Would LOVE to be a vegetarian, but how to deal with dietary restrictions?

[foodiechick]

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to be able to be a vegetarian and improve my overall health and well being.

I have some dietary restrictions in that I tend to pig out on grains (bread, pasta, wheat, cookies, rice) and I find that when i just eat veggies and fruit and animal protein, I feel a lot better physically than when i eat bread and rice and pasta, etc.

I also need to avoid eating too much tofu and soy.

Is this possible on a very limited budget (about $100 bucks per month?)? I find that when I eat beans and rice, I just tend to get bigger and bloated.

How can I incorporate a vegetarian lifestyle with my dietary restrictions? Is it a possibility?

[Poppy]

Eat lots of fruits and veggies - every meal. Lots. Have some brown rice, whole grain bread, and whole grain tortillas as sides. Whole grain cereal with rice or almond milk and a sliced banana is a delicious and filling breakfast. Definitely include some healthy fats to curb your appetite - olive oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters and use beans and legumes sparingly. If you stick with wholesome foods, yoru belly and yoru budget should be fine!

[Fyvel]

:yes: Poppy gave you some great advice!

Usually when you eat beans on a regular basis, that bloating you get goes away. Your body should get used to it after a while. It also helps to soak your beans before you cook them - at least 8 hours - and don't cook in the soaking water. You can also take a beano type enzyme (I don't think beano is vegetarian, iirc).

You could try eating grains in smaller portions. You can also soak your rice for a bit before you cook it too - I find it's a bit easier to digest that way.

[foodiechick]

Thank you both for your advice. :)

Does anyone have some info on being vegetarian, but not overdoing it on grains (whole or otherwise), and incorporating the avoidance of gluten?

Would beans be better than lentils, or would both, and added veggies, be healthier than adding a grain to a meal?

[ket]

^ I can't answer your question, but I wonder why you would be unwilling to eat more grains.

I used to get very, very bloated when I was an omni and a little bit when I first start being a veg. I would start slow with fibre intake -- build it up over time.

Also, talk to a nutritionist. It sounds to me like you are a dieter and worried about weight (just guessing because I use this language too and I was worried about some of the same kinds of things). Carbs aren't bad. Challenge this way of thinking. Eating refined sugar will make you crave more sugar, but whole wheat really gives you that full feeling. Again, start slow with that and think of talking to a nutritionist about what your reactions to the food you are eating.

I'm a foodie, too! Being a vegetarian and being a foodie work together, I promise.

Ooh, and also, tofu is a friend. Not at every meal, but it is a delicious alternative to meat

[Kiran]

Can you tell us more specifics about your dietary restrictions? Are they based on personal preference, allergies, or what?

If you want some good advice on how to eat a healthy vegetarian diet on little money, check out Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's excellent podcast; Vegetarian Food For Thought, specifically the episodes called "The Compassionate Kitchen" and "Favorite Foods: Beans."

[a7dk]

Can you tell us more specifics about your dietary restrictions? Are they based on personal preference, allergies, or what?

If you want some good advice on how to eat a healthy vegetarian diet on little money, check out Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's excellent podcast; Vegetarian Food For Thought, specifically the episodes called "The Compassionate Kitchen" and "Favorite Foods: Beans."

This podcast was a huge factor in my becoming vegetarian. Especially her two episodes about her favorite foods. They make veg eating sooo accessible and easy.

Good luck!

[foodiechick]

Because my dietary needs are a bit outside of the norm, it is very hard for me to convey to people how my body deals with grains. To put it simply, I have more energy and feel less hungry when I obtain my carbohydrates from fruits and veggies. When I have grains (rice, wheat, flours, steel cut oats, etc.), I tend to get hungrier far quicker than when eating protein and veggies or fruit.

I am trying to lose weight, so preventing the huge increases in hunger is imperative.

Does anyone know if there are websites that deal with vegetarians who have gluten or wheat related concerns?

