Hey.....vegetarians/vegans I need a bit of help please.

mamagooskie
mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
So back when I was a teen (actually almost 20 years ago) I was vegetarian for 4 years but I ate like a teenager (french fries, junk food and modified version of whatever mom made)

BUT

now I'm an adult and do my own cooking for me and the family and my cooking skills are better (that's not saying much though LOL) and I have made the decision to go that route again. Over the last year I cut out cows milk, and added many bean, lentil and chickpea dishes to my weekly meal plan but I need more ideas. I do plan on making most of my meals from scratch and freezing leftovers for future usage.

It's only been 3 weeks that I've been off meat (I still eat cheese, eggs and dairy [not milk]) but I need some good recipies (soy, beans, lentils etc) , favorite brands or favorite commercially made ready to use products, tips (cooking, eating whatever) , websites (for meal ideas, recipies, etc) , any other resources.

I went to the local grocery store today and bought these MEATLESS products.......chicken nuggets, turkey deli slices, italian ground beef, dijon marinated chicken breasts, chicken strips, chicken burgers (had one of these today it was TO DIE FOR DELICIOUS!!) , spinach veggie and cheese wrap, and deep fried tofu!

what the heck do I do with deep fried tofu, I had to buy it because it looked soooooo good but I don't know if I heat it up and dip it savory or maybe eat it with icecream and chocolate sauce? I need ideas for this product.

I'm heading out to the store again right away to get veggie hotdogs (other store was out) and I'm looking for ideas on anything else I should buy. I suck at cooking tofu but I could get some.

Can I do good things with light (low cal) FIRM tofu or should I get regular calorie EXTRA firm??

I DO NOT PLAN ON EATING ONLY PREMADE/PACKAGED VEGETARIAN CONVENIENCE FOODS ..... I WAS JUST SO EXCITED AT THE VARIETY I STOCKED UP ON A BUNCH BUT IT SHOULD LAST ME AT LEAST 6 WEEKS!

ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED THANKS!

Replies

  • yiffanarff
    yiffanarff Posts: 123 Member
    I've had deep fried tofu at restaurants, but I've never bought it, so I don't really know what to do with it. As for websites, vegweb.com is really awesome. It's free and they have a ton of user added recipes. I also have a huge collection of vegan cookbooks. The first time I went vegan, I didn't have any. I was also 19 and had no idea how to cook, so I got really bored and frustrated and quit. Now, I've been vegan again for 3 years and I love it! Sometimes I make up my own recipes, other times I choose one of my cookbooks and flip through it until I find something that looks good to me.

    Some of my favourite cookbooks are:
    Veganomicon
    Vegan With a Vengeance
    Vegan Brunch
    30 Minute Vegan
    Fresh at home
    Eat, Drink and Be Vegan
    The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

    I would suggest that you try to limit the use of vegan/vegetarian convenience food. A lot of it is delicious, but it is also usually highly processed, high in sodium, and expensive. Don't get me wrong, I still love tofurkey franks, but I really try to limit them.

    If you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, try finding recipes for soups, stews and casseroles that you can eat over a few days, or freeze.

    As for the tofu, I usually buy the extra firm, but I'm sure that you could use firm tofu in a lot of the same ways. :)
    Hope that helps!!
  • SoCalSwimmerDude
    SoCalSwimmerDude Posts: 507 Member
    Look for Quorn at your grocery store... In my opinion, its the best veggie (not vegan) product out there. Also, just a personal opinion, but go w/ the extra firm tofu if you're not a big fan of tofu.
  • satousan88
    satousan88 Posts: 29
    Deep fried tofu is pretty popular in japan, known as aburaage.
    You should give them into hot water shortly to get rid of some of the fat und dry them with a tissue.
    You can use it in all kind of soups, eat it with all sorts of vegetables, with rice..... but I don't think it is suited as a dessert or ice cream xD
    Hope that helps
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    I've had deep fried tofu at restaurants, but I've never bought it, so I don't really know what to do with it. As for websites, vegweb.com is really awesome. It's free and they have a ton of user added recipes. I also have a huge collection of vegan cookbooks. The first time I went vegan, I didn't have any. I was also 19 and had no idea how to cook, so I got really bored and frustrated and quit. Now, I've been vegan again for 3 years and I love it! Sometimes I make up my own recipes, other times I choose one of my cookbooks and flip through it until I find something that looks good to me.

