I'd like to not include so much meat in every meal we have! But a picky husband and picky daughter make that tough sometimes. What are decent family size meals you can make that don't starve you to death....but yet don't contain meat?

hausofmoi7 said:

As an aspiring vegetarian for ethical reasons. I like cheesy fries with milkshake. Vegetarian pizza. I eat eggs (free range) and milk. I think it's OK as long as you respect the animal that provides the food such as egg and milk. However on the regular I'd eat lentils, beans ect. I don't like eating in general really but if I do cheesy fries and milkshake. Eating is political and it has always made me sad and anxious on different levels so I probably don't have the best diet to be answering. [Edited 11/8/16 21:09pm]

Cheesy Fries and Milkshakes sound amazing to me!! That's a diet I could follow!

ksl1974 said:

hausofmoi7 said:

As an aspiring vegetarian for ethical reasons. I like cheesy fries with milkshake. Vegetarian pizza. I eat eggs (free range) and milk. I think it's OK as long as you respect the animal that provides the food such as egg and milk. However on the regular I'd eat lentils, beans ect. I don't like eating in general really but if I do cheesy fries and milkshake. Eating is political and it has always made me sad and anxious on different levels so I probably don't have the best diet to be answering. [Edited 11/8/16 21:09pm]

Cheesy Fries and Milkshakes sound amazing to me!! That's a diet I could follow!

I think the biggest misconception, certainly of the vegetarian diet, is that it is all lentils and vegetables. I am a vegetarian of almost two decades and my children are all lifelong vegetarians. You can eat pretty much anything as long as it doesn't contain meat and nowadays there are so many meat substitutes that you can replicate almost any meat dish if you really want to. I won't recommend individual recipes as everyone has different preferences but I would say to ask yourself what your favourite meals are and then try and adapt them to a vegetarian one. For example - all curries can be easily made vegetarian, most pasta can easily be made vegetarian, burgers are easily made or bought, quiches are easy etc...

I would say the thing to watch out for are the 'hidden' animal products such as gelatine and some food colourings. You'd be surprised how many things I've bought over the years without a second thought only to find they contain animal products when I check the labels.

Buy yourself a really decent vegetarian family cookbook. Not a trendy one with ingredients you can't find or fancy meals you'll never have the time to make but one that has real, everyday food in it. Even if you don't follow it to the letter, it'll give you lots of ideas.

Lastly, take it one day at a time. Even if you only cut out meat for half of your meals, you've still made a difference. Sometimes it's easier to go slow than to cut it out all at once.

maplenpg said:

ksl1974 said:

Cheesy Fries and Milkshakes sound amazing to me!! That's a diet I could follow!

I think the biggest misconception, certainly of the vegetarian diet, is that it is all lentils and vegetables. I am a vegetarian of almost two decades and my children are all lifelong vegetarians. You can eat pretty much anything as long as it doesn't contain meat and nowadays there are so many meat substitutes that you can replicate almost any meat dish if you really want to. I won't recommend individual recipes as everyone has different preferences but I would say to ask yourself what your favourite meals are and then try and adapt them to a vegetarian one. For example - all curries can be easily made vegetarian, most pasta can easily be made vegetarian, burgers are easily made or bought, quiches are easy etc...

I would say the thing to watch out for are the 'hidden' animal products such as gelatine and some food colourings. You'd be surprised how many things I've bought over the years without a second thought only to find they contain animal products when I check the labels.

Buy yourself a really decent vegetarian family cookbook. Not a trendy one with ingredients you can't find or fancy meals you'll never have the time to make but one that has real, everyday food in it. Even if you don't follow it to the letter, it'll give you lots of ideas.

Lastly, take it one day at a time. Even if you only cut out meat for half of your meals, you've still made a difference. Sometimes it's easier to go slow than to cut it out all at once.

I have a recipe for coconut chickpea curry I'm trying this weekend actually! (similar to what we had at the Paisley Park tour) I told my husband that like you said, even just cutting back on meat would be good for us! One meal a day without is a start! What about eliminating eggs and dairy, is that more of a vegan thing?