What are the best food choices to help maintain a healthy vegetarian diet?

You know what you like and what is healthy so I can really only add that you pick fesh vegetables prefferably ones you have grown or gathered yourself. Also learn to “graze” meaning you can abandon the “three squares” we are all used to but are not exactly what we are biologically built for. Are you going vegan? If not reconsider eggs, especially locally sourced eggs. Look carefully at breads and especially tortillas, most contain trans fat so wrapped sandwiches are probably worse than a regular sandwich.

I’m not exactly vegetarian but I try to get as close to food as possible. This morning I had a couple figs from a neighbors fig tree, a few handfulls of wild black cherries from a tree in my yard and when my wife wakes up I’ll nake us each an egg sandwich with bread I made, cilantro and tomato and cucumber slices from our garden. Last night I had trout I caught on sunday and vegetables from our garden. I can’t always eat like this but I try to as much as I can.

@ARE_you_kidding_me Thank you for your answer. I will not be going vegan and will be eating eggs as well. Although I tend not to eat much eggs (not intentionally). But I should probably try to include eggs in my diet a little more.

Make sure your oils are of high quality. No margarine. When you go to the grocery, try a new fruit or vegetable. My grocery has started carrying jackfruit. Some is prepackaged and some is fresh. From what I’ve read It tastes differently according to ripeness. It can be used as a substitute for meat too.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/people-and-culture/food/the-plate/2016/07/jackfruit-sustainable-vegetarian-meat-substitute/

Also try coconut butter on toast. I used to hate coconut until I tried that.

I think you are missing protein. The first few weeks count up your protein using a nutrition guide. Meat quickly gives an instant jolt of protein like a sweet dessert gives an instant jolt of sugars. Your food choices seem low in protein except for the soy beans and Quorn, but I am not recommending eating to eat too much soybeans.

To get more protein the two things standing out to me are you aren’t eating enough dark green leafy veggies, and try adding in legumes like black beans, kidney beans, etc.

Dark green leafy ideas: spinach, kale, even romaine.

Added legumes ideas: black bean soup, rice and beans, pasta fagioli, minestrone, refried beans, three bean salad, peanuts and peanut butter.

Also, the items I mentioned have iron, which possibly you are missing, although men typically don’t need a ton of iron. You could get some blood tests run for iron in a few months and see how you’re doing. Iron, B12, CBC.

Edit: I would count up fat grams before adding more fat as @snowberry suggested. Or, maybe she is just saying use specific fats when eating fats? Check your cholesterol too in The blood work. Vegetarians often have high cholesterol just like omnivores, because of their egg and dairy intake. Many vegetarians also eat plenty of sautéed foods, and desserts, and often practically as much fat as omnivores. It just depends on the individual vegetarian.

Eggs and dairy are helpful for protein, and of course, legumes add a lot of good protein. Whole grains, and the rest you’ve described seems pretty good.
I was vegetarian for a long time and thrived on it.

I am mostly vegetarian. I eat no deserts except for fruit, and no refined sugars. No dairy, no eggs. As for fat, I eat a lot of avocados, but limited fat in other meals. I’m not over or underweight. My cholesterol is great.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this healthy dish!

Organic Black Turtle Beans with sliced avocado on top.

I have been eating this dish almost every single morning. I am extremely healthy. I have low body fat as well.

Here is the link and I really think you should try it :

https://www.amazon.com/Eden-Organic-Black-Beans-Added/dp/B00KOB7ZTE/ref=sr_1_14_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1498414638&sr=8-14&keywords=organic+black+beans

The black beans is very filling and full of protein. Low fat. The avocado on top is extremely yummy and has those “healthy” fats.

Seriously I love this. Very low sodium as well.

Here is the nutritional value:

http://www.edenfoods.com/store/images/products/nlea/102980.gif

and here is the link to their actual website:

http://www.edenfoods.com/store/black-beans-organic-bpa-free-lined-can.html

Here are just some pictures as well of black beans with avocado. It’s a very simple, affordable and healthy meal.

https://www.google.com/search?q=black+beans+with+sliced+avocado&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwifuJ69ztnUAhUSy2MKHT-ZDsoQ_AUICigB&biw=1366&bih=638

I eat this almost everyday in the morning and keeps me full and gives me A LOT of energy. Pure energy.

