I'm not a vegetarian and enjoy meat, but it's really not that difficult to cook a vegetarian or even a vegan meal and we do it 2-3 times a week to save money. I guess probably my main "secret" is roasting vegetables (there are many kinds!), which makes them delicious. Add a whole grain (there are many kinds!) and a can or two of beans (there are many kinds!) and a sauce or dressing (there are many kinds!).
I'm not a vegetarian, but I've been trying to eat less meat lately for environmental reasons. One obstacle for me was trying to get enough protein in meatless meals. Sure, you can get protein from beans, dairy, eggs, and nuts, but beans are also high in carbohydrates and the other three are also high in fat. It's hard to get lean protein without eating meat (although tofu is pretty good).
So I've started thinking of legumes as more of a replacement for starches rather than a replacement for protein. I'll make a bean salad with vegetables, or a tofu scramble with vegetables, with no grains in the meal. I'm surprised the article didn't address this -- for me, it was a game changer for expanding my vegetarian cooking.
1
I'm sorry, how hard is it to ensure that there is a vegetarian component to a meal and that you don't cross-contaminate? I went vegetarian in high school and, aside from lecturing me about protein intake and ensuring I had enough, my parents were extremely supportive. I wasn't excluded from family meal time or given a completely different plate of food; it was the same plate as everyone else, without the meat. Sure, there were some adjustments that were made to regular cooking habits - vegetables and meat cooked in different pans, vegetable stock replacing chicken in some recipes, etc. - but it wasn't hard.
My lifestyle was folded in, embraced, and accepted. If my family had thrown out statements like, "you eat what we make or you starve" we would have a much different, more strained relationship today.
1
Amazing that there was barely even a mention of legumes and beans as an easy replacement for pasta - and with far more protein and "fill-up" power. Cheap and easy with a slower cooker, pressure cooker, or Instant Pot - take your pick!
3
Vegetarianism is a way of life.
You don't think too much about it, you just live it.
Think you are doing it because you love animals more than you hate plants. It works.
3
Rancho La Puerta perfected the art of cooking without depending upon salt, fat and sugar for flavor years ago. By using homegrown herbs to flavor the locally grown fruits and vegetables, Rancho is one of the better resources my friends and I have found. Laurel’s Kitchen is another vegetarian resource, explaining how to cook foods in combination in order to obtain adequate protein.
This is where vegetarian cooking/meal prep confounds most people.
"Marinate everything that can be marinated, garnish everything that can be garnished (preferably with crunchy things like nuts and croutons) and season your cooking liquids (when you’re pressed for time, throw in a vegetable bouillon cube)."
You need too many ingredients too often to compete with the umami and satiation of animal based cooking. And thats what forces most people seeking at a regular alternative off this path. Not saying its not worth the exploration, its just a more ingredient laden way. And when people are pressed for time, or surrounded by finicky eaters, all the marinading and garnishing, and such is daunting...
And parents know this sentence all too much when trying to introduce new foods to their kids; "Whats this? And this, and this?" (child holding up the alien foodstuff, like it crawled onto their plates)
1
So, to sum up, you had to change your habits.
Insisting that you can't go vegetarian is like insisting you can't stop biting your nails. All you have to do is change your habits.
1
@Todd biting one's nails, a nervous, compulsive disorder, in no way compares to altering one's diet. Silly analogies is what makes actual habit change so misunderstood. You don't have to bite your nails, but eat we must. There are no series of lessons to not biting your nails, but dietary change like this, as the author noted, is such a lesson heavy task.
5
@Boregard if it is done for ethical reasons it is a piece of cake. The problem is that the author just "experiments" and ends up whining about almost everything. You can eat with no dead animals on you plate andxstill eat a good,savory meal. Not mentioning it is also much healthier for humans, too.
@Brunhilda TheQueen Yeah, no. If Basque fishermen hadn't started importing salted cod, the lack of protein for brain development would have kept Europe in the dark ages.
My kids have 2 options. Eat what I cook, which will always include meat, or go hungry. When they start buying the groceries and doing the cooking they can start planning the meals.
1
@I want another option Wow. And then vegans are accused of imposing their choices to their kids.
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@I want another option Really???? Lighten up, lady!
4
Buy fresh organic vegetables from a local farmer or farmers who are using nutrient dense soil management and you will never regret the effort to get to a farmers market. Everything starts with more flavor then commercially grown agricultural crops.
3
Becoming or being a vegetarian or vegan is not a one-time "thing," rather a process and a journey. You constantly learn and evolve. You have to explore, expand your horizons and not judge anything or anybody else. Don't run out and get an armful of vegetarian cookbooks just yet, if you're a newbie, there's enough out there in cyberspace to get you well underway. You learn that not all cheese is vegetarian (animal rennet is a no-no), that most marshmallows have gelatin in them, and that there are so many cuisines and dishes out there and that they don't rely on meat or such, to be nourishing and delicious. And you learn that, unless you label your containers "do not eat," your omnivore family members will eat all of your vegetarian/vegan stuff before you get to it, because it's just so darn good.
5
Find a copy of Didi Emmons's "Vegetarian Planet" which has some amazing recipes that are satisfying no matter your dietary preferences.
3
@Boggle Absolutely! I have a much dog-eared and marked-up edition, it's my go-to a lot of times.
1
Many young people there are growing up thinking cooking is complicated and that you have to stick to rules and recipes. Option to feed without cooking, thanks to more convenience food, is considered progress. Countries have reached a point of no return convenience food has obviated need for cooking skills. Millennial are paying born into a time of food abundance – not ideal to get young people cooking. The food skills are shrinking, waistlines are growing!
"Research has found that people who regularly make their meals at home have better diets, and consume less salt, sugar, fat and kilojoules compared to people who rarely eat home-cooked meals – and this is more likely to result in a healthy weight,"
Articles of this nature undoubtedly help in linking between food knowledge and diet, absence of it has deterred people from cooking from scratch, lack of confidence was high on the list
Fortunately in my country India there is strongest influence from Ayurveda origin of which date back 1000 BC, deals with areas concerning the healthy and long life of human beings. It does not only deal with natural medicines, it covers the whole aspect of life discusses the purpose of birth.
Famous phrase ‘you are what you eat’ probably has the origin in teachings of ayurveda. Life, in ayurveda, has been described as the combination of mind, body, and soul. A healthy body will practice and preach healthy thoughts, which in turn will reform a soul and thus will help reach salvation.
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I’m a long time professional chef, now retired. My younger daughter became a vegetarian more than seven years ago, and her older sister followed suit a year later.
I have learned a lot.
First off, Ms. Moskin might not be aware that not all cheese is vegetarian. She mentions parmigiano, which is, like most European hard cheeses is made with animal rennet, the stomach of cows, and thus has animal in it. Only parmigiano labeled “vegetarian” is made with bacterial rennet and can be consumed by observant vegetarians.
It is nearly impossible to overemphasize the importance of using lots and lots of onions and garlic. Starting in my days as a chef, my pantry has always featured liberal use of garlic confit and its oil.
Starting in the fall, I have a wide variety of soups and stews that I make. I also roast a wide variety of vegetables.
Cows milk cheese and beef are definitely problematic for the environment, but sheep and goat cheeses not nearly so much. Is veganism the answer? Please consider the massive amount of water required to produce nuts. A shortage of potable water already habitually haunts California, and every other place on earth is likely to follow suit.
3
@Paul Nuts may need lots of water but not even close as meat and dairy industry. Plus are inmensly healthier than any cheese in the world. Veganism is good for animals, for the planet, and for human health, which cannot be saif about meat and dairy
4
Thank you for this article. It was fantastic!
There is something disturbing about the leading sentence. The parent upends the entire family's meals because the youngest child demands that it be so.
If a family were vegetarian, would we expect the family to begin eating meat if one of the children issued a diktat? If not, why not? Is there some moral superiority which vaults the child into a position of preeminence?
This reminds me of Taleb's "the most intolerant wins". The lesson to this newly vegetarian child will be understood.
Other than that, the article has good tips, IMO (but again steps in it by describing things like anchovy paste, pancetta and fish sauce as "shortcuts".
12
@tew I thought the same thing. I'm an adult and I started a primarily plant based diet, but I don't expect other people to cater to me. If I want to eat meatless, I cook the meal. If the child is old enough decide on a dietary change, they're old enough to cook their own meals.
1
What omnivores get wrong is that in cultures where people are "born vegetarians" they don't eat a bunch of salads and only veggies. They eat lentils, beans, and other legumes to fill up and give them protein. Americans just don't get it.
17
I am not a groupie of Gwyneth Paltrow, but the lady knows how to cook. Specifically her last book, the Clean Plate, is about a one dish/a meal and has delicious recipes plus, in fact, weekly menus on which my hubby lost twenty pounds in the course of two months eating delicious meals.
If you are looking for a not totally vegetarian book, but a fresh approach to cooking with, yes, coconut oil, coconut aminos, great vegetables, and not hours in the kitchen, I really recommend it.
Plus it has, at the end, interviews of six MDs on six different health issues with each their week menus, it is in fact a very well done book on how to get healthier with lovely food.
3
I've been a vegetarian for nearly twenty years and am continually amused/bewildered by the anxiety provoked by my presence at meals. Most people eat meat multiple times per day and have a difficult time thinking of everyday dishes that are not focused primarily on meat. Avoiding meat is pretty easy and there are plenty of delicious, healthy, and fairly quick vegetarian meal options out there.
The key thing to keep in mind, and something I wish more restaurants would understand, is that vegetarians need protein, too. We cannot survive on piles of pasta and starch. When there is only one vegetarian option on a menu, it should not be pasta with veggies and no protein source. Most vegetarians (not vegans) eat tofu, beans, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs, cheese, and other protein sources. These should be incorporated into vegetarian dishes.
Sample vegetarian menu at home:
--Spinach and mushroom enchiladas
--Sweet potato and black bean quesadillas
--Tofu and veg street tacos
--Eggplant parmiagan
--Zoodles with pesto cream sauce and walnuts
--Gnocchi with veg and lentils
--Anything Indian
--Bean or lentil and veg stews
--Baked potato with beans
--Egg casseroles
--Tofu stirfrys and curries
The possibilities are endless!
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@Brooke "Anything Indian" Lol lamb biryani has entered the chat
....probably not a good idea to assume all indian food is just like the palak paneer you get at a restaurant.
I am 70 and have been a vegetarian, also sometimes vegan for 51 yrs, as there are quite a few of us. I raised 6 kids the oldest being 46 strictly vegetarian. They are all healthy and almost never sick as kids. Two of my sons now eat meat occasionally, one is strictly vegan all the rest of us vegetarian. I know at first it is hard to figure out what to cook, and I will say you have to like vegetables or develop a taste for them. One of the very very best vegan or vegetarian cookbook is called Ten Talents, it is truly amazing. The Farm has many excellent vegetarian cookbooks. None of my children or myself have ever been able to get the recommended 70 grams of protein and no vegetarian I know shoots for that or we would all be fat. I did not know that was even a thing till my kids were grown, I just made sure our meal had protein. Do not be afraid, just go for it, if nothing else serve your side dishes and just add some fake meat, they have everything now, breakfast, lunch, dinner.
11
I don’t get anything wrong—or right—about vegetarian cooking. I love vegetables; grew up poor in a coal patch eating fresh home-grown vegetables in summer, home-canned in winter. I also enjoy meat and I will NOT be bullied by zealots over my dietary choices.
7
@David Illig Yeah I just see them berating you all over this article. Silly zealots
10
Growing Up Jewish, I never developed a taste for Bacon. I have been mostly vegetarian for 50 years (occasional fish and strange meats when they appeared). I do not crave the umami of meat. What I do miss is raw and pickled fish BUT, I gave up all fish a few years ago when the universal TOXIC POLLUTION of commercial fish became evident.
5
It's all about beans: versatile, cheap, easy to prepare and satisfying.
14
Each family does things its own way, and in my family I declined to shift to vegetarian cooking for the one of my four children who expressed strong interest in this starting when she was around age 12. I knew that providing special meals for her at every meal would greatly increase the stress on me, probably to levels at which my temper would start to peek out (I had hosted an au pair who failed to mention her veganism during the matching process – – she was a great au pair, but I never again failed to ask about special dietary issues before matching!)
During those years, I provided meals for six or seven people every day. Good vegetarian cooking, which I love to eat, is just plain a lot more work and time than good omnivorous cooking. A LOT.
I told my daughter that she could look forward to pursuing a vegetarian way of living after she left home for college. (She’s now in college, and she eats very little animal protein but not none.)
Who knows? If she had been more persistent or had seemed more traumatized by omnivorous eating, I might have taken a different path.
5
@Beaver Dam are you serious? Do you eat vegetables?? Or just throw a slab of meat on the grill?
3
I find this particularly curious. Do you make a SEPARATE meal for the vegetarian child, or force the family go to vegetarian too?
I have to say my first inclination would be, "When you make your own food, you can be a vegetarian. Until then, you'll eat what the rest of us eat."
They can pay for their psychotherapy on their own too.
12
@BillG
How about the same main dish for all, with a side of mammal for the omnivores?
It's just a matter of making the veggies central, and the meats an optional side dish requiring little more than a sear and seasoning.
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@Michael YES! What are people not getting here??
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@Michael
And yet vegetables are and always have been a side dish.
All this and not one mention of involving the instigator (child) in the process and work? Teachable moment wasted.
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I'm so irked by article titles that generalise whole groups. You might as well call it "What pirates get wrong about vegetarian cooking"
2
@Caine
NYT could publish "What pirates get wrong about vegetarian cooking" on 'talk like a pirate day'!!
Every time I read articles like this one, I think of the sharks in Finding Nemo.
Make a curry- you can freeze a batch, and it actually tastes better on reheating. My comfort food is dal with brown rice and a vegetable. I don't eat meat any more and I find the spice in curry makes a more satisfying meal. Anything middle eastern/Israeli also hits the spot for the same reasons. I love Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks.I don't really crave meat any more.
5
After seeing a pretty horrific scene in terms of animal cruelty for food preparation - I became a vegetarian over 20 years ago, and have been mostly vegan for the last 2 years. (also have cut out gluten as much as possible). Not going to lie - it takes a lot of work and planning to eat this way, but the health benefits are more than worth it. I rarely feel pain and inflammation even though I’ve got back injuries and I rarely get sick. I would highly recommend getting the Forks Over Knives meal planner subscription. Every week it gives you enough vegan meals to prepare dinner and have left-overs for lunch every day. It has significantly lowered the cost of groceries and made shopping easy as it provides a weekly grocery list that can be checked off. Cooking this way has made me feel physically better than I ever have in my life, I actually feel younger and healthier in middle age than I did in my youth. The illnesses and afflictions that affect a lot of people in my family - like arthritis and autoimmune disease haven’t been an issue for me, I have no doubt it is due to my plant based diet.
13
Coconut aminos are my new favorite thing to add to anything I sauté...unbelievable flavor!!!
4
To each their own in their own homes, but please do not lecture or tell others what they must prepare for you unless you have a serious medical condition.
I'm hopelessly old fashioned, I guess, because one of those who was taught to eat what I was served when invited or travelling. Just a question of respect or "savoir vivre", even healthy curiosity.
7
@Marcia Berg Hi Marcia, would you eat fried dog or roast cat if it was served to you at a friend's home?
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@OisinC shared logic of this sort does not encourage anyone to eat their pet.
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@Marcia Berg im a lifelong vegetarian and it is a belief i hold at the same level as a religious belief, even though it stems from my own beliefs rather than an organized religion. I WILL NOT EAT ANIMALS. period. if you refuse to accommodate me, or worse, try to hide meat in your dish in a sauce or something, i will not be coming over your home again. its incredibly disrespectful. would you force a religious jew to eat non-kosher? would you force a religious hindu to eat meat?
i do not require a special dish to be prepared for me, i only ask that you make at least one of your side dishes vegetarian friendly. dont cook your veggie sides in lard, for example. (true story - i got incredibly sick eating VEGETABLES because unbeknownst to me they were cooked in lard!!)
7
My recommendation to vegetarians (incl. vegans) who are serious about their choices is that trust absolutely no one, incl. restaurants and family members with the exception of labels found on food originating from a legitimate US or Canadian companies (even European labels are frequently inaccurate). Otherwise, you can never be sure that what you eat is what you think you eat.
2
@PaulN Now that I've been diagnosed with celiac disease (requiring a strict gluten free diet) I have to agree with you. It's so sad how poorly regulated food labeling is here. Companies can disclose or say whatever they want on packaging. In theory they can be sued, but who's got the resources to do that. Most waiters and cooks are at best clueless and at worst think it's funny to test you and sneak the food you asked not to have onto your plate.
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@PaulN
I've always though food habits were a personal choice and not an emotional and sectarian issue of any special kind.
Then a young family member became a vegan activists who spends her weekends waving goodbye to animals going to slaughter, wearing Guy Fawkes masks for demonstrations in front of shops, and telling me that when she sees people with leather shoes, handbags or wearing leather she can see blood flowing from them .... She has cut herself off from family and decades old friends unless they all adapt to her, she will do nothing to adapt to others.
Freedom of choice is goodness but I guess anything that becomes a fundamentalist sect is much like the next fundamentalist sect with the same goals of isolating to control while being paranoid about others.
How does that happen?
6
@Marcia Berg You are absolutely right. I am a vegetarian because I think eating animals is not my cup of tea (so to speak) and I have no problems with others doing whatever they want (although it wouldn't hurt if we treated animals with less cruelty but then nature itself is quite cruel (aka indifferent)).
2
And where is the protein? An egg has 6 grams of protein, no more than about 10% of the daily requirement. Vegetarian "meat" is often loaded with palm oil, a saturated fat. I don't like factory meat farms any more than any vegetarian, so I buy organic chicken and wild-caught fish whenever possible (and it's usually possible), but still, conscious animals are killed, brutally. So, where is the protein?
As creepy as it sounds, I look forward, but not eagerly, to this coming test-tube "meat."
3
@William LeGro Protein is everywhere. My lunch of yogurt and green peas already has 90% of my daily requirement. Most americans eat 400% of their daily protein requirement, unless you're a strict vegan eating only pasta it's not something you need to worry about.
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@William LeGro
I agree with @EB, the constant "where's the protein" in a vegetarian diet is a red herring, as it were. I've been vegetarian for most of my life and there have been very few times when I've felt I wasn't getting enough protein, and that was when I was a professional dancer and very physically active for hours a day. Focus more on ensuring your diet is balanced and healthy (and organic whenever possible).
14
I am chronically ill and lazy, so vegan Sunday dinners are easy vegan chili, broccoli and peppers, potatoes or zucchini and onions. Onions are so flavorful - and they are handy, because I can no longer be bothered with spices. I might also cheat and stretch the broccoli and peppers with some vegetable fried rice (I confess: frozen) to make it a filling meal. What's nice about vegan food is it can stay in the 'fridge, and still taste fresh as leftovers all week because it doesn't go bad. Everything is cooked lightly with olive oil, and stovetop meals cook faster than food cooked in an oven, so that saves energy, too. Abe's vegan muffins or vegan Kashi bars make a nice breakfast or snack, and ready-made deli bruschetta is a great appetizer or even a great meal, if you spread it on a larger piece of bread. So you don't always have to cook everything. All this healthy food keeps my cholesterol and blood pressure at optimum levels, whatever other health issues I might have, and I was back to work two weeks after being hit by a SUV, so I guess this diet helps your body to heal, too.
4
@Gerry, as a strict vegetarian, I fully agree with your mom. Of course, the secret is that preparing one’s own meals gives even more pleasure than consuming it.
2
It isn't hard. For Sunday night's fancy dinner, I made risotto with edamame and peas. Before the last bit of liquid, I added a 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast. While I cooked the risotto, I had diced carrots, sweet potato, and cauliflower roasting in the oven (a pinch of salt and smoked paprika). Stir the veggies in just before serving. Creamy, layered, high protein, filling. A quick stroganoff can be made with mushrooms and just before serving, stir in those oven-roasted veggies. My braised lentils and greens consists of simmered split peas, carmelized onions and garlic, and a bunch of chard, topped with a little swiss cheese. Serve with toast. Use a mix of tofu (colored with turmeric), black beans, and oven roasted veggies to fill tacos or enchiladas. Fill your chili with 3 kinds of beans, sweet potato, onion, and peppers. Not real Texas chili, but plenty of heft. For summers, we do "The Stack." Grill a marinated slice of tofu. Grill slices of every veggie in season. Slice a fresh tomato. Stack them on top of each other. Top with salsa. If you're feeling some dairy, use fresh mozzarella instead of the tofu.
5
So is the New York Times now abandoning the noun “failures” in favor of “fails” as a noun, as in “vegetarian fails”? I need to know so I don’t embarrass myself by using incorrect grammar. If this new usage that I now see more frequently online is now correct grammar, it will be a big reveal to me. Oh, and we need to tell people that the correct title of the last chapter of the New Testament is Reveal, not Revelation.
5
@Michael Gempler
If you think that's bad, look online, in magazine and newspaper articles, chyrons on television, subtitles, and closed captioning.
