What is a good diet for a vegetarian?

Question

i just became a full vegetarian a few weeks ago.

and i know a good diet for a vegetarian is not to eat meat. but i was wondering what a good source of protein is. i heard peanuts were.

like, what are good snack food that tastes good but is good for you. besides fruits.

and any other answer that you would think would fit into this question.

thanks.

ps. is the garden burger at red robins safe to eat? i ate it because i thought it was vegetarian. but i'm just double checking. thanks again.

Answer 1

Reading a good book about vegetarian nutrition will give you a solid foundation for the rest of your life, so you can be sure you're eating healthy.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Becoming-Veget...

Your diet should be well-balanced with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and protein sources like beans, nuts, tofu, wheat gluten, soymilk.

http://www.vegsource.com/nutrition/pyram...

More about protein:

http://www.happycow.net/vegetarian_prote...

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

Calcium and Iron are important too:

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

Nuts & dried fruit make a nice snack, or pita bread & hummus. Corn chips and salsa aren't bad.

Answer 2

Just eat healthy and get all your nutrients and exercise and get your sleep. Best foods for veg protein: Tempeh, seitan (wheat gluten), tofu, TVP (Textured vegetable protein), lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, spirulina, buckwheat, amaranth, broccoli, mushrooms, potatoes, beans, rice & beans, apples, banana, oranges,  watermelon, seeds (hemp, flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower), peanut butter, soymilk, some premade meals (such as Amy's, etc) & meat substitutes (such as Boca, Gardenburger, Tofurkey, Lightlife, Morningstar, Yves, etc).

You should check out the site below, it contains a lot of vegan nutrition information and links:

http://veganpeace.blogspot.com/2008/02/v...

Answer 3

Congrats on your choice to go veggie! I've been Vegetarian for about 7 years and am now pregnant so I have to watch my diet even closer.

Vegetarians are encouraged to have more meals within the day.  It's healthier in general to eat lots of snacks throughout the day than to have three wholesome meals, but vegetarians should have 6 - 8 "meals" a day.  It won't leave you a lot of room for junk food, I can promise you that.  Peanuts are a great source of protein, so eat lotsa peanut butter, but it's not your only choice. Eggs (if you're not going vegan) are a great choice, but also visit the Tofu section of your grocery store.  There's tons there - tofu, of course, and seitan, which is slightly salty and extra good if you bake it for just ten to twenty minutes.  There are lunch meats and vegetarian hot dogs and "steak" strips that are all pretty good, once given the chance. My non-vegetarian friends can't tell the difference between a hot dog and a Smart Dog, and they eat all my "steak" strips before I get a chance to.  Not to mention, all the meat substitutes are loaded with protein.  One smart dog has one serving of protein.  It takes two to fill me, so right there I've already gotten my minimum protein for the day.

A lot of them are vegan as well, but always check the ingredients before assuming something is vegan.

And Garden Burger is one of the more expensive brands of veggie burgers. You're welcome to call the place and ask them, but generally they call them Garden Burger's because they are a vegetarian option.

Answer 4

...Vegetarianism!

Answer 5

a good diet would be like this

Breakfest- Some wedges of fruit or cereal. No bacon

Lunch- Salad with pastachious in it.

Snack- Celery sticks with peanut butter

Dinner- Spaghetti, mashed potatoes and small ceaser salad.

Answer 6

It's really great that you're thinking about protein, a lot of new veg-heads mess up with that and get sick. Nuts and beans are both really great sources, and there are a million different things you can do with them. Another place newbies mess up in is iron, so you really need to watch that; broccoli, asparagus, watercress, brussel sprouts, spinach...they're all great sources. Often times for breakfast I have some whole grain toast with a nut spread (almond is my favourite) lunch and dinner always varies; I usually go to vegweb.com and pick out a new recipe everyday that sounds good because I like a lot of variety. For snacks at home I keep bean salad around, which can be varied with different types of beans and sauces. While I'm on the go I turn to a brand called True North; they make different types of snacks all involving different types of nuts, which are both delicious and filling.

The garden burger at RRs should be safe, it depends on if they cook it on the same grill as the meat or not, which usually they don't because the general public is really starting to understand the "rules" of the veggie movement.

Get in the habit of reading ingredients on *everything*. You will be shocked and appalled at how many things have animal products in them.