Converting to mostly vegetarian diet

[wildernesse]

I think that in 2010 I am going to change over to a mainly vegetarian diet. There's almost no chance that I will become a full vegetarian, because I like eating meat, but I think it would be healthier for me to cut back some.

I am thinking about trying for vegetarian during the weekday and omnivorous on the weekends, so that I have some structure.

Any thoughts? If you switched to a vegetarian diet, what helped? Favorite recipes/meals? Thanks!

[godfry n. glad]

I suggest you check out the Moosewood series of cookbooks.

[Deadlokd]

Lots of pulses and lentils as a meat substitute. I'm not sure that eating meat two days in a row after a vege diet for five would be healthy. Maybe have two nights a week when you have some meat, say Wednesday and Saturday or Sunday. That spaces them out and your body will adapt knowing that it has concentrated protein coming in every few days. Cheese is your friend, as are herbs and spices.

Tofu is not your friend. A friend of ours describes tofu as "little squares of ass". I have to agree with her.

[viscousmemories]

Way to steal my thunder wildy! I was planning on starting a Vegetarian Experiment thread myself to chronicle my attempt at living an ovo-lacto vegetarian lifestyle over the next six months.

Anyway I didn't plan to start until the new year but I've already started making changes. I went to a Thai restaurant today and got some of my usuals, Green Curry and Tom Yum soup, but with vegetables instead of chicken. I didn't miss the meat at all.

[lisarea]

I have tips in the form of a bulleted list!

• Vegetables that are meatlike in substance include eggplants, legumes, and mushrooms. To a little lesser extent, cauliflower and root vegetables. These can make up hearty meals, and can help if you're in the mood to tuck into something substantial that resembles a slab o' meat.
• Mess around and come up with a perfect ratatouille and a vegetarian chili and at least one vegetable soup. Like a traditional vegetarian pasta e fagioli, or a spring vegetable soup or vegetable and barley.
• You know about beans and rice, but experiment with different combinations beyond regular red beans and rice; and expand to other grains as well. I used to make kashi with either black or pinto beans a lot, for example, with cheese, salsa, tomatoes, and lettuce on top. Maybe some sour cream, even. Avocados would be good, too.
• Tofu is not always bad, unless you totally hate the texture of every firmness of tofu. You just have to spice and prepare it the way you like. I saw some pretty tasty looking homemade tofurkey recipes recently, but I haven't tried them yet. One was all cute, cut out in turkey shapes from a cookie cutter.
• Tofu sammiches are good too: coat thinly sliced firm tofu in a good spice mix, with at least a little heat. Saute up in a frying pan, melt some cheese over (dome it for optimum meltiness). Serve on whole wheat buns with leafy green lettuce, thin sliced onion and tomato, and mayo.
• Pro-tip: Burger King has veggie burgers! They use Morningstar Farms brand, which is the most delicious of veggie burgers; and you can even substitute them for meat patties in any sammich you want, for a price. Yeah, that's right. VEGETARIAN WHOPPERS.
• FALAFEL. Also a staple, and easily adapted for any number of applications. You can make them traditional middle Eastern, you can make them into burgerlike sandwiches, or even sort of Mexican-like, sort of like soft tacos but with salsa and yogurt and lettuce and tomato and onion.
• Oh, and hummus is really quick and easy to whip up. Takes like twenty seconds if you have a blender or food processor, and also makes an excellent sandwich if you have pita or some other thin bread. Hummus and thin tomato slice sandwiches on a kind of stiff rustic bread are awesome for summertime.
• Beans and greens go together really well. The mild bean flavors complement the bitterness of greens. Use them together in stir fries and soups and things like that. Smokey spices go well, so stick in some liquid spice and bay leaves and stuff if prudent. (Just tonight, I had to use up some chard, so I sauteed it with garlic, then added a can of garbanzo beans and a can of crushed tomatoes, and seasoned it just with salt and pepper; then had it over some Basmati rice. It was WAY better than I'd expected. Really good.)

OK. I might also go on this experiment with you guys. Also Maturin, but he doesn't know it yet.

[godfry n. glad]

Make sure that you get the proper balance of nutrients.

