Janna Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 After reading and researching over the last several years, I would like to change my diet as well as that of my family. While we already lead what I think is a fairly healthy lifestyle, especially in comparison to the majority of Americans, I want to revamp it more. Ultimately, I'd like us to be moving to a plant-based diet, which ultimately means...vegan:eek:. That is going to take some time, so I'd like to first start out by becoming truly vegetarian. This isn't an issue for me, as I love all vegetables and could eat them in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox...:) I also already don't eat much meat. Not because I don't like it - I do. But because I am so picky about the meat I purchase (100% grass-fed, organic) but it is too expensive for us to eat on a regular basis. Same with chicken, and I have already stopped buying pork, period (except for Christmas when my df was begging for a ham). But because we haven't been eating a lot of meat (because of cost), I don't feel like we have been eating healthier. I mean, I don't feel like I have been providing hearty, filling, vegetarian meals. It seems like it's been more "pieced" together with whatever's in the house. I'd like to have more conscientious vegetarian meals. Can someone steer me into a way to do this that will be family-friendly (my family is not ready for tofu yet, trust me) and filling? None of us are super-picky, but unfortunately, what my family doesn't care for is what I need them to care for - beans and brown rice. We've had a lot of soups lately, which is fine. Though again, they haven't seemed filling enough. I do have a killer portobello lasagna recipe that my family loves, and they like eggplant parmegiana and vegetable pot pie. But beyond that? I'm stumped. Winter seems like a hard time to do this in also, but it's now or never, kwim? Thanks for any help you can provide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Have you read "Live to Eat"? It may help some. Otherwise, I'm no help. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 that I hope you get some good replies. I'm kind of in the same place that you are with this. We were vegetarian for a couple of years in the late 90's, but reverted back to "plain ol' American". I've been surprised by how much the quality of vegan products has improved. I bought some shredded "cheddar" that was surprisingly good. Of course, that brings up the question of whether or not we should even be trying to "replace" cheese and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janna Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 Of course, that brings up the question of whether or not we should even be trying to "replace" cheese and stuff. Exactly! I'm not in that place yet, LOL. I want to be (vegan), but just am not. If I get to the place I'd like, where my diet is completely plant-based, then yes, I think the option of "cheese" in a vegan sense would be unnecessary. I hope I get a lot of good replies too! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 OOps! That would be Eat to Live! Big Difference! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugarfoot Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Does the option of cheese ever become unnecessary? :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janna Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 LOL! I LOL when I read that, but I knew what you meant, so I didn't say anything. This isn't a book on the "why's" of eating more vegetarian is it? I'm hoping it's more on the "how to". Yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janna Posted January 29, 2008 Author Share Posted January 29, 2008 bump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 There are a lot of ethic foods out there very appealing that are easily made vegetarian. Mexican, Italian, Eastern, etc. Soup and stew is easy to simply remove meat from. Garden Burgers do not taste like burgers so if you don't call them burgers you may be able to do a variety of things with them. I don't like Boca as much though. Not as much flavor. We aren't vegetarian but I can't afford good cuts much and prefer to have us low on the meat consumption anyway. I may have a lead on a 1/4 of a buffalo though but even then I'll likely only serve it once a week at best, making it last a year. Otherwise, we eat vegetarian most of the time and could easily just switch if we ever had to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Savingdinner.com has a sample vegetarian menu. The book is good too. I find that format easier for me to use than simply a cookbook with so many choices. Fatfreevegan.com has great bean dishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa at Home Posted January 29, 2008 Share Posted January 29, 2008 Have you visited the Fat Free Vegan blog? http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2005/12/recipe-index.html It's a good place to start, because it has a lot of pictures. Recently someone also recommeded the Skinny B*itch books. Their book Skinny B*tch in the Kitch has good recipes. But not only are they vegan, they also use no white flour or white sugar. Yay! Today I messed with one of their recipes and came out with the most amazing vegan Chik-n and dumplings (sadly, not whole wheat). The kids were ecstatic! They also have an amazing whole grain, vegan chocolate cake. Exploring the world of raw foods can be really helpful, even if you just wanted to experiment with nutrient-dense side dishes. But really, there is so much available that it is overwhelming. I could write pages and pages of stuff here. I suggest pick one small area to change over, but change over completely. Then build on that. Don't forget to check out the vegetarian books at the library, as well! Or, just google vegetarian recipes. You'll be busy for a year. I have come up with several dishes to make at home by going to a Thai restaurant. Things like that might work if you're open to experimentation. About the beans and brown rice... What about putting them IN the soups? Make the soups more hearty, and kind of hide the beans or rice. ~Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetTN Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I just finished reading The Skinny B*tch and it really opened my eyes! After giving up dairy, sugar, and meat I have lost 4 pounds and feel sooo much better. My dh is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, but even he is beginning to come around with just a few soup/salad/homemade bread meals. I just cut down on the amount of meat I fix for him and fill out the meal with the healthy stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdWTMer Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 More power to you. There is no way that I could ever get my dh, or even me for that matter, to go vegan, perhaps more vegetarian. Not that I think that it's bad at all; I just love meat! All kinds. Can't. Live. Without. Meat. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 changed my life lately. We have been eating *delicious* fresh bread with hearty soups, home made pizzas, and all other sorts of things. You can have meat or not with these things but if you didn't, believe me, you would not miss it. I splurged and invested in the things that the book suggested: baking stone pizza peel large rubbermaid container for keeping bread dough in the refrigerator oven thermometer My dd asked me yesterday, "Mom, are we part Italian?" LOL. The reason I am bringing this up is that the soups were just not enough of a "meal" without the bread, which seems to make all the difference. Dana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Hey Janna, I had to get off last night but wanted to share this with you. I have high cholesterol and now that the pregnancy is over and I'm getting back to a somewhat normal life, Romy is apparently allergic to the tiny amount of dairy that was in my diet, I've been making some changes. I've totally cut out dairy in my diet, and reduced it for the rest of the family. Plus I've reduced the amount of meat we eat significantly. I prepare a big 'ol salad with all kinds of goodies on it - nuts, veggies, fruit, a variety of greens - and serve that first before every meal. I try to get everyone to eat as much as possible of that, then we have the rest of the meal. I'm serving two veggie dishes and one meat dish. But the meat is really a side and the veggies are the main courses. Or the meat might be the "seasoning" in one of the veggie dishes. I stocked up on a variety of nuts (not cheap!) and tons of fruit and I keep them out and available for healthy, filling snacks. Also, nut butter balls are a great, filling treat for the kids. Anyway, just a couple of suggestions to help you go in that direction without totally jumping off the deep end to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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