Vegetarian, please help me!

Question

i became a vegetarian about more than a week ago (im 17, living by myself, still going to high school and groccering by myself, etc)

and whenever i go to grocceries, i always end up buying orange juice, some fruits and LOTS of tofu (i've always liked tofu even when being a non-vegetarian, i thought i tastes so good. so im not eating it JUST cause i became a vegetarian, but since its a popular substitute for protein, i kill two birds with one stone) but i still need something more juicy, hot delicious stuff thats not too expensive on my student budget. i go to a regular groccery store so there's not alot of organic/vegetarian meals, etc.

i bought this President's Choice brand of meatless meatballs. it tasted good, but the ingredients were FILLED with addictives, taste enhancers, some weird chemical-names, color, etc. so i decided not to buy those again cause i dont like eating stuff like those.

any tips on finding good vegetairan foods and easy recepies or a 17 yr old?

and what about easy recepies for school lunch?

btw off topic here: what's the difference between organic eggs/milk with regular eggs/milk?

Answer 1

ok try and go to local fruit and veg shopps they will have cheaper products then a supermarket (most of the time)

go for carrots, potato, peas, celery etc and toss it all together and cook it as a stir fry with some tofu. for flavour you can add soya sauce and honey and serve this ontop of some noodles or anything.

I guess for school you can take salad and cheese rolls or even try making your own spinach and cheese pastries- use fresh spinach (healthier) and use frozen pastry cus its quicker and easier to use. Theres lots of vegg recipies, just google some really. I

loved making vege muffins for school etc- its the process of making normal muffins except without anything sweet- put in grated carrot, gratted potato or whatever you think wil taste gd. Make sure you add salt and some spices and cheese if you like! :D

The main thing is to prepare meals at home which dont come prepackaged, you will save a lot of money and its just so much healthier! gd luck hope i helped

Answer 2

RAMEN! WOOT!

Answer 3

Hi Sam,

Good for you!  Every person, and that's no exaggeration, who has gone veg talks aout how much healthier they feel after a few months of not eating meat.  I'm a 38 year old mom who has been a vegetarian for almost a year now and I feel better than I ever have in my life, including when I was a teen and in my twenties.  

I've found ways to be a vegetarian cheaply, but to do it you have to plan ahead and be creative.  Since you like tofu, try this recipe site to make a neatloaf from whatever is in the pantry and frig.  It's a really cool site.  But be sure to pat the excess water out of the tofu before using it.  Otherwise you could end up with a neatloaf that won't cook through. http://www.veganlunchbox.com/loaf_studio...

Also, there's tons of great things you can do with potatoes.  For three to five bucks you should be able to find a five to ten pound bag (don't just throw away the junk mail ads from the grocer that you get in the mail- use 'em and check 'em for coupons!) of them on sale.  For some recipes, check out this site: http://allrecipes.com or google the word 'potatoes', put a plus sign (+) then whatever ingredients you have available and see if a recipe pops up.  I'm usually surprised that this works so well when I do this.

Also, regarding organic dairy vs. non-organic: non-organic dairy uses ingredients from cows and/or chickens that have many times been treated with nasty chemicals and hormones to make them fatter or meatier, etc.  Those chemicals and hormones end up in our bodies when we ingest these products.  Since organic products don't contain these nasties, we don't eat them with organics.  Depending on where you live, organic products may be very expensive unless you go to a farmer's market.  

Hope this helps you some.  Also, it's wonderful to hear that even though you're on your own, you're hangin' in there and taking care of business by completing school.  Keep up the great work!

Answer 4

Just ask your mom to cook you up some chicken. It's good brain food. Packed with protein. Gives you plenty of energy to hit those books. Stay away from vegetarian junk. Starvation isn't a good sensation..

addition: Until you figure out a good plan for your own diet.. just eat what comes natural to you.. if you crave meat, eat it.. because it's what you need.

Answer 5

You can't go wrong with spaghetti with marinara sauce.  It's easy to make, cheap to buy, and tasty to eat.  Just make sure there's no meat in it.

Answer 6

there are sooo many things you can cook up [on a budget!] that are delicious and vegetarian.



breakfast doesn't have to be some veggie bacon, which [unless you like] has a taste so unlike meat, you actually crave meat more often. you can make a tofu scramble out of things like onions, mushrooms, and other things you would normally eat in an omlet.

lunches [since your still in school], i'd stick to maybe a sandwich or wrap, some fruits or veggies [maybe a salad] and some whole grain crackers. if you have the option to come home [or go out] for lunch, then you can try a fresh salad [yes, i already said that for bagged] and experiment! try different things and you might even discover a few new favorites. doesn't have to be anything fancy that costs a fortune, just maybe some different fruits and vegetables, tofu, cheeses and other homemade toppings. you could also try some of the dinner things [look down]

there are plenty of options for dinners, even lunch; limitless. you don't need a plain old veggie burger, but actually try some new things. grains, rice, plus there are so many types of beans, you could try anything. ex: rice, beas/lentils and some veggies.

if you want some more recipes and food ideas, i've put a few links in the sources.

good luck! :]

Answer 7

hi there...veggie friend!

you can buy the TVP from Red Miller, this brand its so good its gluten free, you can find it in Co-op and can cook it in 5 min,  visit Peta.com to find more info about veggie recepies.

Remember to switch to soy milk, very good source of protein, soy cheese and yogurt are delicious too!

try to eat a banana milk shake in the morning, if mixed it with soft tofu= smoothie, you get the full filled sensation during the whole morning, no starvings! ok...just eat what ever the earth provides..good luck!