Vegetarian

[squiffy]

I'm a vegetarian and just turned gluten-free, do you think beign vegetarian will be a major problem in finding foods i can eat, cause i don't wanna be stuck eating the same foods everyday because i don't eat meat is anyone else also a vegetairian and how do they find it?

also, i have only been gluten-free for about a week now, but one of the major symptoms i saw was being really really tired, and since i have gone gluten-free, i have felt even worse than before, is this normal?

[ErraticBinxie]

I have tried several times to become a vegetarian and everytime it has been a challenge but that doesn't mean it can't be done. I am living on my own next year and am planning to do some major tofu experimentation. If you were a vegetarian and now also gluten-free, the amount of food that you can eat will definitely shrink but you can still find ways to make it work. You will just have to be willing to put more time into cooking. I totally support your decision to be vegetarian and gluten-free and I admire you for trying!

[Guest cassidy]

I was a vegetarian for 17 years. I recently (2 years ago) started eating meat. I am very picky about what meat I will eat. I'll eat chicken - only boneless & skinless, filet mignon from nice restaurants and pork roast, that is it.

Since you have been a vegetarian, I'm sure you know how to get protein from non-animal sorces like beans and rice. I really like Lindberg beans and rice in a can, I add cheese and just heat it up. Rice pasta is also great - I have tried many brands and Tinkyada is my favorite.

Amy's has many frozen meals the are gluten-free and work well on the run.

I don't know if you eat dairy, but most cheese and yogurt are gluten-free.

Most of the time I don't eat meat and it really isn't hard for me at all. It would be more difficult if I couldn't have dairy because I do eat a lot of dairy.

[Lauren M]

I do it!

I've been a vegetarian since I was 4 years old. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when I was 21. By then, it was a part of who I am and I wasn't about to start eating meat.

I had to start getting a little more creative with food, and opening myself up to things I had never tried before. I eat lots of tofu (can be cooked/prepared in many different ways), tofu pups (veggie hotdogs), veggie burgers, beans, hummus, and anything with cheese or peanut butter to get my protein.

I don't think it's hard to be gluten-free and vegetarian at the same time, but that's just my opinion. Also, I do eat eggs and dairy products, I am not vegan.

- Lauren

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I am a vegetarian, too! You can find lots of things to eat if you look.

[chocolatebunny]

I am a gluten free vegetarian, so I know that it's hard, but it can be done. There is alot more out there to eat for gluten free vegs than it would seem. For breakfast there is cereal with or without milk or soy milk (my favorite gluten-free cereal is puffins). You can toss it with dried fruit or nuts. Lunches, you can make a sandwich with gluten-free bread and pb. Sadly, meatless coldcuts are not gluten-free, but it's easy to make your own with thin pieces of tofu and tempeh. You can also eat a salad tossed with nuts, or tofu, or leftovers from last nights dinner (my mom is gluten-free too so she always makes yummy gluten-free dinners). For dinner meals you can use rice pasta or rice and tempeh or tofu to make creative meals. Soups are always nice too. You can pretty much throw together anything you could before if you are creative. I find it fun, actually =). It is hard going out to restaurants as there isn't much that I can eat. I doesn't help that I choose not to eat dairy and to eat very minimal eggs. There is always salad and nuts ( I carry these with me) or baked potatoes with veggies, or steamed rice with veggies. On the run (or when the rest of the family is eating porkchops or steak) you can grab an Amy's frozen dinner which is delicious! Good luck with your diet!

[schuyler]

It can definately be done. I became a vegetarian when I was in middle school, and I just went gluten-free 4.5 months ago. A few weeks ago I had to start eating chicken because I was having trouble getting enough protein (I recently found out that I'm soy and casien intolerant as well). Since most of my diet revolved around cheese and tofu, I really suffered when I had to cut them out. Before I went soy and dairy free, I did not have too many problems with being vegetarian and gluten-free. I really like Amy's frozen foods; I used to eat those quite often. Good luck with your diet.

About the exaustion, I was initially exausted after my diagnosis, but it has gotten better with time. So, yes, I think it's normal.

Danielle

[squiffy]

hey

thanks for all the comments! i guess it will be fine, which is cool cause i don't wanna eat meat!

x x

[pinkpei77]

hi.. i am vegan and i dont think its that hard to find things to eat at all!

its fun coming up with new ideas and recipes.

check out vegweb.com also!

if you ever want ideas let me know.

[powderprincess]

I am vegan, too and do not plan on adding cheese or meat to my soon to be gluten-free diet. No way! I feel so much better all around since becoming vegan. You are super smart to realize eating the same thing everyday will not a healty vegetarian make. Experiment.

Just think of all the things you CAN have. ANY vegetable, soy, tofu, rice , rice pasta, quinoa. . .so many possibilities.

(sorry, I busted in on the teen area, I thought I could add something since it was a veg topic)

[BRUMI1968]

Oh yeah, also not a teen, but definitely a NEAR vegan (I eat salmon and eggs, but not salmon eggs). There's lots to eat, and I don't eat soy, potato, nightshades, etc. Good thing I like my veggies, eh?

