VeggieBoards banner

Veggies and losing weight and sports

2K views 24 replies 5 participants last post by  Didi 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey people!

Bit of background about me. I have recently turned vegetarian (about 6 motnhs ago) It has been great. I feel healthier, less bloated and more energized. My only concern is that in my last blood test my iron, folic acid and vit D have dropped. I have done the transition without any knowledge and that data might be lower than normal because of that as I don´t know how to actually subtitute meat. I also want to start sports again like running and weight lifting (new year, new me stuff).

I would love for someone to give me tips on vegetarian diets, considering that I refuse to eat tofu (not a fan), and to teach me how to keep the veggie up in a healthy way.

I must point out i haven´t gained weight since I turned vegetarian but I do want to lose.

Thank you people
 
#4 ·
Some people rely too much on cheese or other dairy when they go lacto-ovo. The ironic thing I have noticed is for all the criticism vegan diets get, vegans are often more prepared to eat a balanced nutritional diet exactly because of all the hype (with the exception of junk food vegans).

First of all, I don't really understand why your vitamin D dropped if you still drink fortified milk....just know cheese actually isn't all that nutritious, milk itself has more calcium and is artificially fortified with vitamin D. If you don't drink a lot of milk, try drinking D fortified orange juice, spending more time in the sun, or eating fortified breakfast cereals.

As for folic acid, you should get plenty of that from fruits and vegetables, but if your diet isn't widely varied, I will once again point you to orange juice.

Iron: beans, lentils, peas, broccoli, kale, raisins, oatmeal, fortified breakfast cereals. ..eat bean burritos with tomatoes or lentils with spinach. Try different types of beans, and explore Indian dal, and you really might want to open your mind to tofu. Because eating plain raw tofu is about as tasty as eating plain raw chicken, only much less dangerous. Try it pan fried with salt and cayenne pepper, or order it professionally prepared in Thai or Chinese dishes. Sautee kale with garlic and salt and pepper, and eat it on toast slathered with hummus and topped with cracked red pepper.

Or take a vitamin supplement.
 
#8 ·
Some people rely too much on cheese or other dairy when they go lacto-ovo. The ironic thing I have noticed is for all the criticism vegan diets get, vegans are often more prepared to eat a balanced nutritional diet exactly because of all the hype (with the exception of junk food vegans).

First of all, I don't really understand why your vitamin D dropped if you still drink fortified milk....just know cheese actually isn't all that nutritious, milk itself has more calcium and is artificially fortified with vitamin D. If you don't drink a lot of milk, try drinking D fortified orange juice, spending more time in the sun, or eating fortified breakfast cereals.

As for folic acid, you should get plenty of that from fruits and vegetables, but if your diet isn't widely varied, I will once again point you to orange juice.

Iron: beans, lentils, peas, broccoli, kale, raisins, oatmeal, fortified breakfast cereals. ..eat bean burritos with tomatoes or lentils with spinach. Try different types of beans, and explore Indian dal, and you really might want to open your mind to tofu. Because eating plain raw tofu is about as tasty as eating plain raw chicken, only much less dangerous. Try it pan fried with salt and cayenne pepper, or order it professionally prepared in Thai or Chinese dishes. Sautee kale with garlic and salt and pepper, and eat it on toast slathered with hummus and topped with cracked red pepper.

Or take a vitamin supplement.
I think the vit D dropped because of winter and the less sun I am getting lately. All levels are just slightly lower so nothing too terrible.

When I was eating meat I normally ate meat + veggies + carbs. Since I took out the meat now i find it very difficult to differentiate the three main macronutrients and actually eat them in the right proportion. I don´t know if i am actually explaining myself correctly.
 
#14 ·
Hi Didi,

Could you tell us in which country you live? This would help us to recommend vegetarian dishes that you might enjoy.
.
 
#22 · (Edited)
  • Like
Reactions: onboardvegan
#23 ·
Thank you so much for the info David! I will definitely look at it.

Luckily I am from Madrid, so I am pretty sure there are loads of options for vegetarians and vegans, I am just so new to this... I just came to realize how many animals we eat and how weird veggies are here.

Yeah, that wine tradition! The mix is called tinto de verano (summer red wine) The name says it all.. perfect for hot summer days!

You have been very useful and I am very grateful you took the time to answer. Thanks again!
 
#24 ·
Here in North America, we also have a tendency to base our plate around a meat, a carb and a vegetable, so I totally understand what you are going through. When we decide to change to a meatless diet, it's easy to struggle with what to "replace" it with, thinking we have to keep that same structure we've always been used to.

As a vegetarian, you will begin to see your meals as more of a whole rather than a sum of a few parts - think bowls, casseroles, soups/stews, pasta dishes, etc... mainly because it is possible to obtain multiple macronutrients from the same foods rather than separate ones. For example, beans, peas, lentils etc are both carbs AND protein ^_^

One more thing to consider - I never liked tofu either, until I learned to prepare it properly. Tofu is pretty bland all by itself, but it is actually a great canvas for the flavours you already know and love. If you like a meaty texture, buy the extra firm variety, and press it to remove most of the water content. You can even freeze it first, then thaw and press... this imparts a much more meaty texture than a fresh block has. Then marinate/season it in the same sauces and spices you would have used on meat. It can then be pan fried, baked, sautéed, etc just like cut-up chicken or fish! ^_^
 
#25 ·
Here in North America, we also have a tendency to base our plate around a meat, a carb and a vegetable, so I totally understand what you are going through. When we decide to change to a meatless diet, it's easy to struggle with what to "replace" it with, thinking we have to keep that same structure we've always been used to.

As a vegetarian, you will begin to see your meals as more of a whole rather than a sum of a few parts - think bowls, casseroles, soups/stews, pasta dishes, etc... mainly because it is possible to obtain multiple macronutrients from the same foods rather than separate ones. For example, beans, peas, lentils etc are both carbs AND protein ^_^

One more thing to consider - I never liked tofu either, until I learned to prepare it properly. Tofu is pretty bland all by itself, but it is actually a great canvas for the flavours you already know and love. If you like a meaty texture, buy the extra firm variety, and press it to remove most of the water content. You can even freeze it first, then thaw and press... this imparts a much more meaty texture than a fresh block has. Then marinate/season it in the same sauces and spices you would have used on meat. It can then be pan fried, baked, saut?ed, etc just like cut-up chicken or fish! ^_^
Yeah, that is my struggle. I guess things will make more sense with time.
About tofu, that is true. I have tried products that do containing tofu and they are very tasty, but plain tofu is just terrible to me.
I am very glad you responded to my question. Thanks for the new tips and the understanding!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top