Guest guest Posted June 29, 2003 Report Share Posted June 29, 2003 Hi I just joined this group hoping to find some good recipes to try. I am thinking about going vegan/vegetarian. The only problem is that I am a 24 year old picky eater who doesn't like many fruits or vegetables. But is becoming more adventerous now. I eat mostly grains and dairy products. I want to eat more healthy even though I have a high metabolism and never had a weight problem. Step one is stop eating meat and eggs which I have mostly done. Step two is to find a soymilk that I like as much as my fat free cow milk. Step three is find butter,cheese and ice cream alternatives that I like. Step four is to learn to like more fruits, veggies, beans and other plant based foods. This is what I have come up with to eat so far. Breakfast: Cereal or oatmeal with milk. Calcium fortified OJ. Lunch: Peanut butter on whole wheat bread. Never cared for jelly but might try it again. Banana. 2 cookies. Dinner: Rice with corn, frozen cut green beans and some frozen chopped broccoli. Garden Burger with pickles, ketchup and a tomato slice. Tofu Hot dog. Minestrone or other vegetable or bean soup. Spaghetti. Mash potatoes. Pancakes Salad: bowl of lettuce and maybe some spinach. No dressing. Caeser is the only one I like. Snack: Carrot sticks, apple, red grapes, nectarine (just tried one today and liked it enough to try again), popcorn, pretzels etc. My favorite foods are macaroni and cheese, fettuccini alfredo, pizza, and ice cream. It might take awhile for me to switch to a vegan version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2003 Report Share Posted June 29, 2003 Unfortunately for most of us, we were raised with the idea that veggies came from cans and there was corn, peas and green beans. Only one of these is a vegetable...the other two, one is a grain, the other a legume. Most of our mothers cooked fresh veggies till they were good and dead. Imagine my revelation of finding that cooked asparagus isn't gray, but bright green and that properly steamed artichokes aren't raw in the middle or that green beans are best crisp. Read up on the proper preparation of vegetables and I am willing to bet you like them much better, I know I did. Your current diet is lacking in enough protein. Discover tofu and seitan, high protein, lower cost and free of the addictives of meat analogs like frozen veggie burgers and tofu dogs. Try www.vegweb.com and just go through stuff. Lentils are a legume, only they really aren't, not like others. Lentils are high in iron and protein, do not require soaking and cook in about 30 minutes. They can be mashed into loaves and are very versatile. Look them up specifically. You are also not eating any yellow fruits or veggies. Peaches are going to be in season shortly. Sweet potatoes /yams are a good source of beta carotene, as is pumpkin. You really cannot get true yams in this country, no matter what they call them, they are all sweet potatoes. They are also utterly sickening with brown sugar, red hots, or marshmallows (which contain gelatin and are not vegan). They are lovely roasted like a white potato and served with Earth Balance (vegan butter alternative) and salt and pepper. You have to actually bake them in foil after pricking the skin all over or they will explode. They don't microwave well at all. I make sweet potato oven fries with olive oil and garlic granules too. Pumpkin muffins for breakfast would be a wise choice. Learn about whole grains. Brown rice is especially important. If you go to vegweb and search just the recipes under the word "Dragonfly" you will find a fried rice recipe that many others have enjoyed and you can add veggies and brown rice to your diet easily. Dragonfly __ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2003 Report Share Posted June 29, 2003 My mom is a great cook and have had exposure to a variety of fresh fruits and veggies. I just never liked their taste. I am older now and willing to be more adventerous. My parents eat meat and dairy but they also like most(all?) fruits and veggies and comsume them every day too. My mom loves to garden. I want to eat a more balanced diet so thanks for the suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 29, 2003 Report Share Posted June 29, 2003 , " luckyducky22 " <luckyducky22> wrote: > Hi I just joined this group hoping to find some good recipes to try. Hi! Welcome to the group! I'm Kayleen, a female 