Hi All,
I've been looking at the Mediterranean Diet and like the idea but I found this message board and I'd like to try Sonoma for a while. I too (like someone else on this board) lost a lot of weight with low-carb dieting (went from 153 to 123) but couldn't keep the occassional binges at bay plus I became a vegetarian a few months ago, so now I'm back up, probably at least 20 pounds. I'm wanting to find a good food lifestyle first and if I lose a little weight in the bargain I'll be happy but I don't want to do the 1200 calorie type of starvation diets I've been doing for most of my life. i was a little leary about the plate sizes but I've measured all the plates I usually use for breakfast and lunch/dinner and they all fit within the guildelines. It's nice to see that I won't be eating anything less than I've already been doing.

I just ordered the book but I'm going off the guidelines on this board for a few days. I've actually been eating quite well since I've become a vegetarian - I eliminated almost all processed foods and refined carbs, I've been diligent about including veggies at every meal, and I've kept my dairy low fat and moderate. So I've decided to start with Wave 2, since I don't see it necessary to detox from refined carbs and sugars, since I've been doing that already.

I'm wondering if there are any vegetarians out there and how they cope with this plan. Just from looking at the Med Diet it doesn't look as if it should be a problem to replace animal protien with stuff like legume. But I'm wondering what the deal is on tofu for this kind of diet? I'm pretty sure stuff like Morningstar Farms burgers and the crumble are off limits, since the packages list stuff like corn starch and corn syrup so they're pretty processed.

Also, I'd love an advice. I'm a full-time grad student and this is my last semester before I graduate (to move on to a PhD program, hopefully) so I don't have much time to cook during the week. I do make a few main dishes for during the week but I usually find myself taking on Wednesdays (the only day I'm at the university until night so I have to eat all three meals there) something like an Amy's frozen dinner. I think they're pretty unprocessed from waht I've seen of the ingredients and I always take a raw veggie along so as to balance the protein and carb with the veggie so I don't think portions will be a problem. But I'd love some one-bowl meal suggestions that I can just throw together on a Tues night to take with me. I'm thinking something like couscous, chickpeas, and veggies all together with some spices in a bowl to heat up, or brown rice and beans or burgur and beans. Anyone have any suggestions?

Also, how are you all finding you're coping with dessert? I really want to get myself used to eating fruit for dessert, since I tend to like stuff that is more doughy. Are there restrictions on specific fruits on the Sonoma Diet (I know there aren't on the Med diet)?

Tam

Tam,

Welcome to the Sonoma Forum. Yes this is very similar to the Med Diet, with a few minor changes like the Wave Structure and the portion control methods.

I posted a few vegetarian meals in the Sonoma recipe forum, so go check those out. I don't know if you eat cheese but two of my favorites are Pasta Primavera and Whole Wheat pasta with Eggplant, Mushrooms and Goat Cheese.

Amy's frozen meals as well as Lean Cuisine Spa meals are considered fine on this plan, but the book has a lot more quick meals ideas.

I wouldn't say the crumbles are off limits, but do find ones that have the least sugars. Tofu is fine. Dairy doesn't pay a big role in the plan, but I think that is mainly due to the saturated fats in regular cheese. I find a good Tofu or almond cheese works just fine (of course my local store discontinued carrying it so that's another story!! )

I don't do much cooking during the week, but do as much as I can on the weekend. A stir fry with soem tofu/crumbles, scads of fresh veggies and some whole wheat noodles/couscous would be a very quick option.

Lots of yummy food here, but don't forget about exercise!!

One thing I find very frustrating with all the conventional diets out there is that the recipes in the books seem to be meat, meat, meat, with a few vegetarian thrown in there, but not many. Plus they tell you to restrict your beans because they are "carbs," but those carbs are also a major protein source for us. The MacDougall and Ornish diets are vegetarian, but are also extremely restrictive. I wish someone would come up with a vegetarian diet that really helps one lose weight, but also is not so restrictive that it is difficult to stay on it. I do eat fish, but I can't eat fish every single day of the week.

Linda and ThinFor5Minutes, thank you for the input. I guess I forgot to mention that I am lacto/ovo so cheese and eggs are no problem for me. I'm trying to stick to low-fat varieties (a bit of a tough transition, since I got used to the full-fat stuff on low-carb) and not to rely on it as a protein source but more as a garnish. Same with eggs.

I will definately check out the recipes in more detail.

Thin, I totally feel your frustration, as I'm experiencing the same thing. I think that's one reason why the Med-style diet appeals to me - much of the food is veggie-friendly and even meat is somewhat limited for those who do eat it, which says to me that there should be many more veggie-friendly recipes around.

I've found the best solution is to simply get vegetarian cookbooks and work with the ingrediets. Many are MD-friendly so tweaking isn't really a problem. I love cooking so I'll try to post veggie-friendly recipes when I can for others who are having trouble as well.

Tam