Those who are not vegetarians probably ask themselves how a vegetarian cook can keep vegetarian meals exciting with just vegetables at his disposal. This same thought might be stopping or at least deterring some meat-eaters from giving up meat and trying vegetarianism. The fact is, that vegetarian meals are not just 'meat and two veg' without the meat, although forty years ago there were many vegetarians who began like that.
However, a routine of 'meat and two veg' without the meat is not sustainable. A person who eats meals such as these will soon fall sick, particularly if there is no fish, dairy or eggs in the diets either. Many vegetarians opt to eat a small amount to dairy, fish or eggs to help supply much needed protein, which can be difficult to replace in a met-free diet.
Vegetarians have to plan their meals far more than meat-eaters in order to eat everything that a body needs to grow, repair itself and defend itself from disease. It will naturally take some time for the newcomer to vegetarianism to learn new recipes and how to cook them so in the beginning, many vegetarians do indeed cook meals which are of the 'meat and two veg' without the meat type.
This is all OK if you know what to exchange for the meat. There are a number of things in the stores, but one of the most useful is soya in all its various kinds. Tempeh is a soya bean meat substitute and so is tofu. Both these can be used to replace meat for a supply of protein.
The good thing about these substances is that they can be cooked to taste of anything you like - they take on flavours quite easily. They can also be made to resemble the texture of meat.
Seitan (wheat gluten) is a similarly adaptable and helpful product, but you have to be sure that you are not allergic to gluten first, because this allergy appears to be spreading. Soya bean products and seitan can be easily bought at health food shops and Oriental shops.
As you get more capable at cooking vegetarian meals, you will almost certainly rely less heavily on these things. Beans and nuts are also helpful substitutes, but you will almost certainly have to learn how to make use of them first. Take a look at chickpeas, lentils but kidney beans.
Soya by-products like soya milk and soya yoghurt and even soya margarine can be used to replace normal dairy products. You can also create a sort of healthy milk from rice water or / and blended nuts. Besides making milk and casseroles from nuts, some nuts are excellent in salads. Have a go with walnuts, cashews or almonds and eat seeds too like sesame and poppy. Sunflower seeds and others are great for snacks.
Bread and sandwiches are good vegetarian fast foods. Experiment with different sorts of flour. Buy yourself a bread-making machine and bake your own bread. Preparation time is minutes but you can set the timer to cook the bread for when you like. Seven in the morning is better than any alarm clock.
However, a routine of 'meat and two veg' without the meat is not sustainable. A person who eats meals such as these will soon fall sick, particularly if there is no fish, dairy or eggs in the diets either. Many vegetarians opt to eat a small amount to dairy, fish or eggs to help supply much needed protein, which can be difficult to replace in a met-free diet.
Vegetarians have to plan their meals far more than meat-eaters in order to eat everything that a body needs to grow, repair itself and defend itself from disease. It will naturally take some time for the newcomer to vegetarianism to learn new recipes and how to cook them so in the beginning, many vegetarians do indeed cook meals which are of the 'meat and two veg' without the meat type.
This is all OK if you know what to exchange for the meat. There are a number of things in the stores, but one of the most useful is soya in all its various kinds. Tempeh is a soya bean meat substitute and so is tofu. Both these can be used to replace meat for a supply of protein.
The good thing about these substances is that they can be cooked to taste of anything you like - they take on flavours quite easily. They can also be made to resemble the texture of meat.
Seitan (wheat gluten) is a similarly adaptable and helpful product, but you have to be sure that you are not allergic to gluten first, because this allergy appears to be spreading. Soya bean products and seitan can be easily bought at health food shops and Oriental shops.
As you get more capable at cooking vegetarian meals, you will almost certainly rely less heavily on these things. Beans and nuts are also helpful substitutes, but you will almost certainly have to learn how to make use of them first. Take a look at chickpeas, lentils but kidney beans.
Soya by-products like soya milk and soya yoghurt and even soya margarine can be used to replace normal dairy products. You can also create a sort of healthy milk from rice water or / and blended nuts. Besides making milk and casseroles from nuts, some nuts are excellent in salads. Have a go with walnuts, cashews or almonds and eat seeds too like sesame and poppy. Sunflower seeds and others are great for snacks.
Bread and sandwiches are good vegetarian fast foods. Experiment with different sorts of flour. Buy yourself a bread-making machine and bake your own bread. Preparation time is minutes but you can set the timer to cook the bread for when you like. Seven in the morning is better than any alarm clock.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on several topics, but is at present concerned with vegetarian recipes for kids. If you want to know more or check out some special offers, please go to our site at Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes.