Ideas For Variety In Vegetarian Meals
One of the biggest concerns that most people have when they transition to
vegetarianism is keeping their diet filled with a variety of fun,
diverse, and nutrient-dense foods.
Sometimes it can feel like you’re cutting many options out since you’re no longer consuming meat It may seem you’re losing even more options if you’ve also decided to cut dairy and eggs from your diet as well.
Sometimes it can feel like you’re cutting many options out since you’re no longer consuming meat It may seem you’re losing even more options if you’ve also decided to cut dairy and eggs from your diet as well.
But with a little
creativity, planning, and forethought, you might be surprised how
much variety you can achieve with your new vegetarian diet –
perhaps even more than your meat-eating days!
There are some
simple substitutions you can experiment with and use as substitutions
in your favorite meat recipes. Tempeh, which is cultured soybeans
with a chewy texture; tofu (freezing and then thawing gives tofu a
meaty texture; the tofu will turn slightly off white in color); and
wheat gluten or seitan (made from wheat and has the texture of meat;
available in health food or Oriental stores) are all great items to
start with.
Milk and other
dairy products can also be easily replaced with vegetarian-friendly
items. Try soy milk, soy margarine, and soy yogurts, which can be
found in health food or Oriental food stores. You can also make nut
milks by blending nuts with water and straining, or rice milks by
blending cooked rice with water.
A good way to
introduce beans to the diet is to use them instead of meat in
favorite dishes, like casseroles and chili. Because of their many
health benefits, beans should be eaten often. Some great examples are
chickpeas, split peas, haricot, lentils (red, green or brown), and
kidney beans.
Many nuts and seeds are available both
in and out of the shell, whole, halved, sliced, chopped, raw, or
roasted. Cashews, peanuts, walnuts, almonds are some easy-to-find
favorites. Sunflower and sesame seeds are excellent choices for
spicing up salads and other vegetable dishes.
Don’t worry that you’ll have to
give up your favorite Mexican, Italian, or other favorite dishes now
that you’re vegetarian. Many of them can still be enjoyed and only
require slight variations.
Some popular and easily convertible dishes
include: pasta with tomato sauce, bean burritos, tacos, tostadas,
pizza, baked potatoes, vegetable soups, whole grain bread and
muffins, sandwiches, macaroni, stir-fry, all types of salad, veggie
burgers with French fries, beans and rice, bagels, breakfast cereals,
pancakes, and waffles just to name a few.
The freezer sections of
most big grocery stores carry an assortment of vegetarian convenience
foods such as veggie bacon, burgers, and breakfast sausages.
So don't let a vegetarian diet stop you from introducing variety and let your
creativity lead the way! You’ll probably be pleasantly surprised
just how much more interesting your meals will be as a result.
Neil WJ Smith
Website: trueghostmystery.com
