(Part 3) Top products from r/vegetarian

One of the first veg. cookbooks I got when I was just starting out was Linda McCartney's World of Vegetarian Cooking (also known as "On Tour"): https://www.amazon.com/Linda-McCartney-Tour-Meat-Free-Dishes/dp/0821224875/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386369&sr=1-5&keywords=linda+mccartney

It has recipes from all over the world, from North Africa to Asia, Europe to North America and everywhere in between. They're great starter recipes in that the ingredients are simple (and easy to substitute if necessary), and the instructions are clear. They're great to build on - I've adapted quite a few recipes to my own tastes over the years.

A much more recent couple of books are Ottolenghi's Plenty and Plenty More:

https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-Vibrant-Vegetable-Recipes-Ottolenghi/dp/1452101248/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386476&sr=1-1&keywords=ottolenghi+plenty

https://www.amazon.com/Plenty-More-Vibrant-Vegetable-Ottolenghi/dp/1607746212/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3YR260YE36YRJAQVCP9G

These are books that celebrate plant-based cooking which is of course inspired by many cuisines, but is itself a wholly original cuisine. Many of the recipes are not knock-offs of popular meat dishes (e.g. lentil bolognese) or existing dishes that happen to be vegetarian (caprese salad) but rather truly original compositions. It's really refreshing for simple but beautiful meals made of creative (but not pretentious) dishes.

I bought Martha Stewart's "Meatless" cookbook last year and it has great recipes too. https://www.amazon.com/Meatless-More-Than-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0307954560/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386647&sr=1-6&keywords=vegetarian+cookbook

It's Martha Stewart, so it's not going to blow your socks off with complex spices and heat, but the recipes are again a wonderful place to start. Well-balanced, visually appealing and reasonably priced to make, you can always jazz them up yourself.

Finally, one of my favourite cookbooks, vegetarian or otherwise, is Anna Thomas' Love Soup: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Soup-All-New-Vegetarian-Recipes/dp/0393332578/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482386804&sr=1-1&keywords=Love+SOup

The recipes are heavenly (and as they're soup, you can always tweak to your taste - it's the ideas that are important). But what's really special is the narrative. She really engages you with lots of personal anecdotes and context for the ingredients, recipes and meals in general. I sat down and read it like a novel when I was given it for Christmas one year! It's really lovely.

Falafel pitas. In fact, anything pita is a sure-fire hit. Hummus is a classic, but nearly as certain a thing.
My kids are incredibly of veggie platters with fresh vegetables and fruit, but YMMV greatly.

Scandinavian-style open sandwiches with ultra-wholegrain rye is what kids eat more or less every day here in Denmark, and there are many many options for meals tucked away in there - tomato/cucumber sandwiches, cream cheese, the list goes on. Hell, my son eats salad sandwiches - as in, leaves of salad as the main ingredient.
SOUP! A great winter favourite here is potato and Jerusalem artechoke, sprinkled with a bit of thyme and roasted sunflower seeds. Drool.
Samosas and other filo-pastry constructions are awesome. Tempura'd veggies can also have that junk-appeal while being really quite healthy.
Different kinds of veggie patés can be made in bulk and used as a spread with tons of umami.

For further inspiration:
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Lunch-Box-Animal-Free-Grown-Ups/dp/1600940722/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322338465&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Lunch-Around-World-International/dp/0738213578/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Peanut-Butter-Jelly/dp/1590131223/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

- all worthy investments - hell, they show up as "frequently bought together" as a big lovely set.

BUT I will say that the best best best way to approach this, and the one that will really make things cool is to engage the parents of these children in a dialogue about their children's diet.

Check out Rose Elliots's New Complete Vegetarian. If you have a Waterstones nearby they might have it and you can flip through it to see if you like the recipes but it is a lot of British favourites. Not exactly pub favourites but the type of food that you can get all the ingredients from a supermarket easily and don't worry,there is only one section on salad.