The direct address comma is missing. I guess someone, somewhere, thought it was no longer required. That would be wrong.
It's disappearing at an alarming rate. There is no punctuation around direct addresses and interjections.
This is a problem, Michael.
or, incorrectly
This is a problem Michael.
3
@Joe
The loss of the direct-address comma is just the beginning.
Texting is the culprit.
3
What is the motivation for avoiding all the things the author mentions?
Face it, meat and fish and chicken taste good. If you don't like it then by all means avoid it, but you are on your own to prep if it is chicken breast on rice night.
If your goal is to avoid a medical conditon flare-up, then by all means do what is necessary.
More often, it is to do the 'best thing' for the world (despite all others runing their gas guzzling pick up trucks). Small things add up, so do them, but to lie away at night worrying is far from the mandate to enjoy food.
5
Isaac Bashevis Singer said he avoided chicken for the sake of the chicken. The tortures animals endure in factory farms are horrific, and male chicks are macerated or burned alive because they don't produce eggs, so...those are some great reasons to avoid consuming meat, chicken and eggs. As for fish, marine mammals need to eat it - I don't, it gives me allergic reactions.
7
@reid The meat industry is ruining the environment. So much of our farmland is being used to grow food not for us, but for our food! The amount of water it takes and pollution it produces is insane. I get that most people will not become vegans, but reducing the amount of meat and dairy you eat, especially red meat, makes a huge impact.
4
This article is well intentioned, but hilarious in the dread it conveys in having to give up meat. This is not entirely surprising in a country in which "Beef, It's What's For Dinner" is almost a proxy for patriotism.
If vegetarianism in India/ Asia is any indication, probably millions (if not billions) of people around the world have never, ever eaten meat ("meat"= any flesh of any animal including fish). The reasons of course are either religious (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism), health-related, or economic ones, but the observation stands. Even wealthy people (in India, for example) do not eat meat routinely, and then again, it is hardly ever red meat, with the exception of mutton.
If you do not have any reasons to avoid vegetarian Indian food (and if you don't despise it as a cuisine due to personal choice), I would suggest finding a good Indian cookbook (or cooking class in your area) to start. Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian" gets mentioned highly in any such discussions, but is at best (in my opinion, anyway) a middling farrago of ideas culled together in book form. Yes, the ingredients may be a little "exotic" but I am sure with Amazon, you can even buy the most esoteric ingredients online.
You CAN eat delicious vegetarian food without having to ever eat raw/ uncooked food or salads. FYI I hardly ever ate a salad before I migrated to the US in my mid 20s.
Got to go, my homemade "daal makhani" and "paneer jalfrezi" awaits.
Respectfully,
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I had absolutely no difficulty giving up chicken and meat - in fact, it's easier; with animal products, I always worried about food poisoning, dirty hands, how to wash it and wash your hands enough, and not contaminate the kitchen, etc. There was constant dread. With vegetables, I just cut them up and cook them, then wash my hands with soap and hot water. Sure you can get e coli from vegs, but it's less likely than getting some sort of illness from undercooked meat.
3
I am really surprised by this article--I really don't see what's so difficult about cooking flavorful and easy vegetarian meals. When I became a vegetarian in high school, almost twenty-five years ago, my dad who had formerly owned a seafood restaurant was excited by the challenge of cooking vegetarian because it meant breaking free from routine. Now I eat vegan at home and vegetarian when I'm out.
Like my dad, I love to cook and as soon as I moved away from home I started adopting a lot of recipes from traditional cuisines that are inherently vegetarian: Indian, Thai, and a lot of Mexican and Italian dishes. I even found myself making (or re-making) meals that I grew-up eating like stuffed bell peppers. Make enchiladas, lasagna, chili, soup or curry and freeze half for busy nights. There are so many great vegetarian cookbooks, older volumes like Moosewood and the Tassajara, and newer books that are sure to become classics like Plenty and How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. What's better (and easier) than Melissa Clark's fabulous red lentil soup with lemon? Like I said, I just don't get it.
15
Much easier cutting vegs than dealing with all the mess of animal corpses.
7
I like Moskin's points but am also amused by them.
I am a long-term vegetarian (since late 1979). I wanted to be a vegetarian when I was about 8 years old, but my father had what is called "a ringtail hissy fit" where I grew up. He was concerned less about my health than his control, I think. But I was a huge animal lover (still am) and could not eat a dead animal without thinking about the live animal.
I don't think the transition is as monumental as many people think. But I did notice that I got invited to far fewer dinners. My solution to that was to have my own dinner parties. And perhaps they were pasta-laden at first (if that's the way one chooses to describe veggie manicotti from scratch, using noodles I made from scratch as well), but everyone seemed to like it. I like to cook, and what I discovered is that I became an oddball vegetarian emissary to the world because of my love of cooking.
I know next to nothing about the vegan diet, and I'm not sure my pet chickens would approve. And if the point is to phase out chickens and other livestock animals I have, I protest loudly. None of my animals turn into animal flesh on a plate; they are all beloved.
I don't think vegetarian cooking is odd to many people anymore. It's a viable diet for some but tends to be simply a fad that some trendy sorts pass through. I refuse to issue a blanket endorsement--I don't know what other people's bodies need--but it has certainly treated me well.
9
Also, the freezer is your friend! You can make a huge pot of pumpkin soup or truffles mushroom soup, veggie chili, etc. Pop it into ziplock bags laying flat in the freezer and you don’t have to cook every night. You can just put some fresh garnish and it looks and tastes great. You can also make some in different size bags for single double or family size portions.
3
The single worst thing about vegetarian cooking is the mistaken belief that hot spices and/or black pepper will carry every dish. Perhaps it’s impossible to showcase the tastes of the vegetables themselves when those ingredients are not farm to table fresh and/or organic. If recipes from meat-based dishes rely too heavily on the meat and spices to carry the dish, then the tendency when removing the meat is to double down on the spices. Successful vegetarian cuisine depends on vegetables that have real taste of their own, and that’s not possible with our current mass market food production system.
5
Onions, peppers, garlic. They still have flavor. Big ag hasn't killed them yet.
4
I greatly appreciate the advice!
I am vegetarian but my octagenarian husband with a very fussy appetite and muscle atrophy needs savory foods and complete protein sources. He just won't eat that much rice + beans.
You inspired me to explore the world of savory vegetarian dishes and to cut down on prep time by freezing my own veg.
PLEASE write an article on low volume meat side dishes that could accompany (or be optionally added to) the vegetarian dish.
@Dolores
Why not just sauté half of a seasoned, hammered-thin chicken breast and put it on top of the vegetarian dish for yourself? You could do the same thing with a thin pork chop, a fish fillet, or a bit of ground sirloin.
2
I'm not a vegetarian and I know I never will. Nevertheless my advice to vegan, vegetarians and omnivores alike is:
Unless there are medical reasons for it, your children have to eat whatever you want/can/can afford to cook. They can become [insert eating practice here] when they are able to buy and cook their own food.
7
So from that perspective, you don't take your child, or children to religious worship, or require they clean their rooms, or do their homework because they will make their own decisions when they are old enough to determine? parents set standards for everything and when they are old enough, they can eat meat if they want to!
6
My mother cooked nasty, mushy vegan food for Greek Lent when I was a kid, and I had to eat it; as a teenager, I'd sneak off to the Jolly Cowboy for a hotdog. Now I cook nasty vegan food for myself and I love it, and the very idea of hotdogs disgusts me. But even my cooking is not as bad as my mother's.
3
@Sara Andrea yeah, my parents thought that, and i went on a hunger strike. i became vegetarian all on my own at age 4. i was brought to plenty of doctors because they thought something was "wrong" with me. the doctors told them i was one of the healthiest children they had come across.
2
Author is definitely herself an omnivore who gets vegetarian cooking wrong. For unknown reason, possibly habit, prejudice and lazy thinking, she tries to convince us that vegetables are less flavor and more work. Both of these ideas are wrong. I am not sure there are meats that can compare in intensity and variety of flavor to just these few plants that first popped into my mind: garlic, onion, eggplant, hot peppers and olives.
Regarding amount of work, I have not cooked with meat for 35 years now, but it has always been that most of the work about it has been already done by low skilled labor in slaughterhouses and butcher shops, but that is whole another story.
And, no, you will not get where you need to go with fake meet and your desire for fast meals. Instead of pasta every night, let me give you few more ideas to experiment with: rice, faro, polenta, quinoa, potatoes, endless variety of soups and spreads with some bread…
14
@Mr. N, very good points, about abundance of flavor easily available in plants, combos of flavors too. In Indian foods, they say, if u don’t have the five basic tastes in a meal, u will be dissatisfied and resort to excesses.
For majority of people in America today, sweetness and fat are the only two dimensions. Add spice dimension, greater variety of vegetarian ingredients can easily be incorporated. I have never felt the need for meat when I grew up. Looking down on the time spent in kitchen is the primary reason for the deterioration of variety, flavor and nutrition. Value it and it will lead to a better planet and health
3
I love the last rule. It makes being healthier less scary!
2
Is this condemning dairy cows to extinction? I can understand that some people find killing animals for food as immoral, but dairy? I've never understood that.
1
@Gene take a look into what happens in dairy farming from a humane point of view - females kept perpetually pregnant til not producing enough then slaughtered. Males are taken from their mothers at birth because the milk has to be sold - many literally thrown in piles and sold for meat - whole thing is terrible and disgusting - never mind what dairy farming does to the environment and people’s health. I love butter too - but not enough to contribute to this travesty.
12
The beef, poultry and dairy industries in the US hide their gruesome practices then put up clever ad campaigns 'Beef, it what's for dinner" eg. But we all should be clear eyed about what exactly is on our plate, in our glass, on our toast. That's not the least of it--the push to cram as much meat, cheese and butter into fast and prepared foods (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc.) reflects this too.
6
@Gene
I've lately been trying to cut down on dairy products since I did some researcha and learned learned that EVERYTHING that involves cattle is ruinous for the environment. If carbon footprint is your main issue, it would be better to eat fish and chicken than dairy products.
But phasing out dairy at my age (almost 70) isn't easy. Cheese toppings on vegetables or grain are the primary crutch for ovo-lacto vegetarians. It's a habit that's proven hard to break. Fortunately, vegan cheese substitutes are getting better, and I don't really mind that they're "processed."
2
I am a lifelong vegetarian and am super happy and content being one. I never preach and expect anyone to give up or change their diet. Nor do I want to be condescended for and ridiculed for not being an omnivore. Diet choices are personal and unless one wants to and feels a need to change, it is their decision and no one else's. Just as I am sick of vegans and other vegetarians preaching and attacking meat eaters, I am just as sick of omnivores being insensitive and ignorant of vegetarianism. Be what you want to be and stop telling others what they should or should not eat.
17
@Jay amen! Fifty years of "eat and let eat" have not spared me the attacks of omnivores.
5
Beans are very filling, so add them to many dishes.
4
At one point it is implied to heavily salt everything - that in itself isn't particularly healthy. Most plants are produced in industrial agricultural plots. Unless you are buying everything organic (and frankly it isn't certain this will do the trick) fruits and vegetables are grown using many pesticides, a lot of which adversely impact pollinators. Let's face it - human existence and the way we live adversely impacts the planet to some extent. Eating less meat and more legumes would probably be a healthier lifestyle. But each almond takes a gallon of water to produce - keep that in mind.
5
One can reduce their environmental footprint by going mostly vegetarian having small quantities of meat each week (preferably chicken as less environmental impact that beef).
5
Some good ideas and yummy photos. No mention though of complete proteins such as beans and rice, tofu and squash, peas, and so forth.
4
@Kevin Cahill I was just going to write something similar. Tofu can be used in so many ways and rice can be mixed with beans easily.
2
If I had a kid who went vegetarian and the child did not know how to cook, he or she would starve. Sorry.
I respect the right of folks to make dietary decisions, but disagree that omnivores should change their eating habits to accommodate one person.
15
@August West
Stop the tyranny by the children!
5
@August West
But couldn't you just cook a vegetarian meal for the kids, then put bacon on top for yourself? It's not an either/or.
4
Perhaps controversial, but willfully allowing your child to starve is wrong.
3
I wonder how our descendants will view us? We can fly across continents, tame atomic fission, but we still farm animals that are incapable of resisting us and consume their corpses. We have much to be proud of and much to be ashamed of.
11
@Henry Rawlinson
One of the reasons many of us simply disregard the plant based food only fanatics is this kind of faux moral outrage and assumption of superiority. Blech
8
@Neal I never understood either until I forced myself to watch the documentary Earthlings. Everything you see about farm animal treatment is true and standard procedure. Piglets being castrated without anything for pain, chickens getting beaks chopped off etc. etc. and it's all legal. (Try treating a dog/cat like that and you get arrested and publicly shamed.) There's nothing faux about the "moral outrage" and in my experience it's been the opposite of "assumption of superior" - we're always the outliers and get the questions "oh how do you do it?" and get a guilt trip because the cook has to go out their way.
2
I'm not a fanatic, my cats, friends and family eat meat, I just find it easier not to. It's easier to cook vegs than meat, and less strain on your digestive system, and they don't spoil as quickly. And why am I a fanatic if I think torturing and killing animals is unnecessary and cruel? this also goes for millions of cats and dogs and wildlife who are also being killed by humans for no good reason.
2
Sorry
I am an omnivore and I detest headlines like this.
You’re just a poor cook..
8
Speaking as a former vegan and later lacto-ovo vegetarian for 18 years (like the author, I stopped because of professional responsibilities), the culinary aspects of this article are spot on, but the nutritional side is worrisome. The examples and recipes are largely vegan side dishes. A couple use cheese as a condiment.
This approach can create nutritional challenges for children, or for those pregnant or lactating, or for athletes, or for those past middle age. Despite the rhythmic sentence repetition, these challenges are not met by piles of lemony broccoli, or carrots and yogurt renamed "dinner." Neither do the appealing eggplant and cows-cous, or noodles and brussel sprouts. Maintaining a healthy diet involves more than creating wonderful textures and flavors.
Where are dishes that offer a balance of the essential amino acids in quantities sufficient for the groups above? Cheese or eggs, for instance, can be quick fixes for some vegetarians, but do readers know their levels of saturated fat or cholesterol? How much yogurt is required for a 15 year old's protein requirements? Mixing squashes, pulses, and legumes are a worldwide solution I see here in only one recipe, lost below the article. Where are the sources of B-12 in these great sounding dishes?
Growing yourself or someone inside you as a vegetarian takes extra attention to nutritional needs, not just appetizing taste. That said, the two need not be exclusive, and I applaud the author's intentions.
16
Another thing we get wrong: when vegetarians say a dish is delicious, they mean it's delicious for a vegetarian dish. If you go in thinking it will be as good as a dish with meat you will naturally be disappointed.
8
Some animal products are yucky, think of tongue, liver, kidneys, brains, tripe (intestines), and now vegetables sound pretty good.
@Stephanie Wood only if you don't like that type of food. I know ple nty of people who would rather have tongue tacos than sweet potato tacos, for example. Or any other of the animal products you mention. Except for brains, I don't know anyone who eats brains.
1
@Ed Bindlehoff meat is disgusting to me.
1
Millions and millions of Indians have been cooking a great variety of vegetarian fare (North/South/East Indian, coastal et..) for centuries. It's no bigger deal than non-vegetarian cooking. So many different ways to cook. There is a nice recipe app "Hebbar's Kitchen" on iphone and android.
That being said, our kids (vegetarian) who often cook their own meals, go with sandwiches or pasta (lots of mushrooms and paprika!) and have no interest in learning Indian cooking.
5
Back in my college years, I learned to cook veggie from the “Old Guard”: Laurel’s Kitchen, Moosewood Cookbook, Diet for a Small Planet as my basics. It wasn’t hard, and the background info on complimentary proteins and amino acids was an education. As another commentator noted— follow or reference recipes from the great vegetarian cultures. Just bought copies of these for my kids, passing along family favourites.
6
@Jean Fellows I must be in the same age group. The books you mentioned were well used (stained) and as we lived on a farm, we did eat meat, but only as a complement. My kids will happily tell stories about their childhood meals, generally disdainful stories. Now they are both excellent cooks, mostly vegetarian, and very healthy. They also know how to dress a chicken, duck, rabbit, goat and pig, make butter, grind wheat and survive when the power goes out--skills not needed in this world.
Frequently expressed here is a belief that plant diets do not provide enough protein, or that conscious efforts to combine proteins are necessary in a plant based diet.
The idea was promoted in the popular books Diet for a Small Planet and Recipes for a Small Planet, both by Frances Moore Lappe. Apparently in subsequent volumes, Ms. Lappe explains that the need to pursue protein complementarity was now regarded as incorrect. Likely nobody will be hurt by combining proteins, but it makes the dietary changes unecessarily complicated to focus on what is now regarded as a step that the body takes care of on its own: mixing and matching essential amino acids over the course of several days to create what the body needs. Body to Brain: "Hey, I got this!" As long as the body gets enough calories, it has a good chance of getting enough protein.
A video on nutritionfacts.org (link below) discusses what is -- and is not -- missing in various types of diets and specifically explains how the protein combining belief evolved. Hint -- no matter what diet we are eating, studies quoted in the video indicated that people in the US tend to get WAY more protein than they need. What they do not get is fiber, particularly on a meat based diet.
Here's the link -- here's to an updated understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various diets and the American diet as it stands today.
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/
10
Try Better than Boullion. They make plenty of meat and meat free boullion pastes, and I have convinced both vegetarians and omnivores to give it a shot and they have all enjoyed it. I always have some of their organic vegetable base on hand.
1
I purchased vegetable bouillon cubes after reading this article, and I was horrified to realize that they are primarily made with palm oil. Please educate readers about this.
5
Just because most people believe it doesn't mean it's false, but that's a good place to start.
What I'm missing here is pulses and grains: this combination has many variations (for instance, hummus on toast, dal with rice, felafel in pita bread) and covers all amino-acids to create prefect protein. There's a reason why this combo can be found in most traditional food cultures. In fact, Middle Easter, Indian and Mediterranean cuisines are excellent sources of vegetarian and vegan recipes. Greek cooking, for instance, despite its reputation for souvlaki and moussaka, actually features an enormous range of vegan dishes traditionally consumed on fast days - i.e. one-third of the year.
7
If my child becomes a vegetarian, my child will then learn how to cook and do the work. I'll fund it within reason, I'll teach them how, but I absolutely won't upset things for the rest of us and I certainly will not add to my already overwhelming workload when I'm already stretched trying to accommodate *real* medical dietary issues.
24
As a long term pescatarian, I'm quite alarmed when I read articles like this.
Yes, I too have struggled for years, before finding a way to cook that is healthy (= doesn't lack any vit. B12 nor crucial amino-acids, as most of the recipes in this article do!) and pretty easy.
It IS possible, but on one condition: that we take our inspiration from the world's vegetarian cooking cultures, instead of continuing Western recipes and then just taking the meat out, because THAT's when a lack of vital nutrients starts to build up.
Adults need about 50 grams of protein a day. And that has to be 50 grams of a very specific kind of protein: the ones that contain ALL "essential" amino-acids, which are those that our body can't make itself (9 out of the 20 existing amino-acids).
Meat, poultry and fish contain all 20 AAs. So do soya and quinoa. All other protein sources don't, so in order to have a health meal, you need to combine TWO different protein sources, coming out of the following three categories:
1. diary products (eggs, milk, cheese - which have a low quantity of proteins though!)
2. cereals (wheat, rice, pasta, nuts, etc. - which also have a pretty low quantity of proteins)
3. legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils etc, AND peanuts, which have about 20% of protein).
ANY recipe that doesn't combine sufficient quantities of at least two out of those three protein sources, is unhealthy.
Many Indian recipes constantly combine AAs, and are perfect.
11
@Ana Luisa Problem is with people like me, who can't eat soy (I'm allergic) and I *won't* eat quinoa -- I've tried it every way possible and I always taste the bitter syrup of ipecac flavor. Some people are apparently more sensitive to that particular chemical than others. (And no, I don't need to just 'have it fixed right'; when a five star vegan chef fixes it and I STILL can't manage to swallow the horrible bitterness, I'm simply not going to get past this.)
Soy is also contraindicated for a people with thyroid issues -- many of which stem from autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
I don't disagree with you about adopting a different cuisine, but what if, like me, you simply don't like that cuisine? I don't like Thai food; WAY too spicy, and a friend of our daughter's who frequently visits has a peanut allergy, to boot. Nobody in the family is a fan of Indian food. Period. Yes, we've tried it.
So, while your suggestion does make sense, the problem is, it just doesn't fit everyone. You can't get around allergies; it seems ridiculous to tell people they should eat food they hate. What a waste of money and one of the pleasures of life!
4
@Alexis
Worse yet when the burning eyed tell us we MUST eat foods that will make us sick or kill us.
@Ana Luisa , are you (or anyone else reading this) sure that eggs have a low quantity of proteins?
1
Okay, so I need a separate paid subscription just to view the recipes directly referred to in this article? I hope I’m just doing it wrong because that would just be wrong and not unlike clickbait that is simply an ad in disguise...
