I wanna go back to vegetarian. read on..?!
Answers: i was vegetarian for like 3 months until about a week ago. i quit, but i wanna go bak. how can i stay healthy ? wat yummy foods (less of the processed fake chicken, please) can i cook( i luv cooking) and eat ?? thanks!!
Yeah i dont like the processed fake foods either.
eggplant spaghetti and chic pea curry are some of my favourite big vegetarian meals for things like dinner. I like muesli too, you can add all sorts of stuff to it and make it different every time : )
During the day i usually eat mixed greens, avocado and nuts and seeds, with whatever else whole foods ive got around : )
also, to answer some of the misinformation in other answers...
there is nothing in meat that cannot be found in a plant based source.
there is no difference between meat protein and plant protein, the body breaks protein down into amino acids and uses them, it matters not where they come from.
All food has varying amounts of protein in it. legumes, nuts, seeds and grains have high amounts in them, and they also come with healthy essential fatty acids, not saturated fat like meat does.
theres no need for tofu or dairy if you dont want to eat them. personally, i dont like the bad fat in dairy and the processed nature of tofu.
theres also plenty of iron in leafy green vegetables and in legumes.
there is nothing in meat that cannot be found in a plant based source and every source comes with other healthy nutrients, not saturated fat like meat does which contributes to heart disease and obesity.
in fact, meat has too much protein in it and it puts a constant heavy load on our liver and kidneys, it also leeches trace elements from our body and contributes to osteoporosis.
Good Luck : )
The main things you will be lacking from not eating meat are protein and iron.
Protein is easily found in dairy products and eggs but can also be readily available in soy foods, seeds, whole grain products and breads, nuts, cereals and beans.
Women require 46 to 50 grams of protein daily. To give a few simple examples, two eggs have approximately 11 grams of protein, 1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese have nearly 41 grams, a 1/2 cup of beans will net around 8 grams and a 1/4 cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds as well as a 1/2 cup of whole wheat pasta will give you around 10 grams. 1 cup of yogurt has around 13 grams, and most hard cheese has 11 grams of usable protein.
The recommended daily requirement for iron runs around 15 milligrams daily for women. Iron is essential for healthy blood.
Like protein, iron is easily found in certain vegetarian foods, especially whole grains and whole grain food products and legumes. Soybeans and soy foods also contain iron in relatively high amounts. Generally, the meatless foods that have protein also have the iron nutrients also.
Hope this helped!
First of all, the only supplement you will need is B12 unless you are lacto/ovo/lacto-ovo. I am a vegan myself and I'm currently transitioning to raw low-fat vegan (a.k.a. 811).
What you need to get is a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can have nuts and avocados as well. And since you are into cooked food, you can have some fun with different tofu recipes. Personally, I love it in my stir fry.
You can also make desserts with it. Try a simple smoothie now and then. Frozen fruit and silken tofu blended is amazing. I find maple syrup is the best sweetener for these, if you feel they need it.
Get creative with salads too. They don't all have to be mostly lettuce. Try making your own salad dressings.
There are many recipes on the internet. Google is my favorite resource. If you want really good, cooked vegan food, I suggest the book Vegan With A Vengeance by Isa Chanda Moskowitz and her website:
http://www.theppk.com/
She has amazing recipes and a fun forum.
Tofu is very versatile-you can add it to almost anything. I personally love beans, so I get most of my protein that way. If you eat a variety of fresh or simply cooked veggies and fruits you will get all your vitamins and minerals except B12-you can take a supplement or eat fortified cereal, the requirement is very small. Eggs and dairy also have B12 if you eat them. I am not so fond of the fake chicken but I love Boca and Garden burgers.
If you want to avoid all of this stress about staying healthy, eat a balanced diet, dear. Google "Flexitarian Diets" and check out the websites for great recipes and a diet that will keep you healthy.
its scientifically proved that its bad for your body to not eat meat. meat provides a great source of protein which adds on to the energy your body uses. when it runs out of that energy, it needs more carbs and fats to make up for it. dont starve yourself. eat meat and natural carbs (bread, potatoes, rice). avoid glucose and excercise regularly.