Hiya,

I'm totally new to all this and I want to convert to vegetarianism...

What are all the basic foods that I can eat??

Meat has usually been the "main" part of a lot of meals for me ... so I'm not really sure what to change that to. I've read in lots of places that you can't just eat pasta all the time and things like that lol. What things can I regularly use instead of meat that are healthy and will give me all the nutrients I need??

Thank you so much!

Saz x x x :chef:

hiya saz!!
firstly welcome to VB!

There are loads of things you can eat! im a veggie and have been for 15 years so its easier if i explain a few things before the vegans on here get hold of you lol they confuse me!! haha

Make sure that everything you eat has either the "V" mark on it or "suitable for vegetarians" or even better the vegetarian society approved logo that way you know what your eating is ok. I can still eat spag bolognaise and lasagne and shepherds pie and chilli non carne with the use of veggie mince. there are loads of types but the best ones are quorn mince its only 3% fat and really nice. you can have stir frys and currys as well with the use of "chicken style" pieces the main named brands are as follows...
QUORN
LINDA McCARTNEY
REALEAT
CAULDRON (WHO ALSO MAKE TOFU WHICH IS VEGAN)
MORNINGSTAR
ALL SUPERMARKETS HAVE THEIR OWN BRANDS OF VEGGIE FOODS IN THE FREEZER SECTION.

there are lots of others. Other things to be careful of are dairy products. although vegetarians are fine to eat dairy (vegans do not eat dairy) there are still some aspects of the dairy process that are cruel. Milk causes a lot of controversy (see the post on VB about dairy farming) and just make sure that the eggs you are eating are "Free Range". Its also advisable to make sure that cheese has "suitabkle for vegetarians" written on it as a lot of cheeses contain animal rennet which is not vegetarian! its basically cows stomach lining. Most supermarket brands are veggie although the cheaper "value" type ones are not. be careful of that. other things to look out for is Confectionary, Cakes, Jelly, some capsules for medicines containing an ingrediant called "Gelatine" or "gelatin" which is crushed animal bones/tendons amongst other things, it works as a gelling agent and is a hidden ingredient in a lot of foods you would not expect. becareful about beef suet as well and some foods containing fish stock like rolls and bread amongst other stuff. its best to check the labels while your learning. its gonna be a long time before you get to grips with it. im still finding out new things after 15 years!! oooh and be careful of crisps.

go to the vegetarian society website and read up on a few things

http://www.vegsoc.org

are you considering stopping using animal tested products? if you are have a look at this website too...

http://www.caringconsumer.com/searchcompany.asp

procter and gamble and all its products are tested on animals so i dont buy anything they make. always check the labels on any product you use even toilet tissue, tampons, washing up liquids washing powders, toothpaste the list is endless

good luck mate and i hope this is of help....its not hard when you know how! its a satisfying feeling knowing how kinder your being! do the best you can do. every little helps!

Emma xxx

Congratulations on your very commendable decision! :up:

If you want some good tips for recipes, you can have a look in the recipe forum.

What are all the basic foods that I can eat??
All kinds of fruit, dried fruit, all kinds of vegetables, bread, pasta, beans, peanuts, lentils, tempeh, tofu, rice, millet, salt, spices ... The list goes on and on. It's kinda hard to list everything.

Meat has usually been the "main" part of a lot of meals for me ... so I'm not really sure what to change that to.
The main part of a meal from now on should ideally be foods rich in vegetable protein. In order to have sufficient complete protein, however, you usually need to combine foods that complement eachother. Protein is created from different kinds of amino acids. In order for your body to build protein, you need the amino acids that are referred to as "essential amino acids".

It's actually not very difficult. Some foods tend to contain one group of amino acids and other foods contain the other amino acids. The first group is found in foods like: beans, lentils, peanuts, tofu, tempeh, peas, etc. The other group is found in foods like: rice, grains, bread, pasta, etc.

One doesn't necessarily have to combine these foods in one single meal. It is sufficient to do it through the course of a day. However, I find it easier to do it in one single meal.