My understanding is that many vegetarians overlook a necessary nutrient, which if ignored over a long period of time can lead to connective tissue problems. I think that Deadlokd has touched on the detail by referencing pulses. I believe that intake of nuts also addresses the problem (folic acid, perhaps?)...but it can be addressed with the proper adjustment to a totally vegetarian diet.

Check into it.

[lisarea]

If she's just on a mostly vegetarian diet, it shouldn't be an issue, though.

I was full vegetarian for about six years, during which I was relatively careful about things like that. B vitamins and iron are the big ones. Solutions: Eggs and milk or supplements for the former and grains and leafy greens for the latter. (Here's an article.)

But for maybe ten years after that, I ate meat maybe once or twice a week and didn't think much about it or supplement in any way, and I didn't have any problems with that. Most of us probably eat something ridiculous like 10x as much meat as we would need to fulfill basic nutritional needs without tweaking our vegetable intake, so it shouldn't really be a problem cutting down significantly.

[Qingdai]

Vitamin B12, which is mainly gotten from animal products. If you had pernicious anemia, vegetarian isn't a good option. Not a problem with reduced animal products.

There is a good ribollita recipe I want to try, it's beans and greens.

Firm tofu is really good basted with a marinade then baked at 350º F for about half an hour on each side. Most people can't cook tofu well. It tastes like nothing unless you do something to it.

[Brimshack]

Fine!

If'n I ever go to Alaska, I'm not sharing any muktuk with either of you two!



...or Lisapea and prisoner Maturin.

[godfry n. glad]

Y'know, Brim, you'd sit down a share a bottle of qymyz with a fellow, wouldn't you?

[Listener]

Don't forget you need omega3 oils - e.g. flaxseed oil. Don't cook with it!

[wildernesse]

Sorry for stealing your thunder, vm, but maybe we can help each other out along the way!

I'm not worried too much about my body being surprised by meat consumption on two days a week, but if I feel bad after I do it, I will change it up a bit. Thanks for the tips about nutrition--I had a class in college about diet across cultures, which included basic nutrition so I have at least some foundation in that.

I actually like tofu and seitan, but I still need to practice more before I'm good cooking this at home. I have heard that the Moosewood books are very good, and I have Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone already which I enjoy using.

And thanks for the Burger King tip!! That is a great option if I am on the road without lunch or a suggestion for a quick lunch at work.

I have some pantry things I need to use up, so I will try to post my 1st week's menu when I get a chance to look through that.

[Gonzo]

Eat MorningStar soy vegimeats and you can easilly convert to a non-kill diet. They taste the same.

I like spinich... you'd be surprised how easy it is to cut meat out all together, but be prepared to want to eat junk food and brownies.

Peanut butter is a great source of everything.

There are a billion good things not made of animal.

[slimshady2357]

I like meat, probably more than your average everyday person even, but I have to say that firm tofu is yummy! It sucks up flavour and delivers it back to you upon eating, it's a flavour sponge. Of course if you don't cook it in some spices and/or sauces of some kind, they it just tastes of sponge

But any saucy or spicy dish you normally have meat in (stirfrys are my favourite) will be lovely with tofu instead. But only firm or extra firm, the really squishy stuff is just gross.

Do you 'mericans have Quorn products over there? http://www.quorn.co.uk/Our-Range/

Sou is veggie and we eat loads of Quorn products. I've never come across better veggie substitutes than the range of Quorn products. Their fillets and sausages are fantastic. It's a mycroprotein apparently (just learned that!)

[livius drusus]

I love Quorn, especially their garlic and herb fillets. Cook them up crisp, slice them, and they make a great addition to caesar salad, or any salad, really.

Okay, once again it is time to post the best tofu recipe of all time. OF ALL TIME.

Pan-Seared Tofu

1 lb firm tofu
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 Tblsp sesame oil, preferably toasted sesame oil

Place the tofu on a towel and let dry for 1 hour. Cut into slices 3/8 inch thick, then place the slices on a dry towel to drain for another hour.

Combine the soy sauce, water and herbs. Submerge the tofu in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. If the liquid doesn't completely cover the tofu slices, baste several times over the day.

