vegetarian question...?

Question

so i have been a vegetarian for about 2 months now and its still kinda hard especially when i used to eat chicken like all the time and my mom keeps telling me i should eat meat and my friend is completely against it and everytime i talk about it she gives me this look that says "you are so stupid" she says im going to die if i dont eat meat im like "im going to live longer than you" haha anyway im having trouble finding good recipes i dont eat tofu by itself its gross....but what i have been eating is like organic stuff and fruits and vegetarian soups and stuff but my mom says i need to eat more but im not sure what to eat. help?

Answer 1

The easiest plan is to get your mom to buy some meat substitutes for you. Morningstar has a whole line of meat free products that simulate:

Ground beef
Ground sausage
Chicken strips
Beef strips
Chicken Nuggets
Chicken patties

Boca also has some of these plus some vegan meals - pizza, chili, etc.

Garden burger has some awesome fake ribblets that you should try.

Using the above you can use the recipes you already have a substitute.

Also go to your local library and check out some vegetarian cookbooks and offer to cook your own food.

While your at the library check out a book call Diet for a New America by John Robbins so you can answer any questions she might have on what a safe vegetarian diet is.

Answer 2

Well I love this site: www.vegweb.com, it has tons of recipes from vegan and vegetarians. Here is my fav....

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 box tofu, extra firm
enough pasta to fill an 8x8 pan (hand full)
8 ounces of your favorite marinara
1/2 block of mozzarella
spices: parsley, basil, garlic
optional: cayenne

Directions:

Cook the spaghetti halfway. You don't want it to be mushy once you bake it.

While that's cooking, drain the box of tofu and put it into a medium/small bowl. Squish with a fork into small pieces.

Add the parsley, basil and garlic (add more of the spices you like best). I mix in a lot of all three. Blend with your fork but don't squish the tofu into too tiny of pieces.

Then, grate your mozzarella. Use 1/3 to 1/2 of a block of mozzarella. Put aside.

Drain pasta. Put the pasta into the pan. Add all of the tofu ricotta mix. Mix them together.

Now pour your pasta sauce on top of the pasta/ricotta mixture. Pour a little more sauce than you think, so it doesn't dry out.

Mix all three ingredients well. You can even put some of the extra ricotta on top, if you had any left over.

Once you've mixed the pasta, ricotta and sauce so that it's equally spaced in the pan, simply add the vegan gourmet mozzarella on top. Use as much as you like.

Bake on high, at least 400 degrees (even up to 500) until it bubbles. Don't be afraid to let it cook until it bubbles and starts turning brown.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes

It is really tastey and my mom, who hates tofu, actually likes it. I like to add some balck olives and some mushrooms. But you could also add some zuchinni or squash or even eggplant.

You might also want to try this site: ww.veggie123.com It has tons of great info on vegetarian nutrition, and even info on how to deal with your parents and freinds.

Answer 3

Tell the meat eater that meat is from a dead animal therefore it is death. Say also haven't U heard U are what U eat? You can get a good book from your local library on becoming a vegetarian. Eat plenty of fruits, beans, grains, cearls. There's Soya milk, rice milk, coconut milk, soya sauce. Many false meat recipes you can pick up a book on that too at your local library or local book store. Subscripe to the Vegetarian Magazine too!
veggies

Answer 4

I'm not a vegetarian but with regards to the tofu, a lot of people don't know how to cook it and it is pretty foul if you don't do it right. Be sure you are getting the water out of it before you cook with it, for starters. I use a firm lite tofu in my scrambled eggs... slice off a few pieces about 1/4 inch thick. Put them on paper towels, cover with the paper towel, and press to get ALL of the water out. If you don't, it won't absorb the flavor of whatever you're cooking. I cook a lot with a wok... season a little oil in the pan with minced garlic and green onions, then sautee the tofu slices in that until they singe a little bit brown on both sides. Add some sliced mushrooms to this and a handful of feta cheese to spike the taste a bit. I throw an egg in mine. Chickens lay eggs whether you want them to or not, and mine could care less what happen to it after they've laid it. If its the animal cruelty aspect that's turned you vegetarian (and not vegan), just look for organic, free range (not cage free) eggs.

