Vegetarian-based diet help
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wantonfrolicking
Posts: 5 Member
We keep a vegetarian house, and I need more low-carb vegetarian options for our meals. Before trying to eat healthier, we'd have pasta most days. I need easy, non-pasta dishes that will be delicious for the whole family. Would love recommendations and friend requests.
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Replies
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Are you cutting carbohydrates for medical reasons or are you open to different forms of carbohydrates besides pasta? I use beans as the foundation for lots of meals and it works well for me (and it also provides more protein that pasta). The awesome thing about bean dishes is that so many can be made in the slow cooker and require little on-hand prep time.
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Why low carb?
Check out seitan, daal, veggie chilli (I use soy mince, but a bean based one is nice too), ommelettes, stir fries, salads, soups.
Most of my meals are fairly high in carbs at the moment though.0 -
Why low carb?
Check out seitan, daal, veggie chilli (I use soy mince, but a bean based one is nice too), ommelettes, stir fries, salads, soups.
Most of my meals are fairly high in carbs at the moment though.
When you say soy mince, what do you mean exactly? Is it a pre-defined product, something you make yourself?
I use a bean base and tvp/tsp, personally.
As for OP, on a vegetarian diet, you are going to have higher carbs by its very nature. But there's nothing wrong with that.
I believe there may be some reddit groups dedicated to low carbing on veg/vegan diets... if you are really interested in going that route, you might consider checking those resources.
That said, unless you have a medical reason or just want to, there's no real reason for low carbing on a plant based diet. It won't hurt you, unless you are unable to get adequate macros or micros with your personal food choices, but it also won't be anything special either.
I've gone low carb, keto, been vegan for forever, etc. I've found that balancing my intake around all three macros is the most effective and sustainable method for me... your mileage may vary.
Good luck.0 -
I tried substituting frozen green beans for some of my pasta to save calories and it worked out pretty great.1
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melonaulait wrote: »I tried substituting frozen green beans for some of my pasta to save calories and it worked out pretty great.
In that case, you can get a spiralizer and make veggie "pasta" . Lots of people seem to like that.4 -
Low carb for a variety of reasons. It was recommended by my doctor after reviewing my food diary. I consistently lose while eating low carb, and maintain or gain while eating higher carbs (a trend food after weeks of monitoring, all days eating approximately the same calories). Also, when I eat carbs, it's hard for me to stop. I'm not against carbs, but want lower carb meal options.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »Are you cutting carbohydrates for medical reasons or are you open to different forms of carbohydrates besides pasta? I use beans as the foundation for lots of meals and it works well for me (and it also provides more protein that pasta). The awesome thing about bean dishes is that so many can be made in the slow cooker and require little on-hand prep time.
What kind of bean based meals do you make?0 -
wantonfrolicking wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Are you cutting carbohydrates for medical reasons or are you open to different forms of carbohydrates besides pasta? I use beans as the foundation for lots of meals and it works well for me (and it also provides more protein that pasta). The awesome thing about bean dishes is that so many can be made in the slow cooker and require little on-hand prep time.
What kind of bean based meals do you use?
I will eat chilis, lentil soup, bean tacos/burritos, chickpeas or kidney beans with Indian spices, white beans with Italian seasoning/tomato sauce, and chickpea salad sandwiches (use a collard wrap to reduce the calories/carbohydrates in the meal). If you still want to eat pasta sometimes, I often will take a small serving of pasta (1-2 ounces) and mix it with lots of vegetables and beans to make a higher volume meal.0 -
We are vegetarian and use a lot of curry - curried chick peas, curried lentils, curry with vegetables, etc. We also eat beans and rice and lots of sweet potatoes and squash. Stuffed peppers are good, as are salads. I use very little pasta, although make tortellini soup on a regular basis, which includes a lot of spinach and tomatoes and very few tortellini.0
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We have had a similar struggle - veggie and moving away from a pasta and rice based diet, not because they are inherently bad, but because they were more calorie dense than we want.
We have moved to different curries packed with lentils and veg but no rice. Spiralised veg in place of spaghetti. That said I would eat curry every day!
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Lentil salads are pretty easy to make and pretty tasty cold for the warmer months. Zucchini "pasta" is also good. I like it with stir fried veggies and spicy sauces. Regular wraps or lettuce wraps with cooked vegetables are also easy and really good. I also like stuffed eggplant with mushrooms and cheese (if you eat cheese). I also love omelettes for dinner if eggs are an option.0
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wantonfrolicking wrote: »Low carb for a variety of reasons. It was recommended by my doctor after reviewing my food diary. I consistently lose while eating low carb, and maintain or gain while eating higher carbs (a trend food after weeks of monitoring, all days eating approximately the same calories). Also, when I eat carbs, it's hard for me to stop. I'm not against carbs, but want lower carb meal options.
I have a hard time stopping eating pasta, but not rice & beans or other legume-based dishes. My vegan friends eat a lot more carbs than I do, but because the carbs come from foods like legumes and seitan, this is not an issue for them.
Here are 142 legume/lentil based vegetarian recipes: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/ ?f[0]=field_special_diet:25&f[1]=field_recipe_main_ingredient:7890 -
Have you tried making veggie noodles? Great substitute, you can make your own spiral spaghetti noodles from different type of veggies. I really like them from zucchini and yellow squash!0
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BecomingBane wrote: »Why low carb?
Check out seitan, daal, veggie chilli (I use soy mince, but a bean based one is nice too), ommelettes, stir fries, salads, soups.
Most of my meals are fairly high in carbs at the moment though.
When you say soy mince, what do you mean exactly? Is it a pre-defined product, something you make yourself?
I use a bean base and tvp/tsp, personally.
As for OP, on a vegetarian diet, you are going to have higher carbs by its very nature. But there's nothing wrong with that.
I believe there may be some reddit groups dedicated to low carbing on veg/vegan diets... if you are really interested in going that route, you might consider checking those resources.
That said, unless you have a medical reason or just want to, there's no real reason for low carbing on a plant based diet. It won't hurt you, unless you are unable to get adequate macros or micros with your personal food choices, but it also won't be anything special either.
I've gone low carb, keto, been vegan for forever, etc. I've found that balancing my intake around all three macros is the most effective and sustainable method for me... your mileage may vary.
Good luck.
I mean this stuff: http://yorkshirespicestore.co.uk/image/cache/data/soya mince-350x350.jpeg
The macros are excellent.0
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