Can you please provide me with simple advice on choosing vegeterian foods?

[anamoly]

Hello all,

Quick version:

Please provide tips on what I can do to get enough nutrition from a vegetarian diet. What's a convenient way to incorporate calorie counting in a busy life situation? What kind of foods should I buy at the grocery store? How can I enjoy delicious healthy foods being a vegetarian? What are my options when I am traveling?

For reference: I tried a 30-day trial, but only lasted 7 days because I went on a trip to Louisiana and they don't take kindly to herbivores there. Well, in reality there was just such a small amount of food available I didn't take the initiative to provide myself nourishment.

[Long Version]

I am in the midst of a busy time in life. Having recently discovered conscious presence with the help of Eckhart Toll's books (as well as you loving people here on this forum) my life has done a tremendous 360. It's humbling to know that by disidentifying from the mind and bringing "presence" into what we do transforms .. every form .. who knows. Just three months ago I was extremely depressed with no social life, but now relationships thrive, social situations thrive, but most importantly .. consciousness, peace and joy have found space within me.

So why try vegetarian?
Well, as I became more conscious of the deep connection between everything I have a deep sense of compassion, as well as sort of a chunry feeling that I am eating my own kind when I look at meat - kind of like a cannibal. Now, there's nothing wrong with this cannibalism. Gibran Prophet expresses this very beautifully:

Would that you could live on the fragerance of the earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light.

But since you must kill to eat, and rob the young of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship,

And let your board stand an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in many.

When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,

"By the same power that slays you, I to am slain; and I too shall be consumed. For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.

Now, the whole "ER" thing we could do without, so perhaps one of you could help me with my 30-day trial so I don't end up dying from the lack of nutrition I currently most likely have. Thing is, it's 11:30PM at night and I am in a college dorm - what the hell can I eat? Should I eat right now before bed? I have a veggie sub from yesterday in the fridge. Can I eat that? NOURISHMENT, without unnecessary poison - this is what I want. I know processed foods are unhealthy, how about veggie quesidilla's at the dining hall - are they unhealthy? [update: ate half the veggie sub!]

Here is what I had to eat today:
Morning 8:30AM -
Omlette with tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms, along with a bowl of grapes, watermelon and strawberries

Around 1PM - A salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, chickpeas, bean sprouts

4PM - Veggie Quasidlla, Yogurt and Banana

10PM - 1 Banana, 1 Orange

11:47PM: Ate half the veggie sub.

I am hungry. It's 11:33PM now. What should I buy at the grocery store and what are some simple recipes for an amateur cook? I like tasty food and not at all picky?

What should I buy for amino acids and other nutrients? I have braces so chewing nuts is extremely difficult, especially since I recently got them adjusted.

Hm, according to this interesting article: Protein in the Vegan Diet -- The Vegetarian Resource Group - Soy helps a lot. This kid I was talking to today told me soy may cause problems with the thing men have trouble with down there..hmm i think it's called - no not rectum..um well you know what I mean? It's not penis either, hmm..damn it's not coming to me..(in psychology that is called tip-of the tongue phenomenon) . OH YES PROSTATE DOES IT CAUSE PROSTATE PROBLEMS?.

[escapee]

Oh DOn't forget the high fat high protein nuts ( Walnuts, Almond nuts and etc )

Nut consumption, vegetarian diets, ischemic heart ...[Am J Clin Nutr. 1999] - PubMed Result

[Keith]

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Soy is a popular vegan source of protein that provides all the essential amino acids to build a complete protein (though it doesn't necessarily have all of them in large amounts). However if you combine a grain + a legume you get a complete protein. Baked beans on toast = complete protein. Dhal (lentils) with rice=complete protein. etc. etc. And you don't even have to eat them at the same sitting - within 10 hours of each other is enough.

The messages on soy are mixed. I suspect that if you eat it in moderation in a minimally processed form (i.e. not "textured vegetable protein") it should be fine, but I am not a doctor.

In short: In your case, you appear to be eating vegetarian, not vegan so you get protein from milk & eggs anyway and don't really have reason to eat soy unless you want to. If you do go vegan, so long as you eat grains, nuts, seeds and/or legumes daily you should get plenty of protein and you still don't really have reason to eat soy unless you want to.

[Joeschmoe]

You don't have to worry about protien. You'll get it if you eat enough. Protein deficiency due to lack of protien in diet is basically unheard of. Almost all cases of protien deficiency go along with starvation. The complete protien thing is a myth. If you eat a varied enough diet you will get all the protien you need, even without Soy, milk or eggs.

I've heard something good that I will paraphrase here.

People Eat SAD (standard American diet) and they eat pizza. It's unhealthy.

When people go Vegetarian they make Vegetarian Pizza, and it's still unhealth.

When people go Vegan they fiddle around with things and use soy cheese and meat substitutes and make pizza, and it's still unhealthy.

When people go raw they start dehydrating flax seeds and coming up with nut sauces to make a Raw vegan pizza, and It's still unhealthy.

