As a vegetarian teetering on the edge of veganism, I eat a lot of nuts and seeds.

And as the summer turns to fall, I tend to throw almonds into my oatmeal, sunflower seeds into my soy yogurt, and, after carving pumpkins for Halloween (and roasting the seeds), pumpkins seeds straight into my mouth.

But I need to branch out, so I’ve been exploring other seeds, such as flax and sesame.

And it turns out I should have been embracing them all along, as both are helpful for what, specifically, ails me.

Flax seeds are among the best plant sources of alpha-linolenic acid (which is an omega 3), have been known to ease inflammation, help hot flashes and keep cholesterol levels healthy. (For the record, I would be hoping for help with hot flashes!) They are best used ground up and then mixed into yogurt, smoothies, soups and hot cereals.

Sesame seeds also offer heart healthy phytosterols, are good sources of calcium and may even halt certain types of cancer cells (all of which packs a three-fer punch for me!). I plan to sprinkle them liberally on vegetables and salads, at least to start.

So what’s your favorite seed, and how do you use it?

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At Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holiday meals, stuffing traditionally has a starring role.  This traditional dish made of cubed bread, seasonings, and vegetables has been a staple at American holiday tables for as long as anyone can remember.

If you don’t eat meat, though, you’re usually left out of enjoying the stuffing.  Since traditional stuffing is made with chicken or turkey broth and often baked right inside of the bird along with the giblets, it’s off-limits (and downright unappealing) to vegetarians.

However, vegetarian stuffing is just as easy to make as traditional stuffing, and some would say it’s even tastier than the original!  There are plenty of ways to make vegetarian stuffing and plenty of ways to customize it to your individual tastes and the ingredients that you have on hand.  Vegetarian stuffing doesn’t lose any points for taste as a result of being baked outside of the bird, and it can be extremely creative and unique.

Options for Different Budgets and Levels of Cooking Skill

You can go a number of ways when you are making vegetarian stuffing, from the extremely low-budget to the complicated gourmet method.  On the low-budget end of the scale is dehydrated vegetarian stuffing that’s sold in a large box or bag and only requires hot water and some margarine to make.  Buying instant vegetarian stuffing definitely requires attention to detail when you are reading the label, since they often contain meat products or meat stock.

If you would prefer to start from scratch and make your own gourmet vegetarian stuffing, plenty of recipes can be found either online or in vegetarian cookbooks.  These range from the very simple bread and celery route to the creative gourmet recipes containing such exotic ingredients as shiitake mushrooms, pine nuts, kale, and wild rice.  The type of recipe that you choose will depend largely on your cooking skill and your budget. 

If you can’t afford to buy expensive and exotic ingredients, there’s no need to worry.  You can spice up the inexpensive instant stuffing with some apples and walnuts, or use fresh sage and a good-quality cooking wine to make your vegetarian stuffing.  With a few modifications and creative seasoning tricks, your guests will never suspect that you actually started with dried bread crumbs in a bag!

Vegetarian stuffing can be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be.  You can make it on the stovetop or bake it in a casserole dish.  You can even use it to stuff a tofu turkey!  The greatest thing about vegetarian stuffing is that it’s very customizable; you can take any stuffing recipe and easily turn it into your signature vegetarian stuffing.

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A lot of vegetarians feel that they have to defend their position when asked “why be a vegetarian?”  This question can sometimes feel almost like an attack on vegetarianism, but most people who ask are genuinely curious as to the motivations behind being a vegetarian.

Meat is Cheap and Tasty!  Why be a Vegetarian When it’s So Expensive?

One of the arguments made against vegetarianism is that it takes a lot of work and thought.  At first glance, it may seem that vegetarians put a lot more work into their diet than meat eaters, but the truth is that they are usually just more careful with their diet and do everything they can to ensure that they are getting balanced nutrition.

A common misconception about vegetarianism is that it’s more expensive to eat foods to take the place of meats.  While it’s true that pre-made packaged meat substitutes can be quite expensive, vegetarian food can be found in bulk for very little money.  Vegetarian staples like rice, oats, beans, and pasta are very inexpensive. 

The cost does go up a bit when you take fresh fruits and vegetables into account, but it is generally accepted as fact that we all need to eat more fruits and vegetables.  Vegetarians don’t eat much more fruits and vegetables than the servings that are recommended for the general meat-eating public.

When you take into account the fact that meat takes many times the amount of resources to produce that crops do, you’ll see that plant foods are actually less expensive to produce.  The artificially low prices of meat in the supermarket and in restaurants are the result of government subsidies that provide farmers with payments to encourage them to produce meat. 

Why Be a Vegetarian When Humans Were Meant to Eat Meat?

While many meat eaters make the argument that humans weren’t made to live without meat in their diets, there is actually plenty of biological evidence to the contrary.  Our bodies more closely resemble the physiology of herbivores than carnivores: our digestive system shows that our optimal food is plant matter, not meat. 

