The Vegetarian & Vegan Thread

[devon_jay]

ok thanks for your suggestion! the reason why I want to stop eating fish eventually is because i have decided to turn veggie not only for health reasons but for moral reasons as well. i know fish is extremely good for you, but the same nutrients can be gained from other sources that arent mistreated and abused by humans.
just realized that may have sounded a bit bitchy, but it wasn't supposed to!

 

[sugarfreegum]

*waves hands* Another vegetarian here!! I have been vegetarian for almost a decade now, since I was fifteen. I was also a vegan for about three years, but I needed to give that up for specific health reasons (long story). Recently, however, I have included a serving of fish about once per month into my diet. So, I'm not a "real" vegetarian.

Tushka_BeLLa:

Textured Vegetable Protein is an excellent "substitute" for beef, especially beef in sauces. It is hearty and chewy, and while it's tasteless by itself, it is a total knockout when paired with strong foods! You can find it in almost all health or natural stores. I don't know if it is available outside the US, though (and I don't know where you live).

Here is my recipe for TVP tomato sauce. I have served it to meat-eaters before, and they haven't noticed that it's vegan

TVP AND VEGETABLE TOMATO SAUCE: makes a lot, but it freezes well!
Ingredients (in no particular order
2 - c. TVP
2.5 - c. boiling water
3 - 28 oz. cans of crushed tomato, low sodium, if possible
2-3 - T. brown sugar
olive oil
1 - small onion, diced
garlic, however much you can stand, more is better, minced
0.5-1 - c. chopped brown mushrooms
0.5-1 - red or green bell pepper, diced
other vegetables that you like
1 - small can of tomato paste
salt, black and red pepper, basil, and oregano

Instructions:
Place the TVP into a colander or strainer. Rinse it under cold running water (to remove any bitterness-not usually an issue, though). Put the TVP into a bowl. Bring 2.5 c. of water to a boil. Pour the water over the TVP. Cover, and let stand until the water is absorbed. It's ok if some water is left over.

In a large pot, saute' the onion in olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is just turning gold. You could add some carrots at this point, if you'd like. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to "sweat" out their liquid. Finally, add the brown sugar and stir really well.

Add the cans of crushed tomato and the TVP to the pot, bring to a boil, and reduce to a low simmer. Stir often so nothing burns onto the bottom. Let it bubble for some time. When the sauce has thickened, add whatever vegetables you like and allow them to soften. If the sauce is too watery, use the tomato paste to thicken it. Season with black and red pepper, basil, and oregano. Add the salt last, and be careful that you don't over-salt it.

I serve this sauce over whole grain pasta. In the US, Barilla makes an awesome pasta called "Plus," it's in a yellow box. Add some parmesan cheese and red wine, and you're set

 

[ivypixie]

I am thinking about turning a vegetarian. I've thought about it in 1-2 years now. Well, I've been pretty sure about it for a long time, it's just that I don't really know what to say to my family, since it's mom who cooks home and I don't know what they'll think (I'm 17). We don't eat much meat home, more chicken and fish. First I thought I would only stay away from meat, but now I think it's kinda personally hypocrite of me. I don't say that others who does that is, but if I do that, I feel I am. Meat will be easy for me to stay away from, since, as I said, we don't eat that much of it home, besides I don't really like it myself either. I'm sure I'll automatically be a vegetarian when I move out, I can't handle to cook food that consist animals.

I want to be vegetarian because of the environment, and the animals rights. I mean, I can't even kill a bug, it's impossible for me to do, so why do I keep on eating meat? I'm going to talk about this with my mom soon.

And I am wondering, is there anything I need to take when I'm going veg? I mean, like, I'm quitting a lot of nutrions that is in meat. Is there anything I can take instead? Or?

 

[adi]

well most important vitamine that lack after coming to vegetarian is B12-vitamine. best source to get those are pills, you really don't get it out of any veggiefood. i think that some butters and soymilk contain this vitamine, but truely to get the required amount (2 grams) i would recommend pills or other similar sources

and as for us living in the sun lacking scandinavia, you should take care of your D-vitamine intake. sun is one of the best sources to get it, but during the winter we hardly ever see sun. D-vitamine you can get out of mushrooms and products that have included D-vitamine in itself, such as some butter and soymilk.

hope this helps

 

[ivypixie]

^Thank you It helped. I did know about the B12-vitamine, but I wasn't sure there was pills to take instead.
I did not have a clue about the D-vitamines in meat, though.

 

[Erin]

I have yet to try tofu... but I hear it's this great, great food for you. What are some common dishes that have tofu in it, that I may have never realized? I'm a little afraid of incorporating it into my diet... simply because it's a foreign food to me...

 

[tott]

Erin, tofu in itself is virtually tasteless (unless you buy a smoked/flavoured kind) so it's really easy to slip into anything... The most well-known ways of eating it might be woked vegetables with tofu bits and miso soup with those small cubes.

 

[Sweets]

mmm i love tofu, has a great texture... its in a lot of asian cuisine, chinese, japanese, thai, and it is good for you; it's a complete protein, and fiber... plus i think its really tasty i eat it whenever i can.

 

[lostinemotion]

you should order general tso's tofu or sesame tofu from a chinese restaurant. it tastes soooo good.

 

[chanelnumber5]

im a little confused so i hoped some one here may be able to help. is brown rice a comlete protien some one told me it was but i thought it was just carbs and fibre. and also do green vegetable have protien in them? thnk u

 

[tott]

Rice of any colour doesn't contain complete protein, you should combine it with lentils/beans to get complete protein: 2/3 rice, 1/3 beans.

Green veggies contain practically no protein.

 

[chanelnumber5]

thnk u tott

 

[M0radkhan]

One of my friends was a vegetarian. But later on she started eating meat again. I actually don't know a lot of being a vegetarian, but this is your choice so ..

 

[chanelnumber5]

^ just curious, why did they give up?

 

[chicfay]

hey you guys,

i've been trying to become vegetarian for like half a year. i just started eating less and less meat. and now i dont eat meat at all.. but im just curious.. what can i eat? and what kind of supplements do i need to take. i know i need to take b12.. anything else? Im also lactose intolerant. so i cannot eat anything with milk in it. so i drink soy milk and eat tofu and all. .but what else could i eat. cuz i dont want to be eating only vegetables and fruits and occasionaly some carbs.
any advice?

ohh and also: i cant eat beans because i get a lot of gas!!!.. seriously!

 

[adi]

well you could eat fish if you choose to, and eggs i know that some vegetarians eat chicken but i consider that to be meat.. yeah and now i know that someone's going to say that isn't fish meat too but still

so if you don't wanna become fully vegan, you could eat fish. i would suggest that you go to library and borrow different kind of cook-books. from there you get lots of ideas

and what comes to beans.. i know about the gas thing, trust me. i really don't even like them. but there is lots of other vegetables that offer the same nutrition content as beans. the main thing is to make sure that you get every important nutrient and find healthy replacements for some foods. that's way preparing is important so you know what you are heading. as you get started everything comes much easier. the first week is always a bit tough, but donät worry, you'll learn

 

[Sweets]

if some vegetarians eat fish and chicken, by definition, they are NOT a vegetarian. Rumor is, you dont need to start taking a b12 supplement until much later, once you no longer have stores of it in your body. I've been vegetarian for about five years now, and have thrived without supplements. Just make sure that you are eating a wide variety of food, to get all the necessary nutrients and amino acids.

 

[Velony]

I thought I would join you guys here in this thread. I have been a veggie for over ten years now (can you believe it)?
I gave up meat entirely when I was 13 years old and my family actually accepted that. I try to eat as healthy as possible and try to integrate tofu and soy products into my diet whenever I can. I don't take any supplements but I don't feel like I lack anything. I get my blood examined every once in a while and it is always ok.

 

[chanelnumber5]

if some vegetarians eat fish and chicken, by definition, they are NOT a vegetarian. Rumor is, you dont need to start taking a b12 supplement until much later, once you no longer have stores of it in your body. I've been vegetarian for about five years now, and have thrived without supplements. Just make sure that you are eating a wide variety of food, to get all the necessary nutrients and amino acids.

the only supplements i take is multivitamins. ive been vegetarian for 8 years, do i need to start taking b12 supplements?

 

[Sweets]

i dont know, how ya feelin?