Help With Clean Vegetarianism

syzygy314

syzygy314

Cathlete
Hi Ladies!

I am seeking your help with transitioning to vegetarianism. My reasons for considering this switch are not the common ones. Basically, meat just costs too much! I'm in a phase in my life where cost is as important as anything else in my reasons. I had been toying with this idea for a while anyway, but it just seems that now is the time.

My issue is that everything I'm reading talks about using "convenience" foods and other things that are not considered clean. :confused: How do you work around this issue? I'm not willing to give up my clean eating approach.

If anyone has some better online (free) resources they can point me to for information on vegetarianism and making the transition, I would appreciate the links. :D

I'll take any advice you have since I know many of you are already vegetarians/vegans. I'm not willing to give up my eggs and dairy, though. I don't do much dairy, but eat eggs daily (whites mostly) and love my yogurt! I don't want to use too much soy products too much because I'm reading some negative articles on too much soy. Please feel free to correct me if I'm misinformed. I can take it!

Thank you for all your help!

A very confused Wanna-Be!
 
Hi Tricia,

As someone who's been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 24 years, my recommendation is not to call yourself a vegetarian, and not put those kind of restrictions on yourself. I'm not saying to eat meat, I'm saying that to label yourself that way can lead to all kinds of issues. Deciding to eat meat less or even hardly ever is a reasonable choice, for whatever reason, while avoiding the challenges that can arise both socially and within your own skull by labeling yourself a vegetarian.

As for clean vegetarianism, I'm not sure which convenience foods you're referring to, but I would just stick to the same principles as eating clean when eating an omnivorous diet - less ingredients, fresh produce, shop the perimeter of the store, whole grains (unless you workout like an athlete - vegetarian athletes may get too much fiber and non-whole grains may be a better choice for them), legumes, nuts, berries and other fruit, etc. Choose a variety of foods for each meal; always include complex carbs, protein and healthy fats in each one. Same idea, just without the meat. I think it's probably easier choosing non-meat options when trying to eat clean.

Handy tip if you aren't wild about salads for a lot of your meals (although you can make damned near anything into a salad) but still want to get your veggies in: cut up some veggies, like cucumbers, cauliflower, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc. and bring them to work. Throw them into a bowl and keep the bowl on your desk in front of you. Munch on them throughout the day. At first you might not be used to eating veggies raw without a dip, but you get used to the taste very quickly and start to appreciate their natural flavour. You start to taste the natural sweetness of cauliflower, for instance. It also keeps you full with few calories and makes you feel wonderfully self-righteous at the same time. This should be in addition to lunches and snacks with protein and healthy fats, of course.

Having hardboiled eggs handy is great too and very versatile. I cook some up every weekend for the following week. I also make some brown rice for the week at the same time and add it to soups, salads, etc.
 
I eat mostly fresh fruits and vegetables cooked or raw, lots of quinoa, some nut butters and whole grain English muffins or crackers. I eat some rice but really very little soy except for Tofu occasionally. I really don't find it hard to stay away from processed foods as they are expensive and I just plain don't like faux meat products. I also eat hummus and baba ganoush on breads and sandwiches. I like to cook so it is fairly easy to look in the fridge, check on what veggies are there and come up with something. I also eat dal--lentils--and cook lots of veg. Indian food. I just got a book on vegie burgers so I plan on making some of those and freezing them. I also like pasta with lots of different vegies and /or beans--heavy on the vegies light on the pasta.
 
Why didn't I thing of that? Thanks Morningstar and Phyllis! I guess I was working too hard at it. My biggest concern is not getting enough protein. I have always been one of those unique individuals who doesn't eat tons of protein all day. According to my measurements based on my body weight, I'm always about 10-20 grams short in protein each day. I don't do protein powders due to the ingredients and the extreme cost and I can't imagine eating another 8 or so ounces of protein each day!

I already shop around the perimeter except for my pasta, tomato sauces, bread and oatmeal. Probably what I need are recipe ideas more than anything else!

Any opinions on Vegetarian Times?

Thanks so much ladies!
 
I rarely use recipes for anything except baking, so I'm not much help with that. I just put stuff together and see how it turns out. I've been developing my vegetarian chili for 24 years and it's incredible, but still a work in progress (and nope, I don't give out the recipe, even to family!)
 
Awww, shucks! :p

That's okay. Cooking by the seat of my pants is not something I have ever been good at! I did find a very nice vegetarian chili recipe in my Clean Eating Cookbook, so I'm good there! I'm just not that creative and like to keep variety in my meals. Maybe someone else will be able to give me some insight about the magazine.

Thanks again Morningstar!

morningstar said:
I rarely use recipes for anything except baking, so I'm not much help with that. I just put stuff together and see how it turns out. I've been developing my vegetarian chili for 24 years and it's incredible, but still a work in progress (and nope, I don't give out the recipe, even to family!)
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morningstar said:
Hi Tricia,

As someone who's been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 24 years, my recommendation is not to call yourself a vegetarian, and not put those kind of restrictions on yourself. I'm not saying to eat meat, I'm saying that to label yourself that way can lead to all kinds of issues. Deciding to eat meat less or even hardly ever is a reasonable choice, for whatever reason, while avoiding the challenges that can arise both socially and within your own skull by labeling yourself a vegetarian.
Click to expand...

