Calling All Vegetarians!

What did you eat before you gave up meat? Eat that without the meat. I eat a lot of veggies and grains. Whole wheat pasta and quinoa are great. I used to eat the meat substitutes, but I've given up most processed stuff. Also, learn how to cook with tofu - and if you go vegan, learn how to use nuts. I make some nut sauces for cooked greens, but also could be used on rice or beans. You will have to completely relearn how to cook and what portions should look like. It's just like going on a diet :laugh:

You mention catching flack for giving up meat. When I first gave up meat in the mid 80s, most restaurants still cooked with lard and I was constantly asked how I get enough protein. What is satisfying now is when I mention to people that I'm a veggie, they get defensive and say stuff like "Oh, I don't eat that much meat" or "I wish I could do that". I'm just mentioning that I don't eat it. So the best way to deal with flack givers is to ignore and not push vegetarianism. If anyone asks you about the protein thing, ask them how they get enough fiber. It's really a dumb question. If you eat a varied diet that is mostly healthy, you will get enough protein - it's in everything.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but "Skinny *****" is a false representative of veganism/vegetarianism. I have been a lifelong vegetarian and I went vegan 9 months ago and guess what? Still fat. I just want to clear up that you are doing it for your health and/or ethical reasons and not solely to lose weight. It won't happen. Weight loss is all about calories in, calories out - not what you're eating. Do I think that meat and dairy is bad for you? Yes. But I also know people who can eat things in moderation and still lose weight. Just be careful about your decisions.

As for not eating junk, well, I've never been a big junk food fan. I like raw veggies with hummus, nuts (remember they are high in fat and though it's good fat, you still need to limit your intake), fruit, baked corn tortilla chips with Pam, lime & sea salt with fresh salsa, etc. Hit up your local Farmer's Market and stock up on good-for-you foods. I find that when I have a lot of fresh produce around, I am forced to eat it because if it goes bad, I feel guilty about letting it go to waste.

Beans are a great source of fiber and protein. Tofu/tempeh/seitan are other great sources for protein but you will have to play around with cooking these things to find out what you like. Keep in mind that frozen vegetarian/vegan faux-meats and other items are often high in sodium so they can cause bloating and water retention. Keep an eye on your carb count - this is what I did wrong in my first years of being veg - I filled up on pasta, potatoes, pizza, but didn't get enough fruit/veggies or protein. Now that I know how to fuel my body properly, my energy level has risen and my body feels great.

Check out http://www.fatfreevegan.com, Dr. Fuhrman's "Eat to Live" book/program, and other random vegan foodblogs. Good luck to you!

Thanks,that helps. I know as far as protein goes that I can get if from soymilk and nuts and a lot of veggies have it. do you know of any good websites for recipes for just vegetarian/vegans? Also I've never even tried tofu I hear it's bland, but everything worth a try at least once. Thanks again.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/index.php

http://www.happycow.net/ (also has index of restaurants)

www.vegweb.com

Tofu can taste like almost anything. A good trick to improve texture is cut it in chunks, freeze it, thaw, remove excess water - can be done again to make it tougher. After I freeze it, I sprinkle tamari on it, and bake for 20 minutes at 350 F. Then you can add it to salads or stir frys.

Well... if you are committed to it, then it isn't so hard to stay on track - you just do. Get used to reading ingredients and asking LOTS of questions at restaurants (you wouldn't believe how many servers will say, "oh yes, the soup is vegetarian", and then I ask if it is made with chicken or beef broth, and they say, "oh yeah, they use chicken broth" :noway: ) - in fact, as a vegan, you may have a pretty hard time at restaurants. You can't eat only vegetables - you won't get enough calories. Whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread/pasta/couscous, seitan, corn, quinoa, barley), legumes (all sorts of beans, lentils, peanuts, all sorts of soybean products - tofu/soy milk/tempeh/yogurt/textured vegetable protein), and nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews) will all become a big part of your diet if they aren't already. And don't forget healthy fats like olive and canola oil for cooking. There are plenty of great cookbooks if you are looking for ideas. Also look into ethnic foods if you aren't already familiar with them - lots of great Indian and Thai dishes are vegetarian for religious reasons (Hindu and Buddhist), and other cuisines (like Lebanese/Middle Eastern) have many vegetarian dishes because meat is more expensive.

I agree with Mary that things are a lot easier now 'out in the world' for vegetarians than they used to be. As with any diet, you can spend more or less money depending on your tastes and how much time you are willing to spend preparing your own food. If you are just buying basic ingredients and preparing the food yourself, you can do so very affordably. TVP (textured vegetable protein) is a by-product from soybean oil production, and is quite cheap and easy to cook with. Beans and grains, similarly, are pretty cheap.

Some of my favorite dishes to have around:
Pesto (you can make it without cheese and throw it on/in all sort of things)
Peanut sauce (peanut butter mixed with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, maybe a little rice vinegar or coconut milk - delicious on veggies and brown rice)
Granola and yogurt (you can use soy yogurt)
Chili (crushed tomatoes, beans, TVP, spices, and whatever veggies I want to throw in - easy!)
Mahkani variation (like the tomato sauce used on Indian 'butter chicken' - you can use almond/soy milk or coconut milk instead of butter or cream, add cashews and cover your favorite steamed veggies and chickpeas/garbanzo beans with it)
Hummus (easy to make - just throw chickpeas/garbanzos, olive oil, tahini/sesame butter, a little garlic and lemon juice into a food processor, then spread on whatever or use as a veggie dip)

Congratulations on your decision and good luck!

