Recently became a vegetarian, any tips for success?

oliviadaniellecook
oliviadaniellecook Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
I am still young and about to start college so I figured now is the time to finally change my diet. I just recently became a vegetarian and have been successful so far. I'm just looking for way to reduce the amount of time it takes to prep, shop and cook these meals and wondering what are some good meal prep recipes that last long and still are delicious. If you have any suggestions please add them (:

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    What are you making? My vegetarian meals don't take any longer to prepare than my carnivorous meals.
  • Meaganinsardinia
    Meaganinsardinia Posts: 42 Member
    I have been vegetarian for ten years. It has lead me to learn alot about food and nutrition through trial and error. The best advice I have read regarding preparing meals at home is from Pellegrino Artusi's 1891 Italian cookbook. He said:

    "Respect natural ingredients.
    Love beautiful and good things wherever you find them and do not waste God’s gifts.

    Use quality ingredients.
    Always choose the finest produce as your ingredients; that way you’ll give the best impression.

    Use seasonal ingredients.
    Prepare (the vegetables) when they are at their best and cheapest. Remember though they have to be of good quality and picked when suitably mature. Use only undamaged and well ripened fruit, according to the season.

    Be simple.
    My cooking tends to be simple and delicate as I try to avoid as much as possible food that is too complicated and too mixed and which might prove difficult for the digestive system.

    Be passionate, attentive and precise.
    If you don’t aspire to become a sophisticated cook, in order to succeed, you need only passion, a lot of care and precise methods.

    Be patient.
    Be patient and experiment a lot (I do a quite a lot!) If you don’t immediately succeed, don’t worry. It’s a matter of strong will and determination.

    Vary, respecting the territory and the season.
    This is how I would make (the vegetable soup) according to my taste. You’re very welcome to make changes, depending on your preferences, local traditions and resources.

    If you must vary, do it with good taste.
    Any dish can be adapted in a variety of ways according to your inclination, but in doing so, be cautious not to lose the simplicity, the delicacy and the flavour – the whole matter lies in the good taste of the cook.

    Value “cucina povera”, the simplest of cooking.
    The soup (in one recipe), humbly known as a peasant dish, I am certain will be loved by all.

    Be mistrustful of cook books (including mine).
    Don’t trust books on the art of cooking; they are for the most part incorrect or incomprehensible. At the very best you might learn some useful notion if you already know the art well enough. "


  • Allgaun
    Allgaun Posts: 222 Member
    I am not a vegetarian but I have 3 sons who are.
    Beans are your friend, they are high in protein and a healthy alternative to filling up on rice, potatoes or pasta.
    My favorite quick and easy meal for my boys?
    Progresso lentil soup poured over rice.

    I read a cookbook today at work about a shepards pie, basically it was brown some onions, carrots and garlic and add the lentil soup. Layer the veg mix with mashed potatoes over it and bake
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
    I love roasted vegetables. Most vegetables can be roasted simply by sprinkling a some olive or other oil on them and putting them in a 350-375F oven and turning them every 10-15 minutes. Favourites include oven potato and sweet potato fries, cauliflower, sweet onions, rutabaga, carrots, peppers, parsnips and more. Using roasted vegetables in your soups and stews really brings out the flavours. When I was in weight loss mode, roasted vegetables was a go to way to get full with relatively few calories if you're easy on the oil.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    This recipe is a great college staple called Taco Soup.

    Take the following: 1 can each of garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, and black beans. 1 can of tomato soup (smaller ones, if possible). 2 cans corn. 1-2 cans chopped or diced tomatoes. 1-2 packets of vegetarian taco seasoning.

    Pour everything into a pot - the liquid from the cans will be the liquid for the soup. Heat. Serve.

    You can add more fresh, cooked veggies if you have more energy, like grilled onions, garlic, or more - and cook it a little longer so the flavors blend when these are added - but it's tasty and fine without that. You can garnish with things like chopped cilantro or parsley if you feel like, possibly sour cream.

    But this takes little time and energy to make, gives a big pot of soup with a lot of protein in it that will last you a few days, and with the taco seasoning is usually quite tasty. It's great with chips or to dip corn tortillas into, or you can scoop out some of the solids from it and put them on a corn tortilla or over a baked potato. It's also pretty cheap, if you don't need to buy organic or allergen free beans or soups (like some of these canned beans are less than $1 some places).
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