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@Alex
They link to NYT Cooking which is included in a regular digital subscription. You may have to sign in though the first time, but using same user and password as your regular subscription.
1
Has anybody else noticed the paper is becoming a vegan propaganda machine?
8
@Anne, it is good for the planet.
13
@Anne It is good for the planet, as Alex says, and incredibly healthy for you. Not to mention the animal suffering vegans help stop.
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@Jamie Rose
Is there a book out there that can help people transition to vegan? I'm not much of a meat eater, but I do like eggs (free range), fish (caught from the sea), and dairy products (organically fed and hormone free). I'm not all that fond of beans and rice to be honest, but I love vegetables.
2
While I will NEVER be a vegetarian, take a hint from a cuisine that has been eating vegetarian for probably a millennia: Indian Cuisine! They use spices and herbs in various ways that make food interesting.
I suspect that most modern vegetarian recipes were really developed by modern day 'Calvinists', people who think you must suffer lousy tasting foods to prove your own worth. That is why modern, at least US vegetarian dishes are so awful.
15
Rather than fake it in my own kitchen, I decided to introduce myself to vegetarian and vegan dishes by patronizing v&v restaurants here in the SF Bay area. I found some pleasing dishes in some warm and welcoming restaurants, and have even learned how to come satisfyingly close to replicating a few of those dishes. However, after several months of hopping from restaurant to restaurant, I also found that ingredient choices were limited and the flavors were too often thin and repetitive.
So, here in my ninth decade, I'm unwilling to give up the vast range of ingredients I use and flavors I enjoy in my meals. Still, I want to be a responsible citizen, so I have tweaked my dietary protocol. My diet has always been one of limited animal protein consumption, but I have turned to exclusively sustainable sources where that's possible. I continue to observe the Monterey Bay Aquarium's sustainable seafood list, and use only cage free eggs and free range or local, pasture-raised meats. I know that this is not the complete abstinence from animal protein that some v&v adherents ask of me.
I'm grateful for having been led to conduct my experiment. It was, by and large, quite an enjoyable journey, and I learned a lot. Nevertheless, I still prefer the greater variety of flavors, textures and aromas of the omnivore's life, and plan to continue to enjoy them in my few remaining years.
18
@Mercutio an inspiring post, thank you! I'll pattern my habits after yours.
2
@Mercutio I"m with Kathleen. In your 9th decade, you can write the rules! Enjoy good, wholesome food.
1
Why does one child's choice to go vegetarian mean that the family cook (in this case, the mother) has to alter her cooking practices and the rest of the family's eating habits? Presumably the child is old enough to cook. He or she should learn to cook his or her own vegetarian dishes to go with the family's meal.
16
@Asheville Resident
I have a 14 year old vegan in my house. It's a bit unreasonable to tell them to cook themselves (and shop/make the money to shop, etc.). Just as with most childhood choices/activities, most people try to support things that are safe and healthy. It's not the easiest thing to support, for sure. But neither is carpooling, etc.
14
@Asheville Resident Right there with you. It's good training for later life and it will actually give them some idea of how to budget and the time expenditure involved -- and the places to go shop if they truly want to go that route.
5
@Lucast No, it's not. My mom was in grad school when I was 13 and I was responsible for fixing dinner three nights a week. The meals were simple, to be sure, and Mom helped me plan them out and my father took me to the store to shop together -- and helped me in the kitchen when he could. I learned a lot from the experience.
Make your child do the homework. She'll thank you later.
10
If I were considering a plant based diet and read this article I’d throw my hands up and give up. The author made her experience seem burdensome and complicated and her attempt feel half hearted. This is unfortunate as one of the greatest things a person can do for themselves is eat a plant centered diet. Not just for the planet, the environment, for the animals but for personal health!
Fortunately I learned from annual visits to a friend who only ate plant based how simple it can be and how transformative the health outcome can be.
After returning from each trip I had lost weight, improved body composition and had more energy. After the third visit I decided to eliminate meat from my diet but still continue eating dairy, eggs and poultry and allow myself to eat meat if I felt like it.
After a few months I had eliminated dairy, eggs, poultry, most fish and had discovered an incredible tasty, healthy world of legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits etc.
Dinner is usually done in less than an hour and many times provides leftovers.
No you don’t need to graze just include hummus, avocado, nuts or another healthy fat with you’re meal and you’ll be fine.
As for flavors: Your taste buds adjust as you embark on an exciting journey of discovery of new spices, vegetables and combinations!
15
52 years an ovo-lacto
What most people get wrong is serving"mush."
What I miss and want in my food, what I work hard to get when I do the cooking is something that I can get my teeth into and chew.
One of the great appeals of the new generation of Plant Based meat analogs is the satisfying mouthfeel real meat texture.
5
NYT - Please make recipes that go with food features available to read with the main subscription to the Times. I don't cook enough, or have enough cash hanging around, to be interested in a subscription to your Cooking section, but am feeling increasingly frustrated that relevant recipes are not included with the articles that introduce them.
32
@ Connie Moffit - NYT cooking is included with regular digital subscription, just sign in with same username and password :)
@JHS actually, NYT cooking is not included with regular digital anymore, it's a separate paid subscription.
2
Lots of misguided opinions out there!!!
please read "The Vegetarian Myth" by Lierre Keith (ex-vegan that ruined health an honestly analyzes every argument that induces people to embrace the vegan-vegetarian choice).
and please study BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION! our DNA has been shaped by 4 Million years of Hunter/Gathering and only 10,000 years of agriculture...
Question:
Can you find any ancient or traditional human society around the word that is Vegan?
...and by the way Dave... loosing weight in nature is only a sign of 2 terrible things: Famine or Sickness.
people always feel better when they change their diet or lifestyle, but very often NOT because of the new diet but because they stopped the old regimen.
Peace!!!
4
@Adriano, way back before the industrial revolution global warming didn’t threaten human life. Hunter/Gatherers evolved into polluters and factory farmers. If you can become a vegan, it’ll be about more than you.
8
@Alex And apparently you missed the part where the only reason our brains evolved the way they did was our ability to cook and eat meat. Like it or not, it provides content that plans simply do not.
2
Indians and Greeks eat lots of vegan meals, and we are still here, we haven't died off after thousand of years, even after Englishmen, Turks and Germans tried to wipe us out.
3
Ms. Moskin needs to check out nutritional qualities of what she is writing about. Coconut Oil has more saturated fat than butter thus is potentially much less healthy. Complete proteins when eating beans, e.g. require a second food e.g. rice, not nec. at the same time. I had to laugh -- ah memories - Campbell Tomato soup and a Velveeta or American grilled cheese sandwich -- the classic 1950s lunch. Vegetables provide vitamins. Carrots = A; mushrooms, B. And one can take any stew recipe and leave out the meat: mushrooms and onions in red wine sauce-choose your fat+. Chickpeas and potatoes make a curry. When a young person decides to eat vegan, giving up all dairy, eggs, supplements may be needed for iron and calcium and certain vitamins. Check with a nutritionist! I am not sure why this article was published Julia needs to check with a nutritionist to ensure that her growing children are getting the nutrition they need -- that should have been no.1 task.
14
Very disappointing I have to pay EXTRA for the recipes!
9
It is extremely difficult to have a sane conversation about dietary choices, which are intensely personal and include layers of attitudes, beliefs, and often misinformation, outdated ideas gathered over decades, sometimes with the "help" of various agricultural marketing efforts.
Experimenting with eating plants and drawing conclusions without updating an understanding of the impact of various foods on health probably won't lead to great results. The societies in which there are the most people living to over 100 years old happen to eat plant based diets.
For factual information/medical studies quoted/explained, topic searchable, try nutritionfacts.org. A fascinating book, despite the title, is How Not to Die by Michael Greger. Joel Fuhrman's ANDI score system rates the protein per calorie of foods -- dark greens are far more protein rich than meat per calorie).
A plant based diet that is not well designed for health is no different from a meat based diet that is not well balanced.
I shuddered to read that coconut oil is the author's new best friend. To avoid processed oils, one can water saute onions e.g. (a few tablespoons of water or simply a sprinkle of salt to get the onions to exude juices).
Information matters. Of the many "vegan" recipe blogs, many are operating under misinformation and fads and offering poor food choices. If feeding a family, for recipe ideas, one blog to check is fatfreevegan.com - Susan Voisin tested her recipes on her family.
3
Beans, lentils, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and spices make meals full and satisfying. It's not that hard. Don't rely on pasta, white rice, and bread. Did the author even look at a veg cookbook? If she had, perhaps she might have noticed how many delicious ingredients there are in the world that she had been missing out on, and how narrow the confines of her grocery list were.
8
Parmesan cheese is NOT vegetarian. To be officially "parmesan," it must be made with animal rennet, an enzyme used to set cheese during the making process, which is made of the stomach lining of calves. Many cheeses rely on rennet, so when recommending cheese be added to meals, it's important to indicate a few types of cheeses that do NOT use rennet, such as paneer, ricotta, and cottage cheese.
8
@ Manny, the Cabot Co. Cheddars are clearly marked: No animal rennet.
Have not explored what they use, but, it works well and great if you're not vegan. Would their ingredient be applicable to parmesan?
6
@Manny A vegan is one who avoid all animal based products (ie. cheese, eggs, diary and honey ) but vegetarians do eat some products that came from animals, like cheese and diary.
@Manny im a lifelong vegetarian. the rennet issue is splitting hairs. i do my best to avoid rennet, just as i do my best to avoid gelatin. plant based rennet exists, FYI.
a vegan would definitely be concerned about that, but they also wouldnt be eating cheese in the first place.
A filling, satisfying vegan meal that does not leave your family hungry is composed of Beans or legumes + a starch such as potatoes with skin or whole grains eaten moist + vegetables + greens + whole fruits. Your focus should be on hitting all the food groups plus eating unprocessed foods. Fiber in foods both soluable and unsoluable slows digestion along with lowering cholesterol and helping you develop good bacteria in your colon. That means a vegan meal is more filling and more healthy if you ditch the white flour noodles and white bread. The number one time saver is batch cooking. Make enough for several meals and freeze leftovers. Frozen veggies and precut veggies also are time savers. Consider dishes such as vegan chili, soups and stews. A meal is NOT vegetables with a sauce (your carrots with yogurt for example). In addition to those veggies you need Beans + Starch + Greens + Fruit. Don’t peel veggies or fruit. Just scrub them.
8
Beans! I’ve been a vegetarian for 43 years. Trust me, beans are versatile, cheap and delicious.
12
@Diane
I wish I liked beans.
3
@nicola davies The key is you're not just eating a bowl of beans. Usually it is several types of beans or at least several spices and other vegetables combined - you just need some good recipes - try Greek, Italian, Indian, or middle-eastern.
1
I have been vegan for about 18 years; vegetarian for about 10 years before that. One fast easy vegan food is the new legume pastas. Their main (or only) ingredient is lentils, chickpeas, black beans or other legumes. They cook in just a few minutes, and have lots of protein. You can add whatever sauce or veggies you like. I also make lentil and pea soups. I try to sort the legumes when I am not busy, not during the rush before dinner. Just be sure to eat some whole grains during the day, to balance out the protein in the legumes. (Serving broccoli for dinner, as the article mentions, does not offer enough protein.) Also, using extra salt to add flavor is not a healthy strategy; herbs and spices are much healthier. You can buy, (or pre-make) spice mixes to save time. I recommend reading up on vegan nutrition to ensure that you get everything you need. Enjoy!
13
My arteries are clogged. I went on an oil-free vegan diet. Pounds of flesh evaporated. Never felt healthier. Now if the carnivores would leave me in peace and quit mocking me for what I eat and don’t eat.
26
@Dave Thomas, yes, the social aspect was the WORST part of the lifestyle change. “When can you eat normal again!?” No preaching on my part BTW, it just makes others feel indicted - in their own head. Just got my lipid panel results last week. In under 6 months my LDL went from almost 200 to 164. Also, I love my new diet. I’m satisfied, and it’s nice to wake up feeling good!
11
@Dave Thomas
If the diet works for you, that's great! Honestly. I respect your food choices.
Now will vegans grant us omnivores the same consideration?
7
is eating insects vegetarian or vegan? i mean, insects don't have feelings and they don't have consciousness, they don't suffer in captivity and they don't feel pain. so they gotta be vegetarian, at least.
1
@drollere Animals once were considered not feeling pain and not having an emotional life (tell that to any dog owner !). I would say we don't really know about insects.
6
@drollere
One may decide about the ethics of eating insects. But they surely aren't vegetarian (non-flesh) or vegan (plant-based). They are animate creatures and not plants, for sure.
7
@drollere One of the deciding moments in me becoming vegetarian came one day when a log fire was started in my family's cottage. When the kindling started to catch fire and smoke the log, I saw many bugs try desperately to escape. I could feel their fear. Really don't want to be part of making any creature suffer so.
13
Thank you for interjecting truth into the mixed picture of virtues of vegetarianim. Yes-- frozen veggies are actually fine, every bit as nutritious, and much better for the planet than those beautiful, perfect items you buy in the super market. Most fresh fruits and vegetables will be thrown away, after spoiling somewhere along the supply chain. Roughly 50 percent of all produce in the United States is thrown away—some 60 million tons (or $160 billion) worth of produce annually, an amount constituting “one third of all foodstuffs.”
4
@Borat Smith Disagree. Frozen vegetables ALWAYS have a mushy texture to them, which is why I avoid them if at all possible. I'd rather buy a small amount of what I need from the farmer's market or the local store, fresh, and use what I need at the time.
@Borat Smith
Alas, fresh fruit flown in from South America in the northern winter has a dreadful carbon footprint.
To eat as low-impact as possible, one should concentrate on grains, oils, beans and vegetables that can be grown locally most of the year (cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots).
Not that I follow this advice regularly. I'm just saying.
It is great that the writer is trying to learn about cooking vegetarian cuisine. More power to her. However, mac and cheese, tomato parmesan soup and cheesy white bean bake are NOT without mammal suffering and death. I am not vegetarian, but have not eaten mammals for 15 years, and am getting closer to being vegan. In the department of self-evident department, I was in major denial about dairy, so have now cut that out. Cows are not happy and beloved Bessies, docilely delivering delicious dairy delights. Not only do they contribute disproportionately to the existential threat of greenhouse gasses, but the newborn calves who are necessary to keep the cow lactating do not lead a long and happy life, to understate it pretty dramatically. Long and short of it? Anyone who is a vegetarian who eats dairy and thinks they are not part of the mass killing of animals needs to think again. Just saying.
13
@Mike Z
Countless small animals (rabbits, rodents, insects, amphibians) are killed to grow the crops for a vegan diet.
No diet is free from the deaths of animals. There are no "vegan ecologies," neither in nature nor on the farm. The growth of plants is always based on the lives and deaths of animals.
9
@The Pooch
That is very true. However,it is degree and impact. Any agriculture results in some death. However, if I know that, in the US alone, 21 million calves are slaughtered, often in truly cruel ways to feed my dairy habit, and the dairy cows are kept in cruel and inhumane circumstances, and I can change to dairy alternatives that cause far less death and environmental havoc, I will do so. The fact is, livestock agribusiness is responsible for 14-18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, so if I can not be as much a party to that, I will do so. Everyone needs to make their own call on that one.
8
@The Pooch That is such a tired old argument against the "worth" or validity of being vegan, or trying to be. But as intelligent creatures we need to face facts that we are killing the planet with all of the meat production polluting our planet, and actually killing ourselves in the process as animal products have been shown to cause many diseases. And we are imposing massive suffering on a monumental scale on other sentient beings. Every year 70 billion animals, including over a trillion sea animals are killed for human consumption on our planet. Who knows how many more hundreds of millions are killed indirectly. We are destroying ecosystems and entering the 6th great mass extinction, all due to man. I think killing a comparably infinitesimally less number of sentient beings growing plants for food is a vastly more intelligent path.
8
The reason people are hungry 2 hours later is blood sugar. This should be explained. When you eat a meal largely made of grains and starches, as most vegetarian entrees are, your blood sugar shoots up, and then drops back down as the pancreas injects insulin into the bloodstream. The blood sugar roller coaster is what makes people hungry an hour or two later after a starchy or sugary meal.
9
A lie being constantly "fed" to us (sorry, bad pun) is that vegetarians "do ot get enough protein".
Here is a _partial_ list of vegetarian foods that contain protein:
Split peas. Kidney beans. Pinto beans. Chick peas. Lentils. Pigeon peas. Tofu. Almonds. Pecans. Peanuts. Sesame seeds. Sunflower seeds. Brown rice. Whole wheat. Lentils.
14
@Jason
Sure, those plant foods all do have a little (poorly digested) protein. Eat enough of them, every day, and you might get "enough" protein. But along the way, one over-eats a huge quantity of starch and calories to get that protein, while sending blood sugar and insulin on a roller coaster.
3
@Jason And don't forget that, except for quinoa and, I think, amaranth, you must pair every grain up with a legume to get a complete complement of the proteins you need -- hence the ubiquity of beans (which can include tofu) and rice, around the globe.
1
Just eat some oil to slow digestion and increase satiation.
Hope you don't report about climate and food as an omnivore!
3
try indian cuisine especially south indian ,for many centuries indians have mastered the art of vegetarian cuisine.They dont try to mimic non veg food ,instead they try to make the vegetarian food delicious.
23
Wow! Such intense battle lines drawn here.
4
For those who miss the umami texture of meat, try unripe jackfruit.
No, seriously. Roast it in the oven and add smoked paprika as the author likes to do, or vegan barbecue sauce.
Ripe Jackfruit makes for an incredible dessert.
2
@Jason Right, and just where am I going to get that? I've seen this before, I've looked for it, and somehow, I think traveling 30 miles to get one is going to offset any potential good I'm doing to the planet by having to use the additional gas.
What omnivores miss is the veggie inclined don't see meat as the center piece of the dish. Meat is a compliment. A rare and appreciated one at that.
I'm eating shrimp, mushrooms, and beans at the moment... as a side. The main dish is summer vegetables spiralized with an olive based pasta salad and bread as the second sides.
Where anyone thought up meat as a main course is beyond me.
7
I've been vegetarian for for 25 years. I mess with recipes. I root around in then pantry. I trial and error. I throw in extra stuff. I omit stuff and substitute stuff. I just keep cooking.
... Ms Moskin is right about the prep. One thing I do is be logical about the next days' meal based on the prep I'm doing. Chopping an onion? Why not the onion for tomorrow, too? Take 5 seconds to get some beans soaking. Throwing together the list of several spices or the several chopped herbs to get tomorrow started. This also reminds me of what I have, so that I can more completely use a product and waste less. This is the vegetarian version of having chicken soup the day after whole roasted chicken, and it makes my life easier.
5
I’m a lifelong vegetarian and yet still surprised to discover that people think eating vegetarian style means just serving up all the same side dishes but leaving out the meat. Or replacing the meat with a veggie-dog. That’s both boring and unhealthy. Rethink the whole meal plan from the ground up, and no one will be hungry at 9:30!
In earlier times in most cultures meat was expensive and scarce, so people worked out ways to eat without meat. Check out the poverty and or religious diets of the world, there is much to be learned there.
16
Another person confuses Vegan and Vegetarian.
Vegetarian =/= Vegan.
Veganism is a *very* extreme and basically a religious form of eating and lifestyle.
If you eat honey, you aren't Vegan. If you eat bread with whey, you aren't a Vegan. If you get a vaccine that was produced in an egg, you aren't Vegan. If you wear shoes like All Birds, you aren't Vegan, they are made from wool. The list goes on and on.
Vegan has been conflated with Vegetarian, but it is not the same thing.
OK, I feel better, now to enjoy my vegetarian taco on a tortilla that contains whey proteins.
9
A better term than vegan is Plant Based Whole Foods (PBWF) which volumes have been written about. It’s emphasis is unprocessed (or minimally processed) plant based foods —high in fiber and low in (processed) fat. Ex: all fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, are considered Whole Foods. but not fruit juices, white rice or pasta, French fries, and processed “vegan “ and “vegetarian “ foods. These are high in sugar and unhealthy processed fats. A good book about all of this is “How not to die” by Dr. Greger who goes into great detail about plant based eating and the health benefits.
5
When my godchildren got bored with the wonderful food their parents prepared, their mom and I developed a plan. Let each of them plan, prep, prepare and serve one meal of their choosing per week. They learned not to complain about any food, developed amazing sense of culinary skill and appreciation that they retain 15-20 years later, and learned that if they wanted to be vegetarian they can eat the non-meat dishes on the table and supplement with power bars, yogurt, or other healthy food and snacks of their choosing. I'm sad this mom feels the need to do all the work herself, and actually misses the opportunity to make this an aha! learning moment for the youngsters...
13
The clue here is that the kids were hungry again. Meaning the meal was nutritionally deficient, and results in overeating starch while chasing a diluted amount of protein and micronutrients.
Animal foods satiate and deliver the nutrition with fewer total calories.
9
@The Pooch It was that particular meal that was not satiating, we cannot generalize it to all vegetarian meals.
Also, sometimes, people do confuse thirst with hunger.
Any meal with a good portion of vegetables is nutritionally rich.
