Vegetarian? Protein Major Consideration

Many vegetarian recipes are easy to cook and delicious. If you want to follow a vegetarian diet it is good to use a variety of recipes to make your diet more interesting and easier to follow. Use a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, then frozen if fresh is unavailable.

The vegetarian linguine and the other recipes, featured below, excellent vegetarian dishes and easy to cook. This recipe is a tasty alternative to meat and potatoes, plus pasta dishes can be so satisfying. It is colorful with all the fresh healthy vegetables, and it is an easy recipe. One serving is about 216 calories using reduced fat provolone or vegetarian cheese. It is a nice change to eat something different, yet so satisfying.

Protein is important when following a vegetarian diet, and there are a variety of protein filled foods, such as, tofu, beans and eggs.

Signs that there is not sufficient protein in your diet:

1. Frequent cravings for snacks between meals, as protein aids in stabilizing blood glucose.
2. Muscle weakness or loss of muscle tone, plus pain.
3. Recovery from andy injury is slow
4. Hair thing falling out, skin that is peeling and nails may have and ridges are all symptoms of inadequate protein intake.
5. Fluid retention and swelling that you might notice in your feet and ankles.
6. Becoming ill more frequently as protein strengthens your immune system.
7. You may have a foggy brain with short bursts of mental energy that will be followed by brain fog.

You may experience weight loss if you aren't eating enough protein, which may be desirable but unhealthy. So how much protein do you need? "The average person needs to consume 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight." If you are an athlete, you will burn more calories, so protein is important for you. The elderly are also at a greater risk for inadequate protein intake.

This recipe is a tasty alternative to meat and potatoes, plus pasta dishes can be so satisfying. It is colorful with all the fresh healthy vegetables, and it is an easy recipe. One serving is about 216 calories using reduced fat provolone or vegetarian cheese. It is a nice change to eat something different, yet so satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces uncooked linguine
• 2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter or vegetarian margarine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 /4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (vegetarian cheese is available)
• 3 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese (vegetarian cheese available)

Directions:

• Cook linguine according to package directions.
• Use a large skillet to sauté the zucchini, mushrooms, onions and garlic in butter and oil for 3-5 minutes.
• Add tomato, basil, salt and pepper.
• Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Drain linguine.
• Add to vegetable mixture.
• Sprinkle with cheese; toss to coat.

Yield: 6 servings.

For you meat eaters, you won’t miss the meat in this flavorful stew. The cilantro, honey and garlic accent the beans and vegetables very well. The black beans and cheese provide you with some protein.

Ingredients:

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup each chopped celery, carrot and sweet red pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cans (15 ounces)black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 5 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack cheese (get a vegetarian variety if you don’t eat cheese)
• 5 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream if on your vegetarian diet
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion

Directions:

• In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, sauté the onion, celery, carrot, red pepper and garlic in sherry or broth and oil until tender.
• Add the beans, can of broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, chili powder, cumin and oregano.
• Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and cover.
• Simmer for 40 minutes.
• Stir in the cilantro; simmer 5-15 minutes longer or until stew is thickened.
• Garnish with cheese, sour cream and green onion as desired.

Yield: 5 servings.

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 8 green onions, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced (Hass avocados are especially good)
• 1 (4 ounce) jar pimentos
• 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped (cherry or Roma)
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (use a good brand name)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

This salad can be assembled in approximately 20 minutes.

• Use a large bowl and combine the black beans, corn, green onions, jalapeño peppers, bell pepper, avocado, pimentos, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice.
• Add Italian dressing.
• Season with garlic salt.
• Toss, and chill until serving.

This is a delicious salad with a lovely combination of vegetables.

Per Serving: 391 calories; 24.5 g fat; 35.1 g carbohydrates; 10.5 g protein; 0 mg cholesterol; 830 mg sodium

There is no big mystery to creating delicious vegan or vegetarian meals. There are more tasty alternatives for meat and cheese at the grocery stores. Buy a good vegan or vegetarian cookbooks to really see the vast number of interesting recipes that are available.

Sometimes the change in a recipe may be using soy or coconut milk instead of cow’s milk. There is a vegetarian whipping cream available, as well as, a number of cheese replacements.

Tofu can be used to replace ricotta or cottage cheese. This is just the tip of the iceberg as stores like Whole Foods have more products that you can imagine. Drop in and check out all the new products on shelves everywhere.

The copyright, renewed in 2018, for this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.