becoming a vegetarian

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

I researching becoming a vegetarian at the moment and was wondering if anyone else on here was a vegetarian? What type of products do you eat when your a vegetarian?

[Tate]

Well, I’m [mostly] vegan. I eat vegetables. And quinoa. And rice. Haha.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

I read about becoming a partial vegetarian and was wondering if you knew anything about that? What type of dairy products do you eat if any?

[bunnyfriend]

Actually I decided to be a vegetarian yesterday after seeing a truck full of pigs on their way to being slaughtered ): I had been considering it for months now and that was just the tipping point, besides I have only been eating meat once every other week already since it grosses me out a little. I really like this stuff called Tasty Tofu haha. What made you think about becoming a vegetarian?

[Tate]

What’s a partial vegetarian? Is that just cutting out “basic” animal products?- Like beef, chicken, pork, etc but continuing with dairy and other animal by products?
I don’t eat dairy really. I’m “allergic” to it.. just makes me feel awful, no life threatening reaction. And being vegan says no animal products whatsoever.
I think that it’s up to you to figure out what you want to eat and not eat. “Vegetarian” isn’t totally definable- some people are vegetarian and eat any dairy they want, some eat fish, some take supplements derived from animals… It just depends on how far you are willing to go with it.. all dairy is derived from animals. If you look at it from an activist stand point, the way that animals are harvested to produce dairy products is really just as bad, if not worse, than animals sent directly to slaughter for steaks or chicken breast or bacon. If you look at it from a health standpoint, dairy is generally not good for you anyways, but people tend to do well with “cultured” dairy products- cheeses, yogurts, etc. And eggs- I actually have no idea why they are considered in the dairy group! But eggs are really good for you!
A good point to start- rather than cold turkey- is to go in phases. So, for your first week, don’t eat any beef. And then in your second week, don’t eat chicken. And so on and so forth. That makes it much more manageable and easy.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

I thought about it before but didn’t know if I would give up some of my meat dishes that I like. Then i reading an article of 10 things you can do on sunday for international rabbit day. Which that made me think about animal testing and becoming cruelty free and not using any products that test on animals. Then I thought about becoming a vegetarian more and decided to research it. I am not a big fruit and veggie person actually I eat no fruits and the only veggies I eat are carrots corn and potatoes. My main diet consist of breads and pastas. I researched the different types of vegetarians and saw semi vegetarian which seems like it suits me and I wanted to know more about it and to see if anyone else is on it. I can make stuff without meat. I am actually making homemade chicken noodle soup minus the chicken my sister doesn’t like it in the soup so I leave it out. Just using chicken broth carrots and noodles. I am going to do a little bit more research on it and see if it something I would like to do. thanks

[Tate]

I would seriously recommend renting the movie “Food, Inc”. It’s not aimed towards vegans and vegetarians and it’s purpose isn’t to make you into either of those. But it will give you a good look at where your food is coming from and tends to be enough to cause people to rethink their current diets. That’s actually how I became vegan… part of it was health, part of it was animal rights.

[Monkeybun]

Not to sound like a broken record to everyone here, but… Make sure to take supplements if you go vegetarian/vegan. B12 ESPECIALLY.

[MoveDiagonally]

When I was growing up my father was the primary caretaker of us children. He was/is vegetarian and so for a good portion of my life so was I simply because that is the type of meals he prepared for us (I eat meat now). We never took B12 supplements because we still ate eggs and dairy which do contain the vitamin. I worry more about vitamin deficiencies in vegans as they cut out ALL animal products. To be honest most people should take supplements regardless of being carnivore/vegan/vegetarian. Most of us don’t get everything we need.

Going vegetarian would be easier than going vegan for most people. If you really like your meat it would be easier to ease yourself into it. Cut out red meat first, then poultry, then fish, etc… Then work to being vegan from there if you choose. You can also be more aware of where your meat is coming from if you want to continue to eat it. Local farms, free range cattle/chickens, etc… Animals treated well and slaughtered as humanely as possible. There are so many routes and you should do what you are comfortable with.

(I DON’T recommend the movie Food Inc. unless you want to be horrified.)

[Malp_15]

I think EVERYONE should see Food Inc., it is a horrifying movie, but if you are a human eating any food that doesn’t come from your own yard you should be fully informed.

[MoveDiagonally]

Food Inc is not the only way to get that kind of information or to educate yourself on the commercial meat industry. I don’t disregard it’s educational benefits and some people really need the “wake up call” that movies like it provide. Not everyone needs to be horrified into a realization.

[peppypoo]

Is it weird to say that I reacted to Food Inc. with a cocked eyebrow and moved on with my life? I don’t think it’s necessary to watch a film to realize that it’s impossible for the food industry, the way it is today, to be terribly good for anyone. Does anybody really expect processed foods to be healthy? I just try to be aware and take everything with a grain of salt, fright-tactic documentaries included.

Haha Monkeybun, when I saw that you had commented on this topic I thought to myself “I bet it’s about B12!”

Most vegetarians shouldn’t be too lacking in vitamins unless you have some kind of inborn deficiency, but supplements usually can’t hurt (barring, again, unusual mutations). If you’re considering going vegetarian/vegan, it’s probably worth mentioning to your doctor at your next visit…he/she is a lot more clear on exactly what you’ll be needing to make up in your diet.