8
@Gus
In 2019, the ideas that eating cholesterol and saturated fat cause heart disease has been debunked as thoroughly as anything can be in nutrition.
It's been known since the 1980s that _dietary_ cholesterol has little to no effect on blood serum cholesterol. Even Ancel Keys admitted this.
In the past two decades, we have had multiple meta-analyses failing to find any harm from sat fat consumption, multiple clinical trials (with humans) failing to find any benefits to the low fat/low sat fat diet, and multiple clinical trials (with humans) finding _benefits_ to high(er) fat, low(er) carb diets.
Welcome to 2019. Recommend a read of Taubes, Teicholz, and Ludwig to get caught up.
6
@Gus Guess you missed the article in this day's paper where they debunked that myth.
I have to admit that my dominant thought while reading this was more WORK WORK WORK for a woman.
Since when do parents completely change the family's diet because of a child's preferences? I can see having one or two vegetarian meals a week or a vegetarian side dish, but every single meal? If the children are old enough, they should be helping with the prep. And where's the husband?
I would also get these meals vetted for health. Coconut oil, for example, is 90% saturated fat.
21
@Lifelong Reader
This is the funniest thing I have ever read. She is obviously the cook in the family. In my own personal home my s.o. does not cook a thing. And it works perfectly. You're the one making it about gender roles. Not every home has a husband or s.o. so that part of your statement is null and void. Children helping prep its not their job. Their job is homework and being kids. If they want to help, they are more than welcomed to. If my child/ren ( I have 3) came to me and said I do not want to eat animals or animal products anymore I would be 100% supportive and accommodate their decision. It is your responsibility to feed your children, so for dinner their supposed to eat a veggie side dish as a meal or not eat some nights of the week because you only make a vegetarian dish a few nights a week? Its a life style choice not something that can be turned on and off. Since you're being anti-veg/vegan most people cooking with coconut oil aren't deep frying their veggies, its a little in the bottom of the pan. Sometimes ignorance isn't bliss.
11
@Shelby
If you read the comments, a lot of people agree with me.
3
@Gus
Well, I guess some plants have to be decimated in the process of our eating them, but we can try not to decimate the planet.
3
Maybe make their hunger at 9:30 a good object lesson on why this diet is just a bad idea. Meat and dairy are not the problems. Industrial agriculture is.
10
or, hey it's 9:30. Go to bed. who wants to go to bed on. full stomach?
3
@Faith David Copperfield would love to! (The Dickens one, not the magician)
2
I eat very little animal protein -- maybe 3-4 times a week, yet every idea here leaves me cold. YUCK I say. I have friends who are vegans, and they bake without dairy, eggs, etc., and their stuff is absolutely vile.
Know what the solution to the food problem on the planet it? A smaller world population. And before anyone jumps on me, I'm childless by choice. I've done my part.
Now, I'll have a pork chop, please.
24
Going vegan is just like quitting restaurant food: you know it's better for you, and once you start you can never go back.
7
@max That's funny because I know a few former vegans. Also, a bunch of vegan YouTube stars have been recently caught eating fish.
4
@max
Eating meat, fish, eggs and milk is just like quitting veganism. You know it's tastier, and once you start you can never go back.
3
@max - Years ago, I was vegetarian for 2 years and then went vegan for 6 months. I won't do that again.
2
For heaven's sakes. Can we please stop adding Parmesan to every other vegetarian recipe? Parmesan takes calf rennet and is therefore NOT vegetarian by any definition of the word. This is why restaurants keep adding Parmesan-style cheeses to the "vegetarian" dishes, thus spoiling what could otherwise be a fine vegetarian option. I cannot believe that in 2019 publishers are still publishing vegetarian cook books with the word "Parmesan" anywhere on it.
8
@Flavia Here is a list of brands made without animal-derived rennet. There are several brands of Parmesan on this list.
https://vegetatio.com/content/joyous-living-full-vegetarian-cheese-list
6
@Megan Thanks ever so much.
2
@Megan thanks for sharing this. I still somehow doubt the majority of restaurants will care to check what kind of parmesan they're using. But great stuff for home cooking ;)
2
I’ll echo other commenters — I would never serve the recipes here as dinner. They’re nothing but starch with vegetables.
We are 90% vegetarian. My stepdaughter was vegetarian since age 5, and my husband is lactose intolerant. As a result we draw heavily from vegan cooking.
Legumes are the basis of most meals. Lots of variations on stews and bakes. A serving of beans is about ½ - ⅔ cup, cooked, for about 10g protein.
Use generous amounts of oil; if you eat mostly veg and avoid processed food, you don’t really have to worry about staying around 50g/day of fat. Walnut, peanut, hazelnut oils all add rich savory flavor.
Add on a whole grain as a side. I like lots of variation because it’s more interesting & you vary your micronutrients. Black rice, polenta, millet, barley, buckwheat in addition to the various wheat products. This will add another 5-6g protein per serving. Make it in a rice cooker, the oven, or microwave.
— substitute oil- or salt-cured black olives for anchovies
— smoked salt or liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and walnut oil replace the flavor punch of bacon & ham really nicely
— parmesan rind makes an excellent broth or flavoring agent in soups
14
@Gus - You are aware that oil, as in just about cooking oil, contains Vitamin E and K for starters. Then, toss in the anti-oxidants and oleocanthal and its hard to resist adding it to the diet. This paper just ran an article recently about extra virgin olive oil and what to look for in quality bottled oil with little processing.
Just last week I took some homegrown zuccinni and brushed spears with olive oil and freshly picked basil, rosemary, marjoram. and parmesan cheese. I sprinkled with salt and broiled. I gorged on these and some home made cole slaw and was totally content for dinner. I'm by and large a complete carnivore.
4
@tom harrison We're a huge fan of fresh roasted veggies at our house, too. I save the parm for cauliflower steaks -- most times, it's just brushed with a little olive oil and broiled with spices.
And we're carnivores, too. I'd be all for using beans more often; they're an integral part of the regional cooking I love best. My husband's gut says no, however -- kind of like mine does with soy.
Ugh! Plant based - the new marketing term. Like Impossible burgers are actually food!
This is all nuts (no pun intended). Eat plants. Animals and animal byproducts are convenient and easy to flavor but not appropriate as food suitable for ingestion.
2
Lovely recipes. As a long-time vegetarian, I’d up the protein component: chickpeas and yogurt or feta in the eggplant and tofu in the noodles.
8
I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 50 years (for environmental and sustainability reasons), and about 3 years ago for health reasons, I dropped dairy products and eggs.
So I am a plant based whole food eater. That means no animal products, and minimal to no processed food. I don’t eat fake meat or other animal products; I don’t miss them, and they’re highly processed as well. And anything can be made to taste good with a lot of added oil, salt, and sugar. But, I am also cutting back on those, too.
So I think that the real test of a good cook is making food delicious without added salt, oil, and sugar — instead, discover the wonderful world of spices instead! Mix different tastes and textures, while eating a variety of veggies and fruits, beans and whole grains, and in moderation nuts and seeds.
Oh, and did I mention that my mantra is Simple, Easy, and Quick? The electric pressure cooker is my new best friend (mine is an Instant Pot, and it does everything — and often better — that my rice cooker and slow cookers could — they have been donated).
And I am only a middling cook, at best. Nothing like a NYT columnist. Whom I wish all the best.
16
It would be "professionally untenable" to be come a vegetarian?
That seems like an untenable argument to me.
11
@Anthony
It is if your job is to write about food.
As my mother told me when I was roughly 9 years old and decided I wanted to dictate our dinner-time meal plans: "If you're old enough to demand it, you're old enough to cook it."
So at a very early age I learned to cook for myself, and often for the whole family. It's a skill that I cherish every day of my life.
I don't see where Ms. Moskin took the same opportunity to impart wisdom that my mother did, but I sure hope so.
14
Just FYI -- capers are a great substitute for anchovies!
16
My partner was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure and water retention, so I've been trying to cook a more heart-healthy diet. That means more vegetables. Unfortunately, it also means less salt. He is adamant about reducing sodium, which I find makes producing a palatable (OK, edible) vegetarian dish challenging to say the least. He likes hot spice, but I don't, which makes it harder still.
3
I love that this chef is trying vegetarian/vegan cooking. My only problem is her premise that to become a vegetarian herself would be "professionally untenable." Despite her admitted knowledge that the production of meat and dairy are bad for the environment she somehow feels that her professional life would be ruined if she was as principled in her work life as she is at home. This is exactly why people can't seem to bring themselves to properly address the climate change crisis. Money always trumps reason. Even people living in Southern Louisiana knowing that the oil and gas industry is causing sea levels and storms to decimate their homes won't turn on one of their largest employers and the greedy politicians that enable them.
17
This is awful advice. Vegan cooking can be simple and healthy and delicious. Adding salt to everything in excess is unhealthy. There are many good vegan cookbooks out there. Also one’s palate can change and foods considered bland but over spiced meat eaters become very flavorful over time. A mainstay of a healthy vegan diet is beans. Another is potatoes. Try Dr Michael gregers “how not to die” cookbook. Another is engine 2.
12
@Peter Relax, I'm a long time vegetarian, and this gave me some ideas I hadn't thought of. It's coming from a professional chef, so obviously these insights will be a little more intensive than most people's.
6
@Andrew The sad truth is that so many chefs are addicted to (the use of) salt. After many decades of home-cooked vegetarian food, with practically no added salt (except in risotto :-) I find almost all restaurant food excessively salty.
9
@Peter The problem comes in, though, when you have people who literally cannot manage that food.
I'm allergic to soy. No tofu and especially no edamame for me, thanks -- it hits me just as badly as milk and dairy hit lactose-intolerant people. (It also makes my eczema flare up *horribly*.)
I absolutely cannot choke down quinoa; I'm a supertaster, and when you've had a vegan chef fix it (among other tries) and it still tastes like syrup of ipecac, it's just going to taste terrible to me and make me vomit. (I wish that wasn't literal, but it is.)
Beans? Great as far as I'm concerned; it features regularly in regional cooking that I love. However, if I do more than one meal with beans or lentils or the like, my husband's gut is in agony.
The point is, I don't care what vegans say, the diet isn't for everyone. If it works for others, that's fine and good and more power to them -- I just wish people would stop ignoring the fact that it is *not* healthy for everyone.
If one person could just say, 'this works for me' and the second person could say, 'I'm glad it does, but it won't work for me, and I like this' and the first person could say, 'Cool, glad you've got something you enjoy' and everyone go on about their day happily...wouldn't it be great?
3
I have been cooking family vegetarian meals for over 4 decades, and what I would advise this author is that it will come with time if you keep trying new recipes and responding to what makes your family happy and full. One key to saity and sanity is to change up the classiness of the meal: On a weekday night we might have quesadillas with salad and piles of fried herbed mushrooms, but on Friday night it would be a layered Mexican casserole or (if guests need to be impressed) a vegetable-filled gougeres. Don't forget the wisdom of our mothers: A casserole can make for a joyous meal. Last bit of advice: Buy a rice cooker (they're cheap), make twice as much fresh vegetables as you think you will need, and use fistfuls of herbs. Oh--when you are bored, your food is boring. Change things up.
6
Many vegans disagree, but humans are not herbivores and vegans really do need to pay attention to their protein intake. If people are hungry two hours after a meal, it's because that meal was not adequate, not because they need to start eating vegan junk food, er, "hearty snacks". Legumes are the answer. They are a filling form of protein. I recommend the New York Times Red Lentil Soup with Chili and Lemon for vegans and omnivores alike. Tasty and filling!
23
@Stella B
An average adult might need 50-80 grams of protein. A cup of cooked beans provides 15 grams. And everything, even fruits, have protein.
A good balanced vegan diet surely provides all the protein one might want.
6
@Stella B, The vegans I know (including me) realize that we are omnivores (ie can eat animals or vegtables) but choose to follow plant-based diets. We also know that humans aren't carnivores (ie we don't need animal products to survive).
And we educate ourselves on nutrition to ensure that we get adequate nutrients, with protein typically being the least of our concerns because plants are full of protein.
6
@Stella B Ahhh, yes, the scourge of our modern, healthy society... protein deficiency! Or was it obesity? I can't remember.
7
I love vegetarian food and hated meat as a kid! I have eaten as strict as a pure vegan, and have tried a high meat/low carb keto diet. That said, we had to eat what was put on our plates when I was a kid growing up. I don't really understand "my youngest decided to become vegetarian". Hmpfh.
5
We eat about 95% vegetarian with occasional fish. Starchy carbs are definitely not filling because your body burns right through them. They are tasty and great occasionally, but whole grains are more filling and nutritious. Farro and barley are staples in our household (Trader Joe's sells "10 minute" versions of these grains, making preparing them a snap.)
We also eat tons of legumes! Beans and lentils are full of fiber and protein, making you feel full. Loooooove them. We often used canned or otherwise pre-cooked, but with our pressure cooker (InstantPot), it's actually quite easy to make a pot of beans from scratch and the bean broth that also results is divine. Yum!
18
As an omnivore, I had a hard time getting past the line that calls "bacon, anchovy paste, pancetta and fish sauce" short cuts. Each of these products deepens and enriches the journey of a dish; they are by no means short cuts. This isn't to say more sustainable ways to achieve similar ends aren't out there, but let's not pretend that soy sauce, extra salt, nutritional yeast, and coconut aminos are going to provide the same punch.
10
Thanks for raising some very important points. For those insisting that vegetarians are healthier, I would point out that French fries are vegetarian -- it does take a bit more planning and practice, and especially for weight control. But not eating animals is kinder to the animal and - no one wants to hear this point, either - better for the planet. Read labels on foods, cook in large batches for leftovers and know what you're putting in your pan, on your plate and in your body.
7
Hello Julia,
What about adding a healthy carb source to your meal? Wild rice, whole wheat flour roti, cracked wheat khichdi, savory pancakes made with a combo of variety of flours like chickpea flour, sorgum or millet flour and pita sandwiches. Any of these coupled with vegetables or legumes or vegetables cooked with legumes will make sure that none of you feel hunger pangs at 9:30 pm.
8
Increasing the salt gets you halfway there? What a healthy answer to the problem. Just another example of the false promise of a vegetarian diet being a healthy one.
6
This idea that mom is the cook who slaves to satisfy the individual whims of separate family members culinary restrictions, fads and demands, has to stop! How about each person gets to choose a dinner, plans it, cooks it and then everyone eats it together. A mom is not a restaurant with open menus. It’s a family and everyone shares in the shopping, cooking and clean up. Teaching and sharing this aspect of family life is enriching to all. And no take out or food delivery services either. Let’s get real about food.
32
@Amberart Very well said!
2
The article bothered me from the perspective that I feel the author didn't do enough research on ensuring hearty meals (as many vegans/vegetarians have already stated here). I did a lot of reading before trying vegan in 2008. Of course her kids are hungry -- she is making side dishes as the main and only meal. One of my favorite cookbooks is the "China Study All-Star" cookbook. I have made almost every single recipe in it. Lots of quinoa-based recipes; hearty mushroom stroganoff.... There is a lentil loaf (instead of meat loaf) that I serve all the time, even to company, and they ask me for the recipe. Other recipes not in the book: I make a vegan chili with lentils and kidney beans -- and there is seldom any left after a party. Brown rice/lentil casserole, lentil-based Sloppy Joes that taste EXACTLY like the meat-based ones, sautéed butternut squash noodles (I buy already "noodled") with avocado lime sauce.... The list and possibilities are endless. Add a salad, side dishes of greens and other veggies, and you have a complete meal. I stay with simple but tasty meals. So Delicious makes a wonderful UNSWEETENED coconut-milk based plain yogurt - love it. I bought a Yonanas machine to make my own non-dairy ice cream. Dairy makes me ill, so I have learned to research, find, and adapt. I also cannot eat any concentrated soy like tofu or edamame, so I again research and adapt. And, the kids should help chop the veggies and learn!
15
One of the great secrets of the legume world is red lentils, which cook in 20 -30 minutes. Great esp to thicken other soups: just throw in a couple of handfuls. (I was surprised not to read more about soup in the article: so many options as the central dish).
17
I have type1 diabetes, which does not go well with any carbs. The best diet seems to be one with lots of protein, keto works really well. At the same time, I know the environmental impact of my high protein diet; are there realistic recipes that are vegetarian/vegan keto-like?
4
@Maria
Beans and other legumes. We cook lots of simple bean dishes using quality Rancho Gordo beans, often just a simple soup with onion, garlic, salt, oregano, bay leaf, and I love how my blood sugar is steady for hours after (also a type 1), even with very little insulin.
I'll cook up a pound of dried beans on the weekend and have multiple meals through the week
14
@Maria Check out Minimalist Baker...for example, "noodle free pad thai" and "Sheet pan meal: Curried sweet potato & chickpeas." "Black Bean Hemp Burgers" from Sweet Potato Soul's website are also great. Use lots of veggies and no simple carbs.
https://minimalistbaker.com/noodle-free-pad-thai-30-minutes/
couple links: https://minimalistbaker.com/sheet-pan-meal-curried-sweet-potato-chickpeas/
https://sweetpotatosoul.com/2014/09/black-bean-hemp-burgers-video.html
1
@Maria
I love that you're considering a lower meat diet despite dietary needs, instead of using your health as an excuse. Big kudos!
I eat a high protein vegetarian (mostly vegan) diet. It's not so hard once you get into the flow. My go to strategies are to:
- Use soy products for the main ingredient in many dishes (edamame and tofu are easy and yummy choices).
- Use unsweetened pea protein milks in smoothies, oatmeal, etc. Ripple brand has the best tasting one;
- Substitute your typical pasta and bread with types that are made with high protein grains, e.g. quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, millet, and teff are all great.
- Substitute veggie noodles as well, but add in tofu or other protein when you do that
- If you are okay with eggs, adding them to many different dishes works well
- If you're okay with dairy, a small amount of high protein/low-fat yogurt can go on chilis, tacos, etc. in place of cheese and sour cream
Nuts and beans are great, but keep in mind that while they are high protein, they are also high calorie and depending on the bean preparation, can also be high in fodmap carbs. Depending on what level of protein intake you're looking for, you may not be able to rely on them to get you there.
9
I’m a big fan of flat breads and pancakes—especially the many different pancakes from India and other South Asian countries that are based on rice and various kinds of (high protein) dal—dosa, appam, udappam, etc. And, if you use grains like ragi instead of (white) rice, these can be highly nutritious as well as really tasty.
5
@Jake Sterling The classic high protein South Indian pancake is adai, which has 1:1 rice : dal as opposed to the classic 3 : 1 for dosai/idli. I generally make it with brown rice instead of white and that works fine. You can also add chopped onions or cilantro to the batter for additional flavor.
However, pancakes take time to make and can get pretty oily. My go-to breakfast is idli, which uses essentially the same batter as dosai but is steamed instead of pan fried.
I can make a 16 idli batch with ~ 1 minute of effort and ~ 20 mins cook time. If you use 2:1 rice : urad dal instead of the classic 3 : 1, it is pretty high protein too.
6
@tamtom
I am from South India and have modified my adai recipe.
I use 1 cup tuvar(or toor) dhal, 1 cup channa dhal and only 1/4 cup white rice.(not sure about brown rice) Add ginger, chilies, frozen coconut, cilantro and grind in the mixer till its fine sand texture.
Keep overnight in the fridge. Next morning chop onions really fine add to the batter; add water to thin to a pancake consistency.
spread on hot pan( using minimal oil) cover and cook. Flip and cook the other side.
Goes great with ..... ketchup!
2
I am trying to figure out how to cook for my vegetarian husband and my 15 yr old son who craves meat. I try to serve deconstructed meals, but there are not that many dishes that work that way. It is frustrating and time consuming and I end up using a lot of dishes!
3
Use plant based meats, fake meat. Beyond Meat’s “beyond burger” is better than the real thing! Beats all others! Break a few up in marinara sauce and you won’t believe how much flavor it adds! And most all the vegan sausages, hotdogs and bacons are excellent, try them out you won’t believe how good they taste and are much like the real thing.
12
@sgmail The '50s are over. Your husband and 15-year-old can cook for themselves, and even for you!
9
@Michael-in-Vegas Right on!
3
One of my biggest peeves is the trend to try to gussy up tofu to make it seem somewhat like meat: tofu dogs, tofurky and so on. Tofu is more than able to stand on its own without mocking anything. Just learn to cook it right.
16
@Brian Grover
I recently discovered the technique of freezing extra-firm tofu overnight and thawing it before cooking, which adds a chewy texture. Just google "freezing tofu."
1
@Brian Grover
Agreed! Simple and Delicious Tofu: Squeeze the extra water from a block of firm or extra firm tofu. Slice into pieces no thicker than 1/4” and arrange on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with soy sauce (tamari being so much tastier than the other, watery types — and available in many non-specialty grocery stores). Sprinkle with either garlic powder and black pepper or just use garlic-flavored black pepper. Broil to your liking, flipping the slices over once and adding more seasoning if desired. These are delicious hot or cold, and appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians, alike.
