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Veggie Mania

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New and with question...

TeeJ@y

Posted at: 9:25 am on September 23, 2009 1 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: danac1313 @ 2:53 pm on Aug 17, 2010

danac1313

Posted at: 2:53 pm August 17, 2010

RE: New and with question...

Hi, TJ. I have been strict vegan for about 2 1/2 years, prior to that lacto-ovo vegetarian on and off for 20 years. The only "cheese" product I have found to be somewhat palatable is called daiya. It melts well and comes in a mozzarella variety and a cheddar variety. Both are shredded. I find it at my local whole foods market, but it is not always easy to find. There are some pretty good "parm" substitutes on the market as well. If you are truly wanting them vegan make sure and read your labels for casein. Some of the brands do add it. Also, if you love soy milk, I suggest you try the dairy alternatives made from coconut milk as well. They are really quite nice and a good change. Hope this helps.

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Transition tips

runawayjet
t13

Posted at: 2:05 pm on April 29, 2008 5 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: CantTameMe @ 1:17 am on Jun 16, 2010

SvelteMe

Posted at: 2:25 pm April 29, 2008

RE: Transition tips

The only health reason I can think of is mercury levels. But I completely understand how you feel about them! The only meat I have had any trouble giving up is shrimp. I have found fake tuna called Tuno that is so convincing that my cats have even been fooled! I have seen but haven't tried some fake fish cutlets (you have to order it online) and even scallops. And supposedly there are some fake shrimp, but I haven't found them yet. So every time Red Lobster or Joe's Crab Shack (heck, even Long John Silver's!) start advertising, I have to watch out for the cravings!

sunnyblu

Posted at: 1:34 pm May 02, 2008

RE: Transition tips

Well, with shrimp, just remember that their function in nature is to clean. they clean up debris and "droppings" on the sea floor. What they eat isn't exactly appetizing... and as above, the pollution in the waters are also causing the seafood to be polluted as well. The government has set "acceptable" levels of contaminants, but do you really want to eat them anyway? My personal reasons are solely to do with the welfare of the animals themselves, but it sounds like you already know that, and are strictly looking for health reasons....

loranicole

Posted at: 5:35 am January 01, 2009

RE: Transition tips

Going veg means a lot less saturated fat and cholesterol, in addition to the other contaminents mentioned by others. Vegetarians live on average 10 years longer than meat eaters. Are you going vegetarian or vegan? Vegetarian is no animal parts. Vegan is no animal parts AND no animal products (no dairy, no eggs, no gelatin, no caesin, no honey, no whey, no meat, and a lot of other foods are not allowed).

TeeJ@y

Posted at: 3:53 pm September 24, 2009

RE: Transition tips

My biggest thing is cheese.

My aunt always says "the less you eat (insert here), the less you crave it."

True statement...

CantTameMe

Posted at: 1:17 am June 16, 2010

RE: Transition tips

I'm not going vegan. I have the utmost respect for those who can though! :) I own my own chickens so I know that my eggs are coming from happy healthy Chickens! I stopped "cold turkey" when I became vegetairian. I had no desire to eat meat. At all. My friends all think im insane though " Giving up meat Kari! How can you?" was their response. But I truly think it was one of the most easy desicions ever. Though do any of you have some recipes that you like to share?

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Writers Wanted!

Posted at: 7:25 pm on March 05, 2010

Last Post By: @ 7:25 pm on Mar 05, 2010

Ideas of vegetarian family meals

dostieclan

Posted at: 7:00 am on July 16, 2009 1 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: clairon13 @ 12:14 am on Aug 18, 2009

clairon13

Posted at: 12:14 am August 18, 2009

RE: Ideas of vegetarian family meals

one of our go-to meals lately has been a black bean and rice casserole. it's got the comfort and fillingness of a traditional casserole, but has no meat (tho you could easily add some shredded chicken). basically, it's 2 c cooked rice (we use brown, and i make double batches when i need rice and freeze one portion so i can just pop it out), 2 cans of black beans, drained/rinsed, a can of rotel or plain crushed tomatoes, about a cup or 1 can of corn (if canned, drained), and a can of enchilada sauce. you can add 1/2 c low fat shredded cheese if you want, but my dh is a vegan so we omit this. it cooks at 350 for 30ish minutes or til it's heated through. also, i have a quiche recipe that if you were to use egg beaters would be ok for you in terms of cholesterol.... the recipe is 6 eggs and 1 cup sour cream (i use fat free just fine) and you blend those together. in a skillet, saute about 2-3 cups of frozen bell peppers and onions (it's a bag mix at the groc store-much cheaper than buying fresh bell peppers) in about 2 tsp oil. add about 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp chili pdr, 1/4 tsp cumin, and garlic or onion powder to taste. if it's too watery, add a tsp of flour to absorb the excess. spray a 8" pan w/ cooking spray and add the peppers/onions, then pour the egg custard on top. yum! those are the 2 heartiest dishes i can think of right now, but my family loves both.

