What are some essentials for vegetarians on a grocery list?

Question

I figured that if i want to convince my Dad to be supportive of my decision to be a vegetarian, i should have an educated response to everything he might throw at me. So part of that is groceries. I have done a great deal of research, and i know what is important for vegetarians. But i would very much appreciate answers from experienced vegetarians. What products should i buy? (i'm not exacty into tofu). What kinds of food and supplies should i put on my list?

please write an actual list, that i can present to my dads, ten points to someone who can give me what i'm askign for.

Answer 1

well, first of all i eat lots of veggies of course, like salads, zucchini, squash, corn etc. . . But i also like to get canned beans, like black beans or pinto, be carefull of any refried beans because they sometimes contain animal fat. I cant eat nuts, but they are very nutritious also. . . And then depending on your grocery store, i will look in the organic food section because a lot of that is vegetarian, it will specify which ones, and they may also have a 'fake' meat section where they can have anything from Fake bacon to 'meetless' chiken/beef And its actually pretty good, you just have to try a couple different brands to find your favorite. . . And my personal opinion is 'boca burgers' are disgusting, lol

I drink Soy milk, and eat 'moo-free' cheeses and some of those taste amazing also. . .. You dont have to go no dairy, most vegetarians still keep dairy in there diets. Its really upto you.

Some of my favorite things to make are Spagetti with Chunky vegetable marinara

Stuffed bell peppers, stuffing is Rice, Cheese, muschrooms and a thinly sliced celery sticks, put the stuffing in the bell pepper shells and bake for about 45 minutes! yummy

And i also love to make my own soups with lots of veggies, and for the flavoring i will get vegetable stock or just season myself with garlic and other herbs

Thanks for choosing the humane way to eat, and not just that but the HEALTHIEST way to eat, your body will be so much healthier because of it and yoiu will be suprised how much better you will feel and less sick you will get!!!

Good luck! if you have any other questions let me know!! email me

Answer 2

I don't eat tofu regularly. I'm really not a fan unless it's been braised or otherwise dealt with to have a nice, chewy texture. (You can accomplish this by draining, freezing, thawing, and pressing and/or baking. Both change the texture of tofu pleasantly.) Have you tried tempeh and seitan (wheat-meat) as meat alternatives? They're pretty easy to work with and have more texture than tofu.

Other than that, beans, whole grains, lots of leafy greens, tasty veggies, good fruit. Buy whole foods where you can.

If your list is half fresh produce (especially brightly colored veggies), you're doing well. Try to avoid white flours and any junk food and you'll be doing a great job.

If you want to start a basic pantry, you will need:
olive oil
salt (I use kosher)
a pepper grinder
dry or fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, and marjoram are the basics... parsley is popular too, but I don't use it much)
probably some cinnamon
canned tomatos and tomato sauce
canned beans (grab a few varieties... I'd skip canned peas and lentils, though)
some onions, garlic, and/or shallots
pasta
vinegar (I like balsamic best)
lemon juice
a couple cans/boxes of prepared soup/pasta dish/whatever for those days when you don't want to bother to cook

You could easily make a meal with those things, but if you stop by the store and grab some extra produce (mushrooms, bell peppers, celery, chilis, potatoes, you name it) you can turn it into something a bit more complicated and delish.

Answer 3

I like to buy vegetables, and sometimes vegetarians, (me) like to eat nutritious burritos. Anything you like. Milk and eggs wont hurt. Sometimes, vegetarians like to eat bread and maybe some vegtables. Carrots, mushrooms, soup, cabbage, and sometimes rice can be mixed together and be eaten. If you are sick of the routine, you can just eat porrige and sugar. Not very healthy though. Sometimes, you can eat rice and and cold water. sometimes you can add a little flavor and it becomes some rice with some kind of flavored thing with vegetables maybe.

Answer 4

My aunt is a vegetarian and im trying to be a vegetarian.Make sure you get alot of fruit and vegetables and buy alot of organic food from Trader Joes.
Good Luck!

