considering going vegetarian, need some advice

[pookybear 284]

Right now I only eat poultry and tuna for meat. The only reasons I haven't already gone completely vegetarian are that I haven't quite figured out how to get in all my Protein without meat, and my boyfriend pretty much eats the same things that I eat and I don't want to force him to go vegetarian (also, he is not a fan of veggies. he will eat some, but not happily). Has anyone dealt with these dilemmas? I know there are plenty of choices for plant-based Proteins, but maybe seeing some examples of meals will help ease the anxiety a little. What are some things you make for vegetarian meals? Especially meals that can be made for both of us and I can add meat to his and not mine. The cost of buying double the food (meals for him and meals for me) is also a worry of mine.

I was planning to try it out for this week when we went grocery shopping this weekend, but I totally chickened out. I need help lol.

[B-52 7,113]

I'm pretty much the same as you....I have not eaten meat since surgery over 4 years ago....and I am eating less and less chicken.....only because it it hard to get a quality meal anywhere unless it's free grazing chicken.< /p>

I do start the day with a home made smoothie with whatever fresh fruit, Peanut Butter, etc I'm in the mood for...40gms of Protein.

I will say, due to my ill health before surgery, my Dr,'s were all trying to get me to either cut back on red meat to once a week, or give it up entirely...purely for health reasons...

[Corridor72 518]

I've been looking into this myself and while I haven't made the jump yet, I've come to the conclusion that I don't think it will be as difficult to get the Protein in as I previously thought. Quinoa is high in protein and is a complete protein so it's a good addition. It essentially takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. Chia seeds are high in protein and can be added to yogurt, oatmeal, salads, etc. If you are doing vegetarian and not vegan, you can still have milk, eggs, cheese, cottage cheese. There are actually higher protein milk varieties now. The best I've seen is made by Fairlife. It has 13 grams of protein for a 1 cup serving. Kroger's carbmaster milk is 11 grams per 1 cup serving. I plan to use Fairlife milk for my Protein Shakes and to make my oatmeal with. Speaking of oatmeal, Quaker makes instant oatmeal that has 10 grams of protein per serving. Add some chia seeds and use milk instead of Water and it's even higher! Greek yogurt is also a good choice and you can add Nature Valley protein granola to up the protein content there. You just have to look for ways to add protein to what you're already eating as you eliminate the meat from your diet.

[SuzeMuze 338]

I'm sort of in the same boat... I've never been a big meat eater, so my weight came from sugar and carbs. Now that sugar and carbs are "Evil", I was caught in the problem of how do I get Protein if I don't like the taste of nearly all meat...the meat I do like makes me sick, and eggs are gross? My answer is the Protein shake! I'm not trying to make a sale for anyone here, but the Syntrax Protein drinks have been my personal savior even at 9 months out. I'll savor one for Breakfast (46g), one for lunch (another 46g) and voila! My protein's taken care of and I haven't actually eaten anything. My NUT hasn't told me this isn't ok yet, so onward I go!

[LisaLouBop 181]

Maybe @@BLERDgirl can shed some light on this for you.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I am vegetarian and deathly allergic to seafood. Highly processed foods tend to trigger my allergies. My Protein comes from Beans, tofu, seitan, dark green veg, grains, nuts, dairy (mostly cheese and yogurt) & eggs. I don't drink/like cow's milk, but I do eat greek yogurt. I prefer FAGE 0%. I also supplement with whey Protein powder. It takes being creative, but I have no problem keeping my Protein between 85 - 100 gms. My carbs are often high, but as long as they aren't coming from "white" or heavily refined sources I don't worry about them. I am also allergic to artificial sugars and stevia. I don't often add sugar to my foods. I do eat fruit several times a week. When I do add sugar use either real sugar or raw honey. At 10mths I keep my calories between 800 - 1000 a day and work out 5 - 6 days a week.

@@pookybear - You could try having Meatless Monday's with your boyfriend. Look for meaty textures like portabello mushroom and filling grains like quinoa and farro.

[pookybear 284]

Thanks, that's a good idea!

[foodfighter78 258]

I'm at 4 month, bypass and I can't eat meat or chicken, it hurt until it come out ???? I'm worry about the Protein intake. Do you guys make it to 60-80 gr?

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

My Protein is regularly between 85 - 100 and occasionally higher. I supplement at least one meal a day with unflavored Protein Powder. I make a Protein shake before my AM workout, and on occasion I will drink anywhere from a half to a whole bottle of Isopure Protein ice tea throughout the day. Otherwise my protein come from plant based foods, eggs and cheese.

One of my favorite things to eat is TVP. Textured vegetable protein. I buy Bob's Red Mill brand. A quarter cup dry will yield half a cup when reconstituted. 80calories 7carbs, 0fat, 12gms protein, 2gms sodium, 3gms sugar. I add it to Soups or sometime throw it into the food processor with veggies and make my own veggie burgers. It give a similar mouth feel of that meaty texture and may make it easier for those transitioning to a vegetarian diet.

[jennysayscheese 23]

Right now I only eat poultry and tuna for meat. The only reasons I haven't already gone completely vegetarian are that I haven't quite figured out how to get in all my Protein without meat, and my boyfriend pretty much eats the same things that I eat and I don't want to force him to go vegetarian (also, he is not a fan of veggies. he will eat some, but not happily). Has anyone dealt with these dilemmas? I know there are plenty of choices for plant-based Proteins, but maybe seeing some examples of meals will help ease the anxiety a little. What are some things you make for vegetarian meals? Especially meals that can be made for both of us and I can add meat to his and not mine. The cost of buying double the food (meals for him and meals for me) is also a worry of mine.

I was planning to try it out for this week when we went grocery shopping this weekend, but I totally chickened out. I need help lol.

I highly recommend gardein's meatless ground "beef". Try it on your and I bet he won't notice much, if any difference. I use it to make veggie chili, empanadas, tacos, basically anything that you would traditionally use ground beef in. For chicken, Quorn makes the best, imo. I also am part I to tofu scrambles and tempeh reubans. In addition, I eat Soups a lot because they are easy and healthy if you make them right! I just made a veggie Soup using Bob's Red Mill dried Soup mix (has little.pasta,.lentils, etc) and then added veggie broth, black Beans, corn and Tomato. Would have added onion if I had it. Seasoned it and it is super good. Moroccan Chickpea soup is another fave. Eggplant moussaka is so tasty but it does require a little more effort than I normally expend on a weekly basis. Quiches are easy and you can load them with veggies and get away with it. If you like stir fry, you could use regular chicken for his and Quorn chicken in yours. Allrecipes has some veggie recipes, or just Google. I'm actually not that diverse in my veggies but I find what like and go from there. I served all vegan sides over thanksgiving for my family and they loved it all! I found that mushrooms are a godsend in flavoring just about anything (besides my usual faves of onion, garlic, vinegar, cilantro, or cumin!)

[jennysayscheese 23]

I love the red quinoa! I use it in place of rice.