Vegetarian Help!

Mushy vegetables are gross. Crispy stir-frying or steaming is best. Mix you crisp-cooked veggies with pasta, rice, or something you like the texture of. I love to make sauces and salad dressings with lite silken tofu, really creamy and yummy with very low calories. I've been veg for 35 years and have never worried much about protein and vitamins, and I'm pretty damn healthy, so don't stress about that.

i don't know what you class as "cooked vegetables" ;p but things like pulses, kidney beans, red lentils, chickpeas etc they're great to add to vegetarian chilli, curries or even something simple like prawns, peas and tomatoes with rice! canned tomatoes are great too.

try meals like paella (a great one is "Easiest ever paella" from the good food magazine/website) which is rice and prawns/sea food with some vegetables

i'm not vegetarian myself but i often try to have at least one vegetarian meal a week....what about vegetarian lasagnes where the vegetables are mixed with pasta/cheese?

hope this helps

If you like beans, they are a great way to get protein and they are very affordable. I make black bean quesadillas all the time. Simply drain a can of black beans, throw in some lime juice (2 tsp) and some garlic (or garlic powder), chili powder and cumin. I also add 1/4 cup canned tomatoes (drained) if I have them on hand. Mash the beans & tomatoes with a fork (or potato masher, or pastry blender) until it forms a thick spreadable (but slightly chunky) consistency. Spread the mixture on one half of your whole-wheat tortilla, top with 1/2 oz. monterey jack shredded cheese and throw it into a heated skilled coated with non-stick cooking spray. Flip once it turns brown. Cut and serve with fat-free greek yogurt and salsa. It may sound strange, but it's SO good. My 17 month old gobbles them up.

Soups are also a great affordable way to eat vegetarian. You can blend the veggies to you don't get the texture. Good luck!

Raw vegetables will give you much more of the nutrients you need quicker since 80% of nutrients are lost from heating over 115 degrees.
Eating raw veggies doesn't taste good though and takes forev.
You can get a juicer on Amazon for less than $40. I suggest getting one of these and like 3 times a week make yourself a tall glass of veggie juice and drink it down. Put kale, spinach, carrots, celery, and a couple peices of fruit too to sweeten it some.

Yeh, Im not vegetarian but I opt for veggie meals alot of time cuz my sister hates meat....anyways I found this awesome recipe for red kidney bean and sweet potato burritos, I cant remember the site but I bet if you put it into google you'll find it, top it with salsa and its really good. PLUS you can freeze leftovers so anytime u need a quick meal pop it in the micro for a few and YUM

Stir frying is the best way to incorporate cooked, but crisp vegetables, but stir fry "like textured" vegetables together to make sure they keep their crispness. Ex., when i stir fry, i usually add a little oil to the pan and then the carrots, stir fry just till they get tender crisp, remove them, add in the broccoli, same way, then the onions, celery and say peppers because they require about the same amount of time, removing each vege as done to your liking and then when all are done, put a little more oil in the pan, some garlic, soy, maybe some chili flakes, a little touch of honey, and some fresh ginger, a little salt and pepper. Give that about one minute then toss with the other veges (and/or tofu or beans, etc.). That way each vegetable has the texture you like and it really doesn't take much longer, since you're barely cooking them anyway.

Stir frying is one way that I get my kiddos to eat more veggie meals :0D, although I am a vegetarian I am leaving the choice up to them if they choose to be vegetarian (my fiance refuses, he is steak/potatoes man) but I still want my kids to eat healthy and have plenty of veggies and variety! The only thing I do different with theirs is throw in chicken or a lean beef (once mine has already been prepared :0D)