[MayaConsuelo]

Becoming a vegetarian in these times is easy… I’ve been a vegetarian for 18 years. Vegan at time but I find that difficult (I exercise a lot and always feel empty/hungry on a vegan diet.) Still I try to do vegan every other day or so. I never liked the taste of meat so it might have been easier for me than other people.

If you like cooking, just go online and look for recipes. There are millions of them without meat, you can get sufficient protein with beans and tofu and quinoa… there are more vegetarian dishes than meat dishes in the world, I think… I do take supplements as well. I was very iron-deficient at my last checkup – however this is a problem many women have (and not just vegetarian women!)

I can link some websites later if you’re interested but since I’ve been a veg for so long I’m not really involved in trying to convince other people, that’s just the way I am. I cook for others often, but it’s a personal choice which can’t be forced on others obviously.

I’ve been thinking about this recently because I go to restaurants which serve meat all the time (with my friends) and ignore it or don’t think about it. But the thought of rabbit on the menu (which is a disturbing hipster trend) makes me feel really sick and depressed. So even if I’m intrigued by a restaurant, I won’t go there if there’s rabbit Which means no more French restaurants ever, except for vegetarian French ones (which I’ve been to! They exist!)

[equalsign]

Posted By Monkeybun on 09/22/2011 08:33 PM
Not to sound like a broken record to everyone here, but… Make sure to take supplements if you go vegetarian/vegan. B12 ESPECIALLY.

The alternative to that is to eat supplmented foods. Many cereals and most soymilks are heavily fortified in B12. Check out Total, Whole Wheat Cheerios, Wheeties, Wheaties Fuel, ect. Many “vegetarian” marketed foods are supplemented with it as well. For the majority of vegetarians and vegans a B12 deficiency is never an issue if you keep it in mind when you eat.

[Eepster]

I’m a long time vegetarian. I’ve been one over 2 decades.

At this point when I read the question “What do you eat?” all I could think was “food.” It’s just so normal for my family at this point.

Tonight I got pizza for my son and husband, I skipped it myself b/c I’m extremely lactose intolerant and can’t handle that much dairy. I was lazy and didn’t feel like cooking up a whole extra dinner for me so I had whole wheat stick pretzels dipped in peanut butter. Last night I had homemade veggie sushi. The night before it was falafel, hummus and tabbouleh. Before that memory fails me. I make all kinds of stuff, once you get used to it, it seems simple. A lot of foods you probably already eat are vegetarian pasta, pizza, rice and beans, pancakes, most desserts, etc.

Then there are also the fake meat foods, such as tofu pups and veggie burgers.

I don’t bother with vitamin supplements since they tend to upset my stomach. We do give them to our typically fussy 5 yo, since he eats so little in general.

[LoveChaCha]

I don’t even eat things that are ‘fortified with vitamins,’ for a reason. I read the ingredients in the item. Ick, chemicals

I would recommend reading “READ IT BEFORE YOU EAT IT: how to decode food labels and make the healthiest choices each time.”

 

Meatless Mondays are becoming popular.

I’m becoming weaned off of red meat because cows are not supposed to be fed corn. Corn makes them sick, thus are injected with antibiotics and.. well, you get the picture. We eat the cow, and the antibiotics. So we become sick. It is of course a slow process. I watched ‘forks over knives.’ The comparison with the American diet over other worldly diets.

 

[LittlePuffyTail]

I think it’s wonderful that you are trying to make these changes, kamdyn.

I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 10 years now. I think your best bet is to go to a book store and get a good book on becoming vegetarian. That’s what I did. That way there you can learn how to eat healthy and how to substitute things for meat.

You can get a Free Vegetarian Starter Kit here:

features.peta.org/VegetarianStarterKit/index.asp

It can be difficult at first, but once you become totally vegetarian, you won’t ever miss meat. The thought of meat actually makes me queasy now. I can’t look at in the grocery stores or I feel sick. 

There’s so many wonderful meat substitutes these days that it’s really easy. I use fake hamburger to make recipes and even “Hamburger Helper”. Vegan Pepperoni for Pizza. Vegan hot-dogs (or what I call “Not-Dogs” ) take some getting used to but now I really like them.

Good luck on your road to becoming veg! If you need any help along the way don’t hesitate to ask.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

Thanks everybody for the helpful tips. I don’t eat read meat alot. I have been eating alot of chicken this week because I had it in the freezer and wanted to finish it up. I eat alot of pastas and pizza so maybe it wont be hard to switch over. I don’t drink milk I only put a little bit in my coffee and when I eat cereal I put a little in that. I do love cheese, butter and eggs so i don’t think I could give that up. I do eat fish from time to time. I do work in a restaurant and they don’t sell rabbit. I think doing the transfermation will be easy if I do it a little bit at a time. Now my next question is. People who are semi vegetarian do they use chicken, beef and ham broth? I use these on a regular basis. Thanks again everyone

[Elrohwen]

Good luck becoming vegetarian! I think Food Inc is a great film, though I would disagree that it’s horrifying. I thought it was really educational and I learned some things, but I guess I wasn’t so surprised and knew what was coming. I worked in the food industry for 4 years (though not involving meat products, only baked goods) and nothing the food industry does surprises me anymore.

Kamdyn, I would assume that all animal based stocks and broths are off limits for a vegetarian – these products still use the same animal slaughter industry to make their products. There is always veggie stock!

