Vegetarians - how do you stay away from carbs?

[MamaBear17]

Or at least avoid eating too many of them? I need a little help and inspiration in terms of cooking veggie meals because I just cant think of any ideas and end up just eating toast or oven chips most of the time . I am so bored of everything in my cupboard and really want to branch out a little bit.

A bit of background about me. I had an eating disorder when I was younger (starved myself, followed by binging and purging), lost a tooth, got help, had therapy. Got a little better, but, it was getting pregnant that 'cured' me. The thought of eating for someone else just took over and I have never been as healthy as I was when pregnant. I ate all of the right things and never gave it a second thought. I gained 2 stone, and grew a beautiful almost 8lb baby. I lost the weight quickly, and to be honest I went through a period after DD was born where I could eat anything and not gain any weight. So, for the last 18 months I have ate like crap and maintained a size 10 figure, but I do not feel healthy. I am flabby, although my dress size is average. My skin is spotty and I feel like crap. I want to change this! Can anyone offer any help, advice or nice veggie recipes to get me back on track. Thanks.

do you like making soup? I would probably start with soup as it is easy, filling and good for you to make homemade soup.

Vegetable casseroles with beans and pulses, plenty of stock with tomato puree, sage and thyme to give plenty of flavour.

stir frys are day and you can buy the stir frys in tesco and sainsbury already prepared

I make a cottage pie using a tin of green lentils instead of mince meat, served with broccoli and cauliflower and veggie gravy

cauliflower cheese and jacket potato

I am a low-carber so no bread, pasta, potatoes at all for me!

I eat:
Vats of soup/broth (mixed stirfry bags with stock/miso + an egg thrown in for protein)
Tofu - stir fried, with veg
For breakfasts - protein shakes (I hate eating in the mornings and I am too lazy to make anything else); or scrambled eggs at the weekend.
"Pasta" using shredded courgettes as the 'pasta'.

Try Rose Elliot's "Low Carb Vegetarian" book for lots of inspiration.

I'm not veggie or a low carber but I sometimes have shredded cabbage or courgette instead of pasta with a sauce, it's surprisingly good!

Also I think quinoa counts as a protein rather than a carb (I'm ready to be corrected on this) so its a good replacement for rice or couscous etc

It's difficult!

If you are trying to really low carb then potatoes are out, beans, pulses and lentils are out, rice, pasta and noodles are out... fruit juice is out and most fruit (except berries)

To avoid bread at breakfast, you can have scrambled egg (with a bit of cream in if you like, and chives) tomatoes or mushrooms fried in butter. Also Greek yoghurt on its own or with a few berries.

At lunchtime instead of sandwiches you could have a frittata - all sorts of different fillings to vary it - courgettes, spring onions, tomatoes, watercress or spinach etc with parmesan grated on top.

Snacks - olives, nuts like macadamians or almonds

Homemade veggie soups
Cauliflower &/or broccoli cheese
Stirfries
cheese omelette with salad &/or green veg
oven chips made from celariac - roast in oven with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and sprinkle with ground cumin if you like
big salads with grated cheese or feta cheese
homemade coleslaw

Could you have porridge for breakfast? I am prepared for the answer being no!

Cauliflower roasted in the oven is gorgeous, and really nice with cheesy polenta.

Celeriac chips instead of potato chips. Just slice rub in a bit of oil and bake for about 20 mins on 180

Aubergine sliced instead of lasagne sheets.

Breakfast might be tricky. Maybe porridge or fruit smoothie or maybe a nut cereal tesco do a really good one from their finest range.

Maybe vegetable crisps as a treat.

Good luck :)

Sorry few cross posts :)

janek - if you are going for a strict 'low carb' diet, the answer is no, porridge would not be allowed. If however you are just after something tasty and full of slow-release carbs, 'tis fine.

WW spinach frittata is one I often start with to kick start the diet. Make it and cut it up and take it for lunch.
Lots of salads, get creative with salad dressings.
Homemade soups, with or without lentils.
Stir fry with lots of veg and sometimes quorn with rice noodles.
Fruit salad, whatever is on offer, with dollops of natural yogurt.

I quite often have a pot of cottage cheese for breakfast. it has to be longley farm though as I've tried loads of others and they are nowhere near as nice.

Ah, thank you. I think it is 'low GI', but i have no idea what that means!

Tofu shakes for breakfast