Drain the tofu on paper towels. Place an iron skillet over high heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 Tblsp oil and add half the tofu slices. Do not crowd the pan. Sear over high heat until the tofu is brown and crusty, about 2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining slices and serve immediately.

[Brimshack]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

Y'know, Brim, you'd sit down a share a bottle of qymyz with a fellow, wouldn't you?

That I would do. You and I can have THEIR portions.

Harrrumph!

[ShottleBop]

Two book recommendations:

Trick and Treat, by Barry Groves

The Vegetarian Myth, by Lierre Keith

One thought:

Careful with the soy.

[viscousmemories]

Has anyone read Michael Pollan's books? I was looking at The Omnivore's Dilemma at B&N the other day and it looked interesting.

[wildernesse]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Has anyone read Michael Pollan's books? I was looking at The Omnivore's Dilemma at B&N the other day and it looked interesting.

I have read In Defense of Food, which I think is the short and succinct version of his food writing. I found it very interesting.

[Qingdai]

I love Michael Pollan, if you want a well rounded debate on food issues, production and consumption, you won't find better.

He's practical and thorough. I've read both books.

[wildernesse]

Hmm, I can already tell that I am going to need to be more deliberate about my planning to prevent simple carb overload. Today I had: coffee + bagel; tea + egg biscuit; Clif bar; potatoes + coke + popcorn. I did eat two meals out (breakfast and lunch), but I realized that I can always have an egg biscuit from Bojangle's in addition to BK veggie burgers.

Tomorrow, I go to the grocery store. I am having a hard time being inspired about making anything, so my planning is a bit impaired. I think I will try to make veggie-heavy fried brown rice on Sunday as my easy, brainless leftover for the week. And possibly a cooker of pinto beans. So I could alternate fried rice with beans + kale + cornbread until I ran out of those, frozen pizza on Friday, and I have pasta + jar sauce that needs to be eaten.

Lunches are also annoying. I am fine eating a frozen burrito like thing once a week, with fruit. I like Amy's brand, which are vegetarian anyway. I can eat hummus like no one's business, so that with pita and veggies and olives will be fine a couple of days. Pbj is also fine with veggies and fruit. I like nuts for snacks, and that will work out.

It would be great if I could get away from the processed frozen things, but right now I am not doing so great at that. One thing at a time.

[livius drusus]

How about soup? You can make lots of it at a time then reheat for meals. I make at least a lentil soup a week. Minimal effort = many feedings.

[wildernesse]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

How about soup? You can make lots of it at a time then reheat for meals. I make at least a lentil soup a week. Minimal effort = many feedings.

I had lentil soup a few days ago, although I do have some lentils in the pantry. I could make lentil+bulgar salad instead of fried rice, and I would probably like that better. Lentils are one of my favorite foods.

Tonight I'm not feeling like soup. (I'm feeling like a grouch who needs to go to bed.)

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by wildernesse

Tonight I'm not feeling like soup. (I'm feeling like a grouch who needs to go to bed.)

But you can't eat the grouch because you're mostly vegetarian?

[curses]

Carb overload was a big problem for me. It seemed like every meal was 2/3 carbs.

But I will share one of my favorite recipes:
Spanish Wheat Berry Salad

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups wheat berries, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon jucie
1 clove garlic, minced
1 med. red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup shallots
1/4 cup parsley, flat leaf


Method

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in 6 qt pressure cooker over med hi heat. add wheat berries and saute 5 mins or until toasted. add 4 1/2 c water. Lock lid in place. bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat and cook 30 mins. Release pressure using auto pressure release or carefully transfer cooker to sink and run cool water over rim of lid. Drain wheat berries.


Ehisk together remaining 5 tbsp oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper if desired, Add wheat berries, bell pepper, almonds, shallots and parsley. Toss to combine.

Notes

I use barley following instructions on its package
Servings: 8
Source: Vegetarian Times Issue: Oct 2009 Pg 38


EDIT: I like to browse through the recipes at Veggieboards, there's some good stuff there.

EDIT EDIT: OK, I'm in for the experiment as well. Someone start posting easy recipes that freeze and reheat well!