love hummus and veggies for a snack. I'll make a sandwich with whole grain sandwich rounds that are lower in calories and I'll fill it with a few spoons of hummus, baby spinach, thinly slice cucumber, grated carrot, thinly sliced red bell pepper, whatever is in the veggie bin that sounds good.

Stay away for processed foods as much as possible, including veggie burgers. You can make your own with beans and grains and control the calories and sodium that go into it.

Nutrient dense soups will fill you up without a huge calorie load.

whencynstops

I use vegan cookbooks but make them vegetarian. I have found cookbooks aimed at vegetarians rely heavily on cheese and high fat foods.

fuzzimama

I'm not vegetarian but I probably only eat meat/fish/poultry about two times a week total. On the days that I don't have meat/fish/poultry I am no more hungry than usual eating cereal +/- fruit/yoghurt/milk for breakfast. Usually a few prunes for morning tea. A sandwich, baked potato or similar for lunch, then an egg or bean based main with plenty of veges, and a piece of baking for supper and fruit for snacking between meals. I find eating slightly smaller meals and eating at least three snacks per day, plus hot drinks between meals works well to keep the hunger away.

rinalyn

I wouldn't actually say that it's harder. I lost 77 lbs when I went from vegetarian to vegan. I've kept most of that at bay (though part of it I have gained back due to a streak of laziness and working midnights). As long as you are giving your body what it needs, it will love you. Also, vegetables are much easier for the stomach to process than meat. What does your diet look like?

MrsODriscoll

I find that having porridge for breakfast really fills me up. Then for lunches and dinners I make a lot of pulse-heavy stews and curries, or have stir fried veggies with rice, or lots of filling veggie soups. If it's protein you want, then try smoked or flavoured tofu added to your meal, or veggie burgers or sausages.

tiggersstar

Most protein alternatives such as quorn are lower in fat than meat. i eat a lot of quorn in stir frys.


:flowerforyou:

bethberg12

I'm not vegetarian, but we keep Kosher. Meat is really $$$$, so we eat it about 1x/week. I get a lot of recipe ideas from the Eating Well magazine website b/c they do a ton of veggie options. Ditto to everyone that talked about lentils, beans, etc. I've done quinoa breakfast before over Passover, and it was okay. You have to like the flavor of quinoa and I just don't. Even doctored up w/milk and cinnamon, I still wasn't a fan.

fteale

Quorn light bites are a god send.

Also greek yoghurt.

fuzzimama

In respect to Quorn, as far as I know its not available in NZ, so my meals never contain processed meat substitutes and I am always over on my protein. It makes me laugh to think I was one of the people thinking "But what about your protein?" about a vegetarian diet before. I don't even think about making my protein target and it happens (although of course that is slightly different from having a protein focused diet).

m0dizzle

http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/category/recipes-3/vegetarian-recipes

There's some great ones here.

sunshinestate

I can't wait to check out the recipe site. In reading your posts, I think it may be the cheese and vegennaise is my downfall. That and sweets (although I have given up sweets since the holidays have passed).

A typical day might be a fried egg and coffee, a clementine for a snack, tuna made with vegenaisse on romaine with avocado, tomato, chickpeas and oil and vinegar for dressing for lunch, and for dinner whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce and fake meat and mushrooms...

Just typing that out, I think vegennaise and good fats might be my problem. Avocado is definitely good fat, but when I eat it, I usually eat the whole thing!

I've never heard of quorn. Will have to look for that!

fuzzimama

Avocado is definitely good fat, but when I eat it, I usually eat the whole thing!

Teehee, yes. My *new* portion size of avocado is 1/4 of one (but I could easily eat the whole thing!) Mmmm, we're in avocado season atm, so always have some on hand. Will be making avocado and cucumber sushi for dinner tonight (and lunch tomorrow - that's one benefit of MFP, leftovers LOL).

sunshinestate

Avocado is nature's butter. I could eat a whole avocado every day.

fuzzimama

I'm sure eating a whole avocado is absolutely fine if it works in with your calories. Back to your OP, are you sticking carefully to your calorie limit for a couple of weeks and seeing absolutely no change?

sweet_lotus

I can't wait to check out the recipe site. In reading your posts, I think it may be the cheese and vegennaise is my downfall. That and sweets (although I have given up sweets since the holidays have passed).

If you have a sweet tooth, eating a fruit as a "dessert" with every meal can help. The fiber will help fill you up and the fruit sugar will satisfy a craving. When I was losing, I had a little ritual of chopping up a raw fruit and vegetable with lunch and dinner and it really helped me feel full. I even bought cute little tapas plates to put them on to encourage myself!

People have some good ideas about vegetarian protein too. I agree with the person who said to eat whole grains to fill out a meal - they will had some protein and fill you up too. Greek yogurt and soy nuts are my protein go-tos - they make awesome snacks. Looking at your meal plan I would add a protein to your morning snack to help keep you feeling full.

jjsolgat

I dont want to sound like Im marketing but I know a friend who is vegan who is stoked for our new tropical berry shakeology. We have two other ones that contain weigh protein that works for me as a part of my diet, but I didnt know if you dont do weigh protein either?! My fitness pal also helps me out especially when you log a day and it says in 5 weeks you will weight this much

sunshinestate

To be honest, I just started counting calories. I wanted to just be able to eat healthy and work out and have my weight stay the same or at least go down a little - evidently it's not that easy. Despite my best efforts, I was gaining weight. Quitting smoking didn't help. Also, I used to teach, but now I have a desk job and I guess being sedentary means a LOT less calories.

