Vegetarian And Gluten-free

[redwolfgirl]

Hello,

I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian and just became gluten-free last week. Are there any other gluten-free vegetarians out there that can share some food ideas? I really miss my meat substitutes and am at a loss for variety.

RedWolfGirl

[mandasmom]

Hello,

I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian and just became gluten-free last week. Are there any other gluten-free vegetarians out there that can share some food ideas? I really miss my meat substitutes and am at a loss for variety.

RedWolfGirl

It is difficult but not impossible to be a gluten-free Veggie--you really need to be sure that you are nutritionally sound. I would highly recommend a meeting or two with a skilled nutritionist with experience in GI issues. Gardenburger does make a gluten-free burger (check the packages -only one or two of their selections are gluten-free) and a gluten-free veggie breakfast sausage. Sol Cuisine also makes one--they are more difficult to find. I have tried to contact them many times but have not gotten a reply. You will also find it necessary to do much ore from "scratch" cooking using legumes etc. Lastly, I know that vegetarians find offense at this but---you might want to consider adding some other protiens--fish or fowl to insure your intake of protien and omega 3 fats!! Best of luck and good health

[RiceGuy]

I haven't had any difficulties obtaining a wide variety of vegetarian foods that are both nutritious and satisfying. I've found that whole gains, legumes, nuts and seeds go a long way towards making meals satisfying, so I simply don't have actual cravings for anything. That is unless I'm remiss and overlook something for too long.

I make all my meals from scratch, including "meat substitutes". When I first went gluten-free, I too was at a loss for variety, but I eventually realized I was limiting my scope. There's far more foods available than most Americans ever consider. One major category is legumes. There's more than just baked beans or refried beans from a can. Since time is a factor for me, I looked up the cooking times for various legumes, and found lentils (the red ones in particular) to be very fast-cooking. Furthermore, they don't require pre-soaking like many other legumes do, so that's also convenient. Tofu is another way to enjoy a legume, and it can easily replace poultry in many recipes. I find that freezing the tofu for at least four days (96 Hrs) gives it a much more meat-like texture. Some poultry seasoning really helps get a convincing meat-like flavor.

Nuts and seeds are another way to add variety. I'm finding more and more things which they complement very well. Add them to breads, salads, fruity dishes, etc.

Also don't forget the whole grains, which offer many nutrient such as proteins, carbs, fiber, and so much more. There's far more to this category than just rice too. Consider amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, teff, etc. All of these work well for many different dishes. Of course, there is quite a variety of rices too, so you're not stuck with the common long-grain brown rice which is usually what you'll find at the supermarket. Short-grain rices can be surprisingly different than the long-grain ones. Personally, I can't stand most long-grain ones, but I really enjoy some sort-grain ones from Lundberg Farms. It's truly a matter of taste, so try different ones and see what appeals you.

Let's not forget Tinkyada Pastas. This is the favorite brand among the members of this board, and I agree it is very good - I say better than the best durham semolina pastas I ever had.

I've always enjoyed cooking and baking, so to me it's not unusual to prepare everything from scratch. I realize not everyone has a fondness for it, but it is cheaper than buying the pre-packaged gluten-free stuff, and also very rewarding.

[hathor]

Heck, I follow a vegan diet and have to avoid soy and yeast in addition to gluten. I manage to find plenty of variety.

You've just started. Of course it is going to take you a bit of time to adjust and find new favorites. You have to allow yourself to grieve for the things you can no longer eat. But once you find a gluten-free pasta you like, plus gluten-free bread, crackers, pizza crust, cookies, and the like, try out grains like millet and quinoa, etc., you will do fine. I have more recipes now than I can organize.

There are web sites with vegetarian/vegan gluten-free recipes. Just google. You can also find a couple books -- I'll look up the links if you are interested.

Yahoo groups have some very well-populated vegetarian and vegan gluten-free groups. Plenty of recipes abound.

On the McDougall discussion board, there is a subforum for gluten-free issues. One recent thread is on what people eat each day. You might want to check that out for ideas.

I pretty much gave up on the meat and cheese subs some time ago due to concerns with isolated soy proteins. But once I was off them for a bit I didn't really miss them. I make the center of each meal some starch -- a gluten-free grain or grain product, beans, lentils, polenta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. I try to spice them up in a variety of ways. Add some other veggies, fruit, nuts, and the like and the number of different meals I can eat is really unlimited. And YOU are able to eat more things than I can