Looking for advice/Help on Eating Healthier Starting to Eat Meat Free

Hi Jeep---I have a lot of great ideas but many are difficult to share in this forum. I will list a couple to help you get started.

Go to www.pcrm.org and you can download a booklet called the vegetarian starter kit. It gives some great ideas on how to move toward a more plant based diet.

Check out a magazine called Vegetarian Times. You will probably have to get this at Borders. It has FABUOUS vegetarian and vegan recipes.

I also recommend reading The China Study by T Colin Campbell, as well as Michael Pollan's books, The Omnivores Dilemma and In Defense of Food.

I agree that this must be a gradual process in order for the change to stick. A little bit of my story. I've been taking wellness classes taught by a naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition. As I said, I have lots and LOTS of great info to share. I live in Clarkston. We could get together and I can share what I've learned and help you get started.

Processed foods have most of the beneficial nutrients removed from them and enriching them does not give us what we need. You MUST take the time to plan for healthy meals. Your family's long-term health depends on it.
It's really not that hard once you get into it.

I'd love to meet you and see what I could do to help. I'm out of town until the 26th. My home ph. is ###-###-#### but call my cell if you'd talk sooner. It is ###-###-####. Or respond personally with questions for me.

One thing I'm really good at is taking recipes and making them healthier, not changing them drastically, but by using healthier ingredients. It would be my honor to work with you.

Take care and shoot me those questions. D.

I became a vegetarian 2 years ago and my husband still loves to eat meat, however I rarely make it for him at home. Beans, rice, potatoes, and pasta are all great starters that are "hearty". I make lots of mexican dishes, such as bean, cheese and veggie burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas with whole wheat tortillas. I also get the refrigerated packs of cheese tortellini and ravioli and make those with a salad and garlic bread. Stir-fry is also a good option - get a bag of frozen vegetables, brown rice that cooks in a few minutes and some stir-fry sauce. When I make stir-fry I do cook up some chicken for my husband. In the winter I love to make up a potato soup or bean chili in the slow cooker.

Have you thought about trying any meat substitutes? There are lots out there that are actually really tasty. The Boca brand chicken patties are really good on a whole wheat bun, and they are pretty easy to find. There are also the frozen "veggie crumbles" that look and taste just like ground beef that you can throw into a chili recipe, lasagna, or anything you used to use ground beef for.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

My DH (and 19 year old son) have to have meat too. But they both will eat what is served.
I agree on doing an online search and/or getting a couple of good cookbooks and don't be afraid to experiment.
If I may also suggest check out Wildtree Foods. The short version is that the woman who developed the food line was a single working mom who she herself as both of her kids had food allergies/sensitivities. So she developed this whole line of really "convenience" foods without all the harmful chemicals! They even have skillet meals similar to a hamburger helper but without all the crappy ingredients. Check out lorikrause.mywildtree.com for more info.

If I may offer just another thought. I am an RN and wellness educator. I've taken dozens of classes from some of the "experts" in the field of diet an nutrition. What I've learned is that everyone has their own thoughts on what is healthy and what is not. Is meat a culprit and should people be at least vegetarians if not vegan? Are starches such as pastas healthy or not? Google "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell. "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn whose father is Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn a cardiologist. Look up Dr. MacDougall, Dr. Pam Popper, Joel Furhman, Chef Alex Johnson. But they all agree that by cutting out the packaged/processed foods with all the man-made chemicals would be a huge help to our health.

And I'm LOVING the Food Revolution show too!

In good health,
Lori Krause
Certified Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Coach
www.YourKitchenCoach.net

First I just want to applaud your decision to benefit your family's health! We've noticed a huge difference since we started eating local produce and whole foods (less allergies...my kid hardly ever gets sick...more energy...the list goes on). We were eating most meals vegetarian previously but I wanted to start shopping more local produce for the improved nutritional value...

I found this book called "Animal Vegetable Miracle" and we started on their meal plans for the year...you can find it at animalvegetablemiracle.com

So far we haven't found a recipe we haven't liked or that I couldn't modify for us...we still eat chicken and the occasional beef but many times I have replaced the meat in the dishes with egg or tofu...

may I also suggest using a crock pot for meals...it is a great time saver...you can start a meal in the morning and forget it til lunch or supper...

good luck! Just keep experimenting and asking your husband's input until you figure out what works for you....