And to the tired. I was diagnosed a week ago after asking for the test due to fatigue mostly, and itching. I have felt MORE tired and MORE brain-foggy since then. I've had 1 b12 shot and am going in tomorrow and then once a week for more...they should help. Are you taking Vitamin B12, either shots or sublingual pills (dissolve under your tongue)? That should help.

Good luck!

[katrinamaria]

hey!

i have been a vegetarian my whole life and have been gluten free for the past 3 months or so. it seems tough at first. (great:))people on here recommended rice noodles and that helped me a lot because you can use them in tons of pasta dishes. i also love stir fries and do lots of experimenting. its fun to try new things out, as long as you are ok if it turns out to be a flop!

good luck!

kms

[key]

I am vegetarian and have been my whole life. There are plenty of things to eat that are gluten free and vegetarian. It is tougher eating out, but it can be done. Try gluten free pastas for sure. We also eat tons of Pamela's pancake mix. Find a good bread that is gluten free and that will help. We eat brown rice and beans, veges, fruits, corn tortillas, avocadoes, refried beans, enchiladas, mac and cheese, tofu pups, tofu and stir fry's. There really is alot to eat to stay healthy. Also nuts and nut butters. There are some good gluten free cereals too.

Hope this helps and it has only been a week, so don't get discouraged yet.

Monica

[prettyXmuchXrad]

It's definately an added challenge because it makes our diets even more restrictive. But think about the reasons you became a vegetarian in the first place. Are these any different just because you can't have gluten? Probably not. I've been a vegetarian for years and, despite the protests of friends and family members, I havn't stopped since getting diagnosed with celiac disease. It just takes a lot of getting used to and testing out new things- there's at least one brand of veggieburgers that are gluten-free, and lots of other things we can eat that don't contain meat or gluten.

[mtraezme]

There's also a website called Vegiac ( Open Original Shared Link ) that is for vegetarian/vegan celiacs.

I wonder if we all pestered Scott if he would add a vegetarian area onto the boards here. Maybe we should do that.

[ItchyMeredith]

This is a great book:

Open Original Shared Link .com/Gluten-Free-Vegetarian-Kitchen-Nutritious-Wheat-Free/dp/1557885109/ref=sr_1_3/002-1810760-7944002?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194849651&sr=8-3" target="external ugc nofollow">Open Original Shared Link .com/Gluten-Free-Vegetari...9651&sr=8-3

I have been a vegetarian since I was 12 and gluten free since June. Eating out at restaurants is really hard but eating in is not. It has taken me a while to find the joy in food again but I am getting there. Check out the link to the cookbook. It was a lifesaver to me!

Meredith

****Okay- for some reason the link doesn't work. It's called The Gluten Free Vegetarian Kitchen by Donna Klein. Check it out on Amazon.

[hathor]

I follow an essentially vegan diet (don't avoid honey and don't avoid use of animal products for nondietary purposes, so I've learned not to call myself that). I'm also intolerant of soy and yeast. I have no problems at all eating a variety of meals at home. Eating out is more of a challenge -- you find this list of places you can go that have things or will work with you.

There are Yahoo groups for both vegetarian and vegan avoiders of gluten. On the vegan board, there are files with scads and scads of recipes, and more pouring in each day. Fatfreevegan.com has a gluten-free section. Really, lots of regular vegetarian and vegan recipes work or can be made to work with adjustments (gluten-free pasta, use of a different grain, etc.) I have more recipes than I can conceivably try in my lifetime. And more all the time -- a vegan, gluten-free cookbook is coming out soon.

You can also check out the book "Food Allergy Survival Guide." All the recipes there are vegan and avoid all common allergens and gluten.

Again with the protein fixation. I feel like a broken record sometimes on this list. I don't know if anyone believes me, but here I go again. The actual measured need for protein is quite small and is readily met by plant foods. You don't even have to make an effort with soy & beans. Vegetable proteins are not incomplete, except for fruit. No one getting enough regular food gets a protein deficiency. Indeed, the problem in our society are diseases of protein excess.

Yes, to get the average US amount of protein (about 110 grams a day) a vegetarian needs to work at it. But the RDA is less than half that. And the RDAs were set multiples above where the studies came out (15 grams for women, 20 for men). The supposed "incompleteness" of the protein came from looking at rat studies. It was found in the human studies that the needed amino acids were different.

The backup for what I just said:

Open Original Shared Link

So eat tofu and beans if you want to, not because you feel you have to. I would say to avoid any protein powders or the like. You don't need them and they can be bad for you. I know study indicates that isolated soy protein isn't good stuff:

Open Original Shared Link

(This also indicates that soy should be viewed as a condiment, at least until more is known. But I can't handle the stuff at all.)

The Vegiac board is nice. There are some of us gluten-free sorts over on our own little subforum on the McDougall discussion board also.

If you have any questions about particular products or recipe adjustments, etc., just ask.

[hathor]

I forgot to mention that withdrawal from gluten is a possibility.

Open Original Shared Link

I just noticed that this is a teenagers only section. Oops, sorry about that

[Juliet]

Sorry to interrupt the teen section, too, but saw the vegetarian thread and thought I might post this website:

Open Original Shared Link

She's gluten free and mainly vegan/always vegetarian and her recipes are great.