While the human body is capable of digesting meat, eating meat long-term is known to cause many health problems.  High cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis are all directly linked to eating meat.  Although eating meat infrequently does not seem to significantly raise our risk for these maladies, the typical American diet contains so much meat that it effectively poisons our bodies.  Were we designed to be meat eaters?  The evidence suggests that we were not.

Why Be a Vegetarian?  Why Wouldn’t You Be One?

There are even more reasons to be vegetarian, but the most compelling reason is the one that resonates with you personally.  Being a vegetarian means that you are removing your support from an industry that produces more waste than all other American industries combined.  You are standing up in favor of a healthy life and healthy planet, and you are doing a good turn for animal rights.  Being a vegetarian comes with many, many benefits for your physical, emotional, and financial well-being – and no detrimental effects to any of these. 

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Getting together for the holidays is one of the greatest joys of family life.  Even if you plan to gather for Thanksgiving with people who are not technically related to you, it seems like everyone becomes family over Thanksgiving dinner.  If you are planning to make this Thanksgiving a meat-free one, you should start stocking up early on excellent vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.

Whether you are serving for a crowd composed exclusively of vegetarians or if you have a mix of meat eaters and vegetarians, vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes are sure to please your guests.  You can go with the more traditional vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes of mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, and yeast rolls alongside a main dish of tofu turkey, or you can make your Thanksgiving a little less traditional with the creative use of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.

Unusual Vegetarian Thanksgiving Foods

To make your Thanksgiving more contemporary and less like the turkey-laden holidays of yore, try serving some new and exciting vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes that aren’t usually seen on the Thanksgiving table.  Stuffed peppers are a great choice for Thanksgiving or any holiday.  You can use TVP, soy sausage, or lentils as the base, then add some cooked rice, tomato sauce, and delicious spices to halved and seeded peppers.  Then just bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes or until the peppers are easily pierced with a fork.

Curried lentils served inside a hollowed-out pumpkin is one of those vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes that looks almost traditional, but with a very modern twist.  This dish makes a stunning presentation on your table and is definitely not the bland kid food that your parents used to serve!  You can even substitute vegetarian stew or soup for the curried lentils.

Side dishes are a must on any list of vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes.  They can make or break a meal!  Some excellent vegetarian side dishes are baked onions, vegetarian apple walnut stuffing, and garlic-crusted Brussels sprouts.  Bread is an ever-important part of any Thanksgiving dinner, and a fresh loaf of French bread is just the thing to soak up all of that vegetarian gravy.

Some of the more adventurous vegetarian Thanksgiving recipes you might want to try out are tofu turkey or seitan ribs.  These are both vegan dishes that take a little time to prepare, but they yield amazing results.  These foods can make your guests wish that every Thanksgiving was a vegetarian Thanksgiving!

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Do you remember eating hearty vegetable soup on a cold winter day?  Do you remember how great it felt to be warmed from the inside out?  Just because you’ve decided to go vegetarian doesn’t mean that you can no longer have the hearty comforting taste of warm soup!  There are plenty of vegetarian soup recipes that use no meat or meat stock.

When looking for vegetarian soup recipes, a good place to start is knowing what type of soup you want to make, or at least which ingredients you’d like to use.  Would you like a thick lentil and barley soup?  How about a broth noodle soup?  Or a hearty vegetable stew?

All of these vegetarian soup recipes are readily available, both online and in vegetarian cookbooks.  If you have a favorite soup recipe that you just can’t give up and would like to convert to vegetarian, that is perfectly possible with all of the meat substitutes and other vegetarian food products available today.

How to Convert Meat-Containing Soup Recipes into Vegetarian Soup Recipes

To convert your old meat-containing soup recipes into vegetarian soup recipes, start with finding substitutes for the ingredients in the recipes.  For chicken or beef broth, vegetable broth is usually a good substitute.  Recently, many vegetarian and vegan food companies have begun making chicken, beef, or pork flavored bullion cubes that contain no animal products.  These are great for when you’re making vegetarian soup recipes that just have to have a distinctive flavor.

Once you’ve got your broth picked out, you’ll need to look at the other ingredients in your soup recipe.  If the recipe calls for chunks of a certain type of meat, you can usually find suitable meat substitutes made from soy or wheat. 

Textured vegetable protein, or TVP, is a popular and inexpensive alternative to most types of meat.  There are granules that can be used in the same way as ground beef, and chunks in many sizes that can be used in the same way as beef, chicken, or pork chunks.  The great thing about TVP is that it takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with, so if you cook TVP chunks in beef flavored broth they will come out tasting like beef.

Tofu is another great ingredient for vegetarian soup recipes.  It can be pureed to act like cream or other dairy products in a vegan soup, or cut into pieces for a meat substitute.  Like TVP, tofu takes on the flavor of the other ingredients it’s cooked with.  Tofu is also an excellent source of protein and calcium, making it an excellent choice for increasing the health content in your vegetarian soup recipes.

