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bulldinkie

RECIPE: I need Big Changes...and Help.

bulldinkie
19 years ago

dr said I need to start thinking vegetarian as Im heading for dialysis.Im 50 years old the 25th.Ive eaten meat for mm48 I guess years ha .Dont know where to start.I did cahange milk to the organic Horizon love it.All the harmones and all are not in there. But recipes all call for things I aint never heard of..

Comments (5)

  • computerklutz
    19 years ago

    Hi bulldinkie,
    Change can be hard! But if your doctor is encouraging you for health reasons, you have an extra incentive. We went vegetarian 18 years ago because DH's doctor recommended it to. At that time, trying to eat vegetarian meant very limited choices, but no more!

    I really like Vegetarian Times magazine, it has lots of good recipes, but you could check it out at local library.
    What are your favorite food dishes, or were you kind of just a meat and potatoes kind of person?
    I would recommend you start simple. The organic Horizon milke is a good start, make sure you get the lowest fat you can tolerate. Second, think about dishes you make regularly that you can super duper easy change to vegetarian. (I'm not talking vegan, which is a very healthy lifestyle but much more restrictive on ingredients)
    Basically any recipe that calls for ground beef is easy to change over. You can buy the MOrningstar Farm meatless burger crumbles at your local Target, Kroger etc. The burger crumbles will replace your ground beef. You can use it to make meatloaf, tacos, enchiladas, stroganoff, spaghetti sauce with meat. All these are just converted by using the crumbles. Morningstar also makes sausage crumbles that are great for making gumbo, fried rice, things like that.
    So for now I would cruise the regular grocery store and check out Morningstar Farms and also check out the Amy's line of frozen foods. If you have a Whole Foods near you they are excellent for getting TVP (textured vegetable protein) and all your organic needs.
    Organic vegetables can be found at your local farmers market if you get there early, they sell out fast. Cutting out fried food or fast foods alone will go a long way towards improving your health. I'm not sure what else to say, but will check back.
    I think you will do just fine if you take baby steps for the first couple of weeks or month so you don't feel overwhelmed...

  • bulldinkie
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Thank you ..I have been changing things for years as far as no salt,frozen veggies instead of canned,I use 1% & Skim milk,lots of salads,veggies,fruits,love fresh fruit.But making meals not using meats was hard I didnt know about Morningstars etc thank you

  • davevt
    19 years ago

    Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison is a good cookbook that has recipes for a wide variety of tastes.

    You should be able to find a lot of things in it that take the place of meat and taste good.

    Have your doctor refer you to a nutritionist to help change your diet. It's not that easy to make the right choices, especially when you have specific medical conditions, and a good nutritionist can steer you in the right direction.

  • shays
    19 years ago

    You can try some of the prepackaged foods available, there is now a no-meat substitute for almost anything you can think of! There's Tuno (canned meatless tuna alternative), Worthington makes Fillets (frozen DELICIOUS fish alternative), there's Wheat Meat (no-meat chicken alternative that tastes like the real thing), Wham (which is a meatless ham substitute, that is just like eating real sliced ham) and lots more. If you have a Whole Foods or Earth Fare nearby, check those out. Kroger also usually carries a fairly decent selection of frozen no-meat alternative foods. If not, talk to your grocery store manager, they are usually willing to carry some of this stuff when asked. Our local Kroger boosted their vegetarian selection because of only 2 people who asked! That was great.
    Good Luck!

  • vegangirl
    18 years ago

    The above suggestions are very good. Those foods are delicious. but if your dr says you're heading for dialysis, that means you need to watch your protein intake, particularly animal protein. some of the meat subs have egg whites which of course contain animal protein. I suggest learning to make your own meat subs from whole grains, beans, etc. That way you can avoid the animal proteins. Research shows that vegetable proteins don't have the same harmful effects on the kidney nephrons--the filtering system. One of my favorite cookbooks is "Best Gourmet Recipes from the chefs of Five Loaves Deli & Bakery by Neva Brackett (2nd edition) Another awesome book is "Proof Positive" by Dr. Neil Nedley. It has chapters on all the major diseases..cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease plus diet info and much, much more. Well worth having for reference. You could search online for it. Best of luck!!
    VG

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