I guess the point is that if you take your old habits and put a new label on them (Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw) you will end up with something that is maybe even less healthy than you started. If it looks and tastes like a pizza it's not going to be good for you.

Instead start adding in whole, unprocessed, non-fried. Fruits, Vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains into your diet and get rid of the old junk food habits, or you might end up making yourself even less healthy.

Fruits- Lots of options here, from sweet fruits, to vegetable fruits like tomatoes and cucumbers. Most of these can be eaten raw and whole.

Vegetables- Again lots of options. Some can be eaten raw, many will have to be cooked. Remember steaming, boiling, or baking are better options than frying.

Legumes- My favorites are lentils, they don't take long to cook and are really tasty. Soy is one of these, but there are tons of other options: Black beans; Kidney beans; Black eyed peas, chick peas, etc. Try lots of different kinds. Don't worry about combining them with grains.

Grains- There are dozens. I try and stay away from wheat related grains because they contain a protien called gluten which is a common irritant. But you have lots of other options like brown rice, quinua (my favorite), oats, etc.

Maximize these foods and minimize the vegetarian junk food and you should do fine wihtout having to worry about nutrition. I would also caution you to limit cheese, milk, and eggs as much as possible. There are plenty of very healthy vegetarians, but none of them eat lots of cheese. I think it's easy to use cheese as a meat substitute, but it's much worse for you.

If you must eat those things i would suggest splurging for organic and hormone free versions. They will taste better and be less harmful to you and the environment.

I hope htis isn't too much information for you.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Add some more beans and legumes into your diet. Have snacks in between meals of as much fruits and veggies as you want. That should help you feel full. Is it possible to eat peanut butter with braces? If you can eat that or almond butter/cashew butter/soy nut butter that might help.

For a good source of nutrition info try the book Becoming Vegetarian (there is also one called Becoming Vegan if you end up going vegan). It has all the info you need to make a healthy diet. I've seen it at the library as well as used book stores if money is an issue. In Becoming Vegan there are meal plans for different calorie needs. I imagine that's in the vegetarian one too.

Good luck. With a little tweaking you will find out how to get enough to eat so you don't feel hungry. The nice thing is that many things you eat as a vegetarian don't have to be limited (fruits, veggies, etc.) so you can eat as much as you want of those!

[24evita]

Dear anamoly

Wow do I have a few good pieces of help for you, having gone vegetarian recently too! First of all do not make going vegetarian a chore and worry too much about calorie counting or you will quickly lose interest as eating will be...well a chore.
First seeing as you are vegetarian not vegan it is really easy:

1) Grocery Shopping - if you have access to your own fridge, you can go once a week and make sure to always grab 4 or 5 different fruits, 4 or 5 different vegetables, some beans (alternate various kinds), some grains, breads, cheeses, eggs, yogurts, nuts and milk or soy beverage and/or some natural fruit juices. (notice nothing really processed)
This way you can always put something together and grocery shopping does not become hard in itself like buying specialty items, it is easier if you get in a routine - saves time too.

2) Have all your meals! (3 is good 6 is better)
Breakfast is critical to start the day whether you are vegetarian or not
If you have small meals throughout the day you will find you will not have those late night hunger problems and will not have to worry about calorie counting.
Good snacks are things like yogurts, nuts, granola bars etc.

3) Try to eat out at the college caf or any other fast food restaurant as much as possible. This sounds kind of obvious, but as another comment said, just because they serve veggie does not necessarily mean it will be healthy.
Try to put together your own sandwiches in the morning with some snacks to carry with you throughout the day.

A few great secrets for awesome nutrition is a grain called QUINOA (has all essential amino acids) and a product called CHIA or SALBA that you can sprinkle on food for extra nutrition.

Finally I have actually started to document our everyday meals to make life easier for other vegetarians or anyone for that matter people in terms of cooking wholesome, quick and healthy meals. You can check them out with nice large pics here:
EVOLVING WELLNESS | Articles for Meal Ideas

New meal ideas come every few days!
Hope this helps

[Jennihul]

The complete protein myth hounds every vegan and vegetarian. It's just not that complex. The social worker that invented that myth has since apologized for the confusion she started decades ago.

I was a successful vegan for eight years. Here is my advice in a nutshell:

Vast variety, 2/3rds of your meals should be raw, avoid processed foods even if they qualify as vegan or veg, eat whenever you feel hunger, listen to your body.

Jennifer

[Lucas]

Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. (regardless of what kind of diet you are on) The whole and fresh foods reside there.

Hang out in your bulk section.

Love legumes like they were your child.

Avoid anything processed and packaged, even soy.

Become familiar with herbs and spices.

Experiment with ratios of fat/carbs/protein because everyone is different.

Listen to your body more than anyone else.

[anamoly]

I deeply appreciate and am grateful for the information and comforting advice.

Right now, my body feels very hungry and I feel that it is eating itself so-to-speak. Thus, I will go to the grocery store and check this stuff out. Thanks!

