Vegetarianism

My fiance and I would like to move towards vegetarianism, however we've found that there are some foods that seem to be in a lot of vegetarian recipes that we don't like.

I dislike nuts immensely and ahev tried tofu a few times but have not got on with it, and the fiance does not like mushrooms. I do like quorn but there seems to be some confusing messages out there about it.

Is anyone vegetarian here who might be able to give me some suggestions?

Rather than quorn mince you can buy soya based mince which is quite nice, not sure what you would do for the sausages and "chicken" pieces though. There are always vegetarian burgers too.

Not sure what you normally eat, but if you have a lot of carbohydrates like pasta or rice or bread then insted of having meat with it just add vegetables instead, spinach (which is incredibly good for you), frozen mixed vegetables, peas, sweetcorn, brocoli, cauliflower etc...

You could cook a pad Thai with noodles and assorted vegetables with soy sauce etc. You could have baked beans, soup (of lots of kinds), pickled onions, lettuce and fruit etc.

If you have ham sandwiches then you could switch to cheese, though arguably the dairy industry isn't much better from an ethical perspective.

And if you still want to destroy the planet but not feel as bad about it for some reason you can always cheat and have fish

The main thing is making sure your diet stays balanced, as there are some nutrients which are more accessible in meat, and therefor require a good alternative - tofu is great if cooked right, but be wary of too many soy products in the diet. Various types of beans give you a high protein yield, and root vegetables will help keep your mineral levels up as well - so will certain leafy veggies like chard. I'd suggest paying for a professional consultation with a nutritionist who can talk with you, go over the pros and cons, and help you tailor your diet to your lifestyle as well as any health concerns.

The soy granules I use are TVP (textured vegetable protein) which is purchased from health food stores.
Mostly I use them for chile. Meat eaters have been amazed there was not meat.

Since I do not digest nuts well, I get them in the diet in 2 ways: 1) grind them in a coffee type grinder which is reserved for nuts and mild herbs and spices. These I put direct in salads or make dressing with. Mostly, I use almond and walnut and sunflower seeds and flax. I keep the quantities small and sometimes I mix 2 together. 2) I soak them over night or half the day. I drain them. Sometimes I let them dry on a paper towel and eat them like that. The soaking removes a lot of flavor but not nutrients. Sometimes I put them in a smoothie. With small quantities the flavor is not discernable.

The following link appears as vegan on the front page but that is not the draw for me.. What I like about it is:
It has a very large data-base.

Many of the recipes are created by the users and the quantities are small. Not much is lost if I try something new and I do not like it.

It has a search engine that works. So, when I get tired of my X many recipes for a particular veggie . . I often go here.

www.vegwweb.com

you are making a wise choice in giving up eating meat.
a lot of new vegetarians have problems getting their proper nutrition which leads to many problems. first of all becoming a vegetarian means you are getting smarter! you must also RESEARCH how to not rely on meat. complete amino acids, legumes and grain combinations, once you get down the basics its easy and fun. not to mention how much better youll feel within a week or two.
peace! and good eating

Good to hear that yourself and your partner are considering vegetarianism Edan. I've been veggie for about 16 years, so I may be able to offer a few suggestions.

Tofu can be a tricky one, and isn't for everyone. It is quite bland if you don't marinade it first, and to do that you need to press it. It can be tasty, but I can never be bothered with it after a long day at work. The other thing a lot of people don't like about tofu is the texture. Can be quite nice when fried until slightly crispy, in that case, but obviously that's less healthy. Perhaps you could try tempeh ? It's made from soy, but it's altogether different, and I've found it to be quite versatile. The only caveat with tempeh is the ick factor - the soy beans are fermented and sort of stuck together, and sometimes you'll get little black patches of spores on the product. It is still perfectly safe to eat though, and quite tasty.

As for mushrooms, well I am a big mushroom fan and simply don't understand that!

In all seriousness, you're right that lots of recipes call for mushrooms in vegetarian cuisine. My housemate hates mushrooms too (apparently they're too slimy), so if I cook for her too I often use something like aubergine. You'll get a different texture and taste but it always seems to work.

I'm wondering what the confusing messages you've heard about Quorn are? My only warning regarding it is that whilst it's vegetarian, they still use egg, and despite it being free-range the egg industry is ethically dubious. It all depends on your reasoning for wanting to go vegetarian. If ethics are a consideration then TVP as others have suggested may suit you better, and as for the "fake meat" replacements, I'd check your local health food store. Such shops usually carry a limited but good quality selection, and the staff are going to be expert in what they're selling if you get stuck. Failing that, if you're in the UK then some supermarkets actually have a wide vegetarian section that goes beyond Quorn. Makes sense considering that more and more people are going veggie these days. Sainsbury's for one is rather good, and I've been pleasantly surprised in Tesco on occasion!

I eat a lot of chic peas and lentils to substitute meat. You can vary it quite a lot.

Agreed on that Jonus! Can't beat a good chickpea and lentil daal!

For some amazing veggie alternative products you really need to check out these websites.

http://www.vegancross.com/

http://www.frysvegetarian.co.uk/

http://vegusto.co.uk/

http://www.realfoods.co.uk/

There are lots more but they give the basic idea. Also i think it depends on how you cook the foods to how they taste. Soya baked in the oven and seasoned can very easily taste similar to Chicken. I stopped drinking cows milk, eating cheese and meat a few years ago and health wise feel sooo much better for it.

M

I quite like that Alpro soya yogurt. Only reason I tried it was i couldn't find regular yogurt (yogurt that hasnt had all its fat replaced with sugars)(how this is allowed to continue is beyond me). Plenty of animal-free protein in there.

you are making a wise choice in giving up eating meat.

Not sure I'd agree with this as I have yet to see a "professional" vegetarian age gracefully, however on the subject of "getting everything you need", as I understand bee pollen contains everything the human body requires , however it is collected from bees and may contain bee saliva. It's obviously a produce of the commercial exploitation of bees, which is good if you care about the environment, but not so good for vegetarians I guess?