Personally, I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat a fair number of vegetarian meals per week and am trying more and more to find sustainable sources for meat. I live in an area where farming and living off of farms is becoming very popular, so finding meat raised and killed humanely isn’t that difficult. In the next year we plan to buy a large chest freezer and start buying in bulk from local farms.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

Thanks everyone on helping me with this discission. I have been doing alot fo research online and have come to a conclusion that I am going to become a Flexitarian. Which I think is such a great step. I am going to cut out meats completely from my meals I am not sure if on special holidays I will eat mets becausee on a Flexitarian diet you can. I still will eat eggs and dairy products. Thanks everyone for helping me make this discissions!

[Elrohwen]

I’m glad you came to a decision! There are so many different ways you can choose to eat and I think it’s such a personal decision for everyone. I think flexitarian is a great option.

[Molzy]

I would say that I am a “partial vegetarian” I guess, I’ve never thought about it. I eat dairy products (not milk because it makes me sick, but cheese and eggs and yogurt and stuff). I also eat some meat – when I am cooking for myself, all my meat is free range from local family farms. I buy it at my local co-op or at the local farmer’s market, and have looked into the farms to insure that they are legit. The beef is all grass fed (not corn fed). I also eat wild game that my friends hunt, like venison and fish. That is what I prefer, but I don’t always have it available, and I like to support local farmers too who are trying to do things the “old fashioned” way instead of the factory farm way of today.

My eggs are all free range chicken eggs too. I actually work with someone who has 60+ laying hens that have full range of his farm – they walk around and can go where they please all day. The eggs taste SOOO much better than store-bought, and they have a richer color too. If you buy “cage free” from a store, you have to be careful because that labeling can mean that they just all live stuffed into a barn, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily have a good life.

So I guess I would call myself more of a conscientious meat eater. I have a lot of respect for people who go vegetarian, but for myself, I think that eating meat is natural (though I eat WAY less than the typical American!). I also have no problem with eating meat that was raised humanely (I know that is a matter of opinion) and killed humanely.

[Elrohwen]

Molzy, someday I hope to eat just like you! I’m still working on finding good sources for locally raised meat (but I guess since I just moved to this area I have an excuse). Our friend at work has some chickens and I’ve moved to buying only his eggs, at least while they last (there usually aren’t enough to sell at work during the winter). Our plan for 2013 is to actually get a couple chickens of our own, which I’m excited about.

Do you have any ideas for finding local farms? I’ve tried the basic google search, but I think a lot of them don’t necessarily have web sites and things. I use localharvest.org for CSA stuff, but haven’t been able to find much about meat.

[Tate]

El- http://www.grasslandbeef.com/StoreFront.bok
These are farms based out of Illinois and Missouri, so you would have to ship. They are among the highest quality meats you could ever find though. I know quite a few people that order from here and trust them enough to eat their meat raw, so you know it’s good. They sell rabbit on here, not sure if that’s an issue for you… I remain on the fence.. Haha. I haven’t emailed them yet- I keep meaning to do it- to see how the animals are raised and killed. If it’s all done humanely, I would totally incorporate meat back into my diet. My issue is that I don’t have a car to go out to local farms and get meat, so the shipping is actually worth it for me. Haha
Here’s a link to a good website that shows local farms, although I’m not sure how much the quality ranges- http://www.eatwild.com/index.html

I know, I know… for a vegan, I sure do think about meat a lot.

[Elrohwen]

I’d rather not having anything shipped as I live in the Hudson Valley and we have a wealth of small farms – I just need to find them! Haha

I checked the other link you provided and it did have a couple nearby.

We have a farm very close to work that doesn’t raise animals, but does carry a supply of meat raised at other local farms, so I guess I should check there first. I didn’t even think of them until now, since I haven’t purchased meat from them and forgot they carried it.

[peppypoo]

Getting in on locally raised meat is something that I’ve always wanted to do to, at some point in the future. Kind of difficult now, living in a huge urban metroplex on a student budget, haha. So for now, I just try to watch labels and know where my food is coming from. I realized recently that the lazy minimal-prep meals I’ve been making for myself have actually been a lot more healthy than I usually eat (I thought it was supposed to be the opposite!), and contain a lot less meat too, though I don’t think I could go entirely vegetarian.

[Molzy]

Elrohwen, I actually found most of mine by just going to farmer’s markets. Though my CSA also has connections with meat raisers and once a month they do a delivery – I would do that if I had a chest freezer where I could store larger quantities, but for me it is easier to just buy a pound or two at the farmer’s market once in awhile. My town also has a great co-op that does a lot with local farmers – I get spicy italian sausage from them when I make spaghetti. It is more expensive than if I just bought meat at Walmart, but since I don’t eat much I’m not too concerned about the cost even on my low budget for food. For a family it would definitely make a difference, but for a single person who only eats meat once or twice a week, it doesn’t really matter.

I know there are farms where you can buy like 1/2 of a pig or 1/2 of a cow and then store it in your freezer, so if you have the room that might be the way to go.

My friends in town just got six chickens for their backyard – a lot of cities are starting to change their ordinances as the urban farming movement continues. Fresh eggs are so nice – I can’t wait until I am not an apartment dweller anymore!

