for Duygu

[Guest guest]

Where I live (in a small rural place), the school lunch people say

they have to offer vegetarian alternatives for students who need that.

They run a Federal school lunch program so could be that's true of

many schools. Anyway you might ask about that at school.

 

I don't eat much white flour, but when I do, I like pasta with frozen

peas, olive oil (or butter or cream), and parmesan cheese. I don't try

to cook the peas. I just put them on the hot pasta and mix it all

together so they warm up on their own and I love them that way. Oh I

add chopped garlic too.

 

Your diet sounds pretty good to me! I guess we can always improve

though. Beans and cabbage are two excellent foods. I try to eat some

form of cabbage related food several times a week (broccoli,

cauliflower, brussels sprouts, slaw, etc.) I like broccoli (cooked or

raw) on a baked potato. I love fresh raw sliced mushrooms too if I

have those. Then I top it with grated cheese and Ranch dressing. It is

SOOO good! Even if you left off the cheese it would still be good I

think.

 

A sandwich I like lots is just chopped carrots, thawed frozen peas

(like above except I let them thaw just 4-5 minutes since this dish

isn't hot), chopped onion if you like it, chopped fresh broccoli if

you have any, raw mushrooms, Bacos, and mayonnaise. I just use

whatever combination I have but I nearly always have raw carrots (for

juicing) and frozen peas and raw onions, so this is my standby

desperation meal.

 

I like it on whole wheat pita lined with lettuce, but I'll eat it on

crackers or whatever I can find. Oh yeah I sometimes put cheese in too

or egg, all very finely chopped. Green pepper is good too. Be careful

with that knife if you're not used to chopping! I still have to be

very careful or I'll cut myself after all these many years, not being

too coordinated. You'd think I'd improve but really haven't. I guess I

get in a hurry. In fact, I got a little chopper to avoid using knives,

so if you have one of those and you're like me, you might want to use

that for chopping. The chefs on tv who are so good with knives amaze

me. It's a miracle I still have all my fingers.

 

Most groceries except small ones have veggie burgers etc. now, so look

around where you live. I get lots of mine at Walmart.

 

I think it's good to eat a wide variety of foods when/if you can so

you pick up a variety of nutrients.

 

Some meat eating friends of mine used to make hot dogs with beans

instead of dogs. They loaded them up with relish and whatever and

liked them fine. I think they used those big dried lima beans (cooked

of course).

 

BUT when I was a kid and I was basically the only one anyone I knew

who was a vegetarian, an in-law took us kids on a camping trip. She

cut me NO slack! I had to live for several days on white bread with

mustard and overcooked spaghetti with NO sauce, since theirs had meat

in it.

 

And when I spent some time in a foreign country, I remember I got so

sick of white rice that in desperation I'd eat it with ketchup on it!

Beans were a big treat since they usually ate meat. If I hadn't had

some eggs and cheese, I'd have just about starved.

 

When I went off to school, meals lots of times would be noodles or

potatoes and some lame veggie, and a white flour roll and dessert. I

had to buy a meal ticket so I had to eat what they gave me.

 

I sure hope you get a little more support than that. But if not, I

survived it OK I guess. Back then meatless substitutes were few and

far between, but I ate cheese, milk, and eggs so it wasn't that bad.

Getting something besides white flour was the big problem in those

days, so I just had to eat lots of white flour until I left home.

 

It's not all THAT hard to get protein, especially with the beans. I

think B12 is the big problem, if you're vegan. I notice there are some

ideas for that posted recently. I read that unwashed fresh mushrooms

also have it. Apparently it's from bacteria in the dirt? B12

deficiency is really bad but your supply stored from your meat and egg

eating days should hold out a few years hopefully, and by then you

will be doing your own shopping or have figured out how to handle it.

Or you could get vitamins with B12 in them.

 

If you try tofu, I like it best just cut out of the carton on paper

towels to dry off just a little, sliced, and baked in a pan sprayed

with Pam. Oh I drizzle a little olive oil on top. Then I bake it until

it's a little browned on the edges and firmer. Then you can put BBQ

sauce, soy sauce (good mixed with Chinese hot mustard), tartar sauce,

horseradish sauce, or whatever you like on it. Or you can cut it in

cubes then and add it to the rice with veggies dish others have

suggested here.

 

If you help with shopping, you can keep an eye out for chicken

bouillon cubes with no chicken. I've found them in dollar stores and

places like that, just by reading the labels. I usually use standard

vegetarian brands, but in a pinch you can try that.

 

If your family has tacos, burritos, enchiladas, you can just get a can

of pinto beans and sqush them with a fork or put them in a blender and

use those instead of ground beef.

 

Don't forget nuts! Peanuts you can get anywhere, even though the

salted ones roasted in oil aren't my preference. They're not really

nuts either but they're good protein and handy.

 

A serving of nuts is small, since they're so good. But they are very

healthful especially if raw. You could add chopped nuts or peanuts to

the desperation veggie sandwich I mentioned and they would be really

good I think, or sunflower seeds, raw preferably but just do your best.

 

Sounds to me like you're doing really, really well. I never regretted

quitting meat even though it's sometimes hard even still. But the

worst was that camping trip which was just a few LONG days, so it's

not been so bad, and well worth it.

 

Best of luck to you. I'm new here too so I'm glad we both found this

place.

 

Phyllis

 

, " Duygu " <duyguataman17

wrote:

>

> thanks for all the answers and hi sara!

> I'm concerned about if I do it the right way because I haven't made

> much change in my daily food. I need some vegetables containing much

> protein but not hard to find because I don't think my parents would try

> their best to buy some soyabeans or tofu to me. Also as I'm not very

> good in kitchen I'm not able to try the meals you share in the mesages.