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How To Cook Vegetarian Food

Being a vegetarian does not mean you have to give up your favorite foods. There are many different substitutes you can use that taste like the real thing. The first thing you want to do is make a list of your favorite foods that have meat or dairy in them and then write down the main ingredients (you will want a different list for the ingredients you are replacing). Take your list to the grocery store with you and find the section with tofu and all other vegetarian substitutions. There will also be vegetarian options in the frozen foods section.

After you have all your ingredients, cook your food the same way you would if it were not vegetarian, only with the substitutes. However, you will want to read the instructions on the package; for most vegetarian foods, you will not have to cook it as long as you would with meet.

There are more vegetarian options than you would think. Vegetarian convenience foods are a great way to start. Once you have gotten use to all the different types of vegetarian foods, you can start to experiment and make your own dishes. Try adding more rice, beans, and grains and use ingredients with protein. Also, don’t focus on the “meat” part of the meal. Focus more on vegetables, rice, pasta, and breads. Vegetarian meals can get expensive. There are many different ways to cook vegetarian meals. Many meals do not even require meat, so you won’t need a substitute.

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Good Tasting & Good For You

A picture taken, of A Green Salad.

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Nutritional standards are continually changing. To know if you are eating right, you should use the USDA’s updated dietary guidelines. A woman that is 5’5” tall and weighs 140 pounds should take in approximately 2350 calories per day assuming she is moderately active. These calories should come from vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, low fat dairy and few oils. Having a hard time coming up with healthy eats that offer tons of flavor? Try the following:

Breakfast

One whole grain English muffin with a tablespoon of peanut butter and sliced fresh strawberries, a side of lowfat yogurt topped with blueberries

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An egg white breakfast burrito with peppers, tomatoes, lowfat cheese and pinto beans wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla

Lunch

Tossed salad made with romaine, cooked chicken breast, shredded carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and purple cabbage topped with chopped unsalted almonds and a drizzle of olive oil flavored with balsamic vinegar—as a side, have whole grain pita bread triangles dipped in hummus

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A turkey sandwich on flaxseed bread with pureed cranberries and spinach leaves, paired with julienned steamed vegetables and a glass of low fat milk

Sweet Snack

A bowl of mixed berries topped with a tablespoon of lowfat whipped topping

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A frozen banana drizzled in chocolate sauce

Dinner

Broiled fish paired with steamed California vegetables, cottage cheese and cantaloupe, along with a whole grain dinner roll

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Boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast topped with mango chutney, a side of long grain brown rice and a variety of raw vegetables (use a sour cream based dip as a low fat alternative to ranch dressing)

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New Additions to Holiday Meals

Picture of fries made from sweet potatoes.

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Planning meals for special occasions is pretty simple if you have done it in the past. There are certain items that people simply expect to be on the table. Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving without the turkey, corn, stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and finally, the gravy. Easter would not be Easter if the table wasn’t adorned with ham, candied yams, pastel hard boiled eggs, some sort of fruit fluff salad (you know the stuff–cool whip mixed with various fruits), and baked potatoes. But, what if you want to rebel and mix it all up? Ham on Thanksgiving, prime rib on Easter? Can your family handle it?

If you want to try something new for the holidays, go for it, but do so in moderation. If you know your family particularly looks forward to certain dishes, make sure they end up on the table. The best way to get your family to move beyond their favorite holiday comfort foods is to add in new dishes along with the old standbys. Try twice baked baby potatoes with your Easter ham this year. They are a snap to make and they taste terrific. Instead of sweet potato casserole, bake some sweet potato fries. No one really loves that fruit fluff, everyone just eats it because they grew up with it. Skip it this year and make fruit kabobs with a raspberry-honey yogurt dip.

Keep the family favorites, but present them in a new way. This keeps the cook from getting bored and the guests from getting upset. Also consider serving buffet style this year. That makes it easy for everyone to serve themselves, get seconds (or thirds) and it keeps the occasion a bit more relaxed. And really, who couldn’t use more relaxation in their lives?

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Sneaking Vegetables into Everyday Foods

Half a chocolate Bundt cake 2

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It is hard to make sure that you children are getting a truly nutritional diet. While there are some kids that would prefer fruit over candy and vegetable over chips, there is also the other group who simply say “I don’t like that.” The good news is that you can add fruits and veggies to your meals without the kids ever having a clue!

  • Next time you prepare an Italian dish with a marinara sauce, pour the can of sauce into the blender prior to putting in a sauce pot. Throw in steamed chopped broccoli, butternut squash and other vegetables that you find you kids don’t like to eat. Blend, blend, blend. Continue cooking the meals as you normally would and the kids won’t even notice your “secret” ingredients.
  • Chocolate cake is a terrific way to add fruits and vegetables to a diet. Instead of adding oil, butter, water and milk, simply use shredded zucchini, apples and carrots along with the juice that runs into the bowl as you shred. If the mixture still seems a bit thick, pour in a bit of applesauce. Bake and then drizzle with a bit of melted milk chocolate. Your kids will rave!
  • Mashed potatoes are another food that you can add special touches to. Steam some cauliflower and mash it in to the taters. The flavor and consistency will not even have a noticeable change. You can do the same with carrots and sweet potatoes for a colorful addition to your meal.
  • Make smoothies as a special treat. Use frozen bananas as you “ice cream” base. Add frozen orange juice concentrate along with fresh or frozen berries of any kind and drink up!

Once you see that your children will eat the veggies in this form, you will begin to recognize other foods that you can add pureed produce to without your family balking at the thought.

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The Traveling Gourmet

To the “foodie” traveling is a much different experience than it is to the adventure traveler. It is a mission – a mission to find authentic, unusual and gourmet options. You would never find the foodie traveler at a chain restaurant much less a fast food one. Instead they look for the hole in the wall that cannot be found in any tourist magazine.

Ever wonder how to go about this? There are actually a number of ways. One way is to talk to the desk clerk at your hotel. Notice that desk clerk is mentioned instead of the concierge. The concierge may know of the places off the beaten path but it is more likely it will be the well known locations that they will guide you to. Ask the desk clerk where they like to eat and why they like it. You are far more likely to get the kind of place your palate is craving.

Another way is to talk to store keepers as you are shopping. They are likely to be especially helpful if you have just made a nice purchase and engaged in some friendly conversation. Again, ask them where they like to eat.

This approach really works with any local person you can grab onto and engage in pleasant conversation. People love talking about where they live and will often be able to tell you about a place that few tourists are aware of.

Notice the difference between asking where is good and where they eat. If you ask where is good, you may get the first thing that pops into their mind and it may not be somewhere they have ever eaten as they are as much a victim of advertising as a tourist can be. Ask them where they plunk down their hard earned dollar and you are likely to find a real gem!

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, Processed Foods Tagged With: , ,