Vegetarians and Pescatarians ect..... HELP!!!!

riccoismydog
riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
in Food and Nutrition
For all my vegetarians, vegans and the like. I am trying to eat less meat. I don't want to give up completely on meat, but I am trying to cut the chemicals and crap out of my food as I am getting ready for fertility treatments, and I want to have my body in the best state possible.
I actually would give up on eating meat all together, but I think my husband would divorce me. I broke my jaw a few months back and didn't eat any for months and the taste is kinda lost on me..... and, organic grass fed beef is really expensive and it still doesn't seem to be as pure as just eating some organic lentils. The problem is I have no idea what to cook. I would ideally like to have four meat free days a week, one fish day and two treat days where I would eat less meat than usual. Ideally low fat.

The thing is....I don't know what to cook or where to begin. I have a really good yellow pea soup recipe, and that lasts three days. Thats about it. I do want to maintain some level of protein in my diet too, as I lift weights.

I am open to trying anything as long as it tastes good, and I'm getting my protein in.

Any suggestions as far as types of food or dishes I could be cooking. I am a very adept cook, so thats not a problem.

Also feel free to look at my diary and tell me if I could be tweaking some stuff....yes I know there is still a lot of meat in there....help me to get rid of it!!!!

Replies

  • riccoismydog
    riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
    Ha ha I'm not going to get any responses from this....sigh. I'm just gonna do my own research. *shakes head*
  • clumsymofro
    clumsymofro Posts: 52 Member
    I'm not a vegetarian by any means but I'm like you where I've been trying to eat less meat, sticking to mostly lean cuts such as chicken breast, turkey, fish and seafood. I definitely recommend eating/making your own black bean/quinoa burgers. They are full of protein and filling fiber and are delicious to beat. You definitely need to add more beans to your diet because they are once again full of protein and fiber. Eat more nuts and whole grain and you can make some amazing asian dishes with rice noodles and any time of nuts. The nuts are fatty I know but they are the good fat and actually help reduce bad cholesterol, increase the good cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the body. Almond milk is amazing and it's actually really the only milk I drink anymore except for the occasional cream in my coffee :) I'm not sure I could ever be a full vegetarian, but I try my hardest to cut it out as much as possible. Feel free to add me as a friend :)
  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
    Why would your husband care? Can't you just stop eating meat but still cook it for him? (I'm assuming that what the issue would be?)

    Check out these sites for some menu ideas: www.ohsheglows.com, and www.happyherbivore.com.

    Are you on Pinterest? If you search it there will be tons of ideas too.
  • seamonkey789
    seamonkey789 Posts: 233
    I was vegan or vegetarian for 15 years and am now pescatarian.

    Things like, Greek yogurt, quinoa, cold mixed bean salads all help. you have to rinse the quinoa well before you eat it, but it's a complete protein. I make a quinoa bean salad with quinoa, black beans, kidney beans, chopped black olives and jalapenos with a little olive oil and a ton of cilantro. Its usually better after it's been left to marinate on itself.

    We eat things like tilapia , salmon, whiting, etc. We didn't like the flounder too much but since I just started eating fish recently and don't really remember how it tastes, we will usually try to bring a new one home every day.

    If you can find it and I've seen some of it at target, quorn is a decent meat substitute. It comes in strips, burgers, and a "turkey" loaf. We usually inject the loaf with some sort of seasoning, bake it, then throw it in stir fry
  • riccoismydog
    riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
    Thanks guys I'm gonna check out those websites and I sent some friend requests.

    As for my husband. I cook, he eats. Those are the terms of our marriage. I am trying to force some lifestyle changes down his throat actually. He could use a little less meat in his life. But if I took it all away, I think he would run away with dairy maid....

    If it tastes good. He won't complain. He's easy that way.

    I'm gonna try the burgers....Looking for a recipe right now.

    :D
  • skinnierjeans
    skinnierjeans Posts: 21 Member
    So I'm a pescetarian who only eats some types of fish, but I don't find myself eating fish all too often.
    I love getting my protein in different meat substitutes like quinoa, seitan, tofu, and others that I can't name off the top of my head. I also eat raw food a lot too. Since you said you don't like the texture of meat, try quinoa. It's a seed that is really versatile in a lot of dishes. Check out http://vegetarian.about.com It's really helpful to find last minute meal ideas or to find nice tips as well.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    This is an amazing website http://naturallyella.com/.
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
    Oh and if you want type, Indian food and Japanese food both lend themselves very easily to being Pescatarian.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
    My favorite website
    Http://Blog.fatfreevegan.com

    Lots of recipes for inspiration
  • tad10301030
    tad10301030 Posts: 20 Member
    bumping because there are some great links. thanks for the ideas!
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    theppk.com is a great site. It's vegan, but there are some wonderful recipes!

