becoming a vegetarian...

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supermom1114
supermom1114 Posts: 577
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so I've been thinking about becoming a vegetarian... at least I want to try to.. I love meat but I recently did a cleansing diet thing with my dad, yea i lost 6lbs and gained 4lbs right back after we came off it but w/e.. anyways the first four days are nothing but fruits and veggies and milk and I felt great! It was hard getting the veggies in though.. I love fruit! ... I'm not too crazy about milk but I do like my cheese and eggs so I don't want to go completely vegan but just, no meats....

so I said all that to ask if anyone had some recipes that are actually GOOD tasting for quick lunch meals for a mommy on the go. Dinners are going to be hard to because I cook for the whole family and only I'm wanting to go vegetarian so yea... suggestions?
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  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    so I've been thinking about becoming a vegetarian... at least I want to try to.. I love meat but I recently did a cleansing diet thing with my dad, yea i lost 6lbs and gained 4lbs right back after we came off it but w/e.. anyways the first four days are nothing but fruits and veggies and milk and I felt great! It was hard getting the veggies in though.. I love fruit! ... I'm not too crazy about milk but I do like my cheese and eggs so I don't want to go completely vegan but just, no meats....

    so I said all that to ask if anyone had some recipes that are actually GOOD tasting for quick lunch meals for a mommy on the go. Dinners are going to be hard to because I cook for the whole family and only I'm wanting to go vegetarian so yea... suggestions?

    I have been vegetarian for almost a year, ovo-lacto, which means I eat eggs and dairy. I don't think I could go totally vegan (although I admire those who can). My family is not vegetarian so I cook differently for myself. My kids are 17 and 21 so they are pretty self sufficient as far as food is concerned. I eat a lot of salads but I LOVE them. Lean Cuisine has some pizzas and a few non-meat meals as does Smart Ones. They are kind of high in sodium so I only eat 1-2 per week. I eat baked potatoes on days I know I am really going to work out. I even make chili without meat. There are a lot of options but they take a little time. Do some searching on the web (I am sure someone here has some good recipes). There is also a vegetarian link here on MFP that is helpful. but I can't find it right now.

    I just experiement and try to take regular meals and find a way to change them for me. Like I said, my family isn't vegetarian so it makes it a little more difficult. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'm glad I did it though.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    Remember that you MUST obtain protein and iron from a non-meat source. Eggs, tofu, TVP, and tempeh are all great sources. We have a thread going on about being vegetarian and vegan. I've been a vegetarian my entire life and was a vegan for 6 years. If you have any questions...message me. Also CourtneyTree, KidVicious28, Tofuheart, dclarsh, msarro, Alafia22, and naugestniak (obviously) are all veggies. Good luck!

    -Sarah
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    Remember that you MUST obtain protein and iron from a non-meat source. Eggs, tofu, TVP, and tempeh are all great sources. We have a thread going on about being vegetarian and vegan. I've been a vegetarian my entire life and was a vegan for 6 years. If you have any questions...message me. Also CourtneyTree, KidVicious28, Tofuheart, dclarsh, msarro, Alafia22, and naugestniak (obviously) are all veggies. Good luck!

    -Sarah

    Thanks Maid, I kind of do my own thing with this and don't have a lot of resources to give her because I am an experimenter. :laugh:

    Here's that thread I was talking about

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/52647-vegetarian-group-kick-off-week-1
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    Neither my parents or my brothers are vegetarian...I had it pretty rough growing up. I had to do everything myself. I learned to cook at the tender age of 10....it was either that or eat junk. Lots of experimenting while I was growing up. I still do because being a vegetarian in this changing world is opening more options for us. I didn't have tofu nearby until I was around 12 because I wasn't able to get my mom to take me to the local asian market. Now that I'm 24 I can do as I please. hehe.
  • dclarsh
    dclarsh Posts: 364
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    I've been a vegetarian for a year and a half now, and at first it was a little tough, because I also cooked for my whole family and my husband and son are still omnivores. My son was pretty easy because even though he's only eight, he'll eat just about anything, even tofu. My husband, however, was pretty stuck in his ways. We now cook seperately because it is easier considering our schedules and our different opinions on what good food really is :laugh:

    For lunches, I usually bring leftovers from the night before. It's easy because you just pack it up when you're cleaning the kitchen after dinner. When I don't have leftovers, I will often bring a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, kidney beans and cheese with a vinagrette dressing (I love Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar), or I'll bring some soup or chili with some All Bran crackers and string cheese.