    Some of my favourite cookbooks are:
    Veganomicon
    Vegan With a Vengeance
    Vegan Brunch
    30 Minute Vegan
    Fresh at home
    Eat, Drink and Be Vegan
    The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

    I would suggest that you try to limit the use of vegan/vegetarian convenience food. A lot of it is delicious, but it is also usually highly processed, high in sodium, and expensive. Don't get me wrong, I still love tofurkey franks, but I really try to limit them.

    If you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, try finding recipes for soups, stews and casseroles that you can eat over a few days, or freeze.

    As for the tofu, I usually buy the extra firm, but I'm sure that you could use firm tofu in a lot of the same ways. :)
    Hope that helps!!
    Thanks for all the info.....and yes I will limit my use of convenience foods for sure. I don't use a ton of them now. I make all my bean/lentil dishes from scratch and do make my soups that way as well (and I do freeze them for future use) I just wanted to try some of the stuff out there right away since I was so excited.....and I picked the lowest sodium versions of everything I bought!!!

    also almost everything I bought is good till mid end of july and can be frozen for even longer usage so I am hoping the amount I bought will last me awhile......I have pretty much 20-ish meals worth of convenience food so at every 2nd or 3rd day usage I could have meals for 6 weeks - 2 months!!
  • yiffanarff
    yiffanarff Posts: 123 Member
    Ok, that's good. When you listed all the different meatless things you had bought, I thought that was all you were going to eat all week. :p It is always really exciting to try new meatless things. I really like gardein products.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    Deep fried tofu is pretty popular in japan, known as aburaage.
    You should give them into hot water shortly to get rid of some of the fat und dry them with a tissue.
    You can use it in all kind of soups, eat it with all sorts of vegetables, with rice..... but I don't think it is suited as a dessert or ice cream xD
    Hope that helps

    Thanks for the info......They just look like a big tofu marshmallow so I thought they could be dessert-y......but I have no idea what they taste like!
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    Ok, that's good. When you listed all the different meatless things you had bought, I thought that was all you were going to eat all week. :p It is always really exciting to try new meatless things. I really like gardein products.

    I guess I should have clarified that I don't plan on eating that stuff all the time. I went and edited my original post now!
  • corybo
    corybo Posts: 3
    :) BUMP
  • Redheadedsunshine
    Redheadedsunshine Posts: 102 Member
    Welcome back to the veg side! I completely understand buy quick packages... it's easier but it good to lazy night. Unfortunately, most night, I am cooking for one so I don't really get extravagant. It's important to try to mix it up... I'll have a salad & thrown in a veg burger (there's so many flavors and I cater my salad fixings to the burger type... ie black bean burger: black beans, olives, black bean & corn salsa as dressing, etc) to get some protein. Or I'll make a (veg) chicken parm w/ pasta or sandwich. Lightlife has some really good chicken/beef strips that I stir-fry with (first time, I did oil but second, I did just PAM and it turned out just as good).

    Currently, I'm a vegetarian w/ leanings into the vegan world (like you, eliminated milk) so I'm still learning more vegan recipes that are healthier and not full of chemicals and whatnot. Good luck! :-)
  • dayzeerock
    dayzeerock Posts: 918 Member
    Check out my blog that is in my signature line! TONS of super easy, hearty vegan meals!
  • VegGrrl
    VegGrrl Posts: 336 Member
    TONS of great low-cal recipes:

    www.fatfreevegan.com

    :smile:
  • raeanns
    raeanns Posts: 20 Member
    I recently found a website called Veggiemealmaker.com. I bought 3 months for $12. Each Thursday they post the following weeks dinner menu, shopping list and all the recipes you need. I love it so far. I don't cook every night, but they have some really good recipes.
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,342 Member
    I had a really awesome nut roast when I was in England. Just like meatloaf. So I make them here and freeze them, they heat up super quick and are very hearty.you just need a food processor, You can find the recipe online. My fiance even likes them and he is a dead set meat eater. It's main ingredients are nuts (it varies) mushrooms, carrots, celery, it really depends on what you want to put in it. It is a very versatile recipe
  • rhichi
    rhichi Posts: 133
    A good tip is to get a variety of protein sources. If you eat only nuts, you won't actually lose weight because of the high fat. If you eat only soy/tofu, you could potentially have issues with estrogen or your thyroid. If you eat only dairy, you could have fat and cholesterol issues or even become lactose intolerant. All sources are good in moderation, but you have to be diverse.