1
I grew up being FAR from vegetarian, but we ate cheap, economical meals so our proteins were also economical - beans/pulses are your friends. So are nuts (less economical). I have canned beans and lots of jars of dried ones for soaking and pressure cooking and this makes weeknight dinners much easier. Anything from a pot of beans and cornbread to tostadas to spaghetti with pigeon peas will help make easy and delicious dinners. I'm also a fan of pureed soups with toasted nuts as croutons - all good eats!
8
I've been a vegetarian for 54 years. The core of vegetarian cooking and eating is not vegetables - vegetarians and meat eaters alike should be eating plenty of vegetables. It's the replacement of meat with another protein source: tofu, legumes, gluten balls, etc., or dairy/eggs if you are not vegan.
I really cringe when I walk into a restaurant and the vegetarian option is a "vegetable plate". I never knew of a vegetarian who made that in their own kitchen. We need protein and calories too.
66
@Bonnie
Seriously! I can't stand the "veggie burger" that is a grilled portobello mushroom. This is becoming less common as Impossible and Beyond burgers have gotten around fortunately.
10
I just want to say how much I love this article. First of all, I am eternally grateful for the permission to use frozen vegetables. I too had been sort of snobby on that front. Secondly, for years I have thought I must be the slowest cook in America. So thank you for confirming my suspicions that most recipes don’t include the prep time. (I thought perhaps there was some alternate universe where cilantro leaves came washed and separated from their stems.) It’s a whole new world.
16
I might be wrong about this but IMO going 100% vegan is not healthy through childhood. I have lived in primarly vegetarian societies where newborn, childhood and juvenile malnutrition has been problematic and providing milk or eggs to schoolchidren were of great benefit. Sure, we live in a rich western society where the government makes sure that bread is fortified/enriched and salt is iodized etc. But just real nautral food like an egg, some whole dairy goes a long way. Eating 2-3 meat meals (non mass farmed)/month is sustainable I think and a better way to go. My credo has mostly been to eat things as they exist in nature and in balance.
6
@Greenfield
That would be great if eggs "as they exist in nature" were available.
I had some neighbors who raised chickens recently and was excited to get eggs from them -- humanely treated, etc. But the eggs one gets from TJ's or whatever... who knows about the horrific conditions those hens are in, and the shredding of male chicks that leads to. Get informed.
5
@greenie It is hard to object to pasture raised eggs, and they are more available and affordable than ever as people understand the difference in the chicken's existence.
3
@Greenfield
You are wrong. There are a number of studies and groups (including physicians and nutritionists) who have concluded that a vegan diet can be a healthy choice for children. See, e.g.
https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/nutrition-for-kids
https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/Articles/Vegetarian-and-Vegan-Diets/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Following-a-Vegan-Eati.aspx
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/vegan-diet-healthy-kids
There are a few nutrients that you have to pay some extra attention to getting, but there are significant health benefits, too.
8
My husband and I share cooking 50/50 as retirees. Many good ideas here in the article and the comments. We're happy to make vegetarian dishes and have a few good ones up our sleeve as we grew up in homes that depended on legumes and pulses a lot. We have an increasing number of vegetarians and vegans in our family and many make the same mistake, too many carbs to satiate leading to less than healthy weights.
4
I'm glad to see the NYT attempting to help those in transition, as it can cause a lot of anxiety! but I second those who have already commented that going veg just isn't as tough as this article suggests. One must love vegetables. It also helps to enjoy cooking. And protein with every meal is key. And that's it! Let your taste buds adjust as they inevitably will. Take it slow and rejoice that you are doing even just a bit.
9
There is nothing professionally untenable about becoming vegetarian or vegan. It will just change the direction of your career and make it more healthy.
20
If you think cooking without/less meat is good for the environment, you really need to do more research. There is a whole area of regenerative agriculture that has a lot to say about this issue. I won't argue it here in my allotted 1300 characters, because it's too complex. But suffice it to say - do more research. A lot more.
7
“I was avoiding meat and dairy substitutes for no good reason.”
It depends on the substitute. If by substitute you mean perfectly wonderful foods like beans, lentils, and eggs, absolutely. But a lot of vegetarian and vegan “substitutes” are horrendously ultra-processed foods of the type that are strongly associated with all manner of metabolic dysfunction. The state of research on non-processed meat and health is pretty complex, and depends heavily on the provenance of the meat, what people eat with it, and how you feel about “studies” that are actually surveys. The research on ultra-processed foods is emerging—but it’s also extremely, unambiguously clear.
How old is the author’s vegetarian child? This seems like a wonderful opportunity to get them involved in cooking, both for their own benefit and from the perspective that I tend to be leery of anything that increases the odds of parents (let’s be honest, usually mothers) being treated like short-order cooks. If you’re old enough to make non-medical food demands, you’re old enough to help with the cooking. Learning to cook new types of dishes is great, and always comes in handy. But I don’t think any one person in a family gets to dictate what everyone eats (for non-medical reasons), unless that one person is the one doing the cooking.
15
@Polly - Totally agree. Also - broccoli on toast is NOT DINNER!
12
I became a vegetarian about 4 years ago. Some tricks I've come up with are sauces with some shelf life to build flavor around. A current favorite is romesco, make a big batch of a complex one go for the nora chilies, the roasted almonds and hazelnuts. I use a recipe by Joyce Goldstein. Marcella Hazan's tomato sauce, recipe on this website, will work for shakshuka type recipes. Make a lot and freeze in 2-4 cup portions, tahini sauces work beautifully with many dishes. Remember, you can always add herbs when you serve or cook the dish.
7
Need more flavour? Ghost peppers!
2
Protein. Lentils prepared as crunchy, tender, or pureed protein make the vegetarian or vegan meal filling. It can be any other high protein item, but that's the real centerpiece that's forgotten. Prepared in advance in bulk you save lots of time at dinner and for weeklong meal preparations for the whole family.
Paprika, berbere, and merken all do the job.
8
I've been a vegetarian since I was 16 (in 1996, when everyone in Texas thought it was borderline Satanic), so I had to re-teach myself to cook since my mom mainly taught me to make the typical American meat-starch-veg meal. It does take time to figure out how meals can take different forms, and I admit I ate a lot of pasta with jarred sauce in college.
Since US food culture is so centered around meat-starch-veg, it helps to look to other cultures. Traditional foods from all over the world were developed by people who didn't have have much access to meat. The "Mediterranean diet" is not only very healthy, but low on animal products to begin with.
Consider navy beans stewed with greens and some hearty bread; or a pile of roasted veg with toasted nuts and dried cranberries, with a nice bread and maybe some cheese or hummus; hearty stews with lentils and veg served with brown rice; stir-fries and curries of all sorts; fancy salads with good bread and a simple soup; cheesy vegetable casseroles (heavy as a side, perfect as a main!), and so on. And, of course, a fried egg on top turns just about anything into a meal.
22
Thank you for writing this article to help people move towards a more vegetarian diet. It sounds though, a lot more complicated than it should be. Having been a vegetarian for over 15 years I can easily make a meal in 20 minutes. Play around with different grains and beans, look into meat substitutes like gardein or beyond meat. There are also lots of choices in Asian markets for ‘fake meat’. Once you find your groove with vegetarian cooking, meals will be creative and exciting. I guarantee it!
17
Everyone comes to vegetarianism for different reasons, and the choices you make will differ depending on whether you choose to change the way you eat or are pushed by your body. I cannot eat gluten, oats, or milk proteins, and I choose to avoid meat and limit poultry and fish. Since American food is largely built on these foods, I found that I had to change my cuisine. I cook a lot of simple vegetable dishes using East and Southeast Asian techniques and flavorings, with brown rice and other whole grains. That means I use soy regularly, mushrooms extensively for umami flavor, and a lot of nuts to add protein and fat. Although I love cheese, because of my health needs, I avoid all imitation meats and cheeses with questionable ingredients. And I eat chicken once a week or so and eggs occasionally. I really hate being caught in the crossfire among the true believers on all sides of this issue.
9
I get a clear message, here, that the subject of food restrictions has become entirely toxic. There are too many people who use their dietary needs or the requirements of others — whether those food restrictions are health based, religious tenets, a moral choice, or mere preferences — as weapons against others. It goes both ways. It’s one of the reasons I rarely entertain at home these days. I meet friends at restaurants and let the kitchen deal with any special requests.
I’ve people present a long list of “can’t eat” requirements, when I know that they don’t have any medical basis or other solid reason for them. Gluten, for one. Real gluten intolerance (celiac disease) is extremely rare. And a lot of people claim “allergies” to categories of things that I see them eating elsewhere. Saying they are allergic to garlic, for instance, but they eat onions.
Nut allergies are very real, of course (peanuts and tree nuts are not the same, folks!). However, even there people can weaponize it. Some months ago I was at a gathering for which I had prepared most of the food. The husband of a woman with a nut allergy (peanut or tree nut, no one would say) picked up a beautiful plate of food I’d made put it in front of his face, inches from his nose, and scrutinized it. Right in front of me. I told him there were no nuts in it. He continued his dramatic performance.
We need better manners and less self-obsession. Breaking bread together is meant to be a celebration, not a war.
18
@Passion for Peaches. Good manners for me would be to take my own food to your house. I don't have celiac disease or true food allergies, but if I eat gluten or milk products, my esophagus might become inflamed, making swallowing difficult and painful; my colon certainly shuts down, passing nothing, and I might have heightened inflammation elsewhere. That said, the amount of wheat in a bit of soy sauce causes no problems, so of course you might think that I'm faking.
6
@Passion for Peaches
I am an example of someone who loves garlic but can no longer eat it--it makes me very sick--but I have no trouble with everything else in the onion family. This real allergy gets misinterpreted because of the many people who choose not to eat certain foods. Just saying...
6
People have the right to eat what they want. If avoiding a food enhances their life, whether physically or emotionally, then that is their choice. Most people are searching to feel better and food is one thing in their control. Can people be annoying about it? For sure. Other people can also be judgmental of someone’s choices when they would be better advised toward compassion.
5
I became completely plant-based this time last year, and the transition hasn't seemed as complicated or frustrating as this article made it sound.
Perhaps, this is because I had certain 'systems' in place prior to going plant-based such as making a soup (or two in fall and winter!) each weekend. Having those soups (either at the ready in the fridge or frozen in manageable portions) is a lifesaver and fast meal 'foundation'. You can plunk a cup or bowl of soup next to a simple vegetable (think roasted carrots), a salad, and served with either grain (rice, quinoa et al), whole grain 'bread' or pasta and voilá dinner is served. My Instant Pot is a crucial part of the system also. I can have whole grains on the table in a flash. It's also great for making fast, tasty, rich 'Dashi' broths for homemade Ramen that rival restaurant versions. That broth and the Tare seasoning liquid can also be prepped ahead, refrigerated and you can have big steaming bowls of delicious Ramen on the table - with vegetables that you have on hand and protein/meat analogs (again, from the freezer, in 'just enough' portions) - in no time at all.
Beginning vegetarians/vegans should also have whole grain 'breads' in the freezer: whole wheat buns, pitas and such. Pull out enough for the meal, heat and serve with whatever.
Anyway, going plant-based opened up completely new and unexpected culinary horizons for this home cook and I've never looked back.
17
@Ladybird53
Yes, exactly -- what is so complicated? I became veg a few years ago and found it embarrassingly easy--- i.e., why had I thought this would be so hard?
Oh dear, one has to chop or peel vegetables... I'm sorry, what?
5
Is it really right that we should be killing innocent vegetables for human consumption 😁?
6
@MIKEinNYC
Snark aside, the bigger ethical concern is how the people who produce our produce are treated.
13
"... a pile of lemony broccoli or broccoli rabe on grilled bread is dinner ...": Where's the protein?
5
@Hal Haynes
Humans don't need nearly as much protein as the meat and dairy industries want us to believe -- that's why there are no RDA's on our food labels. Also, all foods contain protein, to greater or lesser extents, including whole grains. Lastly, unless you are a toddler or a body-builder, you probably aren't trying to put on mass.
11
@Hal Haynes, whole grain bread provides protein. A pile of sautéed or braised greens with garlic (kale, chard, spinach or mixed greens like collard and radish tops) served with thick slices of a whole grain artisan loaf is one of our go-to meals in my house. We have both consumed other foods during the day, and some of those foods contained protein. You need only 50 or so grams of protein a day if you are of average size. It’s .8 grams per kilo.
A peanut butter sandwich (two tbsp. peanut butter) with an 8 oz. glass of cow or soy milk provides 24 grams of protein. Half your daily requirement. Substitute cashew butter for nut allergies (cashews are fruits, not nuts).
You do not need a major dose of protein at every meal.
15
Please tell this to my very very real cashew and pistachio allergy (epipen/ambulance situation). They are highly allergenic... On the contrary I’m not allergic to peanuts or almonds.. If someone is allergic to nuts, please don’t feed them cashews unless you’re sure it’s ok!
2
It interests me that the author is begrudging the need to prep more vegetables now because her daughter is a vegetarian. That makes it sound like meat eaters don't eat many vegetables with their meals. I don't know about everyone else, but I eat meat (not more than 4x/week) but still have to put up with all the veggie prep as I aim for about 24 ounces of veggies per day, which isn't that outrageous of an amount.
8
Hope the kids are pitching in with all that veggie chopping.
13
Be aware: not all cheeses are vegetarian. Some are made with rennet.
Also, marshmallows contain gelatin. There are some sneaky animal products in foods you’d never expect.
As a “vegetarian,” I sometimes pretend to not know about these problems, because CHEESE!
5
@Human, it is impossible to avoid all animal parts, in the modern world. Look up the Ted talk, “How Pig Parts Make the World Turn,” or the book from which that is sourced. You’ll find other articles and books on the subject, too. Pig parts make their way into medicines, toiletries, building materials, and places where you would never think to look.
I would buy the daughter a good vegetarian cookbook and say, "Bon Appetit".
9
This article and comments are super disappointing and super tone deaf. I won't pile on the lack of mention of whole grain and legumes as so many commenters already have. But what I will says is, that one of the reasons that this article was so disappointing partially because of it's lack of understanding that when you eat less meat, or when you choose to eat plants, you have to eat more of them. As in, lemony broccoli rabe on toast sounds great but to make it a meal, you need add more vegetables. Most Americans view meat as the central part of their meal, and they'll readily discuss the vegetables, starches, and salads that they make as sides; when you stop eating meat, you still eat vegetables, starches, and salads as sides. Lemony broccoli rabe on toast, roasted carrots or sweet potatoes, and a salad is a great meal. Maybe next time, NY Times Cooking, you should ask a vegetarian to write about what what omnivores don't understand about vegetarian cooking and you won't get it so wrong.
34
I suppose the bias is inevitable in a food writer, but Ms. Moskin seems to value flavor over nourishment. Not mutually exclusive of course, but it is true that meat is a lot more flavorful than most vegetarian items. But vegetables win big time for nourishment. Eat food, mostly plants.
8
@Okbyme
Meh, meat, especially mass-produced meat, isn't that flavorful either. That's why people season it heavily, or marinate it, or douse it in sauces.
7
Last time I had meat was 45 years ago.
3
@Okbyme
Animal foods are more nutrient dense than plant foods.
I hate to say it, but the author's problem is probably that she's just too much of a food snob. I've been a vegetarian my entire life and it's never occurred to me to worry about any of these issues. I'll cook up a stir fry with fresh vegetables and tofu, onions, mustard, soy sauce and a few spices and I'm perfectly satisfied with that, even without smoked paprika or marinating every ingredient beforehand.
15
@Samuel Russell
Agreed. Eating and cooking vegetarian food is just common sense, easy and routine, if you are a vegetarian. No agonising required. If whatever you are eating is leaving you feeling a bit empty, you just eat more of it.
But, to really get the total package, it helps if you grow some of your own food. Then you realise how poor so much of commercially grown fruit and vegetables have become - due, I believe, to hydroponics that eliminate all aspects of 'terroir'/taste and overuse of fertiliser that locks in excess (and cheap) water (looking at you, Spain and Holland).
It's worth growing easy things like garlic, parsley, salad greens and potatoes (& tomatoes off your have the sun/heat) - the transformation in taste is phenomenal.
A public service request - Kindly start EVERY article on Vegetarianism or Veganism with the following statement - "While it is new to American awareness, plant-based diets, some including milk products and eggs, have been in existence for thousands of years. In fact nearly 20% of the world's population lives on vegetarian or near-vegetarian diets."
Once that is repeated enough times people will stop thinking of vegetarianism as a freakish fad, both those who embrace it and those who oppose it. Reality is the best cure for most temporary insanity. The vegan wars in the US are a classic example of temporary insanity. The mob sets out to crucify someone to abate their outrage, and it does not matter if it is a vegan mob or a meat-eating mob, it is insane. Please let us stop being part of the problem. Let us get our facts right and then write articles and comments.
27
If you're on the path toward a vegetarian/vegan diet, you owe it to yourself to do two things. 1. watch the FOK documentary. 2. get the ATK Complete Vegetarian cookbook.
2
This cracks me up. Upending an entire household for one kid's phase? Please. How about, "eat what's on your plate"? Countless generations were brought up this way. Just sayin'.
8
Why would you let a child dictate what you cook? The correct response (to avoid creating a very spoiled person) to a request for vegetarian meals: “You’ll eat whatever I cook, unless you want to cook your dinners yourself. When you live in your own house, and cook your own meals, you can become a vegetarian.”
10
When cooking plant-based meals, for me, instead of centering the dish around a piece of meat, is to center it around potatoes, rice, grains or pasta as the focus, then just add whatever else you like to flavor things up. Mexican or Asian dishes are quite easy to do or morph a familiar comfort food, like 'pot-pie' into a veggie delight. It's really not all that difficult or time consuming to do.
6
Was exposed to a plant based lifestyle in high school where plant based meals were the norm. Being plant based is not nearly as hard as some think, and has made me a more deliberate foodie.
Personally, I avoid talking about being a plant based person simply because it came come off as lecturing to some people. Pick Up Limes is a favorite plant based YouTube channel I recommend to people.
Also like to help people think outside the box. Like rethinking why people think they need meat, dairy, eggs. Fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts have protein. Learning to eat fruits and vegetables that are in season saves money. And being plant based makes one really think about the food, and how it got from point A to ones plate.
Should also make one rethink how one looks at animals as their right to kill to eat in the 21st century when land is used to raise plants to feed the animals when the land should be going to raise plants to feed we the people.
11
Plant based = vegan. Please just say that. The euphemism plant based annoys me to no end, because pretty most omnivores ALSO eat a diet based on plants, with animal products to supplement. Even if you eat nothing but burgers and fries you’re still eating plant based, because the amount of meat is still less than the amount of plant-derived foods. Vegans only say plant based to avoid the stigma and stereotypes that people associate with the term vegan.
@Julia But they are NOT the same thing. Plenty vegans don't eat much plant, and are not interested in plant, and are only interested in animal welfare.
And there are a whole lot of vegans who take issue with exclusively plant eating people calling themselves vegan. So we don't.
2
if you want to go vegetarian then it takes work. work that shouldn't be added to a mothers/fathers already busy workday
in getting a meal on the table. buy a good Veggie cookbook with propper charts that show how to use complex carbs for net protein utilization. not like the recipes mentioned in the article.
"Recipes for a small planet" was the one i used. then be prepared to cook some eg, brown rice and sesame seeds yourself to add to the family meal.
same if you are invited out to dinner, don't say i can't eat this or that. it is not a restaurant. ask your host if you could bring a dish large enough for all.
if you are not the one doing the cooking, then get out of the kitchen!
4
Why does everything need to be flavored with bacon or fish sauce? Perhaps being a vegetarian you get used to different flavors, and learn to appreciate the natural, unflavored taste of things. I've come to enjoy food in its natural state with minimal added flavoring, and most restaurant food to me has too much flavor and is far too salty, too greasy and too sweet.
19
@Samuel Russell Bacon has been marketed to us as the ultimate flavor enhancer. It's not.
8
@Samuel Russell
A large selection of spices in your kitchen is the key to flavorful cooking whether you are vegetarian or not. Use them to make your own blends and sauces.
4
The kids are likely getting hungry at 9:30 because there's no major protein source in a lot of these meals! A lot of these recipes still look like "regular" dinners minus the meat. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, nuts, tempeh, tofu, seitan ... there are a ton of protein options for making vegan meals more satisfying and nutritionally well-rounded. Grains and fresh veggies are great, but active people generally need more than that for a sustainable plant-based diet.
23
@Northerner Spot on! I go through a lot of cans of chickpeas (Chickpea Salad Sandwiches are a fav) ... saving the Aquafaba to pour into soups. Lentils, beans ... wow. Go through a LOT of those too.
3
I work out about 2 hours a day. (At least 60 of which is intense cardio like running or spinning. The rest is weight lifting or yoga or plyometrics). I don’t know what the author is talking about. While I eat quite a bit to keep up with my lifestyle the idea that, as a vegetarian, I’m hungry by 9:30 after eating dinner at 7 is just nonsense. I eat plenty of protein from yogurt, legumes, tofu, and egg whites. My annual blood test has never identified a protein deficiency. The myth of animal protein being more satiating is a marketing ploy, not an undying truth. (And unless you’re trying to add mass, you don’t need as much protein as you think. The standard American diet eats it excessively.) Eat what you want, but no need to judge others!
