Veggie Recipe

If you aren’t a vegetarian now and haven’t been one in the past, you probably also haven’t eaten tofu many times. In fact, the only time most people hear about tofu it is in jokes aimed at vegetarians.

So why is it that vegetarians eat this stuff all the time? Is is it simply because they have no other choice?

The answer is both yes and no.

Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean you have to eat tofu. In fact, there are many vegetarians who never eat tofu or any popular meat-replacement dishes–such as “veggie burgers” or “tofurkey”–for that matter.

As long as they research and create meal plans, vegetarians can maintain a healthy diet eating traditional meals or ethnic dishes.

Tofu is often cited as something exclusively vegetarian because it is a versatile, highly-nutritional, and can be used to replace meat dishes.

Not only can it be created in textures, consistencies, and flavors that simulate a range of meats–from turkey to hamburg–but it can also actually replace and far exceed the nutritional value of similar meat dishes.

While vegetarians do not actually need to consume tofu, doing so is often a wise dietary choice–and also the next best thing to eating similar meat products (for those who enjoyed meat dishes before they became vegetarians).

Tofu is a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie food made out of steamed and compressed soy beans. Not only is it a great source of protein–which many vegetarians lack–but it is also heart-healthy and has been linked to a decreased

risk in cancer.

In addition to being served as a meat alternative, tofu is also served in a number of spicy and ethnic dishes, which were never intended to contain meat. Many ethnic Indian dishes contain large amounts of tofu cooked and spiced

in different ways.

So here is my suggestion to you: If you aren’t already a vegetarian, but want to become one, don’t let tofu get in your way. You can maintain a healthy vegetarian diet without ever eating it. However, if you already are a vegetarian, but haven’t tried tofu, I highly suggest you do. It is both nutritional and versatile – and it might not taste as bad as you think.

One vegetarian favorite is the chili. A true chili vegetarian recipe cook however, knows that there is more to just randomly adding any kind of chili pepper. There are some things that you need to take into consideration with your chili vegetarian recipe.

Know Your Chili

The amount of chili in your recipe will depend mainly on your capacity to withstand its hotness. The question however is how to find out if there is too much in your chili vegetarian recipe. One basic step is to know your chili peppers. It is a fact for example that bell peppers and pimiento provide no hot taste at all so you can basically add as much as you want in a dish. Habanero and santaka chilies however are among the hottest so you would do well to add moderate amounts in your chili vegetarian recipe. The famous jalapenos are only about moderately hot and are often the favorite ingredients in a chili vegetarian recipe.

Rev Up on Moderately Hot

Increase chili peppers in the middle or lower range of hotness if you can’t take habaneros that are too hot. It is a fact that a chili vegetarian recipe is packed with full flavor which means that you need less of salt, sugar or other sources of flavor which are not healthy in large amounts.

Chilies have also health benefits like the antioxidants that can help clean up your system. They are also natural pain killers that do not dull all of your vital senses.

Handle Chilies Properly

Chilies can burn the skin. Handle chilies only with your bare hands if you only have a small quantity to cut. Handling lots of chilies for a flavorful chili vegetarian recipe can burn your skin. It makes better sense to use cooking gloves with lots of hot chilies. Make sure too that the juice of chili peppers never find its way into your eyes. Chili juice on your eyes can be a very painful experience. You can also keep your skin and hands off chili peppers by grinding them instead.

Manage the Heat

Remove the chili seeds and the white membrane before cutting and adding the chili to your recipe if you’re not too keen about its hotness. Tomato sauce is also said to be effective in helping lessen the hotness of chili.

Avoid beer and other beverages if the chili is already heating up your tongue. While people still popularly use water to kill the fire of a chili recipe, yogurt and milk seem to be more effective.

Mix with Other Tastes

Your chili vegetarian recipe would taste best with garlic, beans, tofu, onions and tomatoes. Just make sure that you mix your ingredients well so that the chili flavor does not stick in just some parts of the recipe but watch out for burned ingredients. Experts advise though that ingredients shouldn’t be mixed all at once since this could kill the hot taste. Sauté the spices gradually to release the chili oil that holds the secret to its hot taste. Depending on the dish, you can serve a chili dish the next day to give time for flavors and tastes to mix.

Though many people have the idea that feeding a toddler a vegetarian diet isn’t safe, so long as parents take care to make sure that all the appropriate nutrients are met, it’s actually quite healthy.

Some benefits to a lifelong, proper vegetarian diet include a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.

The main problem with vegetarianism and toddler nutrition is making sure your child gets enough nutrients and calories. Calorie consumption is important for ensuring your toddler has the energy he needs to play hard and grow.

It can be challenging to develop a well-rounded vegetarian toddler menu that provides enough protein and iron. Since toddlers already have such a small appetite, it can be difficult to get them to eat enough vegetables or beans to receive all of their nutrients. Therefore, it is important that vegetarian children are served nutrient-dense foods.