18 year old from Canada. Regarding " milks " , I first have to warn you that rice milk, isn't much like milk. I bought a box and was delighted that the label had a photo of what looked to be a white opaque liquid...only to pour out something brown and clear. While good for cooking, I wouldn't recommend it for cereal. Tastes like, well, rice. As far as soy milk goes, soy milk is an acquired taste but trust me, eventually you'll acquire it. There's an american brand of soymilk called Silk [silk Is Soy maybe was the whole name?] that is really good. I started off by masking it with other flavours; I put it in smoothies, on cereal, in mashed potatoes, etc. I'm getting more used to the taste and eventually hope I can stand drinking it straight ;] > Breakfast: Cereal or oatmeal with milk. Calcium fortified OJ. Breakfast is tricky for new vegans/vegetarians. I usually have something like: Smoothies [bananas and berries blended with soy milk] Toast [i like it spread with margarine and a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon] Fresh fruit Pancakes [i loooove pancakes. I make them with applesauce or mashed banana] Leftover pizza [hey, i'm only human] Another idea, although not vegan, is that many stores sell soy based cheeses. I just discovered that my supermarket has individually wrapped soy cheddar slices. Not vegan cuz they contain casein, a milk ingredient, but my mom bought me some anyways and they DO taste just like cheddar slices. In other words....Grilled cheese sandwhiches! Mmmm... > Lunch: Peanut butter on whole wheat bread. Never cared for jelly but > might try it again. Banana. 2 cookies. One of my favorite lunches is this: I chop up some cucumber, and some carrots, and I shred some romaine lettuce...Stick it on a tortilla, sprinkle with nutritional yeast, drench with italian dressing, roll up and eat. Mmmmm... Oh and hey, ever have a pesto pizza? Buddy of mine made one last week, used fresh basil, some olive oil, sundried tomatoes, and walnuts to make the pesto, spread it on a pizza crust and topped with fresh tomatoes. It was soooooooooo good. Also, I like fettucine alfredo too. I made pasta last week with a white sauce...I heated up some soy milk, and added lots of garlic and italian spices to it, a couple tablespoons of sauce thickener, and a package of broccoli, and a lot of nutritional yeast flakes. Mmmmm....Topped my pasta with plenty of sauce and black pepper and it was pretty good! Well...Hope that helps a lil' bit. Ciao! -Kayleen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 It is also very important that you get in some greens every day...and this does not mean iceberg lettuce...that particular lettuce only provides water and nitrites...make sure to eat a dark leafy green like leaf lettuces, romaine is good, and spinach... Quoting The Lady Dragonfly <theladydragonfly: > Unfortunately for most of us, we were raised with the idea that veggies came > from cans and there was corn, peas and green beans. Only one of these is a > vegetable...the other two, one is a grain, the other a legume. Most of our > mothers cooked fresh veggies till they were good and dead. Imagine my > revelation of finding that cooked asparagus isn't gray, but bright green and > that properly steamed artichokes aren't raw in the middle or that green > beans are best crisp. Read up on the proper preparation of vegetables and I > am willing to bet you like them much better, I know I did. > > Your current diet is lacking in enough protein. Discover tofu and seitan, > high protein, lower cost and free of the addictives of meat analogs like > frozen veggie burgers and tofu dogs. Try www.vegweb.com and just go through > stuff. Lentils are a legume, only they really aren't, not like others. > Lentils are high in iron and protein, do not require soaking and cook in > about 30 minutes. They can be mashed into loaves and are very versatile. > Look them up specifically. > > You are also not eating any yellow fruits or veggies. Peaches are going to > be in season shortly. Sweet potatoes /yams are a good source of beta > carotene, as is pumpkin. You really cannot get true yams in this country, > no matter what they call them, they are all sweet potatoes. They are also > utterly sickening with brown sugar, red hots, or marshmallows (which contain > gelatin and are not vegan). They are lovely roasted like a white potato and > served with Earth Balance (vegan butter alternative) and salt