I just looked and there is 7 variations of lasagne in there :)
The book is in sections like soups/pastas/grains/beans/pastries/pudding etc. Here's a link to it on Amazon but I like to look through recipes books before buying them which is why I mentioned checking waterstones (The preview on amazon only shows the soup section :/ ). There's also used copies for way cheaper on there and the book I linked is a revised copy of an older book called Complete Vegetarian by the same author which you can get for a couple of quid from ebay.

Cooking on a Bootstrap has some pretty good recipes as well which are useful as they tell you the approximate price.The beans and lentils section on the blog will help if you're worried about protein

Also check your local library or charity shops for older vegetarian cookbooks. They are less likely to have 'trendy' ingredients and more likely to be based on their 'wholesome' meat counterparts.

Start by having meat free days. Start with 2 meat free days a week, do it for a couple of weeks, increase to 4, again for a couple of weeks, then crank right up to 7 days.

Take the time to learn vegetarian recipes, there are loads out there. Get a basic soup, casserole/stew, salad, burger, curry and pasta sauce learnt and practised, then you can make anything from them.

If you can't cook already, you will need to learn. I find that most prepared vegetarian foods are a bit crap. I only ever use one brand of vege sausages and mince.

I really like Rose Elliot's Complete Vegetarian and the River Cottage Veg Everyday. I realise you probably don't live in the UK, but there may be translations available in your country.

There is also the BBC Good Food website, which has, as of this post, 2153 vegetarian recipes.

Good luck, if you need help, ask away, I'm sure there are plenty of people here who can help!

I also work out, and over on r/fitness you'll find a ton of vegetarian lifters. They have some good info for vegetarians and vegans in their sidebar/wiki. If you don't find what you're looking for there, make a post and I guarantee someone will be able to answer you. There are plenty of vegetarians who lift.

Creatine is made by your body but also comes from meat. There's some evidence that not getting enough creatine can impair cognitive function, and vegetarians tend to have less creatine than our carnivorous brethren. That doesn't mean that we're all a bunch of dummies, but it might not hurt to take a creatine supplement, especially if you're lifting. Personally I do take creatine. As for protein, remember that your body can only process so much protein at one time, and once you go above that the returns diminish quickly. So eating more protein does not directly correlate to building more muscle. The actual amounts that you can process at once are not completely agreed upon, but I've read a few of the studies and it seems like anything above 20 grams in a single sitting is a waste. You can easily get that in a vegan protein powder. I love the brand I use:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00J074W7Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1484769696&sr=8-2&keywords=protein%2Bpowder&th=1&psc=1

It's got a nice wheaty-vanilla flavor, and it's also very high in fiber. That second point is more important than it might sound. You don't know what it's like to have great poops until you've been getting the right amount of fiber. That Western diet I talked about earlier also tends to be fiber deficient because humans are supposed to be eating more plants than we do these days. This causes all sorts of gastrointestinal issues. Tell that to the next carnivore who gives you shit about "but humans are meant to eat meat! It's only natural!"

Edit: pun definitely intended.

Sometimes I check out Supercook and throw a few ingredients at it to see what comes up, then maybe consult my Flavor Bible and kind of cobble something together. It usually turns out pretty good, or least something I'm interested in improving on, and it's always fun. Sadly, my culinary partner is on the other side of the continent. We share a lot of trial and errors over the phone and by email but it's not the same as cooking and eating together like you and your bff. That's an awesome thing to have with a friend.

That's great you want to reduce unnecessary suffering! It's actually very easy once you start doing it. Go at your own pace and start cutting out animal products.

We all lost the convenience and particular pleasures but it's important to ask ourselves whether our desire for pleasure and ease really justify the death and torture of so many innocent sentient animals. You are clearly understanding that it is unjustifiable which is natural upon looking into it! That feeling of conflict goes away just as soon as you do what your conscience is telling you and you put animals off your plate! Will it always be a breeze going veg? No, but living in accordance with your own ethics is worth it. Plus I eat tons of delicious food all the time so no need to worry about not enjoying delicious foods!

If you're interested in reading more from a religious perspective I really recommend the book Dominion by Matt Scully. He too is catholic and a former George Bush speechwriter and addresses a lot of the issues you are concerned with.

