| Author |
Message |
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 4:53 am 
My 15 year old has decided to be a vegetarian. It will be interesting cause she has done this in the past but always gotten stuck on the 'vege' part! LOL
Because of his heart attack my husband can't eat alot of cheese or eggs. I can't eat soy. I really don't want to cook separate meals. Her plans is to just not eat the meat part of what I cook. (i usually make a big salad, steam a veggie and have grill chicken). I want to make sure she gets enough protien. She doesn't like fish.
We are good breakfast wise. She likes eggs. Lunch, PBJ. She eats alot of fruit.
Any suggestions. I really want to respect her feelings, but I truly can not afford to buy all sorts of extra 'fake meat' products.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 7:08 am
also need to add and to further complicate things..she doesn't really like beans. I don't eat alot of pastas/starchy carbs. I will only fix brown rice/whole wheat pastas and neither my husband or daughter are that crazy about them so we usually don't eat them.
|
Puzzled
Member
08-27-2001
| Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 10:19 am
Since she doesn't want to eat meat or beans and doesn't like brown rice or whole wheat pastas, I don't see why you should have to rearrange your cuisine for her.
About all that's left in the protein department is dairy and nuts. So, just cook what you like and give her a serving of yoghurt or cheese or a hard boiled egg or a glass of milk to go with it.
You have my sympathy.
|
Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-31-2000
| Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 10:34 am
She needs about 45 grams of protein a day. In fact, most americans have protein-heavy diets, and protein deficiency is almost unheard of, except in anorexics and they are deficient in everything.
Will she eat whole grain cereals and breads? She could get plenty from an egg and whole grain cereal for breakfast, and peanut butter on whole grain bread for lunch. Or try almond butter for variety (I love it). There are a wide variety of nut butters on the market.
Handfuls of nuts for snacks with that fruit, or a protein bar (try to get a whole grain/natural variety). Or maybe a protein shake once a day?
The fake meat products are not all that much more expensive than the money you will be saving on the meat she's not eating. If you're having hamburgers, get her a soy burger instead. If you're having chicken, get her a mock chicken patty. Tofu dogs are actually quite good, IMO.
I've been a vegetarian for years, and frankly I've never been concerned about not getting enough protein. It's highly unusual, even for people who don't eat meat. The concerns about protein deficiency in vegetarians are largely mythology.
As for the parenting issue, I'd make her responsible for the extra food preparation.
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 11:02 am
Edamame for snacks? (maybe she won't realize it is a bean?) Ditto peanuts. Almonds, which are supposed to be excellent for you anyway.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 3:52 pm
Glad to hear the necessary protein won't be a problem. Not sure how buying chicken for my husband and myself and then mock chicken patties for her is going to save me money.(i guess i am a half a chicken breast ahead/meal).
I realize protein powders have a long shelf life and other soy food can be frozen and pulled out for individual use, but will be increasing my grocery bill because i will still be buying chicken and fish for my husband and me.
she tends to resort to easy things like pasta/cereal when she is fixing her own foods.
i worry to about eating alot of cheese and eggs because of the cholesterol.
|
Chewpito
Member
01-04-2004
| Monday, October 19, 2009 - 11:24 am
Texannie... I was a vegetarian for decades but just recently because of 'Menopause' I have been craving meat....and Ive given in to my cravings, but still hardly ever eat meat...
Does your daughter like Potatoes?.. just last night the frig was kinda naked but I did have taters, onions and a few things so this is what I made..
I sliced the potatoes in thin rounds, a couple onions in thin rounds... a couple zukini lengthwise in thin slices...also a couple tomatoes...
I layered all this in a baking pan that had a dab of olive oil in it.... alternating the taters,onions,zukini and tomatoes than a sprinkle of feta cheese....
then I scrambled up 4 eggs with a half tub of good nonfat plain yogurt (about 2cups)...and poured it all over the top of the stuff in the pan.... I grated a little sharp cheese on top and baked it.....
