[Skettihead03]

Good morning everyone!

I do eat and enjoy meat, but am putting myself through a 3 week cleanse to rid myself of toxins, and to hopefully put a jump start on regulating/fixing some health issues I have going on. The guidelines told me no alcohol, limited to no caffeine, no animal protein unless I'm getting exhausted.

I have NO idea how to eat without incorporating animal protein. I am allowed to eat eggs so I've been having 2 every other day. I've barely been surviving because I just don't know what to eat! I mean salad is a given... I had some mixed veggies sauteed in coconut oil the other night. I can only have up to 3 pieces of fruit per day and even that is limited (no bananas, mangos, pineapple).

I need meal ideas if possible... something that is filling. I'm having a hard time staying full on the rabbit food. I also want to make sure I'm getting enough protein. I want to stick with it though because I know it will do wonders for my body. Even after the cleanse I will incorporate my meat in moderation, and stick with chicken, turkey and fish.

Any suggestions are appreciated!!!

[amandie]

Hi there!!

Beans and cheese in a tortilla for a burrito or quesadilla along with some veggies in it work very well. A dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream for extra protein.

Beans and rice (I add lemon lime and cilantro, sort of like Chipotle's) with veggies and sometimes shredded cauliflower to give me more bulk out of the meal. sometimes cheese and Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Hummus is great, be sure to add baking soda if making the chickpeas yourself (the BS will soften the chickpeas and make it creamy smooth.) I don't add olive oil or tahini to mine since I'm trying to watch calories so that part is up to you. I use a bit of water, lemon juice, roasted red peppers and a few garlic cloves (if you can, roast the garlic first for more flavor.)

Cottage cheese is a good form of protein, sometimes I season it and/or add pungent cheese like feta or blue/bleu cheese the use it as my salad or veggie dressing.

I hope that helped some. I'm not 100% vegetarian but I've been cutting back a lot on meat.

[nelie]

I am guessing dairy is out as well as that can cause issues?

I have been eating vegan for over 6 years and I can give you what advice I can. Being that it is winter, I generally eat very few raw vegetables so I generally don't eat salads in the winter. If you do, I recommend adding quinoa and/or some type of bean (chickpeas are one of my favorites).

For breakfast, if you can eat soy, you could try a tofu scramble. If not, bread with hummus (you can make your own or buy it) and tomato slices is a pretty good breakfast. Some people I know that are vegan and focused on protein, also make savory chickpea pancakes (you use chickpea flour or besan as known in Indian stores) for breakfast.

For lunch, I tend to eat wraps. Again, if you can eat soy, smoked tofu can be found in many regular stores but most definitely at health food stores. If not, hummus again is a good wrap ingredient. Also, you can make burritos as well. I like making tacos with corn tortillas. I will also make my own refried beans or buy some in cans. Add some salsa, guacamole (or just avocado) and it makes a pretty filling meal. Another alternative is make a taco bowl (or taco salad if you want to eat salads) where you use brown rice, beans, salsa, avocado, green onions, etc.

For dinner, my dinners tend to be a grain with a bean and veggies on the side. Things like chana masala (indian spices with chickpeas) over brown basmati, Ethiopian style lentils (berbere spice with red lentils) over brown rice or other grain, Chili type beans with cornbread, Lentil sloppy joes, etc. You can also venture into making casseroles and such as well.

I don't make enchiladas very often but if you like them, this is one of my favorite recipes. I recommend throwing in some black beans along with the filling ingredients:
http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/...nchiladas.html

For recipes, I'd recommend looking at these sites:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com
http://elizaveganpage.blogspot.com/
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/

These sites I haven't used too much but are pretty popular
http://www.veganricha.com/p/recipe-index-by-label.html
http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/
http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/

Also, if you are craving something in particular, feel free to ask, I have a ton of cookbooks and can try to find a similar recipe.

[veggiedawg]

Are you eating carbs on this detox? (rice/bread/tortillas...etc)

And are you allowed protein powder for smoothies?

[Munchy]

Hearty soups and stews would be where I would go first. It's cold outside, I do not want salad! Make a big pot and you can eat it for one meal per day or freeze it into portions so you can pull it out when you need it.

Grains with beans like nelie mentioned, or grains with vegetables like this vegetable polenta casserole that I'm making tonight. Stuffed vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, squash, are really hearty.

Tacos with unexpected fillings like roasted vegetables (zucchini and corn is an awesome combo), pasta with tomato sauce (if you're eating pasta, if not try zucchini noodles), potatoes with broccoli, wraps with whatever fillings you choose (hummus, tomatoes, sprouts in a wrap made of greens is a favorite of mine).

[Skettihead03]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions! I would have never thought of these. It's definitely a leap going from meat and sides 3x a day to creating meals with no meat.

I can have dairy, in moderation. Although honestly I prefer almond milk/rice milk/soy milk to regular milk now anyways. I can have yogurt, greek yogurt, just none with a lot of added sugar of course.

Yes, I can have protein powder! I'm going to see about doing that and doing morning shakes/smoothies with the fruit that is allowed. Where can I buy it, Vitamin stores?

Yes I can also have carbs. Brown rice, Quinoa, Wheat Bread (try to keep to a minimum) Wheat tortillas, etc. I just can't have too much starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn.

I don't mind sharing, this cleanse is supposed to jump start my body to regulate my hormones, as my doctor and I believe I have PCOS. (Still need to be test confirmed) but this will help, and if the diagnosis ends up being something else, this certainly won't hurt me. And It will teach me to not rely on meat as much, which is important since animal protein isn't the best thing for you no matter what diet you're on.

[JulieFriday]

Gosh yes - beans and rice are one of my favorite dishes. As a side with eggs or on their own, they do a real number on hunger. With lots of Tabasco or Tapatio hot sauce! I'm mostly veg but have trouble not being anemic, so occasional meat is safest for me. But I'd live on rice and beans if I could

I'm not a big fan of soy, but if you can find it soy chorizo is great to have with squash and lima beans (I can hear the "ick"s out there).

I like Body Fortress brand whey protein in the vanilla flavor. Like it a LOT. Meier carries it.

I made cabbage rolls with lentils, bulgur, and barley earlier this week.

Think about spicy greens like arugula and chicory mixed with fruit and nuts for salads. Pretty freaking good. Arugula, pears, toasted pine nuts, and feta cheese with raspberry vinaigrette over it. Is it dinner time yet?

[jmh6251]

Thankyou so much for your suggestions you have definitely given me some options I haven't thought of as well. Thankyou Skettihead03 for asking the question.I think sometimes I get in a rut. Have a wonderful day

[2fat2jump]

Happened to catch this thread. As someone who struggles with PCOS I can not recommend enough going on a gluten free diet. It took me about 6 months to go completely gluten free. I started limiting it little by little and have been 100% gf for 2 months now. Those last 2 months I have also had normal periods. I find it hard to believe that is a coincidence.

Good luck on your health journey!