Vegetables are a terrific addition to most, if not all, vegetarian soup recipes.  You can experiment with new types of vegetables and discover combinations that make your mouth water.  Vegetarian soup recipes can even win over meat eaters because they don’t taste like what most people expect of vegetarian food.  They are filling, hearty, healthy, and completely satisfying, no matter what season it is.

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There is really nothing tastier than vegetarian slow cooking. Although there are literally hundreds of delicious and nutritious vegetarian slow cooker recipes to choose from there are two in particular which are particularly popular and which you will want to try out first.

Slow Cooker Artichokes

Of all the vegetarian slow cooker recipes you can prepare, the slow cooker artichokes dish is definitely a favorite. This is also one of the easiest vegetarian slow cooker recipes and so it is perfect, even for those beginner chefs out there.

This recipe calls for 4 medium sized artichokes, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 1 cup lemon juice, 2 cups hot water, and 1 stick of melted butter. To prepare you simply wash and trim the artichokes, cut off about 1 inch from the top of each artichoke, and snip the ends of the leaves. Next you want to stand the artichokes straight up in the slow cooker, and sprinkle each one with about ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
 
Pour the 2 cups of hot water around the bottom of the chokes to give them liquid to cook in and then cover and cook this on low for about 8 hours. Serve with melted butter and lemon juice for dipping, and you have a delicious vegan recipe that the whole family is going to love.

Slow Cooker Cholent

Another of the most popular vegetarian slow cooker recipes is the slow cooker cholent dish. For this dish you will need 1 cup assorted dried beans soaked in water, ½ cup pearl barley, 1 large onion chopped, 1 diced celery stalk, 2-3 carrots sliced, 6-8 potatoes cubed, and 4 Zoglo hot dogs quartered.

To prepare you need to soak the beans overnight, and then put it in the slow cooker in the morning and cook it on slow. You should leave it in overnight if you can to get the best overall flavor, and in the morning you want to add the veggie dogs. You can also add hot water to the mixture but you will usually not need to and if you do you really need to be careful as to not dilute the dish.

There are hundreds of other vegetarian slow cooker recipes that you can prepare as well but the best idea, especially if you are in a rush or if you are not that experienced of a cook. Also keep in mind that you can switch around ingredients or even add in meats if you would like.

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Pizza has been a staple of the American diet for a very long time now.  At your typical pizza restaurant, there are all sorts of different varieties of toppings, crusts, and even toppings inside of crusts!  Vegetarian pizza has been available at these establishments for a long time in the form of a vegetable-heavy pie.  This is a convenient choice if you are running late for dinner or just out on the town and craving pizza.

If you’re at home, though, instead of reaching for the phone to order a pizza, why not make a vegetarian pizza yourself?  It’s easy to make your own vegetarian pizza, and you get complete control over what goes into it – or, more importantly, what doesn’t go into it.

Make your Own

To start your vegetarian pizza, you’ll need a pizza crust.  You can find these premade in the supermarket, or you can easily make them yourself.  Making pizza crust is kind of like making bread, but even easier.  You can find lots of recipes for pizza crust that don’t require rising, so you can be eating your home-cooked vegetarian pizza even quicker than you could if you called for delivery.

Next, you’ll need to decide on cheese.  If you are a vegan or strict vegetarian, you’ll want to avoid the dairy cheese and opt instead for one of the many other options.  Your vegetarian pizza can feature soy cheese, cheese made from rice milk, or a delicious cheesy sauce made with nutritional yeast and flour.  You can even opt to leave the cheese off entirely.  Many people fear that this ruins the vegetarian pizza, but the truth is that pizza can taste just as delicious without the cheese.  A cheese-free pizza lets the toppings and the seasonings shine.

The toppings will come next – this is the part that is prone to causing arguments among friends who are sharing the pizza tab.  Toppings on your vegetarian pizza can be pretty much anything you fancy: any type of vegetable, meat substitutes, and even fruit are all fair game.

Hit the Supermarket, Not the Phone Book

If you don’t want to do delivery because you can never be sure what they put in their pizzas, but you just don’t have the energy to make one from scratch, you can pick up a frozen vegetarian pizza in most supermarkets.  Again, you’ll have to choose between the traditional dairy cheese and the less traditional soy cheese or cheese-free pizza.  There are many options available in the health food section of many supermarkets if you love the taste of pizza but prefer to avoid the trans-fats and other unsavory ingredients in other frozen vegetarian pizza brands.

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In fact, if you went vegetarian early on in life, you probably heard endless tales of woe from your parents and teachers.  Everyone claims to know someone who got very sick when subscribing to a vegetarian diet.

It’s now been proven that a vegetarian diet is healthier than the typical meat, potatoes, and dairy American diet.  Vegetarian nutrition is superior to the meat-derived kind because it comes from sources that are closer to nature and full of disease-fighting natural substances.

