Calling All Vegetarians...

[rubywagon]

I have been a vegetarian since January and have lost 12 pounds. The first 7 came off within a matter of 3 months, the last 5 since I started road cycling. I feel GREAT!

I didn't read through everyones suggestions, but quinoa is a great source of protein for vegetarians. It contains the B vitamins and amino acids that can usually only be found in animal protein. You can make it sweet, like an oatmeal, or as a savory dish. It is a superfood and tastes great!

WARM GARBANZO AND QUINOA SALAD

1 1/2 t. chopped garlic
1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
2 carrots grated
1/2 c. chopped red bell pepper
2 c. canned garbanzo beans rinsed and drained (I'd probably use less next time around)
1/2 c. (packed) chopped scallions
2T. extra-virgin olive oil
3T. white-wine vinegar
1/4t. salt
1c. quinoa (cooked with vegetable broth as per package directions (can substitute couscous)
4c. baby spinach leaves

1. Coat a saute pan with cooking spray and heat to medium high. Add garlic, zucchini, carrots, and pepper. Saute until softened (around 5 min). Add beans and heat through.
2. In a food processor, puree scallions, gradually adding oil, vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste) Process to a thick consistency.
3. Add scallion mixture and quinoa to saute pan; heat through.
4. To serve, arrange spinach on plate with quinoa/bean mixture on top

[Over50Newbie]

Hey everyone,

Here's an update:

I was really, really good!! I only cheated once when I went on vacation to Texas. I couldn't be in Texas and not at least taste Texan spare ribs. But that was the only time meat passed through these lips the whole time. And it wasn't so hard after all.

After changing my eating habits to become vegetarian, my total cholesterol dropped 6 points (from 241 to 235) and my LDL dropped 9 points (from 167 to 158). Not earth shattering results, I know, but the bottom line is that both numbers went down and that makes me happy.

My doctor wants me to stay vegetarian until January and then get retested to see what my numbers are like. So, it looks like more of the same for me until then.

DivingBiker - I still have your tofu cookbooks. I am using them, but not as much as I did in the beginning. Do you want them back now? I will be happy to mail them back to you whenever you want them.

And thank you again for letting me borrow them!

As for losing weight - I am about 138 pounds right now. When I started this journey, I was 138, so it looks like eating vegetarian has not helped me lose weight.

Lynette

[aeiea]

how wonderful! congrats.

(another good vegetarian dish is mudjaddarah, a rice/lentils dish with delicious spices)

This isn't really a recipe, but something I love to do when I travel is look on yelp.com for people's favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurants in the area. Checking out their dishes will help inspire ideas too. So if you come to LA... head to RFD or Euphoria Loves Rawvolution

[shootingstar]

Hey everyone,

Here's an update:

I was really, really good!! I only cheated once when I went on vacation to Texas. I couldn't be in Texas and not at least taste Texan spare ribs. But that was the only time meat passed through these lips the whole time. And it wasn't so hard after all.

After changing my eating habits to become vegetarian, my total cholesterol dropped 6 points (from 241 to 235) and my LDL dropped 9 points (from 167 to 158). Not earth shattering results, I know, but the bottom line is that both numbers went down and that makes me happy.

My doctor wants me to stay vegetarian until January and then get retested to see what my numbers are like. So, it looks like more of the same for me until then.

DivingBiker - I still have your tofu cookbooks. I am using them, but not as much as I did in the beginning. Do you want them back now? I will be happy to mail them back to you whenever you want them.

And thank you again for letting me borrow them!

As for losing weight - I am about 138 pounds right now. When I started this journey, I was 138, so it looks like eating vegetarian has not helped me lose weight.

Lynette

Congrats. for these improvements. As for becoming more vegetarian, do many of your dishes contain much cheese, eggs, butter in preparation? At least try low-fat cheese. Occasionally substitute eggs with egg whites. It still looks like scrambled eggs with a lighter taste. You get the picture..


P.S. I'm not vegetarian. I just eat meat 1-2 times per week. Primarily seafood, chicken breast. Haven't had a sparerib..um..maybe in last 12 months, simply because it was never my favourite cut of meat. If you give me grilled chicken breast or meat kebabs with roasted veggies, now we're talkin'!

[divingbiker]

My doctor wants me to stay vegetarian until January and then get retested to see what my numbers are like. So, it looks like more of the same for me until then.

DivingBiker - I still have your tofu cookbooks. I am using them, but not as much as I did in the beginning. Do you want them back now? I will be happy to mail them back to you whenever you want them.

And thank you again for letting me borrow them!

Cool. We take our vegetarians however we can get them.

No rush on the cookbooks, I have plenty.