Vegetarian! Help!

There are a lot of really good Indian and pressure cooker recipes that fall into the vegetarian category! I looove the pressure cooker and it's apparently a healthier way of preparing food because the vitamins stay in.

vegetariantimes.com has a plethora of recipes that you can filter by dietary needs. i eat lots of salads with olive oil/balsamic dressing, fruit/green smoothies, raw/soaked nuts and roasted veggies. it's all about finding the healthier ways to add the flavors we're used to. things like lemon juice, fresh herbs, avocado and coconut oil are my go-to additions. good luck!

load up with veggies find new fun ways to cook them (stuff a mushroom, build an awesome salad). bake some sweet potatoes. use black beans and lentils as a base. I'm a vegetarian and I rarely eat pasta. It never occurs to me. I'm trying to think... I eat a lot of salad and baked potato and veggies and fruit, usually oatmeal or eggwhites for breakfast.

Your not alone...but it is alot easier than you think. The goal is to have a variety and color on your plate. I'm vegan and I use a 9" plate and I try to fill it with color, green, yellow, orange and brown...and reduce as much white as possible. A good book to review is Appetite for Reduction it's vegan but you can add whatever you like... Good luck on your journey!

Its amazing how many vegetarians don't eat enough VEGETABLES! If you make your diet mostly out of raw/cooked veg, fruit, beans/lentils and some tofu here and there, and watch your grain intake (eat only whole grains, no processed stuff) you'll see the weight fall off. Make a big pot of soup using all the veggies you want and some beans and you can eat off that all week. For recipes I like vegweb.com and allrecipies.com vegetarian section. It's way too easy to over-rely on all the processed premade crap out there. You're much better off cooking your own healthy food.

Good luck!

vegetables are your friend! Vegetarian or not, veggies and fruits should be the center of your meal with grains and protein to compliment. They are low calorie, high fiber and full of nutrients.

Hey. As a vegetarian that is allergic to soy I eat a large amount of beans and lentils (enough that every time I have to buy some my bf giggles). But try joining a group on here. I joined the happy herbivores >> http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores. People from here share lots of recipes on there. I also use vegetarian times. The no meat athlete also has some good snack recipes. GL

I've been vegetarian for over 20 years. I also teach nutrition as my profession. Try cutting out all or most processed foods, and incorporating more raw foods into your diet. If you look on You Tube there are a ton of raw food recipes and information about the raw food diet - some recipes require specialist equipment, but many do not, or can be adapted. The principles of a raw food diet are to eat wholesome, organic, vegan foods for a large part of your diet. It is quite difficult to over eat on fruit and vegetables, and when mixed with a sensible amount of cooked or raw wholegrains, nuts & seeds, and it is probably one of the healthiest diets you can adopt. I think the key to success is finding a bank of reliable recipes that you really like, otherwise, it will become too difficult to maintain. Also, check out johnbchiro on You Tube - He gives a great insight into what is in processed foods and can be very motivational in making you want to change your eating habits for good! Good luck with your weight loss and wedding!

Been a vegetarian for 16 years, I gained weight when I first started because I was eating so much pasta and cheese and not enough vegetables. Now I RARELY eat pasta (especially in the summer b/c it's too hot to boil water!). Some overall ideas that help me

1. Explore new foods - vegetarian diets are not limiting by any means! I've expanded my palate way more as a vegetarian

2. Do not mistake cheese for flavor. Incorporate more spices and herbs into your cooking for a more satisying flavor

3. Vegetables need not be drenched in oil to be delicious. I almost always use less oil than recommended for veggies - par boil some brussel sprouts, throw a small amount of oil in a pan to sear them and throw on a dash of salt - amazing! Steaming vegetables and adding a dash of something for flavor is also awesome

4. Along with #1 - TRY NEW GRAINS! Quinoa, farro, and bulgar wheat are all awesome

5. Try to eliminate a meat-starch-vegetable mentality for meals (especially dinner). Sometimes for dinner I'll have an eggwhite omlet stuffed with veggies and side salad. Or a mushroom stuffed with tofu and leeks, with a side vegetable and maybe some quinoa with sweet potato if I do want the standard "meat/starch/veggie" dinner - it's just my "meat" is mostly veggie!

6. Think about texture - sometimes when I have a craving I can realize it's more about wanting that texture than wanting that particular item (e.g., PopChips are a life saver for me when I want something crunchy and salty). So I'd say think about what texture you find satisfying and look for healthier alternatives with that texture.

Hope this is helpful even though I don't offer any concrete recipe ideas :-)

I got a lot of new veggie ideas by reading raw cookbooks. Things like making 'pasta' out of sliced zucchini and using big leafed vegetables instead of tortillas or bread.

I've cooked mostly vegetarian for 35 years and still learned a lot I'd never seen before.

Here are my two favorite vegetarian websites with recipes:

www.peasandthankyou.com

www.ohsheglows.com

www.ohsheglows.com is the best!!!! I am currently cooking my way thru her recipes