Tips for a beginner veggie`?!
im still growing, and im really tall, so i need lots of food:D
thanks soo much!!!
Answers: hey!! today im starting being a veggie! i was wondein if any of ya had any tips, or recipes!!
im still growing, and im really tall, so i need lots of food:D
thanks soo much!!!
Read, read and read some more! Do all the research you can, check books out of the library and join veggie groups online. The best way is to do the veggie thing is to do it right, and fully armed with a boatload of knowledge. I was 14 years old, 5'10" and an athlete when I decided to give up meat so I know exactly what you're going through. The biggest doubters may be your parents so just be sure to do your research (good job getting started here!) so you can assure them you'll be healthier than ever!
Chances are, if you're still eating eggs and dairy, you won't have any trouble getting enough protein. Do make sure you're getting it from other sources too, like beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, etc. Veggie burgers (and other meat substitues or soy products like tofu) make a nice, quick alternative too. Just don't rely on them too much!
Calcium can be another concern for vegetarians but again, if you're eating dairy, you'll probably meet your daily need with no problem. Dark green veggies, like kale or broccoli, are some other great sources!
Vitamin B-12 is a concern for vegans but you didn't mention omitting dairy from your diet so I'll assume you don't need to worry about that.
One mineral you really need to make sure you get enough of is iron. Like vitamin B-12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. To help your body absorb nonanimal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C - such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli - at the same time you consume iron-containing foods.
For more health information, I highly recommend making a trip over to http://www.veganhealth.org/. The information there covers all the nutritional needs of all sorts of vegetarians. Just click on their "Table of Contents" link and run down the page to learn about everything you need to know to be a healthy vegetarian!
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On to the fun part of being vegetarian - food! I suspect that you'll find, as I did, a whole new world of food and flavors opens up to you! Don't be afraid to experiment and try things you've never heard of before. You probably don't do much of your own grocery shopping yet, but I love to pick up one thing each time I go that I've never heard of before or that seems foreign and exotic. (I thoroughly scan the ingredient list first, of course!) Then I'll look it up when I get home and try to find a recipe that uses it. It might be a fun way for you and your guardian(s) to be active together in your new diet!
Luckily, in addition to tons of cookbooks, there are a plethora of vegetarian recipe sites out there so you shouldn't have any trouble at all finding some recipes that are healthy and yummy! I'll include one or two of my favorites at the end of my answer. Give them a go - they're pretty easy and scrumptious!
And if you're ever looking for some obscure veggie food that you can't find in your local grocery or health food store, hop on over to Food Fight! at http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/index.... They'll send that vegan haggis you were craving right to your door!
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There are a couple of great magazines you might want to subscribe to also. (They make great presents - just drop the hint to your loved ones around your birthday or holidays!) I know it helps me feel connected to the veggie community - I'm the only vegan I know in my "real" life!
Vegetarian Times - http://www.vegetariantimes.com/
Veg News - http://www.vegnews.com/
Herbivore - http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/magazin...
Teen-Specific Veggie Sites
http://www.vegetarianteen.com/
http://www.peta2.com/
http://members.tripod.com/~vegout/
Veggie Recipe Sites
http://www.vegweb.com/ (The best!)
http://www.vegcooking.com/ (The site maintained by PETA.)
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/ (Couple of the coolest veggie girls ever!)
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-C...
http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/ (Great ideas for packing lunches for school or work.)
http://veganyumyum.com/ (Beautiful pictures that will make your mouth water.)
Veggie Online Communities
http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/ (They have a great board for new veggies. Introduce yourself and welcome!)
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/ind...
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Black Bean Burgers with Guacamole
Perfect with a side of spicy fries!
1 can black beans (15 oz or so - doesn't have to be precise)
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 egg substitute *
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (2 tsp if using dried)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Top with guacamole (or salsa or sprouts or all of it!)
Rinse black beans. In a large bowl, mash black beans then add onion, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, egg substitute, vegan bread crumbs and cilantro. Blend until all ingredients are mixed well. Form bean mixture into patties and place on a baking pan or cookie sheet (spray pan with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 for 10 mins. Or you can fry them in olive oil. (If you have the time, it's great to bake them first and them throw them in the frying pan with a touch of oil. That way, they cook thoroughly from the oven and get nice and crispy on the outside from the pan!)
Guacamole
3 avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced onion
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (3 tsp if using dried)
2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.
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General Tao's Tofu
Awesome served over rice with steamed broccoli! This recipe is actually the most popular on www.vegweb.com and with good reason. It's delicious! I even got my tofu-phobic dad to try it and he was hooked! There is actually a video on the website that walks you through making it, step by step. Follow this link to check it out: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8769.0...
1 box firm tofu
1 egg substitue *
3/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
3 chopped green onions (scallions)
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
4 Tbsp sugar
red pepper to taste
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Drain, dry and cut tofu into 1 inch chunks. You can freeze tofu the night before to get a more chicken-like consistency, but it isn't necessary. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water. Dip tofu in egg replacer/water mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.
Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil.
Heat 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, ginger and garlic, cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper and vinegar. Mix 2 Tablespoons water with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well. Add fried tofu and coat evenly. Serve immediately with broccoli and rice.
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* I use Ener-G egg replacer, which you can now find in most well-stocked supermarkets and definitely in health food stores. You can also get it at Food Fight, of course! (http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/eneggr... I'm sure just using the egg would work too, if you're not vegan. ;-)
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Good luck with making the switch to a veggie diet! If you have any other questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I'm more than happy to spread the veggie love! And just remember, above all else, stay healthy and informed!
http://www.prizerebel.com/index.php?r=13...
you can fry tofu and it will taste like chicken :D
or the chicken nuggets from garden burger are yummy!
1) Go to http://www.vegetariantimes.com
2) Make enough food for dinner and next days lunch
3) Always keep cheap nuts and fruits with you so you can eat those in a rush.
4) Make bulk foods such as chile and indian dahl, and freeze it
5) Save money by buying seasonal veggies and fruits
6) Make foods with lots of beans and grains to have full meal feeling for bf.
If you have a hard day, just remember it gets easier with time.
My tip is to get a good book on vegetarian nutrition for adolescents. One of the challenges with vegetarianism is to get enough complete protein/Vitamin B-12 in your diet (complete proteins usually only come from meat). So, it takes some food combining to do this, and can get a little tricky. Another tip is to GO SLOW and don't just dive into it. Try going from eating animal flesh products to animal-derived products (cheese, milk, eggs), as a transition. I also recommend trying the vegetarian foods very slowly. What I'm taking about is vegetarian proteins or "fake meats," such as textued vegetable protein, soy and wheat gluten. These can severely upset your stomach if you don't gradually introduce them to your diet. They can also be very high in fat and sodium, and calorie content, thus not as nutritious as you think.
Well you can make sald and put a whole bunch of stuff in it like feta cheese, corn , dried cranberiies, beans(you really need beans), nuts (also important) and other stuff. at first if your not tha tinto salads its kinda weird but then its really yummy. you can have veggieburgers and pasta. Its really great that your gonna be a veggie head, as i like to call myself :)
Black Bean burgers are awesome with guacamole!!
"Fake" Chicken Nuggets and Corndogs are pretty good too.