Veg. for a week?

[Dave]

So liltoker, have you done it yet? How did it go?

 

[mr_p]

I had a meat pie about 4 days ago, didn't sit to well

have been wanting to go vego' for some time now... the only problem is that I will be riding my bike 100km every day in may.... so is there any point transitioning to a vego diet ?


i've read about this protein thing, that we eat WAY to much of it (or just that we don't really need the amount we eat on average in the west)

i've heard of a raw-food vegan who rode from perth to cairns in 46 days on a pushbike (thats like a good few thousand kilometres)

my only problem is... i CRAVED meat like nothing else on my last cycling adventure... ???

? guess i just need to learn how to make lentils a tad more desirable

 

[Dtergent]

I usually look for vegetarian recipes on non-vegetarian websites. Here's a vegetarian search result at Epicurious. You can also look for Asian/ Southeast Asian vegetable recipes to get ideas.

You can also look for "regular" recipes and make substitutions-- like marinated tofu instead of meat, coconut milk for regular milk, coconut milk + starchy potatoes for cheese sauces, etc.

I've said it here that I'm not much a fan of "stereotypical" Western vegetarian food (whole grainy, too fatty and nutty, somewhat faddish?). Maybe because Asians have many popular traditional ways already of cooking vegetable viands. If you are not so finicky and want to get a feel of just eating mostly vegetables per se (but still with flavor you are used to), you can order vegetable dishes in Asian restaurants that have marginal amounts of meat, and just pick those out.

If you are home and lazy, just a good sauteeing of cut beans and veggies with olive oil and lots of garlic should get you filled.

I agree with Dave that you shouldn't expect it to be like a fast, but you can expect to maybe get hungry quicker (as many meat-eaters tell me), so have fruit or a good veg snack around if you're out of the house.

 

[Dave]

Personally, I eat six small meals a day, so I don't notice the getting hungry faster bit. For a long bike ride, I'd say that would be the only way to go-- rest often, and eat every time you stop. You want (ideally) to keep your blood sugar as close to level as possible. If you feel 'hungry', then you're either not eating enough, or waiting too long between meals.

Lentils can take a bit of work, but they take up spice flavours nicely (complements their earthy flavour), and can be worked into many recipes. Making a pureed tomato sauce? Throw in a cup of cooked lentils. Ditto soup (pureed or rustic). I make a mean lentil nut loaf that has a texture that's somewhere between a classic meatloaf and a tagine. Mmmm, with cashew gravy.

 

[yougene]

Burritos

 

[thujone]

You will run into people who say otherwise, especially on Bluelight, but they probably ended up in the Healthy Living forum by way of the Steroid Discussion forum, and their perspective is skewed by years of body building.

the stereotypical vegitarian is a skinny twerp. clearly then, a fair number of them overlook their protein requirements.

i never intended to eat like a vegitarian but lately that's how i roll. i've felt a lot more energetic in general since i've cut pork out of my diet entirely, but i still find meat, especially chicken mmm, to be the most effective fuel. at the end of the week though, i only eat about a half kilo's worth of meat chopped up in the salads i have every few days.

one of the most effective things in a lean diet, i find, is yogurt. i don't have to think twice about getting my morning dose of fruits and nuts, and can even mix in a bit of probiotic.

breakfast usually goes:

-yogurt
-berries
-nuts
-toast
-apple
-green tea

for dinner i like to roast up salmon fillet. since i live by the ocean now, it's always fresh and always cheap so that's a definite boon. it's also terribly EASY. just sprinkle some basil on top, throw it in the oven for ten minutes, and with a round of lemon on top it's ready to eat. fucking delicious! high in EFAs, low in bad fats, high in protein, and the EPA certifies fresh salmon contains the lowest concentration of mercury amongst saltwater fish.

other lazy nights i just cop a can of chickpeas and add to pasta for the protein. unless i were supplementing, i couldn't get more protein from meats than what i easily acquire from healthier foods and for cheaper too.

either way i typically live off $10 or less a day, and get enough protein to increase muscle mass without eating much meat or pounding protein shakes.

 

[Coolio]

Lack of protein has nothing to do with being skinny. Lack of exercise and lack of calories does.

 

[Ashtonmuffin]

I went veg for the same reason. At the grocery store they have sections that have really good veggie food to eat. Morningstar is a great brand for veggie food. Don't get hung up in the whole "just because it's not meat means I can eat it" thing. Because then you will likely make yourself more unhealthy. It's fun for a challenge though definitely!