[Kidneylust]

well hello, i recently went vegetarian, and i love it. The reason i became vegetarian was because of the movie SuperSizeMe. Anyway i'm not really sure what to do, its been a month and i've been eating, cereal, ramen noodles, pineapple pizza, and banannas. I only drink water, and stay away from the sweets. Now i know i can't live off of pizza and ramen noodles, and the few vegetarian recipes i have tried ended up gross. Anyway since i quit meat i've lost like 20lbs, yay. My mornings start w/ a glass of water. a handfull of peanuts (protein), and a multivitamin (for b-12). and thats breakfast. anywho, someone help me..... please....

 

[Fromper]

I would highly recommend you check out the book "The New Becoming Vegetarian" by Davis and Melina. As a new veg, this book was a great reference for me, giving me all sorts of info on nutrition and veggie foods.

--Fromper

 

[rabid_child]

Definitely time to get yourself a few vegetarian cookbooks. What sort of foods did you enjoy as an omni? Maybe we can tell you how to vegetarianize them?

 

[Kidneylust]

well i dunno, i always ate fast food. i sometimes eat pasta and salad. and um potato and cheese taquitos. but i dunno. anything i guess. is the vitamin and peanuts a good idea for the morning? i guess i'll learn to like many diff. veggies. anyway any tips i would really appreciate.

 

[Lady Clare]

Vegetarianism isn't that hard. I mean, why are you just eating a handful of peanuts for breakfast?? What did you eat before?

You didn't just eat a massive pile of bacon everyday.

toast, eggs, pancakes...

and why only bananas?? Try some new stuff.

You can make pizzas with veg pepperoni, fast and easy.

You can make big pots of homemade soups, chilis, etc.

I guess I just find this hard to understand b/c leaving out meat isn't that hard. Now if all you did was go to fast food places, you wouldn't have many options, but it isn't like you are working on veganism yet- so you can make nearly everything you always did and just leave out the meat or add in a soy meat replacement.

Now- I am guessing your problem is more of an "I don't know how to cook that well" type of thing? Or just relying too much on fast food and convenience foods.

If that is the case then you just need to keep trying...

 

[Kidneylust]

well here at my house my grandparents never eat at home, and usually i would alway eat take out or t.v. dinners. i know how cook some but not a veg*an recipes, luckily this site has some. i eat the handful of peanuts for protein.

 

[lillym]

I suggest you try out the Starving Students' Vegetarian Cookbook, it's full of easy recipes for people with limited cooking skills or access to equipment that can be made for cheap.

It isn't surprising you lost weight, you're barely eating anything! At the very least you need to increase the amount of vegetables you are eating. You can do that by making salads or doing a kind of stir fry and serving it over rice.

What recipes did you make and why were they gross?

 

[Kidneylust]

hahahah i tried the meatless sloppy joes, and it tasted like vinegar, XD i like to make veggies in a skillet w/ some olive oil and spice em up w/ creole seasoning.

 

[GhostUser]

Becoming Vegan is a GREAT book. It gives you meal ideas, info on all the important nutrients and where to get them, and FAQs. I can't recommend it enough to new veggies.

 

[cftwo]

If you've eaten TV dinners before, look for some vegetarian ones - they DO exist. Brands to look for include Amy's, Cedar Lane, and Moosewood Restaurant. Stouffer's also has some vegetarian options - vegetarian lasagna, macaroni and cheese, etc. I gravitate toward the Weight Watcher's and Lean Cuisine dinners, and there are some options there, too (Fettucini Alfredo, Pasta Primavera, macaroni and cheese, pizzas, etc.). Check ingredients, though - the potatoes with broccoli and cheese also includes chicken stock.

There are some good vegetarian baked beans out there - look for veggie hot dogs of your choice to have with them. You can even buy potato salad at a deli (most potato salads, I should say) and have that. Coleslaw is vegetarian. You have lots of options. Believe it or not, vegetarian food is very very good.

There's a Lazy Vegetarian thread around which might help you, too.