    There's vegetariantimes.com...

    Seitan is a great protein source, as is tofu if you're so inclined. Quinoa is great because it stands up on its own but can also be mixed into things.

    I love old standbys like "Laurel's Kitchen" and "Moosewood" for cookbooks in addition to newer things like "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." The latter has a nice phone app if you have a smart phone or tablet, too. :)
  • mjswalters
    mjswalters Posts: 38 Member
    I am a vegetarian and the rest of my family (3 boys and husband) all eat meat. I just, generally, cook like I used to and just eat the veggies.

    The boys don't tend to miss the meat when I do cook stuff without it. My husband doesn't mind so long as it is yummy. Last week, I made a cheesy vegetable soup and lasagna roll-ups that were both yummy. Pinterest is a great source of meat free recipes.
  • riccoismydog
    riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
    Awesome. Thanks for the links ladies. I have some new recipes, and I'm off to the grocery store :)
  • Toothsome
    Toothsome Posts: 5
    I'm pescatarian as well. One of my absolute favourite meals is Cajun style pan fried Atlantic salmon with wilted bok choi, a small steamed potato and light sour cream. Beautiful!
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    This site seems really good.

    http://www.vegiehead.com/recipes.html


    I tend to not mind plainer foods so I tend to have a lot of poached,smoked, boiled and baked fish, mostly salmon, tuna steak and cod. You can easily add herbs and lemon and such things to them or make a sauce of some kind, served with baked sweet potato and vegetables.

    Baked sweet potatoes with cottage cheese are great.

    Halve red peppers and stuff them with rice, sultanas, peas, or just a combo of cheese and veggies.

    Quinoa is brilliant, you can even make a porridge with it, recipes for that are online if you look.

    Omelettes are simple to make and you can throw in allsorts, such as cheese, smoked salmon, mushrooms, tomatoes etc.

    I also sometimes buy nut cutlets/burgers, and organic vegetarian frozen items such as vegetarian kievs for when I don't fancy the rest.

    You can make veggie pizza using pitta breads and putting your own toppings on.

    Make a fish stew with lots of veggies and seafoods and some herbs and garlic tossed in.
  • Toothsome
    Toothsome Posts: 5
    Here's another one: poached whole snapper with ginger, shallot and tamari dressing. Get the fish cleaned and scaled when you buy it. Make some diagonal cuts in the flesh at the thickest part to ensure even cooking. Grate a knob of ginger into a deep and large stovetop pan (or fish poacher if you have one) about 2/3 full of lightly salted water, then bring it to the boil. Turn down to simmer then add the fish. The cooking time will depend on the fish size. I usually go for a fish around 1.5kg so there are leftovers. This takes about 10-12 minutes per side to cook. Turning it can be tricky - be careful you don't get splashed. Check it's done all the way through before lifting it out onto a serving plate. Cover the fish with a layer of ginger cut into matchsticks, then another layer of sliced green shallots. Drizzle with tamari sauce then cover with foil and keep it warm. Now heat about 1/3 cup peanut oil with a tablespoon of sesame oil in a small milk saucepan on the stovetop. Watch closely, and when it's almost smoking take the foil off the fish and drizzle the oil over the whole fish. There will be lots of snap crackle and pop at this point. Don't skip this step - it blends all the flavours together beautifully and adds drama if you have guests you want to impress. You may wish to serve this with extra tamari, basmati rice, steamed bok choi and lemon to squeeze.

    I know it seems like a lot of work but it's SO good!
  • LilacDaffodil
    LilacDaffodil Posts: 148 Member
    this is an excellent site http://www.recipes.vegsoc.org

