How to Eat a Mainly Vegetarian Diet
Start by setting a goal and consider what criteria you wish to set yourself., Consider the cuisines you currently like and look for the vegetarian recipes available, then expand international cuisines and explore different recipes., Explore...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start by setting a goal and consider what criteria you wish to set yourself.
It may be to be Vegetarian entirely for one day a week (or all the time) or just to reduce the meat content of your diet.
Decide also what type of vegetarian you would like to be as there is quite a variety (including mainstream types such as):
Vegan
- this diet is virtually completely animal product free which is without eggs, dairy, land or sea animal products, animal fats and so on.
Lacto Vegetarian.
Can eat Dairy products, but restricts eggs and animal products.
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian.
This diet can include eggs and dairy, but restricts animal products.
There are other more specialised types such as Pescetarian, which allows fish products but no land animals and may allow eggs and dairy.
There are many others however. -
Step 2: Consider the cuisines you currently like and look for the vegetarian recipes available
You may find that virtually every cuisine has specific vegetarian meals, or meals that can be very easily adapted.
You may (for example) enjoy Italian cuisine, but you can expand to Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, French etc, in order to get as much variety as possible.
The web is a fantastic source of information as many vegetarian societies exist over the world and feature excellent recipes on their websites.
Involve your family too as they might love (eg) Mexican cuisine which can expand your ideas and allow everyone to get something they enjoy. , These proteins are often found in legumes, grains, pulses, nuts and seeds.
Quinoa for example is a great source of protein.
It is important to keep a variety of things to go with the meal not just for their protein content, but they also provide carbohydrates that fill you up and make you feel satisfied.
Rice and pasta are common substitutes, but chickpeas, lentils, beans and a wide variety of dried products exist that are very cheap to buy and be cooked in a huge range of ways. , These are great time savers such as:
Vegetarian stock / bouillon cubes.
Spice mixes (such as Taco, Tuscan, Green curry etc) that can add flavour quickly to a meal. "Pour and serve" style sauces such as pasta sauces, curry or stir fry sauces, marinades and other products that can make a quick meal with the additional of a few good vegetables and vegetarian proteins.
It is nice to make it from scratch occasionally, but if you have little time then its best to work with what you can.
Long life Soy milk Canned lentils, chickpeas (etc) these are fantastic as they don't need soaking like many dried beans but can be used right from the can. , This might be to freeze portions for a quick lunch to reheat which is a great time saver, particularly if you just cook for yourself. , Quite often the best thing is to be inventive
- if you find some fantastic produce in the stores, then you can always change menu plans to include those.
Avoid buying meat.
This might sound obvious, but if you are only occasionally vegetarian, having a freezer containing some meat products means they have to be used, or thrown away if they cannot be given away.
This simply means you are more inclined to cook non vegetarian meals if meat products are there.
Its also common habit for many vegetarians who occasionally eat meat to occasionally buy meat when it is on special as it is cheaper, which means it is always there.
This may or may not be within your planned diet guidelines, but if you don't buy it, its almost certain that you won't use it. , With the internet, many restaurants and hotels have their menu online which makes the job a lot easier, but you can also phone in advance to making a booking to find out what can the kitchen do for you and your guests.
Vegetarians can be infamously difficult to cater for as most mainstream kitchen teams are not always trained to specialise in vegetarian cuisine.
As vegetarians naturally also wish for something a little more special than they can cook at home, research is the key to an enjoyable evening at a restaurant. , Some examples might be spinach and ricotta cannelloni, hearty salads, stir-fries, pasta bakes, vegetable bakes and soups.
Its always easier to prepare one menu rather than two types each time.
Some TVP (textured vegetable protein) manufacturers offer very good vegetarian sausages, burgers and mince products and the quality of convenience meals or lunch bar offerings are increasingly better. , Be inventive and have fun! -
Step 3: then expand international cuisines and explore different recipes.
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Step 4: Explore meat-protein replacements and include them in your diet.
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Step 5: Stock up a Vegetarian pantry with a few "cheat" products.
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Step 6: Make bulk meals if you don't have time to cook often.
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Step 7: Plan your meals a week ahead so you can shop accordingly.
