Dear Vegetarians...

[Aachren]

jellykans

Yupp. Definitely invest in a blender. And tofu is basically flavorless, it takes on the flavor of whatever it's cooked with, vegetable or condiment.

Ask some of your friends who cook about herbs - it's a good conversation-opener when you really need to know. I suggest dried dill, herbes de provence (sweet side/mild and flavorful), tarragon (sharp - nice with oil, rice vinegar and/or Tamari over chicken pieces, baked) as starters. Tip - most any vinaigrette salad dressing (generally those you can see through) is good to pour over food for baking. Oops - chicken isn't veg., but you will want meat once in a while as you are switching over.

Hmm....wonder if tofu could be creamed with vegetables and baked as a casserole?

Yams or sweet potatoes, baked in their skins with nothing else, can be very satisfying when you get food cravings.

A roommate used to make popcorn and sprinkle shredded parmesan and dried dill over itl That was his diet secret.

Tofu is great as a flavor absorber and I don't see why it couldn't be used to make a "creamy" sauce for a veggie casserole. Particularly if you used a good spice blend.

Sweet potatoes and yams are different animals, but I do recommend sweet potatoes. You do have to eat the skins though. If you get them when they are in season the skins are real thing and tender and awesome. They also make terrific oven fries. Seriously.

[Aachren]

kakteed

I love tofu! I know a lot of people don't though, but the main things about tofu are to

1. Get a texture you can get over. Tofu ranges basically from custard to older bread. If you use very soft tofu, you can puree it into creamy soups like the other poster mentioned, or have a protein-packed dessert that's basically just tofu simmered in sugar syrup, maybe some flavorings like cinnamon and vanilla bean if you want. It'll taste like flan, but with much less saturated fat from the lack of eggs. Drier textures can be dried out further and cooked with sauce to mimic meat (though personally, that preparation never does anything for me.) Textures in-between, I personally just eat with soy sauce and sesame oil on top, maybe some green onion.

2. Get acquainted with flavor powerhouses like miso and ginger, and for the sweet stuff, cardamom and cinnamon.

3. Look for Asian or Asian-inspired preparations. I think the most off-putting thing about tofu is really the lack of knowledge about its preparation. In the US, people are always trying to make tofu into something it's not, and although I did list it as a possibility earlier in this post, people really shouldn't try to do that.

It is quite filling since the protein content is high, though you're better off pairing it with a carb anyway, as advised when eating proteins in general.

Other ways to get lots of protein into the diet without meat: look for a yogurt-like substance called kefir. It's very protein-heavy and calorie-light and tastes mainly like a fizzy yogurt. It's made from fermented kefir grains and you can use it in place of yogurt in basically any recipe.

I have some extraordinary texture issues...I have issues with eggs, too.

On the topic of grains, you'll want to eat a wide range. Admittedly, none of them will have the complete protein you need in a single grain, but mixing them together will provide you that. You'll also have to eat them in as close to natural state as possible. You wouldn't believe the things processing does to the nutritional value of food.

[kakteed]

Aachren

kakteed

I love tofu! I know a lot of people don't though, but the main things about tofu are to

1. Get a texture you can get over. Tofu ranges basically from custard to older bread. If you use very soft tofu, you can puree it into creamy soups like the other poster mentioned, or have a protein-packed dessert that's basically just tofu simmered in sugar syrup, maybe some flavorings like cinnamon and vanilla bean if you want. It'll taste like flan, but with much less saturated fat from the lack of eggs. Drier textures can be dried out further and cooked with sauce to mimic meat (though personally, that preparation never does anything for me.) Textures in-between, I personally just eat with soy sauce and sesame oil on top, maybe some green onion.

2. Get acquainted with flavor powerhouses like miso and ginger, and for the sweet stuff, cardamom and cinnamon.

3. Look for Asian or Asian-inspired preparations. I think the most off-putting thing about tofu is really the lack of knowledge about its preparation. In the US, people are always trying to make tofu into something it's not, and although I did list it as a possibility earlier in this post, people really shouldn't try to do that.

It is quite filling since the protein content is high, though you're better off pairing it with a carb anyway, as advised when eating proteins in general.

Other ways to get lots of protein into the diet without meat: look for a yogurt-like substance called kefir. It's very protein-heavy and calorie-light and tastes mainly like a fizzy yogurt. It's made from fermented kefir grains and you can use it in place of yogurt in basically any recipe.

I have some extraordinary texture issues...I have issues with eggs, too.