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weight loss challenge!

iluvelmo37

Posted at: 1:13 am on January 07, 2009

Last Post By: iluvelmo37 @ 1:13 am on Jan 07, 2009

Helpful Website

loranicole

Posted at: 5:38 am on January 01, 2009

Last Post By: loranicole @ 5:38 am on Jan 01, 2009

Times for steaming veggies?

SvelteMe

Posted at: 11:39 am on October 16, 2008

Last Post By: SvelteMe @ 11:39 am on Oct 16, 2008

Go veggies!

iluvelmo37

Posted at: 2:08 pm on July 22, 2008

Last Post By: iluvelmo37 @ 2:08 pm on Jul 22, 2008

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Stormy
Moon

Posted at: 11:33 am on May 18, 2008 3 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: Stormy Moon @ 8:15 pm on May 27, 2008

sunnyblu

Posted at: 12:16 pm May 27, 2008

RE: Sun-dried Tomatoes

I toss them into salads. Love them. I've also put them on veggie subs/sandwiches.

SvelteMe

Posted at: 1:44 pm May 27, 2008

RE: Sun-dried Tomatoes

I've had them on sandwiches as well. Plus at restaurants, I've seen them mixed with mayo. I've been intending to make my own sun-dried tomato soy mayo. Shouldn't be too hard.

One thing to be aware of. You can get them dried in pouches or mixed with oil in jars. I would imagine that the ones in oil have more calories.

Stormy
Moon

Posted at: 8:15 pm May 27, 2008

RE: Sun-dried Tomatoes

Thanks for the tips! I'm going to try some in my salad and maybe in my tortilla wraps. It will be nice to have something different for my salad.

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Leeks

Stormy
Moon

Posted at: 6:12 pm on May 05, 2008 2 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: Stormy Moon @ 11:00 pm on May 07, 2008

SvelteMe

Posted at: 6:54 pm May 05, 2008

RE: Leeks

I'm fairly sure I've had them as part of something else. I think they were in a vegetarian "bangers and mash" (sausage and mashed potatoes) I had at a local Scottish restaurant. It was delicious! I'm afraid I've never cooked with leeks before, though I'm certain I've got recipes using them. You might check out VegWeb.com to see what recipes they have, or www.fatfreevegan.com.

Stormy
Moon

Posted at: 11:00 pm May 07, 2008

RE: Leeks

Ok thanks I saw a recipe on here for leek and potato soup so I might give that a try. Thanks for the sites, I'll check them out!

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Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

sunnyblu

Posted at: 1:01 pm on April 15, 2008 6 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: sunnyblu @ 1:29 pm on May 02, 2008

SvelteMe

Posted at: 1:05 pm April 16, 2008

RE: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

Is there anything in particular you are looking for? I have a book on the subject (haven't tried any of them yet, but I do still have the book!).

sunnyblu

Posted at: 1:54 pm April 29, 2008

RE: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

I love cabbage and bok choy, so a good recipe featuring that would be good.

SvelteMe

Posted at: 2:06 pm April 30, 2008

RE: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

Well, my cookbook has nine recipes for those. Let me know if any of them interest you and I'll type them up:

• Congee Anytime ("a congee is a rice porridge served as a breakfast food in China, but it can also be enjoyed at other times of the day") • Hungarian Goulash with Tempeh • Cabbage Rolls, Rice and Raisin-Stuffed • Cabbage Rolls, Tempeh and Barley-Stuffed • Slow-Simmered Bok Choy • Sweet and Sour Cabbage • Tempeh Choucroute Garnie ("tempeh and vegetarian sausage links are used to garnish the sauerkraut in this robust dish redolent of caraway and juniper berries") • Vegetarian Pot au Feu ("French for "pot on fire" refers to a French dish of meat and vegetables slowly cooked in water... The ingredients vary according to the region, so why not an all-vegetarian version?") • White Bean Soup, French

SvelteMe

Posted at: 2:14 pm May 01, 2008

RE: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

Hey, I just found a site (well, technically, I already knew about the site, but I just found this page) that includes vegan slow-cooker recipes: http://www.fatfreevegan.com/etl/index.shtml.

SvelteMe

Posted at: 2:16 pm May 01, 2008

RE: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

And there's a bunch more here: http://www.fatfreevegan.com/crockpot/crockpot.shtml

sunnyblu

Posted at: 1:29 pm May 02, 2008

RE: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Recipes

Thanks so much for the web site, I'll check it out!

