Vegetarian and/or vegan members of BYC!

[Mom 2em All]

I have a link to some very good vegetarian resources on nutrition for children/teenagers/pregnancy etc. but I am unsure if I can post it or not. If interested, I can pm the link- but if I get permission, I will post the link here.


eta:

permission granted. thank you! Here is the link:

http://www.vrg.org/family/kidsindex.htm

 

[JP33]

Man, I see some of my stuff was removed from this thread, I really thought the last two jokes were funny, wasn't looking to offend anyone, sorry if I did.

I kind of mix up my diet to achieve a balance. I have turned to traditional foods and abhor CAFOS. There are days where I abstain from all animal products and have a veggie day or two.

Someone mentioned they don't like the fakin' bacon. If it is not cooked correctly it is terrible, I like it cooked in a toaster oven or griddle and then make BLTs out of it. Its very good in a BLT.

This is the one I like: http://www.lightlife.com/product_detail.jsp?p=tempeh_smokystrips

My favorite, favorite non-meat food item is the Mexican Chipotle grain meat sausages from the field Roast Meat Company: http://www.fieldroast.com/products.htm

What I do is remove the casing and cook the suasage in a cast iron skillet. I then make a sandwhich using mayonaise and lots of sauerkraut. If you like it spicy, this sandwhich is for you!


...JP

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Just ignore them by not responding to their taunts and critisms. They are acting like naughty little children that scream, insult and throw objects to get attention.

Mine were not taunts. I felt very insulted by her statements.

There is no need to be, if you farm humanely.

Which I'm sure you do.

I am not a vegetarian, but I agree with her about factory farming. That is why we are opting out of it. We raise all of our own meat or buy it from a local grass farmer, along with milk.

 

[fldiver97]

for those who are looking for a non-dairy ice cream treat - Tofuti Cuties makes really good (at least in my opinion) peanut butter ice cream sandwich. The only problem I have is that all the other flavors are readily available and it's hit and miss on the PB.... Hmmm, may actually be a good thing, otherwise I'd eat them all the time

I am ovo-lacto, love cheese and ice cream. Trying to decrease dairy somewhat. Love the goat cheese from a small family farm nearby though and will buy that as well as some other smaller family farm products like honey and cheese. As far as eggs are concerned.....even before I had my own chickens I have bought eggs from a lady at work that has a small flock of a couple or three dozen hens. The eggs are simpler better and I prefer to use eggs from chickens that are able to walk in real grass and dirt with enough space to be content.
I admire the smaller farms that work hard to care for their animals and the land despite crushing competition from industrial farming. I still would not revert back to eating meat but that is my choice as I have done meat and meat-free. I have made, though not very often, meat dishes for loved ones over the years. Maybe once or twice a year at the most, always 'flying by the seat of my pants' as I do not taste what I make.....So far, nobody has complained....maybe they are just to polite??

On the very rare occasions I buy meat from sources I feel comfortable with though. But my friends and family have learned to accomodate my dietary choice and respect them too They try to prepare meals for me that are according to my preferences. It works out well.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could have it all....

 

[Buster52]

Quote:
Foer in the aforementioned book does make an interesting point. It can be actually more difficult for a selective omnivore like me to follow my ethics in a social situation than is for a vegan or vegetarian. All the latter need do is inform the host that they are what they are and the host is generally comfortable making accommodations by just finding a vegie recipe and ingredients somewhere.

For people like me it is a different matter. "Well, I eat meat, but not factory farmed meat". That is much more difficult to accommodate. It forces the host to seek out a food source that can be difficult to find, if not impossible in some areas.

Reality is I end up compromising my ethics rather than make life difficult for my host, and I'm not really happy with that choice. When I eat out, though, I just eat vegetarian to keep it simple.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

I'm so stoked to see this thread and that it's grown so rapidly!

I stopped eating most meat when I was nine, except for poultry. I've always been very compassionate about animals and I grew up with many vegetarian/vegan aunts and uncles, one of whom was an animal rights activist. They'd babysit often and I'd ask them questions about it. Something my uncle said to me when I was very young has stuck in my head ever since, "If you ever saw the inside of a slaughter house, you'd change your mind". Then my aunt and uncle took my cousins, brothers and I camping and I hesistantly tried a tofu dog. It tasted very much like a regular hot dog and I thought "hey, this may not be so tough!". My parents were very supportive of my decision, even though both of them ate meat. Then I gave up poultry at around 12 years old. That's when I really started doing the research on the treatment of food animals and it really reinforced my decision.

