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Which Vegetarian Food Contains More Protein?

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:00:20 -0700

When I dappled in vegetarianism in college, my mom was all over me saying, "How are you going to get enough protein?" Meat isn't the only form of protein out there, so take this quiz to see how much protein you'll find in vegetarian foods.

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Does It or Doesn't It Contain Dairy?

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:00:42 -0700

If you're giving up meat in honor of World Vegetarian Awareness Month, you may consider doing the same with dairy products as well. Foods containing diary can be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, so it's good to know which foods contain it. Ice cream, cheese, and yogurt are obvious, but can you figure out what other products contain hidden amounts of milk? Take this quiz and see.

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Barbara's Organic Cinnamon Crisp Granola Bars

You Asked: My Vegetarian Diet Is Making Me Gassy

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:47:51 -0700

Dear Fit,
I am trying the vegetarian lifestyle and have finally given up bacon and hamburgers and went meat-free. I have a family history of obesity, heart disease, and cancer, and have read that a diet rich in fruits and veggies can play a huge role in prevention. I've been loading up on the green veggies, beans, fruits, and tofu. My taste buds don't really miss meat, but it hasn't even been a week and I'm having some, well, unpleasant side effects. I'm unbelievably bloated and gassy all the time, and am close to giving up on my veggie quest. Is it possible that my body is trying to tell me that a vegetarian diet isn't right for me, or is there a way to go about this so that I'm not feeling so inflated?
- Puffed Up

First of all, I applaud you for taking your health into your own hands and going meat-free. Your body is greatly benefiting from consuming less saturated fat and more plant-based proteins. I'm actually not surprised that you're experiencing such embarrassing and uncomfortable side effects, but that doesn't mean you can't become a vegetarian. To hear my suggestions read more.

From your diet description, you're doing everything right with your food choices, but there's such a thing as too much, too soon. Vegetarian foods are very high in fiber, and if your digestive system isn't used to that, it translates to gas and maybe even diarrhea. So my advice is to slowly ease into this diet. Be a flexitarian for a while. Consume your old diet that includes meat, and gradually increase your fruit, vegetable, legume, and whole grain intake as you fade out the meat. At first, eat small portions of foods that are especially gas-producing such as broccoli, beans, green peppers, apples, and high fiber cereals. Slowly increase the portion size over time and the gassiness should begin to dissipate. Making the switch to a vegetarian lifestyle overnight is a shock to your system, so all you need to do is move forward slowly, listen to your body, and you'll be meat-free (and less bloated) within a few weeks.

Today Is World Vegetarian Day!

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:46 -0700

Grab your broccoli and tofu because today, Oct. 1, is World Vegetarian Day. It kicks off Vegetarian Awareness Month: 31 days devoted to celebrating this plant-based diet and teaching others about its benefits.

If you ever contemplated going vegetarian, here are some things you may want to consider. Ditching meat from your diet can help:

Reduce your risk of heart disease, strokes, and certain cancers since vegetarians tend to consume less cholesterol and saturated fat.
Promote weight loss since a healthy vegetarian diet is mostly made up of low-calorie fruits and veggies.
Promote regularity since a sensible vegetarian diet is chock full of fiber.

There are more reasons to eat a plant-based diet, so keep on reading.

You'll Never Miss the Meat: Conscious Cook Cookbook

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:30:09 -0700

We know that eating less meat is a good thing - it reduces your carbon footprint, lowers your grocery bill, and makes sense for your heart. But does it taste good? Vegetarian diets are often associated with a bland menu of tofu, sprouts, and brown rice day after day. Chef to the stars Tal Ronnen sets out to bust this myth in his new cookbook, The Conscious Cook - Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat ($20).

The cookbook is divided into sections by meal courses that include starters, soups, entrées, and desserts. I'm most excited about the entire section devoted to sandwiches because of all the new lunches I get to try. There's a nice intro that covers Ronnen's must haves in the kitchen - from what items he always has in his pantry (agave nectar) to the chef tools he can't live without (food processor). Ronnen touches on the importance of a vegan diet but does it without making you feel like you're choking on someone else's politics. It's obvious the chef's main focus is making food that tastes exceptional.

To hear more about The Conscious Cook and see a killer quinoa recipe, read more.

Each of the 75 recipes features a protein and ranges from the comforting - free-form ravioli with tofu ricotta and arugula pesto - to the sophisticated - peppercorn-encrusted portobello fillets with yellow tomato bearnaise and mashed potatoes. And every recipe has an inspiring photo accompanying it.

What's great about this cookbook is its range and its approach to meatless cooking. No main dish ever feels like a side dish, which can happen a lot in vegan and vegetarian cooking. Instead, each meal is made to be complete and satisfying. There are recipes for a quick or casual meal, but if you want to pull out all the stops, there are recipes for that too. As an added nice touch, there are seasonally driven dinner menus included at the end.

Quinoa, Avocado, and Sweet Potato Timbale With Roasted Tomatillo Dressing
The Conscious Cook: Delicious Meatless Recipes That Will Change the Way You Eat

Ingredients

For the quinoa:
1 cup quinoa, cooked in vegetable stock according to the package directions and cooled to room temperature
1/2 jalapeno, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the sweet potatoes:
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the dressing:
2 tomatillos in olive oil, skins removed
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon light agave nectar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

For the tortilla strips:
Canola oil
2 corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

To serve:
2 avocados, diced
Microgreens

You'll also need 4 salad plates, a food processor, and a 3-inch ring mold.