    For dinner ideas, see if you can take some of your favorite recipes now and just convert them to vegetarian by substituting beans or tofu for the meat, or maybe you can just leave out the meat. I used to make nachos with chicken for them, refried beans for me. Or breaded pork chops for them, breaded tofu for me. Or mushroom stroganoff for me and beef stroganoff for them (just cook the meat in a seperate pan). If you plan ahead and aren't concerned about washing extra dishes, it can certainly be done. Another good one is veggies and dumplings, and then I would pick up a rotisserie chicken and toss some of that in for them.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
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    I hate it that there aren't more vegetarian options at restaurants. I don't eat out much but when my family wants to go out, it is hard for me. I took my daughter to a casino near here on her 21st birthday and we stopped to eat at Applebees. I told them I was vegetarian and she suggested a veggie burger. It tasted like it had freezer burn or something. Like they had to "find" it in the back of the freezer.
  • Kidvicious28
    Kidvicious28 Posts: 1,613 Member
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    Join the vegetarian thread on MFP. We would love to have you. We share recipes a lot so we could help you out there. I'm the only veggie in my family as well so I def know how you feel. Like I said, hop on the tread and we'll help ya out :happy:
  • Kidvicious28
    Kidvicious28 Posts: 1,613 Member
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    oh I know!! How awful. I really wish there were more vegetarian options for eating out. I have to annoy the server into giving me exactly what I want. I feel like I'm being picky, but honestly I have to be picky to be able to eat out!
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    I hate it that there aren't more vegetarian options at restaurants. I don't eat out much but when my family wants to go out, it is hard for me. I took my daughter to a casino near here on her 21st birthday and we stopped to eat at Applebees. I told them I was vegetarian and she suggested a veggie burger. It tasted like it had freezer burn or something. Like they had to "find" it in the back of the freezer.

    Most likely it did. I do eat fish (I just try not to think of what it is)...so at least I have that option when I go out. My hubby and child are both omnivores as well. Both will at least try what I make and if they don't want it my hubby will cook for himself and our daughter.
  • dclarsh
    dclarsh Posts: 364
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    I hate it that there aren't more vegetarian options at restaurants. I don't eat out much but when my family wants to go out, it is hard for me. I took my daughter to a casino near here on her 21st birthday and we stopped to eat at Applebees. I told them I was vegetarian and she suggested a veggie burger. It tasted like it had freezer burn or something. Like they had to "find" it in the back of the freezer.


    I call that place Baconbees... they put bacon in everything! We've only been there once in the past year and a half because they are so not veggie friendly. I think when we did go, I had tomato soup and a baked potato... and they had to take the baked potato back the first time because they put bacon on it :laugh:

    A lot of places, you just have to be a little creative. I have no problem asking for things to be specially prepared, or ordering off the sides menu.
  • leiba
    leiba Posts: 12
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    Hey! I've been a vegetarian on and off for about, geez... 10 yrs! (I'm getting old!). I have a ton of cookbooks w/ great recipes. One of my favorites is listed on Amazon now for about $3 bucks... It's Easy Dinners Vegetarian by Carrie Holcomb.
    Here's the web address to it:
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0760769567/ref=cm_cr_thx_view

    It is an AWESOME :happy: cookbook! We use it SO much. All the recipes are quick and there are so many new ideas! Like couscous patties w/ black bean salsa! Yumm!!!

    One of my favorite things to throw together is a Mexican lasagna or tamale pie. Same thing... different names. It's so easy and versatile.

    I use a square baking dish and preheat oven to about 425.
    Ingredients:

    -1 can beans (black, pinto or kidney)
    -1 can tomatoes- Mexican style ... either diced or stewed (stewed give a bit better flavor but are more of a pain b/c you have to cut them on the cutting board into smaller pieces)
    - low fat Mexican cheese
    -choice veggies... zucchini, spinach, onion, squash, green pepper
    -tall jar of salsa (we love black bn and corn salsa)
    -tbsp olive oil
    -tortilla's of choice.... flour, corn, multigrain, spinach, etc..
    -sour cream to serve
    -salt, cayenne, garlic powder, cilantro, cumin (omit cayenne if you don't like spice)

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    Sautee veggies in olive oil until desired tenderness on med-high heat. I prefer them to be still crisp and slightly browned/blackened on outside. If using spinach, saute the others and add spinach about 1 minute before end of sauteing.
    Spray baking dish w/ non stick spray. Coat bottom layer w/ small spread of salsa. Put one layer of tortilla shells on top, ripping in half if needed to make fit and cover entire dish as best as possible.
    Spread a layer of veggies, beans, cheese and salsa. Sprinkle lightly w/ a bit of all the spices listed.
    Put another layer of tortilla's followed by the same instructions as just before.
    After the second layer, sprinkle w/ more spices... going light on any (or omitting) if desired. Place another layer of tortillas. Spread remaining (if any) veggies, beans on top. Finish w/ layer of salsa and cheese.
    Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook for additional 10-15 minutes.


    Okay. I often just make this and play around with it. I hope my recipe is easy enough to understand. This dish is sooooo good!! Vegetarians and meat eaters alike, love it!
    Another awesome thing to add to it is some fake sausage. If you do that, I usually buy the log thing of fake sausage (fat free too I think), and saute it alone until nice and browned/crisp. Then add it into the layers.
    Good luck in your endeavor!
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    Learn to cook, thats my best advice. Also, be prepared because most restaurants figure that pasta covers vegetarians. You'd be amazed how many places simply have nothing except pasta without meat. It's kind of sad. Worst so far was TGI Fridays, where literally EVERYTHING has meat. Every freaking thing. I ordered their macaroni and cheese only to find out that it has bacon in the cheese. You can't get it without bacon, even though it doesn't list it on the menu.