You also need some carbohydrates and fats. Foods rich in carbohydrates are e.g.: rice, grains, pasta, potatoes... It's advisable to not eat too much of the "quick" carbohydrates, meaning potatoes, polished rice, white bread and so on. It's better to use wholewheat pasta, brown rice, wholewheat bread, etc.

There are lots of fats in vegetable cooking oils and salad oils, of course. A good & healthy oil is canola oil. Avocados also contain very healthy oil.

You probably want to read up on vitamins, particularly B12 and maybe D.

ETA: Canola oil is the USAnian/Canadian name for rapeseed oil. I'm not sure what they call it in England.

Hi Saz, check out this thread: http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=47062

I love beans and eat bean/lentil soups and burritos. I've also switched "plate formats" where instead of a slab of meat with mashed taters and green beans, I eat 1 or 2 items, where the food items are composed of a lot of ingredients. For example, vegetable korma with saffron rice, or stir-fried veggies with tofu and brown rice, or a tofu scramble burrito (whole wheat tortilla, black beans, tofu fried with turmeric and black salt from an Indian market (optional), and brown rice or quinoa if you can find it), salsa or green chile sauce (I highly recommend green chile sauce).)

welcome!!

you don't *have* to seek out products approved by the vegetarian society. reading ingredients is a good place to start on packaged foods, but you can go FAR more creative than that..

i like to make bean and rice burritos, hummus and carrot sandwiches (on whole grain bread), tofu/tempeh stir frys, quinoa and couscous salads.. all things that you can find in the health food store, the bulk section of your local grocer, and even in the aisles of your regular grocery store. dry beans and legumes are great sources of protein and are inexpensive. nuts and nut butters are energy-dense sources of protein and many other nutrients... just make sure that you are eating a variety of foods: protien, veggies, fruits, carbs - every day and you'll be fine!!

Look for the Vegetarian Meat & Potatos Cookbook for veganized versions of the hearty, traditional American meals so many of us have grown up loving. I've checked it out from the library twice, so I suppose I should buy it. One veggie alternative to meat is called seitan or wheat meat. It is the best.

One of the keys is finding a (super)market that caters to plant-food-based lifestyles. The "mainstream" supermarkets cater to animal-food-based lifestyles to an appalling extent. It's no wonder that carnies think that veg*ns are mentally ill or radical extremists, when you consider what's available in the stores they regularly shop.

As soon as you find a good source of fruits, veggies, nuts&seeds, whole grains, herbs/spices, etc., you're ready to start experimenting. I'm not aware of a healthy "turn-key" solution for the new veg*n. You need to be willing to invest the time and energy to learn a new way of cooking. However, the results are well worth it!!

Good luck! :hamster:

P.S. To keep up your enthusiasm, I suggest subscribing to one of the veg magazines. I currently subscribe the VegNews, VegTimes, and VRG Journal. If I had to pick one, I'd go with VegNews (www.vegnews.com).

Also try out a few subsitute products to see if you like them. Tofurky's Italian Sausage and Hickory-Smoked Deli Slices are so realistic I sometimes have to remind myself I'm not eating an animal. Quorn is also good if you eat egg-based foods, though to me their patties and cutlets kind of tasted like fish-sticks.

One of the keys is finding a (super)market that caters to plant-food-based lifestyles. The "mainstream" supermarkets cater to animal-food-based lifestyles to an appalling extent. It's no wonder that carnies think that veg*ns are mentally ill or radical extremists, when you consider what's available in the stores they regularly shop.

As soon as you find a good source of fruits, veggies, nuts&seeds, whole grains, herbs/spices, etc., you're ready to start experimenting. I'm not aware of a healthy "turn-key" solution for the new veg*n. You need to be willing to invest the time and energy to learn a new way of cooking. However, the results are well worth it!!

