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In Reply to: Vegetarianism/ To PorceleinDoll posted by jo on March 18, 2003 at 19:18:54:
I have switched to vegetarian, I still allow fish and dairy products in my diet.
I've learned that squash (pumpkin), beans and corn make a perfect protein. Eggs are perfect as well. I eat an egg a day, lunch is my biggest meal, and evening is usually a soup (miso mostly), and either fish, lightly boiled soy beans (the soy bean itself is very very different from tofu or soy sauce, it's called eda-mame and if you can find some, they're great boiled lightly and salted. Eat them cold and pop the bean from the shell).
I have made a pumpkin pie several times without a crust, since it contains mostly good ingredients, and replace the sugar with an alternative, maple syrup (though you'd have to cut down the syrup) is a good try.
I believe the main 2 things a vegetarian can mess up in is protein (since many people rely on meat as their protein) and iron (also found in meat). Potatoes I believe are good for iron, and also leafy green vegetables (also good for calcium).
Oh yes, walnuts and almonds! Good choices for vegetarians. I've heard that people replace meat with mushrooms, I'm not sure of the protein content of mushrooms, though they are extremely healthy for you, but my kids mostly hate them, so I don't cook much with them, just when I can sneak them into something.
I'm still researching recipes, but here's a few menus I use:
Minestrone soup (with kidney or other beans and full of veggies)
Bean salad (with different colors of peppers, celery, cucumbers, pasta and a sweet/sour vinegrette)
Tomatoe sauce (for spaghetti) without meat (I put lots of fresh tomatoes and eggplant into it, with basil, oregano, thyme, all good herbs for the body. If you can, use fresh over dried, more nutritionaly value.)
Cottage cheese, yogurt (sweetened with honey--we don't drink much milk, but eat yogurt on an almost daily basis)
We eat a lot of salmon, and would eat more cod if I could figure out which fish it is, Salmon is easy, it's pink.
I am trying out 'fish-egg spaghetti' tomorrow night. Not as bad as it sounds, truly. Boil the noodles (of course, try to get whole grain organic noodles), lightly grill the fish eggs (this is not cavier, but the smaller teeny weeny eggs that come in the sack, grill the whole sack until it pops), mix the eggs in with the noodles. I top it with a grated Japanese radish and special Japanese vinegar/soy sauce dressing, it was actually very good.
Bananas (try for organic, bananas are apparently sprayed with over 28 different pesticides!)
Oats and whole wheat cereals
I try as much as possible to eat raw vegetables, but of course, in stews and stuff they get cooked up.
Spinach, egg and cheese quiche
A steamed egg custard with whatever veggies I wanted to throw in (this is a custard with no sugar, served as a meal)
I have learned that you actually don't need as much protein as people usually consume. The best diet is to have your largest meal at lunch time, and your lightest meal at night. A very light dinner of fruits and yogurt, a salad and bread, etc. would be fine, and your body will easily absorb the nutrition. Concentrate on making breakfasts and lunches more hearty than dinner (this was a real reversal for our family and we still have not completely broken the habit after close to a year).
A good supplement would be spirulina. It is a green protein, and though a bit pricey, it is definitely worth it. If you can get a jar of it from a health store, and some capsules, start with one cap 2 times a day and increase to 2 or more. I take a daily supplement which has spirulina in it. The bottle is about #30/month, but I must admit, my energy levels have risen and I am quite sold on it. I was hesitant to try cause of the price.
Another supplement I take is MSM. MSM is required by the body for almost every function. I also take an essential oil supplement every day, but that is more anti-oxidant related than vegetarial related.
I get a daily recipe from a site 'recipe4living.com', many of them are vegetarian and simple to make. I also bought the Mosewood cookbook. I can't recommend it yet cause I haven't compared it to any other books, and it is heavy on garlic, but I have made a number of things from it.
Try learning how to use beans, in soups, salads, replacing meat with them. It's easy in a lot of recipes, esp. Mexican which is already bean oriented. Hope that's a help! If I come across more info, will let you know.
I'll post a recipe every time I come across a new one. Here's one I found today:
Broccoli, Cauliflower, & Olive Salad w/ Mustard Vinaigrette -
Adapted from California Home Cooking by Michele Anna Jordan (Harvard Common Press, 1997).
A delicious way to get your cancer-fighting cruciferous veggies, this salad has plenty of flavor, texture, and eye-appeal, a perfect choice for anyone who wants great taste along with good nutrition.
Broccoli and cauliflower are rich in health-promoting phytochemicals and you can put this salad together in practically no time.
INGREDIENTS
4 cups broccoli florets
4 cups cauliflower florets
6 ounces black olives, pitted and sliced
1/2cup mustard vinaigrette (see below)
2 hard-boiled eggs, sieved or grated
Freshly-ground black pepper
1. In a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water, parboil the broccoli and cauliflower until they are just tender. Do not overcook. Drain, refresh in ice water, drain again thoroughly, and place in a medium bowl. Add the olives.
2. Pour the mustard vinaigrette over the vegetables, and toss lightly. Transfer the salad to a serving platter, top with the eggs, season with pepper, and serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.
MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1. Put the Dijon mustard,, shallot, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl, and whisk together.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the dry mustard with the lemon juice, then stir this mixture into the Dijon mustard mixture. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, taste, and adjust the seasonings.
3. Use immediately, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.
The above salad will have your protein (eggs) and enzymes, vitamins and etc from the vegetables, with the addition of benefits from the lemon juice, olive oil (one of the best oils you can use, but grapeseed is the best), and all the herbs thrown in. If you use fresh herbs then all the better for your body.
Hope this was a tiny help. I'll post an article I read that gave me the final push towards cutting meat out of my diet.
