I'm a college student and I have just started being a vegetarian. Any advice on what sort of food I should eat in order to keep my energy high?Any quick and easy recipes I can use with a college student's budget? Please help. Im only 16 and I only know how to make "boring" dishes out of my food. My family doesnt even know I'm vegetarian yet.. It was a friend of mine who convinced me to convert but I'm really having trouble with what I'm eating.

(a lot of tofu, brocolli, cauliflower, fresh greens, meatless burgers).





Thanks!!!!

I buy beans in bulk, dried. It's so cheap. Canned tomatoes and other canned goads are always good.

If you want steady energy that lasts pretty much all day, make sure you eat a large and balanced diet. I like oatmeal a lot. Any type of snack that includes peanutbutter gives you energy fast. So does fruit.

Try vegweb.com for recipes.

Other than beans and rice, that is the bulk of what vegetarians eat: vegetables. Try some fruit, seeds, nuts, avocados, bread, pasta dishes with out meat. Meatless pizza.

Soups, chilis, curries and stews tend to be easy to make, very forgiving, and cheap. They aren't always quick, but you can make a bunch at once, and freeze/refridgerate leftovers to eat later in the week.



Experiment with different types of grain and beans. Again, you can make a big pot at the beginning of the week and use it different ways throughout the week. A pot of brown rice can be rice and beans one night, vegetable fried rice with tofu another night, vegetable rice soup another, and rice pudding for dessert!



Buy fruits and vegetables in season. Berries and melons are cheaper in the summer, where apples and citrus are a better choice for the winter. Frozen veggies and fruits have all the same nutrition as fresh, but they're cheaper and more convenient than fresh.

i'm a college student too! unless you eat a good bit of animal products like eggs i suggest supplementing vitamin b12, or atleast taking a daily multivitamin that contains iron and b12. the b vitamins and iron are important for energy.



foods that will energize you the most are "good" carbs like whole grains, fruit, and vegetables. make sure you're getting adequate calories and protein (shoot for 50 or more grams of protein per day).



repeat after me: beans and rice, beans and rice....haha no but really i live off of these. black beans and brown rice are packed with protein, fiber, and b vitamins. another great choice is a peanut butter sandwhich on whole grain bread or a bagel. these foods don't have to be expensive. just read the ingredients lists at your local (affordable) grocery store and look for "whole" before ingredients like wheat and other grain in breads. if you can, avoid breads that contain high fructose corn syrup because it will give you a nasty sugar crash following your meal.



as far as making your meals less boring, add condiments and spices. you can buy loads of spices at the dollar store and they make a world of difference. for example, i add cinnamon to cereal. my all-time favorite is hot sauce. hot sauce and salsa turn beans-and-rice into a gourmet meal!

Here's a few vegetarian things I like to make that are easy and tasty, and pretty high in calories.



Pasta and red sauce: Making a good sauce is way easy. (although it's not the end of the world if you use a jar) Just cook some onions/garlic/mushrooms in olive oil till they soften and add either fresh or canned tomatos. Simmer it for a while, add salt and pepper, and serve it on whole grain pasta. (much healthier) A really fast and good salad I like to pair with this is just: arugula, chopped bell pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil. Throw some avocado on that sucker if you want to get fancy.



Rice and beans: Making good rice is very easy (just get the time, temp, and measurements right, and use some boullion if you want more flavor) and a good way to improve on canned black or red beans is to simmer some onions in oil and add the can to this, along with a touch of vinegar. White rice isn't as healthy but if you use it this is fast. An easy side dish: just cut up an avocado and serve it with salt and pepper.



Oven potatos: Another easy one... just chop up red potatos, mix 'em up with olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and stick then in the oven until done. This is a good thing to have cooknig while you prepare something else.



It's helpful to have a lot of useful ingredients, spices and condiments. around, so you don't have to think too hard about what you're going to make. And you can't get gooin the kitchen by thinking about it; you just have to get in there and try stuff!

I like to eat a lot of beans and salsa. I am at a loss if I do not have whole wheat tortillas and pitas. Although cooking vegan can seem very overwhelming at first, just take a step back and think about what were the foods that you liked the most when you were omni. You can probably eat most of those foods, just skip the meat part!



Some of my personal favorite meals:

Breakfast -

Vegan waffles with Earth Balance and Organic jam

Fresh Fruit

Steel Cut Oatmeal

Bagels

Whole Wheat toast with a banana smashed on it (sometimes peanut butter too)



Lunch -

Bean burritos

Homemade vegan potato salad (SUPER easy to make - but you need vegenaise or vegan sour cream)

Cucumber and red onion salad (really good stuffed into a pita)

Lentil Soup

Vegetable Soup

Bean and guacamole roll ups



Dinner -

Pasta and red sauce (see above post from WillPenguin)

Red potatoes with Earth Balance, Corn and Gardenburger Riblets

Boca chili nachos

Tofu scramble

Eggless-egg salad pitas



There really are so many options! Check out the Food Porn thread and also the recipe forums for more, very simple, ideas!

i'm all about fresh fruits & veggies, brown rice and barley (mmm i can't wait for winter to try out veg. soups). also garbanzo beans! lots of protein, but i have nooo idea what to cook with them.

Oh my god.thanks so much!I would definitely try some of those.Thanks!

Garbanzo beans/chickpea go well in all sorts of things. I toss them in pastas and soups, and also cook them up with tomatoes and greens and garlic. Very yummy! Puree them with some garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice +/- tahini and you've got hummus. You could also look up a recipe for Falafal which are chickpea balls you eat in a pita. You can also roast them and munch them for a snack.

Im a veggie because of morals. I never lack energy. Im 23. I eat cereal for breakfast, biscuits and chocolate bars before lunch, sandwiches for lunch, more biscuits and chocolate bars in the afternoon and a big supper.