    good luck!
  • BR3ANDA
    BR3ANDA Posts: 622 Member
    I try to limit my meat but, I do eat eggs, lots of protein there, a spinach quiche is always a good recipe full of protein. Also, quinoa, its a grain, similar in look to couscous, very healthy for you and has lots of protein as well, and it only takes about 15 minutes to cook, throw in some beans and veggies and that a very filling healthy meal. Shrimp is a good protein source instead on fish and a quick shrimp gumbo is very easy to throw together, all you need is some canned tomatoes, some okra, onions, celery, shrimp and Cajun spices, serve over brown rice.
  • marlopaterson
    marlopaterson Posts: 53
    The Eat Clean Vegetarian cookbook is awesome. I've been a vegetarian for almost a year and I am so happy. I feel "cleaner," I don't get sluggish in the afternoons anymore and sleep like a baby at night. Quinoa, lentils, beans, eggs, and tofu are staples in our house. If you feel like you're needing something to act as a meat replacement, Quorn and Gardein make great products. I'll put links here for a few of my favorite recipes that I've blogged about. I don't have much time to blog, but make time for my favorite staple vegetarian dishes. Best of luck to you! You won't regret it.

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/08/12/quinoa-zucchini-lasagna/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/07/29/tofu-gyros-with-tzatziki/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/07/16/quinoa-cakes-with-fontina-and-scallions/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/05/21/breakfast-tacos/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/02/23/quinoa-and-corn-salad/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2011/11/18/penne-with-mushrooms-tomatoes-and-spinach/

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  • dinoskycm
    dinoskycm Posts: 267
    You should eat edamame! They are great with sea salt and full of protein. PictSweet has an Edamame with Sea Salt Steamer that's really good! I'm the type of person who actually doesn't have much time for cooking elaborate meals, so i opt for a lot of frozen veggie steamers and frozen veggie burgers. There's one of them that has 20 grams of protein in it, and thats great if you want to grill out or have a burger night. They're easy! Tofu is really good too! I'll make a stir-fry dish and cut up pieces of tofu to add to the mix with a little soy sauce. You can find different recipes online for seasoning and flavor! Also, Bush's beans has a Vegetarian recipe so the beans aren't flavored with meat, but they taste great! I also eat Luna bars for a healthy snack! They have protein and supplements essential for women, and they taste great! I like the Lemon Zest and Chocolate Coconut. Add me!! I'm a vegetarian and am always looking for new ideas so we can trade recipes or knowledge about new products!!
  • Celliott411
    Celliott411 Posts: 49 Member
    Hi! If you're going to cut down on meat, I would definitely recommend trying to cut out as much red meat as possible and maybe do some replacements with seitan. If you cook it up in a bit of olive oil, it is delicious! I make philly cheese "steaks" with it and add it to soups and stir fries. As for recipes, you can make just about anything you normally would with meat, just...without it. Here are a few of my favorites:

    -Vegetable coconut curry
    -Lentil and roasted red pepper soup over quinoa
    (Really any sort of vegetable soup over brown rice or quinoa. Try pacific brand organic soups. SO good)
    -Vegetarian stir fried rice with seitan (there are healthy recipes out there)
    -Fettuccine alfredo made with rice or tofu noodles. For meat, I usually add a Quorn "chicken" patty
    -Breakfast tacos with goat cheese, eggs, and pinto beans. Sometimes I add tofu or seitan to this too
    -Broccoli cheese casserole (got this from a "So Now You're a Vegetarian" cookbook which is made for college vegetarians who don't have a lot of time or money and don't know too much about cooking with "weird" vegetarian ingredients)
    -Grilled seitan, onions and peppers, with a bit of worcestershire sauce, on a piece of bread. Melted provolone on top. MMM
    -Tofurkey melts. I like tofurkey. The smoked flavor is good. Maybe I just don't know what meat tastes like anymore, but it tastes like meat to me. Same with Yves tofu hot dogs.
    -Vegetable lasagna
    -Homemade pizza! I make mine with vegan cheese.

    There are so many good and easy cookbooks out there! Vegetarianism is awesome! Good luck
  • BSBgirl337
    BSBgirl337 Posts: 119 Member
    I have been a vegetarian since I was 11, and wouldn't go any other way. Morningstar Farms chicken products are great. My husband will eat them, too, and they taste similar to real chicken. There is also bagged ones you can buy to add to meals rather than a patty, etc.

    Quorn makes the absolute best chicken! It is a little pricey, but sooooo good!