Good luck! :hamster:

P.S. To keep up your enthusiasm, I suggest subscribing to one of the veg magazines. I currently subscribe the VegNews, VegTimes, and VRG Journal. If I had to pick one, I'd go with VegNews (www.vegnews.com).
couldnt agree more ! its learning a new way of cooking that masters being a veggie! once you got the hang of that....you cant lose hun! I like using fresh herbs and get yourself a spice rack...you can make some blinding food!
M xxx

You can make your own staples, but sub the meat, for example you can make lasagna and use non-meat sauce, or fake meat or TVP. Beans are great and wonderful, embrass the beans! Make bean tacos, bean burritos, beans and rice...

Other meal ideas: Stirfry, chili minus the beef OR sub TVP or fake beef (the way I make chilli is VERY healthy and VERY satisfying, basically throw a TON of veggies in a put with a can or so of tomatoes, corn, and kidney beans and of course chili powder), sandwhiches/wraps with loads of veggies or fake lunch meat (with loads of veggies still), Miso soup, Eggplant and some mushrooms have a very meaty texture and can be grilled and eaten just like you would eat a burger. Pita bread with hummus (chickpea paste), nachos with salsa and refried beans and rice.... Or what I had last night, Stuffing without the meat and mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, and green beans. The list goes on and on! Check out the recipe section of this site, or go to a liberary and take out a vegetarian cookbook if you need more ideas.

Of course, pasta, rice, fruits, veggies, grains, breads, nuts, seeds, cereal, etc....

Thanks everyone!

It seems to be going well so far. I tried beans and I don't really like the texture of them ... but hopefully I'll learn to like them when I put them into tasty recipes!

Thanks for all your great advice!

Saz x x x

Thanks everyone!

It seems to be going well so far. I tried beans and I don't really like the texture of them ... but hopefully I'll learn to like them when I put them into tasty recipes!

Thanks for all your great advice!

Saz x x x


There are so many beans out there that if you don't like one, chances are you will like the next one you try!;) Just don't be afraid to try new things to test out what you like and don't like.

And Saz, don't forget that a lot of the food you already enjoy is veg*n! Of course fresh fruits, like apples and oranges and bananas. And then vegetables - green beans, corn, peas, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes. Bean burritos with salsa and guacamole. All kinds of cereals with (soy)milk. I would venture to say that almost every single kind of cereal is vegetarian, and many are vegan. Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat is all vegetarian (and much of it is vegan). All different kinds of rice: white, brown, jasmine, saffron. Peanut butter and jelly is a staple, but also try peanut butter and bananas, marshmallow fluff (just make sure gelatin isn't an ingredient), fresh fruit, etc. etc.! You can also try other kinds of nut butters, like cashew butter, almond butter, etc.

There are also tons of great pre-made vegan foods! I love Luna bars and Clif bars, protein bars in yummy flavors. There's Envirokids organic cereal which is TO DIE for, and bunches of vegan chocolates. My favorite brands are Endangered Species and Dagoba (the latter has a rose and raspberry flavor - weird but yummy!) Amy's frozen dinners and pizzas are a must-have, as is soy delicious ice cream and Westsoy smoothies etc.

There are TONS of good veg*n cookbooks! I really like "Conveniently Vegan", and I've also heard "Vegan With a Vengeance" is good. Just check out Amazon and type "vegan" or "vegetarian"!

Some of my favorite mail order sites are: www.veganessentials.com and www.foodfightgrocery.com

So don't let anybody get you down, and you can message me 24/7 if you have a question (no matter how silly it may seem!) Good job, I'm so so so proud of you and thankful for all that you're doing for the animals. :)

You could try making a bean/lentil loaf, that way you get all the bean-y goodness but without the texture of the beans (cos it's all smushed up). I love nut loaf too. And bean chilli (I fry an onion, chuck in some carrot/celery/sweet potato, 3 tins of beans, a tin of tomatoes, some veg stock, some organo, cumin, a bit of cayenne and LOTS of chilli powder - it makes loads, enough for 5 or 6, when I'm at home we make double (all the omnis love it) and just keep reheating it for the next few days). There's loads of great cookbooks out there, have a look in your library and get experimenting!