I should add that when I said "bloat", I meant it more along the lines of eating certain foods causes me to get a bit puffy and put on weight easily. My stomach digests beans fine (and I LOVE them), but when I eat beans and rice, the weight comes on. :(

[Sewwattsnew]

I don't have any experience with it, so I can't really comment, but this looked helpful:

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/theglutenfreediet/ss/GF_Veg_Resource_2.htm

[kirakira]

My understanding is that it's pretty normal to be hungrier quicker on a vegetarian diet , especially at first. The key is to then eat again. Google "The China Study" or "Mcdougall diet".

On a whole foods, plant based diet you can eat up to 1/3 more in calories and not gain weight. In fact you will lose weight, as long as you don't overdo the fats/oils and abstain from animal products.

I'm down 13 pounds in six weeks doing this. I'm doing a modifed McDougall where I do use some fat. And I'm always eating!

[VeggieSchnuddel]

I'd definitely agree with keeping the grains in your diet. Just maybe try different grains that aren't wheat-based, ie pasta made from corn flour or spelt. then there's quinoa (best thing ever! As far as I know it's the only grain that supplies you with ALL amino acids, which apparently otherwise only meat does) and couscous or brown rice. The wholegrains will keep you fuller for longer while at the same time you won't need as much of it to get to feel full.
Just one thing with brown rice especially - wash it before you cook it and take into account that it'll take longer to cook than the processed rice.

Couscous is a great thing to bulk up veggie soups - you'll only need very little of it and it doesn't really need to cook as much as soak in the hot soup for a few minutes til it's soft and there you go!

Best of luck! I'm sure you'll find lots more inspiration in the recipe section here. What I found helped at the beginning was to buy a vegetarian cookbook that I liked the look of and just to cook it from start to finish. You'll soon get the hang of it and find out your likes/preferences and in no time you'll be the pro with your veg*n diet! :)

[faygie11]

You have the same problem I do with $100 a month to spend for groceries. I learn to buy alot of beans and rice that will last a month. I also buy alot of frozen veggies & frozen fruits that will last a month. I only buy what is on sale that will last. I also discover that you can make more on what you are eating an freeze it for a later time. I always buy whole wheat bread that is the store brand and freeze it.That will last a month. The only things that I buy fresh is my lettuce,tomatoes,fresh mushrooms,red onions,fresh potatoes,fresh fruits and fresh spinach. The fresh spinach I buy a 10 oz bag and than it last almost 3 weeks in the refridge. I also put my fresh potatoes in the fridge that will last me 1 month .I also watch for sales on the eggplants and Zuchinni that will last me a month too and fresh veggies and fruits. If the tomatoes get soft you can freeze them for the only thing you can use the frozen tomatoes is in a sauce.
I do not know if you eat salads , if you do here is a suggestion that I do I buy the 101 oz of extra virgin olive oil and use that for a salad dressing with rice or balsmatic vinegar. That will last atleast 3 to 4 months depending on the size of your family.I also cook with it. I hope these suggestions help.

[Minibean]

You don't need to eat grains - you can be very healthy on a diet of veggies, fruits, beans and nuts/seeds. You might want to read Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, he specifically recommends a high vegetable, low grain, and even lower animal product diet. Actually it's not uncommon for people to have trouble eating grains in moderation (and end up overeating them). If you feel better without them, there's no need to eat them, from a nutritional standpoint.

[ficbot]

I have a ton of food restrictions too, including tree nuts, flax, wheat and corn. My suggestion would be to focus on what you CAN eat, not just what you can't eat. For example, you could make a lot of great soups with vegetables and beans and no grains. One of my lunchtime staples is canned lentil soup :)

I am still adjusting to the wheat thing, as for me, it's a newer problem. Part of my issue has been that many 'gluten-free' cookbooks focus on ways to make fake bread and include recipes such as sandwiches made with fake bread, and this does not interest me. I would rather learn to make foods which do not rely on 'bread' as I prefer real food and not things overly processed. Also, I am not that great a cook, so a whole book full of recipes of hard to make things does not appeal to me :)

[thefragile77]

Because my dietary needs are a bit outside of the norm, it is very hard for me to convey to people how my body deals with grains. To put it simply, I have more energy and feel less hungry when I obtain my carbohydrates from fruits and veggies. When I have grains (rice, wheat, flours, steel cut oats, etc.), I tend to get hungrier far quicker than when eating protein and veggies or fruit.

