FitSugar

5 Plant-Based Meals For the Week Ahead

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 04:45:26 PST

Since the heavy food of the holidays is in the past (well, it's supposed to be) we wanted to provide you with five dinner ideas this week that are plant-based and full of flavor. We think it's great to shake things up in the New Year, so if you want to give meatless eating a try, here's the proof that it's a delicious endeavor.

Make It: Healthier Vegetarian Chili Cheese Fries

Heather Dale — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:21:18 PDT

On days when I'm craving some comfort food, you can find me in my kitchen making nachos or this mouth-watering snack - vegetarian chili cheese fries. Even if you love the real deal - fries piled high with beef-based chili - my recipe below won't disappoint. I might add that it's much lower in calories than traditional chili cheese fry dishes because it's made without meat and is substituted with much healthier ingredients.

Here's the full recipe!

Abigail and Arthur's Kale Salad

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 05:50:45 PST

If you're in need of a scrumptious Thanksgiving side, don't overlook kale. Fresh Tart recommends this raw kale salad with feta cheese and pine nuts.

I first wrote about this recipe a few weeks ago when I described our trip to San Francisco. My friend Maud's brother Arthur made a delicious kale salad for us, and I couldn't wait to make it at home and post it for you. In the process of raving about it on Facebook, I found out that the recipe originally came from Maud and Arthur's sister Abigail! She claims she didn't make it up herself, but I'm happy to give her credit for introducing it to me via Arthur. She said that Arthur added the nuts (a good addition).

The kale in the salad is raw, yet tender, because it sits tossed with some lemon juice for a bit (the acid tenderizes the greens). In fact, I kept leftovers in the fridge overnight and enjoyed it completely the next day. Abigail notes that it is always popular on buffets - as we all know, it's not easy to find a green salad that can sit nicely (and even improve) on a buffet! I'm thinking . . . Thanksgiving. Yes.

Get the uncomplicated recipe after the break.

Give It Up Challenge: Cheated With Just One Bite

FitSugar — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:30:51 PDT

FitSugar reader lauren decided to give up meat for the Give It Up Challenge.

I had given up meat for a week and a half. At home, my husband and I cooked up a variety of meals full of veggies! Absolutely no meat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sure I had started to miss meat but when there is no meat in the fridge, it is an easy temptation to resist.

My husband never signed up for the challenge, so the minute we ended up at a restaurant for dinner, he ordered a juicy bacon cheese burger complete with French fries. As I still have another two days of no meat, I ordered a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Hoping the melted cheese would be close to substitute for a juicy burger. Once our meals arrived I couldn't resist eyeballing his burger, it smelled just delicious. Unfortunately, my grilled cheese and tomato soup couldn't stop me from having just one bite of that juicy burger. I savored every moment of it and then went back my vegetarian plate. I did feel a little guilty for falling off the vegetarian wagon for just a moment but I quickly got back on. Do you miss your vice?

Having troubles giving up your bad habit or vice? Share the deets in the Get Fit For 2010 community group. The challenge is almost over, but the last days can be really tough.

Favas + Asparagus = Spring!

OnSugar Blog — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:50:09 PDT

Wondering how to get in the spirit of Spring? OnSugar blog Fresh Tart recommends making a delicious fava and asparagus dish.Fava beans are back in the markets, and that means Spring! I bought a bunch at Whole Foods, as well as a bunch of asparagus, and sauteed the two with a little garlic, in perhaps a little butter, and ate them - fresh and earthy - over creamy polenta. Pure Spring comfort, eaten with a spoon. A fine meal . . . just for me.

See how her earthy dinner comes together and read more.

Yummy Links: From Choco Tacos to Food Journals

partysugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:50:46 PST

Learn how to make a homemade Choco Taco.- Serious Eats
Twenty tools and technologies that have changed the way we cook. - Gourmet
Would you eat the McGangBang burger - a grotesque creation that involves a McChicken Sandwich inside a double cheeseburger? - Eat Me Daily
Here are 10 quick and easy meatless mains to help you get through Lent. - The Epi-Log
This St. Patrick's Day, try your hand at making corned beef. - Chow
Do you keep a food journal? - The Kitchn

3 Words to Know When You're Ordering Vegetarian

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:00:00 PST

Vegetarians pay particular attention to ensuring they're consuming enough protein because there's no meat centerpiece to take care of that important nutritional component. There are often choices like tempeh and seitan for building a veggie-friendly salad that goes beyond tofu, and quinoa is a go-to grain because it contains high levels of protein. When you're choosing a meatless meal out, don't skim over these selections because you're not sure how to pronounce them. Expand your vegetarian vocab by learning how to say these three words.

Tempeh: Pronounced tem-pay, 4 ounces of this soy-based meatless alternative contains 22 grams of protein.
Seitan: Made from wheat gluten, this veggie option is pronounced say-tan or see-tan. Just 3 ounces of it contains 19 grams of protein.
Quinoa: Often referred to as the mother grain, the options with this protein-rich grain are endless. Ask for keen-wa, and you'll get 6 grams of protein in just 1/4 cup.

Source

Go Meat-Free This Thanksgiving With Tofurky

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:30:00 PST

Just because you're a vegetarian doesn't mean you have to miss out on having some turkey-like protein at your meal. Plus going meatless means you can eat a cholesterol-free Tofurky instead. It's made from a revolutionary tofu-wheat protein blend, and is known for its incredible, turkey-like texture and flavor. Tofurky is hands down the best alternative to turkey.

You can cook up a Tofurky feast, complete with one Tofurky Roast, eight cranberry-apple potato dumplings, Tofurky Giblet and Mushroom Gravy, Tofurky Wild Rice Stuffing, and a Tofurky Jurky Wishbone (I love that little detail). This feast is 100 percent vegan and cooks in about one hour.

If you don't want the entire Tofurky feast, you can just pick up a Tofurky Roast to have as your main dish or as a meatless option for your vegetarian friends.

Want to see how turkey and Tofurky compare nutritionally? Then

4 oz.	Turkey	Tofurky
Calories	240	190
Total Fat	9g	5g
Saturated Fat	3g	0g
Cholesterol	85mg	0mg
Protein	32g	26

10 Meatless Soups to Start Your Week

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:19:42 PST

While we are certainly meat lovers over here, we're also big proponents of Meatless Mondays. Not only does it help out with our carbon footprint, but sometimes it's just nice to switch things up a little bit, especially at the start of a week. We've shared our favorite meat-free recipes in the past, but with the arrival of National Soup Month, hot soup is definitely on my mind. Here are 10 delicious meat-free soups that are sure to fill you up and not let you down!

8 Meatless Meals to Warm You Up

Lizzie Fuhr — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:18:59 PST

Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest day of eating after Thanksgiving. And if you had as good of a time as I did yesterday, chances are you're looking for a little reprieve from all that decadent (and amazing) party food. The perfect way to lighten up your night? Going for a meat-free meal. Have no fear - we've got you covered with 10 vegetarian recipes that are sure to fill and warm you up. Click through these recipes and get inspired for supper tonight!