I have not yet gotten to the point of not ordering meat when I am at restaurants – so I can’t say that I am completely eating “good meat” but I try

[Stickerbunny]

kamdyn – it is great you are making a step towards less meat. I have been vegetarian for 11 years (still working on vegan, that is HARD where I live lol no alternatives for cheese or ice cream) and it is really easy nowadays to have a veggie diet. Remember your taste buds will need to adjust to the less meat in your diet, so things may taste a bit bleh for a few weeks until they do if you aren’t a huge fan of veggies. I only take B12 as a supplement, it’s pretty easy to get everything else from your diet. Legumes are GREAT for protein and they even make legume flour and legume pasta now, which actually tastes pretty good! You don’t have to even eat soy if you don’t like it, personally I hate most soy products (most are GMO and processed to death anyway) and some vegetarians are allergic to soy, so there are a LOT of options. http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm a good site for protein sources.

Now, one thing ANYONE can do to try to help animal welfare, meat eater or no is to try to eat humanely raised meat. Some restaurants have moved to offering humane dishes, some grocery stores offer it as well. But mainly you’re going to find it at local resources. Factory farming is the #1 problem most vegetarians and vegans have with a meat diet, besides the fact the animal has to die, they live a life of torture. If you are going to kill something, in my opinion, at least treat it with respect and let it enjoy the time it has.

There are a lot of alternative diet plans out there. There is a new one that is really popular at the moment, the weekday vegetarian. A big humanitarian wrestled with his own desire for a meat diet and the fact he felt guilty for killing animals to eat them, so he chose to only eat meat on weekends. Now he has a book / seminars about it. It isn’t full on vegan or vegetarian and a lot of people give him flack for it, but honestly even cutting down one day of meat eating helps and each person finds their own way.

And Kudos for you all for trying to find a way to cut down on animal suffering.

[Joyfull_music]

I could never be a vegatarian. I have not seen Food Inc. either, but I doubt there would be anything in it that would honestly surprise me. I do my best to read labels, and make small changes at a time to buy healthier food. We get our dairy from a Chicago based dairy called Oberweiss. Their farmers treat the dairy cows well from what I understand. I would love to buy meat from local, small farms, but I am having trouble finding one that suits my needs without buying a part of a cow, because we don’t really eat steak in my house. I also would love to buy my produce from more farmers markets.

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

I have decided last week on rabbit international day to become a flexitarian. I then decided not to eat anytype of meat but to eat meat based things like gravy dairy products broths. Well after a week I am struggling with it nutritionally. I didn’t eat meat all week except for yesterday I had a tiny piece of beef where I work. I have decided to just eat chicken which is from cage free chickens and they are fed all vegetarian diets and I have found out that perdue is a great chicken that does this. My body just isn’t i guess agreeing with becoming a flexitarian. I will eat chicken though a couple of times a week. Chicken does have alot of protien and by cutting it out I wasn’t getting enough protien. I don’t know if they offer beef this way. Not sure yet if I will cut beef out. Just thanks for all the great ideas.

[LoveChaCha]

I am also a flexi, but I do eat an equal amount of meat and non-meat meals. Somedays I’ll have chicken for 2 meals, and somedays I’ll have chicken for one meal.

You just have to find a balance with it Good luck!

[kamdynandsunshinesmom]

thanks. My health is the most important thing. I can’t cut meat out totally because my health is suffering and I don’t need my health to suffer right now. I am learning about becoming a flexi to. My next question to you lovechacha is do you eat beef?

[LoveChaCha]

Red meat? Maybe once or twice a week. I eat small amounts of it – my dad likes making a good cheeseburger for me. I’ve replaced red meat in spaghetti for turkey/meatless meat mix. My dad made tofu spaghetti last night. I have some quinoa (a grain) that I need to try out soon. You can add vegetables and other things to it. It is full of protein and fiber (important in a diet).

I’m also a fan of garbanzo beans as well. I’m slowly embracing beans hahaha

[Elrohwen]

I consider myself a flexitarian – I eat meat and non-meat meals about equivalently. I would eat more veggie meals, but DH always begs for some form of meat and sometimes I give in.

I rarely eat beef – maybe once a month or once every other month? I mostly stick to chicken, pork, and seafood. You can absolutely find cruelty free beef and pork, but it can be more difficult than chicken (because many farms want to sell you half a cow, which is much more difficult to buy and store than half a chicken). It’s absolutely possible though.

[Joyfull_music]

I honestly would not mind replacing our ground beef for turkey. But my husband will not touch the stuff, and ground beef is like the only meat he eats. Small amounts of chicken on occasion.

Sometimes I feel like I live on a restricted diet, not because of my choices, I will eat just about anything. But my husband is the worlds most picky eater. Until we have a family, there is no sense in me cooking meals that I love just for me. Sure our roomie eats a lot of the same stuff I like, but he is almost never home for dinner. :/

[LittlePuffyTail]

Lately, I’ve found that I’m not getting enough protein from my diet (very tired all the time) so I bought a protein shake supplement which has like half the RDA of protein per shake so I drink it on days where I haven’t had much protein. I have a lot more energy now. You really have to keep an eye on your protein intake if you cut out meat or you will feel really bad.

[LBJ10]

My problem is that I love cheese way too much. If I cut meat out of everything, I would be piling it full of cheese. Isn’t cheese bad for your cholesterol? I seriously cannot stop eating the stuff.

[Elrohwen]

Haha, LBJ. I’d be pretty heavy on the dairy too if I tried to go veggie. Cheese makes everything better!

[equalsign]

 I’ve been a vegan for 8 months and before that I was a vegetarian for 2.5 years. I’d just like to add that so long as you have a healthy diet (meat or no) you’re going to feel good. People sometimes overemphasize the nutritional deficiancies of a vegan/vegetarian. When you go veg you cannot eat like you did when you were a meat eater, or else you’re going to have some pretty glaring nutritional deficiancies. That is true.