The sources of vegetarian nutrition are plant-based and great for keeping you healthy for the long term.  Studies have proven that a vegetarian diet can cut down on many ailments like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, among others.  Even the vegetarians who aren’t very strict about their lifestyle and their nutritional intake are generally seen as healthier than their meat-eating counterparts.  When you look at it that way, vegetarian nutrition doesn’t seem like such an impossible concept at all.

Keep Track and Stay Informed

One of the most important things to remember about vegetarian nutrition is that you will not starve from eschewing meat.  You will not suddenly develop jaundice, anemia, and anorexia, no matter what some people would like you to believe.

However, it is possible with any diet to miss key components and become deficient in them.  If you eat nothing but bread and cheese after going vegetarian, you will get sick.  You will not be getting the vegetarian nutrition that you need to stay healthy.  In all likelihood, this is the type of situation that your parents or teachers were warning you about – if you neglect your health and just live on one or two foods, then your body will certainly not be able to function in the best way possible. 

It’s essential to stay informed about what your body needs and do your best to provide the optimum vegetarian nutrition.  You owe it to yourself and to your loved ones to stay in prime shape through careful nutritional planning and observation.  Who knows – you might even inspire them to become more nutritionally conscious as well!

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Vegetarian cooking does not have to be boring or bland, and there are actually many delicious vegan recipes that you can prepare, which will be a delight, even to non-vegans. One of the favorite vegan recipes is the vegetarian navy bean soup, and although there are many versions and variations to this recipe, there is the basic vegetarian navy bean soup recipe which is as follows.

Vegetarian Navy Bean Soup

For the basic vegetarian navy bean soup you will need 2 cups cooked navy beans with their liquid, ½ cup diced celery, ¾ cup diced carrot, ¾ cup diced onion, 1 teaspoon of smoke oil or other comparable smoke flavoring, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 3 cups water, 1 small diced tomato, ½ cup white flour, 1/8 cup vegetable oil, and salt to taste.

The preparation process of this dish is very simple. Start by mixing all of the ingredients except for the beans, vegetable oil, flour, and salt. You want to mix them in a stock pot and then bring this mixture to a boil. The next step is to add the beans to the boiling mixture and then mix the flour and oil together into a roux and crumble this into the boiling soup while stirring to avoid lumps.

You want to salt to taste as the mixture cooks and thickens, and then serve immediately. This vegetarian navy bean soup recipe is loved all around the world, but remember that there are many variations to it and so if there are certain ingredients you would like to omit or include, you can do this, or just choose another version of this same recipe.

Meat lovers can add their favorite meat into this dish, and even replace the beans with meat if they wish. One of the best features of this dish is that you can basically add as many ingredients as you like without ruining the overall taste and presentation. It is also very nutritious and so it is a dish that you can include as a family staple, even for younger aged children.

You may want to serve this soup with a side, such as a potato or macaroni salad or even some rice pilaf, but it is hearty and filling to serve just on its own. Be creative and experiment in the kitchen and you are sure to end up making this soup one of your favorite family meals.

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Vegetarian menus can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be.  Your vegetarian menus can revolve around a few staple foods or meals that your family loves, or you can vow to try a new food or new meal every week.  The important thing is to plan ahead to let your vegetarian menus eliminate those days when you just can’t decide what to make.

When making up your vegetarian menus, decide how far ahead you’d like them to go.  Do you want vegetarian menus to plan out every meal for a month?  Or do you only want them to cover a week in advance so that you know what to shop for and can adjust the menu for what you have on hand every week?

Get your family’s input when you are making up your vegetarian menus.  They will no doubt have some helpful advice for you regarding what type of meals they’d like to see on the menu.  If your family has a favorite meal (or two or three), try to incorporate their tastes into your vegetarian menus.  Even if it means making vegetarian tacos once a week, your family will thank you for the effort you put in to make them happy.

Saving Money and Reducing Waste

Vegetarian menus are not only helpful for avoiding the creative dinner block; they are also great for helping you save money.  When you plan your vegetarian menus out ahead of time, you always know what you need at the grocery store for the following week (or however long your menu covers).  You can plan your shopping to take advantage of sales, and you can also be sure to buy only the food you need.  You’ll reduce food waste and always be on top of your family’s grocery budget.

In order to be accurate, your vegetarian menus should include all of the meals and snacks your family will eat at home.  Don’t forget to add in a treat once in a while!  Even when you’re being frugal and planning ahead, you deserve to take an evening to treat yourself to a glass of wine or a slice of cake after dinner.

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Chocolate Milk

Vegetarian meals, even those that are made out of Avocados, Durian and Coconuts as well as which have nuts & seeds are all not known to have any other kind of fat, but which nevertheless is healthy and which also does not contain cholesterol, which means you only get more benefits and few disadvantages. Among the different vegetarian meals that you may want to eat, look to the smoothies of whom “Chocolate” milk is a good example and which are made up of ten to fifteen medium dates, three ripe bananas, a young coconut, and about sixteen ounces of cold water which should be blended together, especially the fruits and coconut.