I also recommend the Bolthouse Farms drinks...very packed with nutrition and vegetables!

Congratulations for taking control of your family's health! You won't regret it!!!

I have several ideas for you.

First off I'll recommend a few websites for meat free recipes.
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
http://www.fullplatediet.org/recipes/
http://veganyumyum.com/
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/
http://martasrecipes.blogspot.com/ (this one is my personal recipe blog)

Second I'll recommend meat substitutes. They are processed so they have preservatives and lots of added salt. But for someone who is just getting used to being without meat, it is an easy transition to start eating these. They have lots of protein and taste similar to meat. Morningstar Farms are my favorite, mostly because they are easy to buy - you don't need to visit a health food store - and can be found in the freezer section (usually near breakfast foods) of nearly every grocery store. Boca is also good, as is Lightlife, which are found in the fresh produce section, look near the tofu. All these companies make burgers, bacon strips, sausage, luncheon slices, etc...

Thirdly. You don't have to have meat to feel full from a meal - or even dairy, be sure you eat things like legumes and nuts. Whole grains help too! Vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower are full of protein. So be sure to include these in your meal. Making patties out of grains and legumes helps in the psychological aspect of feeling "full", as though you've had some type of meat. Lets face it, who wants to just eat salad? :) But adding some vegeburger, black beans, cheese... now its more like a taco salad, and that is much more filling.

Lastly I'll address the "complete protein" issues that I'm sure someone will warn you about. Most vegetables are not complete proteins, so you need to eat a combination to be sure you get enough. However, that might sound complicated, but realize, most of us don't eat only one item at a time - imagine a whole meal of just black beans. Usually you'd eat them with rice or corn chips, this completes the protein. Or peanut butter and jelly - you'd eat that on bread... Protein can be found in grains, legumes, nuts and even vegetables (you'd be surprised). Nature does have some complete proteins, those are found in soy beans and also a grain called quinoa. You can find soybeans frozen (they taste like the small bean inside greenbeans, they're just larger, more like the size of a pinto bean), they're called edemame (these are the inmature ones). Also in tofu, however remember to season your tofu well, it is tasteless as is. :) Quinoa is a great whole grain, it cooks in 15 minuets and is small and round, very tender (more so then say brown rice) and can be used instead of rice.

Another thing about complete protein is that you don't have to get it all in one meal, your body can handle getting it throughout the day. So as long as you are eating a variety of foods, you should be just fine.

Hope this information was helpful, I'd be happy to give you more ideas or answer any questions that you might have. I've lived as a vegetarian most of my life and have just recently become vegan. I love to cook and love finding things that substitute into normal recipes.

Best wishes!

Do you have to pose your new idea on your hubby? My hubby eats what I serve, but if I make something he doesn't eat, I always make sure there is something for him to eat. He has no clue in the kitchen.

Well, a few things come to mind. You could try to "replace" meat, like make eggplant parmesan instead of chicken parmesan. Or you could make meals where they won't notice that meat is really missing. Try making a lentil Indian curry, or bean and bean burritos, or veggie quesadillas. It seems that there are a lot of great ethnic recipes, but not as many "American" recipes.

Sorry. Not a lot of help. But www.allrecipes.com might be a great place to start!

Just discovered a magazine called CLEAN EATING which gives lots of options and isn't necessarily against meat but you'll be impressed with the ideas they have. I am not vegetarian but eating light and healthy, so I use Boca Soy Crumbles and other soy protein a lot for spagetti, chili etc. I don't think you'd ever notice it isn't meat. It doesn't taste weird. You might do this gradually, though, until hubby gets used to it. You can make him a chicken breast or lean burger to go with what you're having when necessary. I have a friend who does that.

The men at my house are meataholics, too. My personal perspective is that I cook/prepare what's healthy, and they can choose not to eat it if they're being goobers who are avoiding veggies. That said, I make a lot of Indian and things with strong flavors without meat when making things without meat. Cheese is popular enough with them, too, that they will eat thing with cheese even if the meat is missing, too, usually.

As for recipies, search online or buy some cook books from the raw foods movement. They're a little extreme in some ways about their food philosophy. And personally I think a little meat weekly is healthy, but those sources and cookbooks will give you tons of great ideas for more raw plant material and less processed foods for your table.