 

However, I think it’s fairly easy to have an extremely healthy, balanced diet as a veg. I eat a few fruits EVERY day. I get my fiber EVERY DAY. I eat vegetables (usually a salad or wrap) EVERY day. In the typical meat eating diet, those things tend to get neglected. I’ve only known two meat eaters in the past 4 years that have balanced diets daily. Maybe people here are different. That’s cool. I’m not trying to start a fight. What I am saying is that the diet of most people (veg, meat eater, flex) tends to be imbalanced most of the time. When I think of my conversations with those meat eating friends who actually have good, consistantly balanced diets it’s plain to me that it’s not any less work to eat healthy as a meat eater.

 

That aside, most people I know that are veg (admittedly, there aren’t many here in Utah) do not eat that way for the health benefits. They are usually doing it for the animals. There are things more important to them nutritional analysis, and that line of discussion on the matter tends to get pretty old.

 

I love my rabbits. I see them as individuals. They are people to me. They have unique personalities. They are more like me than different from me in the ways that matter: they love, they feel, and they fear. I do not think this is exclusive to rabbits. I think this is true of all animals. I have an astounding amount of options to choose from when I go to the grocery store. It isn’t difficult to pick things that are not meat. 

 

[equalsign]

Posted By LBJ10 on 10/04/2011 08:46 AM
My problem is that I love cheese way too much. If I cut meat out of everything, I would be piling it full of cheese. Isn’t cheese bad for your cholesterol? I seriously cannot stop eating the stuff.

All animal products have cholesterol. Those are far and away going to be your main sources of cholesterol. Eating cheese should not be a detriment to your health so long as you don’t have a diet otherwise high in cholesterol (animal products). Foods that have a healthy effect on blood cholesterol levels include whole grains, nuts, plant sterols, and omega-3 fatty acids. If you’er tryin to lower your cholesterol avoid the omega-3 fatty acids in eggs, as their cholesterol is through the roof and obstructs the benefit.

[Elrohwen]

Posted By equalsign on 10/04/2011 10:05 AM

Posted By LBJ10 on 10/04/2011 08:46 AM
My problem is that I love cheese way too much. If I cut meat out of everything, I would be piling it full of cheese. Isn’t cheese bad for your cholesterol? I seriously cannot stop eating the stuff.

All animal products have cholesterol. Those are far and away going to be your main sources of cholesterol. Eating cheese should not be a detriment to your health so long as you don’t have a diet otherwise high in cholesterol (animal products). Foods that have a healthy effect on blood cholesterol levels include whole grains, nuts, plant sterols, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid the omega-3 fatty acids in eggs, as their cholesterol is through the roof and obstructs the benefit.

I’ve heard that the cholesterol content in eggs isn’t nearly as bad for us as we’ve sometimes been told. It seems like you’ve done a lot of research – have you heard this? I’ve also heard that free range eggs (from hens that are actually free range and fed a good natural diet) are much lower in cholesterol than normal eggs.

[LBJ10]

I am interested in using more free-range/cage-free stuff. You can buy like half a cow or whole free-range chickens where I live, although most of that stuff has to be purchased direct. Anyway, it is way better for you. Less saturated fat, higher omega-3, etc. I’m sure it is the same for eggs. I am an environmentalist, so it is mostly from an environmental point of view. That would also mean more organic stuff. The benefit is that it is more healthy. But yes, less meat would definitely be a good thing. I just worry because I like to cover everything in cheese. I hate tomatoes, I just can’t stand them. I have to have tons of cheese a little sauce on my pizza. You know, to disguise the tomato. LOL My husband wants me to get this sweet tasting spaghetti sauce and I have to sneak cheese in there when he isn’t looking. I also hate anything that contains vinegar. I know a lot of vegetarian dishes use vinegar-based ingredients to add flavor.

Does anyone have any suggestions for vegetarian dishes that don’t contain vinegar-based stuff?

[equalsign]

Posted By Elrohwen on 10/04/2011 10:09 AM

Posted By equalsign on 10/04/2011 10:05 AM

Posted By LBJ10 on 10/04/2011 08:46 AM
My problem is that I love cheese way too much. If I cut meat out of everything, I would be piling it full of cheese. Isn’t cheese bad for your cholesterol? I seriously cannot stop eating the stuff.

All animal products have cholesterol. Those are far and away going to be your main sources of cholesterol. Eating cheese should not be a detriment to your health so long as you don’t have a diet otherwise high in cholesterol (animal products). Foods that have a healthy effect on blood cholesterol levels include whole grains, nuts, plant sterols, and omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid the omega-3 fatty acids in eggs, as their cholesterol is through the roof and obstructs the benefit.

I’ve heard that the cholesterol content in eggs isn’t nearly as bad for us as we’ve sometimes been told. It seems like you’ve done a lot of research – have you heard this? I’ve also heard that free range eggs (from hens that are actually free range and fed a good natural diet) are much lower in cholesterol than normal eggs.

I edited my post to make what I meant more clear. From a dietary perspective eggs can be a healthy part of your diet as long as you factor in the negatives with the positives. There is a lot we don’t know about the food we eat and how our bodies use it. There is always science and studies in opposition to eachother. As far as I’m aware, the greater scientific body maintains that eating them in moderation should not be a detriment to the health of a healthy individual. If you’re going by the no more than 300 mg of cholesterol guideline (200 mg for someone with high cholesterol), eggs contain something like 180 mg I believe. 