Soybeans and tofu are a great source of protein for adults and children over four. For toddlers, though, it shouldn’t be used as their main source of protein. In this instance, compliment the tofu or soybeans that you serve with soymilk that has been fortified with vitamins and minerals. Not only will this help provide some protein, it will also help your toddler’s nutrition by providing calcium, and vitamins A and D, which can often be hard to get in a vegan diet.

Iron can be found in many vegetarian-friendly foods. Kidney beans, lima beans, green beans, and spinach are all excellent sources of iron. However, unlike iron derived from animal sources, iron from vegetables can be hard for your body to absorb properly. But serving a vitamin C rich food with those beans or spinach can make the iron easier for your toddler to absorb. Some great sources of vitamin C include tomatoes, oranges, broccoli, red peppers, and cantaloupe.

While it is possible to raise a healthy vegan, it can take a bit more work. You may need to supplement your toddler’s diet to ensure they get all the nutrition that they need. Vitamin B-12 can be especially difficult for vegans to get enough of.

While vegetables contain some B-12 vitamins, the body does not easily absorb these. Your toddler’s healthcare provider can help you decide on a B-12 suitable for toddlers.

A diet that does not allow for calcium can also be detrimental to your child’s health. Calcium helps to make bones stronger and aids in proper growth and development. Choose soymilk that is calcium-fortified, but be sure it’s also fortified with other nutrients that your toddler needs for good nutrition.

Vegetarian child. The term almost sounds like an oxymoron we’ve joked about through the years, like jumbo shrimp. The words just don’t seem to go together! It’s not as unnatural as it may sound.

Actually, kids are almost natural vegetarians. It’s imperative that you offer your growing vegetarian child a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and soy based proteins to ensure they have the energy and nutrients needed to grow up strong, healthy, and happy.

When you’re planning a healthy vegetarian diet, you’re only limited by your imagination. It’s important to incorporate a wide variety of whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits in different meals, including seeds and nuts. Variety is the spice of life, and it will help ensure your vegetarian diet is nutrient-dense, interesting, and fun! Aim for variety, even when you serve favorite entrees over and over again, by serving different side dishes, snacks and desserts.

Be creative in planning meals. Boost your consumption of beans and vegetables by eating these foods at lunch time rather than just for dinner. Make it a goal to serve a vegetable every day for lunch and two for dinner.

Plan a meal around a vegetable. A baked potato can be a hearty entree; serve it with baked beans, a sauce of stewed tomatoes or a few tablespoons of salsa. Or make a simple meal of sautéed vegetables and pasta.

Try new foods often. Experiment with a variety of grains such as quinoa, couscous, bulgur, barley, and wheat berries. Try fruits and vegetables that are popular in different international cuisines, such as bok choy. Accentuate the positive. Focus more on healthy foods that fit into a vegetarian plan instead of foods to avoid. If you’re unsure how to include a new food into your vegetarian diet, ask the produce manager at your local grocer or health food store for ideas on how to prepare it. The internet can be a great resource for new recipe and preparation ideas. But be sure that you’re building your menu on a strong plant food base. Make them the core of your diet.

Don’t stress about getting enough protein. As long as calories are sufficient and the diet is varied, vegetarians easily meet protein needs. Grains, beans, vegetables, and nuts all provide protein. Vegetarians do not need to eat special combinations of foods to meet protein needs. However, it is important to be aware of fat.

Even vegetarians can get too much fat if the diet contains large amounts of nuts, oils, processed foods, or sweets.





By: Jasper Sayer

Can vegetarians opt for low carbohydrates and still be healthy? The answer is yes and there are a number of low carb vegetarian foods that anyone can include in their diet. Also, opting for a low carbohydrate diet has been proven effective for most people who wish to shed pounds. The best option is of course to go for vegetables and fruits that are low in sugars as well as to go for oils that come from fruits and certain nuts.

Vegetarians also have soy foods as the best group that is low on carbohydrates. Tofu, a top soy food product is highly recommended. Meat substitutes for vegetarians are usually soy-based such as veggie burgers, vegetarian sausages, fake cold cuts and ground beef substitutes. They have been prepared to be like meat in terms of taste and smell so vegetarians can still enjoy their taste without having to really eat actual meat. They can be incorporated in excellent vegetarian foods like in salads and stir-fry. These are excellent low carbohydrate foods for vegetarians since they contain high amounts of proteins. A new soy-based food has been developed that is also low on carbohydrates is called textured vegetable protein. This may come as dry granules or in chunks and is available in any health food store. It contains proteins and fiber with little carbohydrates. It can be prepared to make excellent vegetarian recipes that are low in carbohydrates such as vegetarian chili or to prepare it by simply boiling it and flavoring it with seasonings.

Another low carbohydrate vegetarian food is seitan or wheat gluten. However, unlike tofu and other soy-based food products, it is low in protein and has been reported to cause a number of food reactions.