Very wise post! :)
 
Ditto what other people have posted about the same priniciples of clean eating applying.

I'm vegan so I eat differently than what you aspire to, but I would think that egg whites and greek yogurt would solve any concerns you have about adequate protein intake. I get plenty just from plant-based sources, and I probably eat soy about every other day. I eat a lot of beans, and canned beans are a clean and very convenient food. I add them to soups, stews, curries; sprinkle them in salads; mix them up with brown rice and add some salsa for an instant dish. Yesterday I blended a can of black beans with some cumin and cayenne, and a little splash of water. I made roll-ups with this bean mixture in romaine lettuce leaves. That with a granny smith apple was my lunch.

www.goveg.com has many resources for recipes and info on vegetarianism. Good luck! :)
 
Thanks for all of your tips and ideas! Again, I'm sure I was just thinking too much! I have a problem with that! lol!
 
It's been a pretty easy transition for me. I've tried not to really label myself too much as "vegetarian" because I do occasionally (rarely) still eat fish (and many true veggies get mad when you say you are a veggie and still eat fish). So officially, I'm a pescavore, I guess. I've enjoyed eating low on the food chain. It feels more natural. I eat lots of grains and nut butters and salads loaded with seeds. I also discovered almond milk and LOVE it! I haven't missed meat either. Meat kind of weighed me down and made me feel bloated and gross when I ate it. I recently went on vacation and thought it would be really hard to stick to it, but it was easy. My mom made the most amazing omelettes while we were at the beach (full of peppers, onions, mushrooms, a little cheese -YUM!) and I decided I'm going to add that to my menu from now on too (except I'll use mostly egg whites from now on). I have made sure to take a daily multi-vitamin and a B-complex too just to make sure I'm getting my vitamins in. And I eat mostly Ezekiel bread/English muffins instead of regular bread so that I can get some extra protein. I also don't eat much soy. Hate tofu.

I bought Alicia Silverstone's Kind Diet book and have enjoyed reading her views on vegetarianism... She's vegan and I'm not that devoted... Yet. :)
 
Ditto what everyone else has said. I love quinoa as a protein source. There is also a number of pastas out there that are multi-grained and higher in protein (there is actually a quinoa pasta), like Barilla Plus which is better than a semolina pasta. You'll find some amazing recipes out there, too. Two favorites that come to mind that you can get online: from Eating Well Magazine - an amazing mango lentil dal; from Cooking Channel and Nigella Lawson - Linguine with Mushrooms, Lemon and Thyme. Check out Vegetarian Times magazine and Eating Well magazine. Lots of great, healthful recipes and ideas to get you rolling. I went veg two years ago (although I do still eat limited types of seafood maybe two or three times a month, or if I go out and my choices are limited). I love it and now the idea of animal flesh just really grosses me out. Enjoy!
 
Thanks so much Stephanie and NY25! I was going to get the free initial issue of Vegetarian Times to try. I'll also look into Eating Well.

Like I said, I have to have recipes to guide me otherwise, it's either inedible or barely edible! LOL! I can cook like a pro with a recipe! Go figure!
 
Congratulations on making the decision to go vegetarian!

The information in this vegetarian post helped me immensely! This is such a great forum for vegetarian/vegan questions.

http://cathe.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272933

Money is definitely a good reason to go vegetarian. Maybe I can help with one more reason to go vegetarian - for your health :) For years I've been trying to reduce my cholesterol count without medication and tried so many things, including a 21 day juice diet...uuugghhh. Then I read "The China Study", I started eating vegetarian and nearly vegan (on rare occasion I'll eat cheese) to try to help my cholesterol. The book said and my doctor agreed that it would take a year to show in my blood count and it really did take that long. 6 months into it my count went from 300 to 260 and then almost exactly 1 year later had dropped another 60 points from a total of 300 down to 199. My doctor almost didn't believe me when I told him I wasn't on medication. So, for both health and compassion reasons I will always eat this way.

Good luck to you!!

Tracey
 
I think Eating Well and Vegetarian Times are both great magazines. I use their recipes every month.

I am also always scouting out the 'fresh and healthy' versions of regular magazines - they are usually loaded with less/no meat options.

Fine Cooking has Ellie Krieger now as a contributing editor and her segments are really good. They have a special issue out now called Fresh and Quick that I really like. I just looked at mine and it's supposed to be on newstands until July 31.

Cooking Light is also offering more veg options.

I also have Jillian Michael's new cookbook and the recipes are very good IMO - most are quick and easy and tasty. She has a good sized section for fish and another section for vegetarian meals.
 
Thanks Cindi! I ordered Vegetarian Times to try. I'll look for Fresh and Quick on Saturday - maybe I'll get lucky!

cindi1 said:
I think Eating Well and Vegetarian Times are both great magazines. I use their recipes every month.

I am also always scouting out the 'fresh and healthy' versions of regular magazines - they are usually loaded with less/no meat options.

Fine Cooking has Ellie Krieger now as a contributing editor and her segments are really good. They have a special issue out now called Fresh and Quick that I really like. I just looked at mine and it's supposed to be on newstands until July 31.

Cooking Light is also offering more veg options.

I also have Jillian Michael's new cookbook and the recipes are very good IMO - most are quick and easy and tasty. She has a good sized section for fish and another section for vegetarian meals.
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