 

As far as I’m aware eggs from actual free range hens do tend to be lower in cholesterol, but not by much. Something to the tune of 1/4 or 1/3 less. So that brings that 180 mg down to 120-140 mg. That’s still a really high cholesterol food, though I maintain that neither is necessarily unhealthy. “Healthy” is something really relative to your overall diet than specific foods (with some exceptions ———> fried ice cream). Free range eggs would definately be considered the healthier of those two choices though. It’s much preferred by the chickens too I think.

 

I’m studying Food Science, so as with anyone in any major I like to talk really authoritatively about my field . I’ll try and look into the cholesterol in eggs more sometime. I see that there are a couple chapters in my chem book dedicated to fats, oils, waxes, and lipids that talk about cholesterol, but we’re not to them yet. Besides a guest lecture course I’m not taking any courses from the food science department this semester, so I don’t have someone I can ask at the moment. I do need to go though, as I’ve now spent 2 hours on this forum when I should have been studying for my microbiology and ochem exams. Time to spend the next week with my head in a book @____@ .

 

 

[Elrohwen]

Oo, you’re a food science major?! I was ChemE, but I took some food science classes as electives because I wanted to go into the food industry. I actually worked at a couple large companies for a few years, but I changed my industry and work on computer chips now. I know more than the average person about the science of food, but I mostly worked in baked goods so I’m not very good with animal products (plus I’m an engineer, so I didn’t study the stuff nearly as in depth as you are). I love to talk food science stuff though 🙂 What type of job are you looking for when you graduate?

I’ve started buying eggs only from chickens I personally know 😛 Our friend at work has a few and sells their eggs at work, so I grab them up. During the winter their production goes way down and he keeps most for himself and his wife, so I may have to go back to store bought “free range” (which I hear isn’t all that free ranging, but better than caged). Sometime in the next two years we plan to get some chickens of our own, which will be fun.

I’ve also started buying milk made by local cruelty free farmers – I’ve noticed a lot more brands of this type lately, owned as a co-op by a few farms. I love that people are getting more interested in where their food comes from and that it’s really influencing what stores sell.

I’ll have to get a chest freezer sometime and get to work on buying a half cow. All I can store right now is chickens.

[LBJ10]

Yeah..

So I just went to the Rib Ranch and pigged out on pulled pork and rib tips.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I don’t eat eggs, they totally gross me out. I will eat stuff with eggs in it like cake or cookies but I can’t just eat eggs by themselves. When I think about what they are, it just makes me queasy.

I do want to go vegan eventually, I just feel health-wise, I’m not at that stage yet. Because all animal products cause suffering. Just read up on what egg-laying chickens endure and when they are worn out they become grocery store chickens. Milking cows, same thing.

Vegan will be hard though because there is so much with animal products in it. I really need to learn how to cook.

[Elrohwen]

LPT, that’s why I buy all of my eggs from my friend now, and am planning to get chickens of my own. Poor egg laying chickens! They really do live an awful life. And I totally get what you mean about not liking eggs. I’m ok with them, but not crazy about them – if they’re not cooked perfectly I think they can be gross.

I’ve noticed more milk being produced by local farm co-ops that claim to treat their cows well (and they’re close enough that milk buyers could visit the farms). I’m sure they’re not treated like pets, but I’m happy to pay extra for milk from cows that are treated a bit better and not fed hormones and antibiotics. I’m glad products like this are becoming more available.

[LoveChaCha]

I don’t have an intention to become a full vegetarian, but I am learning how to cook.. and I love it. It is incredibly fun

[LittlePuffyTail]

Elrohwen- I would gladly pay more for milk like that too. I should look into if there are any farms like that around here. I’m curious about Organic milk and how those cows are treated.

Another reason I want to drop milk all together though is, if you think about it, it’s very unnatural for us to be drinking the milk of another species. We are the only mammals that drink milk after infancy. So, really, I feel that we are not meant to drink it at all. And I’ve done a lot of reading into veganism and most of the health claims the milk industry feeds us are bogus.

[Elrohwen]

LPT, I’ve thought about the whole milk thing too … the fact that other species don’t drink milk makes it perfectly understandable that most human adults have some level of lactose intolerance.

Still, I’ve been drinking milk all my life (as a kid I would go through 3 gallons a week!) and I just love it! I’ve never had any intolerance yet, so I don’t think I can give it up. DH has giving it up mostly since he realized he was a bit lactose intolerant. He can have cheese, and ice cream occasionally (though it makes his stomach hurt), but he had to stop drinking milk every day and having cereal.. More milk for me! Mwhaha

[Monkeybun]

us women need the extra calcium we get from milk stuff

[LoveChaCha]

LPT is very correct about milk. I watched forks over knives and it said that the US has the highest rate of osteoprosis, YET we consume the most dairy products. We humans do not have an enzyme to digest the cow’s milk properly. I thought that before I saw this, that a lot of Asian countries would be lacking in calcium, but my thought was entirely wrong. Calcium isn’t only in dairy products but in vegetables as well.

I am a milk drinker, but I usually only have one cup of it for my cereal. i don’t even have cereal on a daily basis.