Another option is the one known as Strawberry Delight that obviously must contain strawberries (four to eight), a couple of bananas, and eight to ten dates, and once you try out this excellent example of what a good vegetarian meals is all about, you will be bowled over not only by the taste, but also by the health benefits that you would probably not be able to get from any of the similar delights served up in the fancier restaurants.

You can also think about making simpler vegetarian meals such as salads, though whose salad dressings must be chosen with care and which like Tom-Avo is made up of just two organic tomatoes (Roma or Hot House), a couple of large avocadoes and just two teaspoons of orange juice along with a couple of ounces of water.

Another option that you can think about with regard to healthy vegetarian meals is the one known as Sweet Potato Pie, which is really a very simple dish that is most commonly used in tropical countries.

Regardless of the type of vegetarian meals that you consume, you can be assured that they will contain little if any fat and which, when properly cooked, will do the taste buds a world of good. The bottom line is that provided you are creative and also somewhat adventurous, you can come up with some excellent choices in vegetarian meals that will do much for your health, and also complement your life as a dedicated vegetarian.

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At one time, the vegetarian diet was not widely known or accepted.  Vegetarians were seen as a fringe group composed of odd people.  Thanks to several outspoken vegetarians and vegetarian advocacy groups, the concept of a vegetarian diet doesn’t seem odd to most people anymore.  Vegetarian food is now widely available, even in fast food restaurants.

Vegetarian food doesn’t have to be the “health food” that a lot of diners try to avoid.  In fact, vegetarian versions exist of nearly every well-loved food – even haggis has a vegetarian version!  It’s just a matter of finding and acclimating yourself to the new taste of the vegetarian food. 

Different Types of Food for Different Types of Vegetarians

There are many different types of vegetarian food: the most basic (and most nutritious) is whole, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and legumes.  These are among the healthiest foods in the world and your body will thrive when your diet is based on them.  There are also meat substitutes, or vegetarian food items that are supposed to be a cruelty-free alternative to eating meat.

Admittedly, vegetarian food that is meant to substitute for meat often tastes very different than the meat versions on which it is based.  However, the trick to learning to love them is to enjoy them for what they are rather than expecting them to taste exactly like meat.  It’s impossible to make a vegetable-based food taste exactly like a meat-based food, so if you find yourself disappointed by meat substitutes just try to keep in mind the reasons that you went vegetarian in the first place.

Vegetarian food can also offer you the opportunity to try new foods and new combinations that you never would have thought of prior to going vegetarian.  Vegetables and grains will take on an entirely new quality to you when you take meat out of your diet.  A mushroom will seem almost meaty, and grains like quinoa will become an excellent source of protein.  One of the greatest things about vegetarian food is that it allows you to become more experimental and to experience foods that are good for your taste buds and the rest of your body.

Finding Vegetarian Food When Eating Out

It’s getting easier every year to find quality vegetarian food when you’re eating a meal away from your home.  Fast food restaurants offer bean burgers and soy burgers; nearly every restaurant will offer salads without meat; some restaurants may even be willing to make a special dish for you if you just ask.  Don’t forget about the amazing vegetarian restaurants which can be found all around the world!  These fine establishments cater to the vegetarian and vegan population by preparing and serving gourmet vegetarian meals.

Finding and eating vegetarian food that’s not “rabbit food” is easier now than it’s ever been.  With any luck, we’ll see more and more food establishments offering vegetarian alternatives in the future.

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You should definitely get permission from your hosts before bringing vegetarian dishes to their holiday gathering, but most hosts would be happy to have some help with the cooking.  If you explain to them that you want to help, you can avoid stepping on any toes when you show up with your arms full of food.  Consulting with your hosts about their tastes and the tastes of the other guests will help you decide which vegetarian dishes to bring.

What to Make

To appeal to a large crowd, the easiest vegetarian dishes to bring to a gathering are vegetable platters or a large platter of appetizers.  Vegetable platters are sort of cliché for a vegetarian to bring, but they are healthy, simple, and delicious.  Spinach dip served in a fresh bread bowl can really spice up an ordinary vegetable platter.

If you are looking forward to really wowing everyone who eats your cooking, some of the best vegetarian dishes to cook are those that are appealing even to non-vegetarians.  Spring rolls and stuffed peppers are two traditionally well-received vegetarian dishes that get high marks for presentation as well as taste.

If the people you’ll be serving are a little more adventurous, vegetarian sushi is among the best vegetarian dishes to win over a non-vegetarian crowd.  Filled with avocado, carrots, cucumber, and just a hint of wasabi, vegetarian sushi is an outstanding appetizer or main course.  You can even adjust the fillings to make it just how you (and the host or other guests) like it.