(Ive been having heartburn probs so otherwise id have spiced it up big time-but im doing bland these days)...
So you could do any spices you like...normally Id add a ton of anahiem chiles,bellpepper and what ever else I could find...
anyway...it was great..
I did par-bake the potatoes befor putting it all togeather.....
4eggs for the whole thing is not to bad... and the yogurt is good for you.... I never use sourcream ever...if it calls for it I always use yogurt, even for dips...
Does she like Enchaladas....she could make 'one plate' dishes with a few corn tort's and the fixen's in between...or tostadas...
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Monday, October 19, 2009 - 3:40 pm
oh..yum!!!
yep, she loves all sorts of mex food.
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 5:17 pm
Annie, while you can't do soy, there are plenty of veggie patty alternatives out there that aren't soy-based. And some are quite delish (like the ones you can get at Costco).
If you don't want to change your normal cooking routine, since you already do salads for dinner, just be sure that she adds some protein to hers. A hardboiled egg, some nuts or seeds, some cheese, or even a veggie patty.
One of my favorite salads is lots of veggies, a jalapeno ranch dressing, a sprinkling of grated cheese, and a veggie patty straight from the pan. The cheese melts a bit on the patty. It's really filling, too. Add croutons if you want more bulk.
Be sure that she eats things that do have protein. Yogurt, eggs, cheese, nuts, sunflower/pumpkin seeds...
And there are lots of adaptations... make tacos with refried beans instead of meat, and lots of cheese and avocado or quac. Make bean burritos that she can take and reheat in a microwave quickly. Make a pan of enchiladas, half with cheese half with chicken. Make pasta meatless, and add Parmesan cheese or sprinkle parm on garlic bread. Make mac 'n cheese with different types of cheeses (not that yellow stuff!). Make stuffed baked potatoes with sour cream and top with cheese, then throw under the broiler to melt it.
And when all else fails, get thee to Trader Joe's. They've got some really good frozen foods that are vegetarian. They are for the most part healthy and quick 'n easy to fix. And not too expensive.
BTW, many meatless alternatives are actually cheaper than meat. So I'm not sure cost would be an issue. I'm not so sure you'll really increase your grocery bill since she won't be eating the chicken, right? So you'll just be substituting one type of protein for another.
I have been a vegetarian for years, and there were times when I felt I wasn't getting enough protein. Most often it was when I was having to pre-pack my breakfast, lunch, and snacks for a long day (via train commute 3x a week). And depending on one's eating habits, it IS quite possible that you can't get enough protein. Some people think vegetarians eat only vegetables and fruit, and no, that doesn't work. She should be thinking about proteins, besides the veggies and fruits that she loves.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - 7:05 pm
thanks for the suggestions, cost!
|
Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 8:53 pm
Don't worry about her having cheese and eggs (particularly eggs) because remember she's substituting them in for meat, which is high in saturated fats anyway, so what she saves on the meat she spends in the cheese.
She doesn't have to eat her protein with her meal, I quite often don't, as veggie dishes are more to my taste. She can always snack on protein mid-afternoon, e.g. have a quarter cup of nuts, a square inch of cheese, a boiled egg, half cup of cottage cheese and a couple of crackers.
quiche is good, it also freezes well
cottage cheese (but check the labels, some are sweetened)
soy cheese is good in recipes that have cheese, in fact it's better when you cook with it than it is raw (imo). adding a little mustard increases the cheesey taste
you can get bags of meat substitute "strips" and "ground beef" which you can use in most meat recipes (being honest though, you want to make sure the dish has a strong flavour, as the substitute takes a while to get used to)
veggie lasagne is awesome (use layers of veggies steamed or sauted and added to a can of tomatoes, with mushrooms and herbs to taste (sneak in some kidney beans); make a cheese roux in the normal way then layer the two with the lasagne sheets)
nut roast is awesome and lasts forever (I have plenty of recipes, shout if you want one)
Generally though if she adds things like sunflower seeds, nuts and whole grains into her diet (if she she doesn't eat them already) she'll get enough protein as long as she makes the effort now and again to have a higher protein snack.
|
Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 9:00 pm
Here are a couple of nutroast recipes I happen to have already typed up, as people seem to want them often. The serving size is small btw, I guess each recipe serves eight to ten.