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Picky vegetarian

RNsarah

Posted at: 12:40 pm on March 17, 2008 4 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: sunnyblu @ 2:55 pm on Apr 08, 2008

SvelteMe

Posted at: 9:16 pm March 17, 2008

RE: Picky vegetarian

Well, being vegetarian CAN help your weight loss, but it is not necessarily a given. It is totally possible to eat high-calorie and unhealthy without eating meat.

If you love veggies, then I think you may have won half the battle though, unlike me who have to push myself to eat veggies... a vegan who doesn't like veggies? :)

It sounds like you are mostly concerned with protein sources. In addition to tofu, protein can also come from beans and nuts. Another couple of possibilities are seitan and tempeh. You can also get protein from soy or nut milks and soy yogurt (as well as calcium if it is fortified). Then there are snacks like Luna bars (10 g protein and 180 calories or so).

And if you look, there are a few processed things that aren't too bad. My current favorite is Lightlife's Smart Franks at 45 cal per frank. You just have to look at a lot of labels!

If you like cooking, it is also possible to make your own soy burgers. Probably the chik'n patties too, though I don't remember seeing any recipes off the top of my head.

Vegweb.com is a good place to look for recipes. There is also a Yahoo! group called Fatfree Vegan that has recipes as well that could help.

RNsarah

Posted at: 2:02 am March 20, 2008

RE: Picky vegetarian

Thanks so much! I will definitely check those out. Thanks for the great ideas!

SvelteMe

Posted at: 5:30 pm March 21, 2008

RE: Picky vegetarian

You're most welcome!

I'm actually getting too much protein lately. And too much fiber, according to the tracker on my pda!

It looks like I am also going to have to cut down on my processed foods. My blood pressure has been creeping up.

So you are not alone!

sunnyblu

Posted at: 2:55 pm April 08, 2008

RE: Picky vegetarian

I've been a vegetarian for 2 years now and my problem has been substituting cheese for protein sources too much (love mexican food and pizza - or just any kind of cheese in anything!). I think a lot of new vegetarians try to replace a meat source with a soy substition. for instance, a traditional plate of food would have meat and 2 side dishes, so they try to replace that meat with a particular substitute instead of looking at the whole meal. I've found it easier to start cooking a complete meal in a pot, so to speak. Something that has my grain, my veggies, and my protein all together. Then I can have a vegetarian soup or salad on the side if needed/wanted. For example, last weekend I cooked "fettucine with cabbage and goat cheese", and I added a bell pepper, green beans, canned/rinsed kidney beans, fresh pico de gallo, and lots of italian spices and minced garlic. I actually added the goat cheese at the end when I tossed it with olive oil and a dash or 2 of red wine vinegar. I used whole grain fresh pasta, by the way. So really, that meal has everything in it and I don't feel the need to replace meat with *something*. I also make vegetarian meals in my slow cooker too. You can also crumble the veggie burgers (like Morningstar farms grain and veggie based ones) as "meat" in chili or stews if you want. Anyway, that's how I've started avoiding the "where's the meat" problem. For protein, I use beans, legumes, and nuts. I almost always add fresh pecans or walnuts to salads, for instance. And I keep raw almonds at my desk for a quick protein snack. but honestly, vegetarians don't lose weight if they are just substituting meat with some kind of soy substitute (like the soy burgers and "chik'n patties" etc). To lose weight, I think you really have to concentrate on eating veggies, fruits, beans, legumes, and whole grains, with the other soy products/meat substitutes every once in a while. Just my thoughts :)

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Great Idea

flossophy

Posted at: 2:20 pm on February 27, 2008 3 Replies - View Thread

Last Post By: SvelteMe @ 5:29 pm on Mar 03, 2008

SvelteMe

Posted at: 11:53 am February 28, 2008

RE: Great Idea

Terrific! I thought there might be a few of us on this site, but I wasn't sure. Welcome! I take it you are vegetarian? I was vegetarian for five years and have been vegan for about six months or so.

flossophy

Posted at: 2:15 pm February 28, 2008

RE: Great Idea

Oh wow, vegan? That's a huge commitment. Yes, I'm vegetarian and have been for a year or so, largely because my boyfriend is, and I wanted to support him, but I've since taken it to heart and become a lot more passionate about it than he is!

What is a vegan source of calcium? I mean I know they put it in soy milk but that's just an additive right?

SvelteMe

Posted at: 5:29 pm March 03, 2008

RE: Great Idea

Yes, calcium is frequently added to soy milk and tofu. It's also added to many orange juices. In face, there is more calcium in a half cup (afraid I don't know the conversion to metric) of calcium-fortified tofu (435 mg) than there is for a cup of cow's milk (300 mg).

You can also find it in smaller amounts in blackstrap molasses, greens, and a few other veggies.

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