Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Vegetarian?

Ok - I want to try something.
I do not want to be a vegetarian because of animal rights or the fact that I think of screaming cows when they are being slaughtered.
I don't want to become a vegetarian because its the cool thing to do.
I want to try being a 90/10 vegetarian this summer (giving it three months) to see if it really does help my body, make me feel better, help my budget, give me more energy, etc.
So, does anyone know of good articles, books to get from the library, recipes, guidelines, etc? I want to allow one day a week to eat meat: pork, chicken, or steak) - but the rest is vegetables and vegetarian stuff!
I don't like tofu or eggplant. Most everything else I can do.
Thoughts?
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4 comments:

The Wrights said...

for budget purposes we do alot of dried beans. you probably already know this but you can soak them and cook them ahead and freeze is smaller portions for later. beans can replace anything with meat in regards to mexican food.

1:51 PM
Anonymous said...

Hi Kim,

This is a great challenge. We try to eat vegetarian 5-6 days a week. Some weeks we are not as successful as others, but we feel so much healthier when we eat mostly vegetarian. As Joy mentioned most Mexican recipes hold up well without meat or with beans as a replacement. Italian is also usually good but can be high in carbs--Plan on having a big salad before having a little bit of pasta. I frequently make stir-fry dishes with rice--no recipe, just add whatever veggies I have on hand and whatever seasonings sound good. You probably already know this, but you can control the sodium content of stir-fry by not using bottled sauces, just add spice or sweeten with honey. Are you eating eggs for this challenge? Mixing some scrambled eggs into meals that don't have beans (like stir fry), is a great source of protein.

I don't like tofu either, but I love eggplant. It soaks up the flavor of most anything you cook it in. Do you like mushrooms? They are another popular "meat substitute" that you can put in many dishes. And dried lentils have become my most experimented with food lately because they are cheap, filling, easy to cook, absorb flavors and pack a lot of vitamins.

One website I really enjoy is http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/
Good veggie recipes and mostly vegetarian. You can look up recipes by vegetable.

I can't wait to read about all you experiments. And if you break down and have a steak at some point don't feel bad, just start again. The only reason I'm not completely vegetarian is that I've found my body needs some meat to function properly.

Kate Jamison

6:09 PM
Kelly H said...

Kim-
Brandon and I do not eat a lot of meat either, and when we do we make it count. (We buy organic meat which isn't that expensive if you aren't eating it every day). One of our favorite meats to buy is KY Bison. It is so much better for you than beef, tastes better, and is all grass-fed, hormone-free. They have a farm out in Goshen where all of the bison is raised, and I know the folks who own it...very honest and great local business :o)
Anyways, as far as the meat-free dishes go, there is so much variety. You may want to read up on making sure you get "complete proteins" (so if you eat certain kinds of beans, you need to pair it with corn or brown rice to get a complete protein).
One of my favorite quick-and easy meals is quesadillas with Ezekiel brand tortillas (found in the freezer section at Whole Foods--$2.50 for 6 tortillas). The tortillas are made with sprouted grains and are a complete protein and very healthy. I just chop and mix whatever veggies I have on hand (usually tomatoes, avocado, red bell pepper, onion...) with some grated cheese. I spread the mixture on the tortilla and cook it over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Fold the tortilla in half, and presto...delicious!
A great website to check out is www.101cookbooks.com Heidi has all kinds of great ideas for fresh vegetarian dishes and tons of lovely pictures to boot.
Good luck! I'm sure you'll enjoy this challenge/adventure!

12:42 PM
lani said...

my brother is a vegan so whenever he visits i like to cook up food for him. i ended up liking it so much that i make several vegetarian meals for ourselves. i have vegetarian cookbooks and my favorite is Vegetarian Express..i've used it so much i'll need to get another copy soon! here is the book: http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Express-Tasty-Healthy-Minutes/dp/0316057401/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243008449&sr=8-1

12:08 PM

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