Vegetarian Recipes/Tips

lwagnitz
lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
in Recipes
So, I used to be vegetarian for about 3 years when I was in middle school/early high school. My mom made me stop because I wasn't eating enough protein (beans, etc).
Now that I've grown fond of beans (sort of) I want to try going vegetarian again. I made a lot of meatless dishes already, since I'm not a huge meat fan in the first place. But, since I really wasn't cooking when I was vegetarian, I'd appreciate either some yummy recipes or some good tips to being vegetarian :)

Thanksya.

Replies

  • Sunny820
    Sunny820 Posts: 11 Member
    I am not much of a cook, so I can’t really help you with recipes. I can tell you that a vege can get plenty of protein if they try, easier if you eat eggs. I manage an average of 80g/day, but have gotten more than that when I was lifting.

    Try quiches, fried eggs, boiled eggs etc. For flavor variety, you can lightly top with ranch powder mix, Cajun seasoning, or garlic powder and rosemary. Other sources of protein are Greek yogurts, Chobani has a nice high protein content relative to its carbohydrates (cause as a vege, you will have no problem getting those). I like to mix half fruit yogurt with half plain yogurt to even further improve the protein:carb ratio. After that, lentils (About.com has a nice lentil loaf recipe) and beans are your friends. Cheese and nuts are another option, just be mindful of the fat content (mozzarella cheese generally has less fat than some of the others). I also like to add cayenne pepper to recipes to keep things interesting. Hope something here helps you, good luck!
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    I have been a vegetarian for four years and I love to cook. Most of what I cook now is very healthy, low-calorie and low fat unless I am entertaining, then I splurge. I actually look for recipes that appeal to me, regardless of whether or not they have meat, then modify. There are so many meat replacements out there and a few of them are very good, organic and not chock-a-block full of bizarre, chemically engineered ingredients (Upton's Seitan, available in plain, Italian and Chorizo-style are great as are all the Field Roast brand products). You are free to look at my diary and see the kinds of things I eat.
  • sphira
    sphira Posts: 132 Member
    There are many Indian food books which are completely vegetarian. I love Chana masala, I usually make it once a week and the kids love it too! There are many lentils recipes and dal recipes which are quite simple to make as well. Good luck!
  • LittleCulturedPearl
    LittleCulturedPearl Posts: 71 Member
    I started dating someone who is vegetarian and have grown used to not buying meat when we shop together. He and I make dinner together almost every night now, and I'm starting to get bored of Firm tofu all the time. A new restaurant opened up nearby called "OVO Simply Veggies" and they have so many options but I am on a budget and prefer not to eat out when I can cook at home. The problem is that I cannot seem to find the meat substitutes that they have in the stores where I buy my produce!

    I love to cook, so learning new recipes is fun and I'm willing to do that. I love Indian, Ethiopian, Spanish/Latino foods, just about everything.

    Any help/suggestions much appreciated.
  • BunkyBumBum
    BunkyBumBum Posts: 157 Member
    I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for over 20 years. One thing I advise, watch your soy intake. Most of the "meatless" products are made from soy and if you do some googling you can make up your own mind on whether or not you're comfortable eating an excess of soy. I'm not, so I try to limit it.

    -Greek Yogurt is great for protein.
    -Eggs (I really love my eggs with spinach in them, frozen stuff I squeeze dry makes sort of an egg and spinach patty, or I cook an egg flat and put fresh spinach in the middle.
    -Black beans are a favorite of mine, I make tacos with them all the time and it's so easy - just mix some salsa with the beans and you can make a taco or burrito, whatever. Mash them up to make veggie burgers.
    - Other beans, I really like chili with light and dark kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, and garbanzo beans
    -Quinoa, I make it with diced up veggies
    -Veggie products in limited quantities
    - I am a big fan of the Quron line, not soy based and I like the "naked cutlets" which are sometimes hard to find but you can make them up like you would a normal chicken breast. Limited quantities, again, it's a processed food and it's good as a supplement, but I just don't trust loading that type of stuff into my body.
    -Tofu soy based, yes, but in moderation it's fine. I buy a locally made firm so I don't need to squeeze out the water, but if you buy the normal store stuff, even firm, usually you have to squeeze out a bunch of water to make it less "jelly-like".
    - Nuts eat them plain, nut butter, whatever.
    - Kashi has some cereals that have a good amount of protein in them.
    -Falafel, you can get a boxed mix in the ethnic aisle, I bake it in the oven which makes it a bit dry but avoids all that oil. I just use a bit of extra sauce. Make it as patties, or crumbles, or whatever. I LOVE falafel!
    -Hummus!

    The possibilities are endless. Anything you can make with meat you can usually replicate with veggies (I can't say if it tastes the same because I don't remember what meat tastes like, but you don't have to go without a burger or whatever).

    Good luck! My husband and son are not vegetarian and we all sit down to dinner together every night. Unless they're eating something from the crock pot, I make modifications to what they're eating and it works out. I have two small casserole dishes and when making a casserole I make two, one with meat and one without. The base ingredients are the same, I just switch up the protein. This way my son always has a vegetarian option, but is not forced to be vegetarian (he's 5, that's a decision he can make when he is older. Right now he knows where all of his food comes from and he's totally cool with chowing down on the flesh of an animal).

