Aer you vegetarian or vegan? And why?

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Someone asked for a list of good veg*n cookbooks. Here’s some of what I’ve got floating around my house. Ones w/ asterisks are my favourites:

*Enchanted Broccoli Cookbook
*Moosewood Cookbook
*Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World
*Alternative Vegan
*Veganomicon
*Vegan with a Vengance
*Vegan Deli

Viva La Vegan
The Artful Vegan
Vegan Vittles
Vegan Planet
Eco-Cuisine
 
I used to be vegetarian. It lasted a year, and during the 6 first months I was vegan. However, anemia is frequent in our family and at one point I wanted to give blood but when they tested it before they said I was really lacking iron. That is when I started eating dairy products and eggs again, but I was always very weak and getting sick all the time, so now I eat meat 3-4 times a week.

I think that if I wasn’t a busy college student and had time to cook healthy, balanced recipes I would be able to be a healthy vegan or vegetarian, but as it is right now I had to make a choice and I chose my health. However, I really admire vegetarians and vegans, and I agree that the North American diet includes way too much meat.
 
I have been a vegetarian since l984 or 1985, can’t remember now.
For me it was a gradual thing. I didn’t wake up and decide one day that I would be a vegetarian. I started to think about what exactly it was that I was eating when I had meat and it came to the point where I tried to put it out of my mind. Eventually I just starting to cut out some meats and then it wound up with me being a vegetrarian. I do not push this on anyone, it is just the way it is for me. I have found that people are really curious when they find out, they can’t understand how it can be done. It has been good for me, I can’t say I’m sorry it happened.
 
JessicaCeleste said:
Someone asked for a list of good veg*n cookbooks. Here’s some of what I’ve got floating around my house. Ones w/ asterisks are my favourites:

*Enchanted Broccoli Cookbook
*Moosewood Cookbook
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The WorldAlternative Vegan
*Veganomicon
*Vegan with a Vengance
*Vegan Deli

Viva La Vegan
The Artful Vegan
Vegan Vittles
Vegan Planet
Eco-Cuisine
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This one is AWESOME! I’ve made the best cupcakes from this book, and you can’t even tell they’re vegan. 😉 They also have two gluten free cupcake recipes I’m dying to try out.
 
JessicaCeleste said:
Someone asked for a list of good veg*n cookbooks. Here’s some of what I’ve got floating around my house. Ones w/ asterisks are my favourites:

*Enchanted Broccoli Cookbook
*Moosewood Cookbook
*Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World
*Alternative Vegan
*Veganomicon
*Vegan with a Vengance
*Vegan Deli

Viva La Vegan
The Artful Vegan
Vegan Vittles
Vegan Planet
Eco-Cuisine
Click to expand...
I know someone who has “The Un-cheese Cookbook” I really like the Candle Cafe cookbook. It is the cookbook of a gourmet vegan restaurant in NYC, upper east side. I don’t know if you can buy it online.
 
Fidelia said:
I know someone who has “The Un-cheese Cookbook” I really like the Candle Cafe cookbook. It is the cookbook of a gourmet vegan restaurant in NYC, upper east side. I don’t know if you can buy it online.
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Eh…I’ve heard mixed (mostly bad) reviews about The Un-Cheese Cookbook. I’ll probably pick it up and make my own opinion, though.

I’ll have to check around for the Candle Cafe book 🙂
 
JessicaCeleste said:
Eh…I’ve heard mixed (mostly bad) reviews about The Un-Cheese Cookbook. I’ll probably pick it up and make my own opinion, though.

I’ll have to check around for the Candle Cafe book 🙂
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Well, I don’t have it myself, honestly, so I couldn’t say.
 
I eat some red meat, but my family and I have really become more veggie and fish eaters over the years. I like a nice steak now and again, but we try to temper the amount we eat each week. I think lean meat is okay, I don’t have a moral reason behind my eating habits though. I do it more for health. It’s good to eat a balanced diet, overall. I wish I could get my hubby interested in more tofu dishes…tofu is soooo healthy, and absorbs whatever the surrounding flavors are within a particular dish. I am working on him, though.😃
 
whatevergirl said:
I eat some red meat, but my family and I have really become more veggie and fish eaters over the years. I like a nice steak now and again, but we try to temper the amount we eat each week. I think lean meat is okay, I don’t have a moral reason behind my eating habits though. I do it more for health. It’s good to eat a balanced diet, overall. I wish I could get my hubby interested in more tofu dishes…tofu is soooo healthy, and absorbs whatever the surrounding flavors are within a particular dish. I am working on him, though.😃
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Try subbing mashed extra firm tofu for ricotta cheese in lasagna and stuffed shells. I have done this for years: Take 1 large block of extra firm tofu, drain and mash well, add seasonings (salt, basil, garlic powder) and use in place of the ricotta-cheese-egg filling in lasagna. My son actually prefers the tofu to the cheese filling!
 
samcarter14 said:
Try subbing mashed extra firm tofu for ricotta cheese in lasagna and stuffed shells. I have done this for years: Take 1 large block of extra firm tofu, drain and mash well, add seasonings (salt, basil, garlic powder) and use in place of the ricotta-cheese-egg filling in lasagna. My son actually prefers the tofu to the cheese filling!
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Hi sam–I actually have done that…ha! I have used it also in eggplant parmesan, as well…My husband will ask me though…is tofu in here? ha I cannot tell a lie.😃 😃 The irony is, once he knows it’s in it…then he makes a face.:rolleyes: lol!
 
whatevergirl said:
I wish I could get my hubby interested in more tofu dishes…tofu is soooo healthy, and absorbs whatever the surrounding flavors are within a particular dish. I am working on him, though.😃
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I converted my husband to tofu by feeding him Vegan Chocolate Mousse (Heh…almost typed mouse. That wouldn’t be vegan at all!)

