A) I HATE killing animals. I HATE anything to do with torturing a pig to make a piece of pork taste good! And whenever I go into the meat section of the store, I think, ';WHY? WHY!!! I'm surrounded by animal body parts- THE GUILT!'; No seriously. I hate those people who kill animals because ';they couldn't make eggs'; or ';their milk tasted sour';. Well... What if WOMEN and COWS switched places, and the cows would kill the women because they couldn't produce any more milk?! WELL? *sigh* Sorry I go on these long rants. Onto B..
B) I think the way I eat is DISGUSTING. Not only because I eat meat that my mom cooks, but because I eat meat, then milk, then ice cream, then bread, then... well yeah. And I STUFF myself. Then I thought (after being very bloated): What if I did all this with vegetables? I could be WAY more energetic!
And I did my research for a few months, I've slowly introduced fruits and vegetables more often, and I've cut back on the fat (well, because I'm slightly overweight for my age and sort of short of height. I'm trying to be more healthy! And I DO exercise. Well, I try to!)
But I don't know what I should get the next time we're shopping. I know, protein and such. Should I buy tofu? How much tofu/beans? *gasp* Ooh cucumber sushi is vegetarian isn't it? I wonder how I can make some...
So YOUR job, is to tell me what I should do for meals. And how I can pig out on vegetables instead of ice cream! For some reason, eating carrots makes me miss ice cream and crave meat! Eww! I hate my eating system. It actually LIKES meat... (Well I like meat BEFORE it's killed and turned into beef/pork.)
Oh, and what tasty(like sushi!), filling, healthy vegetarian meals I can have every day?I'm going to be a vegetarian- can you give me some tips?
I am very excited to see such a young person taking their dietary health so seriously and doing it so intelligently. Well done on the transitionary addition of fruits and veggies. That is exactly what I would have recommended.
Beans and rice (white or brown is ok, which ever you like better and are more likely to actually eat is best) are a good go-to. Canned beans are a good convenience food if you can't or don't feel like soaking dried beans over night. Soaked/sprouted beans do have a much better flavour and a more complete protein though. Beans and rice make a complete (meat-like) protein. Soy beans have complete protein on their own. So does quinoa. Soy is best when sprouted or fermented, like in sproutofu or tempeh. Tempeh is a fermented patty of pressed together soy beans. It is healthier than tofu because it still has all of it's fiber in it and the fermentation process removes the phytoestrogens that keep coming up in debates about soy products. Cut it into quarter - half inch slices and steam it for about seven minutes, then saute in some sunflower oil or olive oil (sunflower is best for high heat, olive oil looses nutrients in the heat and becomes a less healthy fat). I like to put it in stir-fry, pasta with veggies and tomato sauce. And consider brown rice pasta (they have it at trader joes) it is much better tasting and more nutritious than whole wheat pasta. It is wise to substitute rice, quinoa or spelt for wheat whenever you get a chance to avoid developing a wheat allergy.
Split pea soup is very satisfying and filling and good for you. I keep a two quart mason jar full of split peas in my cabinet all the time. They don't go bad. I also have one full of rice, quinoa, black beans and pinto beans. It's nice to have on hand. Anyway take 1 part dried peas to two parts water and start boiling. Chop all the veggies you want, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, parsnips, beets, fresh/frozen peas and add them when the peas start to get soft. Salt and soy sauce are a nice addition. I make a big pot and keep it in the fridge for a week. It keeps very well. Lentil soup is also really satisfying and good with chunks of sauteed tempeh. Some weeks I only eat sauteed veggies and brown rice or quinoa for dinner. Find some sauces you really like (prepared sauces or sauces from scratch) and add them to veggies and rice for variety. One of my favorite things to do is stir-fry some veggies (asparagus, peppers, snow peas, tempeh, broccoli, carrots) with some garlic pepper sauce (Sriracha is my fav) and soy sauce and a little bit of peanut butter. Serve it over rice. It's so good!
