junk food vegitarian
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hypersensitiveb
Posts: 342 Member
I think I would classify my self as one of those junk food vegetarians . Pizza , pasta, flavored rice , taco bell, subway, Chinese ect. I can't seem to switch over to a good veg. Diet. I think a lot of it is I just droped the meat dishes in my diet and kept the rest which was junk. My kids are so use to those kind of foods switching to the things I see on your lists they would freek out. Besides a lot of that is so expensive. Is any one else struggling with this too? I try to make a veggi stir fri it ends up like 40 for one meal its crazy!
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$40 for a stir fry? What the heck are you putting in there?0
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Broccoli ,different colored peppers, sugar snap peas , baby corn , carrots, onion, bamboo, veggi chicken strips, some kind of sauce. Plus rice.0
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I think I'm half and half, I used to eat more junk at a weekend but I've cut out the pizzas. Although not the ideal option but I don't have much money myself, I have a lot of frozen veg, well frozen everything which is pretty cheap but I'm in the uk. I have frozen sliced mushrooms, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped mixed peppers, savoy cabbage, broccolli, cauliflower. Basically if they freeze it I'll buy it, mainly as it makes portion control easier when it's just the two of us but it also helps if you want a variety of stuff.
I can't understand how all of that is $40 but maybe some things are more expensive for you over there.
I make the majority of my meals from scratch, but I usually have a Chinese take-away on a Saturday although I try and not go over too much. You are welcome to have a nose at my diary if you wish.0 -
My suggestion is to find some good cookbooks and literature on vegetarianism. I became a vegetarian at 14 years old, and I did not do my homework. So, I inevitably spent years eating a junk food diet (much like what you are talking about...although I would say I carb-loaded in place of losing meat and then ended up with a gluten allergy).
Once I found some great guidance (age 19), and cookbook ideas that I actually liked, I realized that I felt so much healthier. My diet was more balanced. I urge you to get on amazon and find some books that speak to you, only because you will likely end up feeling much better. And it IS expensive to eat healthy in this country. That is a problem, and it probably will not go away anytime soon. But it is more expensive to buy prepared healthy food than to stick with whole foods prepared at home. There are vegan and vegetarian groups on MFP that always post ideas on how to prepare tofu, and new recipes. Maybe start there...
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P.S. Just found this cool article/website, thought you may enjoy :happy:
http://www.thewholegang.org/2012/01/the-spectrum-of-vegetables/0 -
My suggestion is to find some good cookbooks and literature on vegetarianism.
My wife is a serious cookbook addict; she can't seem to own enough. One that she got for Christmas is "Vegan Comfort Food" (I think the author is Alice Simpson). It's a VERY basic vegan cookbook; you might want to check it out. It includes recipes for veggie mac n cheese, homemade veggie burgers, sandwiches, etc.0 -
My suggestion is to find some good cookbooks and literature on vegetarianism.
My wife is a serious cookbook addict; she can't seem to own enough. One that she got for Christmas is "Vegan Comfort Food" (I think the author is Alice Simpson). It's a VERY basic vegan cookbook; you might want to check it out. It includes recipes for veggie mac n cheese, homemade veggie burgers, sandwiches, etc.
This same author is coming out with a new book within the next couple months, called 'Low Cal Comfort Vegan.' I can't wait to see it.0 -
My suggestion is to find some good cookbooks and literature on vegetarianism.
My wife is a serious cookbook addict; she can't seem to own enough. One that she got for Christmas is "Vegan Comfort Food" (I think the author is Alice Simpson). It's a VERY basic vegan cookbook; you might want to check it out. It includes recipes for veggie mac n cheese, homemade veggie burgers, sandwiches, etc.
Another one that we've had GREAT results from (no matter which recipes we've tried so far) is "Vegan Slow Cooker." Want to set something up and have a healthy dinner ready when you get home? This is the book for you!0 -
Start simple. http://theveganstoner.com/
Then eventually you'll move away from processed stuff and start making it yourself from whole ingredients.
It's ok to be a little junky. At first.
It takes a little time to get to the point of being a complete do it yourselfer.
Reminds me of all the moments when I felt like I was finally a real vegan:
Cooked tofu, "now I'm a real vegan"... And I felt that way when I... started drinking soymilk, made cashew cheese, made kale chips, made mac n cheese, made decent cookies, started eating nutritional yeast, made miso soup, made seitan, made raw ice cream...
But it's taken me three years of veganism to get comfortable with whipping up a meal and knowing how to do it economically.
Beans and corn tortillas, used to be our staple. Cheap and vegan.
As a vegetarian you have a little more wiggle room with your ability to make meals appeal to a wider audience. Transitioning kids to a more vegetarian diet is hard all by itself. I don't know that I could do something like that.
My son was 4 when we became vegans and we've never made him switch, but he'll eat anything we eat.
Best of luck to you. Bottomline, start simple. Think of the meals that are "normal" that are already vegetarian, like spaghetti with tomato sauce and garlic bread. Then think of how you could make that healthier. Spaghetti squash, or whole wheat noodles.
That link I gave you is a good recipe site. Here, I'll also give you mine: http://ingredients-for-fabulousness.posterous.com/
That might help give you some ideas. Best of luck to you. :happy:0 -
I think I would classify my self as one of those junk food vegetarians . Pizza , pasta, flavored rice , taco bell, subway, Chinese ect. I can't seem to switch over to a good veg. Diet. I think a lot of it is I just droped the meat dishes in my diet and kept the rest which was junk. My kids are so use to those kind of foods switching to the things I see on your lists they would freek out. Besides a lot of that is so expensive. Is any one else struggling with this too? I try to make a veggi stir fri it ends up like 40 for one meal its crazy!
I felt the same way when I first became a vegetarian. My friends joked that I had become a 'carbitarian'...because I only ate pasta, pizza, fries, bread, etc. Yes, healthy food is expensive. Fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive....but per serving, they actually turn out to be cheaper than you think. Start with foods that you like. I started by adding yellow peppers to my diet. I love eating them as a snack. Then add a little more. Take it in baby steps. You'll get there eventually.
My grocery bill has actually gone DOWN since I've started eating clean (fresh foods).0 -
Kinda proud of my self I made a veggi version of beef strogonoff . Sure it had morning star stuff and noodles but it was some thing new that was not eating out and my husband loved it.0
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Kinda proud of my self I made a veggi version of beef strogonoff . Sure it had morning star stuff and noodles but it was some thing new that was not eating out and my husband loved it.
Good for you!
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You aren't alone, OP..I too am a veggie junk food addict. my relationship with food is hopeless..even after losing weight, I still yearn for carb-righ sugary/salty treats. It's a lot like giving up smoking ( which I did at the same time I started my weight loss journey). thankfully, the cigarettes have stayed away, but every now and again, i do splurge on 'junk ' veggie food.0
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I think I'm doing a little better on this but its still hard to find diet Vegetarian food that's filling.0
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Beans? Potatoes? Buckwheat pancakes?I think I'm doing a little better on this but its still hard to find diet Vegetarian food that's filling.0
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Very much so before, less so now, but still kinda am.0
