Drawing a Line in the Sand: No More Meat

There, I've said it. From here on out, no more meat. Changing to a vegetarian diet is more than a dietary change. It is a change in lifestyle--and that takes time and effort. Honestly, I can say that I mostly vegetarian. Sometimes I regress and eat meat, but not often. One of the hardest parts of becoming vegetarian is trying to create meals that are not full of carbs or fat.

Carbs

Pasta and rice. I love both. Pasta is my downfall. It is difficult to create interesting and different vegetarian meals without using either pasta or rice. I have yet to find a non-semolina based pasta that I can eat. Most become starchy and sticky or turn to mush.

Rice is not as big a challenge. I rarely use white rice. We most often use Madagascar Pink rice or Volcano rice from Lotus Foods. When I serve brown rice, I add scallions to it. My kids like it better that way.

Fats

What--A vegetarian diet is full of fat? It can be if you use a lot of cheese. I am finding that there are too many recipes that use cheese almost as a meat substitute. While cheese has its place, I am trying to limit the amount of dairy I eat. Vegetarian cheese does not appeal to me. Still searching for a solution to this dilemma.

Solutions that Work

I've been experimenting with rice noodles. The kids like them and they add an authentic taste to stir fry. Quinoa is a wonderful grain that is high in protein. Most of my kids like it and it is fairly versatile. I can swap out pasta or rice with quinoa in some dishes.

It has been a long slow process for me and my family. We are eating healthier but I do not foresee anyone other than myself becoming completely vegetarian.

--Lynda

Easy way to reduce dairy intake

I do not plan to go vegan, I just don't see how I could possibly manage it. But, reducing my diary intake is an important goal for me. Using soy based products won't work for me. My oncologist told me to avoid soy because of the type of breast cancer I have. The first step that I am taking to reduce my dairy intake is switching from cow's milk to almond milk.

Why switch?
If you remove all the studies sponsored by the dairy counsel, very little evidence exists that cow's milk is good for you. My non-dairy milk of choice is Blue Diamond Almond Milk. It is free of soy.

Switching to a non-dairy milk is diet friendly. Unsweetened, original almond milk only has 30 calories per cup. The original has 60 calories per cup. That is a lot less than 90 calories for one cup of skim milk. I still get the calcium I need but without the calories.

I noticed after switching that my skin is clearer and less dry. While I cannot prove that this is due to removing cow's milk from my diet--it seems to be more than just a coincidence.

Making changes
I do not find much of a taste difference between almond milk and cow's milk. Almond milk does not taste different in cereal or coffee. When I bake, I replace cow's milk with almond milk and no one in my house can tell the difference. It is a great way to cut the calorie count of a recipe. My kids like chocolate flavored almond milk to drink. It's a nice treat for them on occasions.

Going vegetarian is a lifestyle commitment. I'm taking it one step at a time. So far, I have not found a substitute I like for cheese--but I am working on it. For now, it looks like I will just have to reduce my cheese intake.

--Lynda