So just do what you already know is the right thing to do! We're all here to support you even if folks in your day to day aren't. You can make a positive step to reduce pain and suffering in the world! That is amazing! Just follow your own ethics :)

edit: silly typos!

Interestingly, it has sparked some valuable discussions on the subject amongst my circle of friends. So I would actually describe their efforts as effective, though it puts a lot of pressure on the rest of us to explain what they're saying and why they're saying it.

I posted the following quote on /r/vegan:

>A long time environmentalist was speaking to an enthusiastic group of young environmentalists at a rally. He warned of the precarious situation the environment was in, the toll that corporate greed had taken on forests, and the dire consequences that lay ahead if serious changes were not made.

>He then shouted out to the crowd, “Are you ready to get out there and fight for the environment?”

>To which they answered an enthusiastic, “Yeah!”

>“Are you ready to get arrested and go to jail for the environment?”

>“Yeah!!”

>“Are you ready to give your life for the environment?”

>“Yeah!!!”

>“Are you willing to cut your hair and put on a suit for the environment?”

>The crowd fell silent.

>Whether this is a true story or a colorful fable, the lesson is one we should all take to heart.

Seitan is low carb. You can make your own pretty easily. This one is pretty good, and i've been working my way through this book.

For the first one, instead of following the instructions on the site, bake first 350* for an hour, and then simmer in the flavored broth for 40 minutes and let rest for best texture.

My boyfriend and I are mainly Vegetarian. I never thought I would be able to do it, but some of the meals I have made have been so delicious that I don't really miss meat at all. My favorite resources for meals are the following:
Minimalist Baker
Cookie & Kate
Meatless
The Complete Vegetarian

Hopefully that helps some, and I will say I haven't much I disliked from those books/blogs.

You can certainly use protein powder, even if you're not a body builder, but they are pretty calorie dense so you'll want to be careful you're going over. One serving of just the powder has 150 calories and my strawberry banana shakes are about 600 calories.

This is the one I use.

/r/xxfitness is a good resource for general fitness related advice.

I understand what your son probably means by too much flavor: Indian and Thai dishes have pretty complex flavor profiles and a lot going on in one dish. For a person who is still learning what tastes they like and don't like, complicated flavors make it hard to understand what you're tasting.

I raised my kid vegetarian until he took the opposite path: around age 6, he decided he wanted to be an omnivore. He still prefers vegetarian food, and it's what I cook at home.

I bought the original edition of Better Than Peanut Butter and Jelly when he was a toddler. It has a lot of recipes with simpler flavors that appeal to kids and adults alike, and most of them are pretty quick to prepare, too. What I frequently did was make the recipes with less seasoning, set aside a portion for my child, then spice up the rest of the dish to my taste.

My kid is 14 now, and is a much more adventurous eater – he enjoys eating dishes so spicy that they make adults cry.

This cook book is a staple in our house. It is vegan but if you want to add cheese or whatever it's easy to modify. Though I think the vegan recipes are fantastic in their own right.

https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902

I love Moosewood's Favorites. So many delicious recipes.

For the 13 years I've been veggie/vegan, I've never had a problem - until I started working out heavily (Crossfit). I'm still having some issues that my meat-eating friends aren't having, however I have now read the Thrive Diet book twice and will be giving that a shot ASAP. I suggest you give it a read before committing.

Other than that, I'm in full support of the vegan lifestyle.

https://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Bouillon-Beef-Vegetarian/dp/B004W9SLPQ?th=1

We found an awesome substitute. Yeah, it's technically vegetable stock, but it's still pretty beefy.

I would recommend Checking this book out: http://www.amazon.com/Thrive-Nutrition-Optimal-Performance-Sports/dp/0738212547/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415241288&sr=8-2&keywords=Thrive

Although it is vegan, it focuses only on athletic performance and is a great resource.

I also think Vegan For Life, a nutrition guide by an RD is indispensible.

I occasionally make my own vegan substitutes and generally use recipes from vegweb.com that have good reviews.

Vegan on the Cheap is another good source for these things. It even tells you how much each recipe costs to make.

Plenty and Plenty More are the absolute best cookbooks I've ever owned of any kind.