Please don't take this the wrong way, but "Skinny *****" is a false representative of veganism/vegetarianism. I have been a lifelong vegetarian and I went vegan 9 months ago and guess what? Still fat. I just want to clear up that you are doing it for your health and/or ethical reasons and not solely to lose weight. It won't happen. Weight loss is all about calories in, calories out - not what you're eating. Do I think that meat and dairy is bad for you? Yes. But I also know people who can eat things in moderation and still lose weight. Just be careful about your decisions.

As for not eating junk, well, I've never been a big junk food fan. I like raw veggies with hummus, nuts (remember they are high in fat and though it's good fat, you still need to limit your intake), fruit, baked corn tortilla chips with Pam, lime & sea salt with fresh salsa, etc. Hit up your local Farmer's Market and stock up on good-for-you foods. I find that when I have a lot of fresh produce around, I am forced to eat it because if it goes bad, I feel guilty about letting it go to waste.

Beans are a great source of fiber and protein. Tofu/tempeh/seitan are other great sources for protein but you will have to play around with cooking these things to find out what you like. Keep in mind that frozen vegetarian/vegan faux-meats and other items are often high in sodium so they can cause bloating and water retention. Keep an eye on your carb count - this is what I did wrong in my first years of being veg - I filled up on pasta, potatoes, pizza, but didn't get enough fruit/veggies or protein. Now that I know how to fuel my body properly, my energy level has risen and my body feels great.

Check out http://www.fatfreevegan.com, Dr. Fuhrman's "Eat to Live" book/program, and other random vegan foodblogs. Good luck to you!

I have two reasons why I chose to become a vegan, first to be healthier (i hardly ever ate fruit or veggies) and bebecause I have kearned about the whole animal processing and how they are treated and it just made me sick to even think about eating meat at all. As for carbs the only ones I really been eating are coming mostly from fruit I don't really eat that much pasta or anything but indulge occasionally in a p.b. sandwich,, it's just hard now to find bread that doesn't contain by-products, I notice though since I started (about 1 1/2 weeks ago) my food choices don't differ much from day to day so I'm definitely going to do some research as far as recipes go. Thank all of you for your advice and support.

That's great! I'm sorry if my post came off as sounding snarky - I just get asked a lot if I am vegan because of "Skinny B!@#$*" and no, I am not. I have read it and I have my own thoughts about the book but I won't bring those to the table here. On one hand, I think it's great that someone was trying to bring veganism to the mainstream. On the other hand, I hate that they tried to market veganism as a secret weight loss tool. It isn't! Don't be afraid of pasta - whole wheat or multi-grain pasta is really great in moderation. I like roasted veggie pasta.

As for bread, I eat sprouted wheat/Ezekiel bread - it's a little more expensive and harder to find, but now that I started eating it, I can't stop. I used to eat Archer Farms (from Target) 100% whole wheat bread - contains no high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, animal products or honey.

I never fail to meet my protein level and I don't even really think about it. I just eat things like Kashi cereal, peanut butter, wheat bread, and whole wheat pasta. You learn to love it more than white carbs! Only severely malnourished people have a problem with protein deficiency, it's pretty easy to get enough, and there are even debates about how much is enough. Some say 25 g for women, some say 50.

Eating energy bars like Luna bars, beans, fruits, veggies, quinoa, cous cous, brown rice, imitation meat (soy crumble, veggie burgers [get some veggie servings in too!] are also great)

good luck. it's quite easy after the 1st week.
just don't give yourself the option of quitting!

Are you going to vegetarianize your kids and hubby too?
Are they willing?

I know that my husband and I both went through stages of being vegetarians in the past, and although we aren't strictly "veggies" now, we still use a lot of meat-substitutes. I have a huge abhoration to ground beef. The thought of it makes me :sick: . My husband is very willing to use Morningstar Crumbles in recipes instead, and not only do I enjoy it, my 3 year old picky eating princess loves it! However, there are many meats he isn't willing to give up.... like chicken, another meat that for the most part makes me :sick: . Many meals, we will have chicken breast, and I'll eat 1/2 of one (for my own protein's sake) and he scarfs them down.

I guess where I was trying to go with this before my Monday morning rambles got the best of me --- will you be able to cook "veggie" meals for the fam, or will you still have to deal with meals with lots of meat all around?

I applaud your efforts and decision, btw. I have no issues with raising livestock et al for human consumption, but I do wish they'd kill them quickly and as painlessly as possibly to avoid making my heart ache for the poor animals.

Also, are you cutting out fish? I know some "veggies" do, some don't.

Vegetarians can eat every bit of junkfood that meat eaters do. Also, Skinny B*tch is an extremely bad misrepresentation of almost everything it contains. I grew up working on farms, and my father worked at a butchery for awhile. Its not nearly so bad as it gets portrayed. Just remember that simply because someone doesn't eat meat doesn't mean they don't eat junkfood. Further, to quote a salon article about concerns raised by the book, the quips made inside like, "get off your lazy *kitten*" and "don't be a fat pig" are the exact same voices that anorexics hear in their heads every moment of every day. Not a healthy book whose advice should be taken. Read the book if you want, but make sure you read the literature out there about the advice it gives - there are a LOT of poisen apples that its handing out.

As for tofu, there are a bunch of great recipies on this site in the recipe forum. See if you can find the recipe for tofu parm, its AWESOME, and quite possibly is what landed me my current girlfriend, lol. For a more meat-like texture in your tofu, when you buy it drain the package, remove the tofu, put it in some plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer. When you want to use it let it thaw, and press out as much water as you can.

Hope that helps!