Vegetarian or Healthy Ideas Needed

Hummus is ground chick peas/Garbanzo Beans. They come in a can, like other beans, and are very versatile! I toss them in a food processor with garlic salt and olive oil to make hummus. it is great on sandwiches or pita, or as a vegetable dip.

but if u do the same thing to them, but add tahini, shredded carrot, and flour while it is in the processor (maybe less olive oil than for hummus) until it is a consistency u can pat into patties. then put the thin patties into the oven, and Boom! you have falafel!
put it in a pita with lettuce cucumber, tomato, and tzatziki. (basically greek yogurt blended w cucumber and maybe a touch of lemon juice)
U can definitely find more extensive recipes online.

Also! check out Quinoa.
I believe it was a staple grain of the Aztecs. (but i cant say i have really read up on that! lol)
dont buy it ground, buy it whole. It will look like little balls. You can get it in the bulk bins at Whole Foods, or in a box at walmart.

this is a grain, but it is really high in protein! it will seriously fill u up!

u basically cook it like rice, and use it like you would rice or pasta. You can eat it hot, or cold like a pasta salad.
it is very bland, just like rice or pasta, so you will need to eat it with something else. i recommend a spicy coconut curry with veggies!

First, you are going to want to change from 3 large meals to 5 smaller meals throughout the day. This will help curb the snacking. Also, making sure your daytime meals have a good amount of carbs will keep you energized for your workouts.

My personal favorite dish: Asian veggies with some type of sauce (general tso's, stir fry, ginger, teriyaki, etc, over a bed of rice. It is delicious, healthy, and light enough that i don't get the bloated feeling no matter how much I eat.

First thing: I am not a vegetarian but I am a veggie lover!

Hummus is pureed garbanzo beans and garlic and olive oil...so good!

One of my favorite snacks is sliced fresh orange, yellow and red (never green, ugh!) bell peppers drizzled w/rice vinegar!

Or tomato. cucumber and red onion in apple cider vinegar w/ salt!

Try a fiber rich diet, which should give you a feeling of fullness after each meal/snack.

You need more protein and more fiber. Nuts & dairy are good, but are high in fat & calories, so you should eat those in moderation, like two servings of each per day.

Most of your animal-based proteins should come from lean meats like chicken & fish, and red meat probably only once/week. Too much red meat is no bueno.

Your starches should come from whole, unprocessed grains. Whole wheat breads, bagels & english muffins are staples at our house as well as whole wheat crackers, oatmeal & brown rice (nothing white or processed). Instead of flour tortillas, use corn or wheat tortillas.

And of course, keep fresh fruits & veggies on the counter. Keep cut-up veggies in containers in the fridge and some light ranch handy for dipping.

I should warn you- we eat very healthy and our grocery bill is RIDICULOUS.

Carbs are good for you! Your body needs them! This is a new book coming out, but you can look around his website on what is good to eat (basically, everything that was a plant and no dairy or meats).
http://www.drmcdougall.com/store_starch_solution.html
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
http://www.naturalonabudget.com/2009/11/50-beanslentil-an...
(Engine 2 Diet also plant-based): http://www.managercomplete.com/engine2/recipes.aspx

Do certain carbs make you bloated? I don't know much about gluten-intolerance, but there are people who don't feel good after eating wheat.
As previous poster said about nuts, limit your intake since they are high in fats.

What you need is a great balanced nutritional supplements that will feed your body with all the nutreants and you will not feel like snacking feel good and energized. I gave up meet a while back and feel and look great for my age. The supplements keep me going as well as healthy.

Hummus is a paste of cheak peas wich is good for you. you can get it at Sprouts in diffrent flavors. Let me know if you are interested in the supplements.

Have a great weekend!

I just watched a documentary called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" about one man's journey on to better health. He HAD to lose weight, and luckily you do not, but it was an amazing film! He was juicing tons of fresh veggies and fruits for his meals and results were inspiring. It is well worth a watch if you are going on a Health Kick!

but you're supposed to snack all the time!
or at least graze a lot.
or maybe i'm just projecting myself onto you. i'm weaning myself from Big Dinners to smaller meals and more snacks.
it sounds like you're already doing what's generally recommended, ie lots of protein in the form of nuts and yogurt. hummus is awesome. kale chips! my new favorite crunchy/savory snack, and so easy to make. black bean/sweet potato cakes- make a lot and keep the extras in the freezer for when you need a snack, just give 'em a quick pop in the toaster oven. fresh fruit, of course, you won't bloat from a banana or a bunch of grapes. i find a handful of raisins and raw almonds to be the best hunger-stopper/energy-booster ever. it's not exciting, i don't go 'ooo! i can have a handful of raisins and almonds!' but if i make myself grab them, i'm satisfied and re-energized for a couple of hours.
:) khairete
S.

Bake your salmon w/a drizzle of olive oil & balsamic vinegar (yum)

(You can always pan-cook chicken or fish w/minimal olive oil. Sometimes w/Pan spray will work pretty good as well.)

Grapenuts on top of low fat yogurt is a great snack.

Hummus (pureed garbanzo beans) w/light pita chips

Low fat protein shakes