On the topic of grains, you'll want to eat a wide range. Admittedly, none of them will have the complete protein you need in a single grain, but mixing them together will provide you that. You'll also have to eat them in as close to natural state as possible. You wouldn't believe the things processing does to the nutritional value of food.

Ahhhh, I love eggs crying

Not all foods suffer from processing, especially for those with allergies. I can't eat stone fruits or apples raw without swelling up my throat and lips; I grill them on my grilling pan or stew them into sauce. The amount of lycopene in tomatoes benefits from processing, although you lose the Vitamin C. And you wouldn't eat beans or legumes without shelling them first.

[Aachren]

kakteed

Aachren

kakteed

I love tofu! I know a lot of people don't though, but the main things about tofu are to

1. Get a texture you can get over. Tofu ranges basically from custard to older bread. If you use very soft tofu, you can puree it into creamy soups like the other poster mentioned, or have a protein-packed dessert that's basically just tofu simmered in sugar syrup, maybe some flavorings like cinnamon and vanilla bean if you want. It'll taste like flan, but with much less saturated fat from the lack of eggs. Drier textures can be dried out further and cooked with sauce to mimic meat (though personally, that preparation never does anything for me.) Textures in-between, I personally just eat with soy sauce and sesame oil on top, maybe some green onion.

2. Get acquainted with flavor powerhouses like miso and ginger, and for the sweet stuff, cardamom and cinnamon.

3. Look for Asian or Asian-inspired preparations. I think the most off-putting thing about tofu is really the lack of knowledge about its preparation. In the US, people are always trying to make tofu into something it's not, and although I did list it as a possibility earlier in this post, people really shouldn't try to do that.

It is quite filling since the protein content is high, though you're better off pairing it with a carb anyway, as advised when eating proteins in general.

Other ways to get lots of protein into the diet without meat: look for a yogurt-like substance called kefir. It's very protein-heavy and calorie-light and tastes mainly like a fizzy yogurt. It's made from fermented kefir grains and you can use it in place of yogurt in basically any recipe.

I have some extraordinary texture issues...I have issues with eggs, too.

On the topic of grains, you'll want to eat a wide range. Admittedly, none of them will have the complete protein you need in a single grain, but mixing them together will provide you that. You'll also have to eat them in as close to natural state as possible. You wouldn't believe the things processing does to the nutritional value of food.

Ahhhh, I love eggs crying

Not all foods suffer from processing, especially for those with allergies. I can't eat stone fruits or apples raw without swelling up my throat and lips; I grill them on my grilling pan or stew them into sauce. The amount of lycopene in tomatoes benefits from processing, although you lose the Vitamin C. And you wouldn't eat beans or legumes without shelling them first.

Eh. I said food, but I really meant grains. Sorry. That and my brain has separated normal cooking processes from the mechanical and industrial methods that make food wholly different from its original state. That being said, I, myself, cannot eat bananas raw.

[Labtech Soosh]

Beans are high in proteins.
I'm not a vegetarian and I know that.

[Kouru17]

I'm a vegetarian~

Tofu, eggs, Beans, varieties of vegetables, lentils, nuts etc have plenty of proteins although you need to combine them rather then eating each alone in order to have a complete protein.

Ex: eating curry and rice or a peanut butter jelly sandwich. These make complete proteins.

Here's a few burger recipes :3

http://fearlessrevolution.com/blog/meatless-monday-spicy-black-bean-burger-1.html

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/black-bean-veggie-burgers.aspx

http://www.marthastewart.com/314093/greek-style-quinoa-burgers?center=852566&gallery=856332&slide=262145

[Amy Reinvented]

As others have said, beans and legumes (i.e. lentils, split peas, etc) are very good sources of protein. It's best to eat them with rice, or so they say, because they are complimentary proteins. Another good yet often-overlooked source of protein is hemp seeds. They are very tasty and high in protein. I eat them mixed in with oatmeal or granola, in stews and things, basically wherever you can find to fit them in.

jellykans

A roommate used to make popcorn and sprinkle shredded parmesan and dried dill over itl That was his diet secret.

This would be really good with some nutritional yeast mixed in. It tastes kinda like cheese so it would go well with the parmesan. Maybe some garlic powder, too. emotion_omnomnom

[Dyemanic]

I know they're are protein pills that vegetarians take. So they don't necessarily need to eat a lot of Tofu and Beans or they could. I think what would be smart for a Vegetarian is for them to eat three courses of Protein, with Tofu and beans and take a pill in the morning. I guess that is what i would do, i wouldn't want to get weak