Vegetarian banders

[Jackiedi 0]

Hey everyone,

I'm leaning more towards a vegetarian lifestyle. After being banded a year and being on a high meat Protein diet I feel I need a change. For many reasons I'm turning vegetarian and I know my doctor will not like this. I find that Boca burgers are more filling than real meat. So I was wondering if any other veggie banders had some good recipes for me. You can paste them on here or send them in a message.

Thanks in advanced and happy banding,

Jackie

[Birinak 19]

Hey everyone,

I'm leaning more towards a vegetarian lifestyle. After being banded a year and being on a high meat Protein diet I feel I need a change. For many reasons I'm turning vegetarian and I know my doctor will not like this. I find that Boca burgers are more filling than real meat. So I was wondering if any other veggie banders had some good recipes for me. You can paste them on here or send them in a message.

Thanks in advanced and happy banding,

Jackie

It's a little late now, but I'll make sure to come back and post some recipes tomorrow. For now, I'll just give you some general advice about making the transition to vegetarianism.

I've been a vegetarian for a little over 7 years, but in the first couple of years, I just replaced meat with more carbs. When my parents would make dinner (some kind of meat with rice), I'd just add more rice to my plate, along with a side. This led me to gain weight rather quickly and become temporarily anemic. So, I guess I'd just warn you to watch out for that. Although vegetarianism is associated with better health, higher brain functioning, and longer life-spans, if done improperly, it can actually be more unhealthy than a carnivorous diet. Always shop for enough non-meat Protein to cover every meal. Typically, I make foods that are usually made with meat, but I replace the meat portion with tofu, veggie ground meat, or Beans.

Also, as a new vegetarian, it's easy to fall into the all-soy mentality. In the first year of being a vegetarian, I drank soy milk, ate soy ice-cream (found a pretty good one too), ate soy hot dogs and burgers with soy cheese regularly. We, all of us, including meat-eaters, already get a high amount of soy in our foods. I try to limit my soy (tofu and veggie meats) to no more than 4 servings a week, since studies indicate that too much of it is risky. Out of all soy products, tofu and tempeh are definitely much healthier versions of soy than soy veggie meats, as veggie meats are highly processed. If you are buying veggie meats (i.e. burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips etc), try to search for those that are made from grain or non-soy protein (legumes, taro, shitake mushroom burgers etc). If you don't want to drink cow's milk any longer, I'd recommend switching to a non-soy milk such as almond or rice milk. Unless you're considering veganism, I also recommend replacing some of your meat protein with eggs (since they contain all essential amino acids, many important minerals and Vitamins (especially the very important Vitamin B12, which only comes from meat or meat byproducts!), and are only about 70 calories each). In order to get a proper amount of Iron (and other minerals in your diet), you may want to increase your regular intake of dark veggies like broccoli and spinach, and eat more Beans and whole grains. You won't need Iron supplements (or supplements of any kind) if you eat these types of foods.

Anyway, that's it for now. Good luck on switching to vegetarianism. You can always message me if you need any tips.

[cheryl2586 3,053]

How is it to late for her to become a vegetarian? Anytime you want a different lifestyle change is good. Im sure she has reseached it and was asking for recipes.< /p>

[hah131 7]

i've been a vegetarian for 13 years, although i've tried to incorporate fish into my diet since being banded. i don't have any recipes that jump out at me, but i'm very simplistic with most of my eating...i put pam in a pan and 'stir fry' tofu with spices (adobo, pepper, garlic, etc) and fresh basil i grow in my aerogarden. i LOVE morningstar's vegetarian sausage patties (or links). i have a lot of low fat cottage cheese and normally one hard boiled egg a day for Protein. i actually try to keep my veggie burger/veggie sausage pattie/etc consumption pretty low - only a few times a week b/c the carbs will add up pretty quickly if you eat them frequently. and as much as i absolutely love most Beans, especially chick peas and black Beans, i try to limit them to once a week or once every other week b/c they are very carby as well.

if i think of any great recipes that i use, i'll email you them, jackiedi. since it's a friday morning, and i've already been at work for an hour, my brain isn't functioning at top speed

[Lady_Dragyn 2]

How is it to late for her to become a vegetarian? Anytime you want a different lifestyle change is good. Im sure she has reseached it and was asking for recipes.

