Veggie suggestions?

[Brydon2018]

Hi everyone ... I've often considered going vegetarian (not sure I could handle Vegan), but my partner is unable to eat dairy products and has a number of other issues. Also I can't eat Quorn as it makes me sick (literally!). I'd love some suggestions though on veggie substitutes for meat.

[Zest]

Hi Brydon2018 ,

The Vegetarian/Vegan pages of NHS Choices are here, if you want to have a look:

nhs.uk/livewell/vegetarianh...

We also have some Topics too - so have a look at those.

Zest

[andyswarbs]

There are plenty of vegan alternatives to milk/cheese. Literally every product you can think of has a vegan alternative. There are vegan cheese, milks, cream cheeses, ice creams. Some of the commercial vegan ice creams are to die for, if you will excuse the phrase. These are available in all supermarkets. One ice cream that comes to mind is Swedish Glace Soy Heavenly Chocolate Dairy Free Ice Cream.

As for meat substitutes you'd have to be careful with quorn since some of those products have egg in them, so that might be a problem for your partner. Tofu is an obvious replacement. Ideally get some cans of beans/lentils. The great thing about canned beans/lentils is you can open them quickly and add them to any meal, hot or cold. They don't have added salt or sugar. They have a variety of textures and colours.

Obviously mushrooms can be a great fully natural meat substitute, especially good because they are a great source of vitamin d.

Supermarkets like Iceland are now beginning to stock "No Bull" burgers that look and taste just like meat equivalents. You can get veggie "tuna" in a can, and even shrimp alternatives.

The traditional mainstay for vegan "meat-like" thing is falafel and its friend hummus. Both can be obtained from just about anywhere. In the goodfella's frozen range there is now a vegan falafel pizza.

[Hidden]

To be honest, if YOU like eating meat, enjoy meat. Eating meat itself isn't unhealthy.

[andyswarbs in reply to Hidden]

As always please justify such a claim with research - ideally one that hasn't been funded by the meat industry.

I have previously posted the research linking meat to heart attacks and cancer. I know there are a lot of proponents of consuming meat. The vast majority of western civilisation eats meat. Also Western Civilisation has an diabetes epidemic, an obesity epidemic, and these generally don't occur in populations with very low meat intake.

I am not trying to pick on you, or anyone. I would have been a meat proponent myself at one stage. And until recently I thought that dairy was okay, if a little bit fatty. But then we did not have easy access to the research. Only since the internet and more lately social media has easy access to good research become widely available to the general public.

The vast majority of independent research (including ones not funded by the "Broccoli Council") says that meat is potentially harmful. The World Health Organisation clearly states that processed meat and beef are probable carcinogens. This was concluded after a meta-analysis of over a 100 research papers and was undertaken by a committee from many institutions.

So I would argue that to claim "eating meat itself isn't unhealthy" is going against the overwhelming scientific consensus. Yes the definitive links are not conclusive yet. I feel sadly they never will be because we are talking about so many variables.

But if I can quote the UK's cancer research website, "Eating a diet high in processed and red meat can increase the risk of bowel cancer [1-3].Red meat includes all fresh, minced and frozen beef, pork and lamb. Processed meat includes ham, bacon, salami and sausages [1]." cancerresearchuk.org/about-...

And that is not the only dietary statement they make about foods from animals. It then goes on about Haem iron issues, nitrates and the increased risk of cooking at high temperatures, such as roasting, barbecues, searing - indeed any cooking process that might burn meat.

I am sure I could get similar statements on dietary advice from other health charities. They are not saying, yet, don't eat meat. But they are all strongly qualifying what types of meat, and recommending limiting overall meat intake. For people wanting to cut meat right back the diabetes UK website even has a vegan meal plan diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-di...

[Hidden in reply to andyswarbs]

just more vegan propaganda and its clear that your sole intention on this forum is to keep getting at people that eat meat. fish. dairy.

[andyswarbs in reply to Hidden]

I do not get at people eating meat or fish because they like it. On the other hand I do take objection when people claim it is healthy. As I say, come up with good research to support your health claim and I will shout it from the rooftops, and that is a promise.

[Hidden in reply to andyswarbs]

carefull you dont fall off 😊

[benwl in reply to Hidden]

I think pointing out the potential health risks of a food isn't unreasonable on a healthy eating forum, especially in a thread where the original poster was explicitly asking for veggie suggestions.

I'm sorry if I missed an earlier exchange on this, but it feels like you are taking any mention of veganism as a personal attack - it's really not. Any it works both ways, there are people who post threads suggesting that vegans may be at danger of brain damage. People sometimes have diverging options on health but as long as the exchanges are polite and respectful there seems no reason to avoid them.

[Hidden in reply to benwl]

if you are going to hide behind what you eat for your own warped way of thinking and put the word "vegan" at the front , in the middle and at the end of you post or replys...then the word "vegan" will stand out.

its not in any way reasonble for members to make predictions on other members and there children that something very bad could happen to there health if they dont stop eating meat and dairy.

you cant say that you havent read post like that surely?

and you cant say you havent read the many responses to those post!

if you are going to annoy people from rooftops , then dont be suprised if some of them shout out ((( jump ))) 🤔

[Bong1968 in reply to andyswarbs]

After reading a couple of your posts it appears that you believe both meat and soy give you cancer...

