I’m thinking about going vegetarian - how to do it healthily

[thelegohooverer]

I was vegetarian from late teens until I got pregnant in my thirties and developed a craving for meat that has only started to wean a decade later.

I started off as a meat and two veg eater, minus the meat, and when I left for college learned how to cook wildly exotic things like stir fries and pasta.

My diet was quite high in cheese, other fats and carbs, and I was at an age where it didn’t seem to matter too much.

I feel that my diet as a meat eater has better nutritional balance. I’ve never enjoyed soya, quorn or meatless meat. But I’m finding myself increasingly repulsed by meat. I don’t want to lapse back into eating a lot of cheesy-carb dishes.

Does anyone else struggle with this? Or have any great recipes, tips and books?

Have you tried seitan? If it isn't included on the 'repulse' list then you might enjoy that. It's easily made at home too.

The variety of ingredients has increased exponentially over the last decade, and you can now eat a hugely varied vegetarian diet without relying on cheese and fats - you can always add eggs/ a small amount of cheese etc. to vegan dishes if the bulk of that meal is something you'd like.

I'd suggest you have a look at Anna Jones and Ottolenghi for some inspiration?

I’m in a similar situation. I went back to being vegetarian in January. I’m eating a LOT of homemade lentil and veg bol/lasagne. I do eat the occasional quorn thing just because I don’t know what else to eat!
I can’t stand chickpeas or beans so most recipes I come across aren’t appealing. I’ve looked at the Bosh website and they seem to do marvellous things with tofu but it looks a lot of work and effort when it’s just for one person, no way would DH & DC give up meat. I hope someone comes along with some tasty suggestions for us.

www.bosh.tv/recipes/main-dishes

I’m also gluten free so can’t eat seitan

Have a look at Mindful Chef. It might be worth doing it even for a couple of weeks to inspire you. The recipes are healthy and innovative with no cheese.

You really need to replace the protein that meat gives you. We use beans of all kind, eat quite a few rice meals, use quorn mince as a replacement, meat free sausages in stews etc. Lentils less so, but do occasionally make soup or stews with them. We do eat huge amounts of veg though 🤣

I think the key is to use replacement meat but only on stews, lasagne, or spagbog, or rice which does have protein, or cheese/eggs. I cook everything from scratch, and if its labour intensive always do extra for the freezer.

When I did it, I didn’t go cold turkey (no pun intended). While it might work for some, most people don’t react well to sudden change—especially when it comes to what you’re putting in your body.
Find ways to make veg interesting and full of flavour, so you don’t find you reach for the carbs and cheese just for satisfaction. Toss in some toasted nuts like almonds to provide more texture.
If you’re not keen on certain meat substitutes you try, don’t let it put you off trying other kinds – some brands and products are better than others and new products are being produced all the time. Some don’t actually taste much like meat at all, and are simply designed to be cooked in the same way, whereas others are scarily realistic. Perhaps keep trying until you find one that works for you.
I have Greek yogurt for breakfast, which I think stops my dairy cravings for the rest of the day. Sometimes I’ll have some fat free cottage cheese for lunch but I just don’t buy big blocks of cheddar anymore so it’s never there to tempt me! I’ve also discovered nutritional yeast which is great for making cheese-less cheese sauces. For example, www.thevegspace.co.uk/recipe-cauliflower-cheese-vegan-pasta-bake/

I haven’t heard of seltan so I’ll look into that.

It’s true there’s a huge range now, compared with the 90s. I think the advice to go slowly is wise. And maybe by experimenting myself, the rest of the family might be tempted to try a bit too.

Have a look at Simon Rimmer’s cook books. He was a meat eating chef working in a veggie restaurant so approached veggie cuisine from a different sngle- less about substitutes. His aubergine tikka masala is amazing! Also red wine gnocchi ragu.

Bosh is good but quite labour intensive.

I'm a meat eater but DP stopped eating meat about 2 years ago. It's mainly me who cooks. I try to spread different types of protein across the week, eg chili with lentils, curry with paneer, stir fry with black beans and cashews, Thai curry with chick peas, stew with butter beans etc. All with loads of veg. I sometimes make a stir fry with quorn pieces and we have veggie sausages and mash but otherwise don't do too much fake meat. Probably do rely on sticking in some halloumi when I can't think of anything else though.

Quite like the roasting tin books for easy midweek meals - the green one is good but there's also some good veggie dishes in the quick one as well.

The Green Roasting Tin is a good recipe book for healthy veggie and vegan recipes. I eat better since cutting out meat as I generally replace the meat with more veg (rather than meat subs). So veg curries with toasted almonds on top for protein, stir fries with chopped nuts, bean/lentil chillis and lasagnes. Indian food is great for vegetarians, lots of dals and tasty things!

Nice timing OP. I've been toying with going vegetarian for a while. DH is a confirmed meat and 2 veg man, although he has enjoyed the meals I have made. I have been cutting back on the meat and using meat substitutes so now we eat meat free 3-4 days a week now. Just need the push really. I do enjoy a bacon and brie roll though!

Make lots of Indian veg meals with pulses and vegetables

Mezze type meals - hummus, falafel, salads with grains, herbs, salad, bit of feta or halloumi

Bean and veg chillis

Omelettes and salads

Thai curries with veg like peppers, corn, mushrooms

You can even add pasta every so often and you've got 6 different types of meal with scope for variation within and not a processed meat substitute in sight.

We are trying to cut down our meat consumption, and I'm trying to eat veggie at least at breakfast and lunch. I like Deliciously Ella's recipes for quick pastas and veggie bowls etc. I've seen some nice looking ones on Ambitious Kitchen too.