EVOLVING WELLNESS | Articles for Meal Ideas - Thanks for that URL. I love the simplicity and utility. Now, having a few more seconds to delve more deeply in the site I realized the article you wrote on "We Will not Live in the Dark." Very interested in not living in the dark. What are some products I should start looking out for? How do I find the companies that aren't looking for merely more than a profit? What can I buy that is best for my health, as well as the Earth's?

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by anamoly

I deeply appreciate and am grateful for the information and comforting advice.

Right now, my body feels very hungry and I feel that it is eating itself so-to-speak. Thus, I will go to the grocery store and check this stuff out. Thanks!

EVOLVING WELLNESS | Articles for Meal Ideas - Thanks for that URL. I love the simplicity and utility.

If you are worried about amino acids, get yourself some Quinoa. It is a complete food, high in fiber and has ever essential amino acid in it. I try and eat some every day if I can.

[anamoly]

Originally Posted by Lucas

If you are worried about amino acids, get yourself some Quinoa. It is a complete food, high in fiber and has ever essential amino acid in it. I try and eat some every day if I can.

Mmmm..I used that site and made some Quinoa with cauliflower and tomatoes and my belly is still rejoicing. I made too much Quinoa though, whoops! Is it okay to leave the Quinoa overnight on a plate for a day?

I am so glad you all helped me discover Quinoa. This stuff will be a nutritious addition to my diet.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by anamoly

Mmmm..I used that site and made some Quinoa with cauliflower and tomatoes and my belly is still rejoicing. I made too much Quinoa though, whoops! Is it okay to leave the Quinoa overnight on a plate for a day?

I am so glad you all helped me discover Quinoa. This stuff will be a nutritious addition to my diet.

Sure is, though I wouldn't keep Quinoa more than 5 days in the fridge. I made some Chickpea Quinoa Pilaf and after a week it smelled funky. I usually make a cup and then eat it the next day too.

One of my favorite foods. Not as versatile as brown rice, but I think I like it more.

[veranadine]

I know that becoming a vegetarian can be hard. When I blogged about becoming a vegetarian about six months ago, several of my friends and family thought that it was a crazy idea.

But since then I have been learning more about vegetarian food options and even started making up my own veggie recipes for things that I loved when I was a meat-eater.

I think that as long as you practice, you will find that veggie foods can be made quickly and easily, that they are more portable than "regular" foods and that they keep longer in the fridge.

Try to keep a balance in your meals between "prepared" vegetarian foods, like veggie burgers and frozen foods AND including an equal amount of fresh foods, like salads, nuts mixes and fruit cups (or a nice raw cheesecake.)

Read an introductory book on health or on vegetarianism. This will help you get a quick overview of the major things that people tend to get either too much of, or not enough of, in their diets.

When on the run, traveling or just going out to eat, choosing ethnic foods will ALWAYS make it easier to find a vegetarian option. Indian, Chinese, Thai and Mexican foods generally tend to be more plant-based, with lovely dishes such as spring rolls, veggie stir-fry, steamed dumplings, aloo mutter, bean burritos, pumpkin soup and so many others. Bon Appetit!

Congrats on going veggie, once you get the hang of it, I promise that the benefits in mindfulness and energy will be well worth the initial difficulties.

Blessings,

[24evita]

Originally Posted by anamoly

I deeply appreciate and am grateful for the information and comforting advice.

Right now, my body feels very hungry and I feel that it is eating itself so-to-speak. Thus, I will go to the grocery store and check this stuff out. Thanks!

EVOLVING WELLNESS | Articles for Meal Ideas - Thanks for that URL. I love the simplicity and utility. Now, having a few more seconds to delve more deeply in the site I realized the article you wrote on "We Will not Live in the Dark." Very interested in not living in the dark. What are some products I should start looking out for? How do I find the companies that aren't looking for merely more than a profit? What can I buy that is best for my health, as well as the Earth's?

Dear Anamoly

I am so thrilled you found the site so useful....you know what my inspiration is... our own home cooking. I do not put anything up that I would not often want to eat and/or make. I will continue posting suff regularly. In the meantime what great advice from everyone. I am especially happy to hear so many people mention not buying anything processed...even if it is vegetarian.

I am still wondering though why you feel so hungry? Are you perhaps not eating enough period? Some days after breakfast and lunch (all grain/veggie stuff) I am not even interested in dinner....my body is just so full, and that is not from overeating in any way, but happens easily with bean products - no surprise there with such complex carbs.

As for your questions on the other article I think we will have to cover that in another thread as it will be listed off topic here

[Uberman]

Hey Anamoly,

What Joeschmoe posted earlier is pretty spot on.

If you want some great info on eating like a superstar, check out my response to another post on this forum, it has some great tips.

Also, try to stay away from eating anything within 3 hours of going to sleep. If you're hungry and need to satiate your desires, drink a protein shake (it requires no digestion and will help you sleep easier).

More quotes on going Veg, check this out.

Have fun, it's an awesome adventure!

Obi