Being Vegetarian!

Thats so great! I've been a vegetarian for 7 1/2 years and I love it. Its really hard sometimes--I was the biggest meat-eater! I bounce back and forth from veganism to vegetarianism. I don't eat that much dairy, but I don't think I can cut it out completely (i.e I gave up milk and only drink soy milk/hemp milk but I'll never be able to give up ice cream, haha). Also, occasionally I eat eggs and Fage yogurt is a good protein source.
I've noticed that my animal-free diet has given me a bigger sweet tooth, which I didn't think was possible and also, like you said, I probably eat more carbs then I did before I became vegetarian. For me though the benefits of being vegetarian are worth it. Its also not as hard to get protein as people think. You have to be more diligent about it though. Some days I get 20grams and others I get 80.
As for imitation meats, I love them! I agree that they aren't the best thing to eat. I've read a lot soy isolates being bad for you, but they are a legit source of protein and I'd rather eat soy protein then animal protein. Everything in moderation. I only eat fake meat 3 or 4 times a week at most. Gardein, lightlife (bologna), Tofurkey (tofurkey veggie sausage pizza is good!), and Morning Star are good brands for that. Morning Star makes killer BBQ riblets you pop in the microwave. You can find them in the freezer section in Whole Foods or sometimes Dominick's. Anyways, I wouldn't worry too much about it being unhealthy for you considering so much of our meat is diseased and contaminated from CAFO's. yuck.
I usually don't cook tofu or tempeh, I don't like it that much unless its already prepared. I steam a lot of vegetables. I do kale bowls a lot for work lunches (lentils, shredded cheese, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, zucchini). I eat a lot of salad from Whole Foods, too, haha and Trader Joe's will be your best friend! They have so much good vegetarian stuff. With tofurkey sandwiches I usually just put veganaise (its better than mayo!), spinach leaves, laughing cow cheese and bell peppers between some tofurkey and bread.
Good luck!

I posted this on another thread last night but thought I would post here it too! LOL

I am a vegan also but I don't eat soy either, well....very very rarely, liquid a tsp of Bragg Liquid Aminos fermented non-GMO soy as flavor for some dishes.) I think a lot of vegans way overdo the soy. Especially if it is not 100% organic soy (GMO!)

Some staples at my house (all organic so no GMO)

ezekiel sprouted corn tortillas
black beans
white cannelini beans
pinto beans
village harvest brown organic rice (great price on Amazon)
organic raw almonds
walnuts
cashews
oatmeal (rolled oats or steel cut)
quinoa
produce (LOTS!! If you join a CSA you can have organic local farm veggies delivered right to/near you in bulk)
daiya "cheese" (no soy or dairy and melts well for homemade pizza or things like stuffed mushrooms)
Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Yeast - Large flake (1/4 cup of this is 113% of daily b12 requirement)
almond milk
Navita's Natural raw cacao powder (lots of fiber, protein, iron, antioxidants, best price amazon in double pack)
Bob's Red Mill Ground Flax Seed (great egg replacer for recipes like pancakes, etc.)


My favorite breakfast:
1 organic apple cut up (80 cal)
1/2 oats (160 cal)
1/8 cup chopped walnuts (100 cal)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (60 cal)
1/2 tablespoon 100% organic real maple syrup grade b (25 cal)

Lots of protein and fiber and keeps you full for hours!

Fave lunch:
1/2 cup white cannelini beans
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (kind of makes it seem 'cheesy')
veggies galore (2 zucchini, onion, garlic, jalepeno or red hot chili pepper, mushrooms, tomato, etc)
(22 protein!)

or
2 ezekiel sprouted corn tortillas
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 avocado
topped high with homemade salsa (roma tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, serrano pepper)
(homemade sriracha is really good too, I love spicy stuff though!)

or

1/2 avocado (diced up)
1 organic small navel orange (peeled and up up into chunks)
1/4 cup quinoa cooked in 1/2 cup organic low sodium veggie broth
red pepper (flakes are ok)
(add avocado and orange after cooking quinoa and putting on a place, good to eat totally cooled too, like packing for work lunch. Sounds weird but it's really good, kind of sweet and savory but the avo and orange totally makes the dish!)

Fave dinners:
black bean and sweet potato enchiladas in either whole wheat or ezekiel corn tortilla (black bean, sweet potato, onion on the inside) cooked with some green chili sauce (homemade or store bought) + avocado cilantro "sauce" on top. SO good. Original ecipe here, I modify for calories and I try not to eat a lot of gluten: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/04/vegan-enchiladas-with-cilantro-avocado-cream-sauce-2/

That sauce is to die for yummy though!

Another fave is to do the same as above but to stuff the corn tortillas with black beans, spinach, and mushrooms. YUM!

Tonight I made homemade pizza, whole wheat dough crust + layer of shredded zucchini, nutritional yeast (for b12), tomato sauce, garlic, onion, mushroom, grape tomatoes, olives, and some daiya "cheese."

For FAST dinners I do whole wheat pasta with a vegan tomato or red pepper sauce (trader joes or Fresh and Easy has some organic ones for $2.99) with a side of steamed green beans or asparagus.

Another fast one is Udon noodles (hakubaku organic are my fave, wheat) cook in FOUR minutes. I steam a bunch of veggies (zucchini, carrots, spinach, whatever you like) + cashews on the side with a bit of coconut oil and some Braggs liquid amino (it is soy though, fermented though and non-GMO but you could also use a homemade sriracha if you like spicy)

A good snack:
2.5 tablespoons organic raw cacao powder
8 oz almond milk
1 medjool date (to sweeten, cut the pit out first)
5 almonds
chuck all in blender with handful of ice....yum! Only 210 cal too and lots of protein and fiber and 13%+ daily iron.

Hummus is another great snack....or guacamole....with some organic corn chips (I like the Fiesta Mix ones from Fresh and Easy, still has 140 cal per serving though.)

This week I am going to try to make a "mole" sauce with my raw cacao powder and some ancho chiles. There are TONS of awesome websites with ideas. If you put in vegan + whatever you are looking for.....tons of options. HTH!

In time you will lose your craving for meat. Trust me, it goes in time. Until then, just try to do your best. If you miss the texture of animal protein it's ok to go for a meat substitute sometimes. There are many many lacto-ovo dishes that are filling and even traditional : mac and cheese, cheese enchiladas, bean burritos, grilled cheese sandwiches. Ok that was a lot of cheese there but have you tried using firm tofu crumbled up in salads? It has a nice texture and will sop up whatever dressing you use. Maybe I am weird but I like the taste of plain tofu ;0 Perhaps it is an acquired one. A lot of new vegetarians are worried about protein. As long as you eat a wide enough variety of foods throughout the day, you need not worry over this. You would have to be eating twinkies cokes and chips all day to have a deficiency. I have been a lacto-ovo veg for 10 years. If you have any questions feel free to add me.

I'm pescetarian (still eat fish, eggs, and dairy) and my food diary is open if you want to take a look. Since I upped my calories last week I've been eating 130 (ish) grams of protein a day. I get most of my protein from eggs, whey protein, and Greek yogurt. The first time I tried tofu I really didn't like it, but I really like it now! You just have to figure out how to prepare it correctly. Make sure your press out all the liquid that you can and freeze it before you use it. It tastes so much better that way. Plus it's really bland, so you really have to go heavy on the seasonings. I can't remember where I got some of the recipes I used, but you can just google it. I found one for breaded fake chicken nuggets/ strips that I absolutely love! Even my meat eating friends liked this one. Also, I'm a big fan of Morningstar products.