4
I find that fresh roasted vegetables
make a great base for either
a full meal or a building block in a meal.
It can be kept simple. Roast cauliflower,
broccoli, any type of squash, eggplant,
or carrot...eat alone or in a salad—adds
great flavor to a mixed or chopped salad.
Last week I made quinoa, then
lightly sautéed it to make it crunchy
and used it as a topping along with
grated Parmesan cheese on top of
baby cauliflower (seasonal, just
appeared at Trader Joe’s, it requires no
peeling or slicing). Put the combined dish in
the oven for 5 min. for the cheese to
melt. It was so easy and good!
After years of slowly giving up meat, chicken
and fish, I love my veggie meals.
Healthy, yummy, good for the soul.
Thank you for the good ideas.
6
Sometimes you can't please everyone. At one big holiday meal at our vegetarian relative's house, there seemed to be something for everyone. Then another guest entered, looked at the overflowing table and said, "There's nothing I can eat."
10
I can imagine sending this article to friends who are attempting a more vegetarian diet. I agree with another comment that it needn't be a strategic nightmare, but I do see friends quickly giving up because the strategy is different than the meat based meals they grew up with. Love a veggie centered meal like Cauliflower Steak!
I do feel tho that the meal prep on vegetables is the same if not quicker than the meal prep on meat. You're simply buying meat that has been pre-prepared by a butcher. Skinning an animal and parsing the meat is surely more time consuming than removing the stalk and leaves from broccoli. If you find this time commitment troublesome, plenty of grocery stores offer pre-chopped fresh veggies--think of it as the butcher section of the produce aisle.
9
My husband decided to adopt a "vegan" diet, and it was very stressful for me, the primary meal planner and cook, and I actually like both those activitites.
In the end we subscribed to the Purple Carrot meal service as a comprimise. That worked pretty well for us. I was spared phone calls on the way home from work with him asking where the xxx was, and what did they mean by "level teaspoon" but the three meals a week we got required at least an hour of cooking, sometimes more and rarely left us with leftovers -- so not all his meals were covered.
Eventually we took a break from that and bumped along with meal planning.
Recently they sent us an offer for two meals for six a week. This works well for us. It's about the same amount of cooking but there are enough leftovers.
My advice would be that if your child decides to go vegan, they need to learn to cook.
11
Really found this article annoying in that "vegetarian" and plant- based are not at all similar as far as health goes if you are adding animal products like eggs and dairy in massive amounts to your main dishes. Going meatless is not going to do anything for you if you are substituting cheese and eggs for meat. It is scientifically proven.
6
I will never understand why vegans misunderstand scientific uncertainty so much. No one "proved" anything. Eggs alone have had study after study with conflicting results. The Mediterranean diet is well known as one of the healthiest diets, and is omnivourous. There just isn't any scientific consensus on the health benefits of veganism. Not even close.
6
This all sounds very complicated. Almost every night, we eat a bean dish that's heavy on the vegetables, accompanied by a starch and another side vegetable. Once a week, there's usually a pasta dish with the leftover beans, and another night a dish with tofu or fake meat. Cooking from scratch is time-consuming, yes, but a plant-based meal needn't be a strategic nightmare.
19
Cheeses are not typically vegetarian since they‘re made with rennet, which is enzymes from animal intestines, typically baby animals (e.g., calves for cows’ milk cheeses).
1
@Anon
Most cheeses today are made from synthetic rennet or microbial rennet, though it's hard to know if the label only says "Enzymes". Real rennet from intestines is usually only used in expensive specialty European cheeses, and is often labeled as such, but not always.
8
@Anon An increasing number are not. The label should tell you.
2
This article was very focused on cooking vegetables, but I find the challenge of having a child who has decided to be vegetarian is serving enough protein. She doesn’t like beans and only sometimes likes eggs, and while she likes tofu, that has to be eaten in moderation. So I also feel challenged by vegetarian cooking, but I’m concerned about a totally different aspect of it.
3
@SB There is a whole host of protein sources in the vegetable world other than tofu. You can try legumes of all kinds - peas, lentils, chickpeas (aka Garbanzo beans), peanuts, and other sources including cashewnuts, almonds, and so on.
5
@Concerned Citizen. What was his health like? Just curious - no agenda.
@SB. Take the foods she does like and sneak protein in. Example, with rice add a side dish of chopped vegetables she likes with lentils - not too many, and French green lentils, which keep their shape and look more like a green. Ask her to make a list of all the foods she likes and enlist her to make dishes. I went through this... Any child from 5 up can help, and kids are more likely to eat foods they've prepared. Make sauces and dips with ricotta, yogurt, garbanzos, dal, and serve nutrient dense vegetables - artichoke hearts, avocados, hard squashes, asparagus. Trader Joe's has exc frozen artichoke hearts.
Our son once made the same decision to be vegetarian. At the same time, he had always loved exotic, savory flavors. My savior was a single cookbook that I found in a second hand book store (still available online): Cafe Paradiso Seasons by Denis Cotter, a chef and restaurateur in Cork, Ireland. Not for beginning cooks, perhaps, nor those who struggle with weight measurements as opposed to our frequent use of volume measurements. In 2003, this book was the winner of the World Cookbooks award for best vegetarian cookbook. It seems many dishes are a combination of several mini recipes which, when added together, become sumptuously more than just the sum of the parts. Like, Honey-roasted butternut squash with avocado-lime salsa and green curry of cauliflower and beans, served with rice. Brilliant!
5
@Alison Shaw thanks for the I will find it!
A lucky find - probably the best vegetarian restaurant in Europe - if you ever get the chance to eat there, do! Dennis Cotter has published about 4 or 5 books - all great.
I find that rotating between different cuisines provides variety: Italian, east Asian, Mexican, middle-eastern, west Asian and American (fish or good meat substitutes like tofu sloppy joes etc). My husband is not vegetarian so I make sure every meal is filling. Incorporate filling ingredients such as beans, potatoes, mushrooms and nuts into every dish.
3
To the many excellent suggestions, I'd like to add two.
TJ's Frozen artichoke hearts: put in microwave proof bowl, or a pot, add two cubes of frozen garlic, two cubes of frozen basil or fresh, and any of the following: butter or olive oil, capers, black olives, green olives, small sliced vegetables like celery etc, and halfed cherry tomatoes, and if you like, mozzarella balls, or tofu. Cook until done, add a squeeze of lemon, and it's a great main dish meal.
Marcella Hazan has a wonderful simple peasant soup recipe, the basis of which is 2 parts sliced onions, 3 parts sliced cabbage, 1 part chopped celery, and 1 part shredded kale. Saute w olive oil each vegetable in order until soft, add the next etc. Fill pot with broth to cover, add a handful of plum tomatoes and basil. Bring to boil and simmer an hour or more. The full recipe calls for this to be served with stale bread in the bowl and a poached egg on top.
For my vegetarian children, this soup has been the basis for one meal or more per week for two decades. I couldn't find it on line, sorry. And it's not smothered cabbage and rice, though that's good too.
It can be thin, thick, it can have cheese on it or not, meat eaters can add that if they wish. Warm or hot. The variations are endless, and it is extremely inexpensive. I make about 2 gallons at a time. And freeze what we don't use right away.
10
I've taken to heart other articles in the Times lately regarding older adults 60+ and their protein needs. Because we (older people) utilize protein less efficiently, we need more in our diet. I'm fortunate enough to be able to supplement with plant based nutritional cookies and bars. Although I'm not entirely vegetarian, I do feel better when I don't eat much meat.
3
Vegan cooking can absolutely be filling. People seem to want to categorize it as other, but it's just a darn meal. Balance the protein, starch, and fat in a way that works for you (and add a heap of veggies which can be a bit of any/all of these), and you can have a filling meal.
Or you can starch-load and then be surprised when people are hungry in an hour.
6
It often seems the heart of vegetarian cooking is pasta.
4
@ JP Portland OR
And no butter on the pasta.
1
@JP
I think it's actually the heart of vegetarians cooking for omnivores. It's often the only sort of meatless meal they think is "normal."
4
I would say that pre-chopped vegetables and frozen vegetables are your friends.
It's great on the weekend to start from scratch from the farmers market but not reasonable every day.
Also look into the insta-pot to quickly cook all sorts of vegetarian recipes.
I also use many pre-made marinades and spice mixes from Fresh Direct, that make me look like a whiz in the kitchen.
We are not vegetarian but now eat much more veg heavy fish during the week and red meat or chicken only on the weekend .
So during the week, try out the black bean tacos and light foods during the summer, and during the winter do more stews and and salads but with heavier ingredients.
And yes snacking will be important if you have a child or teen that is vegetarian, they will graze throughout the day and night until they go to bed which if teens may be quite late.
But so many good options now, more snack food that is gluten free and gmo friendly, that goes beyond the usual hummus and chips.
4
I went vegan when I was 11, way back in 1995. My parents bought me a bunch of vegan cookbooks and I became a great cook and developed my passion for cooking. My parents eventually became vegan as well. In 2019 it's so much easier with the availability of meat and dairy substitutes in every store, even Target and Walmart.
16
@Kayla Care to write a recipe book? I bet it'd be a winner.
2
@alfreeland I've actually been thinking about doing just that- I'm now a vegan personal chef and caterer.
I agree, it does take some effort and thought to get to a new stable ground of practices when switching. I found it was hard (sometimes fun, sometimes not) to search the internet and find recipes that sounded good, and that had a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat. The best trick I have for making the switch if you are able is to subscribe to a vegan/vegetarian meal service (most have 1/2 price first months) to get recipe ideas. Those recipes are generally quick and tasty. Purple Carrot worked well for us.
4
“The fact that my kids were peckish at 9:30 p.m. didn’t mean that I had failed at dinner.”
Maybe it just means it’s time to go to bed.
17
1. It’s very, very hard to fall asleep when you’re hungry.
2. Older kids often aren’t tired at 9:30, and some still have homework to do.
4
This comment section cracks me up! The vegetarian/vegan commenters are arguing that we should be flexible with our kids' eating phases, but they comfortable issuing a hard reprimand against tomato soup, white rice, and macaroni. Why do people feel the need to insist so aggressively against these basic foods? Why is food purity so sacrosanct in this space? Why is (homemade!) tomato soup so bad for you?
--former kid vegetarian who survived on egg and cheese sandwiches (on a white bagel!) for years because my mom wouldn't cook vegetarian dinners.
12
@Peregrine. My guess it’s because the writer complains her kids are hungry at bedtime while presenting meal suggestions with zero substantial proteins on the plate. Nothing wrong with tomato soup or broccoli rabe, but expect diners to be hungry later if you aren’t supplementing with chickpeas, seitan or something else that stays in the tummy.
11
@Meg yes, exactly. Some folks physiologies can handle no, or little protein in a meal, but most of us can't. Eg. if you're serving broccoli, make sure you have a tahini, peanut sauce or some other protein-heavy sauce to cover it.
5
Can’t do this diet as it contains too many sugars in the form of starches. Nor soy protein, not good for thyroids.
As wonderful as being a vegetarian maybe sound for people. I went all veggie out and the diet still could not produce the energy I needed in my body to thrive. I felt terrible! So NO SUGAR diet. Veggies and meat protein and I feel human again.
Legumes aren’t that great for you by the way and many people just cannot digest them.
And as silly as it sounds, when they discover plants have feelings which this is becoming a reality. What will vegetarians do?
6
@Oh My:
Yep, it sure does sound silly, and it’s really a worn out bit of rationalization that meat-eaters drag out when trying to make vegans and vegetarians feel unreasonable.
Broccoli may indeed have “feelings,” but they will not match those of confined animals, robbed of every natural instinct, smashed together, with no room to move, never feeling anything but stinking air in their faces, standing in their own waste, until it’s slaughter time.
An Iowa hog farmer said it best: We are all born, and we all die, but we have that in-between part called life. Factory farmed animals are robbed of that in-between part.
Oh, yes, I hear my lettuce crying as I eat my salad. Now please pass the tortured chicken.
14
@Oh My the law of tortes may apply....but plants can grow back from the same root, animals wont.
4
@Oh My
Plants are not, nor have ever, been sentient beings.
Anyone who tries to justify their partaking of the eating of animals who spent their life in misery is missing a chip.
7
I was raised vegetarian and am now an omnivore who chooses to eat more plants than animals. I am the primary cook in my home and I cook for friends and family and on holidays accommodating all types of preferences and also allergies. I’m loathe to say, with no complaints, so I’ll say with very few complaints.
This article and the comments are incredibly tone-deaf and disappointing.
9
While food perfectionists are annoying, there's one simple fact that might help.
Rice and beans is a complete protein, and is the world's commonest and cheapest diet. Lots of people have no choice.
That said, let's cut those aiming for moderation and regular vegetarians some slack. It's not true that "dairy is just as bad".
19
(If I am allowed a P.S.: I agree with almost everything you said. I myself am only a vegetarian; I’ve tried vegan but found it difficult given my own considerations. ANY effort goes a long way! It just ended up being easy for me to go vegetarian and probably easier to eliminate the whole option of meat than have to keep “choosing the right thing.” Restaurants can make it hard for vegans, but they almost always offer good vegetarian options. After fourteen years of being vegetarian, I really don’t want my food to taste anything like meat; it’s become gross, my body knows it will be hard to digest.)
13
Adding another PS, I agree
completely — restaurants are
easy these days and so many
mark their foods on the menu
as Vegetarian, Vegan or Gluten Free.
Dinner parties or receptions
can be a challenge. Sometimes
people take the food choices of
others very personally.
It depends on your motivation for being vegetarian. My first is the widespread appalling treatment of animals I refuse to call “livestock”; if you look into dairy practices, you might discover that you hadn’t thought of the fact that milk comes from giving birth; mothers are separated, over and over, traumatically, from their young, who are “processed” cruelly. I’m not talking about family farms, I don’t know enough about them. Then, in the case of cattle, there’s the land usage, methane production, even growing food for cows takes away land that could be forests, etc—the climate crisis motive. I’m not sure that dairy doesn’t differ in that regard, but why would it? 🐄
3
For people to last longer after meals, include more protein such as lentils, canned beans, tempeh (especially soy tempeh), tofu and soymilk. We make tacos from black bean burgers crumbled and skillet-cooked like others do ground beef. Or in anything conventionally made with ground beef. And yes, season heartily, as suggested.
16
Vegetable prep isn’t more work than meat. It’s more work to gut and skin a rabbit than to peel a carrot. More work to pluck and clean a chicken than to prep potatoes for baking. Dried legumes need soaking overnight, but clams likewise should sit in salted water and cornmeal. Is it more of a twitch to shuck peas than bone skate wings? We’re just used to having our animal proteins prepped by professionals or assembly lines.
35
@Ellen B And you can get pre-prepped vegetables too. Pre-chopped veggies (chopped green beans, chopped spinach, etc) are in pretty much every normal supermarket. And in some of the Indian stores (e.g. Trinethra) around here, you can buy pre-chopped fresh veggies from bulk bins (cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, okra, carrots...). I love that service and I patronize Trinethra almost exclusively for that reason.
So our regular rotation is typically a rice + lentils + veggies (in a stew) in the morning and wheat + veggies (in a dry curry) + yoghurt at night.
I rotate the veggies and the seasonings (e.g. coconut/tamarind/...) for variety and my family seems to be happy with their meal choices.
5
Best sentence: "You still get to choose how you cook in your own home." When I host a dinner party, I let my vegetarian friends know they are welcome to use the microwave to heat a dish they bring for themselves.
10
@Cathy Layland I consider it a challenge to accommodate broad scale vegetarian requests with side dishes that all can enjoy. I made a pumpkin-peanut soup for thanksgiving, and the only complaint from my vegan niece and nephew was that their carnivore dad ate so much that there were no leftovers.
13
When I host a dinner party, I ask ahead and accommodate my guests. That, to me, is part and parcel if being the kind of host I want to be.
27
@ken And that's your choice. But some people don't feel like basing the menu for 10-15 people on the personal preferences of 1 person.
4
This is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin to attack it. As a vegan, I never "graze". It's unhealthy to be eating every hour or two. I make satisfying meals. If you're eating large quantities of nutritious food at meals - greens, beans, mushrooms, berries, fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables, occasional whole grains - you'll be full, they take a long time to digest and so you're satisfied for longer, and they're mostly low calorie so you don't gain weight. It's not rocket science. Please do some more research on nutrition-dense eating plans, especially for your children's sake.
38
Please provide the science behind why grazing is unhealthy. If anything, there is more agreement that a few large meals is not consistent with how our metabolism and biorhythms function. The timing of meals is an artífice of modern society. Animals don’t schedule meals and from an evolutionary standpoint we are designed to eat whatever we can find to survive. Regardless, I make no claims about whether one way is healthier that any other.
1
@Daniel B
Recently I came across the word Autophagy. This is in the simplest terms the state our body goes in when are not eating all the time or grazing. This word was coined by the Pulitzer Prize winner for Medicine in 2016. His name is Yoshinori Ohsumi. Basically he has shown when we give our body a break from food we are sending our body the signal to heal , repair and get rid of the toxic byproducts we accumulate every day. It is compelling science . I have adopted a 16/8 cycle of eating. I eat in an 8 hour window of my choosing daily and the rest of the time I drink plenty of water. It has been a life changer. Our bodies were meant to have a period of eating and a period of fasting so it can repair. Grazing is the opposite of Autophagy and never lets the body repair.
I love vegetarian food and cooking. But as someone who is pre-diabetic, most vegetarian recipes are a nightmare for me. My meals are supposed to contain 45-60 grams of carbs per meal; these recipes all look delicious - and I am sure they are - but nearly all of them serve up a whopping 70-90 grams of carbs per serving, and that's before adding in extra carbs from a salad or veggie side. I am not overweight, and I exercise daily for nearly an hour. I work in a job where I move constantly, but with two parents who are diabetic, my genes simply aren't in my favor. If I could figure out the carb conundrum, I'd climb aboard the veggie train, too.
9
@ADubs - I'm not a doctor and can only tell you what I've read. But if you're pre-diabetic you are *exactly* the type of person who should be on a whole foods plant based diet. For the cliffs notes, watch What the Health on Netflix (take it with a grain of salt). REad about the blue zones. Then check out books/websites/discussions by Drs. Michael Greger (How not to Die), Joel Kahn or Dean Ornish (the guy who the Clintons turned to in order to get Bill's health under control).
I'm vegan because our treatment of animals (especially 99% of animals raised on factory farms) is unspeakably cruel. That is the first last and most important reason not to consume animal products. But I have also experienced a sharp improvement in my health. Cholesterol, weight, energy. There is no reason to think my experience is uncommon - vegans on balance have better health outcomes than those who consume animal products. Even once you've controlled for fitness, lifestyle, etc.
If you're already open to vegetarian (vegan, really - dairy and eggs are just as bad as meat) cooking, you're halfway there. Many people cannot imagine going a single meal without animal products - so kudos to you.
I'm just a person on the internet - I get it. But take an hour or two and see for yourself. I now live in a way that harms fewer animals (all of whom suffer and feel pain). But I am also healthier than I've been in over a decade. Simply put, I cannot imagine turning back. It's that much better.
3
@ADubs
I recommend the book, “The End of Diabetes” by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Much of the standard AMA recommendations are incorrect. You can easily correct your prediabetic condition and even full blown diabetes with proper nutrition.
This was a great article, but I feel it omitted the importance of protein, which becomes a crucial part of meal planning. Especially for active people, whether young or old(er), shorting protein is a critical point for failure in making a vegetarian meal. Many traditional starches are not even reliable stores of nutrients, and certainly are poor sources of protein. The delicious looking couscos picture is just a starch meal with a wonderful sauce, but to get a serving of protein from that would take a mountain. Do the math!!!
10
@Not Rushed to Judgement I think many people would argue we eat too much protein. Certainly, vegans do not generally have protein deficiencies. Dr. Garth Davis beats that drum, noting that human breastmilk has very low amounts of protein - ditto for the diets of our closest primate cousins.
But I can't speak definitively on what the "right" amount of protein is. All I can say is there are plenty of vegan sources of protein that do not require a mountain - lentils and legumes, tofu, seitan, kale/green vegetables and the occasional plant-based protein powder. And the research would tell us that plant based proteins are far less damaging than animal proteins.
Everyone should drop animal products because killing animals for dairy, meat and clothing is barbaric no matter how you slice it. Even if you are otherwise OK eating animals, the factory farming system is a hellscape and the slaughter process is the stuff horror moves are made from. But our bodies were never designed to eat the amount of animal protein we shove down our throats (which, to be clear, used to include me). The risk of chronic illnesses that are at epidemic levels in the US (heart disease, strokes, cancers etc.) are all correlated with consumption of animal products. Eating even small amounts of meat sharply increases your risks. Processed meats are a GROUP 1 CARCINOGEN in the same category as SMOKING.
The decision to switch to a plant-based diet will save lives. Including, potentially, your own.
5
1. Put the flavor in the veggies, not the meat. Then if you have an option of bland chicken to add to the fajitas of beans and veggies, the vegetarian doesn't feel left out, and the meat eaters feel satisfied.