I am trying to lose weight, so preventing the huge increases in hunger is imperative.

Does anyone know if there are websites that deal with vegetarians who have gluten or wheat related concerns?

I should add that when I said "bloat", I meant it more along the lines of eating certain foods causes me to get a bit puffy and put on weight easily. My stomach digests beans fine (and I LOVE them), but when I eat beans and rice, the weight comes on. :(


Try www.vegiac.com its for people on Gluten free diets who are also vegan or veggie. BTW I'd not avoid gluten unless you have an intolerance or allergy. I'm a coeliac and gf substitutes are usually higher in carbs, fat and higher GI. I have to be careful what I eat because it tends to pack the weight on. You should only really avoid gluten/wheat etc if you have a diagnosed intolerance or allergy - if your thinking you may be a Coeliac continue eating gluten so your tests are accurate.

That said I'm not a nutritionist so you may be asking a professional - one that is ok with veggie/vegan diets that is :)

[jenni-anti-fur]

Eat lots of fruits and veggies - every meal. Lots. Have some brown rice, whole grain bread, and whole grain tortillas as sides. Whole grain cereal with rice or almond milk and a sliced banana is a delicious and filling breakfast. Definitely include some healthy fats to curb your appetite - olive oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters and use beans and legumes sparingly. If you stick with wholesome foods, yoru belly and yoru budget should be fine!

awesome advice:):)...

[itsveggietime!]

>I tend to pig out on grains

I don't think grains are the problem, it's learning what a serving size is. Start measuring your food and not just eating as much as you want because it's good. Having lost weight thru weight watchers, the number one problem people have is 'pigging out'. Most foods are going to pack on the weight if you pig out on them (well, not lettuce). But the thing is, if the meal is not balanced you have nothing to eat BUT rice and beans. First of all, I buy fat free refried beans, so there is no lard in them, BUT, I then add tsp of olive oil to my serving because good healthy oils are necessary and they keep you satisfied longer.

You might have rice and beans, chips and salsa (measure your serving size) and a salad with tomatoes and onions on it and add healthy oil. I use Walmarts Great Value fat free Italian dressing because I like it, then add my own olive oil to it, so I know how much olive oil I am getting - 2 tsp a day, all at once, or separate. Then I squirt lime juice on it. Or healthy oil can be gotten by 2 T of guacamole.

Do not fail to drink the water you need each day. I am not talking about the fad of drinking gallons of water to keep from eating. I'm talking about the amount your body actually needs to function properly (6-8 8oz cups). If you don't do this, your body will see the only way it can get the fluid it needs is by whatever is in the food you eat, and drive you to eat more food.

For me, I eat no less than 3 different fruits a day, 2 different veggies, 2 whole grain servings, 2 tsp of healthy oil, 2 cups of whatever you use for milk (soy/almond/hemp milks). I can eat more fruits and veggies, but you must stick to serving sizes with other things if you are a person that pigs out on things (I am). You only know it is the right amount because you weighed it. I weigh my cereal every morning, because I will eat double if I just stand there and fill the bowl. The grains aren't the problem, it's not taking responsibility and overeating that puts the weight on.

Go to some place like Walmart and you'll find a small kitchen scale for cheap. It's worth its weight in gold. ONLY MAKE AS MANY SERVINGS AS YOU NEED! If hubby is here, I make 2 servings. If I'm cooking for me, I make one serving. Don't make extra or you will eat it!