Going veggie for a month

[Greenleaves]

Ok 7 days in

Breakfast is the same every day - porridge and lunch is always fruit.

so far I have had for dinner

Stuffed peppers
Potato and onion bake
A mushroom and taragon thingy stuffed pita bread
mixed bean salad
Vegetable chilli
Brown rice with a medley of veg
Bubble and squeak

nothing exciting but filling but dont think I will give up meat forever. I have looked at some of the quorn products but they are much to high in salt for me following health issues. One well known brand is twice my daily allowed quantity.

[Scarlet]

Well you certainly haven't starved...get some chickens, nothing better than a frittata!

[Greenleaves]

I should also add I have lost a few pounds, not sure if its the change of diet or the change of diet!!

[Penny Dreadful]

Ok 7 days in

Breakfast is the same every day - porridge and lunch is always fruit.

so far I have had for dinner

Stuffed peppers
Potato and onion bake
A mushroom and taragon thingy stuffed pita bread
mixed bean salad
Vegetable chilli
Brown rice with a medley of veg
Bubble and squeak

nothing exciting but filling but dont think I will give up meat forever. I have looked at some of the quorn products but they are much to high in salt for me following health issues. One well known brand is twice my daily allowed quantity.

Casting a vegetarian's eye over that, I think it looks a bit 70's veggie - maybe a bit earnest and bland? (I mean that in the nicest possible way!!)

I think maybe you need to add more spice. How about some cheat's samosa? You need to cook down small cubed potatoes and peas with tomato, garam masala, chilli, cumin, coriander. Keep tasting til you get a flavour you like and a consistency that can be wrapped in pastry. Throw some fresh coriander on top at this point. Then, wrap into small triangles of filo pastry (there are lots of samosa folding tutorials online that can explain it far better than me) and bake til golden - lots healthier than the deep fried option. I serve this with salad and mint yoghurt. I saw that you have fruit for lunch, but if anyone in your household takes packed lunches to work/school, it's also good the next day.

Foodgawker, searching just for vegetarian recipes, is a really good source for ideas.

[Greenleaves]

Casting a vegetarian's eye over that, I think it looks a bit 70's veggie - maybe a bit earnest and bland? (I mean that in the nicest possible way!!)

I think maybe you need to add more spice. How about some cheat's samosa? You need to cook down small cubed potatoes and peas with tomato, garam masala, chilli, cumin, coriander. Keep tasting til you get a flavour you like and a consistency that can be wrapped in pastry. Throw some fresh coriander on top at this point. Then, wrap into small triangles of filo pastry (there are lots of samosa folding tutorials online that can explain it far better than me) and bake til golden - lots healthier than the deep fried option. I serve this with salad and mint yoghurt. I saw that you have fruit for lunch, but if anyone in your household takes packed lunches to work/school, it's also good the next day.

Foodgawker, searching just for vegetarian recipes, is a really good source for ideas.

Thanks Penny, I agree it is not exciting but simple....bit like me really , this exercise is just a test to prepare for a charity challenge and really just to get me used to not having meat everyday.

I do intend to become more adventurous but got to change the habit of 60 years first.

[Patchninja]

I go back to wot I said before. Look at some books because there is nothing boring about veggie food. Why not looknat something like Rose Eliot's meals in minutes? There's even a second hand one for a penny!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rose-Elliots...als+in+minutes

[robmarston]

I love samosas. I could eat them all day. For every meal. Without stopping. Love them. Really.


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[Greenleaves]

Had a really nice meal tonight, Shepherds pie made with quorn mince and the potatoes were mashed with horse radish.

Was delish!

[JoeDaStudd]

Summertime I generally stick to salads (with potatoes/bread/quiche) and stirfries as its what's freshest.
If you want bigger and more filling then here are a few ideas.
Homity pie
Veggie minestrone soup
Veggie chilli, use a nice mix of beans and add sweetcorn for another dimension.
Indian food is generally veggie so a lot of recipes and lots of flavour. Onion bhajis and pakora are nice quick, simple items which taste great.
Red dragon pie is great, there are a few different variants depending on what you have at hand and personal tastes. You can't really go too wrong as its basically a slightly spicy tomatoy shepherds pie made with small beans (aduki beans being the norm).
Glamorgan sausages are something which all the meat eaters in the house can't get enough of.


Best way to think about veggie food isn't to look for meals with meat alternatives, but to look for food which are meat free in origin.

[robmarston]

Best way to think about veggie food isn't to look for meals with meat alternatives, but to look for food which are meat free in origin.

And that is the best comment so far. You need no substitutes, the dishes are already there. Italian cuisine also has a lot if this.


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[Patchninja]

Spanakopita! Yum.

[Two_Sheds]

Summertime I generally stick to salads ...and stirfries as its what's freshest.

Same here: my meals are made around what is available on the plot. This month I've been eating hot potatoes & peas with a salad of lettuce, chives, nasturtium, BBs etc. This week I started adding French beans. I'll add feta/brie/olives/pickled onions/salt & pepper cashews if I fancy some.

I make up my own dressing (one third wine/balsamic vinegar to 2/3 olive/rapeseed oil, with dash of chilli/mushroom ketchup/soy sauce) which goes cold on salad, or hot on stir fries.

I never get bored of it, because everything's so fresh & tasty

[Bex]

I'm a pescy veggie (eat fish sometimes) but haven't eaten meat for 25+ years. There are lots of everyday meals that are meat-free and simple to substitute for whatever you normally eat.
Pizza is easy - just an ordinary cheese pizza but add extra veggies on top.
Mushrooms make great meat subsitutes - the big ones that you can carve or stuff !!
Pasta with cream cheese and toasted walnuts.
Chilli sin carne, made with lots of onions, red beans, tinned tomatoes.
If you need a meat substitute, I find Quorn sausages and burgers better than soya ones.
Good luck - you may find that after a month without meat, you don't want to go back to eating dead bodies.

I've been considering going pescy. I just find I'm not enjoying meat anymore.


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[veggiechicken]

If you don't enjoy eating meat, Bex, don't
It can be difficult if you still have to cook meat for your family but try it and see how you get on.

[Bex]

If you don't enjoy eating meat, Bex, don't
It can be difficult if you still have to cook meat for your family but try it and see how you get on.

That's the only thing that's stopping me really is still having to cook for other people.


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