Hi veggies! Want to help me out?

[Phillycat]

I am convinced of the health benefits and ethical rightness of vegetarianism, but I have a problem. I tend NOT to cook for myself--I live alone, work a lot of hours in a week, and when I get home, I just want to relax. Usually my dinner consists of a frozen meal and a bowl of cereal.

My impression of vegetarianism is that in order for me to get enough protein, I would have to cook a lot more than I do now. I know that I simply won't stick with a regimen that requires me to put more effort into feeding myself than I do now.

I am willing to spend money for convenience of food, if that helps. Is there anything in the vegetarian realm that resembles the convenience of frozen dinners?

BTW, I have no intention of becoming vegan. I love milk and cheese. Just regular old vegetarian is what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!

[Elad]

1. There are more than enough convenience options available

nowadays. Find a good health food store in your area (Whole Foods, for example) and just browse the frozen section, the options are practically endless. Plus there are meat imitations available that most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference if they weren't told.

Also, as long as you're getting enough calories, and a fair variety of foods (if you eat white rice 2 meals a day, for example, this would not qualify) you'll get more than enough protein. It's very difficult to actually design a protein-deficient diet and you have to have REALLY poor eating habits to do so.

[Phillycat]

2. Thanks for the info.

I don't know if I get enough of a variety of foods now, even. I eat pasta more often than not and I actually eat very little meat, except what's in the frozen dinners.

Most likely, my variety of foods will improve in vegetarianism, actually. :)

[Elad]

3. That happened for me, too

People often look at me when they find out what I don't eat, and ask, "What DO you eat then, that's pretty restrictive??" My reply is that, actually, I eat far better than I did before I went veg. I expanded my horizons, tried foods that I never would have tried before, and found out I liked them! I learned to like more veggies, and learned different cooking techniques, and all in all, there's far more choice and variety in my diet now than when I ate meat. :)

[Phillycat]

4. So what the hell is a kumquat, anyway?

:)

[Elad]

5. Beats me

Guess I still have things to try. :)

[kayell]

6. Little bitty citrus eaten peel and all. Yummy

[Phillycat]

7. Hey, that sounds pretty good!

Anything like the taste of clementines? I love them...

[kayell]

10. They're aromatic like clemantines, but what you're mostly eating is

peel. It's thick, mild, tangy and sweet all at once. They are also one of the hardiest citrus and Meiwa and Nagami varieties can be grown in most of zone 8. They only show up in stores close to Christmas.

The fruit is one bite sized.

[kayell]

15. A handy list I learned to give people with that question

http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/eat.html

and still far too short.

[vinessa4freedom]

24. never saw that site

thank you kayell! I bookmarked it, too.

[kayell]

8. When all else fails - insta-meal

Mix some canned black beans with some canned corn. Nuke and throw some salsa on top. Almost instant.

This is my fail safe brain-dead food.

Throw some bought pre-shredded cheese on top if you like dairy.

[Phillycat]

9. Yum, that sounds good.

I also tend to make myself quesadillas with refried beans, cheddar, and flour tortillas. I think they make refried beans without lard now, right?

[kayell]

11. Yes, there are brands without lard, but you'll have to read the labels

I love quesadillas too, and you can always throw some spinach out of one of those prewashed bags in so that you get some fresh veg too. The spinach cooks in the middle in no time. You can also get whole wheat tortillas in many stores now.

[Phillycat]

12. Great suggestions, thanks so much!

That spinach one is especially appreciated, I could really use the iron. I am anemic.

[kayell]

13. If you like Indian food

Indian groceries often carry an amazing array of prepackaged vegetarian meals, both frozen and aseptically packaged. The prices are usually lower than standard American frozen dinners, and the food is more filling.

[Phillycat]

14. Wow, AWESOME!!

I love Indian food, and the price sounds right. That's such an excellent suggestion, there is an Indian grocery right down the street from my house. I am lucky enough to be living in Philadelphia, so ethnic food is always an option for me.

[Beaverhausen]

16. All that milk and cheese you will be eating is protein

I am addicted to peanut butter which gives me my morning protein.

Nuts, beans, cheese...these things all have protein.

[Phillycat]

17. I love peanut butter too!

And I am thin so I don't worry about the fat content. :)

[kayell]

18. Grains and dark leafy greens too, although most people don't realize it

It's actually kind of difficult to eat too little protein in this country, unless you eat nothing but refined junk.

[JudyM]

19. If you have a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Mkt or other such grocery nearby

They've got all kinds of things... both carry a wide variety of frozen veg meals. It's always great to support local veggie co-ops, too. If you enter one of these stores you're bound to find stuff you'll like.

[Phillycat]

20. I have a Trader Joe's and Fresh Grocer (Which is like Whole Foods)

I am lucky enough to live in Philadelphia, so I have a good selection of "better" grocery stores. Thanks for the advice! :)

[flvegan]

21. Here's (IMO) the be-all end-all website

For available vegan convenience foods you can find almost anywhere. From the folks at PETA:
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

[Phillycat]

22. Wow, that is a majorly cool site!

Thanks so much. I've already printed a bunch out to take with me to the store next time. Whee! :)

[vinessa4freedom]

23. another suggestion

Cook and freeze. Squash is really good for you, and freezes well after cooking. Also, veggie soups-you can do almost anything with a vegetable broth base. Freeze them in single servings in containers and throw them in the microwave when you want them.

I also like soy nuts on salads.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. There are lots and lots

I subscribe to Vegetarian Times and there are dozens of ads for vegetarian convenience foods. My personal favorites are Amy's (try the pesto pizza topped with tomatoes and broccoli, and, yes, there's cheese, LOL!) and Celentano (I love the eggplant rollettes, which are stuffed with tofu mixed with broccoli and spinach, but it tastes just like cheese).:9

I don't know where you live, but I live in a small town, and the larger supermarkets even here have a whole section dedicated to vegetarian frozen foods. Also, if you have a health food store, nearby, they usually carry them, as well. We even have one of those!:D

And I know what you mean about cheese. I could live on the stuff. I also have a weakness for shellfish. *Sigh*:shrug:

on edit: Also, I have recently gotten back into eating salads. In the produce section they have all kinds of prepackaged triple-washed lettuces and greens. Just cut open the bag and pour. I like the baby field greens. All you have to do is add a tomato and some cucumber, and there's lunch or dinner. I usually have a scoop of cottage cheese on top, LOL!:D