If you are going vegan this is a good sometimes-treat, it is pretty high in fat:
Vegan French Toast
Mash one banana in half a can of coconut milk, 2tsp vanilla extract and a splash of maple syrup. Mix well. Soak bread briefly and fry in sunflower oil on a very hot griddle. Serve with berries and maple syrup or make a hot berry compote by adding a small amount of water to some frozen berries and heating until hot and juicy. Add a little agave maple or agave syrup if you must.. it is a treat!
Baked potatoes with hummus, tahini and chives are lovely. Oh! And yam fries. Slice yams french fry style, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary (fresh chopped or dried powdered) and bake at 400 until they start to darken (about 30 or 40 minutes). MMmm...
A nice miso soup (you can get miso paste in the asian section of the store, make sure it doesn't have ';benito flakes'; that's fish) is always good. Just boil it and add thinly sliced vegetables like carrots, green onions, cabbage, seaweed, radish, edamame, etc. Thinly sliced things take less cooking time and retain more nutrients. Rice noodles make it seem more meal like. And it is a nice dish to serve with avocado and cucumber sushi.
Good luck! And don't let anyone tell you you aren't getting enough protein. Most Americans get 3 to 4 times more protein than they need which acidifies the blood and causes osteoporosis as your blood draws calcium out of your bones to alkalize itself (yes, milk is bad for your bones). Don't make the mistake a lot of vegetarians make by replacing meat with cheese. You are not doing your body any favors. Cheese is one of the worst things for your digestive tract. It is very clogging and nutrient blocking. If it's not organic it is loaded with pesticides that are stored in the cow's fatty tissues until they are released into the milk. Best to skip dairy altogether, but if you just can't yet, go organic.I'm going to be a vegetarian- can you give me some tips?
You should be put in jail for saying that milk is bad for your bones you moron. Cheese is not nutrient blocking, or very clogging whatever that even means! AND hummus has Tahini in it, so to say add hummus and tahini is redundant.
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cucumber rolls are vegetarian. just make some sushi rice. chop some cucumbers and avacados. roll seaweed over those. get some wasabi to serve with it.
here is 40 thousand vegetarian recipes
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/vegeta鈥?/a>
eat fruits like apples ,oranges etc
It's not really clear what you're asking-
First, most vegetarians consume both eggs and dairy products, which means you do not have to give up ice cream.
Second, vegetarians are not bound by law to consume tofu. I cannot remember the last time I ate any.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has a Vegetarian Starter Kit which should answer most of your questions-
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/
And Vegetarian Teen will probably prove useful-
http://www.vegetarianteen.com/
The most important thing (with regard to nutrition) is to learn to cook. Find recipes online, or buy a good starter cookbook. When most people go veg, they rely too heavily on highly processed soy foods.
Okay, I give this list to a lot of people who are asking what to do when they first go vegetarian. At first I followed it, but now I've stopped and I've found that I'm losing my appetite and feeling weak and sometimes dizzy, so I think I'll be going back to it.
-PROTEIN
Plant proteins should provide for you enough, as long as you make sure your calorie intake is high enough for your energy needs.
-MORE AMINO ACIDS
If plant proteins simply aren't enough, try eating whole grains, nuts or seeds.
-IRON
If you're not totally vegan, egg yolk provides iron well. However, dried beans, dried fruits, and spinach are good sources as well.
-VITAMIN B 12
This only comes naturally from animals. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals such as Total and some brands of nutritional brewer's yeast, or in supplements.
-VITAMIN D
You will need a reliable vitamin D source. If you don't get a lot of sunlight, you'll probably need a supplement.
-CALCIUM
Studies have shown that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium than meat eaters. Cool, huh? Calcium can be found in greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products.
-ZINC
Grains, nuts and legumes are good sources. If you chose to take a supplement, be sure to pick supplements containing no more than 15-18 mg zinc. Supplements containing 50 mg or more may lower HDL (';good';) cholesterol in some people.
