Posted by admin on December 31, 2010 | No Comments
Thinking About Vegetarian Recipes?
Now becoming the vegetarian is lifestyle. No wonder that more and more people are becoming vegetarian. They choose vegetarian recipes for many reasons: social or religious beliefs, availability, health concerns and taste. However, some people consider that choosing recipes for vegetarian isn’t easy and delicious.
Based on the fact, you can find good recipes for vegetarian in many locations. Just search online, in cookbooks, or at local health food stores for ideas. However, to get the right amount of nutrition for every vegetarian recipe, you should carefully plan your meal.
Here are some of the guidelines that the ADA (American Dietetic Association) has released:
1. Choose a variety of foods.
2. Avoid processed foods.
3. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits.
4. Buy only low-fat or no fat variants of eggs and dairy products.
5. Make sure to include Vitamin B-12 and vitamin D in your meal
Related to the guidelines, recipes for vegetarian are defined as using no meat or meat products, while a vegan recipe would use no animal products at all including cheese, milk or eggs. The key to choose a vegetarian dish is to choose depending on level of your vegetarianism.
The vegetarian diet commonly includes green leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, seeds, whole grains and root crops. Salads and vegetable dishes are staples in any vegetarian diet. However, there are numerous healthy recipes for vegetarian, such as bean-vegetable chili served with tortillas, rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and corn bread, cheese rolled in chopped nuts, hummus, bread sticks with sesame seeds, and split pea soup.
Quality is crucial for vegetarian recipes. So, do not be afraid to experiment by using your favorite fruits and vegetables as substitutes in different dishes.
Choosing a Vegetarian diet to maintain a Healthy and Weight Loss program.
Permanent weight loss is easier with healthy vegetarian meals. Why? A plant based diet plan is low calorie and fills you up with high fiber foods. And fresh fruits, legumes, vegetables and whole grains contain more anti-oxidants than meat, eggs, and dairy.
Eating the most nutritious foods means speedy weight loss without hunger. Not ready to go full time vegetarian? Studies show that eating a few meatless meals every week can lower the risk of heart disease and may even prolong life.
So how could you adapt your favorite recipes to omit the meat? Here are 5 ways to cut the meat and increase the health benefits of your meals:
1. Stir-fry’s are healthy, quick, and satisfying. Substitute firm tofu, tempeh, nuts, and sesame seeds in place of chicken, beef, and seafood. Use a variety of colorful vegetables like pea pods, red bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, and carrots for a super-charged meal. Serve with brown rice instead of white rice for a hearty, nutty taste and more fiber.
2. Substitute cooked legumes like beans and lentils for the meat in casseroles, stews, soups, and chili. Try red kidney beans in chili or stew, lentils in spaghetti sauce or stuffed cabbage rolls, and refried beans in burritos, tacos, and enchiladas. Black beans and rice make a filling main dish. Spice them up with some fresh salsa, and add avocado for healthy fats.
3. Skip the meat and add more chopped vegetables in pasta sauces, pizza toppings, soups, stews, and other mixed dishes. Vegetables like portabella mushrooms and eggplant are thick and satisfying. Use soy-based cheese instead of dairy-based cheese for added anti-oxidants.
4. Substituting for eggs and dairy in recipes can be tricky, so experiment to find the right consistency and binding agents for each dish. For example, try tofu, soymilk, soy cheese, and soy yogurt in recipes that call for dairy products. Replace ricotta cheese in lasagna with crumbled tofu. Buttermilk is a snap to make by mixing 1 cup of soy milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Use soymilk when making puddings and mashed potatoes.
5. Fruit smoothies make outstanding breakfasts or lunches, especially on hot days. Skip the dairy base and enjoy a thick, creamy fruit smoothie made with soft tofu, soymilk, or fruit juice.
Seek out vegetarian recipes on the internet. There are countless sites with creative recipes to wean you off meat. You’ll be healthier and slimmer if you can eat a few meals a week without meat, dairy, and eggs.