2. Let the kid cook what he wants for himself. Part of what led me to vegetarianism was wanting to cook, and wanting to make mistakes and discover what worked for me. Your kid may eat peanut butter for dinner, but won't starve.
5
Of course if you are considering roasted carrots or broccoli rabe with bread a meal, your family will be hungry by 9:30pm. I am a long time vegetarian and I would be famished if that was my dinner. My weeknight dinners consist of whole wheat spaghetti in olive oil and spices with sauteed vegetables, garlic, and seitan (and wheat gluten protein), whole wheat fiber quesadillas with sauteed vegetables, cheese, and soy chicken, indian food with brown rice, rebaked potatoes filled with spinach, egg, and seasoning, cauliflower fried rice, etc. I usually have a carb, a protein, and vegetables and serve salad almost every night as well. I use cheese often but don't go heavy on cheese. My husband is not a vegetarian and is just as happy with our dinners as I am. I would argue that one should not expect to go hungry after a vegetarian meal if the meal is balanced properly.
24
Interesting article but I have to say that information on eating delicious, creative and satisfying vegetarian and vegan meals abounds on the internet! I have 12 excellent vegan cookbooks (three penned by Isa Chandra Moskowitz), a subscription to a UK vegan magazine, and follow at least a dozen vegan recipe developers on Instagram. I’ve checked out many from the library for free. I have access to literally thousands of meatless meal ideas every day — some are easy and some require prep, as with all modes of cooking and eating.
I take issue with the idea that it’s “easier” to cook meals with meat, which often requires skinning, rinsing, boning, slicing, marinating, browning, roasting, grilling and monitoring for doneness, not to mention the sterilizing of hands, cutting boards and knives. Often I roast veggies on the weekend and have rice, quinoa, pasta etc. ready in the fridge for various meals during the week. It takes no longer to make a vegan or veggie quiche than a regular one — it’s just a different method. What I lose in time blending cashews for a variety of dressings, sauces and desserts I more than make up for by not having to handle meat. And we’ve revived our culinary repertoire with many new dishes (and dairy free versions of old favorites). Plus I’ve lost weight and our grocery bills are lower.
It really isn’t rocket science to take meat and dairy off the menu — it’s just a new way to cook and like anything requires a learning curve. Enjoy the adventure!
11
@Meg They're tearing up the Amazon to plant cashew trees.
1
Vegan here. I'm not surprised that you and your family dont find these dinners to be satisfying: the dishes you describe seem to be completely protein deficit. If a vegan dish doesn't have legumes, nuts, or seeds in it, it's not a *meal*. Make legumes the center of your cooking and you will see a difference. Pressure canning your own seasoned beans on the weekend is faster and easier than it sounds, and can really improve meal prep for very little cost. Also, Goya 16 oz bags of quinoa are now $2.50 - quinoa is the common man's food again!
Most of the lapsed vegans and vegetarians I have met are people who tried to live on pasta and tapas. It just doesn't work. Eat a bean!
25
Want to second many of the thoughts here--1) Eating vegetarian is not just for vegetarians. 2) Eating veg/mostly veg is so much healthier than a meat-centric diet. 3) Vegetarian cooking isn't just about eating more vegetables--don't forget the plant-based proteins (and whole grains)! Learn what makes a *complete* protein (e.g., legume+whole grain; quinoa) to make sure you're getting that in a day. 4) Eating veg or mostly veg is lighter on the earth than eating meat every day. 5) It's really possible to have a varied, tasty diet with little-to-no dairy. 5) Whole grains, always. (I am not above using whole wheat pasta and w/w tortillas for my 'easy' cooking nights.)
10
@Peter N - your comment is about exactly what I came here to say. Thanks!
Thank You Julia's younger child!
I am also new to vegetarian/vegan cooking, and my great frustration with NYT Cooking is the heavy reliance on meats, dairy, and fats.
For health reasons, I must learn to cook with no added fats, quite a challenge, and not much help from NYT Cooking.
Oh, I'm able to "adapt" recipes, largely because of Reader's helpful comments. If I continue my subscription, IF, depends largely on more no-fat, no dairy, no meat recipes.
Here's looking at you, Ms Moskin, thank you, and please keep experimenting!
8
@c. I’ve noticed the Times does include meatless and even dairy free recipes more often BUT I also noticed they don’t draw attention to them by calling them vegetarian or vegan. Too much of a put off for some readers, I guess.
4
@Meg
agreed.
That's why "plant-based" seems to be the new fad.
And yes, they do publish many plant-based recipes, but all rely on oils. Not great for many of us.
2
very honest, funny and insightful! Except for fish, I eat animal protein 2 days per month (how I look forward to those days!). If your kids eat seafood, have you tried adding chopped clams to your pasta sauce (very simple, tasty and gratifying). Also, the curry pastes that are available make amazing curries - very filling with fresh peas, sautéed potatoes and onions over basmati rice!!
1
"...but also less dairy, which can be just as harmful."
Absolutely correct.
5
Long time vegetarian, vegan here. I married a carnivore, so now we are both omnivores. The cooking strategy that worked for me as a vegan/vegetarian is still the same one I use today, since our meals are still heavily plant based.
Cook one, and only one thing. For us, it's usually sheet pan taters and veg (you can put frozen veggies on a sheetpan, good people!), plus a little meat. Or, I made a vat of rice previously and reheat as leftovers. Simple stuff. And cook in quantity -- leftovers are timesavers for after work cooks.
Lay in the savory snacks in the pantry/fridge: pickles, cheese, nuts, crackers, etc. These are store bought goodies, or things I've made and canned for the pantry (pickles, kraut, etc.). These make excellent accents for dinner, and savory filling snacks.
Have seasonal fruit on hand for sweet snacking. Pairs well with nuts and cheese.
Slow cookers are your friend for many MANY vegan dishes.
Don't forget those punchy flavors, like subbing Tamari or Soy sauce for Worstershire.
4
Nice article, but vegetarian/vegan cooking while good for the animals (except dairy) and the planet, is not necessarily better for the body. It's the added salt, oil and sugars that are being used that make the food unhealthy. SAD eaters, regardless if Omnivores, Veg/Vegans need to cut the processed foods and added salt/oil and sugars.
6
@Jay Just want to clarify that you mean vegan is good for the animals, vegetarian, because of dairy, is not.
Interesting. I have always thought that vegetarianism was a choice of the affluent. Most of the people in this country has truly never known hunger, the type of hunger that even the dirt looks like food. That a family would change their eating habits just to satisfied one person is disturbing to me, a person that came from an poor background. I don't hunger today but I count my blessings for the little ground beef that I put in my chili or the breast of chicken that I cook once a week. I don't abuse meat. I'm always thankful for having it. I remember years ago a friend of my grandmother and one her children that somehow didn't want to eat what she cooked for the whole family because there was meat in it. Mind you this was a woman that measure everything. Meat was never serve everyday but was incorporated careful into a meal. She was a woman that truly have known hunger in her life and that one of her children decide not to eat what was served in front of her because she read something about animals was a little unnerving to her. She said something like this.."In this family we don't abuse what nature has supplied to us. We don't waste the family of this world flesh and bones. (family was animals, like cows, chickens, fish and so on.) I understand your sentiments and how horrified you feel about being eaten, but if you are placed in a cage with a lion you will be eaten. True hunger is a horrible thing. The teen ate. She did become a vegetarian when became of age.
17
@DD I appreciate your thoughts however I find them a bit romantic. While I'm truly sorry for the food anxiety that you experienced, there is plenty to eat that is healthy, that does not involve animals, and is not expensive. And, our modern farming and harvesting of animals has become so incredibly cruel in corporate's race to the bottom price and maximizing output, that it's not reasonable in my opinion to say that it's "what nature has supplied to us."
10
@DD
Families that eat less meat have less food insecurity. One fast-food hamburger costs the same amount as a full day's worth of oatmeal, beans, rice and carrots.
8
@DD so many people feel threatened by something that is new or different. Vegetarian meals are actually much cheaper than meat based ones (compare buying a bag of dried lentils to chicken!) It's just that our culture isn't used to those types of recipes.
12
I think to say that vegan meals are less filling is ostensibly incorrect. vegan meals are more satiating due to the higher fibre content. For the same calorie content you get much more full.
12
@Adam Ostensibly. lol Practically speaking, I know my hunger satiety signals, and in general, vegan meals ARE indeed less filling. Okay let me backtrack: there are certain vegan meals that might be completely filling but they would not be appealing for the long term on a regular basis.
5
@Adam people have widely different satiety ques. What satisfies for one will not for another. There are a lot of factors that go into this equation (to include level of physical fitness, health and on an on), and observe carefully different satiety levels of people which become obvious if you spend any time around people you know - you will see this in action.
1
you can make vegetable stock and freeze it.
Imported Parm is NOT vegetarian—look for domestic brand that does not have rennet as one of the ingredients
Make some protein and your family won’t be hungry two hours later!
Vegetarian cooking doesn’t take forever. I’ve been a vegetarian for more than half my life and manage to get dinner on the table almost every night. I usually cook a big pot of beans on the weekend and then use them in different ways throughout the week. Last week was chickpea week, this week is black bean week.
With cooked beans (or even canned beans!) you can throw something good together in no time.
We also rely on leftovers and will alter them so things don’t get too boring. Leftover cooked vegetables can go into salad or a quesadilla, etc. Leftover bean burgers can get crumbled into taco filling.
8
Thank you for a very useful article. One of my daughters recently eliminated meat from her diet and the other never really liked it anyway. One criticism is that you suggested using plastic freezer bags for prepped vegetables. It would be helpful if the NYT never ever suggested using plastic in cooking, but simply mentioned other ways to accomplish the same ends. People got along without plastic in the kitchen for a long time before it was invented. It needs to go away.
8
@Andrew R Oh yes, back in my grandmother's day (she would be 123 this year), there were no refrigerators, just ice boxes. Of course there was no meal prep or advance freezing, because my grandmother most likely had to go to the corner market on a daily basis to get what she needed for dinner. The main vegetable (Irish immigrant) was boiled cabbage nearly on a daily basis. My father refused to eat cabbage as an adult. Couldn't stand it. But hey, his mom never used plastic bags!
5
My daughter went pescatarian and then vegetarian this year. The problem with this great article is that kids really do need an enormous amount of protein to accomplish the work of growing, which is why many good pediatricians will challenge teens and tweens (and their parents) when the kids want to take the vegetarian or vegan route. So - please - more protein-rich recipes! Thank you!
11
@Wendy - When our preteen decided to become vegetarian our pediatrician pointed out that most Americans greatly overestimate the amount of protein needed in a diet. As long a your teen is not just eating prepared foods and carbs she'll be fine (Ped told my son "remember it's not carbotarian!") There are great vegetarian recipes with beans. If she eats dairy and eggs, those will easily meet her protein requirement. FWIW my preteen is now an over 6ft tall high school 2 sport varsity athlete and does just fine on a vegetarian diet. I do make sure he always has nuts & yogurt for snacking because he gets hungry outside of mealtimes!
12
@Wendy
I'm vegan, and I was frustrated by that as well. I fear that curious omnivores will be deterred from considering plant based diets by this article. It is in fact quite easy to get adequate protein on a plant based diet - there are just a lot of misconceptions. One of the most prevalent misconceptions I see among omnivores delving into plant based cooking is the idea that pasta or bread can be the center of a meal. It's all about the legumes! Chickpeas, lentils, and black beans are my staples. Goya now sells 16 oz bags of quinoa for $2.50 - very low cost, high nutritional profile grain. Empires have been built on the backs of these dry bulk goods! Also, as mentioned in the article, find a few veggie paddy products that you like. Bocca makes some nice, low cost "chicken" and "burger" style paddies. When you're feeling like splurging, Beyond products are superb.
67
@Theo Gifford
The article wasn't about getting enough protein. Developing good habits over time is essential to being able to cook family meals most days, and the article was about transforming good but meat-dependent habits—having a repertoire of tasty, varied, quick-enough dishes—into culinary habits that offer tastiness, nutrition, and variety without meat. I didn't see the protein angst to which you refer except maybe in the wariness toward vegetarian products that masquerade as something meat, especially if you believe that over-processed foods are one of our greatest dietary dangers (as I do). I am not a vegetarian, and I want good foods that are what they are—I love certain veggie burgers (among them Bocca) and don't need them to pretend to be hamburgers; I don't want a bowl of lentils to be disguised as chili. Thank you for your Beyond recommendation.
This is a great and helpful article and sums up some of the challenges our family has around eating less meat.
It's not just a question of finding the right recipe, or eating pasta or noodles. It's a different ballgame and approach altogether.
It's like cooking with your non-dominant hand.
5
We have a vegetarian relative. When we get together, I always try to make something appropriate, but frequently something's wrong with it, some other ingredient now on the forbidden list, even when I make a dish from Vegetarian Times. I've given up. We meet at restaurants with lots of vegetarian choices. Even then, she'll order only Mac and cheese.
9
As I know you've realized, that's about control, not nutrition.
2
Julia, you need not "become" a vegetarian to cook vegetarian meals. I think this is the primary stumbling block for would-be vegetarians and explains a lot of the antipathy toward them. It's all too common in every other aspect of life to expect people to take an either-or, black-white, yes-no approach. Certainly, it'd be a great relief to the planet if everyone were 100% vegan all the time. But merely limiting one's meat consumption to once or twice a week would be a big help. The perfect is the enemy of the good.
16
"Smoked paprika is vegan sorcery, used in everything that I once flavored with bacon."
OK, if you were flavoring lots of stuff with bacon, I have some doubts about your culinary tastes right off the bat, but, aside from that, thanks for a very enlightening article!
7
There are cultures where everyone is vegetarian, but it is difficult here. This article does a good job of highlighting the difference between simply not eating meat and eating healthy, satisfying meals. It's easier if you have good access to good grocery stores, less easy if you do not. It's also way, way easier if you are retired or working from home, less so if you have a demanding full-time job.
And, to me, it's not a religion - I won't condemn myself or be condemned by others, if I put fish sauce in my ramen or add chicken stock to my soup. I applaud full time workers who manage to have some meatless days. But I know there are people who are less forgiving of themselves or others. To each his/her own!
6
Unfortunately, vegetarian food is associated with Legumes and chickpeas. There is a whole new world of vegetables out there if only one was to look. What is available frozen do not constitute the only source of veggies. I am from India and we are vegetarians 24/7, 365. Yes, some food groups are not very healthy like our consumption of rice. But that is a small problem to resolve. Make a gravy with chunks of veggies and have with Quinoa. Just a thought.
8
I like quinoa, but that's a first-world solution. Pound for pound, quinoa is at least 6 times more expensive than rice. A more cost-effective alternative is pearled barley. Does take longer to cook, however.
1
Bags of frozen cauliflower rice completely change the game! Just add a ‘star’ to the show and have a side avocado. Voila! A beautiful satisfying dish!
5
I want to say one word to you, Ms. Moskin, just one word: hummus.
You get protein from the chickpeas and fat from the olive oil - both of which will keep the kiddos fed until breakfast.
As for prep time, there's almost none. Use canned chickpeas and jarred tahini, and you can whirl up a batch in minutes using the food processor. Make it a big batch; it'll keep in the fridge for 3-5 days easy.
Spread extravagantly on veggie wraps, or serve with raw vegetables cut for dipping. And as an emergency midnight snack, nothing's better. Don't spare the hot smoked paprika!
17
It's kind of condescending to always talk about having to cook vegetarian or vegan because "the kids are going through a stage". Also, as an adult vegan, I don't at all find that I have to graze on snacks later in the evening after dinner. Big portions of healthy, satisfying and tasty meals loaded with whole grains, legumes and vegetables keep hunger at bay far longer than any meat and/or cheese based meal ever used to. This is due to the high fibre and good quality carbs that meat and dairy don't provide.
31
@Jon Agreed. "I'm eating nothing but pasta - these darn plant based meals just aren't satisfying!" is a pretty outrageous take from someone who claims to be an expert on food.
2
@Jon Bodies that are growing have a whole different relationship to snacking. I don't need them anymore either, but I sure do remember what it felt like when getting from after-sports dinner at 5:30 all the way to breakfast the next morning at 7 seemed like . . . I might DIE!!!
3
Honestly, I am somewhat surprised to read that a Times Food reporter would feed macaroni and cheese and other unhealthy starches to her children. A healthy vegan and vegetarian dinner should always contain healthy protein, not just sugary white starches (like white rice, white pasta, white flour, ubiquitous pizza) and nutritious vegetables (the darker the green the better). Healthy vegetarian protein means eating legumes almost every day: red and green and brown lentils, black, red, brown and white beans, garbanzo beans, not just a sprinkling but substantial portions. Not to forget nuts and seeds. No white rice, please, ever. And no white couscous. Try whole wheat bulghur instead. Ms. Moskin's dinners remind me of the horrible fare that mainstream restaurants would serve not so long ago if you showed up as a vegetarian: they'd leave out the meat and serve you a pale salad with watery vegetables and still charge you the same, even though the meal had no nutritious ingredients of note...I always wondered why restaurant chefs didn't know the basics about the essential food groups.
14
@Writer The lecturers are out in full force. Ugh.
4
@Anonymous
Of course we are, in the face of persistent ignorance about what constitutes a healthy vegetarian/vegan meal. I, for one, would like to see the NYT spend more time on healthy vegetarian foods. Invite a food critic to write about the topic, but someone who is in the know, a vegetarian herself.
1
For those wanting to explore vegan cooking, check out Catskill Animal Sanctuary's new cookbook Compasionate Cuisine as well as their free New Leaf mentoring program. I also recommend visiting your local veg fest, where there are lots of opportunities to taste vegan products.
17
I have been eating mostly vegetarian since I was 18 and gave up meat when my father had his first bypass operation.
Ms. Moskin touches on one of the great truths of vegetarian cooking. There are no economies of scale. If you have to chop twice as many vegetables, it takes twice as long.
My best friends are my Cuisinart and the mini-chop. Frozen garlic, ginger and herb cubes are also helpful.
There are many great cookbooks that I have built off of so don’t miss:
The classic Moosewood, the New Moosewood Restaurant cookbook and Sunday’s at the Moosewood. Also, Greens (it was the first veggie cookbook to win the James Beard award) and Vegetarian Suppers with Deborah Madison. Her Fragrant Red Lentils with Basmati Rice and Broccoli Romanesco is not to be missed. If the internet is your thing, there are lots of recipes to mine at Smitten Kitchen, My New Roots and This Mess is Ours, formerly Beard and Bonnet.
Salad for breakfast anyone?
11
@Susan Cahn The Greens cookbooks are my favorite. Such great recipes. I've had them forever and they're stained and flop open at all of the good pages.
If the vegetarian or vegan dinner you are cooking consists only of eggplant and couscous like the author here, there is very good reason why your family is hungry after eating it. It’s lacking protein and fat, and at least for me it would be way too light. We’re all different of course, and I see plenty of people who eat dinners like this and appeared to be perfectly satisfied.
18
Meals like the one pictured are how vegans lose energy and gain weight
1
Interesting read although it blows my mind how parents apparently enable their kids to go through 'pescatarian, vegan and vegetarian' bouts.
9
@Chris G Many kids are following their hearts and embracing value systems that recognize that animals deserve to live their lives free from exploitation by humans. A vegan diet is good for the plane and human health, too. So I commend parents who support kids' choices to live kinder lives.
73
@Chris G. In our case, it was our child's decision that was the motivation for us to eat healthier as a family. Sometimes it's the nudge you need! It's been 7 years for us now, so it's not always a phase. Also, teens go through phases that families support in all sorts of ways, they may play a sport for awhile that requires time & money, or pick up the guitar then drop it etc. Adults do this too it's part of our human need to try things and make progress even when some things are dead ends.
4
@Cece Road
I agree with you completely about children/teens going through many different phases that we can support or hinder, based on beliefs or family lifestyles. I became vegetarian back in the 80s when my teen decided she wanted to be vegetarian. There were only the two of us in our household, and she facilitated the change for me by making dinner on week nights (she got home from school before I got home from work). After about a month of having no meat, I went to a business meeting, which, of course, served meat. My stomach couldn't handle it, and I spent the evening in the bathroom. Never touched meat again! I use many of the cookbooks mentioned here. As for other phases in this teen's life, she once came home with a Mohawk haircut. I knew this would pass as winter arrived, and it did.
2
I’ve been a vegetarian for 43 years. My observation: cooking vegetarian meals is a far cry from cooking vegetarian recipes. I regularly crank out full well-balanced, nourishing, delectable meals- with sometimes 3 or 4 different dishes- in an hour. Form follows function: our nutritional needs determine my meal ingredients, and then I make them irresistibly delicious.
11
When my son was 4 years old he went to a farm day camp and put together the fact that cow=beef and chickens were the same chicken we eat. He has been adamant about not eating animals since then and has now been a vegetarian for 5 years (even his pediatrician is surprise lad he has stuck with it). My husband and I decided to support the effort and have moved to being a vegan/vegetarian home. We all get enough protein and eat all kinds of tasty food. I make sure to make a pot of legume based soup every weekend so that there is always food available on a moments notice. My husband and I, as well as our children, are healthier and feel good that we have lessened our negative impact on the environment. It is not hard to eat tasty, nutritious vegetarian/vegan food with children. We do it everyday and my husband and I both work full time.
