Vegetarian struggling!

Whammers2902

LOL you made me smile saying that living without cheese is too sad - you are so right! Thanks for the message

Cut your refined carbs in half - so if you're used to having 100g of pasta at dinner, have 50g. If you're still hungry, have double the sauce.

Eat lots of pulses and lentils. They're very filling and very good for you and, if you don't cook them in ghee and coconut milk, you can eat a big meal for under 300 calories.

Try
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/02/chana-masala/
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/06/and-then-i-moved-into-the-refrigerator/

Lastly, it's too, too sad to think of a life without cheese, so weigh it before you eat it and keep an eye on how much you're having.

Whammers2902

I can't thank you guys enough for the veggie recipe links! If there is one thing I can say about being a vegetarian it's that you need an imagination! It's too easy to fall into the samey food trap, my veggie staples being veggie stirfry, mushroom risotto, quorn chilli, veggie curry, goats cheese salad etc. It will be nice to try some new stuff, I'm all excited!

moreORless50

i am a vegetarian my diary is open feel free to take a peek , i use to eat ready prepared vege food but with the help of internet have found and tweeked a few recipes and started making my own things, been a vegetarian for 6 years now and i'm still learning

Pedal_Pusher

add in a little meat here and there.

fldiver97

bump

MemphisKitten

Do you eat beans? Those are a great low carb option. The carbs will be the death of you; I know this because I am a total carb addict as well as a vegetarian!! I haven't gone completely vegan yet, but do your best to keep your carbs lower if you want to lose weight. :flowerforyou:

DesireeLovesOrganic

Feel free to add me if you want, too! I am vegan, been at my goal for over 4 months so I do maintenance calories but my diary is open.

scriehl

I have been a vegetarian for over 8 months. I get many recipes through Pinterest. If you want you can check out my vegetarian recipe board. Some of the recipes are better than others. Add me if you want. I keep my diary open to friends.

http://pinterest.com/alkaloidqueen/vegetarian-recipes/

pocketmole

I've been a vegetarian for 15 years and I think I've learned how to eat pretty reasonably. My diary is open, but you can add me as a friend if you like. Last year I reduced my processed carb intake because diabetes runs in my family and I wanted to avoid that path for myself if possible. Now I eat a lot more whole grains and try to keep the "white" starches to a minimum. I'm definitely not perfect and I believe in indulging at times, but maybe you can get some inspiration at least.

I posted this for someone else recently, but I'll paste it here for you too. Various ideas for eating less starches as a vegetarian:

Stir fry dishes are actually quite delicious without rice and once you get used to the idea you don't really miss it.

Soups and stews are very filling and can be made a thousand different ways to curb whatever craving you might have. Even when I ate fewer carb I would toss in some potato, just not very much of it.

If you like casseroles and lasagnas try making something like a zucchini or eggplant parmesan where you layer up veggies in the dish instead of noodles.

Whenever you're in the mood for a sandwich, try just eating half of one but accompany it with some fresh veggies and hummus or a side of fresh fruit.

Try making a tofu scramble with loads of veggies and some melted cheese over the top. I eat this sort of thing with a couple of whole wheat or corn tortillas sometimes, but it's really tasty without it.

Scoop the seeds out of a zucchini or other squash and fill it with all kinds of tasty things. Look up "zucchini boats" on google image search and you'll be overwhelmed with ideas.

Make a pesto and toss some cooked seitan in it. Eat this with steamed veggies, over salad, in a whole grain wrap, or however else you want.

Try out spaghetti squash. There is a pretty big thread about it in the recipe forums right now: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/757783-my-favorite-spaghetti-squash-recipe-what-s-yours

Stuff peppers or tomatoes with protein of your choice, a mix of diced veggies, some seasonings, and broil with a bit of cheese.

Cook up some seitan with fresh green beans, chopped mushrooms, and slivered almonds.

It may sound a bit boring, but salads are pretty awesome and extremely versatile on a reduced carb diet. You can do a caprese salad, a taco salad, and asian salad, a salad with fruit and nuts, a salad with crumbled seasoned tofu, a salad with chickpeas or some other kind of beans... the list is pretty endless.

Chili! Low calorie, filling, easy to make, and crazy flavorful.

Shave a zucchini with a vegetable peeler and cook it in a small amount of oil or butter, then use it much how you'd use pasta. Top with some marinara and eat with a salad.

Unknown

I've been a vegetarian nearly my whole life.... I have the same food issues... i love carbs and starches!! Quinoa is my best friend since i started on my fitness pal I just add a buch of cooked veggies and add some spices to a cup of coooked Quinoa - it's great I am also a big fan of soup these days... especially since it's getting colder here. I have also been trying some different recipes for vegetarian stews - mainly a ton of vegetables with either some form of beans or Quinoa. I haven't been eating nearly as much bread as i used to either. Cheese is still a favortie though, i just try to keep the portion down. I've lost 17 pounds since August, it's slow but it's steady

Good luck!

lanesilas

I find meet substitutes pretty useful as well. Quorn for instance is low fat and low cal but a good source of protein.

Eggs and cheese are great though - In moderation of course!

dkterry12

. ..Hi I am a vegetarian too and just starting out.If you have access to a Whole Foods store I use the General Tsos chicken in everything. It is in there deli case .Its a little pricey but i freeze it and only use a little. I put it with broths add veg with a little soy sauce and sesame oil to make a soup add it to stire frys with lots of veg and a little rice buy single servings of rice it keeps you honest. I use Idahoan single serving mashed potatoes and use light bread you can have 3 slices for 140 cal. load up on the veg fillings. I am a cheese and carb addict too and i am doing fine with less buy lowfat cheese to save on cal .Hope that gives you some ideas.Good luck.