I don't believe she meant it was too late for the OP to become a vegetarian...I believe she was referring to the time of day - it was approx 2 am according to the post time.

Edited March 25, 2011 by Lady_Dragyn

[Birinak 19]

How is it to late for her to become a vegetarian? Anytime you want a different lifestyle change is good. Im sure she has reseached it and was asking for recipes.

Uh, you misunderstood what you read. Haha. Obviously, I meant that it was a little late in the day for me to post recipes because I was sleepy. Why else would I follow up "it's a little late now," with "but I'll make sure to come back tomorrow?"

Also, I spent the next paragraph giving her advice on how to make a healthy transition to vegetarianism, then I wished her good luck on the switch, and told her to message me for tips if she needed them... so, just from the context of the statement, it's pretty clear that I'm not trying to discourage her from becoming a vegetarian.

[Jackiedi 0]

Hey everyone,

Thanks so much for the insight. You're absolutely right about eating more carbs which I am avoiding and i"m dropping weight like crazy. I think my boca burgers are soy, but I dont eat any other soy products as of now. I'm not sure how to cook tofu but I'm looking into it. I'm really excited about this change. About eating fish, I never have eaten figh (too much over fishing of the oceans), so that's a tough one for me. I found a great low fat/carb recipe for stuffed zucchini and can't wait to make it! I'll post it for you guys. (link below).

http://www.megabeth.net/?p=302

As far as meat substitutes, what do you like to eat? Any special brands?

Thanks,

Jackie

[Jackiedi 0]

i've been a vegetarian for 13 years, although i've tried to incorporate fish into my diet since being banded. i don't have any recipes that jump out at me, but i'm very simplistic with most of my eating...i put pam in a pan and 'stir fry' tofu with spices (adobo, pepper, garlic, etc) and fresh basil i grow in my aerogarden. i LOVE morningstar's vegetarian sausage patties (or links). i have a lot of low fat cottage cheese and normally one hard boiled egg a day for Protein. i actually try to keep my veggie burger/veggie sausage pattie/etc consumption pretty low - only a few times a week b/c the carbs will add up pretty quickly if you eat them frequently. and as much as i absolutely love most Beans, especially chick peas and black Beans, i try to limit them to once a week or once every other week b/c they are very carby as well.

if i think of any great recipes that i use, i'll email you them, jackiedi. since it's a friday morning, and i've already been at work for an hour, my brain isn't functioning at top speed

Great advice as far as spacing different carbs out through out the week! I'm very careful about the carb intake!! Damn carbs lol

[hah131 7]

i'm a complete carb addict. i could live off of solely carbs and never give a thought to anything else. that's been my biggest struggle. i'm learning, little by little though. as far as meat substitutes, i'm partial to morningstar b/c i like a lot of their products. i've had all the brands and don't think any are bad. the only veggie burgers i don't like are the ones that are just plain soy, no flavors, etc. they are just too 'meaty' for me. i would try out a lot of different ones until you see what you like. i try to stay away from the black bean burgers (although i love the way they taste) because they are the highest in calories and carbs.

as far as tofu goes, you make tofu what it is. alone, tofu is nothing...no taste, etc. a lot of times when you get tofu at a restaurant, it'll be fried. obviously, that's not the way we should it eat often. if you like asian-type food, tofu is great with soy sauce or curries. by putting pam into a pan and leaving the tofu sit with herbs on it, it'll brown and firm up. it NEEDS to have some type of seasoning. i would not recommend you try it without. that will probably turn you completely off. when i was younger, i wasn't a fan of tofu, but i've grown to appreciate it. i'd just play around with it a bit. if you end up buying a whole package of it, you need to keep the remainder in a plastic container with the Water it comes in. otherwise, i think it goes bad fast.

again, good luck!