I'm 25 now, and technically I'm an ovo-lacto-pescatarian. I would like to give up fish in the near future. I am also struggling with finding a more humane means of dairy consumption. I would love to have a cow or goats in the future and be able to supply my own dairy. As for eggs, I won't buy them anymore but I definitely enjoy my own gals' eggs! Probably within the last five years or so I started eating all of the TVP and soy "meats", tofu and all of that stuff. There are some really amazing options out there!

My favorite foods are ANYTHING meatless! I looooooove food, I love cooking, and I really enjoy trying new foods.

 

[jeaucamom]

After avoiding veggies for a lifetime, I obviously had to make friends with them again if I was going to be a vegetarian or I would starve since eating meat was now out of the question.

So this weeks new friend is Humus... I have violently disliked humus my whole life... okay..haven't tried it for 20 years but I remember that I disliked it. Then low and behold I bought some on a whim the last time I was at Winco and IT WAS REALLY GOOD... with Triscuts. Holy smokes, it is amazing how our taste buds change as we get older. Now I can't get enough of it.

And who wants the best carrot dip in the whole world ever???? On top of the super soft, super thick pita breads??? Oh... it is to die for!!!

4 pounds of carrots peeled and cut into pite sized peices
4 T olive oil to coat carrots
10 whole garlic cloves


bake on tinfoil lined tray at 425 degree for 20 minutes stir and bake another 20 minutes or so longer until carrots are tender. Put carrots in bowl and add:

12-16 Tablespoons water
1 c mayo
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 t sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Blend with a hand blender (milkshake maker etc) and enjoy. It is great hot out of the oven and great cold too. Can't go bad with this one folks.

 

[mrbstephens]

Quote:
I wasn't too worried about you Emzyy, you seem to be a very pragmatic & sensible girl. Pistacios are a very very good thing, not so sure about the ocra though

Even living in the South didn't get me to like them. Have you tried edamame? It's fresh soybeans, absolutely delicious dipped in soy sauce. Of course, with your running you could totally add some butter on it too.

Try the Morningstar Farms sausages, burgers and bacon if you haven't. Delicious. We are big fans of the sausages here. Yum yum.

I personally prefer Dr. Praegar's California Burgers.

You should add tofu to your diet. Whenever my family is eating chicken or pork, I throw some sliced tofu drizzled with soy sauce or my favorite sweet ginger sauce in the oven. Also be careful about your iron. Anemia is not fun. I actually recommend a good vegetarian supplement vitamin.

 

[Organics North]

Quote:
Me too! Humus with hot pepper oil and Aukmuk (SP?) crackers.. and the occasional carrot..
YES my #1 snack at this time..

Oh ya.. No I am not a herbivore by design. I am an omnivore but am leaning twords way less meat than the cultural "norm". Yummmm Humus=protein I am a laboring muscular man I LOVE protein!

With that said.. All the vegetarians out their that eat vegetarian because of moral reasons. Be sure you are not wearing leather belts or shoes.. That would make you a bit of a bigot.
(Yes I love animals, and admire their souls and HATE when I personally kill the meat I eat... But by design I am an omnivore. Yes I think best case senerio humans will evolve into herbivores in a few millenia..

)

As an aging laboring man I find my body needs less meat as time goes on.

I say if you are healthy and it feels good doing it......DO IT... Thank you for this tread..
ON

 

[Lady_Cluck]

I'm a selective (some might say picky) omnivore. If I don't grow it myself, I want to know where it came from and how it was raised, whether it's an animal or a plant. However, the vast majority of my diet consists of veggies, fruits, and whole grains because I believe it's just healthier for me. I also try to avoid processed food, whatever food group it falls under.

ANYWAY, I joined in on this thread because I have the best vegetable burger recipe ever and I just have to share! Coincidently I just made a double batch Thursday night -- enough for dinner for the family and extra to put in the freezer. Best of all, it uses some of the chickens' eggs!

Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked brown rice
3/4 cup grated carrots
3/4 cup raw cauliflower, diced
3/4 cup raw broccoli, diced
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I've used panko and homemade crumbs -- both work great!)
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon minced dry onions
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 fresh eggs from the barn

Instructions:

Mix the rice, carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower (the finer the vegetables are chopped, the better). In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, flour, basil, onions, seasoned salt, and salt. Stir mixture into the vegetables and make sure its evenly mixed. Gently beat the eggs, add them to the bowl, and mix well. Let mixture stand 5 minutes. Make into 6 flat patties. Heat pan; add 1 tablespoon oil. Add patties and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until each side is brown. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite condiments or eat as is -- they are awesome!

Extra thought: I've also added a little garlic when I feel like it. And in the summer when I have plenty of chives and green onions, they go in the bowl, too! Mmmm!

**Edited because I spelled "onions" wrong. What a shame!