For breakfast, I usually have a soy sausage or an egg, toast, OJ, and my vitamin. There are a lot of options - toaster waffles work, too, if you don't/can't cook.

 

[magickaloceana]

I say sort of because I personally have been trying to be vegetarian since elementary school. I have done a lot of studying and know quite a bit about what foods to eat and how to ward off cravings. To say the being vegetarian is not that hard is not entirely true. It is not that hard for SOME people. I want to succeed at this more than anything else in the world, but that does not mean I have always succeeded. I have been vegetarian now (this recent attempt) for over a month. The longest time I have ever done it straight was 4.

It can be scary trying new recipes and food, because they are a stray from the familiar. I understand what you are going through.

Try new recipes, there are A LOT of good meat replacements that are fast. Boca brand & Quorn brand are some of the best in my opinion. When you go shopping at the store, take your time and look over the Veggie sections. Many stores are now expanding their options. Read ingredients to be sure they are not sneaking non-Veggie ingredients into your TV dinners. Curiosity is key...

 

[magickaloceana]

I personally have been trying to be vegetarian since elementary school. I have done a lot of studying and know quite a bit about what foods to eat and how to ward off cravings. To say the being vegetarian is not that hard is not entirely true. It is not that hard for SOME people. I want to suceed at this more than anything else in the world, but that does not mean I have always succeeded. I have been vegetarian now (this recent attempt) for over a month. The longest time I have ever done it straight was 4.

It can be scary trying new recipes and food, because they are a stray from the familiar. I understand what you are going through.

Try new recipes, there are A LOT of good meat replacements that are fast. Boca brand & Quorn brand are some

 

[magickaloceana]

Whoops, did not mean to post twice. Not used to posting yet. I apologize...

 

[avocado]

i find this place to be a good source for recipes. some are easier to make than others. but just by the sheer volume of recipes on this site, your probly gonna find somthing.

http://vegweb.com/

good luck to you.

 

[Tempeh-Tantrums]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady Clare

Now- I am guessing your problem is more of an "I don't know how to cook that well" type of thing? Or just relying too much on fast food and convenience foods.

If that is the case then you just need to keep trying...

Seriously! Who eats just peanuts and stuff, that's insane. There are so many "accidently vegan" things a person could eat without even trying.

 

[Lady Clare]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempeh-Tantrums

Seriously! Who eats just peanuts and stuff, that's insane. There are so many "accidently vegan" things a person could eat without even trying.

Hehe- yeah that was my first thought, but you know...

 

[cmh_luva08]

Hey i may be younger than u but ive been a vegetarian for about a year now. You can eat many things to stay healthy you just have to research on it and find the proteins you need. I recommend parogies. The are like ravioli shaped noodles with potatoes inside. OMGGGG THERE AWESOMEE!!!!!!!!! But hope ya find somen to keep ya on track... <3 coby luva

 

[sally429]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kidneylust

i've been eating, cereal, ramen noodles, pineapple pizza, and banannas. I only drink water, and stay away from the sweets.

Just curious because I have been wondering this for a long time....are ramen noodles vegetarian?? They only come in meat flavors, but is that artificial?

 

[Hang~Ten~Honey]

Kidneylust,

If you like eating peanuts in the morning why not try out peanut butter toast? Get yourself a natural 100% whole wheat bread with extra fiber and toast a slice or two then add pb. My bf got me hooked on them and it's warm and heavenly. If you like bananas then either slice them on top of the toast or eat seperately. You can do the same with other butters for example almond butter or apple butter.

Another breakfast/snack idea is a smoothie. I use frozen strawberries, diced pineapples, and/or raspberries with ripe banana and add fruit juice (orange or pineapple). You can also add powdered protein if needed. It's quick and fills you up.

Becoming stuck in a food rut is pretty easy but try to switch up your meals and add new foods/recipes every week.

 

[Kidneylust]

luckily we finally got some veggie food here at the house so I don't have to eat stupid peanuts anymore. Oh and soy milk is like the best thing ever.