[peppypoo]

Chacha, we are all born with the protein to digest lactose, but some of use lose it when we get older – which causes lactose intolerance. However, millennia of dependence of livestock and dairy products in parts of the world, particularly western Europe, have caused natural selection and resulted in some of us maintaining the protein into adulthood. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactase_persistence

It may be true that cow’s milk is made for baby cows, not humans…but I do believe that it is full of nutrients that people can benefit from as well. There are a lot of risk factors to osteoporosis that I think are more to blame for the problem.

Then again, I personally rarely drink milk because I never get around to finishing the whole thing myself before it goes bad…I have my calcium/vitD fortified orange juice instead.

[LBJ10]

So we went to my favorite local pizza place for lunch. They are having a special this month, 50% off their entire lunch menu. I had some pasta without the chicken and some cheese bread. I love pasta, but it isn’t good for you. I think that is one of my fears with being a vegetarian. I am so picky about stuff and it would be so tempting to eat a freak-load of pasta. We do buy that whole grain pasta for when we have pasta at home, but I still question how good it is for you.

[Elrohwen]

LBJ, from my experience in the food industry, whole grain pasta is mostly a marketing ploy – there isn’t enough whole grain in it to make much of a difference. Companies set their own standards for what “made with whole grains” means and they can include such small amounts that it’s really no different than white pasta – it just makes you feel better about what you’re eating 😛

[peppypoo]

Elrohwen – aww, I didn’t know that. Please don’t tell me the same is true for wheat bread and that I’ve been torturing myself unnecessarily with this stuff for so long…*glares at loaf of multi-grain on counter*

[Elrohwen]

Yep, definitely true for bread (which is where I’m actually pulling my experience from – bread and crackers). The company I worked for had a rule that “made with whole grains” in our crackers meant it had 55% whole grain, which is really good. Many (if not most) companies figure if you put a sprinkling for whole grain in, that’s good enough for the claim. Unless they say somewhere what the percentage is, it could be anything. Whole grain products are typically much harder to process, so the less the company needs to put in, the easier it is for them to manufacture the product.

For bread, if it says “whole grain four” earlier on the label than white flour, you’re in luck – it’s made with a good proportion of whole grain. Many many multigrain breads have less whole grain than white flour and really aren’t much better for you than regular white bread. The same goes for pasta or crackers – look where the whole grain flour is on the label and it will tell you a lot.

Food companies are sneaky! Working in the industry was definitely eye opening. Having a little whole grain is probably better than none, but don’t buy into their hype that whole grain pasta is so much better for you than regular pasta.

[LBJ10]

What about that Gourmet Fiber pasta they had on Dr Oz? It is supposed to have 18 grams of fiber per serving. Yes! 18 grams! I was like: Whoa.. =O

[LoveChaCha]

Elhrowen, scary! Can you please tell me the difference between whole wheat and whole grain? O_o

I’m about to make some Quinoa and mix it with celery, onions, and broccoli. My first attempt.. I hope I don’t mess up LOL!

Has anyone tried Quinoa? In 1/4 cup it has 5mg of sodium, 3g of fiber, 5g of protein and iron. I am crossing my fingers it tastes good

I don’t believe everything that Dr. Oz says, lol

Today, I went to my work to be a customer (LOL!) and bought a bunch of fruits and some veggies. It was quite fun! I’m going to attempt to make Quinoa to bring for my dinner at work tomorrow

[LBJ10]

I don’t believe everything Dr Oz says either. But when I heard pasta and fiber in the same sentence, I was curious.

[LoveChaCha]

As of lately, I’ve seen more and more customers buying bread makers…

[Elrohwen]

LBJ, the fiber content does say a lot! If you can find something with that high of a fiber content, I would say it’s worth buying (assuming it tastes good). At my company, we made lots of stuff that had whole grains or veggies, but still only 2g of fiber per serving which isn’t much at all.

ChaCha, that’s awesome that people are getting into bread making! I’ve always liked bread making as a hobby, but very recently I’ve decided to make all of my bread from scratch. I eat a lot of sandwiches for lunches and I was always getting a headache after lunch (I get headaches almost every day, so I’m not saying this stuff is bad for everyone). Now that I don’t eat processed bread or deli meat, I don’t really get headaches! I’m not sure which is the culprit, but I’m glad I figured something out. I really enjoy making bread and I’ve liked making it by hand. For Christmas I think I’m getting a stand mixer, so that will make it even easier!

[peppypoo]

My mom has a bread machine back at home, and would pull it out every once in a while…I LOOOVED waking up to the smell of fresh bread in the morning!!

[LBJ10]

I have a bread maker, but I never use it. The bread is always SO dry. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’ve tried several different types of bread, but it always comes out really tough and dry.

[LBJ10]

Found the nutritional info on that pasta.

And the ingredients are:
Durum Semolina Flour, Modified Wheat Starch, Wheat Gluten

What does this tell you? Anything? I have no clue about the taste, but I am curious to try it.

[LoveChaCha]

That pasta has a lot of calories.  My dad is really good at calculating calories and it amazes me. If a person wants to eat 4 oz of pasta noodles, the amount in calories and other stuff is double – 260 calories. Bah XP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolina

The words ‘modified’ kind of creeps me out

I want to make bread now xD Any good recipes?

[Monkeybun]

I should dust off my bread machine. I looove fresh bread when its chilly and damp like it is outside now. And now that I am once again not working, I will have plenty of time

[LBJ10]

LoveChaCha – It has about the same amount of calories as my “whole grain” pasta that has 6 grams of fiber. Is there a low calorie pasta?

[Elrohwen]

ChaCha, I have tons of good bread recipes! What type of bread do you want to make?

