new to the vegetarian scene & could use some help :)

mindalyn
mindalyn Posts: 128 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
hi yall! like i said, i am new to the vegetarian diet. i have done some research and found a lot of interesting recipes and ideas. however, i am still unsure what type of vitamins or supplements (if any) that i should be taking. i keep reading about nuts and legumes & beanns that i am not having. are these super important? i am not a fan of beans (any kind)but do know i will have to incorporate them into my lifestyle eventually. i know i can't eat all cheese, butter, and bread (as i wish i could). i have been mostly eating acidic fruits in the morning, other various fruits through-out the day, a small lunch, and then yesterday i had spinach & cheese ravioli w/tomato sauce. i have seen the food veg food pyramid and understand that... any help with this lifestyle, tips, advice, anything would be really appreciated!! thanks so much!

Replies

  • spritie
    spritie Posts: 167
    the nuts, legumes and beans contain lots of fibre, ,amino acids (proteins) and nutrients such as zinc etc, that you may not be getting from other places. If your using dairy as your protein sources, you can miss out on important nutrients, and also have quite a high fat intake in your diet.

    Also make sure the dairy products your consuming are vegetarian (no casien, gelatin, rennet etc.)

    having a varied diet, with a wide range of fruit and vegetables, and wholegrain carbohydrate products is important (but that should apply to most healthy diets).

    Nuts and legumes can be important, but as your only vegetarian, things such as low fat dairy products and the humble low cal, high nutrient egg can also be incorproated easily.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    Nuts and beans are my main source of protein. I have been vegetarian (not vegan) for almost 2 years. I eat whole grain rice and wheat pasta with stir fry (in Pam) (Bird's Eye pepper stir fry is my favorite) and other frozen veggies. I eat frozen right now because the fresh ones are not good yet where I live. It is hard at first but once you begin to figure out substitutions, it's not that bad. Get online and google vegetarian meals. There are a lot of sites with some really good recipes.
  • mattle
    mattle Posts: 14
    I've been vegan for about 17 or 18 years and my food diary is open to public viewing, so you could check that out for a few ideas. Also, dark leafy greens are essential to being a healthy vegetarian/vegan. Eat them daily if you can.

    Even though I'm vegan and don't eat them, as you are vegetarian I would second what spritie said about eggs. They are a good source of nutrition.

    I think avoiding processed foods as much as possible is another important idea.

    Let me know if you have any questions.
  • AmandaB4588
    AmandaB4588 Posts: 655
    I take a B12 (vegetarians run the risk of being B12 deficient) and my multivitamin takes care of the iron. I track my protein on here to make sure I am getting enough everyday.

    I started a new heavy lifting program that requires me to eat A LOT more protein, so I have had to add fish back in my diet. Before then, my main sources of protein were nuts, beans, and egg whites. I also had a smoothie in the morning with a scoop of protein powder in it.

    Good luck, and congrats on taking the veg pledge!
  • mindalyn
    mindalyn Posts: 128 Member
    Thanks for the advice yall! I will look at the stores around me to see what I can get from them. The only problem is that I have to translate everything that I want in to Dutch before I go, if its something unfamiliar. Also, unlike back in the states I could easily read the products and ingrediants. I can't do that here, so I think I will probably not do too much exploring anytime soon. But I love spinach leaves for salads, instead of lettuce, so that is good. My only problem is, I don't like too many veggies (i eat more now that I have moved here when mixed in borito, lasagna, spaghetti...) and only used to put mushrooms and chicken on my spinach salads :-/ I will go tomorrow to a health/gmc type place to look for vitamins, i used to take them in the States, but I ran out. Oh well... Thanks again for the advice, it was all helpful!
  • twistygirl
    twistygirl Posts: 517 Member
    All I can say about that is too make sure you don't become a crapatarian. (Someone who replaces meat with sugar and pasta) I did that there are so many overweight vegetarians so don't go overboard on the pasta or sweets including drinks. Two of the best books out there to teach you to do it right is by GARY NULL, THE VEGETARIAN HANDBOOK eating right for total health. And THE VEGETARIAN WAY, VIRGINA MESSINA,MPH,RD & MARK MESSINA, PHD. These books will teach you to become a balance vegetarian you know the ones with the clear skin and healthy shiny hair. and thin body. Blessing on your journey.
  • HEK81
    HEK81 Posts: 50 Member
    I am not a vegetarian but I gave meat for a period of time. I found some great products by Morning Star and Boca. My husband and son who are a big meat eaters grew fond of them. My son even enjoyed getting some of his veggies that way.
  • mindalyn
    mindalyn Posts: 128 Member
    @ twistygirl- yah thats what got me in this situation now... all breads, cheeses, pastas, basically i ate everything that was cheap and quick in college (so 5 years of junk) and wasn't vegetarian. i will look in to those books ... thanks!

    @HEK81- thanks, i'll look for those products. i dont know if they are here in my stores. i will check it out though, Thanks!
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
    I am also a long time vegetarian almost 14 years and I can't give you any better advice than those who already posted, but if you want to look at my diary, it's public.
  • naugustyniak
    naugustyniak Posts: 836 Member
    I am not a vegetarian but I gave meat for a period of time. I found some great products by Morning Star and Boca. My husband and son who are a big meat eaters grew fond of them. My son even enjoyed getting some of his veggies that way.

    I agree with this. I like Boca burgers better than Morning Star but Morning Star is more available and a little less expensive.
  • mindalyn
    mindalyn Posts: 128 Member
    thanks so much you guys! today i went and bought some frozen spinach and chickpeas in a can. i mushed them both with 2 small red potatoes and a little cheese... idk how healthy this is, but it seems ok. it was good too :)
  • spritie
    spritie Posts: 167
    spinach is amazing, anything dark green and leafy is a good choice.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    Feel free to check out my food diary. I've been a vegetarian for 25 years and was a vegan for several of them.
    Other than taking a multi (make sure there is B-12) there is nothing else that you need to take. Make sure to 'eat the rainbow'-meaning many types of fruits and veggies, then for protien (I'll assume you're lacto-ovo) eat dairy, eggs, legumes, beans, and whole grains in there most natural forms (ie don't over do the pasta or bread but eat amaranth, quinoa, teff, oats, rye, millet, ect. in their natural state).
    The faux meats are okay but loaded with preservitives and sodium (I use maybe one of those a week). While many will disagree with me, soy is great for vegetarians. Just make sure you have no family history of cancers (eating soy may up the chance of developing cancers, mainly breast cancer).
  • its_B
    its_B Posts: 491
    bumping this so that I can read everything when I get home!

    I am new to the vegetarian life style as well! :)
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