Desserts are another area in which vegetarian dishes excel in taste and presentation.  Technically, most desserts are vegetarian in the sense that they don’t usually contain meat.  However, strict vegetarians also avoid eggs and dairy, which are also found quite frequently in desserts.  Vegan cupcakes are simple, delicious, and make for a beautiful presentation.  Who can resist an adorable frosted cupcake?

Some vegetarian dishes that you may want to avoid are anything that obviously features tofu (historically hated by nearly every non-vegetarian in America), anything that looks like stereotypical bland vegetarian food (no matter how wonderful it tastes), or food that clashes with the overall theme of the food that the host is serving.  If you follow these very few rules, your vegetarian dishes should be a success at any gathering.

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Recommended By Nutritionists And Physicians

In fact, there are many nutritionists as well as physicians that actually prescribe and even endorse eating of vegetarian diets which they believe will help a person achieve better health and thus prevent becoming affected by illnesses. What’s more, another benefit to switching over to eating vegetarian diets is that they help in lowering cholesterol levels and are also effective in being able to shed unwanted pounds.

Thus, today many new products are being sold in supermarkets as well as in shops that are essentially supposed to enhance a person’s health and which are derived from plants and which include foods such as yoghurts, cheese and spreads that are good for including in vegetarian diets because they can lower blood pressure, improve levels of energy and also help give the immune system a much needed boost.

It is also wrong to believe that vegetarian diets are a modern concept because they have been used by various cultures over the ages, especially in far off places such as India and also the Far East where most people in any case are vegetarians. In fact, a certain type of people known as Hunzas who live in the Himalayas eat nothing but vegetarian foods and the amazing characteristic of such peoples is that many of them live to more than hundred years of age!

Among the many benefits to converting to vegetarian diets you will find that they help in lowering levels of cholesterol, lowers levels of saturated fats, lowers your body weight, reduces risk of heart disease, keeps blood pressure low, and the chances of developing Type-2 diabetes are also lower.

Also, vegetarian diets can help address the problem of obesity that is a major health problem in the Western world since it helps in eliminating excessive quantities of proteins as well as lowers consumption of animal fats while increasing the fiber content which is obtained from fruits and vegetable as well as whole grains. In fact, vegetarian diets also help in lowering body mass index or BMI that is beneficial in treating and also managing various diseases including cardiovascular ailments, diabetes and also high blood pressure.

Whether or not a person opts for consuming vegetarian diets is a personal decision and in fact, there is nothing wrong in even eating limited and small quantities of meat though the emphasis must obviously remain on eating only vegetarian foods.

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Many people believe that vegetarian cooking is all about bland meals, tofu, and weird, earthy-tasting ingredients.  However, vegetarian cooking is much more than just lentils and celery sticks.

Vegetarian cooking can be even more complex and gourmet than non-vegetarian food.  The flavors and textures of different vegetables, grains, and protein foods allow vegetarian cooking to take on a number of distinctive and unforgettable qualities that simply cannot be attained with non-vegetarian meals.

If you are interested in learning about vegetarian cooking, you might be in for a pleasant surprise.  It’s easy to make delicious vegetarian food, and you don’t have to worry about salmonella, e. coli, and other nasty food-borne illnesses as much as you do when cooking with meat. 

The vast numbers of vegetarian ingredients available to you mean that you can experiment to your heart’s content with different flavor and texture combinations.  A firm portabella mushroom cap, lightly sautéed in garlic-infused olive oil until it’s mouth-wateringly tender and topped with a decadent basil pesto, can provide a thrilling contrast when served alongside a crisp salad of fresh baby greens.  This is the type of exciting vegetarian cooking experience that can convince even steadfast meat-eaters that vegetarian meals are so much more than they ever knew.

How to Start Cooking for a Vegetarian Palate

Starting on the vegetarian cooking path is not difficult at all.  You have probably made many vegetarian meals already without the goal of vegetarian cooking in mind.  The guidelines for vegetarian cooking are basically the same as those of other cooking methods; the only real difference is the exclusion of any meat or meat-based products such as chicken or beef broth. 

To add protein to vegetarian meals, whole grains, beans, legumes, and soy products are essential and tasty.  It’s important to try to strike a balance between all of the food groups, so try to include a few different types of foods in your meals.  A soy hamburger can be teamed with a whole-wheat bun and topped with red bell pepper rings, baby spinach leaves, and a few circles of onions.  Serve a glass of soy milk on the side and applesauce for dessert and you have a complete meal.

Vegetarian cooking can be learned in a number of ways: you can take a class at a local community college, ask an acquaintance for some informal lessons, or just peruse some vegetarian cookbooks for new and interesting ideas.

Vegetarian cooking can be simple and familiar, or it can be complex and multi-layered.  The only limits are your imagination and your willingness to experiment and try new things.