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Step 8: Whenever you buy your meals
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Step 9: if you cannot find or choose a good vegetarian restaurant (such as if you have guests who enjoy meat meals
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Step 10: or they just aren't local to you)
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Step 11: do a little research in advance to see if the menu offers something good for vegetarians.
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Step 12: Consider vegetarian meals that are known to be enjoyed by non vegetarians as well
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Step 13: should you share a house with non vegetarians.
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Step 14: Focus on different methods of cooking
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Step 15: as well as colours
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Step 16: fragrance
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Step 17: flavours
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Step 18: flavour boosters such as spices
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Step 19: herbs and sauces as well as textures to make the meal always seem satisfying and less "dull".
Detailed Guide
It may be to be Vegetarian entirely for one day a week (or all the time) or just to reduce the meat content of your diet.
Decide also what type of vegetarian you would like to be as there is quite a variety (including mainstream types such as):
Vegan
- this diet is virtually completely animal product free which is without eggs, dairy, land or sea animal products, animal fats and so on.
Lacto Vegetarian.
Can eat Dairy products, but restricts eggs and animal products.
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian.
This diet can include eggs and dairy, but restricts animal products.
There are other more specialised types such as Pescetarian, which allows fish products but no land animals and may allow eggs and dairy.
There are many others however.
You may find that virtually every cuisine has specific vegetarian meals, or meals that can be very easily adapted.
You may (for example) enjoy Italian cuisine, but you can expand to Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, French etc, in order to get as much variety as possible.
The web is a fantastic source of information as many vegetarian societies exist over the world and feature excellent recipes on their websites.
Involve your family too as they might love (eg) Mexican cuisine which can expand your ideas and allow everyone to get something they enjoy. , These proteins are often found in legumes, grains, pulses, nuts and seeds.
Quinoa for example is a great source of protein.
It is important to keep a variety of things to go with the meal not just for their protein content, but they also provide carbohydrates that fill you up and make you feel satisfied.
Rice and pasta are common substitutes, but chickpeas, lentils, beans and a wide variety of dried products exist that are very cheap to buy and be cooked in a huge range of ways. , These are great time savers such as:
Vegetarian stock / bouillon cubes.
Spice mixes (such as Taco, Tuscan, Green curry etc) that can add flavour quickly to a meal. "Pour and serve" style sauces such as pasta sauces, curry or stir fry sauces, marinades and other products that can make a quick meal with the additional of a few good vegetables and vegetarian proteins.
It is nice to make it from scratch occasionally, but if you have little time then its best to work with what you can.
Long life Soy milk Canned lentils, chickpeas (etc) these are fantastic as they don't need soaking like many dried beans but can be used right from the can. , This might be to freeze portions for a quick lunch to reheat which is a great time saver, particularly if you just cook for yourself. , Quite often the best thing is to be inventive
- if you find some fantastic produce in the stores, then you can always change menu plans to include those.
Avoid buying meat.
This might sound obvious, but if you are only occasionally vegetarian, having a freezer containing some meat products means they have to be used, or thrown away if they cannot be given away.
This simply means you are more inclined to cook non vegetarian meals if meat products are there.
Its also common habit for many vegetarians who occasionally eat meat to occasionally buy meat when it is on special as it is cheaper, which means it is always there.
This may or may not be within your planned diet guidelines, but if you don't buy it, its almost certain that you won't use it. , With the internet, many restaurants and hotels have their menu online which makes the job a lot easier, but you can also phone in advance to making a booking to find out what can the kitchen do for you and your guests.
Vegetarians can be infamously difficult to cater for as most mainstream kitchen teams are not always trained to specialise in vegetarian cuisine.
As vegetarians naturally also wish for something a little more special than they can cook at home, research is the key to an enjoyable evening at a restaurant. , Some examples might be spinach and ricotta cannelloni, hearty salads, stir-fries, pasta bakes, vegetable bakes and soups.
Its always easier to prepare one menu rather than two types each time.
Some TVP (textured vegetable protein) manufacturers offer very good vegetarian sausages, burgers and mince products and the quality of convenience meals or lunch bar offerings are increasingly better. , Be inventive and have fun!
About the Author
James White
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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