--And some more tips--
Keep your intake of sweets and fatty foods to a minimum. These foods are low in nutrients and high in calories.
Choose whole or unrefined grain products when possible, or use fortified or enriched cereal products.
Use a variety of fruits and vegetables, including foods that are good sources of vitamins A and C.
If you use milk or dairy products, choose fat-free/nonfat and low-fat varieties.
Eggs are high in cholesterol (213 mg per yolk), so monitor your use of them. Limit your cholesterol intake to no more than 300 mg per day.
I eat a lot of rice, and I either get a box of flavored rice-- I really like the broccoli and cheese flavor-- or I'll get white rice and sprinkle Mrs. Dash 'garlic and herbs' on it.
I also really, really like fettuccine alfredo. It's like a gift from heaven.
And salad, I've found that the smell of ranch dressing can make my mouth water now. I love salad with like romaine letuce and spinach leaves, carrots, cucumbers, black olives, tomatoes, and green peppers, with a lot of ranch dressing.
And fake meat! Boca and Morning Star are the best. Just like in almost everything else, with fake meat the off brands and store brands suck. My favorites would have to be the Boca ';chicken patties';, and the Morning Star ';hot dogs'; and ';Italian sausage';.
I've never had tofu so I can't help you there. I'd really like to try it sometime though. As for beans. Uh, I don't eat a lot of those either. Actually, besides green beans, since going vegetarian and refusing pork and beans, I've only eaten beens once. It was in this thing, that was in the part of the freezer section of the store called vegetarian, a box of ';veggie cakes';. I can't quite remember everything in them, I know there were beans and rice though. But it was really good with some ketchup, I'd like to have them again some time.
But yeah. That's what I've got for you. And I'll link you to some recipes in the sources box. So good luck!
Get the Vegetarian Starter Kit from -
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/
Vegetarian Nutrition for Teenagers
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/teennutriti鈥?/a>
Vegetarian Teen - online Magazine
http://www.vegetarianteen.com/
Get yourself a vegetarian cookbook. There are a few written just for teens like:
The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook - Judy Krizmanic
A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian - Judy Krizmanic
Student's Vegetarian Cookbook - Carole Raymond
Vegetables Rock!: A Complete Guide for Teenage Vegetarians - Stephanie Pierson
The Starving Students' Vegetarian Cookbook - Dede Hall
The Vegetarian Kids' Cookbook - Roz Denny
Better Than Peanut Butter %26amp; Jelly - Marty Mattare %26amp; Wendy Muldawer
I am wondering if you are trying out lifestyle for the wrong reasons. I admire your desire to lose weight and your passion for animals. Being a vegetarian can help you lose weight but it requires some thoughtfulness. Maybe these recipes would help you.
Balsamic Portobello Steaks
Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 large, fresh portobello mushroom caps, each
about 1/4 lb., brushed clean
Directions:
In a large, shallow, nonreactive bowl, stir together the vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and garlic. Add the mushrooms and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, turning once. Drain before grilling.
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Oil the grill rack.
Place the mushrooms, gill side down, over the hottest part of a charcoal fire or directly over the heat elements of a gas grill. Cook, turning once, until moist on the underside and just firm to the touch on the top, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
Arrange the mushrooms on individual plates and serve hot. Serves 6.
Peanut Braised Tofu with Noodles
Ingredients:
1 lb. firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 cup snow peas, trimmed and halved
1/2 lb. thin fresh Chinese noodles
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 Tbs. chili paste
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
Directions:
Prepare the tofu
Line a baking sheet with a double thickness of paper towels. Arrange the tofu in a single layer on the towels. Top with another layer of towels and pat the tofu dry.
Cook the vegetables and noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the snow peas, cook for 30 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles, rinse well under cold running water and drain again. Set aside.
Braise the tofu
In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the coconut milk and peanut butter until well combined. Stir in the chili paste, sugar, broth, soy sauce and lime juice. Add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is hot and the tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peas and noodles. Divide among bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4.
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