Answer 5

you need nuts,
milk, if you belive in drinking it
definatly some type of fruits and veggies
and if you can vitemins. they help with the stuff that we can't get from tofu all the way to stuff that everyone needs, i suggest protien chocolate flavored shakes for you and some nice calcium chewables and whatever other kinds of vit. you usually take.
when you first start out, i advise you get some asprin too, you get major headaches from the drasic change in diets, i experienaced it harshly, i dunno if everyone else did or not hough.

Answer 6

well get into tofu, it's well worth it. you should buy some tofu and look up recipes online, experiment. mmm. maybe try something simple first like scrambled tofu

Answer 7

Vegetable stock cubes...for stews, bakes and so on.
Vegetable gravy granules....actually goes well with meat for the whole family because it does not overpower the taste of the real meat.
Quorn pieces or fillets...anything that can be made with chicken can be made with quorn, only much less cooking time than for meat. there are plenty or ready meals made with it but I like to prepare dishes myself. Apart from making separate dishes for yourself you can have a quorn fillet instead of meat when your family sits down to a roast meal,which is more sociable than having to have separate meals.
Bulgar Wheat...only as an alternative to rice,pasta or potatoes
but variety is important if your appetite is not going to get very bored very quickly. Goes very well with a variety of grilled or roasted vegetables such as onions, courgettes, peppers,sweet potatoes, tomatoes and even cucumber if you peel and deseed it before cooking to stop it going soggy. chop the veggies up and toss them in a little olive oil and herbs or pesto, then roast them for thirty minutes or so at around 170c.
Sweet potatoes..especially the orange fleshed ones ( pinky-orange ), better for you than ordinary potatoes and if you want an unhealthy meal, they make fantastic fries, especially if you serve them mixed with ordinary potatoes..only they cook much more quickly and should be put into water as soon as they are peeled.
A jar of green or red pesto makes great flavouring for any number of dishes and can be served as it comes on toast or a couple of teaspoons stirred into pasta.
Any and every vegetable you like, fresh or frozen; rice and pasta and a couple of jars of vegetable pasta sauce...there are also some pretty good curry sauces that can be used on quorn or simply on stir fried or roasted veggies and of course there is always soup;not to mention something as simple as baked beans on toast or with baked potatoes..beans are high in protein as well and mushrooms will provide a healthy supply of trace elements.
With fruit, bananas and kiwis are probably the best to have on hand and grapefruit is good for you as well..or,for a treat, you can halve a grapefruit,remove the visible pips and then heap a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar onto each half and put them under the grill for a few minutes until the sugar is melted and bubbling..you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy it!
Of course there are loads of recipes for pulses and dried beans and whatever but I think that at the beginning it is best to have food that is not too unfamiliar and that you do not have to learn to like...later on you can experiment with new things and cooking methods, but there is no reason why you should have to switch to a foreign cuisine in order to eat healthily without meat.
Simplest Veggie Bake...
take a couple of potatoes, a small onion, two carrots,a small piece of fresh cabbage and a courgette; peel,slice and dice everything into a microwave dish along with a pinch of dried herbs and a little black pepper. Dissolve a veggie stock cube in half a cup of hot water and pour over the veggies, cover and cook on half power for five minutes, check and continue cooking for two minutes at a time until a fork pierces things readily, let it stand for a couple more minutes and then serve with seasoning to taste. You will have to adjust the times for your microwave but one or two attempts should have everything perfect. this can be eaten on its own or with thin slices of fresh tomatoes or topped with a little grated vegetarian cheese..tasty,low-low fat and comforting on a cold,wet evening. what is more, for non-veggies, it goes brilliantly with a pork chop or simply with grated cheese such as chedder or double-gloucester.

Answer 8

Well you'll need nutritiants(however you spell it!!!!!) So you will need nuts!!!!! :):):):):):):):)