Need some meal tips from fellow vegetarians--all my veg meals have sucked!?!

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I remember my mom tried to make me want to be a vegetarian a while back so she made me some meatless meatballs they were soy and ground up tofu with little veggies mixed in. It was like making cookies with the mixing and baking and stuff then we added a tiny pinch of sugar to each one and they were great besides the onions yuck >:p
So you could try those?

Memories

Hi Coralee, You are just finding out that there is no reak substitute for meat anything you try as a substitute will always seem bland,you have to stop thinking of yourself as a meat eater. Try a few different dishes from your normal ones that may help. Here is a site where you should get some ideas. I hope this helps,all the best. Rab

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recip…

I am a Chef (omnivore) and the above site.

Go to vegweb.com. Most my staple meals are from here.
I have found many that are easy, healthy, and you dont have to buy a crazy long list of ingredients.
Its fun cause you can click a recipe and put it in your "recipe box" to come back to later.

This is one of my favorites:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=5060.0

These vegetarian chili recipes are so tasty, satisfying and filling.
http://www.chili-everyway.com/vegetarian…


For a great snack try this 3 bean dip
http://www.chili-everyway.com/easy-dip-r…

http://www.chili-everyway.com/vegetarian…

I don't have any recipes on hand, but I'd recommend adding quinoa to your diet. It's high protein and contains essential amino acids.

make this pasta salad were you have to different colored noodles,italian dressing and cumbers and tomatos

Have you ever tried a chili? I make mine with TVP and beans, and even my omnivore family eats it.

A well-balanced meal would include carbs, protein, some fats, and nutrients.
Some ideas for breakfast:
-scrambled eggs on whole wheat toast and a fruit
-a bagel with peanut butter of cheese
-veggie-egg/tofu scramble
-oatmeal with nuts and fruit
-Greek yogurt with granola and fruit

Lunch/Dinner Ideas
-chilis
-soups (minestrone, vegetable, fake chicken, etcetera)
-casseroles (I like chickpea bakes and potato&'cheez')
-salads (yeah I know, *ick salads* But you can make them yummy- I do one with black beans, corn, tomatoes, shredded mock spiced chicken, rice cheese, salsa, and an avocado dressing)
-pasta dishes (I love zuchinni, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes sauteed in olive oil tossed with whole wheat pasta, cannelini beans, and broccoli florets- actually quite filling)
-pizza (cheese for protein; you can add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a whole wheat crust for iron)

You might need to press the tofu to get the moisture out, which is what many people forget to do. What I do with mine is press it, cut it up in tiny pieces and fry in peanuut oil, and its good with soba noodles and asian veggies.
Tofu scrambles are also pretty good.

About the fake meats, I would also suggest to try something not premade, and don't expect it to taste like meat.
For instance, I love tempeh bacon (has a different texture than meat, but great taste):
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/06/t…
and black bean burgers, but beans, still here's the recipe:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=20803.…

Geez, I never realized how many beans I eat before I tried to answer this! Sorry :/
I do hope I helped... I would hate to see someone turn away from being vegetarian because they can't find something yummy!

I cook, a lot. Probably too much.
I'm a vegetarian but I eat mostly vegan.

Rab is correct, stop thinking like a meat eater. You have chosen to stop eating meat, it's time to let it go. For the animals, or for whatever reason you made the choice.

Order a cookbook called VEGAN PLANET by ROBIN ROBERTSON. It will be your culinary bible. Even though your a vegetarian, the food is still delicious, plus a lot of food you may think is vegetarian has animal products hidden in it. You need to know what to look for.

As for your tofu, try dry frying it. Cut it into triangles. Press it onto a paper towel (or microfiber towel to cut back on wasted paper!) Just try to get moisture out. Then simply fry it using no oil, not too much moisture, nothing. Brown it on either side, then marinate it in your favorite dressing (I prefer general tsos sauce or teriyaki.). Since there is no moisture in the tofu any more, it will absorb any it can, like throwing a dry sponge into a bowl of water. Then add it to your stir fry, salad, whatever melts your butter.

Tofu holds a significant amount of protein. Spinach has your iron (I think...). Try the Eggplant & Spinach lasagna in the book I mentioned above. Vegan Planet.

Been a vegan for a little while.
Vegetarian before that.
I DESPISE eating horrible food. You're supposed to enjoy what you eat.

Welcome to the vegetarian world of eating. In spite of the claims made, there just aren't a lot of GOOD vegetarian foods. As someone here said, you just have to change your mind set about food. Or as some former veg*ns have said, you just have to lower your standards for eating. A year is a long time to go without a good meal. Good luck to you......