For lacto-ovo vegetarians, dairy or milk products can also be a good protein source. Dairy is a common source of weight loss delay for many people and can be problematic in other ways for many others such as for those who have allergies in them. Also, it’s very hard to get enough protein from dairy without going over one’s daily carbohydrate limits. Use dairy products as an addition to the main foods, if you use it at all to make them more flavorful and tasteful for example. Eggs are also good protein source that are low in carbohydrates that lacto-ovo vegetarians can go for. Egg yolk is also an excellent source other nutrients so they could also be added to the vegetarian diet.

Vegetarians that wish to eat only low carbohydrate food could also opt for low carbohydrate vegetables as well as nuts and seeds. For fruits, go for those that are low in sugar. Oils that are naturally found in avocados and olives are also highly recommended as additions to a low carbohydrate vegetarian diet. Go slow on refined sugars and remember that in this case of going for low carbohydrates, vegetables are much better than fruits.

As in any diet, read labels always to get the gist on the carbohydrate content of the food that you are consuming. Avoid foods that have too much seasoning in them as seasonings could also add up to the carbohydrate content of your food. The same goes for example, for tofu that comes with flavor already. The flavor could come only from seasonings so it may be best to simply buy the tofu and flavor it yourself. In adding flavor to your food, go for seasoning like cayenne pepper, herbs, garlic, and a variety of cheeses. Theirs is not need to sacrifice flavor for as long as you are aware of what seasonings and flavorings find their way in your food. One can also never go wrong with stir fried vegetables as well as grilled vegetables. You may take these with lo carbohydrate pasta so you get the best of flavor and filling without actually going overboard with the carbohydrate intake.

A precaution however, in any vegetarian diet is deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals. Iron is one example. For vegetarians, an excellent option for iron source is beans and nuts. Deficiency in iron could lead to anemia so there is a special precaution for vegetarian women who are pregnant or if they are already anemic. This may be remedied by taking iron supplements.

Low carbohydrate food for vegetarians can also be a little bit pricey and many of them are also processed foods. These are some of the factors to consider in choosing foods that one wants to include in a low carbohydrate vegetarian diet.





By: Lee Dobbins

If you have just gone vegetarian and are coming up to you first vegetarian holiday season, or if you find yourself cooking for a vegetarian this holiday season this is the article for you. A vegetarian holiday season need not be a gloomy series of substitutes for meat. Vegetarian fare can be festive in its own right.

A good nut roast is one of the delights of the vegetarian table. It takes some time to make so it is not something that vegetarians eat every day. But it takes much less time than a turkey.

You will need a selction of nuts and this is season of nuts. You will also need a food processor to grind them to a paste. The kind of nuts you use influences the flavour and colour of the finished roast. Almonds, walnuts, cashews and some hazel nuts make an excellent vegetarian roast but be guided by your own tastes.

Grind the nuts and season them with salt, pepper and spices. Nutmeg is an ideal spice to use. Add some liquid such as vegetable stock and put the mixture into a tin. It should be baked in the oven for about an hour depending on size.

To accompany your vegetarian roast you will need sauces. Cranberry sauce is fine for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. An onion gravy made with vegetable stock will be eaten by all your guests.

Stuffing can be cooked in a separate dish. A combination of brown rice, dried fruit, chopped apples and spices will make a delicious accompaniment to the vegetarian roast. Just avoid adding meat fat. Rely on vegetable fat such as vegetarian suet.

For the visual aspect of a festive vegetarian meal you need to think about vegetables. Decorate your table with a variety of vegetable dishes. Baked squashes make a spectacular centre piece. Stuffed vegetables will show that you have taken that little bit of extra care about the meal.

If your meal is to be entirely vegetarian give the vegetables centre stage on your table. Their colours will delight the eyes of your diners. If you are entertaining vegetarians and non-vegetarians then the turkey will have to take pride of place. But all your guests will be able to tuck into the vegetarian dishes. Your meal may open their eyes to the world of vegetarian cuisine.

Remember that your vegetarian guests may be vegan. If you cannot ascertain this in advance then it will be as well to avoid the use of eggs and milk in your vegetarian dishes. A nust roast is often bound together with eggs but this is not essential. Cream sauces for dessert can be made from ground nuts. Cashews are always popular for this. Soya cream is also available.

When creating a cheese board take care to ensure that at least one cheese is made without rennet. Rennet comes from the lining of a cow’s stomach and many vegetarians will not eat it. You might also like to have a few soy based cheeses. The soft soy based cheeses are an excellent option for guests who are watching their cholesterol levels as well as vegetarians and vegans.

The whole point of a holiday season is to share with friends and family. So if you are a non-vegetarian cooking for vegetarians or you are a vegetarian cooking for non-vegetarians make your festive table welcoming to all.





By: Abhishek Agarwal