[newbandeddee 0]

How is it to late for her to become a vegetarian? Anytime you want a different lifestyle change is good. Im sure she has reseached it and was asking for recipes.

I think she was saying it was a little late in the afternoon for her to post the reciepes. Not that it was to late for her to become a vegetarian.

[Birinak 19]

Hey everyone,

Thanks so much for the insight. You're absolutely right about eating more carbs which I am avoiding and i"m dropping weight like crazy. I think my boca burgers are soy, but I dont eat any other soy products as of now. I'm not sure how to cook tofu but I'm looking into it. I'm really excited about this change. About eating fish, I never have eaten figh (too much over fishing of the oceans), so that's a tough one for me. I found a great low fat/carb recipe for stuffed zucchini and can't wait to make it! I'll post it for you guys. (link below).

http://www.megabeth.net/?p=302

As far as meat substitutes, what do you like to eat? Any special brands?

Thanks,

Jackie

Hey, so this prompted me to think about which recipes you may like, but as I thought about it, I realized that I really don't make anything altogether special. It's pretty easy just to substitute tofu or veggie ground beef for most foods that you're already making, from Pasta to stuffed vegetables to stir-fries.

So, for example, about once a month I make vegetarian tacos. I use a mexican-flavoured veggie ground beef (but you can use plain veggie beef too, and add in taco seasoning). The brand name of the meat is Yves. I'm not sure if it is available where you live (I live in Toronto). Without using too much oil, I first sautee some onion, then add diced tomatoes, then the veggie meat. I add a few spoons of salsa into the mix. It shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to cook the meat from frozen on medium heat, since it comes pre-cooked. Because I can't eat too much at this point, I break one taco shell in half (down its length) and place the ingredients on each half. There really isn't anything I can tell you that you don't already know yourself, if you've ever made meat-tacos. I use low-fat sour cream, salsa, lettuce, diced onions, black Beans, and grated cheese, along with the cooked meat.

I also sometimes make chinese stir-fries. Again, if you made meat-stir fries, the process is similar, except for the fact that you won't be cooking the "meat" portion first or for as long. I buy frozen chinese-style veggies to make cooking faster (they turn out pretty well and, because they were flash-frozen, they retain more Vitamins then fresh veggies). I add in marinated tofu in the last five minutes of cooking.

I sometimes make lentil Soup. It's pretty easy to make since lentils don't necessarily require soaking before hand. I just boil lentils (they double in size, so be careful how much you add) on medium-high, then, once they're almost done (soft), I add in some garlic and onion. I use vegetable bouillon, a little bit of cinnamon powder, and hot pepper flakes to add flavour. In the last 15 minutes of boiling, I add quinoa (which is high in protein) to give the Soup some starch. In the last five minutes, I add in frozen vegetables. The soup can be pureed, depending on preference. If I haven't eaten tofu too much that week, I sometimes add in cubes of tofu (usually firm) at the same time as the frozen veggies. For extra flavour, sautee raw veggies as a base for the soup and add in after the lentils are almost ready, instead of frozen veggies.

As for using tofu, I guess a few tips are:

For better health, consider buying organic tofu and avoid vacuum-packed tofu. The tofu packaged in Water is supposed to be healthier, lower in carbs, and less processed, but it doesn't keep as long as vacuum-packed tofu. When you buy tofu, try to get one that is not near the best-before date. You can leave it in the fridge, in its unopened package, until that date. Once it is opened, the tofu will keep for about three days (although some people keep it for up to a week). The instructions are usually to rinse the tofu, place it in a sealed container with new Water (completely covering the tofu), and to change the water every day.

Don't eat tofu raw; if you want to put it salads, boil it for about five minutes first.

If you want the tofu to have a definite flavour, like in foods where the tofu stands out, you must marinate it for at least an hour (or over night in the fridge). In order to get the tofu to absorb as much marinade as possible, you can do two things. First, you can freeze and then thaw the tofu before marinating. When it's been frozen, the tofu will look yellow and look like a sponge. Frozen tofu has a very different texture (more meaty) and it soaks up marinades very well. If you do not like tofu with that texture, you can also press the moisture out of the tofu in order to get it to absorb more marinade. Some people place tofu in a towel (paper towel or cloth) and place a plate or pot over it to press out the water before marinating.