    And Boca Burgers vegan burgers are my favorite veggie burger, but no one in the world will tell you they taste like a real burger :) Only 70 calories though!
  • CupcakeHarpy
    CupcakeHarpy Posts: 100 Member
    I try to not eat meat either, but I definitely eat it occasionally. Check out recipes online for these things. Some things I like to cook are:

    japanese
    miso soup
    avocado and cucumber sushi
    ramen soup with veggies

    chinese
    congee with sweet potato, silken tofu, and soy sauce for sprinkling (and sometimes a scrambled or hard boiled egg)
    rice and stir fried veggies
    home made veg fried rice
    fried tofu dipped in spicy soy sauce (slice silken or soft tofu, coat in cornstarch, fry til crispy... dipping sauce - slice jalepeno pepper into a bowl, cover in soy sauce)

    indian
    vegetable curry (so easy to make) with naan bread (not so easy :( just buy some)

    american
    someone mentioned morningstar chicken products.. the chicken patties are good. I can hardly tell they aren't meat. I put them in a kaiser roll with veganaise and spinach leaves. nom nom.
    homemade pizza and french fries

    other
    quesodillas made with cheese, roasted vegetables (i like potatoes, broccoli, onions, etc.) top with salsa and guacamole

    for breakfasts, i like:

    whole grain toast with pb and honey and bananas
    a waffle with strawberries and blueberries with maple syrup
    whole wheat bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon

    I hope at least one of those was helpful. Message me if you would like details on how I make any of these.

    EDIT:
    I didn't realize that you said low fat... most of these are low fat. and the fat that are in them are decent fats. I like to get fats from dairy, olive oil, and coconut oil (and nuts).
  • CupcakeHarpy
    CupcakeHarpy Posts: 100 Member
    I have been a vegetarian since I was 11, and wouldn't go any other way. Morningstar Farms chicken products are great. My husband will eat them, too, and they taste similar to real chicken. There is also bagged ones you can buy to add to meals rather than a patty, etc.

    Quorn makes the absolute best chicken! It is a little pricey, but sooooo good!

    And Boca Burgers vegan burgers are my favorite veggie burger, but no one in the world will tell you they taste like a real burger :) Only 70 calories though!

    I've been a meat eater all my life and tried a bunch of veggie burgers to test them out. Boca was pretty good. I just needed to put on a lot of toppings to fool my taste buds a bit :) But I would definitely eat them again. Also, a lot of people marinate portobella mushrooms and grill them just like a burger. Then just put toppings on like usual. Never tried it, but it's on my to-do list.
  • Leanz
    Leanz Posts: 2,025 Member
    So many good links - saving for later
  • cheshirequeen
    cheshirequeen Posts: 1,324 Member
    vegan for almost 8 years. feel free to look at my diary for any suggestions.
  • KahuNZ
    KahuNZ Posts: 401 Member
    Been a vege since my early 20's (51yrs now) - never worried about protein etc - just eat some fruit and vege, beans along the way.
    PS started eating some fish when I was about 35ys but its only when I go out and its cooked for me. I do have dairy - cheese, eggs and milk.
    My partner is happy to get his meals cooked! He doesn't worry about the meat.
    Good luck to you - I love veges and all the variation of spices in cooking.
  • HiKaren
    HiKaren Posts: 1,306 Member
    The Eat Clean Vegetarian cookbook is awesome. I've been a vegetarian for almost a year and I am so happy. I feel "cleaner," I don't get sluggish in the afternoons anymore and sleep like a baby at night. Quinoa, lentils, beans, eggs, and tofu are staples in our house. If you feel like you're needing something to act as a meat replacement, Quorn and Gardein make great products. I'll put links here for a few of my favorite recipes that I've blogged about. I don't have much time to blog, but make time for my favorite staple vegetarian dishes. Best of luck to you! You won't regret it.

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/08/12/quinoa-zucchini-lasagna/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/07/29/tofu-gyros-with-tzatziki/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/07/16/quinoa-cakes-with-fontina-and-scallions/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/05/21/breakfast-tacos/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2012/02/23/quinoa-and-corn-salad/

    http://marloskitchen.com/2011/11/18/penne-with-mushrooms-tomatoes-and-spinach/

    18198566.png[/url]
    Thank you.... Looking for more meat free options myself.. I had tilapia and my protein drink today... : ) I want to save a few cows.. And even if I can't go completely everyday animal meat free, maybe I could just eat meat once a week. Ive been pescatarian in the past. I do like eggs. Milk, cheese... Fish.. Beans... Tofu... Stuff like that. I have yet to make a decent quinoa.. It turned out horrible.. Thanks for the ideas. :smile:
  • Moiirah
    Moiirah Posts: 14
    Have you tried Quorn? It's based in Great Britain, but they sell it at Smiths and the Sunflower Market (much cheaper there). My husband is a carnivore, but he LOVES it when we eat something from Quorn. He'll choose that over meat.

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