hey, you vegetarians!!!

pink_fortitude

pink_fortitude

Banned
I seriously want to become a vegetarian. It is a healthier lifestyle. I just have a few questions.

I was just wondering if there were any yummy recipes and/or cookbooks around to get started. I am just so used to meat now. Ugh! I was a vegetarian until I got pregnant; almost immediately I was eating steaks with my bare hands (that is how I found out that I was pregnant). I don't like the way I feel after I eat ground beef/pork and I would like to gradually ween my kids off of red meat/pork as well. Can you sub tofu for ground beef in most recipes, like say...lasanga?

I was also wondering where you get your protien from. I imagine it would be difficult to get enough protein considering how hard we all work out. How do you do it?

Thank you so much in advance for your advice/replies!

:D Missy
 
Hey Missy!

I'll PM you tonight with a bunch of info. It's really easy to get plenty of protein as a vegetarian.

I have tons of great cookbooks and links I can send you. But I gotta do it from home! ;)

Lunacat
 
Hi!

I'm also a (pesco) vegetarian - I eat fish. I'm also struggling right now trying to boost my protein. Even eating fish I'm having trouble getting a ratio of 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat. I need to know some very high protein foods. I eat tofu and Seitan, which are very high.

Here is a tofu website you may like:
http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/tofu/

Also, any of the Moosewood cookbooks are great. Look for them on ebay.

I would like to know of some quick, high-protein snacks. If anyone out there has some ideas, I'd greatly appreciate your feedback.

Thanks.

Margaret
 
Oh boy, there are so many great veggie recipes! I have a couple of cookbooks that I just picked randomly when I was at Border's. One of them is called The Vegetarian Family Cookbook and I've made some very tasty dishes from it. Most of the recipes have Dairy and Vegan options, which is nice for me since I try to limit dairy. I've also gotten a slew of great recipes from the Vegetarian Times website (I'm going to subscribe the magazine, actually). vegetariantimes.com Their recipe search feature isn't the best, but they have a LOT of recipes available. I also subscribe to their weekly e-mail recipes. Yummy stuff right to my Inbox! :9

Getting enough protein is really not a problem. There is protein in all green leafy vegetables, and of course beans, nuts, and legumes, and whole grains are excellent protein sources. If you continue to consume dairy, there is protein in milk, cheese, eggs, etc. And soy products contain a lot of protein too. A lot of people think they need tons and tons of protein if they are working out, but the fact is, most people eat way more protein than their bodies can use anyway. And that just puts strain on your kidneys as they try to eliminate the excess protein from your body. I am able to build muscle on a vegetarian diet, with absolutely no problems. I just make sure to get lots of variety in my diet. :)
 
I agree with Emily. Protein isn't the problem, but other vitamins may be if you don't follow a balanced diet. If you stay "clean," as everyone advises here, you'll probably be just fine. Whole grains, plenty of fruits and veggies, that sort of thing.

I've been a vegetarian (lacto/ovo) for about 25 years. I never had any problem from lack of energy except once, when I discovered I was a little low on iron and B12. I improved my diet and added a multivitamin, and haven't had a problem since.

One thing, though. You might want to watch your kids. I know a lot of people don't recommend letting kids follow a vegetarian diet, because their bodies demand so much as they grow. It can be done (though I don't have kids, so I"ve never tried it), but it requires a bit more attention.

I love being a vegetarian. Have fun!
 
Missy..you got some great answers. I agree with Emily and Shannon about the protein amount you need while working out. The excessive protein over the years might not be good for the body. I do take a B-12 supplement, but I also drink soymilk and it has that vitamin in it. I have been mostly Vegan since May 2004. I love this site for recipes, questions and support www.vegsource.com the new veggies forum is awesome. I get protein from tofu, tempeh, beans, quinoa and lots of veggies. Yes you can substitute tofu for about anything. I grate it myself. My fav book is "The Vegan Planet" by Robin Robertson. The book "Eat to Live" by Dr Joel Fuhrman is what got me started in this direction...:)...Carole
 
Oh, one more thing. Don't forget about the other soy products out there, like TVP (texturized vegetable protein). It might work better in stuff like lasagne, instead of tofu, because it's firmer. Actually, the stuff I get it dried, and you add hot water to it to reconsitute before using. You can also add a little soy flour to bread recipes if you bake bread for an additional boost. And of course there are tons of soy products made to look, taste and behave like meat - I don't use those, but they are out there!
 
Shannon...thanks for reminding me about TVP!!! I use it in chili and its great. You can also get flavored TVP. I have tried some of the fake meat soy products...not all are very tasty.....:)...Carole
 
Where do you get it?

Thank you so much, you guys, for helping me out! I have one more question....

How/when did you decide to become vegetarians? I was for about five years. It all happened at the fair. I was only 13 years old. We were in the pig barn and a mother had just had piglets and they were so cute! Just absolutely adorable! Then we walked outside and right next to the barn was a pork stand. I was completely distraught! How could those cute little babies become a sandwich!?! So I never ate pork again. I never at beef, anyways, becuase I had heard a teacher say that they feed the cows cement before they weigh them and sell them to the slaughter houses. Hoorible. Of course, like I said, that all ended when I became pregnant and wanted nothing but meat. No my hormones are no longer in charge of my stomach and I am making a healh decision. And I still think the pigies are cute!

What about you?

Missy:)
 
Missy...I usually get my TVP from the health food store here. You can also get it online. I just posted in the vegan thread as to why I am vegan...:)...Carole
 
I made the change when I was in college. I took a class called "Ethics and Animal Rights," and that ended my meat eating days! I found out all those nasty things about feed lots, etc. But I never did like handling raw meat, so the decision not to eat it made sense to me, once I moved out and Mom stopped cooking for me!
 
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