I also do a stir fry with green and orange bell pepper, baby corn, napa cabbage, jullianed carrots, snow peas, and lightly salted peanuts. Put some extra virgin olive oil in the skillet, season with garlic and green onions minced. You want it HOT, you do not want to slow cook your veggies until they're limp mush. Toss in your veggies and add a drizzle of soy sauce and dry sherry (cooking sherry will work) and stir them around to coat them and slightly cook them. Add a handful of peanuts, stir a bit more, and voila! The peanuts will provide you with protien, the oil with the fats you need, and the soy sauce will have enough salt in it that you wont' need to add that.

Answer 5

Breakfast:

Toast made with vegan whole wheat bread (spread whatever on it)
Whole wheat bagel (again, spread whatever on it)
Veganized blueberry muffins
Granola bar (when you have to hurry)
Fruit
Granola cereal with soymilk (get a generic brand of soymilk to save $ if needed--Giant Eagle's soymilk actually tastes okay)
Any other kind of cereal (Kix, Life, etc.)
Oatmeal

Lunch:

Salad
Fruit salad
Pasta salad
Pasta
PB&J (make it healthier by getting natural peanut butter that's just peanuts and salt, and buy fruit spread that is just fruit ground up--I buy Smucker's, but it's expensive, so try an off brand if needed)
Add fruit leather, wheat thins, or anything else smaller to a meal so you have a little "side-dish" (haha)

Dinner:

Baked potato
Vegetables
Fake meats
Pasta
Salad (of any kind)
Portabella mushrooms on the grill (large mushrooms--like a burger, stick it on a bun or bread)
Fruit
Beans (green beans, black beans, etc.)
Minestrone or other vegetable soups
Spaghetti

Answer 6

If you liked chicken, try Quorn naked cutlets. You can batter and fry them, or put a sauce on them and bake or grill them (I love 'em grilled with bbq sauce!). They taste VERY MUCH like boneless skinless chicken breast.

Morningstar Farms also makes really good chic'n nuggets and patties.

Don't worry about what your friend says. She's obviously naive. People can argue that veganism is unhealthy... (which is also probably false, but at least they make some decent points), but I don't know how anyone can argue that vegetarianism is. Especially not with all the nasty stuff in meat these days!

Answer 7

One of my favorite vege meals is whole grain spaghetti, tofu, red, yellow and orange bell peppers. You cook the pasta like normal and then in another pan saute the peppers in some olive oil and garlic then add in the tofu to the peppers the tofu will pick up the flavor from the peppers let it cook for about 3-5 minutes and then mix the peppers and tofu with the pasta. Toss the whole thing with some olive oil,salt and pepper.
The second meal is Tofu and zucchini marinated in Soy-Vay Chinese Marinade and grilled on the BBQ.

Answer 8

Not sure of reasons why a vegetarian if you r craving chicken. As long as you are eating a well rounded diet, u r fine w/o meat. I was a vegetarian for 6 years. I LOVED veggies. Sautee' any veg's. A pan, little olive oil, slice up some red peppers, yello peppers, green, some mushrooms, ooh a fresh garlic clove, yello squash is good, zucchini. U can sautee' all that up eat plain, put over rice, over pasta, make a sandwhich out of it-w/ slice of cheese, or soy cheese-hot or cold. I didnt like tofu either. Peanut butter is good for protein, refried beans--make your own,Mmmm. Your making me hungry.

Answer 9

Same thing for me..... it is depressing having almost no support. i have 3 1/2 people supporting. My Parents are NOT part of the 3 1/2. they don't support me at all. =(

I found this vegetarian cookbook at the library. u should check it out. if u really like it then u should buy it. i love most of the recipes. the books name is The teen's vegetarian cookbook / by Judy Krizmanic

very good. really simple. very handy.
I agree with u. plain tofu is gross. =P
GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 10

if your mom's that worried then have her buy you cottage cheese. it's a good source of iron. my mom gets worried over me not getting enough iron because i'm vegetarian so i eat cottage cheese. oh yeah you should also eat alot of beans, those are an essential for vegetarians! those two foods give you plenty of protein!