and pepper. > You have to actually bake them in foil after pricking the skin all over or > they will explode. They don't microwave well at all. I make sweet potato > oven fries with olive oil and garlic granules too. Pumpkin muffins for > breakfast would be a wise choice. > > Learn about whole grains. Brown rice is especially important. If you go to > vegweb and search just the recipes under the word " Dragonfly " you will find > a fried rice recipe that many others have enjoyed and you can add veggies > and brown rice to your diet easily. > > Dragonfly > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 Very good point!!! Don't forget others like kale (a super food), Swiss chard, mustard green, collard greens, even beet greens. Drat! Now I am hungry. It is also very important that you get in some greens every day...and this does not mean iceberg lettuce...that particular lettuce only provides water and nitrites...make sure to eat a dark leafy green like leaf lettuces, romaine is good, and spinach... __ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 Do you eat those greens just washed w/some dressing? I find that they are too dry for my taste...how do you prepare them healthily? Quoting The Lady Dragonfly <theladydragonfly: > > Very good point!!! Don't forget others like kale (a super food), Swiss > chard, mustard green, collard greens, even beet greens. Drat! Now I am > hungry. > > It is also very important that you get in some greens every day...and this > does > not mean iceberg lettuce...that particular lettuce only provides water and > nitrites...make sure to eat a dark leafy green like leaf lettuces, romaine > is > good, and spinach... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 Several ways. Chard, usually cooked, as in steamed or sauteed, as below. Kale, steamed, sauteed, in soups. Mustard, steamed. Collards steamed, sauteed or in soups. Beet tops...mmm I buy the beet whole. I cut the tops off, leaving about an inch of stem on the beet so that the flavor does not bleed out and boil them. Then, I skin and dice the cooked beets to a thick dice. I wash and saute the greens, the add the diced beets as the greens start to wilt when sauteeing. I have also made whole beet borscht with greens and beet roots. Sauteed: Use a half and half mixture of olive oil and Earth Balance. Just sorta stir fry the greens till they wilt. They are best if they are still very green, but not raw and not all the way cooked. Serve with seasoned rice vinegar, vegan sour cream or just a dash of salt and pepper. Spinach is good this way too, but why? When you can have chunks of tofu, a maple mustard dressing, sliced raw mushrooms, spring onions, vine ripe tomatoes and crispy hot vegan bacon...and my favorite is all this in a wrap... __ IncrediMail - Email has finally evolved - Click Here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 I use canned greens, mustard, turnip, etc. There are a couple of brands I've found so far that are vegan. Anyway, I add a couple of cups of rice and equal part beans with a tablespoon or so of chili powder and hot sauce. Makes for a great meal. - shawnam Monday, June 30, 2003 12:50 PM Re: Hi. I am new here. Do you eat those greens just washed w/some dressing? I find that they are too dry for my taste...how do you prepare them healthily?Quoting The Lady Dragonfly <theladydragonfly:> > Very good point!!! Don't forget others like kale (a super food), Swiss> chard, mustard green, collard greens, even beet greens. Drat! Now I am> hungry.> > It is also very important that you get in some greens every day...and this> does > not mean iceberg lettuce...that particular lettuce only provides water and > nitrites...make sure to eat a dark leafy green like leaf lettuces, romaine> is > good, and spinach... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 30, 2003 Report Share Posted June 30, 2003 YES, I need to eat more greens and less starch. Every day I ask myself, " What do I want to eat. What sounds good. " Lettuce just hadn't been sounding good. But I am going to start up again and hopefully continue eating greens everyday. (Lettuce, Spinach, Broccoli, Collard Greens etc....) THE GREENER THE VEGETABLE THE HEALTHIER IT IS. I will eat green or red leaf lettuce but romaine is my favorite. When I found out that Iceberg was mostly water I stopped buying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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