fuzzimama

Oh good luck then If you've just started and you're sticking to your calories you should see a loss soon. I think how sedentary you are makes quite a difference, but if you're already eating healthily and exercising then hopefully a small adjustment will be all that you need.

littlelily613

Really? I've just lost 53 pounds in about 4 and a half months eating totally vegetarian. I have no problem getting my protein in. The days I do eat only a little protein until supper though, I am miserable and starving and ravenous by the evening. Obviously, the best thing to do is spread the protein out throughout the day. I make homemade spaghetti (very quick the way I make it), and through some kidney beans in. It might (?) sound like an odd combo, but they actually work really well together. I also fit lentils and mung beans along will a grain into many soups, stews, stirfries, etc that I make. I am not a huge fan of fake meats, but there are a few that I tolerate and eat on occasion. These are also great sources of protein. A half pita with four falafel balls is not that many calories, and that give you some protein from both the pita and the falafel. Oatmeal in the morning has protein, and I add a variety of seeds into mine for additional protein (hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seed, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds) with just a bit of honey to sweeten it.

littlelily613

FYI, whenever I eat an avocado, I ALWAYS eat the whole thing in one sitting (otherwise it turns brown and icky and I don't like adding sour lemon juice to it). It is perfectly fine to eat a whole avocado in one day (says my nutritionist).

GretaJane

Hello! I am a pescatarian but followed a vegan diet for 9 years very strictly. I know it can be easy to eat lots of carbs when you're vegan - especially when eating out!

Edamame (soy beans) are great snacks. If you can get them frozen in asian supermarkets/health food store you can steam/microwave them and add a bit of salt and eat them as a snack or add to a stir fry. Very healthy and lots of protein. Also, you may be able to find dried edamame that are kind of like eating peanuts, with less fat. Great on their own or on top of a salad or stir fry.

Smoothies are great snacks - with soy milk and or yoghurt, banana and you can add peanut butter for some extra protein. I agree that silken tofu is a great addition to smoothies - I used to drink them a lot when I was a teenager.

Tofu is great on its own - I like to fry the extra-firm in really thin strips with a bit of soy sauce.

I also love making bean salads, mexican beans and rice with guacamole, and indian chick pea curries, and I love snacking on falafel burgers, black bean burgers and any other soy burgers without the bun. I also have a particular weakness for almost blackened veggie dogs over a campfire..

I don't know if you eat fish (I think you said you ate tuna) but I now eat salmon and smoked salmon once or twice a week, and I also eat low-fat milk products like skim-milk, low-fat cheddar and low calorie yoghurts with all bran. My food diary is public if that helps.

Add me if you like!

Lesa_Sass

FYI, whenever I eat an avocado, I ALWAYS eat the whole thing in one sitting (otherwise it turns brown and icky and I don't like adding sour lemon juice to it). It is perfectly fine to eat a whole avocado in one day (says my nutritionist).

If you leave the pit in it, it will not turn brown or mushy. Same goes for guac, if you put the pits in the bowl, it will not turn brown. I love avacados and can eat a whole one as well, I just can not afford the fat and calories.

amyhollar

You do need to be careful of carbs and high fat dairy. Many vegetarian recipes will have one or the other - or both.

Beans and lentils are good for you, full of fiber and protein, and they are filling. If you chose a grain, go for a whole grain. Brown rice instead of white. Try other grains, too. Bulghur. Millet. Quinoa. Whole grain pastas instead of white.

I love hummus and veggies for a snack. I'll make a sandwich with whole grain sandwich rounds that are lower in calories and I'll fill it with a few spoons of hummus, baby spinach, thinly slice cucumber, grated carrot, thinly sliced red bell pepper, whatever is in the veggie bin that sounds good.

Stay away for processed foods as much as possible, including veggie burgers. You can make your own with beans and grains and control the calories and sodium that go into it.

Nutrient dense soups will fill you up without a huge calorie load.

Soups are my favorite way to stay full by eating primarily vegetables! they are so high volume and high water content. Always make your own so you don't have to worry about sodium!

crunchybubblez

Kale is loaded with tofu.

_Kate_P

I completely agree! Losing weight vegetarian is very very hard. Especially since veg diets tend to be higher in carbs and lower protein and carbs can make you hold on to water like no other (not always, thats just how it was for me!) I, after about 2 years of vegetarianism, decided to slowly start eating meat again. No red meat or pork though! Yuck!! I figured I was always lightest eating meat, heaviest when I wasn't. But, I completely understand if you don't want to eat it again! The idea of eating meat COMPLETELY grossed me out at first, but it got easier and I just don't think about it anymore. But, tempeh, tofu (Trader Joes sells awesome teriyaki tofu, pre-baked!), protein powders etc, are all still great sources of protein. Just try to lay off grains that are low in protein and high in carbs (bagels, most pastas, white bread, non-enriched cereals etc..) Good Luck!!

TheGoblinRoad

Kale is loaded with tofu.

A leafy green vegetable is loaded with a fermented soybean product?

Or did you mean you eat tofu stuffed in Kale? That sounds interesting.

sunshinestate

I think they meant kale is loaded with protein! LOL!

I actually DO eat meat, once in a blue moon. If it is organic, antibiotic free, free range, local (I know, it's crazy), then I will eat it. Oftentimes meat by those standards is out of my budget, so it is a once in while splurge, usually when my husband is dying to grill something fabulous that I will enjoy with the family.

I think that a vegetarian diet is really delicious and I feel great on it. I'm making a conscious decision to eat less cheese right now, and definitely cut back on those avocado. They are sooo freaking good!