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If you were a chili lover before going vegetarian, you may have thought that you’d have to give up the spicy, hearty, filling treat when you gave up meat.  Luckily for you (and every other chili lover in the world), there is a vegetarian chili recipe out there to suit absolutely every taste. 

The best part of chili isn’t the meat at all – it’s the way all of the ingredients come together to form a cohesive and unforgettable taste that’s coveted the world over.  These may sound like strong words about something as simple as chili, but it really is a dish that is loved around the world!  Chili chefs from every corner of the globe try constantly to come up with the perfect chili recipe.  Vegetarian chili chefs are no exception, and they are constantly striving to come up with the best vegetarian chili recipe.

Making Your Own Vegetarian Chili

There is no end to the variations you can use when making a vegetarian chili recipe!  Some people prefer lots of beans, and others prefer almost none.  Vegetables are a source of much debate in the chili community: some chili chefs insist that vegetables have no place in chili, while others swear by all of the carrots, bell peppers, and celery that they can fit into the pot. 

No matter how you make your chili, you’ll start with a few basic ingredients.  If you’re making a vegetarian chili recipe, you’ll most likely be using beans since it’s difficult to make a vegetarian chili without them.  Water or vegetable stock will be the base of your chili, as well as some tomato sauce or a can or two of whole, un-drained tomatoes.  If you decide to use vegetables, you’ll need to chop them up into very small pieces.

Textured vegetable protein (TVP) is a meat substitute that is perfectly suited for use in your favorite vegetarian chili recipe.  It comes in small granules that mimic ground beef in a recipe.  For spicy chili, hot peppers are a must; if you prefer less spice, packaged chili powder may be hot enough for you.

No matter what else you put into your vegetarian chili recipe, the spices are what make the chili taste like chili.  Cumin, chili powder, garlic, and onion all come together to complement each other perfectly and give your chili the classic taste that has won over taste buds all around the world.

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Cab Spates Personal Chef

Cab Spates Personal Chef offers exotic and locally grown cuisine designed exclusively for nourishing mind, body and spirit in a holistic fashion. Known as one of the most cultural vegetarian catering services in the United States, Cab Spates Personal Chef is popular for their spa parties that cover organic cuisine, benefit of yogic culture, massage therapy, organic facials, music and many more. They have a great selection of menu from which you can easily customize according to your personal preference. They are located at Oahu, Hawaii, USA.

Catering by Dinner Is Served

Surely, Catering by Dinner is Served is one among all vegetarian catering services in the United States that believe in grand old tradition for welcoming people altogether for rejoicing life’s events. Their service areas include Massachusetts and Southern New Hemisphere, USA. They are nationally known for offering their exclusive service in delicious vegan and vegetarian cuisines. They have their specialization in almost all domains of events; however, offering vegetarian catering services for wedding is their inspiration.

Eco-Goddess Edibles

In recent decades, an increasing number of people are becoming health conscious and they prefer to choose organic foods in their regular diet option. Eco-Goddess Edibles is one of the most reliable vegetarian catering services that offer absolutely organic vegetable foods to their customers. Eco-Goddess Edibles catering service is able to meet the needs of the party of any sizes or any events. Their service areas include Aspen and surrounding areas, EI Jebel, Basalt, etc. They are located at Dolores Way, CO.

Hearth to Home Vegan Cuisine

The specialty of the vegan and vegetarian catering services of Hearth to Home Vegan Cuisine includes an entirely plant-based diet. Since plant-based diets contribute a lot in minimizing the risk for life-threatening illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular complications, cholesterol and diabetes in addition to a reduced risk for food-borne diseases. Apart from that, their all meals are prepared with organic foods ensuring the highest quality, flavor and nutritional benefits. Their service areas include Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

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A vegetarian diet provides a variety of proven health benefits. You will have much less a chance of experiencing such health problems as obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and even some cancers. Vegetarians also tend to have a lower average body mass index, lower mean plasma total cholesterol concentration, lower mortality from IHD, and they may also have a lower risk for some other diseases such as constipation and appendicitis.

There are some really tasty vegetarian recipes that you can prepare, even if you are a meat lover. Vegetarian diets are very nutritious but can be delicious as well. This is an important fact to realize because a lot of people when they think of a vegan diet they automatically assume that it would have to be bland and boring.

Vegetarian Brown Gravy Recipe

One of the most popular vegan recipes of all is the vegetarian brown gravy recipe. For the basic vegetarian brown gravy recipe you will need 2 tablespoons margarine, 1 onion diced, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 ½ cups vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast.

Preparing this vegetarian brown gravy recipe is incredibly simple. To start you want to heat the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat and then sauté the onion for a couple of minutes, or until transparent. Now you want to add the flour and garlic salt and sauté this mixture for about five to ten more minutes.

The next step is to add in the vegetable broth and cornstarch, making sure to stir well to prevent lumps. Bring this to a boil and once you have done this you want to reduce to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring frequently. Add in the nutritional yeast and soy sauce and reduce the heat even further, cooking for just a few more minutes.