Ingredients:

Firm Silken Tofu (the kind in the aseptic boxes)
Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup (I’ve used them both and prefer the agave)
Vegan dark choco chips, melted
a little vanilla
a little extract of whatever variety (orange is good, almond is superb…esp. in conjunction with a little bit of amaretto)

Whiz together in a food processor and chill. Also is excellent as a frosting or spread 🙂

👍

Dang it…now I want chocolate.
 
I’m so thin; I would probably die if I became a vegetarian by lack of nutrients. I’ll have to plan some good non-meat meals over this coming Lent Fridays so I don’t feel weak and faint.
 
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=326900

I’ve started another thread that I hope goes a bit deeper for those who want to consider more than just suffering animals as a reason to consider a strict vegetarian diet - I want to have a real discussion on how this choice can be influenced by Catholic Social Teaching… Would like to invite you to read that and give your feedback there too…
 
stringbeanduck said:
I’m so thin; I would probably die if I became a vegetarian by lack of nutrients. I’ll have to plan some good non-meat meals over this coming Lent Fridays so I don’t feel weak and faint.
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The people that “die” for lack of nutrients on becoming vegetarian are the ones that have atrocious diets to start with who just delete the meat from that diet. There is no lack of nutrients in a sensible vegetarian diet.

My vegetarian-since-1969 husband has always been thin and I assure you there ain’t nuttin’ wrong with him.

Seriously, if you are going to feel weak and faint on eating a non-meat meal one day a week in Lent then you have some serious issues that need immediate medical attention that have nothing to do with a vegetarian diet.

Or did I miss an implied smiley in your post?
 
Guitar said:
The people that “die” for lack of nutrients on becoming vegetarian are the ones that have atrocious diets to start with who just delete the meat from that diet. There is no lack of nutrients in a sensible vegetarian diet.

My vegetarian-since-1969 husband has always been thin and I assure you there ain’t nuttin’ wrong with him.

Seriously, if you are going to feel weak and faint on eating a non-meat meal one day a week in Lent then you have some serious issues that need immediate medical attention that have nothing to do with a vegetarian diet.

Or did I miss an **implied smiley **in your post?
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Sort of. I was trying to exaggerate a little. However I am 45lbs under weight which means I need to constantly eat. If I we’re to stop eating meat it really limit the number of meals I could eat. And I get tired of eating the same meals over and over again, except cereal. That I have 2-3 servings morning and before I go to bed. While being a vegetarian may be a healthy life style for some, I seriously think it wouldn’t be for me at all.
 
Interesting thread. And it came up at such a good time for me. We recently cut out all dairy to see if it would help my son’s asthma and dh’s allergies. Oddly, we also began cutting out all meat but seafood after that. It wasn’t the plan, it just seemed like a natural progression. We (besides my son) still eat some dairy and meat, like when we go out to eat (and I say this as I’m eating a chicken and cheese taco, haha!). My concern is making sure the kids are getting what they need without meat and especially without dairy. My son will drink the calcium-fortified alternative milks, but my two daughters won’t touch them. One of them won’t drink any kind of orange juice either (which we could get calcium-fortified also). Any tips from those of you with experience on how to make sure they are getting what they need?

And, I agree with the whole tofu thing. There is only one recipe we like that uses tofu and it’s a dessert – nobody knew it was tofu until AFTER we all ate it and loved it! Same thing with the fake meats – ewww.

Liz
 
stringbeanduck said:
Sort of. I was trying to exaggerate a little. However I am 45lbs under weight which means I need to constantly eat. If I we’re to stop eating meat it really limit the number of meals I could eat. And I get tired of eating the same meals over and over again, except cereal. That I have 2-3 servings morning and before I go to bed. While being a vegetarian may be a healthy life style for some, I seriously think it wouldn’t be for me at all.
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Being vegetarian in no way limits the amount of meals you can eat. Nor would it force you to eat the same meals over and over. I don’t know what would make you think those things. Vegetarianism is a healthier diet. Even if you don’t completely go veg, your diet should not be predominantly meat. The body is not designed that way.
 
Fidelia said:
Being vegetarian in no way limits the amount of meals you can eat. Nor would it force you to eat the same meals over and over. I don’t know what would make you think those things. Vegetarianism is a healthier diet. Even if you don’t completely go veg, your diet should not be predominantly meat. The body is not designed that way.
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Sorry my bad. It would limit the types of meals, not the amount. I eat several meals a day. Some contain only meat, non meat foods mixed with meat, or no meat at all. Believe me, I can’t eat only meat alone. No way! Best tasting meals are ones that combine meat with non meat IMHO.
 
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