For those who eat veggie - did you also cut grains?

[Writer]

Mister Writer and I are taking the plunge - we have switched to a mostly vegetarian diet, with fish as our only meat. The worry I have is that if we also eat puffy breads (like in veggie subs) or pasta that we'll have an unbalanced diet with too many carbs.

Can anyone provide any insight?

[RebelOne]

1. I'm vegetarian and I have cut down on bread.

I did eat a lot of pasta but have also cut back on that, too, mainly because of the carbs.

[Writer]

3. Okay. Thanks!

:)

[flvegan]

2. I didn't cut grains.

Matter of fact, I probably eat more now than I did when I did eat meat.

As long as your diet is well balanced, you shouldn't have any problems.

Congrats to you both on "the plunge"!

[Writer]

4. Okay... so as long as we eat enough fish or tofu it will be okay?

Thanks :)

[flvegan]

8. What's your carb concern?

Normally, when I hear "too many carbs" it's folks concerned about weight gain.

I don't think that there's any "if I eat x of this, then I can eat y of that" answer. I would suggest eating them as you eat them now. You're replacing most flesh with something else, so I don't think you'll get any kind of spike in the carb column.

[Writer]

9. I'll give you Mr. Writer's example.

Today he ate an entire plate of pasta instead of, say, a chicken sandwich so that he wouldn't be hungry this afternoon. Would that make a difference?

[flvegan]

13. Probably not, at least

calorically it wouldn't really. Now, if he had pasta with alfredo sauce, cheese and mock meat instead of a chicken sandwich, that might. The calorie and fat content is more important than the carbs, Atkins cultists be damned.

[Writer]

14. Yar... these were Japanese Udon noodles. No major cream sauces or cheese.

He doesn't have a lot of options given his commute - has to hit the lunch places.

Atkins cultists be damned - no kidding. From what I understand the man died of a heart attack. Hrmmmm...

[jobycom]

17. Could be a problem long term, maybe

Different nutritional contents. The chicken would give him proteins, fats, and some carbs. The pasta, assuming it's white pasta, will give him a lot carbs, and not much else. Make it whole grain, or mix the pasta with veggies, a tomato sauce, for instance, and he's got more nutrients, more protein, and the veggies will help the body use the carbs better. Plus, he won't have a sugar crash later when the carbs wear off, so he won't be as tempted to overstuff later.

Balance the carbs against what he eats that night, or at least the rest of the week. Make the later meal lower in white carbs, heavier in veggies, whole grains, or tofu. Think in terms of balancing daily, even weekly, intake, more than worrying about one meal. That'd be my thought.

My short answer would be don't cut grains, but careful about how much you increase them.

[judaspriestess]

5. I have not cut grains either

Congratulations on taking the plunge. Its going to make you super happy you did. Well happier than you already are :)

[Writer]

6. Okay. Cool. Thanks!

[Alexander]

7. Veggie here, and I never cut grains.

Some people need a lot of carbs. Some people can't eat grains at all.

I quit eating meat in December 2005.

I noticed no major difference, except I eat more frequently. I expected that, though.

Just remember that the same thing doesn't work for everyone, and you'll be fine. :hi:

[Writer]

11. Good points. Thanks very much.

:)

[jobycom]

10. Same rules as an omnivore diet--watch sugars, simple carbs, and fats.

There are plenty of chubby vegetarians, for exactly that reason. Also, cholesterol can be a bigger problem with vegetarians than carnivores. To get that "full" feeling they turn to pizza, cheese, bread, potato chips, etc. Too many fats from the cheese, too many empty carbs from the white bread and chips, can blow you up, and drive up your cholesterol since your body will start producing it more to make up for what you don't get from diet anymore.

It's not hard to fix, though. Just watch it. Breads are no worse for a vegetarian than a meat eater. The secret is to balance your diet, then little indulgences won't hurt you. Don't substitute bread for meats. Eat about the same amount, if you feel you are balanced now--less if you feel like you eat too much. You can substitute whole grains and legumes, or you can alter your whole expectation of food, cut out white flours (100% whole grains are not to be lumped in with white flour--different animal, umm, so to speak). Choose the best option, even if it's not perfect. Subway isn't great, but it's better than McDonald's for instance.

