[kerrie11]

hi im a vegetarian but i dont eat veg , i eat only carbs such as potatoes chips pasta bread cheese and them type of things which are all bad for me

i dont eat any meat at all and wont or fish :S

im over 18 stone now and i keep getting pains in my chest i am so scared of having a heart attack !!! im scared

but it doesnt scare me enough to try and diet desperate for help because i dnt think im going to be here much longer the way im eating , can anyone give me any ideas of what to eat or anything i can do ? xx

[Suzanne 3FC]

I hope this doesn't come out wrong. What we eat - our food preferences - are often learned behavior, so we can retrain ourselves to like healthier food. I think one reason a lot of people think they don't like vegetables is because they've never had veggies cooked properly. Lots of people grow up on overcooked, bland veggies that really are yucky. But if cooked properly, they can be so full of flavor and texture and are fantastic! But more importantly, you'll notice a big difference in how you feel. Your body will welcome the antioxidants and vitamins and other micro-nutrients that are not found anywhere else in your diet.

What is an average daily menu for you? Maybe we can help you figure out ways to sneak in a few veggies to get you started

[Nola Celeste]

There's no magic food out there that tastes just like mac and cheese, yet has the nutritional profile of broccoli. Believe me, I've looked.

Failing the invention of such a food, the next best thing is experimenting to find the vegetables and fruits you do like. Those really do exist, but you may have to search a bit to find them. Are there any at all that you currently eat--lettuce or spinach on a sandwich, a wedge of tomato with your cheese, salad with your pasta? If so, then start from there. Increase the proportion of veggies to other stuff on your sandwiches, eat a bowl of veggie-heavy soup or salad before your pasta, have a salad with your meals.

If you truly do not consume any vegetable at all in recognizable form, then start by getting tricky with yourself. Puree some spinach or carrots and add the stuff to your spaghetti sauce; you'll lighten the dish and nourish yourself while still getting the taste you're used to. As you get familiar with vegetables in that context, start increasing your intake.

If you ever got told not to play with your food, ignore that advice! You should play with your food to find out how you like it best. Don't like raw carrots or broccoli? Try them in soups. If that doesn't work, try them roasted. Never tasted a green bean that didn't come from a can? Buy some fresh ones.

[Wildflower]

I would agree with the other comments - especially that so many grow up on mushy canned/freezer burned frozen veggies, iceberg lettuce, bland watery tomatoes. I don't like those things either!

Do you eat soups? Curries? Stews? It's so easy to get veggies this way...just start trying new things. Go to an Indian take-away and get a vegetable dish.

Another thing I do is add veggies to the pasta...it helps you eat less pasta as well as giving you some veggie nutrients. Add a can of tomatoes or some steamed broccoli next time. Try some sauteed mushrooms.

Do you have an organic grocery store with lots of beautiful produce? Just go and explore and try things raw and then steamed and see how you like them.

And..well...if all else fails, in America a lot of people get kids to eat veggies by putting butter and cheese sauce on them or allowing them to dip raw veggies in dressing/hummus. If you can eat them dipped in a sauce, this would be a good start. Just take a little less sauce each time...

Good luck!!!

[astrophe]

Get a copy of the Vegetarian Way.

http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Way...1867496&sr=8-1

It's the most accessible, sensible veg nutrition guide I've read. I even have their dietitian version for the pros, but like the "plain english" one better.

A.

[joyyoj]

Originally Posted by kerrie11

hi im a vegetarian but i dont eat veg , i eat only carbs such as potatoes chips pasta bread cheese and them type of things which are all bad for me

i dont eat any meat at all and wont or fish :S

im over 18 stone now and i keep getting pains in my chest i am so scared of having a heart attack !!! im scared

but it doesnt scare me enough to try and diet desperate for help because i dnt think im going to be here much longer the way im eating , can anyone give me any ideas of what to eat or anything i can do ? xx

Hi Kerrie11, I was a vegetarian for 13 years (now I'm a semivegetarian who was flirting with the Atkins Diet recently, now I'm back to semivegetarianism). I gained a lot of weight after taking antidepressants...

