I would like to go vegetarian, but I'm a bit of a picky eater?!
I would like to go vegetarian, but I'm a bit of a picky eater?
I don't like carrots, borcolie, coliflour, asparagus, or many other vegetibles very much. I may try some though if you have sugestions for a good way to prepare them. I tried a Boca Burger and it tasted really mushy. Any way to make a garden burger taste better? I love potatos, bannanas, apples, grapes, most pastas. I've tried refired beans, and black beans and rice and they were OK. I'm not really that fond of salads. I'm lookng for any good ideas on news foods to try, new dishes, and new ways to prepare food. Thank you!
Answers:
Congrats! Now the hard part.
1. you need to make sure that you are eating a balanced diet, whether than includes meat or doesn't. This means that if you don't like certain foods, you need to getting those vitamins and nutrients from other sources.
2. It's very important that your picky-ness does not lead you to be a "junk food vegetarian", which means a diet consisting of fried foods, mac n' cheese, etc.
3. There are lots of great cookbooks out there for beginning veggies. I would highly recommend a kids vegetarian cookbook if you are a picky eater. The Moosewood series is wonderful (the Enchanged Broccoli Forest is great).
4. Use lots of fresh herbs and spices in your food to give it some extra umph. This will help you to eat fresher foods without having to resort to sauces heavy in saturated fats and such.
5. Stick with fresh fruits and veggies -- they have infinitely more taste than frozen
6. You may want to try eating more ethnic foods. Indian, for example, uses heavy spices that help to "cover up" the taste of veggies that you may not like.
I tried my first and last vegan dish today. It was bland and tasteless, I would not suggest the lifestyle to anyone, much less anyone with taste buds.
Tofu and soy products can give you great health benefits, and the beauty is they now make soy and tofu versions of your favorite foods. Tofu in particular soaks up flavor like a sponge, so you can add you favorite spices and add it to your favorite dishes. You should also consider a daily multi-vitamin to assure you're getting what you need. Beans are an awesome source of nutrition, so you're doing well there. Also, invest in a great vegetarian cookbook, you'd be amazed at the flavor you can get without meat. Good luck to you, it's a noble and very healthy choice no matter what anyone says to you.
then what i would do is write a list of pros and cons and c which has more
Try Fruits, Morning Star Products, just try to experiment with everything.
Good for you going veggie!
I have been semi-vegetarian for about ten years. I think there are different levels of vegetarianism. It doesn't necessarily mean that you give up all meat and meat products. You should eat what you like as long as you don't over indulge and it is relatively healthy for you. Remember - all things in moderation.
With a vegetarian lifestyle, you have to remember to get protein. That's where food like the Boca burgers come in. There are other products out there and many more than were available 10 years ago. Quorn is a protein made from mushrooms. It makes a very believable chicken product simply because it is more dense than most vegetable and grain protein products. Boca's Riblets are yummy and fast to make in the microwave. Also, the Morningstar Farms veggie bites - spinach artichoke or mushroom mozzarella - are good, especially if you have a sauce to go with.
However, I also eat dairy (lacto) and eggs (ovo). That's called lacto-ovo vegetarianism. That means you can eat stuff like cake (which should always be made with eggs. I've had eggless at an Indian anniversary party. It was so dense, it was nearly inedible).
About three years in, I realized that I wasn't getting enough protein just eating veggies, so I added seafood to my diet. I don't eat fish every day; maybe about once a week.
Vegetarian food is not bland; spices make beef and chicken taste good - why can't they make veggies taste good?
Figure out what types of food you like: Mexican, Indian, Chinese. Then make vegetarian versions of your favorite dishes. For example, like soft tacos? Instead of meat, use spanish rice and black beans, then add all the good stuff like pico de gallo, mexican blend cheese and sour cream. If you want more, Morningstar Farms Meal Starters chicken or beef strips quickly heated up in the skillet or the microwave and sprinkled with a little cayenne pepper will "beef" it up.
Even if you decide not to give up all meat, adding meatless alternatives to your diet is still better than fast food.
My last word? Don't ever let someone tell you "Oh, you're a vegetarian? I'll make you a salad for dinner." A salad is NOT a meal (well, it can be if they add a protein), so don't settle. Offer to bring a meatless product (everyone will drool over your Boca Riblet!) for your hostess to heat up (4 minutes in the microwave) to serve WITH your salad.
Bon appetit!
i hate veggies but i am one lol a good why to eat them chop them up really tiny and but them in a steer fry with rice really good!
love......me
I'm a vegetarian who doesn't love veggies or tofu (and doesn't like to cook, either). Keep in mind that you could eat vegetarian meals most of the time instead of all the time, if that helps. Maybe just eat fish. Or chicken and fish only, since these are healthier than red meats. As for Boca/Morningstar farms products--they take some getting used to. I used to think the chicken nuggets tasted like cardboard, but now I like them.
I've been vegetarian for 10 years and have no desire to eat meat. It's good that you are giving it a try, but don't force yourself to eat or not eat anything if you aren't happy.
Here are some things that I eat. Maybe they will give you some ideas.
mac and cheese
stuffed shells
manicotti
eggplant parmigiana
soup (tomato, vegetable, lentil, vegetarian chili)
pizza (cheese, veggies, pineapple)
sandwiches (egg and cheese, peanut butter (by itself, with jelly, or with banana), cheese and veggies, grilled cheese with tomato)
tacos--beans and cheese instead of meat (I like vegetarian baked beans)
burritos--fill with rice, beans, veggies
quesadilla--cheese or cheese and beans
Good luck!
OK, This is a good question b/c I too had the same problem. I did not like lots of "veg" foods and wondered what I could do. I found that the "Morning Star" vegetarian prepackaged foods in the freezer area at your supermarket are the very best. Try the chicken nuggets and the plain grillers. I use the crumbles for tacos, soups, etc and actually my son doesn't like the taste of regular hamburger meat or real chicken nuggets anymore. He prefers the morning star ones- which actually taste allot like real ones. The Morning Star Brand is the only one I purchase- the others, to me, are not as good.
There are many vegetarian cookbooks that have easy meals. Email me if you would like me to forward you a couple of good names or if you would like more specifics of meals we serve at home. Actually, with the morning star meats you can pretty much make any regular recipe using the meat substitutes.
Good luck!
Try Morning Star Products I have eaten them all my life!!! I am not a Boca Burger fan you have to cook them a little longer, so it is not mushy. Try to cook your veggies differently and new flavors and spices to them they are really GREAT...LOL!!!!
I found the easiest way to convert is to use the meat replacements, such as Boca, Morningstar, etc. I grill my Boca burgers on a George Foreman grill, and they get a nice crispy edge. I'm still working on getting Tofu firmer, but stir frying it is OK. You can make alot of the meals that have meat in them without the meat, i.e. burritos, tacos, spaghetti, salads, lasagna, enchiladas, etc. The best thing I can recommend is to just try a lot of different things. It's not that hard once you get started. I commend you for trying to live a compassionate life. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
You aren't restricted to veggies and fruits.
You can also eat rice,pasta and beans.
Boca burgers taste best fried in a pan with a lil' olive oil and throw some cheese on it. I'm not sure how you prepared it, but mine never turns out mushy.
Quiches are also delicious.
Check out:www.allrecipes.com and type"vegetarian recipes" in the search box.
what is so hard in being a vegetarian?? you eliminate eating fish and meat. you eat anything you want that isn't meat or fish. sweet and simple.
if you're talking about becoming a VEGAN then that's a different story. it might be a little difficult at first but not hard at all.