    So I spoke with the owner, and he suggested, you guessed it, pasta. Woohoo.

    As for going veg, the biggest thing is protein (complete proteins, or at least all of the amino acids), and vitamin B.
    Take a vitamin supplement, it will help.

    Tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans and nuts, eggs, cheese, all are good sources of protein. I personally use a whey protein supplement to help ensure my protein levels are high, plus I take a small amount of creatine (1-2g every day or two) to make up for the amount I don't get from red meat. The creatine is not suggested for weight loss (it causes you to gain significant water weight) and may in fact be bad for you, so do your research.

    I've been a vegetarian for about 7 months now... it's taken some getting used to, but its not nearly so bad as you'd think. Also, be prepared to get bombarded with, "why don't you eat meat" on a daily basis. Its annoying as h-e-doublehockeysticks.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    Also, be prepared to get bombarded with, "why don't you eat meat" on a daily basis. Its annoying as h-e-doublehockeysticks.

    Yep...I got it all the time growing up. When I was in middle school all my friends would be eating burger and I'd be sitting there with my tofu wrap with diakon radish sticks, carrots, beans, and pineapple for dessert. All the teachers would ask me about it. I'd be made fun of because I wasn't 'normal'. By the time I was in highschool no one bothered any more. But people still look funny at me in a restaurant when I explain that I want no meat with my pasta or that I need to switch something out because I don't eat chicken or beef. Ha...I'm sure their cholesterol is through the roof and there blood pressure is probably pretty high as well. I try my best to eat clean and be a veggie at the same time. All you can do is try.
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
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    Here's a mushroom lasagna recipe that I've been dying to make from Ina Garten, but I'm too lazy to do it :grumble: Don't know how healthy it is, but there's no meat :happy:

    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/portobello-mushroom-lasagna-recipe/index.html
  • leiba
    leiba Posts: 12
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    Here are some good recipe websites:

    http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/home.asp
    This one has lots of healthy recipes, reviews and a vegetarian section.





    This one is created by a supper innovated healthy lovin' cook in San Francisco, CA. I LOVE her recipes... and almost all of them are vegetarian.

    http://www.101cookbooks.com/


    Also, recipezaar.com is great for searching by low fat or vegetarian or different types of foods... like African, Mediterranean, Cuban, etc... and by method... slow cooker, etc.. or by ingredient alone! I use it alot! You can save your favorite recipes you find and upload recipes.
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    i did the vegetarian thing for about a year a couple of years back. and i can not tell you how much hair i was losing on a daily basis, and i was always sleepy. i was eating protein, lots of peanut butter, lots of beans, lots of nuts, and from time to time..fish! so i was missing something else. when i went back on my meaty and veggie diet things went back to normal. so just be careful, and talk to a nutritionist maybe.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    i did the vegetarian thing for about a year a couple of years back. and i can not tell you how much hair i was losing on a daily basis, and i was always sleepy. i was eating protein, lots of peanut butter, lots of beans, lots of nuts, and from time to time..fish! so i was missing something else. when i went back on my meaty and veggie diet things went back to normal. so just be careful, and talk to a nutritionist maybe.

    You must have been depriving yourself of something. I haven't ever had any problems...in fact I just posted on the hair/weight thread and I have waist lenght hair that's exreamly thick.
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
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    i did the vegetarian thing for about a year a couple of years back. and i can not tell you how much hair i was losing on a daily basis, and i was always sleepy. i was eating protein, lots of peanut butter, lots of beans, lots of nuts, and from time to time..fish! so i was missing something else. when i went back on my meaty and veggie diet things went back to normal. so just be careful, and talk to a nutritionist maybe.

    You must have been depriving yourself of something. I haven't ever had any problems...in fact I just posted on the hair/weight thread and I have waist lenght hair that's exreamly thick.

    exactly, which is why i reccomend talking to a nutritionist.
  • Lotus42
    Lotus42 Posts: 13
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    Here are some good recipe websites:

    http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/home.asp
    This one has lots of healthy recipes, reviews and a vegetarian section.





    This one is created by a supper innovated healthy lovin' cook in San Francisco, CA. I LOVE her recipes... and almost all of them are vegetarian.

    http://www.101cookbooks.com/


    Also, recipezaar.com is great for searching by low fat or vegetarian or different types of foods... like African, Mediterranean, Cuban, etc... and by method... slow cooker, etc.. or by ingredient alone! I use it alot! You can save your favorite recipes you find and upload recipes.

    Awesome websites! THANK YOU!
  • leiba
    leiba Posts: 12
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    No problem! I love those sites. Especially that 101cookbooks. She is SO creative!!

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