Anyway, do you like to cook? This is just an opinion, but I'd have to say that in order to make vegetarianism work, most meals have to be cooked at home.

About the veggies: One simple way to prepare vegetables is by roasting them.

Take a bunch of broccoli, chop off the stems (leaving a little the stem), place in a bowl with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle a little salt and pepper, toss and then roast in a 400 - 425 degree F oven until tender.

The same can be done with cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

But with the brussels, I cut off the stem, cut in half and then toss with olive oil and roast in a 350 degree F

Easy!

Another easy meal is broccoli and tempeh. Cut up one package of tempeh into bite size pieces, chop up some broccoli, dice a small onion saute everything in olive oil until the broccoli and tempeh cooks a bit, drizzle some tamari sauce or low sodium soy sauce and voila! Serve over brown rice....

There are many great vegetarian cookbooks available. Start experimenting in the kitchen - it's the only way, really.

Good luck to you!! Believe in yourself! Maybe try one new healthy recipe a week. Before you know it you'll have a bunch of recipes in your repetoire!

[Zoesmama]

pains in chest? Are they are the left or right? You might have your gall bladder checked. They don't automatically mean heart problems.

Just start cutting out those things slowly until its habit. Potatoes aren't bad if you aren't eating them everyday. They do have nutrients that are good for you. Bread may have other stories.

[mountaingirl81]

I suggest a vegetarian cooking class or preferably a whole series if possible. I grew up loving vegetables because my grandma raised me and she was a good cook and she taught me. I've eaten vegetables at other people's dinner tables and gee whiz! It was not food by the time they were done with it! The same can be said for dining out sometimes. They do not prepare it right, it is not seasoned properly or at all and it is clearly frozen dead stuff devoid of nutrition. I always buy and prepare fresh, organic vegetables and even the people who normally don't like vegetables like mine! My boyfriend used to live on processed deli meats and carbs until I moved in. He lost 15lbs (putting him to a lean weight for his body type and height) and now often requests more vegetable dishes.

[RowdyBliss]

I agree with the commenter that suggested finding vegetables you DO like and starting to incorporate more of those into your diet on a regular basis.

For example, I hate fruit. I really, truly do. HATE FRUIT. Except bananas. For some reason, I love the heck out of some bananas! So, I buy a lot of bananas and I have one every day. Boom! There's one of the recommended servings of fruit for the day! Sometimes, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll have a peach. Or grapes. But mostly bananas.

Vegetables are tricky - you may have to play around with them a little. In addition to taking a vegetarian cooking class (which are AWESOME, btw!), try going to a restaurant that specializes in vegetarian or vegan entrees. We have one in town, and the food there is delicious (and inspiring!).

Also - try going to some ethnic restaurants, particularly Asian/Indian restaurants. They often prepare vegetables in very different ways than we're accustomed to eating them, and you'd be surprised at how a different prep or presentation can make all the difference in how a vegetable is received. Peas, for example, can be really gross by themselves, all mooshy and green and bleh. Go to an Indian restaurant and order peas with paneer, though, over some fragrant basmati rice (not too much)... ooooh, HEAVEN.

Also recommend "Food Rules" by Michael Pollan. Handy guide with tidbits of things that are easy to remember when choosing food to eat.

Best of luck!

[indiblue]

This is a really old post, and it looks like the OP hasn't logged into her account for over 6 months.

Not that sharing advice isn't useful for others reading this, I just know sometimes people (well.. esp myself!) have at times investing lots of energy trying to provide advice, debating, etc specific problems on threads that are REALLY old.

Again, not that suggestions couldn't help other people reading this, just want to point it out!

[RowdyBliss]

Recognizing, of course, that this is a really old thread... I think it bears refreshing.

I think it resonated with me because my fiance and I are both vegetarians and, although I eat a lot of whole foods/raw stuff, he is not very good about it and we've been trying to find ways to help him get more fruits/veggies in a clean way. All of what I recommended below has really helped; maybe it could help someone else - if not OP then definitely someone else who might be having the same issues who then sees the thread title and chooses to read it rather than posting anew.

I don't mind the "energy investment"