    My favorite protein sources:
    Chick peas
    Raw nuts and seeds
    Greek yogurt
    Cheese
    Black beans
    Lentils
    Quinoa (an ancient grain, it's really great for protein and healthy grains)
    Seitan
    Natural peanut butter (not the Skippy brand peanut-flavored sugar)

    As for fake meat and prepared food brands, I like:
    Lightlife (good for ground sausage)
    Gardein (I LOVE their pulled pork)
    Amy's (their pockets and burritos are good if you're on the go)
    Trader Joe's (plenty of different kinds of foods, like Mediterranean platters and veggie sushi)
    Vegetarian Plus (very good beef tips)
    Morningstar Farms (veggie burgers and breakfast meats, om nom bacon)


    Also, I recently learned that if you aren't doing really athletic stuff, you don't have to overdo the protein. Make sure to still eat high amounts of fruits and veggies. If you need help, let me know. I'm always happy to help a fellow veggie!
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    deep fried tofu is great in stir fry. it holds up well because it's a firmer texture. You can also garnish a miso soup with it.

    Websites I like

    fafreevegan.com
    marcussamuelsson.com (not veg but veg friendly)

    Things I found helpful as a vegetarian; a crock pot (small one can be purchased for $10), a food processor, a good (but not expensive) blender. everything else has been covered by other posters, but having these items will help you as you learn to cook from scratch and plan healthy meals.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    A good tip is to get a variety of protein sources. If you eat only nuts, you won't actually lose weight because of the high fat. If you eat only soy/tofu, you could potentially have issues with estrogen or your thyroid. If you eat only dairy, you could have fat and cholesterol issues or even become lactose intolerant. All sources are good in moderation, but you have to be diverse.

    My favorite protein sources:
    Chick peas
    Raw nuts and seeds
    Greek yogurt
    Cheese
    Black beans
    Lentils
    Quinoa (an ancient grain, it's really great for protein and healthy grains)
    Seitan
    Natural peanut butter (not the Skippy brand peanut-flavored sugar)

    As for fake meat and prepared food brands, I like:
    Lightlife (good for ground sausage)
    Gardein (I LOVE their pulled pork)
    Amy's (their pockets and burritos are good if you're on the go)
    Trader Joe's (plenty of different kinds of foods, like Mediterranean platters and veggie sushi)
    Vegetarian Plus (very good beef tips)
    Morningstar Farms (veggie burgers and breakfast meats, om nom bacon)


    Also, I recently learned that if you aren't doing really athletic stuff, you don't have to overdo the protein. Make sure to still eat high amounts of fruits and veggies. If you need help, let me know. I'm always happy to help a fellow veggie!

    I definitely do get a variety of different foods. I love my fruits and veggies. I eat quinoa and beans, lentils, chick peas. I drink almond milk and a variety of nut butters (all organic and unsalted etc) and then the soy products.

    I am looking forward to learning to expand my cooking skills and try the commercially available products.
  • mamagooskie
    mamagooskie Posts: 2,964 Member
    deep fried tofu is great in stir fry. it holds up well because it's a firmer texture. You can also garnish a miso soup with it.

    Websites I like

    fafreevegan.com
    marcussamuelsson.com (not veg but veg friendly)

    Things I found helpful as a vegetarian; a crock pot (small one can be purchased for $10), a food processor, a good (but not expensive) blender. everything else has been covered by other posters, but having these items will help you as you learn to cook from scratch and plan healthy meals.

    I'll be sure to check out these websites! I just bought a food processer yesterday, I have a great blender and a med size crockpot I've never opened (I always use my big one) so I'm ready to go!
  • tiggersstar
    tiggersstar Posts: 193 Member
    i eat loads of quorn products, they have pretty much everything you would need if you have a look around the larger stores. but i am in the uk, do they have quorn where you are?


    any veggies feel free to add me as a mate :heart:
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I made a very good vegan scrambled egg alternative with soft tofu last weekend, I crumbled it up and sauteed it in a frying pan with a bit of soy sauce. It was a lot like scrambled egg. You could also make a vegan egg fried rice by adding cooked rice to the pan. Or you can use it as one of several fillings for spring rolls (along with carrot strips, glass noodles, enoki mushrooms etc). I bake them instead of frying them.
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