Vegetarian...What can I eat?

teresacc26

OK ! thanks U guys have been Very Helpful

WiegandS

I was a vegatarian from the age of 6-21 (I'm 23 now). I think beans and quinoa become your best friends. Also, plenty of fruits and vegetables, but if you want something filling most of your meals with have incorporate quinoa, avocado, tofu, tempeh, apple, bananas, and beans because they are so filling. It is very easy to become a carbatarian because you are always looking for something to fill you up and carbs provide a quick, easy and obvious solution. I never heard of things like quinoa up until fairly recently. i mostly had pasta with beans and veggies and I thought I was eating healthy. I stayed active while in middle school and high school. I was always somewhat overweight hovering around 5'3 and anywhere from 130-145 ( I have a small frame and short legs so I carry my weight a lot differently then others who were my weight). A large reason I could never lose weight was because of carbs and because I didn't know what to eat and that translated into college where I was no longer active and packed on an additional 40. Like I said, its very easy to eat crap.

I would google some vegetarian recipe's and find vegetarian blogs that will have recipes. i love skinny taste.com although, it isn't exclusively a vegetarian website. The best thing you do for yourself is to find foods that you love and that are filling. I personally love making tabouli with quinoa instead of cracked wheat, or quinoa pilaf. Quinoa is high in protein and so incredibly filling. Plus, the longer you cook it the fluffier and bigger the quinoa gets (so you can trick your brain into thinking it is eating more.) I also ate a lot of egg whites and avocado with salads as sort of a meat substitute because they are both filling.

I loved being a vegetarian, but I'm so severely anemic that I have to eat meat even though it grosses me out. I ate iron rich vegetables and took Rx iron pills, but nothing worked. My advise is to make sure you are getting enough iron.

Here are a few vegetarian recipes I like that maybe you will like too.

1. Quinoa Tabouli http://everything-tasty.blogspot.com/2010/10/quinoa-tabouli.html#more
2. Mac n Cheese Soup http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/skinny-macaroni-and-cheese-soup-with.html (substitute with veggie broth)
3. Morgan's Veggie Burger by Guy Fieri http://caloriecount.about.com/morgans-veggie-burger-modified-recipe-r183998
4. Protein Pancakes by Tone It Up http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Protein-Pancakes-Low-carb-low-fat-and-delicious-1973
5. Kale Salad & Three Bean Salad http://toneitup.com/blog.php?Karena-s-Kale-Salad-and-Three-Bean-Side-Dish-Recipes-5177

Enjoy Hopefully that will give you some ideas.

all4derby

I started eating less meat (I'm not completely off, but I don't eat much) about 6 months ago and this is what an average day in my diet looks like:

Breakfast: greek yogurt or cereal and some fruit
Snack: (one or 2 of these) string cheese, trail mix, fruit, yogurt
Lunch: Refried beans on a tortilla with cheese or soup or grilled cheese, or a salad, or veggie pho, or hummus and pita
Snack: Meal/protein bar
Dinner: sometimes just all sides like mashed potatoes, broccoli, and sauteed mushrooms, sometimes grilled tofu (I used to be a skeptic and now I love tofu), sometimes fish, grilled portobello mushroom caps

yubafarm

Consider joining some MFP vegetarian groups like Happy Herbivore and others. You will get more support there.

I've been vegetarian for over 25 years. It takes some careful planning and can be hard at first. I learned a lot by reading vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. Maybe try cooking one new healthy vegetarian dish per week. Try a new ingredient every week. Try a vegetarian restaurant every now and then for inspiration. Know that you don't have to completely eliminate foods from your diet now or even ever if you don't want to. So if you feel you need to eat some chicken or fish, go for it and don't beat yourself up over it. People will always judge from all directions whether you eat meat or not; do your own research, pay close attention to eating nutritious food, and follow your heart.

Some suggestions -

high protein grains such as quinoa, amaranth, spelt, millet, canahua. Of these, quinoa is easiest to find, the others are usually found in health food stores like Whole Foods. I eat a variety of these grains for breakfast almost every day.

any of the hundreds of varieties of beans. most people can count the varieties they know on one or two hands. I probably have over 20 varieties in my cupboard right now. Look for freash beans and peas in season they are a totally different animal - so yummy. Also, beans that are freshly dried (less than 3-6 months old) are way better than the typical stuff in the store that is years old. I grow 3 varieties of beans in my garden - fava, scarlet runner and cranberry. People who have never had fresh beans don't even recognize them. I make a lot of bean salads: beans, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, fresh herbs such as tarragon, cilantro, mint, etc. and anything else you care to add: whole grains, veggies, chopped lettuce.

tofu, tempeh, Quorn, seitan, and a huge variety of fake meats. However, read the labels. Fake meats can become a crutch if you're not careful and they are usually highly processed and high in sodium. Read up on the soy controversy and make your own decisions. I opt for non-extremism. I eat a lot of tempeh and Quorn for filling protein, a small amount of tofu, and try to limit fake meats and think of them as a not too unhealthy occasional snack.

I eat a lot of eggs from my own chickens, but if you are considering this diet for animal cruetly reasons, do some research and reach your own opinion. Same for dairy - I try to limit dairy but do eat nonfat yogurt and cottage cheese for now as it's helping me lose weight. would like to cut them out someday if I can.

Check out ingredients / supplements such as spirulina, chlorella, and nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is high in vitamin B12.

I find that if half my plate at lunch and dinner is vegetables then it is easier to stay in my calorie/fat/protein/carb targets.

Finally, consider supplementing your vitamin B12 at a minimum, possibly other supplements such as vitamin D and calcium. Good luck!

fayglet

I've been a vegetarian for over 16 years

People have been posting pictures and recipes on this page - good luck!!! Feel free to pm for advice.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/523632-what-do-your-meatless-meals-look-like-photo-thread?error_user_id=10546620&error_username=fayglet&page=13

poshcouture

I'm a vegetarian. May I recommend this:

* Stay away from too many of the processed soy products. Yes they're good! But not always good for you! High in fat, sodium and additives
* Try to eat clean - meaning focus on Non-GMO foods, organics. Fruits, veggies, lentils, nuts whole grains like sprouted breads, quinoa are your best bet. Eat fruits and vegetables in season.
* Quick and healthy lunch Amy's Kitchen (Low Sodium)
* If you're not planning on being a Vegan (no animal products at all) then eggs are your best protein.
* Almond milk and coconut milk are awesome!

Also, there's a website I visit quite a bit called A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss. She is TRULY inspirational and there are really good recipes on her site. Check it out!

poshcouture

Whoops, here's the link.

http://blackgirlsguidetoweightloss.com/

Jain

Quorn mince is great.x

One time the freezer got unplugged and two packages of quorn went rotten over the weekend. Smelled wonderful.

Anything left in an unpluged freezer would smell 'wonderful' after a few days. Try it with minced beef.

monty619

if you are not becoming a vegetarian for moral, social, economical reasons dont become one. in my opinion being a vegetarian or vegan strictly for weightloss puts you at a disadvantage. it may seem that you are eating "healthier" foods but the importance of animal meats for building muscle and macronutrient balance outweighs all of the pros of being vegetarian. most "unexperienced eaters" who know little about nutrition for getting lean will not eat enough protein or fats when on a vegetarian diet and that will slow down fat loss dramatically.