[nutrich]

Hi everyone,

I have been vegetarian for 4 months now and getting bored of eating the same vegetarian recipes that I know. So a friend of mine suggested trying out a meal plan - it has a list of recipes and grocery list so all you do is just buy the ingredients and then cook.

But before I commit my money to that I wanted to check if any of you have had good experiences with using meal plans. Are the recipes good? Does it really save you time? Is it easier than sorting out your own recipes and planning?

 

[Orchid]

I'd say it depends on the meal plan itself. It's very hard to assess a meal plan without knowing its content. I prefer to make my own meal plans. I sit down with my recipe collection, go through my schedule for the week so I know if I have a lot of time for cooking or not, and then write down the meals. Then I go through them one by one, writing down the ingredients I need. This step also involves going through my cabinets so I don't buy what I already have.

I tried using a meal plan from "Simple Green Smoothies" once but wasn't overly impressed.

If you find that your recipe repertoar isn't that big, I would suggest loaning/buying some good cookbooks. I also use pinterest and search for vegan (you can go for vegetarian of course). There I "pin" the recipes I find easy and good enough so I can go back to them later.

Just out of curiosity, what meal plan are you considering?

 

[jessandreia]

I don't even bother making meal plans because I know I won't stick to them. The best I can do is plan my lunch for the next day.
Whether it saves you time or not, probably depends on the meals of those meal plans. Making your own is probably the best option. That way you can choose to have more elaborate meals on days you have more time to cook, and quicker meals on days you have less time to cook.
Personally, I like findingvegan.com . They add new recipes to the website almost every day. Vegweb.com also has plenty of recipes.

 

[Crochetlove]

I make my own meal plans each week. I keep a special recipe book of all the recipes I use regularly printed out and placed in a three ring binder in the kitchen, and then once a week jot down all the dinners I plan to make that week on a sticky note on the fridge. It helps me cut down on eating out and on food waste (for example, if one recipe calls for half a block of tofu, the next day I can plan another recipe that uses half a block of tofu). I usually make a point to try one new recipe a week, and add it to the binder if it turns out really good.

The only time I use a pre-made meal plan is if I'm trying to lose weight or refocus on healthy eating patterns. Then, I use a certain plan that says things like "for lunch eat 1 cup of leafy green, 1 piece of fruit..." and things like that, so I still have flexibility in what I am eating but it gives me structure too.

If you are just trying to find new recipes, buying a quality cookbook might do more for you than buying a meal plan, unless you are looking for the structure a meal plan would give you. So down to my advice. If you really NEED that kind of structure to help you (some people do) then try out the meal plan. If you want the flexibility to change things around yourself, buy a cookbook and try out meal planning on your own. After a few weeks, meal planning yourself gets easier as you get used to it and build your own system.

 

[silva]

Browse all the threads like "what I at veg'n today" and "last thing I ate", "food porn", "food on the internet".
Check out the veg'n recipe books on amazon going to the "look inside" feature. You'll find many recipes from a variety of authors.
Order books from the library
Go to the numerous veg blogs
Keep a log of what you eat.
You should be able to get a grip on your own personalized weekly list that way.

Are you looking for more variety? I know it took me some time before eating veg really took root for me. Until then it seemed like I was always searching.

 

[LucasMoore]

That is the main reason why some people don't like to be vegan. They get bored of eating same vegetables taste the same. I don't think it is easy for people who once were non vegetarian and later trying to be converted into vegetarian.

 

[silva]

That is the main reason why some people don't like to be vegan. They get bored of eating same vegetables taste the same. I don't think it is easy for people who once were non vegetarian and later trying to be converted into vegetarian.

You're right, but when you persevere and keep trying recipes, new foods and combinations, in time it becomes your normal diet.
Like learning a new language. In the beginning it's awkward and hard. you only understand bits of whats being said to you and what you say isn't usually quite what you'd like to say.
If you really immerse yourself in the language, it gets easier, and soon becomes second nature