If I'm making a food that has a sauce or is a stew/soup, I don't bother marinating the tofu. I just cut it up in pieces and throw it in while cooking. Sometimes, I lightly fry non-marinated tofu (until the outside is a little crisp and yellow) to give it a better texture before adding it into foods.

Finally, when buying tofu, pay attention to the firmness as listed on the package. Usually, if using tofu as a replacement for meat, you should buy firm or (even better) extra-firm tofu. If using the tofu in a soup or blending it (like in a Protein shake), you can use soft or medium-firm tofu (extra-firm tofu still works in Soups too). If you ever have tofu that you need to be more firm, you can use the techniques mentioned above (pressing or freezing).

Beans make a great alternative to soy, and there are some beans that are lower in carbs than others. When I was on a low-carb diet, my doctor recommended eating beans, since I was a vegetarian, and I lost weight rather quickly while maintaining my Protein intake. Another alternative to soy is quinoa, which, as mentioned above, is high in protein. Quinoa cooks in about fifteen minutes and can be used instead of rice.

By the way, if you live in America (I looked at your profile earlier, but I can't remember just now), there's supposed to be a really awesome brand of veggie meats called Field Roast. It's not yet been brought to Canada, except for British Columbia, but I've read one Canadian vegetarian say that she even asked her friend to smuggle some Field Roast packs across the border--it's supposed to be that good. Field roast sausages are what people usually rave about, but I've also heard good things about their vegetarian holiday turkey. Anyway, I'd thought you might want to check the brand out.

[Birinak 19]

Hey everyone,

I'm leaning more towards a vegetarian lifestyle. After being banded a year and being on a high meat Protein diet I feel I need a change. For many reasons I'm turning vegetarian and I know my doctor will not like this. I find that Boca burgers are more filling than real meat. So I was wondering if any other veggie banders had some good recipes for me. You can paste them on here or send them in a message.

Thanks in advanced and happy banding,

Jackie

Here's a youtube video about Field Roast at some Veg-Fest that takes place every year. The great thing about this brand is that its products are completely vegan and made from grain, not soy.

[Acadia 20]

I've been vegetarian since 1995 and have been able to be quiet successful with it in three countries. Two of which had virtually no 'premade' vegetarian products. Definitely watch what you're eating - track it in something like LiveStrong where you information stays private (free sites get permission to use your information as they see fit).

If you eat a lot of carbs just make them Protein strong, like oatmeal, Beans, Protein enriched Pasta. Eating carbs isn't a problem, it's which ones you're eating. ie. don't eat french fries regularly, chips, etc.

MY FAVOURITE RECIPE

My favorite recipe is Tofu wraps (I originally had these at the Los Angeles Athletic Club then created my own receipe). The full recipe (with photos) are here:

http://curvyfitness.com/wrap/wrap.htm

Yes, I fry the tofu, but as I say in the entry, "Once everything was done cooking, a mere teaspoon and a half of oil was missing, so three full blocks of tofu absorbed only a tiny bit of oil."

You have to have the oil at the right temperature. And once you make all of this tofu (doing many packages at once is ideal) it freezes beautifully and you just put it in the fridge to thaw then add it to anything you make. The texture is fantastic, the flavor (Mrs. Dash or something similar - a powdered spice) is great, and it can even be microwaved and eaten just like that.

SOY

Soy testing has only been done in animals. Human testing has never been done. So though mice show reproductive issues when given 25 grams of soy per day, humans have not yet shown the same results. However, based on the animal testing that has been done scientists believe there may be reproductive issues over the long term if a human is fed large amounts of soy since birth. The benefits (lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer) outweigh the potential negative aspects.

