Diabetes Blog

vegetarian?

My bf and I are thinking about becoming vegetarians, we have a 9 month old daughter and want her to be as healthy as possible because diabetes, heart disease, thyroid, and obesity run in my family.We just have no idea how to get started. I am not a chef by any means but my bf cooks sometimes, know any good recipes or sites with them?
Here is what we do know: vegetarians can eat vegis, fruits, nuts , beans,rice, noodles ,and some eat milk,eggs, and fish.
that seems kinda hard. how do you eat out?
Also is it more expensive?We spend around 300 a month on groceries and that is all we can afford. I would imagine having to keep your fridge stocked with fresh fruit and veg. gets expensive!

Congratulations, and I’m glad to see parents being responsible and caring for their children’s health.

First, one note, vegetarians do not eat fish, but piscavores do. They are sometimes lumped in as vegetarians, but vegetarians eat no animals at all. So I’ll try to answer your question without assuming whether you intend to eat fish or not.*

Eating out as a vegetarian can sometimes be a bit difficult, but you can usually find one or two meals on the menu that work. You increase your chances if you pick places like Olive Garden or Case Ole rather than steakhouses or BBQ places. For fast food, places like Taco Bell are easier than McDonald’s for vegetarian meals. Basically, avoid places that heavily push meat and you’ll be fine with the menu.
Eating out as a piscavore is extremely easy, as almost every restaurant has a few meals that are either vegetarian or only have fish.

Since you are a on a budget though, it would probably be best to eat out rarely, or never. Fake meat products are also something to buy sparingly, since they can be costly. The good news though, is that fresh meat is also costly, so taking meat out of your diet should make the grocery bill lighter. Beans and rice are cheap, as are noodles and pasta sauce. Canned fruits and veggies are cheaper than fresh and frozen, but I’d suggest frozen since they are healthier than canned (and sometimes healthier than fresh), and cheaper and last longer than fresh. Tofu ranges greatly in price…it will be cheap in Asian markets, mid-range at the Walmart, and expensive in health stores. It’s great for Thai curries or scrambling up in place of eggs for recipes like breakfast burritos. Nuts last quite a while, so you can buy in bulk when they are on sale. Bread and peanut butter are also cheap (though I’d look for whole-grain bread and PB with little sugar, since you’re concerned about health). Fresh or whole frozen fish and good cheese are expensive, and fishsticks and American cheese are cheap but not very healthy. Eggs are generally cheap, but full of cholesterol. It’s a sad fact that the healthier things generally cost more. It’s up to you how you want to balance all that out, but I’d suggest going light on the eggs and dairy, and making grains, veggies, fruit, and beans the bulk of your meals. My big mistake when I first went vegetarian was loading up with dairy and eggs to replace meat, and the consequences on my health were disastrous.

Rather than list a bunch of links for recipe sites, I’ll give you a good hint. Google for “vegetarian recipes” and you’ll get more recipes and whole recipe sites than you could ever dream to cook up in your entire life.

*About fish – if you choose to include fish in your diet, you have to consider mercury content. If you choose to exclude fish, you then have to consider getting enough omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which you’d have to get from flaxseed, walnuts, etc. Either requires research – I exclude fish and think it’s easier to get fatty acids from other sources than to worry about mercury, but it’s your choice.

Vegetarian Recipes: Why Vegans Don’t Consume Dairy Products

As with most dietary questions, vegans are split on the issue of dairy products – not so much on the question of whether or not they are acceptable, but instead for what reasons they should not be consumed.

All vegans (or at least true vegans) abstain from consuming dairy products. Some do so for nutritional reasons; others abstain for ethical reasons.

Those who do it for nutritional reasons cite a range of health problems related to the consumption of dairy products, including high cholesterol. Many also have a problem digesting lactose or have a blood-iron or diabetic problem related to milk protein, casein. In addition to this, milk and cheese often contain small portions of undesirable hormones that are added to dairy cow feeds to increase production.

Those who abstain from consuming dairy products for ethical reasons also have a range of reasons for doing so.

Some cite the poor treatment of dairy cows as a main reason for not consuming milk and cheese. They note that dairy cows are forced to become pregnant once each year to maintain a constantly high yield of milk. They are also fed numerous steroids to increase production.

Others who abstain for ethical reasons often cite the maltreatment of dairy cow offspring. They note that calves are not allowed to spend time with or suckle from the mother, but instead are prematurely removed to be reared for either veal production, beef production, or as replacement dairy cows.

The calves selected for “veal” production are often forced to live in crates so tiny that they cannot turn around. They must face in one direction; they cannot groom themselves; and they are fed hormone-laden feed until they are sent off to be slaughtered.

If you are a prospective vegan, you may want to take some time now to think about what is best for you. Ask yourself whether you wanted to become a vegan for ethical reasons, dietary reasons, or both. And from there, determine whether or not these arguments were strong enough to compel you to do so. Either way, you should emerge with a stronger viewpoint and a better understanding of what you do and do not want.

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DIET RECIPE – Vegetarian Pita with Garlic Green Peas