[daniellat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Party_Vixen Me neither but I do love a good vegetarian meal and would love to hear some of your guys favourites!

Just made this recipe today and I loved it. I'm not a vegetarian but don't need to eat meat with everything, this is the perfect example. Even my meat lover boyfriend liked it...not that we are turning vegetarian though, I could never give up poultry or seafood. Veganism is obviously out of the question

[paz2992]

I come here for an advice, i've never been a fan of meat, i remember when i was younger we had BBQs and i would complain about the meat. That always encourage me to persue been a vegetarian when i would turn 18. Then i discover salmon and camarons, and a lot type of fishes. Been a pesectarian was the option. They i discover mcdonalds and my mum delicious homemade hamburguers.

I'm 20 now, i barely eat meat just in spaghetti, or hamburguers. And last week i went with my best friend to her aunt house for a family dinner, she has been a vegetarian for 13 years now and she hasn't had any struggles about it.(she also showed me all the possible ways a vegetarians could still eat good, soy hamburguers were a brilliant thing too) That put me in the mood of doing it again. (my friend just became vegetarian about 3 months ago... she's doing great.)

The main issue here is that i believe vegetarians as they don't eat meat they don't get the enought proteins they diserve am i right? (i have a friend from college who's a veggie and takes protein pills) but what if i become a pesectarian (i eat tuna and fish at least twice a week i love it). does fish complements the absence of meat and chicken? (and i didn't eat meat that often as i already mention, chicken about once every 2 weeks.) i believe also almonds and legumes/beans/peas have a very good amount of proteins...

what would you suggest? (i also found a new store right next to my house that sells everything natural, soy meat, soy milk, dry fruits, among other things) should i go for pesectarism? visit a nutrionist maybe so he would advice me on how to get proteins?

[lucy92]

i get massive amounts of proteins even though i only eat meat once a week or less.

in the AM before i leave for the work i have a "breakfast scramble". its got tomtoes, vegan cheese (i like daiya), leeks, onions, garlic and tofu in it. i also add some tumeric for color.

i make a fruit smoothie with a lot of fresh fruit (strawberries and blueberries are local where i live) mangoes , pineapple and a bit of juice or coconut water. bananas are crucial because they add froth. alternatively, if i wish i can add protein powder or a few blocks of tofu if i feel like it.

at work sometimes i eat a mini second breakfast around 10 AM. i eat kashi cereal wth soy milk. both the cereal and the soy milk have protein in it.

basically, i think the lack of protein thing is a myth. i dont think the general populace really is lacking it. i certainly dont think i am.

if you are worried about a lack of protein you can always add some protein powder to your drinks. a lot of them arent really detectable and you wont taste them.

[Cinthia]

There is a good post on the No Meat Athlete blog about protein: http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein-primer/

[fashionista-ta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz2992 I come here for an advice, i've never been a fan of meat, i remember when i was younger we had BBQs and i would complain about the meat. That always encourage me to persue been a vegetarian when i would turn 18. Then i discover salmon and camarons, and a lot type of fishes. Been a pesectarian was the option. They i discover mcdonalds and my mum delicious homemade hamburguers. I'm 20 now, i barely eat meat just in spaghetti, or hamburguers. And last week i went with my best friend to her aunt house for a family dinner, she has been a vegetarian for 13 years now and she hasn't had any struggles about it.(she also showed me all the possible ways a vegetarians could still eat good, soy hamburguers were a brilliant thing too) That put me in the mood of doing it again. (my friend just became vegetarian about 3 months ago... she's doing great.) The main issue here is that i believe vegetarians as they don't eat meat they don't get the enought proteins they diserve am i right? (i have a friend from college who's a veggie and takes protein pills) but what if i become a pesectarian (i eat tuna and fish at least twice a week i love it). does fish complements the absence of meat and chicken? (and i didn't eat meat that often as i already mention, chicken about once every 2 weeks.) i believe also almonds and legumes/beans/peas have a very good amount of proteins... what would you suggest? (i also found a new store right next to my house that sells everything natural, soy meat, soy milk, dry fruits, among other things) should i go for pesectarism? visit a nutrionist maybe so he would advice me on how to get proteins?

Suggest reading Diet for a Small Planet--it will help you understand how to get complete proteins from either 100% plant sources, or a combination of plant and animal. Many ethnic vegetarian dishes are actually complete proteins, such as beans and corn. If you drink milk with your peanut butter sandwich, the milk completes the incomplete proteins in the sandwich, etc. I think this book would put your mind at rest about protein ...

You could try making your spaghetti sauce with lots of mushrooms, and dash some soy sauce in there, for lots of umami without meat.

A recent vegetarian meal I enjoyed was little 'pizzas' made with flour tortillas spread with mango chutney, thinly sliced red onions, and shredded sharp cheddar on top, and baked. (I'm an omnivore, but I usually eat some vegetarian meals every day.)

[cloudyshambles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fashionista-ta Suggest reading Diet for a Small Planet--it will help you understand how to get complete proteins from either 100% plant sources, or a combination of plant and animal. Many ethnic vegetarian dishes are actually complete proteins, such as beans and corn. If you drink milk with your peanut butter sandwich, the milk completes the incomplete proteins in the sandwich, etc. I think this book would put your mind at rest about protein ... You could try making your spaghetti sauce with lots of mushrooms, and dash some soy sauce in there, for lots of umami without meat. A recent vegetarian meal I enjoyed was little 'pizzas' made with flour tortillas spread with mango chutney, thinly sliced red onions, and shredded sharp cheddar on top, and baked. (I'm an omnivore, but I usually eat some vegetarian meals every day.)

thanks a lot for the book suggestion, I'll definitely check it out as I'm very interested in that topic!

[paz2992]

^^ thanks so much! i'm not really a big fan of soy sauce, but i do love spaghettis with mushrooms, so i guess i'll try them out.

[cloudyshambles]

From the link Cinthia posted ( ) I find this bit very reassuring:

Quote:

While it’s tempting to want to combine these “incomplete” proteins to form a whole, the truth is there’s no need to combine protein sources within a given meal. Really. I know you have heard this one over and over—even the college textbook I teach from says it’s a must!—but trust me, it is not necessary to form complete proteins within single meals. Our bodies pool the amino acids we need as we eat them, and we use them when needed. Some combinations happen naturally—think pinto beans with rice, chickpeas with couscous, or granola with soymilk. But this is not a requirement in order for us to get all of the indispensable amino acids. Combining proteins was popularized in the 1970’s, and even though it has been deemed unnecessary for decades, the idea lives on.

If that is really a myth I'm actually relieved

[fashionista-ta]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz2992 ^^ thanks so much! i'm not really a big fan of soy sauce, but i do love spaghettis with mushrooms, so i guess i'll try them out.

People think of soy sauce as an Asian flavor, but I use it in many things I cook that aren't Asian. It's a good way to add salty, umami flavor to just about anything. Molasses is great too in spaghetti sauce for a bit of sweetness and depth of flavor.

An obsession with protein goes back a fair ways in US culture and still lingers ... you can see it reflected in WIC policies, for example. It would make sense for WIC to emphasize and provide well for fresh fruits and vegetables, but it's my understanding it doesn't. I suspect it would be challenging to find someone in this country who's protein deficient--and the first person you found might be someone with a mental health issue rather than an access issue.

I think it's highly likely that we have evolved to get the nutrients we need over an annual cycle. It used to be common to almost gorge on greens in the springtime, when it wasn't possible to get them year round. No one could eat blueberries for breakfast every day. It also used to be feast or famine--either all you can eat wooly mammoth, or a few nuts and berries we were lucky to find. That said, many traditional meals feature complete proteins.

[Neely]

Please don't tell me this thread is dead!
Here's a nice little bump..
My dinner was amazing tonight. I made a delicious lentil loaf (recipe). And even though I don't usually enjoy vegans foods that imitate meats ie gardien soy meats, this lentil loaf contains no soy and is very yummy.
So I'd like to ask, what new vegan discoveries have you had lately? This could pertain to food, beauty products, clothing, and more!
Love to hear what's new

[Rova]

^I rediscovered wheat germ. This is superfood for real! I used to eat a lot of it growing up.

I my new vegan chapstick from Yaoh.

[dauphine]

I love soy sauce, you know it's naturally high in MSQ, and so are tomatoes, so anything tomatoe-y that I make gets a generous squirt of Soy Sauce in it, and sometimes Fish Sauce, since anchovies go great with tomatoes too (i'm not very strict with myself about animal ingredients).

[Neely]

I also have probably an unhealthy obsession with nutrional yeast. Any pasta, salad, stirfry has at least a heapy tablespoon! It's great for its B12 content, potassium and is a complete protein! Yummy on popcorn and a staple in kale chips and mac and cheese !

[paz2992]

Has anyone here know anything about Quinoa/quinua is some kind bean/seed that is very produced here in south america (specially in Peru and Bolivia according to wiki ) and it works really good adding some extra proteins that you miss from not eating meat. i read it has about 15% to 20% of pure protein and it's so diverse you can cook it with almost everything, salty, as a dessert, in your salad... etc. (besides it can be cooked easily just like rice)

I bought a package of Quinoa last friday and now i'm searching the network for some ideas or recipies i could do with this really awesome seed. any suggestions? has anyone try it or eats it usually?

[Rova]

^ I didn't like it so much until I bought one that said "rinse in lukewarm water before cooking". I had no idea you should do that...

When you rinse it first, the bitter taste goes away.

Some might be processed already so that they won't taste bitter but the ones I buy need rinsing. Sometimes I like the bitter taste but most of the time it tastes much better without it...