My stepson has a diet in which he eats vegetarian 6 days of the week and will eat meat on the 7th. For 6 days he eats vegetables, fruits, and beans. Avocados are a staple. He is in the medical field so he understands the importance of the various food groups and makes sure he gets beans most days to add the needed proteins. Brown rice is a nice filler as well.

@seawulf575 good for him! Some folks in medicine don’t have any idea what a healthy diet is.

Again, I encourage blood tests eventually. Everyone is different. The only way you know how your doing is to check. You can’t guess, and things like cholesterol, vitamins, minerals, homosysteine levels, are completely silent until severely deficient, or until significant disease has set in. I know people who eat steak and eggs and pasta on a very regular basis and their cholesterol is very low. Mine would be sky high.

I agree with the idea of adding more legumes. We eat a lot of four-bean salad. You could add some Sauer kraut too. Both are good for your gut health.

I would also urge you to add more beans of all kinds (kidney, pinto, Great Northern, chickpeas, black beans etc.), and leafy greens (kale, Swiss Chard, mustard greens, collard greens etc.), whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa, bulgur, brown rice, barley, farro etc.), and nuts/legumes (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, soynuts, cashews etc.). Not only will this add valuable nutrients, protein, and fiber to your diet, it will make your diet much more interesting. If your diet is not interesting and fun (I hope you know how to cook) it will be very hard to sustain for very long.

One thing that I like to do, to try several new dishes, is to find 2 or 3 dishes that all use some of the same ingredients, so that you aren’t buying one ingredient, and having a bunch of it left over. For example, you could get some basil and make Pesto for pasta, then make a Caprese Salad, and then add fresh basil to a White Pizza.

And to make it more fun and interesting, you should experiment with all types of herbs and spices. If you need any recipes, please let me know : )

Add more green leafy vegetables. Stay plenty hydrated and try to get a little exercise.

And because you all know I can’t help myself, I have looked up some delicious and nutritious recipes for our @NerdyKeith I hope there is something on this list that you all will enjoy.

Mushroom Galette (I’m pretty sure you could use prepared pie crust for this recipe, if you didn’t want to go to the trouble of making your own. That is what I would do. Homemade pie crust is delicious, but if you don’t have time, there are good prepared ones in the refrigerated, and sometimes frozen sections at the market. I don’t think you have Trader Joe’s stores in England, but they make a good frozen pie crust.)

Barley, Bean, and Chard Soup

Veggie Burgers

Walnut Pecan Fake Meatballs (you can put these on spaghetti, or make sandwiches.)

Asian Quinoa Salad

Spicy Kale, Quinoa, and Black Bean Salad

White Bean Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette

Carrot Tahini Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

Moroccan Spiced Vegetarian Cabbage Rolls (I forgot to mention that you should add some cruciferous veggies such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, so this one fits that bill)

Indian Samosa Casserole (I think you can use a pre-made pie crust for this dish too)

Squash and Spinach Curry

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Pumpkin and Bean Chili

Vegan Fake Beef Stew (you can add any fake meat strips you like, or just use shiitake or portobello mushroom strips)

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Grilled Mushroom Fake Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Enjoy!

Thank you for your advice everyone. I’m still going strong with the vegetarian diet and I added a lot of the suggestions you’ve all made. Including more beans

The thing about veggie burgers is they taste delicious, but they don’t taste like meat. And that’s not a bad thing.

@Strauss That’s ok haha the Quran products taste very close to meat, especially the chicken style.

@NerdyKeith I think you mean Qorn. The Quran is the Holy Book attributed to Mohammed.

I’ve tasted Quorn products before. Although I am not a vegetarian, I have refrained from meat and/or meat products on several occasions over the course of several weeks to months. Althought the Quorn products did not satisfy my craving for meat (which was probably more psychological than physical), I did find them to be flavorful and satisfying as a meat substitute.

@Strauss Yes that is what I meant. By bad. The quorn products are very nice, especially when season correctly. But its not for everybody I suppose.