Need Recipies

Dear C.;
Go to www.ask.com this web site is very helpful
in finding anything you want. Just type vegetarian recipies and they will give you different web sites to go to. Also you can go to any health food markets like Sunflower Markets they can help you with some recipies. Good Luck. Also the Seven day
Adventist church have very good recipies on vegetarian food they can make any vegetarian meal taste like a real meat dish.

Anna L

I also became a vegetarian around the age of 15. Not for any other reason then I don't like the taste of meat. There are so many options out there for us these days. Although I eat just about any kind of bean, I have a recipe book that offers much more. My favorite is “Vegetarian Dinner in Minutes” by Linda Gassenheimer. Not only does it have good food ideas but it give tips on how to shop and set your food up for easy preparations. I would also suggest going to the book store and just browsing through some cook books that look like they have recipes you want to try. I hope this helps and I am very impressed in regards to your support for your daughter’s choice. I was not so lucky and let to fend for myself in most cases. Good luck to you and your family.

P.

Make her come up with the recipes. If she is old enough to make those kind of decisions then she should be old enough to figure it all out. You are not a short order cook. Cook for your family when she is hungry enough she will eat. At soon to be 15 she is a child and you are the parent you are there to protect her even when it is from herself. If need be Soy milk will cover alot of your daily intake of protein. Ask why she does not want to eat meat? Then challenge her on it, beleive me you can outwit a 15 year old!

For bean recipes, I suggest this site:
http://www.justbeanrecipes.com/inxbgn.html

Many grains are complete proteins in themselves, we just don't use them regularly in our culture. This site has over a dozen kinds of grain, and detailed descriptions on each, including which ones are complete proteins, and what can be eaten with certain grains to make whole proteins. We grind our own flour to make bread (with a bread maker, much quicker but not as nice as hand made). It's cheaper and you can choose how much protein-rich grain to put in a loaf.
http://waltonfeed.com/self/grains.html

I would also recommend having your daughter do the research. It's her decision to eat differently from the family, so her research now will help her when she's on her own, and maybe help her appreciate all you're doing for her now. Also, she should learn to cook some meals she finds. Then she can learn what a job she'll be taking on later in life if she sticks with such a strict diet. And she can be proud of her accomplishments in cooking, etc. Perhaps she does this already, just a thought.

I also suggest getting the recipe/reference book Original Fast Foods by James and Colleen Simmons. It has more vegan leanings. We love the meals we've made from there.

Another cookbook I've used is Better Home and Gardens New Cookbook. It has recipes such as: lentil and rice patties (cooked up like a burger, yummy), Tomato and Basil Polenta (cornmeal base, with cheese).

Hope this helps. Good luck!
D.

Combining foods to create complete proteins (meaning getting all the amino acids in one meal vs one food) is a pretty easy way to be vegetarian without having to cook up strange or exotic meals. Here are two examples I use and I'm sure with a little research you can find many more.
1 - Whole wheat bread and Peanut butter (the kind without corn syrup or hydrogenated oils is definitely a healthier choice...I love the kind from Sunflower Marketplace, no need to refrigerate and tastes good w/ just peanuts and salt)
2 - beans and rice (brown or jasmine brown are a good choice with more fiber and probably protein)

Here's a couple website I just found on goodsearch.com:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein
http://www.vegsource.com/attwood/complete_protein.htm

I've never been strictly vegetarian, but I only eat meat a few times a week. Maybe it's partly bc I was a nutrition education minor in college or that I had gestational diabetes so I've done a lot of research, but it seems quite doable to live a vegetarian lifestyle, without it being too complicated or stressful for you or your daughter. There's a lot out there on this subject. Good luck in your research and dietary adjustments!
Best wishes,
N.

I used Cooking With Light, a vegetarian cookbook. I got it through my high school, though (veggie high school, long story). I've written them a note to see if it's still available.