My advice would be if you are taking the plunge, go all the way all at once. Cut out flours, sugars, fats, dairy (or at least fat-laden dairy, if you don't care about becoming vegan), sodie water, and all the other stuff you know is bad. Recreate your diet with a vegetable (in season where possible), whole grain (not necessarily wheat), varied diet. Steam, bake and broil your grub, rather than frying or boiling (which saps vitamins). DO pay attention to liquid fats--you need olive oil and other sources of fat, especially Omega 3s. You may wind up with more energy than you knew you could have.

Stuff like that. You can find tons of books on it.

[Writer]

12. Hey - that's fantastic. Great information that I'll share with Mr. Writer.

Thanks!

[BlooInBloo]

15. I don't eat anything that casts a shadow, you world-destroyers.

[Writer]

16. Lettuce casts a shadow... as does wheat...

[jobycom]

18. An airatarian!

These days, air casts a shadow, though... :(

[BlooInBloo]

19. Saving the earth is very hungry business.

[petronius]

25. You're jumping to conclusions - he could also be photosynthetic

:)

[jobycom]

26. You are right, I had not considered that.

:rofl:

[otherlander]

20. I didn't cut grains.

I make sure that I eat mostly whole grains, though, and not refined ones like white flour. I think you'd really have to try to eat too many whole grains.

[Flaxbee]

21. I also cut down on breads and pastas, but

substitute things like rice noodles, or go for whole wheat pastas and grains.... eliminate the "white" stuff -- white flour, white sugar, etc.

I still am totally powerless in the face of fresh french baguettes or croissants, though.

[ThomCat]

22. I have cut back on starches

but only recently, and only because my blood sugar levels are slightly elevated. I don't think this is an issue for most people, so unless you feel you're eating an unhealthy amount of starches I wouldn't worry about it.

Congratulations on the change. I hope it goes well for both of you. :hug:

[unpossibles]

23. I first went vegetarian in 1989 (with a short fall off the wagon from 96-97)

and have been doing fine. I don't eat more carbs, but I do eat healthier carbs, such as whole grains and more varied grains, such as millet, quinoa, etc.

Also, don't stress about eating tofu or fish with every meal - it's simply not necessary. Nuts, flax seeds, many beans, and other things have excellent sources of proteins, omega 3, etc., and the human requirement for protein is not as high as many seem to think. According to a few sources, you'd almost have to eat nothing but plain potatoes, white bread, and white rice to be protein deficient, especially as most cereals are fairly fortified.

Good luck, don't stress or sweat it (it took me some time before I got comfortable with what to eat and started getting more creative), and have fun with cooking/eating. We make our own gluten now because store-bought is so expensive, and it's simple but time consuming (as in you have to baby sit it as it boils in broth for 6 hours, but doesn't require much actual work).

Check out some recipe books:

I like Nikki & David Goldbeck's Wholefoods Cuisine for some great recipes and meal ideas
http://www.amazon.com/American-Wholefoods-Cuisine-Meatless-Wholesome/dp/0452262801

others:
http://www.amazon.com/Bowls-Vegetarian-American-Buddhist-Monastery/dp/039597707X/ref=sr_1_6/104-4622354-0556722?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185395932&sr=1-6

Also, Vegan with a Vengeance has some good stuff (even for non-vegans),
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-4622354-0556722?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185395821&sr=1-1
and the same author's cupcake book is to die for if you want some treats!
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Cupcakes-Take-Over-World/dp/1569242739/ref=pd_sim_b_1/104-4622354-0556722?ie=UTF8&qid=1185395821&sr=1-1


Anyway, like I said, explore some new foods - I discovered quite a lot of "new" food when I went veggie, especially because 20 years ago there were not many commercially available options. The web has a ton of great recipes and if necessary get some nutrition advice from someone who is veggie friendly if you worry about it, but my wife and I have (knock on wood) not had any health problems, contrary to the worry of our families.

Peace!

[Deja Q]

24. Must... resist... temptation... to... copycat!

:rofl:

[musiclawyer]

27. IMHO don't cut grains

Instead, try to cut out white flour. Learn to enjoy Ezekial and Manna Bread (living food) and brush up on Quinoa and brown rice pasta. Do that and you'll do just fine.