I personally wouldn't be concerned with the amount of soy you're eating, especially since you'll be eating much less than an average person due to the size of your pouch.

recipes

Some of my favorites are:

Veggie Tacos: taco shells, light sour cream or greek yogurt, Boca crumbles with taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco sauce. (makes enough for 3-4 meals, great the next day)

Veggie Shepherd's Pie: Boca crumbles with light mushroom Soup and small sweet peas is the base, the topping is mashed potatoes with corn niblets and some garlic, a little bit of Kraft parm cheese on top. Freezes well.

Roasted Veggie Fajitas: take any veggies you like, slice them in strips, put them on a few sheets of parchment on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt (sea salt) and olive oil, bake around 250 for about 45 minutes, get some thin tortillas, add veggies, light sour cream or greek yogurt. Usually the veggies have enough flavor to avoid any additional seasoning. Freezes well.

Veggie Chili: a can of garbanzo Beans, can of red kidney beans, can of white kidney beans, can of veggie 'pork and beans' type beans, 1/4 c ketchup, small can Tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, onion, boca crumbles if you like 'beef texture', corn, peas, shredded carrots, broccoli buds (just the tops so it's little bits of green), and I'm probably missing a few things.

A lot of the pre-made veggie meals are great too. Stick with Indian and you'll get a lot of protein, flavor, and a nice balance of amino acids. Mexican is great, red beans and rice give you a complete protein. oatmeal. If you include eggs you can very easily add them to most any meal that makes sense.

IMPORTANT NOTES

You will need to take B12 for the rest of your life (sublingual taste good).

You may need Iron supplements (1 long release every 3-4 days).

You will likely need Vitamin D (5,000 IU/day).

You will need Calcium citrate daily (citracals petites).

You will NOT need Vitamin C or E. So do not take extra of those.

[CheckYes 46]

Hi,

I've been "vegetarian" for two and a half years. I use quotes because someone once objected on this forum to me saying I was a "fish-eating vegetarian". I just hate the word pescetarian.

Because I eat fish, I am not as limited as most vegetarians when it comes to Protein. I make sure I eat only fresh, wild caught fish and not farmed. My nutritionist said that eating 40 grams of Protein a day was fine for me because I am eating high quality protein.

However, when I am not eating fish, I select things like Smart Dogs (italian style is the best!) and Quorn products. Quorn products are generally soy and gluten free. They are made with mycoprotein instead of soy and are delicious. I don't generally like meat substitute so I eat lots of lentils and Beans. I also sometimes will eat 2 ounces of organic cheese instead of 4 ounces of fish.

Unlike Acadia, I've never had to take extra Vitamins - well, I should say, I've never known I was supposed to take anything other than a multi but I just had blood work done so I am going to check with my doctor on the B12, Iron, vit D and Calcium. (Thanks for that info, Acadia).

I love tofu done thai style with curry and coconut. I also stir fry tofu a lot and eat the prebaked tofu. I bought a tofu press which really helps infuse whatever flavor I am cooking with into the tofu. You can get those at Amazon quite cheaply. I love a little hot baked tofu with a small amount of peanut satay sauce. That's one of my favorite meals.

I don't supplement with Protein shakes. I had such a hard time finding a humane whey protein that I just settled on soy right after my surgery. Now, I don't need it at all and prefer not to drink my calories.

I liked the Field Roast mentioned above but found it was way high in carbs and for me it didn't taste that great to spend most of my carb budget on. The texture was good but it just wasn't great. I tried all the variety of sausages and found them to be slightly oily.

I became "vegetarian" for moral reasons. In California, in 2008, we had almost constant running of ads relating to Prop 2 which was related to treatment and cage space allowed egg producing chickens. One night, instead of switching the channel with the commercial came on. I watched it. That moment, I changed my diet and have never looked back. It took a bit of getting used to - like learning that rennet is an animal product and no more Gelatin (gummy Vitamins, Jello and some Jello mousse puddings).

I find it was a very healthful decision for me. I wish you all the best on trying it out. I truly hope you love it.

Best wishes,

[Birinak 19]

I've been vegetarian since 1995 and have been able to be quiet successful with it in three countries. Two of which had virtually no 'premade' vegetarian products. Definitely watch what you're eating - track it in something like LiveStrong where you information stays private (free sites get permission to use your information as they see fit).

