Alright so today I went to the store and bought "veggie dogs". I ate 2 of them (45 calories each). After eating 2 of them they filled me up for 90 calories and I think 9g of protein. This really thrilled me. However, is this a healthy option do other people eat these things and still loose weight? I saw theres a bunch of veggie meatless options. If it is really healthy and helps contribute to weight loss what do other people eat?

The dogs probably aren't a bad thing to have now and again. As far as other ideas, I would look into vegetarian cooking with whole foods. They will satiate your body in a variety of ways--very satisfying and healthy to boot.

How much sodium is in the dogs?

I don't eat very many meat substitutes.

Do you cook? Are you interested in cooking? Even simple recipes?

My favorite blog is
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

So many good recipes!

Sometimes I cook quite a lot, sometimes I don't. Canned beans are my friend because they are so versatile and easy.

yes I love cooking! I been trying to get more into beans... my fav seems to be lentil. Mostly coz I love the flavor of curry. I also bought hummus the other day which I quite enjoyed but its a tad expensive. Would it be cheaper to make it at home? I dont know. Also the meatless subs are expensive.

Hummus is really cheap to make! Tahini and chickpeas (you can buy canned or buy dried for even cheaper) are the main ingredients. I've found that fava beans are also a very good add to hummus. My local asian market sells cans of fava beans for 50 cents each.

Do you have any cookbooks? Veganomicon tamarind lentils are soooo good.

I think I need some vegetarian cookbooks! Hummus was awesome. Where would hold tahini?

Where can you find tahini? I usually find it in asian markets, whole foods, other natural food stores and any middle eastern markets.

Here is a recipe:
http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appe...usbitahini.htm

I usually omit olive oil because I think tahini is a bigger flavor add than olive oil. I've heard some people omit tahini and add olive oil. If you wanted to do that, Trader Joe's carries an awesome kalamata olive oil that would probably be great but I still prefer tahini/no olive oil.

I'd wait a day or two before stocking up on veggie hot dogs. They caused me a lot of stinky gas, it was terrible - I don't have the same problem with tofu or soymilk. But you may be fine. Just wait and see. And of course, different veggie dogs are made differently.

I find tahini pretty widely available. It might be with other nut butters, but more likely it will either be in the ethnic foods area or in the organic/health food area, if they have one.

Oh I forgot that I did see tahini at Safeway near the peanut butter. So yeah it doesn't have to be a specialty store.

I dont know what a safeway is. However, I will look at the stores. Thank you for all your suggestions!

I've used peanut butter and a few drops of sesame oil in place of tahini. Not the best, but it works in a pinch. My grocery carries it in three places - the organic section, by the olives and relish, and in the ethnic isle.