LBJ, it doesn’t actually say that there is any whole grain – semolina is the typical pasta flour. I’m not totally sure what the modified wheat starch is, but I’m assuming that’s how they’re adding the extra fiber. Gluten is also a processing agent and adds strength, since semolina doesn’t have much (or any? I forget) gluten. Seems like normal pasta to me, but with a lot more fiber, which is a good thing.

[LoveChaCha]

Yummy bread Garlic bread? Wheat bread? Anything that is simple, if possible!

[LBJ10]

What about couscous? I like it, but my husband doesn’t. Any good recipes for couscous?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Making bread scares the pants off me.

[Elrohwen]

I’ll see what I can come up with for bread. To start, here’s my favorite recipe for dinner rolls, hamburger/sandwich rolls, etc. For sandwiches I usually make 10-12 rolls out of the same recipe, so they’re larger. It calls for buttermilk, but regular milk works just fine. The lemon zest is optional, as are the sesame or poppy seeds on top (I never add those, but I often make it with the lemon zest).

I just copied this recipe from the bread cookbook I took it out of. Let me know if you need any more specific instructions. It’s a pretty standard recipe – it doesn’t require a starter, or tons of rise time. I think bread is much easier to make than a cake – with cakes you have to measure very exactly, but with bread it doesn’t matter if you’re a bit sloppy with your measurements, or if you want to make substitutions.

 

Makes: 16 dinner rolls

• 1 tablespoon (1 package)active dry yeast

• Pinch of sugar

• 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

• 1 cup warm buttermilk (105 to 115 degrees F)

• 2 tablespoons sugar or honey

• Grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, or olive oil

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 4 to 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• Rich Egg Glaze (recipe follows)

• 3 tablespoons sesame, poppy, or fennel seeds

1. Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve. Let stand at room temperature until foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl using a whisk or in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, sugar, zest, melted butter, egg, and salt. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the yeast mixture and beat hard for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, with a wooden spoon until a soft dough that just clears the sides of the bowl is formed. Switch to a wooden spoon when necessary if making by hand.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until soft, smooth, and elastic, 1 to 3 minutes for a machine-mixed dough and 4 to 7 minutes for a hand- mixed dough, dusting with flour only 1 tablespoon at a time, just enough as needed to prevent sticking. If kneading by machine, switch from the paddle to the dough hook and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and springy and springs back when pressed. If desired, transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead briefly by hand.

4. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Turn once to grease the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5. Gently deflate the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Grease or parchment-line 2 baking sheets. Divide the dough in half, then roll each half into a 2 – to 3-inch cylinder. With the metal dough scraper or chef’s knife, cut the cylinder into 8 equal portions. Repeat with the second cylinder, making a total of 16 portions. Shape each piece of dough into a small oval. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Soft rolls are given a full proof.

6. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Gently brush each roll with egg glaze and sprinkle with seeds, if desired, or leave plain. Using a serrated knife or kitchen shears, gently cut 2 or 3 diagonal slashes no more than 1/4 inch deep on the top surface of each roll. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. If using 2 baking sheets, place on the upper and lower racks, and switch positions halfway through baking. Transfer the rolls immediately to a cooling rack. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature and reheat. Unless otherwise specified, this baking method applies to all the shapes below.

Rich Egg Glaze

• 1 large egg yolk or 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon milk or cream

1. In a small bowl, beat the egg and milk with a ssmall whisk or fork

[LittlePuffyTail]

I successfully pulled off a vegan Thanksgiving Dinner!!! And I never cook. My non-veg bf and his buddy actually had seconds!!! I was very surprised. My Dutch Apple Pie was to die for.

[Crysta and Silka]

Hey there, I’ve been slowly becoming vegan since june 2011.

I never had eggs, milk products, beef/porc meat, or chicken/turkey since then.  I’ve been weaning myself completly off of meat with sushi every 2-3weeks.

I’ve lost 16 pounds, and continue to lose wieght.  (I was 145, 5’2″)

Vegan meals are filling, but im not ‘raw’ vegan. I cook my foods and make awesome sauces, pastas. It’s all about sustituting. You can have fettecuine, you just need to go out of your way to make it nice and work with the ingrediants given to you. I don’t feel I am missing out at all.  However, you can’t go into the vegetarian/vegan stuff expecting it to taste exactly like fettecine you’re used to. If it taste good, then it’s a job well done

Last Oct 2010 I got my blood results done, and they where ‘ok’ my iron was abit low though, and my thyroid abit high along with sodium levels ect.

Yesterday I got my results for 2011 oct, and all of my stats have improved greatly by a factor of 10-15%, so for me this was a good choice.

I feel that going vegan or vegetarian is all about choice, and what we choose to eat is helping this planet a little by making our footprint not as big on the planet.

Last nights bread making:

 

1 packet yest

2tbs sugar

1cup warm water

wait 10 mins till fuzzy

add 1/4 cup vegan margerin, melted

1 1/4tps salt,

1/4 tsp each – dill, oregano, thyme

4 cloves garlic, mushed

add 1 cup flower

mix

add 1 1/2 cup flower slowly.

knead 10 mins

raise 1hr with towel covered

punch down, and roll into flatten cirle,and peal off bun size stuff and put it in muffin pan, let rise 45 minutes, and bake.

 

Really yummy! Would make a great pizza crust too

 

good luck in your endeavors,

 

Crysta

[Author]

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