Good for you! Great advice below.
Please rent or buy the movie FOOD INC. This will help the transition,
and help your hubby :) Just had all my friends over to watch it..very
enlightening and will open your eyes to the food industry. Some will move you the Soy direction, however 90% soy
is genetically modified/not any better than eating fast food.
So, research a bit :) There are awesome websites that will tell you
healthy protein counts, and what the percentages are for children and adults.
For meat/chicken..FREE Range/antibiotic free. This movie will help
you understand that. Also, read your packages.
For instance, you may think salmon is healthy..however, if it is frozen-
it could easily be from CHINA!!! They will try and hide that, however
if you look below you will see teeny tiny print/china or Alaska, etc....
If you google GMO codes/you can tell which of your fruit is gentetically
modified, which is not by the bar code :)
However, if you are close by farmers markets then that is your best bet!

So I haven't seen Food Revolution, but I used to watch Jaime Oliver on The Naked Chef and really liked him. :-)

I don't know if you have Trader Joe's near you, but they have lots of packaged/prepared/semi-prepared meals that are preservative free with very short lists of ingredients. I actually do ALL my shopping there because it's less expensive than most grocery chains, is physically small (so easy to get in and out with kids) and has healthier choices so when DS pulls something off of the shelf, I can usually say yes. They have frozen brown rice (so it heats in 3 minutes rather than cooking yourself for 45 minutes), veggie stirfry you heat in a skillet, sweet potato fries, salmon burger patties and a million other things that make eating healthy less of a chore.

As for recipes and cooking tips. Try washing and prepping your veggies Sunday afternoons for the week. If you put them into large plastic bags with a paper towel they stay pretty nice. Take grapes off of the stems, cut the green part off of strawberries etc. and put them in a bowl on a low shelf in the fridge where you can grab them to snack on.

For the meat thing... you might try switching to lean meets for a while before cutting it out completely.

I haven't looked but I bet Jaimie Oliver has a website with recipe ideas that could be a great starting point.

Hope this helps.

T.

Some grocery stores sell mushroom stuffed ravioli in the refrigerated section. It tastes really good and the texture is similar to a meat stuffed lasagna. YOu could try that for a veggie meal. My husband will never be meat free so I don't even try. He is only here one or two nights a week though, so I am able to try meatless things.

Frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts that are individually packaged are great! You can take them out frozen, put them in a casserole dish with a little seasoning, bake uncovered for an hour to an hour and a half. Cook some of the frozen steamable broccoli in the microwave and you have a great meal. We normally don't do bread at dinner because we eat a lot of it for breakfast and or dinner.

I stock up on the frozen veggies without sauces. They are great to have on hand because they don't go bad and they cook in a matter off minutes.

Most of our meals at dinnertime consist of a meat (usually chicken) and a veggie. We get the rest of our things like dairy and bread for breakfast and lunch and fruit and veggies as snacks throughout the day.

I do switch my meat, though. If we have meat for lunch then we don't have it for dinner and vice versa.

Not eating processed foods has made all of us feel so much better and my tummy pooch from my 2 pregnancies.

Heavenlyhomemakers.com has some really good recipes. She also posts her menu plans for the week. Everything she makes is completely from scratch. I have tried a lot of it and it is super delicious.

I would suggest making gradual changes rather than going all at once. Pick one or two new healthy recipes per week. Note which ones your family enjoys and make those again. Over time, you'll have gradually transitioned to a healthier menu without making it seem like a dramatic change for everyone.

I've found that using the veggie crumbles in pasta sauces or tacos in place of ground meat never gets noticed by my family. I substitute whole grain pasta for the white flour variety and buy whole grain bread. I use jars of pasta sauce, but often mix fresh mushrooms or diced tomatoes in to add extra veggies. I try to keep fresh fruits and veggies washed and ready to eat on the counter or at eye level in the fridge for healthy snacks. For other snacks I keep stocked up on yogurt, Kashi crackers, or Popems (tasty little rice snacks I order from drsearsfamilyessentials.com).

Good luck to you! It's well worth it to get yourself and your family in the habit of choosing healthy foods!

Check out the Food revolution website or face book it- they have recipes to try there...