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Going veggie advice

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hi there,


I was thinking of trying going vegetarian for a while does anyone know any good vegetarian recipes or have any advice?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Eat bacon, you'll soon snap out of it!

    Also though, it's important to remember that you need to get your fat, protein and minerals that you would normally get from meat from other sources. So I found this PDF that looks handy http://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/vegetarianfoodfacts.pdf

    But look for other sources of information too, dieticians are not regulated either, so make sure you see a nutritionist if you want some professional help.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Good advice from Fiend.

    I use BBC Good Food a lot for recipes. Also, my housemate taught me to make an amazing bean chilli that I could live off - beans are really good for protein and iron.

    Don't forget, because anaemia is a real risk for veggies, to keep your vit C intake up so that you can absorb the iron in your diet.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    heya! i'm not a veggie but i'm not a fan of meat, just for taste reasons really. I did my degree in nutrition so back up the advice you've been given, espcially the vitamins etc. You do need to keep up your Vit C intake in order for your body to absorb Iron. As someone who is really anemic, Iron is vital and this is in a lot of meat. your body wont absorb it without Vit C so drink lots of orange juice etc. Supplements are good, but not as food replacements, you need them on top of a balanced diet. A lot of cereals are fortified (which basically means pumped with) added vitamins and minerals and iron...a great way to get the stuff you need. A glass of orange juice with cereal is a fab way to start your day. A lot of meat free options such as quorn or supermarket own brand meat free stuff has good nutritional stuff in it. So try to replace your meat with that. If you need any other help or advice, just shout :) hope this isn't too much sorry!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not veggie, but I use veggie products sometimes because they are healthy and convenient.

    I use the frozen Soya mince sold in supermarkets regularly. Personally, I prefer it to Quorn because the texture is nearer to minced beef.

    All of these meat substitutes tend to taste like poached cardboard unless you load some flavour into them.

    When I use soya mince for spag-bol, chilli-con-carne, and cottage pie, I simmer it in beef stock before adding to the other ingredients (for 2 people, use one Bovril/OXO cube in 300ml of boiling water, and simmer until the stock has been fully absorbed by the mince). While simmering, I add a few shots of Worcestershire sauce, around a tablespoon of tomato puree, and a couple of good dollops of tomato ketchup, which adds a sweetness not present in the puree.

    If you want to go pure veggie, use Marmite, or a veggie alterative to beef stock.

    Soya is quite filling, and 100g per person used in the following recipes will provide a very ample "man-sized" portion.

    For Spag-bol, dice up one large Spanish onion per person; one large carrot p.p; and a couple of celery sticks p.p – all approx 4mm dice. Add a few crushed garlic cloves if to taste.

    Fry the onion until transparent in a shallow casserole or a large frying pan that has a lid, (don’t brown the onion), add the diced carrot and celery, and a couple of star anise, or half a teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice, if you have it (don’t worry if you don’t have any)

    Put a lid on the pan with the heat down as low as possible, and allow the veg to steam in its own moisture.

    When the carrot has softened, add the prepared soya mince; salt and pepper (black), and a tin of chopped tomatoes, and stir until all of the ingredients are well integrated.

    Leave to simmer on a very low heat for at least 15 minutes.

    Have a taste, and make sure you are happy with the texture of the veg, if not, simmer for longer. Also check S&P, and add more tomato puree or ketchup if preferred.

    Serve with pasta and a grating of Parmesan or Cheddar cheese.

    If you have other things to do, the spag-bol will tick over in the oven on gas 3 for up to an hour.

    Similar prep and cooking process for Chili-con-carne – except using large rough-cut bell peppers instead of the celery, and a little less diced carrot. When adding the tinned chopped tomatoes, add a tin of chilli broad beans (ASDA’s are good).

    Serve with baked potatoes.

    Same prep and cooking process for Cottage Pie, except using small diced swede / turnip with the carrot as the veg, and leaving out the tinned tomatoes.


    When the mince and veg are cooked, add to an oven-proof dish (individual sized ones are best for presentation) and cover with mashed potatoes. You can spread the mash with a fork and give it a pattern, or for a more professional look, use a potato ricer. Grate with cheddar to taste, and finish with couple of twists of black pepper, followed by melting the cheese under the grill.

    Serve with garden peas, or green beans.

    All of these dishes are very low in fat, with the exception of the cheese.

    Soya mince is around half the price of beef mince, and keeps well in the freezer, making it very convenient and easy to use.

    Cooking doesn’t get much healthier than this, and it tastes good too!

    Jed
    :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blend 4 bananas, and one head of romaine lettuce. Blend ice as well. Great tasting smoothie.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've been vegetarian for a while
    and it's hard!

    I don't eat meat as I don't believe it's right to slaughter other living things for the enjoyment of myself plus like I wouldn't want something bigger to kill my family so they could eat them. But it's still difficult - you probably won't get the right nutrients and will probably become deficit in at least something iron; calcium etc.

    Due to not having enough iron in my body I tend to have "attacks" which is like weird things that look like i'm having an allergic reaction but i'm really not :)

    But if you decide to do it then Quorn + Linda McCartney will become your best friends plus its a lot easier to be Veggi in England than in most parts of the world e.g. France believe vegetarian food is chicken hehe!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Natashaaa wrote: »
    But if you decide to do it then Quorn + Linda McCartney will become your best friends plus its a lot easier to be Veggi in England than in most parts of the world e.g. France believe vegetarian food is chicken hehe!

    So true. I once found a restaurant in Germany that didn't know how to feed me so I ate the boiled vegetable sides.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Experiment!

    Hey, I'm a vegetarian and I love it. It was my choice and honestly one of the best I've ever made. A fantastic set of recipes you can easily find on the internet are for vegetable curries - they're really good and yummy! Just look them up and don't be afraid to experiment!
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