Sandwiched Nut Loaf ("Company's Coming, Meatless Cooking" by Jean Pare, very good book, I recommend it)
2 tbsp butter or hard margarine
2 cups chopped onion
1.5 cups ground walnuts
1.5 cups ground pecans (you can use finely chopped nuts instead of ground ones if you prefer the crunchy texture)
1 cup rolled oats run through blender
1 cup coarsely crushed bran flakes ('all bran' works too)
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground thyme
1 tbsp instant vegetable stock mix
3/4 cup boiling water
6-8 tomato slices
3/4 cup grated medium cheddar (low fat works fine)
3/4 cup grated mozzarella
Saute onion in butter until soft, turn into large bowl. Add next 9 ingredients from list and mix well.
Stir stock mix into boiling water in small bowl to dissolve. Pour over nut mixture and stir.
Pack half of nut mixture into greased 8x4x3inch loaf pan. Layer tomato slices over top followed by both cheeses. Cover with second half of nut mixture.
Bake uncovered in 350degF oven for 30 to 35mins. Cuts into 10 slices.
Great served with either a tomatoey sauce or a mushroom sauce, also fine without the cheese tomato layer. Can also be served cold with a salad or in pitta sandwiches.
1 slice contains 331 cals.
Cranks Nut Loaf
1 med. onion
8 oz mixed nuts finely chopped
4 oz wholemeal breadcrumbs
10 fl oz veg stock
1 tsp marmite
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and pepper
Saute onion in 1oz butter or 2 tbsp oil.
In a bowl mix the onions with the nuts and breadcrumbs.
Dissolve the marmite in the vegetable stock and mix that and all other ingredients into the nut/breadcrumb mixture.
Press into a 1lb loaf tin and cook uncovered for 30 minutes at 350degF.
(For the uninitiated marmite is a British yeasty creation that you either love or hate. If you don't like it some soy sauce would be an ok substitute. I still bring vegetable stock cubes back from the UK, and haven't really looked at what is available here, but by veg stock I mean stock that has a strong flavour).)
|
Babyruth
Member
07-19-2001
| Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 10:02 pm
These sound good 
Is Marmite like Vegemite?
|
Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 10:18 pm
Yep, different taste but very similar sort of thing.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 23, 2009 - 4:31 am
those sound great. the problem with her decision to be a vegeatarian is that she really doesn't like vegetables. i understand her kind heart, but eating just pasta/mac and cheese is not healthy!
|
Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Friday, October 23, 2009 - 11:10 am
I'd get her to buy a vegetarian cookbook and try some recipes with her. Most vegetarian dishes I eat are a meal in a dish type, i.e. not some veg with a vegetarian centrepiece, but the vegetarian dish incorporates the vegetables within it. She might like them better that way... more hidden!
|
Mindeegap
Member
07-20-2009
| Friday, October 23, 2009 - 12:39 pm
Texannie, I have vegetarians in my family that were more pasta and potato eaters in the beginning, and one of the things that I started making once a week, because I knew they would eat it and it was full of vegetables, is Vegetable Pot Pie. Really easy too.
You can make your pie crust or use the pillsbury one that you find with the refrigerated biscuits. I like a bottom and top crust and it comes with two in the box.
I started out using these because they would eat them.
a drained can each of:
sliced carrots
peas
corn
diced potatoes
and a can (diluted with 1/2 to 3/4 can water)
of a cream vegetable soup.
You have to check your cream soup labels to make sure they don't have chicken stock. A LOT of them will.
Some to pick from are cream of mushroom, celery, or broccoli. I think the potato does have stock, but depends on what brand soup you use. Just check the label.