For tofu, I used to cut firm tofu into bite-sized cubes, saute them in sesame oil, and serve in a salad with asian vinaigrette dressing. There's another protein source called Tempeh that was available in health food stores in NH. I would again cut it into bite size pieces, saute with olive oil and soy sauce, and serve with a rotini pasta salad. Usually used a balsamic vinaigrette on that, along with chopped green and red peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sometimes onion.

Why doesn't she want to eat boca and such? Is it because of certain ingredients? If so, it might be possible to find other substitutes that don't have the objectionable ingredients.

In any case, I wish you luck. I went through five years of figuring out veggie meals for myself during school, and that was difficult enough.

HI C..

I have a a copy of a vegetarian cook book. That you can have a copy of as well. We can meet at a kinkos or something & you can have them make you a copy really quick. Give me a call & we can set it up. Now it does refer to a spcific brand in most reipes, but I am sure subs can be made. Let me know L. ###-###-####

I've supported my daughters decisions to be vegetarian, too - it ended up adding variety to my whole families diets. At 15, your daughter is old enough to go online and find recipes that look interesting to her. We find 1 or 2 recipes a week, go shopping for the ingredients together, then I oversee in the kitchen. It's taught her a lot about cooking, shopping and it gives us quality time. Leftovers become her lunch, which is a lot healthier.

The Moosewood Cookbook and a bunch of vegetarian recipes for teens are great resources.

If she's lethargic (more than the average teen), please make sure there's nothing else going on health-wise. Try more iron in her diet, but also take her for a blood test for anemia. She may need to get a multi-vitamin with iron, or there may be something else going on.

I became a vegetarian around the same age as your daughter and my dad had a hard time with it. I was also lethargic because I wasn't eating properly. It's quite easy to get the right nutrition. I would suggest you both going to a book store and picking out a cookbook that has pictures that look appealing to both of you. After all, you both live in the same house and can eat the same foods sans the meat.
I might also suggest a nutritionist to help your daughter understand where she lacks in nutrition and how to avoid that.

I hope this helps.

I have been a vegetarian since I was 18, so almost 6 years. Your daughter is probably lacking iron and omega-3 intake. Make sure she eats dark green leafy vegetables (like broccoli or spinach) for iron. For omega-3s try flax seed. I add it to alot of things like cereal or yogurt. I also have a recipe for flax seed bars. Beans are good, but they don't make a whole protein, you need to add wheat and lentils to her diet as well. I have a recipe for vegetarian chili. Tofu is good cooked, but you can also use it in smoothies. Use some soy milk, fresh fruit, tofu, and a small amount of sugar or substitute and you will have a yummy summer treat. Is your daughter vegan or ova-lacto? Let me know and I will e-mail you recipes that will work for her. I would also suggest going to the Go Raw Cafe. They will give you some really good ideas. http://www.gorawcafe.com

I have a book called the Enchanted Broccoli Forrest. It is great. There is also one by the same author called the Moosewood (something like that). I have heard it is great.

Great cookbook "Vegitarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison. My husband ANd I don't eat any red meat although we both eat fish and on occasion Turkey & chicken. The book has great recipes and lots of variety. Once you get going you'll find there are lots of great foods to try. Good Luck!

your daughter made a good choice, however, it may seem hard to get enough nutrients....one thing to remember is that there isn't alot of fat or carbohydrates in a vegan diet, so she should eat several times a day to maintain her energy levels, and whole grains with at least 3 meals....oatmeal with sugar in the raw, peanut butter on whole wheat or multi grain bread and some fruit for breakfast is a good start to anyone's day...and even though she may want to cut out animal products altogether, i think it's wiser to include non-fat or skim milk, yogurt and other dairy products, because she definately needs the calcium....and a good, not necessarily expensive, multi-vitamin. also, though nuts have a bad reputation as being fattening, they contain the kinds of fats that are good for you!!!!! have her do some research on the subject herself and she'll be amazed at the recipes and combinations of foods that are readily available now, even in normal grocery stores!!!! and mom might even try the vegetarian way a few times a week!!!! good luck and keep her eating.......