    BE CAREFUL NOT TO EAT TOO MUCH PASTA. It's an easy go-to for vegetarians, which is why for so many years I was a fat vegetarian. ;)
  • CRMstar
    CRMstar Posts: 8 Member
    I was a vegetarian for about 8 years but have been reintroducing turkey and chicken (as long as I cook it) for about a year or 2. A meatless diet can be great for staying away from fast food and for discovering new veggies, but it can get boring if you don't know what to eat.
    As far as processed foods, I eat veggie burgers. But, I find that making scrambled eggs can be good and more healthy. You can scramble some egg whites with 1 yolk and add them to brown rice with some steamed veggies like peas pods and carrots for healthy Chinese. Also, add cold eggs to salads. Plain beans with rice flavored with a bit of veggie flavored cube (watch sodium) and veggies.
    Tofu is also good, too. I usually get extra firm and squish a lot of the liquid out of it. Slice it into strips. Then, in a frying pan, let it boil down in some water with veggie flavored cube and add spices. Let it cook until a bit brown. I like to eat it with rice or with some steamed veggie cooked with spices. These ideas are good if you're not a big cook, as I am not.
    If you're doing this for healthy reasons, it might be good to keep some fish or chicken/turkey in your diet if it's more natural and less processed and low in fat.
    You can find meats with no anitbiotics that have treated the animals humanely, too, if this change is for ethical reasons. And, if you really want to ditch meat totally and miss meat, I like Quorn chicken cutlets, though they are higher in sodium. They are easy and can be popped in the microwave. A lot of people also use chia seeds to increase their protein intake when they don't eat meat. They are very healthy.
    I make whey protein shakes in the morning with protein powder, pb2, ice, and banana. This can give you around 20g of protein. Hope this helps and good luck!
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
    Thanks for all the wonderful advice.

    I'm not doing it for health reasons. Although I know if I do it right, it will probably be better for me, this is strictly ethical. I rarely eat red meat and pork. I eat seafood(probably the WORST ethical decision) and chicken, and get cage free organic eggs. I honestly eat those meats maybe every 2 or 3 days. I'm not fond of the flavor nor the fact that I'm eating an animal. I don't drink cows milk either, just because of an intolerance...and I think it's gross lol. So, I'm not worried that I'm going to miss meat, because I've done it before, and I didn't, and I'm eating it now and not fond of it...I'm more worried about not getting enough protein. That was my issue before...but from all the advice, sounds like I'll do just fine! :)
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
    I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years & eat 130-175g of protein a day & 85-100% of my daily iron requirement without using supplements. Feel free to add me or check out my diary for ideas.
  • LittleCulturedPearl
    LittleCulturedPearl Posts: 71 Member
    Thank you so much for your advice!!! :flowerforyou:
  • pbsue
    pbsue Posts: 12
    You've been given lots of great advice already. I agree with the Quorn brand of vegetarian convenience foods. I also like Amy's. I find Vegetarian Times magazine to be a great source for recipes and a worthwhile subscription to have. I also modify Cooking LIght recipes to be vegetarian if they include meat.

    Being vegetarian isn't hard for me, but it can still be a challenge to eat healthfully.
  • angbak60
    angbak60 Posts: 31 Member
    I just tried Morning Star Chipotle Black Bean Burgers and they are yummy! I cook them in the toaster oven and and pleasantly surprised at the taste. I wouldn't want to eat them more than 1x per week, because I'd probably get tired of them.:happy:
  • angbak60
    angbak60 Posts: 31 Member
    Wow! I'm impressed. I'd love to look at your diary for ideas (so i hope you friend me). I've given up pork and beef a while ago, but still eat chicken, turkey and fish. I'm leaning more towards less of these and more plant based foods, so any ideas will help.
  • angbak60
    angbak60 Posts: 31 Member
    I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years & eat 130-175g of protein a day & 85-100% of my daily iron requirement without using supplements. Feel free to add me or check out my diary for ideas.

    Sorry, I should have quoted you as my last reply was for you.
  • ameliaannakin
    ameliaannakin Posts: 344 Member
    The BBC Good Food website has some great vegetarian recipes. Some of my favourites are tuscan bean soup, bean and pepper chilli, spicy couscous salad, and the black bean chilli. I make a lot of meatless dishes, I'm not a big meat fan apart from chorizo and I'd rather eat veggie or fish so feel free to add me and check out my diary or visit my food diary blog - ameliasfooddiary.wordpress.com. Might give you some ideas :)

    Ax
  • MsCarlalalala
    MsCarlalalala Posts: 90
    You can find some great recipes at the http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/ Great recipes that can be adapted to your taste. Most of her recipes are very easy, but still very tasty like her Gluten Free Meatballs and her Thick and Hearty Pinto Bean Chili.

    If you are looking for more upscale recipes http://www.101cookbooks.com/ will awe you with recipes and photos. Her Coconut Red Lentil Soup is YUMMY!
  • Sarahland
    Sarahland Posts: 65 Member
    You've been given lots of great advice already. I agree with the Quorn brand of vegetarian convenience foods. I also like Amy's. I find Vegetarian Times magazine to be a great source for recipes and a worthwhile subscription to have. I also modify Cooking LIght recipes to be vegetarian if they include meat.

    Being vegetarian isn't hard for me, but it can still be a challenge to eat healthfully.

    My opinion is to stay away from the Quorn brand. Their products are made from a lab grown fungus and many people have reactions similar to food poisoning when they eat it.
  • Sixel
    Sixel Posts: 57 Member
    I mix it up: quorn, seitan, tofu, the occasional veggie burger, quinoa, eggs, beans, lentils, cheese, chick peas, yoghurt, milk,...

    Two recipes I've been wanting to try since I found them yesterday:
    http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lentil-and-mushroom-sweet-potato-shepherds-pie-182683
    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quinoa-with-sweet-potato-and-mushrooms/

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