Are you just using Google for your 'research' or do you have any qualifications to back up your statements?

[andyswarbs in reply to Bong1968]

Hi Bong1968 , I come from the school of very hard knocks, from which I came out with the particular honour of being a pain in the butt for people who continue to think they choose poorly what they put in their mouths without that having potential health long term consequences.

Everything I write can be backed up by research. and often plenty of it. Some times I have posted as many as links to 20 papers supporting a particular statement. I take this approach because anyone can disagree with any particular opinion I might make. But more importantly they should check the links and make informed decisions based on the research.

My opinion is never important. The research is always important. That's why that vast bulk of research that I refer to is independent and peer-reviewed. Then you know that it is not just some quack research. For instance the WHO position on beef & processed meats is a meta-analysis of over 100 peer-reviewed papers It is not just one paper poorly researched. It is the cumulative knowledge of the scientific community to date.

[BadHare]

There are lots of non-dairy milks available, & they're also really easy & cheap to make if you have 10-15 minutes a day. All that's needed is a blender, a sieve & some muslin for straining.

Quorn is genetically modified food, & like most processed veggie options, are best avoided.

I love pulses & make soups & stews with beans & lentils during colder months, then swap to salads with beans lentils, falafels & hummus in summer. I get about a third of my daily protein requirement from nuts (never peanuts) & seeds. These are low GI foods, so they're high in gut healthy fibre filling, & contain beneficial oils, too.

There are lots of recipe ideas on the Vegetarian & Vegan Society's websites, as well as lots online such as BBC Good Food & apps such as Food Monster. There are also lots of excellent cookery books available online for a few pounds, if you don't mind second hand. Many recipes are easy to swap to veggie versions. Start off with one meal a week, one day a week, & see how you go from there.

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Can't think of anything better than a chickpea curry with coconut milk - yummy. Lentils, don't even go there, they are super yummy.

I see Mel you have said you don't eat peanuts, is there a problem with them? Reason for asking is that I had some Almond Butter but didn't like it as much as my homemade

Peanut Butter but if peanuts aren't that good for you then maybe I will make my own Almond Butter or even try Cashew Butter as I love cashews.

Thanks Mel.

Alicia

[BadHare in reply to Hidden]

Hi Alicia,

Peanuts are high in inflammatory omega 6 oils, which is why I don't eat them. There's a better balance & omega 3/oil benefits in the almonds, walnuts, brazils, & seeds I prefer. I bought organic peanut butter to catch mice in live traps, last year, & they wouldn't touch it (or the Quorn ) I bought to specially to tempt them. Commercial peanut butter is high in aflotoxins (mould) though you'd never make your own with mouldy peanuts. There's lots available re the up's & down's, so here's one article: healthline.com/nutrition/is...

Mel x

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Hi Mel

Thank you very much for your response and I remember you replying in a post to me that you used the peanut butter in a mouse trap and they wouldn't touch it. Unfortunately I'm not so keen on almond butter that's why I made the peanut butter. Thank you so much for the article, I will look at that now.

Alicia x

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

I've just been reading online and I see that the nuts with the most Omega 3 oil are walnuts, think I may try a walnut butter.

Alicia x

[BadHare in reply to Hidden]

Hi Alicia,

Walnut pesto is a tasty alternative to pine nuts.

Mx

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Now that does sound lovely and I will have to give that a go. I am cooking some of the recipes in the Clever Guts Diet book recipe book and Dr Michael Moseley's wife who wrote the book does have recipes for pesto in there as well.

Alicia x

[BadHare in reply to Hidden]

Try it with the outer layer off in case you find it bitter. 😁

Mx

[Hidden in reply to BadHare]

Thank you Mel for the tip.

Alicia x

[Brydon2018]

Just to be clear ... I'm here to learn more about a healthy and holistic lifestyle. I don't carry a torch for any particular 'cause', though I do oppose inhumane methods of animal treatment. I do eat meat but try to do so in moderation. Growing up as I did in America in the 1960's it tended to be a world of hamburgers, cheeseburgers and 'Chicago Steaks' (18 inches long, an inch thick and smothered in fried eggs), but I have moved on! I love vegetables but not big into fruit.

[Hidden in reply to Brydon2018]

I decided to give up meat just before Christmas (I had done this a few years earlier and thought I was losing out on essential minerals etc so went back to eating meat) and I am so pleased I did as I am finding lots of delicious slow cooker recipes on All Recipes UK and Kitchn - I still eat fish so am pescatarian. I was also given the Clever Guts Diet Recipe book by my eldest daughter for Mother's Day and am working my way through those recipes and have made a chickpea, cashew nut and coconut curry, I have tasted a little on the end of a spoon, it is delicious. I also made some mushroom burgers but need to perfect on those. There are loads of recipes out there for vegetarians and vegans depending on what you choose to cook.

[Cooper27 Administrator]

Rose Elliott has a really good range on vegetarian cook books - I've enjoyed nearly all recipes I've made from her books!

I'd also suggest getting a small capacity slow cooker to allow you to cook dried pulses, as it's a lot easier.

I really like the violife cheeses too - pricey, but they melt well.