If you eat a lot of carbs just make them Protein strong, like oatmeal, Beans, Protein enriched Pasta. Eating carbs isn't a problem, it's which ones you're eating. ie. don't eat french fries regularly, chips, etc.

MY FAVOURITE RECIPE

My favorite recipe is Tofu wraps (I originally had these at the Los Angeles Athletic Club then created my own receipe). The full recipe (with photos) are here:

http://curvyfitness.com/wrap/wrap.htm

Yes, I fry the tofu, but as I say in the entry, "Once everything was done cooking, a mere teaspoon and a half of oil was missing, so three full blocks of tofu absorbed only a tiny bit of oil."

You have to have the oil at the right temperature. And once you make all of this tofu (doing many packages at once is ideal) it freezes beautifully and you just put it in the fridge to thaw then add it to anything you make. The texture is fantastic, the flavor (Mrs. Dash or something similar - a powdered spice) is great, and it can even be microwaved and eaten just like that.

SOY

Soy testing has only been done in animals. Human testing has never been done. So though mice show reproductive issues when given 25 grams of soy per day, humans have not yet shown the same results. However, based on the animal testing that has been done scientists believe there may be reproductive issues over the long term if a human is fed large amounts of soy since birth. The benefits (lower cholesterol, lower risk of cancer) outweigh the potential negative aspects.

I personally wouldn't be concerned with the amount of soy you're eating, especially since you'll be eating much less than an average person due to the size of your pouch.

recipes

Some of my favorites are:

Veggie Tacos: taco shells, light sour cream or greek yogurt, Boca crumbles with taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, taco sauce. (makes enough for 3-4 meals, great the next day)

Veggie Shepherd's Pie: Boca crumbles with light mushroom Soup and small sweet peas is the base, the topping is mashed potatoes with corn niblets and some garlic, a little bit of Kraft parm cheese on top. Freezes well.

Roasted Veggie Fajitas: take any veggies you like, slice them in strips, put them on a few sheets of parchment on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt (sea salt) and olive oil, bake around 250 for about 45 minutes, get some thin tortillas, add veggies, light sour cream or greek yogurt. Usually the veggies have enough flavor to avoid any additional seasoning. Freezes well.

Veggie Chili: a can of garbanzo Beans, can of red kidney beans, can of white kidney beans, can of veggie 'pork and beans' type beans, 1/4 c ketchup, small can Tomato paste, chili powder, garlic powder, onion, boca crumbles if you like 'beef texture', corn, peas, shredded carrots, broccoli buds (just the tops so it's little bits of green), and I'm probably missing a few things.

A lot of the pre-made veggie meals are great too. Stick with Indian and you'll get a lot of protein, flavor, and a nice balance of amino acids. Mexican is great, red beans and rice give you a complete protein. Oatmeal. If you include eggs you can very easily add them to most any meal that makes sense.

IMPORTANT NOTES

You will need to take B12 for the rest of your life (sublingual taste good).

You may need Iron supplements (1 long release every 3-4 days).

You will likely need Vitamin D (5,000 IU/day).

You will need calcium citrate daily (citracals petites).

You will NOT need Vitamin C or E. So do not take extra of those.

I don't need B12 pills (I did take sublingual pills for about a month, but not out of necessity). I only recently have been taking a Multi-Vitamin as a kind of insurance. The only vitamin/mineral deficiency I've ever had was a slight Iron deficiency, but that was corrected by making sure to eat more dark greens. Vitamin B12 can be very easily obtained from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and whey. These sources will also supply you with Calcium (along with dark greens like broccoli) and Vitamin D (along with 15 minutes of sun exposure a day). If you're not a vegan, you can get all of these dietary needs by eating an egg, dark greens, and dairy products each day. As mentioned above, be careful of cheese made with rennet, since rennet is usually made from animal stomachs. And, yeah, since you have a more particular diet and there's a risk of developing a deficiency, make sure to get your blood tested for specific Vitamins and minerals about every 6 months to a year.