Directions
1. Make the quinoa: Place all the of the quinoa ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine.
2. Make the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until soft in the middle and lightly browned. Be careful not to let the sweet potatoes burn.
3. Make the dressing: Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, toss the tomatillos with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Transfer to a food processor, add vinegar, cilantro, and agave nectar, and pulse to combine. With the motor running, pour in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a thin stream. Continue blending until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Make the tortilla strips: Pour 2 inches of oil into a small, heavy pot and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the tortilla strips and fry until crisp and browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning.
5. Assemble the salads: Place a 3-inch ring mold in the center of one of the 4 salad plates. Fill with 1/4 of the quinoa mixture and press down with a spoon to pack the mold, smoothing the top. Place 1/4 of the sweet potato pieces on top of the quinoa and press down gently. Top with 1/4 of the avocado and press down gently. Carefully remove the mold. Repeat on the remaining salad plates.
6. Carefully place 2 tortilla strips parallel to each other about 1 inch apart on top of each timbale. Place 2 more tortilla strips perpendicular on top of those. Top the timbales with the microgreens and drizzle the dressing around the timbales.

Makes 4 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes

Print recipe with images | without images

8 Vegetarian Sources of Iron

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:50:00 -0700

Feeling sleepy and rundown lately? You may not be getting enough iron. A woman needs 18 milligrams a day. Beef, chicken, and fish are great sources, but if you aren't big into those foods or a vegetarian, check out these eight sources that will help you meet your RDI.

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How to Go Vegetarian and Not Gain Weight Like Kirstie Alley

FitSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 04:30:00 -0700

If there's one person who has publicly spoken about her weight as much as Oprah, it's Kirstie Alley. After shedding 75 pounds as the spokesperson for Jenny Craig, Kirstie reveals in new issue of People that she's put on 83 pounds. She says her current weight, 228 pounds, is her heaviest weight ever. She blames the weight gain on losing the motivation to work out and her weakness for food drenched in butter. Here's what else she told People about her diet:

For seven months I was a vegetarian, and I can't tell you how much weight I gained being a vegetarian! A vegetarian would probably be eating vegetables. But to me being a vegetarian meant I'm going to eat enchiladas with no meat, and I'm going to eat lots of bread, lots of carbs.

Find out what a healthy vegetarian diet should contain when you read more.

Kirstie is on to something with her comment about vegetarians eating vegetables, and there are plenty of other celebrities who have gotten the diet right. A vegetarian diet doesn't have to be complicated. Relying on mostly vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts, and whole grains will enable a vegetarian to achieve balance and satisfaction from food.

There are so many great sources of healthy veggie protein, like tofu (not fried), beans, and lentils, that can be seasoned and mixed with vegetables to create savory and filling dishes that would appeal to anyone, vegetarian or not. Kirstie Alley's vegetarian diet downfall (besides all that butter) was that she lacked balance - enjoy vegetarian enchiladas and bread, but make sure that's not all you're eating.

Alley being on the cover of People made TrèsSugar ponder the media phenomenon of celebrity weight loss as entertainment. Be sure to weigh in on the discussion here: Bad for Women? Celebrity Weight Loss as Entertainment.

Are You a Flexitarian?

FitSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:00 -0700

A vegetarian diet is chock-full of health benefits. It can help people lose weight, lower cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. It's tough for people to give up meat entirely though, so for beginner vegetarians who can't quite make the full switch, or those who like to eat meat every so often, there's the flexitarian diet. It involves eating fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and meat-free protein most of the time, but allows your diet to be flexible so you can include meat a few times a week, in social situations, or when traveling. Basically you can reap the benefits of a mostly vegetarian diet, but not feel guilty about indulging in a hamburger at your friend's BBQ. So tell me . . .

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Today Is the International Meatout

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:00:00 -0700

In light of a recent UK study that found vegetarians get fewer cancers (except confusingly colorectal cancer, which is often associated with eating red meat) I will be participating in the International Meatout today, March 20.

Today I will eat no meat since a plant-based diet is better for my personal health and the health of the planet. Meatless meals can be quite satisfying, and these meals are generally higher in fruits and veggies, which many of us should be eating more of anyway. The creators of the International Meatout also sponsor meatless Mondays, a great way to focus on eating vegetarian one day a week, just like the UN council of climate change recommends. Worried about not getting enough protein? Check out these three cheap meat substitutes. Yep, forgoing meat might put some more money in your wallet too. Tell me, will you be eating vegetarian today? My buddy Yum has a bunch vegetarian recipes for you to try.

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3 Cheap and Natural Meat Substitutes

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Whether you're trying to incorporate more vegetables in your diet or cut down your grocery bill, replacing meat a couple nights a week can help you accomplish both goals. Here are three inexpensive meat substitutes that don't include the often-polarizing tofu.

Eggplant: This purple veggie has a solid, meaty texture compared to other vegetables and is a tasty centerpiece for dishes like baked eggplant parmesan or a complement to stir-fry and pasta recipes. Eggplant is nutritious to boot, packing in fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, and potassium.

To see two more meat substitutes, read more.

Mushrooms: If it's cost you're focused on, opt for button mushrooms to get the most nutritional bang for your buck. Mushrooms are extremely versatile and can be ideal substitutes in burgers (make a portobello burger or veggie burgers with mushrooms as a base), enchiladas, casseroles, and more, as they tend to take on the flavors of whatever else is in the recipe.
Beans: Full of protein and fiber, beans are an extremely inexpensive meat substitute. Use them in chilis, salads, and soups to make any vegetarian meal a bit heartier.

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