Keep in mind that there are many variations to the vegetarian brown gravy recipe, and so if there are other ingredients that you would like to include you can feel free to do so. Being creative is half the fun of cooking, so don’t be afraid to try something new. You may also want to speak to a nutritionist who will be able to take your food likes and dislikes into consideration and help you to come up with the perfect meal plan, one that is healthy and tasty and full of variety.

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When it comes to bodybuilding, a wide number of people depend on non-vegetarian stuff while an ongoing controversy still suggests the possibility of vegetarian bodybuilding all the while minimizing the risks for developing various degenerative diseases like coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, cholesterol, hypertension and even some forms of cancer. In this article, we will critically examine different shades of vegetarian bodybuilding. Here we go.

Benefits of Being Vegetarian

Although there are many controversies regarding the availability of the essential nutrients in sufficient amount while solely depending on vegetarian diets, the most interesting fact is that only the choice of vegan and vegetarian foods allow an individual to stay aligned with nature power, to become kind to animals, to increase the likelihood of feeding the famished population around the world, to save animals in nature and to decline public medical care cost. Interesting?

Before going any further, let us first understand the differences between various types of vegetarians. They are primarily three types – vegans or people who are strict vegetarians and prefer not to consume any animal products or byproducts; lacto-ovo vegetarians, people who consume eggs and milks, but no meats; and pesco-vegetarians, people who consume dairy products and fishes. In our article, we will discard our discussion about other subcategories.

Since the first thing knocking the mind about vegetarian bodybuilding is the availability of sufficient protein and other essential nutrients. Surprising but true, in the protein quality measurement scale, beef and soy are scored as 0.92 and 1.0 respectively, and soy is rated as the highest quality protein supply. On the other hand, soy contain high level of glutamine, a non-essential amino acid, has an anti-catabolic effect, especially vital during stressful situations.

Vitamin Supplements

While you are considering vegetarian bodybuilding and if you are adhering lacto-ovo or pesco vegetarian lifestyle, you do not need to worry about the sufficient supply of essential vitamins and minerals. However, if you are adhering vegan lifestyle, you may need to consider multivitamin supplements, since vitamin12 is only available in animal products. Dairy products are rich with the supply of vitamin12.

No matter whether you are taking additional vitamin and mineral supplements or not, you must care enough to choose the right combination of foods in your daily diet in order to fulfill the needs of required vitamins and minerals, especially if you are engaged in vegetarian bodybuilding. Our Mother-Nature has a rich supply of a wealth of vitamins, minerals, phyto-chemicals and antioxidants that are able to provide you the optimum benefit.

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Appetizers, also known as Hors d’oeuvres, are a specific type of food served prior to the meal or outside of the original meal. The purpose of serving appetizers is to keep the guests on hold before the actual meal is served. In most cases, when any party is arranged, appetizers are served so that the guests may enjoy their time with light foods.

Appetizers can be of both types – vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Depending on your food preference, you may select either of these two types. In this article, we will limit our discussion to two easy but exclusive vegetarian appetizer recipes, while discussing about non-vegetarian ones is beyond the scope of this article.

Radish Sandwiches

Preparing radish sandwiches is a very easy job; however, this is one of the most uncommon and exclusive vegetarian appetizer recipes. Let us start with 3 bunches of trimmed radishes, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 10 diagonally sliced baguette and coarse kosher salt. Take a medium-sized bowl and pour chilled water into it. Now place the radishes into the bowl and keep them there for half an hour to two hours. Drain the water and cut them into small pieces. Spread the unsalted butter over the baguette in a good amount. Sprinkle salt over it according your own salt preference. Place the radishes atop the baguette and serve to enjoy one of the best vegetarian appetizer recipes.

Summer Pizzas

This is another and one of the most exclusive vegetarian appetizer recipes. One most interesting fact about this pizza is that it is a no-cook pizza. Surprising but true, you do not need to cook this pizza. Interesting? Let us explore. Take 5 crisp breads or flatbreads, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, 15 small pear tomatoes, 1½ tbsp finely diced celery, 15 pitted green halved olives and 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley. Spread the butter over the flatbreads in sufficient amount. Top up each of the breads with 6 halved tomato pieces. Now sprinkle the diced celery. Again top up with 6 halved olives and then sprinkle the parsley over it. Serve to enjoy one of the most exclusive no-cook vegetarian appetizer recipes.

The specialty of these two vegetarian appetizer recipes is that both of them are very easy to prepare. None of them are time consuming at all. The ingredients of both of the vegetarian appetizer recipes are very easy to collect. If you find them in your local store, you can easily find them out. And most importantly, both of these appetizers are delicious and mouth-watering. One important point to note: Not all the time having appetizers leads to meal. Sometimes people prefer to have only appetizers, especially with their wine or other beverages. Planning for a party now?
 

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