Regarding getting Omega-3, I take these: http://www.amazon.com/Ovega-3-Vegetarian-Softgels-500-Count/dp/B004LL7AXE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417445491&sr=8-2&keywords=vegetarian+omega-3

Regarding the ethical question, well, that's up to you...

This book is awesome --> http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Cookbook-Katzens-Classic-Cooking/dp/1580081304/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1398378500&sr=8-2&keywords=moosewood+cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/The-Oh-She-Glows-Cookbook/dp/1583335277

All these recipes are really good and I'm not even vegetarian, my wife is.... I've cooked half the book with her.

For something like beef, I'd go with seitan. Instead of using vegetable broth to make the seitan, use "Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base" or you could also use "Not-Beef Cubes". Another tip: If your seitan becomes a little too spongy or wet, wrap it in foil and bake it in 20 minute intervals, checking on it occasionally, making sure it's firm enough. Also, the Gardein Beefless Tips aren't bad either.

Peta has a book called Vegan College Cookbook, all cheap and easy to make recipes. You can get it here http://www.amazon.com/PETAs-Vegan-College-Cookbook-Delicious/dp/1402218850

Goat cheese quesadillas when car camping. And black bean burritos when backpacking. I highly recommend Lipsmackin' Vegetarian Backpackin'.

I definitely miss seafood the most out of all of the meats.

If you do really miss fish, or other meats, you could eat them once in a while and still eat vegetarian most of the time. If you’re only eating once in a while, you might be able to splurge on ethically raised and killed meats.

There are some recipes for seafood replacements out there.

This book has recipes for 4 seafood-related recipes:
Everyday Vegan Eats: Family Favorites from My Kitchen to Yours
https://www.amazon.com/dp/098546626X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_Sd4.BbKHZ08XD

1. New England Chowder
   
2. Manhattan Chowder
   
3. No-Fish Filet Sandwiches
   
4. Tempeh No-Tuna Salad sandwiches
   
   This book has many more seafood-related recipes:
   Seitan and Beyond: Gluten and Soy-Based Meat Analogues for the Ethical Gourmet
   https://www.amazon.com/dp/1516860888/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_pi4.BbKRACWZ7
   
5. Tunada
   
6. Mock Tuna Sashimi
   
7. Carrot Caviar
   
8. Ceviche
   
9. Clamz (and many clamz associated recipes)
   
10. Maryland Crab’less Cakes
    
11. Breaded Jackfysh Filets
    
12. Battered Tofysh Filets
    
13. Shirataki Scallops
    
14. Mock Lobster
    
15. Mock Lobster Rolls
    
    Both of the above books have numerous other meat replacement recipes in addition to the seafood ones. You could try these. My mom really likes these recipes for seafood. I haven’t used them yet, so I can’t speak to that. However, it might be enough for you to satisfy your craving.

I use this. Love it, and it's cheap.

Vitamin B-12 Complex Sublingual Liquid, 2 Ounces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZIXJMS/

The book Dominion deals with this. Check out the product description on the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Dominion-Power-Suffering-Animals-Mercy/dp/0312319738#productDescription_secondary_view_div_1459217136222

This

Edit: link to amazon instead of google

This book http://www.amazon.com/Change-Heart-Psychology-Spreading-Social/dp/159056233X/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375324185&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=psyhology+of+spreadin+gsocial+change

Also...buy this book: https://www.amazon.com/Isa-Does-Amazingly-Delicious-Recipes/dp/0316221902

Of my veggie cookbooks, this one has by far the most wear on it.

here ya go! :)

http://www.amazon.com/Amerifit-Nutrition-Ovega-3-softgels-Health/dp/B004LL7AXE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334586206&sr=8-2

Ovega 3 is what we use. It's the cheapest I could find and I searched around and did the math per MG.

Moosewood Cookbook

Here ya go: http://www.amazon.com/PETAs-Vegan-College-Cookbook-Delicious/dp/1402218850

moosewood restaurant cookbook

i couldn't give this a higher endorsement.

The Flavor Bible

The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook (by America's Test Kitchen)

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

I've been taking this sporadically for years:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZIXJMS

I probably don't need it, but I don't see how it can hurt.