Fall Harvest Soup a Vegetarian Recipe-Learn to Eat and Cook Healthy

Harvest soup is a vegetarian recipe-learn to eat healthy all it takes is a little planning. How we became vegetarian by planning our meals and learning the nutritional content of the foods we eat. About 25 years ago, we returned from our summer vacation; the refrigerator and cupboards were bare, and it was time to go shopping. Earlier that summer, our family had discussed the possibility of becoming vegetarians; we even thought of a vegetarian recipe or two we wanted to try. We saw our empty pantry as the perfect opportunity to make a fresh start in our eating habits.

One of the most challenging parts of becoming vegetarian was my husband's love of bacon. At that time, there were very few options in our market for replacing bacon at the time. Most of the substitute bacon products were just that, a substitute. They didn't satisfy their desire for him. Eventually, the new product can go on to the market, and bacon is no longer an issue for him.

In the beginning, we tried to use meat replacements. We were in the mindset that there needed to be some meat-looking product on our plates, or it wouldn't be dinner. Now we have discovered that a meal isn't the center of a good healthy meal. We eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products. The vegetarian diet includes dairy. The vegan diet is a stricter version of our diet and eliminates all dairy products. Our goal with a vegetarian diet was to eat healthier foods and eliminate all types of mammal flesh from our diet.

Our diet includes a large variety of fruits and vegetables, some of which can be pricy. However, considering the cost of meats balances out as far as price. We love to try new recipes, and when we began our journey to vegetarianism, each family member planned and cooked a meal each week for the family. We soon discovered the wide variety of vegetarian recipes available.

The first cookbooks we purchased were one written by Linda McCartney, the wife of Beatle Paul McCartney. Unfortunately, we lost our cookbooks and recipes during hurricane Katrina when she took all our possessions, including our home. I now keep all of my recipes in my head for safekeeping.

Now the girls are grown and have families of their own. As a result, my husband and I have completely cut out meat substitute products, except for an occasional addition of crumbled vegetable protein in chili and spaghetti sauce. The rest of our meals are made with more natural food, including legumes, beans, and nuts as protein sources.

For example, we love to grill our food outdoors. Instead of burgers on our buns, we marinate Portabella mushrooms on the grill. We place it on a bun and treat it the same as a hamburger. We put lettuce, tomato, onions, catsup, mayonnaise, and other traditional burger dressing. We also have a wok for our grill with all the holes. We use olive oil, season fresh or frozen vegetables, and grill them just as you would on the stove. They are lovely over rice or pasta.

Choosing 7 types of vegetables for a nutrient rich cold weather meal may not be an easy task for many. I have created a meal that will give you a good portion of your recommended daily allowance in one meal. We start off the meal with these 7 groups of vegetables, leafy greens, green bell pepper, broccoli, carrot, squash, and tomato. I can think of two recipes using these ingredients. The first thing which come to mind is a hearty soup. How easy was that?

Harvest Soup Recipe to Ward Off Chills

2 cups chopped Kale

100g/450mg of potassium, 180% (RDR) for vitamin A, 200% (RDR) of vitamin C, 15% (RDR) of calcium,19% (DRR) of Iron

2 medium bell peppers

2% (RDR) Calcium, 4% (RDR) of Iron, 180% (RDR) of vitamin C. 48% (RDR) Potassium

1 large head of broccoli

4%(RDR) Calcium and Iron, 48% ( RDR)Potassium, 30% (RDR) vitamin A, 140% (RDR) of vitamin C

3 large carrots

270mg of potassium, 270% (RDR) Vitamin A, 2% (RDR) Calcium 0% (RDR) Iron

3 cups butternut squash

4490mg Potassium, 220% (RDR) Vitamin A, 50% (RDR) Vitamin C and 6% (RDR) for Calcium and Iron.

7-8 Roma tomatoes

410mg of Potassium other vitamins and mineral at 60% (RDR)

2 quarts water

Salt, pepper and seasoning to taste

Serve over noodles or rice, your preference. My family like alphabet or star noodle in this soup.

Clean and cut all freshly harvested vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place into a large soup pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. After 1 hour reduce heat to simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender. Serve over noodles or rice.

SUGGESTED Seasoning-garlic, onions, bay leaf, parsley

If you can't go cold turkey as we did, the easiest way to begin is by reducing meat intake each week until you eliminate it from your diet. You will discover a new variety of food you may have never tried. Most diets around the world use little, if any, meat. For example, grains such as couscous and seed like Quinoa will satisfy your hunger and help eliminate the desire for red meat.

Quinoa is an ancient seed that had been forgotten about for many years. Recently, it was reintroduced to the public. It is a tiny seed and cooks the same as rice. However, it is high in protein, iron, and magnesium, which are essential for everyone. Therefore, we eat it in place of rice. It is good plain, with seasoning or sauces. Since it is a good protein, you can supplement it with vegetables and fruits for a wholesome meal.

When you begin your journey to vegetarianism, you may want to eat meat. However, if you can make the transition, you will find that the smell of flesh no longer appeals to you. After eating such a clean and healthy diet for all these years, I find the scent of cooking meat very heavy. If you are considering becoming a vegetarian, start with a good cookbook and explore the possibilities.