I spray my glass pie dish with pam, place the first pie shell in.
Mix all the vegetables and soup together in a bowl and pour into the shell then top with the second crust. Pinch the sides together like you would any pie, and I cut little shapes in the top. a daisey or a leaf....or just a few slits. Then I spray a little more pam on the top crust and bake according the pie shell package. I think it's 350. You can tell when it's done by the color of the crust.
It's really good and usually all of it is finished off. For the meat eaters, sometimes I'll make two and add some cooked pieces of chicken to one for them and cream of chicken soup.
As they have advanced in their commitment to being vegetarian, they've come to enjoy more vegetables, so I now add broccoli and cauliflour, lima beans. When it's all mixed together they don't known or care.
|
Mindeegap
Member
07-20-2009
| Friday, October 23, 2009 - 12:41 pm
One more thing...congratulations to her decision to make a difference in her life and to the earth. And to you, she is very lucky to have a Mother to support her in her choice and help her when making such a good choice.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, October 23, 2009 - 1:51 pm
thanks!
|
Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, October 23, 2009 - 6:06 pm
Mindgap. That sounds like a really yummy recipe! I'll have to try it out (with meat though, LOL).
Question, does it have to be a glass pie dish? I don't know if I have any. Just wondering.
Also wondering about using fresh potatoes & carrots. I assume they'd have to be cooked before putting into the pie? Or would they cook enough if you put them in the pie fresh/uncooked?
|
Mindeegap
Member
07-20-2009
| Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 6:31 am
Whoami,
You can use any kind of casserole dish. I always use the glass pie dish because I have a couple of those and it fits perfect and makes a pretty pie.
I've made this so many times that I've done it with canned, frozen, and fresh vegetables. Of course you'd need to cook the fresh vegetables before adding them and the meat before adding to the pie because the crust would cook faster than they would.
Pre-vegetarian days at our house, I would cut boneless chicken breast into bite size pieces and cook them in a skillet for a few minutes with olive oil and seasonings, adding the cream of chicken soup after the chicken was almost done and then mixing with the vegetables before pouring into the pie shell. It really is yummy.
Now days, I'll sometimes make one like that and then the one with just vegetables and a cream of vegetable soup.
You can be creative with all the different kinds of vegetables you use.
It's a good and easy one dish meal.
|
Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Saturday, October 24, 2009 - 2:02 pm
Thanks Mindeegap. Now for a sort of stupid question. So, you make this single large pie, and then you cut into it to serve....what do you do with the eventual spillage of filling into the rest of the pan after you've served a few portions? Or do you usually just consume it all in one meal? There's just the two of us in the WhoHouse, so that pie will make two or three meals, and calls for storing leftovers.
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 8:59 am
Watch out using canned vegetables (check the sodium content). I'd use frozen veggies before canned, if I couldn't use fresh. Also I'd check the fat content of whatever you use for a crust. I no longer put a bottom crust on any pot pies and instead use only the top crust. I've found puff pastry tastes better than the commercial pie crusts (which taste "off" to me). Better yet, make your own pie crust and freeze what you don't use. For a pot pie top crust, you don't have to be a pastry expert.
While Mindee's recipe is easy, it's likely high in fat and sodium. So I personally would look for ways to make the dish healthier. Besides the ethical reasons for being a vegetarian, there are also the health reasons. Just sayin'.
|
Chewpito
Member
01-04-2004
| Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 11:03 am
Whoami, Silly girl...just make individual pies.. do what Costa said only you can buy little one serving pie pans... just make a couple meals worth and freeze half.... your good to go... and you will each have your own pie....
Recipes here sound good, keep em coming...enjoying them very much...
|
Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Tuesday, October 27, 2009 - 11:29 am
Good idea, Chewpito!! You can also use individual custard dishes or other small baking dishes to make single serving pies! These would be a most excellent "make ahead and freeze for encore performances". If you wanna freeze a bunch, use the small pie tins.
|
|
|
|
Cooking Corner