46
Any ideas for someone who could try this route of meatless dining but concerned about protein consumption and absolutely abhors most legumes with exception of chickpeas?
3
@marylanes Try seitan (made from gluten) and non-GMO soy. And try navy beans, too (very mild in flavour).
2
While it seems like it would be boring, chickpeas are great in literally everything (add to anything with a sauce, toss into salads, mash and put into sandwiches, roast with veggie roasts, toss into soups), and meld with different flavors to support most types of food. Additionally, you can fry, roast, mash, purée, etc them for different textures. There’s no shame in considering them a staple in your pantry and using them in every meal. You might find other beans and lentils more palatable after having chickpeas regularly - tastes change. Tofu (soy), tempeh (soy) and seitan (gluten) are also protein rich, and are available pre-seasoned (read:easy-to-use) as well as plain, and can star in or be added to a plant based meal. I prep brown rice, quinoa, and green lentils together as a grain base for bowls - the lentils kind of hide and the quinoa also brings protein to the mix. Under roasted or raw veggies, these balance a veggie-focused meal while blending in.
6
@Anonymous
I often use TVP, texturized vegetable protein also known as soy grits in recipes. My cholesterol dropped 40 points in 3 mos. when I went vegan; a friend's dropped 90. Eating vegan is more than just humane, it's better for the environment and also your health!
3
I'm in my early 60s. I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years.
I decided that animals did not need to die for me to live.
I've never regretted my decision for a moment.
78
"Not because I became vegetarian — that would be professionally untenable"
Ok, I am intrigued, why and why mentioned?
As someone, mostly vegan I am totally satiated through the night but as an adult my intake requuirements are less than a kid.
That said, the writer is sharing her journey, look for other sources of protein such as beans, satan, avacados - found that Power Plates is an excellent book, though geared for vegans.
6
To the comments below that a vegetarian meal lacks protein, here are some points to consider.
1. Humans rarely suffer from protein deficiency, even those on a long fast. The body has mechanisms to preserve protein and muscle.
2. The body has the ability to make protein from cellular waste, plaque, cysts, tumors, etc. in the presence of low protein diet.
3. It is not true that vegetables lack protein. They only lack animal protein.
4. On a per-calorie basis, plants have more protein than meat. In other words, a pound of meat may have more protein than a pound of veggies, but it also has more calories, and therefore has less protein on a per calorie basis. A lot of the calories in meat comes from fat.
5. Since humans eat a certain amount of calories per day, they get adequate protein from a vegan diet.
25
You forgot to mention protein. Too many vegetarian main dishes lack it. Cauliflower steak (which you thankfully did not mention) won’t get you very far nutritionally.
5
@Judy Roitman but the bowl of black beans, rice, avocado, roasted broccoli, corn and hummus you had for lunch will provide protein and get you very far nutritionally so you can enjoy that cauliflower steak for dinner.
1
I can’t wait to hear what you think about the new movie just out called, “Game Changers”. It will be streaming soon.
Professionally untenable?
Not true. Good writing. Good cooking. That'd be welcome from vegetarian perspective. Go for it.
20
Vegetarian since 1976. The solution is soup. Nourishing. Easy. Immense variety. Leftovers aplenty.
25
Oh dear, tomato soup with bread and cheese does not a dinner make, nor broccoli and toast. Nor is it acceptable to vegetarians to slip in an anchovy or two. At least not to this vegetarian!
I think one problem is that you consulted chefs for advice, not vegetarian families. The chefs will be oriented towards making tasty dishes rather than creating a repertoire of satisfying everyday meals.
You've received some good tips from other readers: add legumes, a wider variety of grains, tofu, more vegetables, invest in an Instant Pot.
To that I recommend that you read Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. It is packed with excellent nutritional information backed by research and includes meal plans and recipes. It will give you a framework for building meals that are balanced, satisfying and health-promoting. And I am sure you will be able to improve on the recipes. It will take some time, but you will find your new normal.
I've been a vegetarian since 1968. I'm a vegan now and also don't eat any salt, oil or sugar but I have hearty, flavorful meals. Dinner tonight was corn tacos with hummus, red and yellow peppers and home-made salt-free pickles; spicy butternut squash soup with a handful of spinach and sprinkling of walnuts; and an apple. The soup, hummus and pickles were ready made in my fridge. The meal took 10 minutes to assemble, was satisfying and delicious.
49
@TechMaven great response, much more helpful in terms of approach to the vegetarian diet than anything else on this page. It may be my imagination, but sometimes I sense a smugness coming from vegetarians that does not inspire me.
5
To me, your problem was not enough legumes. Get to understand beans and vegan cooking is doable. Butter beans are so wonderful with just garlic, turmeric and herbs. Instant pot beans are a snap. Lentils with curry and coconut milk are so easy and yummy. Mash up some chickpeas and add onion and mayo or veganaise and you have a yummier sandwich filling than some meat substitute. (Also, your new friends are ginger, garlic, cilantro, lemon, chili.) If you concentrate on beans you won’t wolf down the entirety of the meal—you’ll be fuller faster—and there will be nutritious leftovers on hand, which is crucial for vegans. If you have to make pasta, consider adding lentils to your tomato sauce rather than processed fake meat crumbles.
The truism is usually to make vegetables the center of the meal. But the chopping can be so exhausting and the veggies disappear in the pan. Master beans and you can still just eat a side of broccoli and not a heaping pile of it.
30
@L
Just because you had mentioned Butter Beans.
Remembering my childhood in South India. We used to get a variety of Butter Beans, which would taste phenomenal in Sambar ( South Indian soup which goes with Rice).
Your recipe above seems not far from Sambar.
5
@L Ah yes, it didn't take long to find lots of finger pointers about not using beans. For whatever reason, maybe because we were not weaned on them, some of us just cannot eat beans,,,,and be in polite company...indoors. Not to mention having an internal gas production facility is truly painful. I like beans, especially black beans & chickpeas, but they do not like me.
For us bean intolerant folks (For which it is impossible to consume enough beano), being vegetarian is quite challenging. That being said I am glad to be old enough that my protein needs are likely not high; so I reduce eating meat to just twice per week. Local eggs are a godsend.
4
@Meredith. I have to say that since going vegan and eating more beans than usual (a wide variety and not necessarily seven days a week) beans no longer bother me!
4
It saddens me to read some of the comments here. It is an act of generosity to honor the needs or principles of someone in your household, and adjust the menu accordingly. In my household of two we do not cook meat for our meals because I don’t eat meat and I find it repulsive. My husband enjoys eating meat, but he eats out often enough while at work and with clients — and occasionally with me — that he doesn’t need to cook the stuff in our kitchen. The side benefit of this arrangement is that he is much healthier than he would be if beef, sausage and bacon were a regular thing at home.
When I travel without my spouse, or if I go out for the evening without him, he will often cook meat for himself and the dogs. They share the feast. And then he cleans the kitchen really well, to get rid of the smell. That’s the deal we have. It works.
39
To the commenters who think the writer shouldn’t be making the effort: if the kid only wanted to eat red food, or only Indonesian food, it would be reasonable of a parent to refuse, or tell the child to make their own dinner. But this kid is listening to their conscience, which says that eating meat is wrong. That is not a matter of personal taste, it’s a plea for everyone to stop treating animals and the planet so badly. Parents who disagree should ask themselves why they do. Their reaction sends a message about doing what’s right when it requires a little extra effort, and even a little sacrifice.
76
@Sympathetic to the kid. The child is listening to certain parts of our culture...and the ‘yuck’ factor of butchering meat. When that child is no longer a minor, they can plan, purchase, prepare and eat as they wish. Meanwhile, DIET has become just one more of the many ‘rebellion’ hassles of raising kids.
Question: Do you respect and wish to ‘support’ the child of vegetarians when that child demands a thick juicy steak for dinner? No, I didn’t think so...hypocrites!
3
I dont judge other people for what they eat. But, I have to say cahnging my meals to be mostly Vegan has been one of the most enjoyable things in my adult life. Once you ease into it cooking and eating becomes so much more intresting and layered. Its a joy to experiment in the kitchen and I find that I now cook 90% of what I eat. And not to mention its cheaper all around, I look and feel younger and lighter and healthier.
24
Capers, either packed in salt and rinsed before use, or if you can find them in brine, add umami flavor. Great with bagels and cream cheese, instead of lox for vegetarians...if you can still find a good bagel.
6
The article suggests that vegetarian meals can be less than satisfying. If you need a strong umami fix fox dinner, as I occasionally do, a hefty plate of baked beans can do the job, particularly if you serve them with pasta. An extra blast can happen if you roast some mushrooms. Hale and hearty, satisfying, and (if you choose or cook vegetarian beans) meatless.
There's also the *almost*-vegetarian diet, also known as the Universal Peasant Diet, found around the world. Basically complementary proteins like beans and pasta or beans and corn with a *tiny* bit of chicken or fish, or cheese where people are lactose-tolerant) to fill out the protein. This has kept people alive and healthy for thousands of years (see "Mediterranean Diet" and "Chinese cooking").
8
Probably everyone reading this eats a "plant-based" diet -- the majority of their food is plants, from vegetables to grains. This article is about a "plant ONLY" diet. For example, "petroleum-based" tubing in your car is not 100% oil. It's interesting to see how vegans like to term their Plant-only diets as something else.
@Timothy If you want to argue semantics, mushrooms aren't plants and "plant based diet" people eat them. Really, most vegans use who prefer the term "plant-based" do so because of the negativity many people feel toward vegans.
5
@Timothy for the record, I eat meat, but I am a curious food person who enjoys vegetarian fare as well.
2
Interesting comment about grazing. I was a vegan for about 10 years , and frankly developed somewhat of a sugar addiction and was definitely more hungry all the time and ate more frequently. There have been times where I just overdid hummus sandwiches because I had few quick alternatives and I eventually couldn’t look at hummus for 3 years.
I will tell you though, being a vegetarian will save you some serious money and it forced me to learn how to be a great cook. Cooking is now one of the greatest joys of my life.
I lived in China for a year which made me an omnivore again. You can expect a little pork’s blood in just about everything. In China however, you eat more vegetables, tofu and rice, and meat doesn’t come often in large hunks. Eating more meat in America particularly definitely made me heavier and not necessarily healthier over time. Quite frankly your body can get used to pretty much any diet if you give it enough time as long as it’s balanced.
Some of the most wonderful vegetarian food is also Chinese, Indian and Thai food. I still have cravings for certain Buddhist or Hindu or Jain meals as you can find many restaurants and temples that serve just vegetarian or vegan meals in the Bay Area. Some of my favorite Chinese meals include simple wontons with shepherds purse and sesame oil, or roasted mushrooms and Thai basil on skewers. Mmmm...
6
I don’t understand letting your children dictate what’s cooked when you’re preparing the meals. My daughter wants to be vegetarian and when she leaves home she probably will be (my dinner no live meat). But for now she seems to be eating the meat we cook...and if she doesn’t then she can scrounge something else up but I’m not making it.
(Having said that we eat about 2 pounds of meat total for a family of five in one week, so yeah lots of veggie dishes).
14
@SC That was my mom's dinner philosophy growing up. "This is what I've made for dinner. If you don't like it or don't want to eat it, you don't have to. But you're not getting a separate meal made just for you."
My mom cooked diverse meals and while she would sometimes make things she knew we liked, as opposed to what she liked, it was clear that only one dinner was being made each night, and anyone who didn't want it could find their own food in the fridge or cupboards.
There was generally always a vegetable component to her meals anyway, but during the year my sister spent as a vegetarian, there were always veggie burgers in the freezer and peppers and carrots in the fridge to slice up for a snack. But just because one person in the household didn't eat meat did not mean that the rest of us couldn't eat meat also.
2
I certainly would like to go more vegetarian or vegan, and get off meat.
However, like a lot of middling cooks, I am unfamiliar with that type of cooking- sans meat.
I find the criticism of this article harsh. The more information about vegetarianism the better, especially for neophytes like myself. In addition, I found these particular recipes to be appealing.
8
@Wordsworth from Wadsworth
I have to say cahnging my meals to be mostly Vegan has been one of the most enjoyable things in my adult life. Once you ease into it cooking and eating becomes so much more intresting and layered. Its a joy to experiment in the kitchen and I find that I now cook 90% of what I eat. And not to mention its cheaper all around, I look and feel younger and lighter and healthier. Its ok to ease into it. When you are ready to cook a meal google the Vegan version of the recipe and shop for those ingredients. It will help teach you and ease you into it.
4
I’d recommend mastering two or three vegan recipes that strike you as yummy and healthful and within your skill range. Then you can add something new every once in a while. There are some great vegan cooking blogs if you don’t want to invest in a cookbook.
2
Soups, lots of soups.
1
Thank you for this! As someone who cooks almost all of our family meals, I just didn't think about the way you eat as a vegetarian (we too are trying to limit our carbon footprint in they way we eat) can really be a paradigm shift from eating a large meal to more of a grazing experience. It makes perfect sense and explains why I'm hungry at 9pm. Next stop, what are good grazing snacks...
1
Don't forget the protein! I don't mind when a friend feeds me a vegetarian dinner that is all carbs and veg, but it gets very tiring and unsatisfying when that's all I get, again and again, at a 5 day conference. It's so easy to make vegetarian dishes more satisfying, for longer, by making sure there's some protein.
Learn to cook good lentil, bean and chick-pea recipes. and to use canned or pre-cooked ones when in a rush. Still cheap and healthy!
Tofu can go into many many dishes that are usually made with chicken, fish or shrimp, as long as there's a good sauce. Butter tofu. General Tao tofu. Muqueca de tofu. You can make a fabulous chili w/TVP, and a pretty decent spagetti sauce with fake ground beef.
Quinoa has more protein and is more interesting than plain rice. I also make a mix of quinoa, pin-cut oats, whole kasha and whole wheat bulgher that is delish and cooks like pasta in 10 minutes. Out of one grain? Throw in something else. If need be, stagger timing (wild rice, 45 min, to cousous, 5). Fluff after cooking with a thread of olive oil, then squeeze on some lemon on your plate.
And yes, the 'fake' meats and sausages are great, as are the never-pretended-to-be-meat patties, so handy to have in the freezer. Pricier than legumes or tofu, though.
I also figure anybody who wants to be vegetarian or vegan and who enjoys eating MUST learn to make Indian food.
19
@Karen in Montreal, my favorite vegetarian grain dish is Syrian in origin.
I’m wondering how old that child is that pronounced herself a vegetarian. I suspect old enough to be told “fine - and you’re welcome to cook your own meals”. I’m also wondering if little miss veggie is going to grow into the type that lobbies for trigger warnings on a syllabus.
9
@GC - and why do you equate a kid going vegetarian with some trigger-warning college kid?
Growing up, one of my brothers went through a phase where it was Cheerios or starvation. He got over it, and is able to deal with the risks and dangers of the big wide world.
10
@GC believe it or not, some kids just don't like meat. My eldest is iffy about it. He'd much rather have peanut butter sandwiches than turkey and prefers cheese pizza to pepperoni. I think his vegetarian phase is inevitable. My sister didn't either. She's been vegetarian or vegan for 50 years since the age of 12 and avoided meat as much as possible well before that.
13
@GC, why so much antagonism? It seems that Ms. Moskin is the meal provider for her family (makes sense, given her work). In my family the kids were required to cook a meal every so often after the age of 12 (or thereabouts). We went through a period where each kid cooked one day a week, and our parents cooked on weekends. We had some terrible meals!
Having been raised with such expectations, I’m all for teaching kids to contribute to the household (many times I have had to bite my tongue when nieces and nephews expected to be waited on). But for some parents cooking and doing for kids equals loving them. And kids these days are often over-scheduled with homework, team practice, extra classes and such, so that they are exhausted by dinner time. I like her idea of making this menu change into a lesson for the whole family.
15
Two really great, practical, vegetarian cookbooks:
“The Passionate Vegetarian,” by the wonderfully named Crescent Dragonwagon.
“Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East Vegetarian Cookbook,” which is out of print but used copies can be found online.
I have used those books for many years.
Another excellent one, maybe a little less “everyday”:
“Plenty,” by Yotam Ottolenghi.
6
@Passion for Peaches. Yes, great books. I'll add The Brilliant Bean by Sally and Martin Stone, used, for a few bucks. Pumpkin and Lentil Casserole, Peas and Cucumbers in Dill, Chocolate Black Bean Torte (sub half sugar for right amt of stevia). There are some meat dishes, but you can sub whatever or leave it out. Inventive and fun book, like all they've written.
These are good suggestions for the vegetarian curious!
I grew up on "meat and three" cooking (with the weekly pot of pinto beans [to satisfy my father's Appalachian roots] or occasional pot of spaghetti or chili thrown in), so when I first became a vegetarian I was always trying to find a "vegetarian entree" to go where the meat had once been. But those proved to be a lot of trouble and often not very good. Consequently, my food has become a lot more ethnic-inspired, as ethnic foods tend to lend themselves very well to vegetarian cooking. Tofu, mushrooms and burger crumbles add a nice toothless when that's called for, and I also do a lot of soups and stews. And often times I like to serve up a good, old-fashioned "vegetable plate."
Most of all, around our house, we've all just accepted that sometimes we live to eat, other times we eat to live. Whatever is on hand that wards off starvation until the next mealtime will have to do for now!
3
Learn to use chickpeas, lentils and beans. They bulk up a vegetable meal with protein and fiber. You can cook up a batch on the weekend and use them through the week. Or freeze them. They can be used in salads, soups, pastas. Baked and spiced chickpeas are a great snack.
Discover my favorite vegetable medley: calabasitas! Kind of like south of the border succotash. I add black beans and corn to the mix and serve it with tortillas or wrap it up as enchiladas. It can also be topped with a cornbread dough and baked. Really good with a freshly made tomatillo salsa (simmered jalapeños, garlic and tomatillos, run through a blender with fresh cilantro and salt to taste).
My trick for rounding out the flavor of vegetable stews and soups is to add a tablespoon or so (for a big pot) of sherry vinegar a few minutes before the cooking is done. It brightens a dull flavor profile. For thicker soups (minestrone, lentil) I add a chiffonade of kale (minus the fibrous stem) to the recipe. For minestrone I add it early so it can cook in. But for lentil soup I add it in the last fifteen minutes of cooking. Then add the vinegar. The kale adds a meaty depth to the soup.
Get a Vitamix blender! Toss your veggies and salt and herbs in there and run it on high. Purred soup in no time.
13
Forgot to say that calabasitas makes an amazing burrito, with a swipe of sour cream or cream and a drizzle of salsa. You can also add small cubes of firm tofu to the veg mix and it provides a texture similar to chicken.
1
@Concerned Citizen, was that really necessary? Why bother? Why take the time?
1
Not professionally tenable? Of course you can be a vegetarian and still write about food. We need more vegetarian cooks and food writers. I've been a vegetarian since I was in high school and have long understood that vegetarian cooking is not about simply removing meat from recipes or finding substitutes for meat. It's about creating entirely new menus based on recipes that never had meat in them to begin with.
35
Thank you! My thoughts exactly.
I'll add that I don't often turn to NYT recipes for vegan and vegetarian recipes, although there are many good ones here. I prefer to utilize my well-worn cookbooks from favorite cooks Isa Chandra Moscowitz, Julie Hasson, the awesome and informative Sea Shepherd cookbook, "Thug Kitchen" series, and the "101 Cookbooks" blog: fun, informative and oh-so delicious!
With the exception of VegNews, I often feel like a lot of mainstream sources are purposefully ignoring vegetarian and vegan readers, either from editorial pressure/ stance, or meat marketing board advertising dollars (I'm talking to you, "Canadian Living"!). I hope the writer takes support from our comments and provides more articles and recipes for vegetarian and vegan readers - there are are already more than enough folks writing about the "joy" of eating meat; I would think it "professionally untenable" NOT to pursue this path, as more attitudes and diets shift towards plant-based eating.
8
@mwilson, I think she meant that she has to eat a wide variety of food for her work. She is not writing for Vegetarian Times, you know.
9
@mwilson Perhaps the writer does not want to write only about vegetarian or vegan food, restaurants, trends and home cooking.
What meat eaters get wrong about vegetarian cooking? They imagine that we eat mainly salads and think they are doing something really special if they roast us an unseasoned vegetable (for some reason, feeding us unseasoned veggie skewers is popular). The make-up of a vegetarian plate is similar to that of a meat-eaters plate: half should be vegetables (usually cooked), a quarter should be starch and a quarter should be protein. The protein can be eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, yuba noodles or seitan, augmented with garnishes of nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, etc), seeds (pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc.) and cheese. We sometimes eat heavily processed meat-substitutes (Beyond burgers, etc.), but I don't do those frequently. Then there are some standard dishes with lots of variations that make up almost all of what we eat in our mostly veggie home: stir-fries, rice bowls (or bowls using polenta or grits as the base), tacos (the soft tortilla style), soups and stews, casseroles, pastas, egg dishes (such as shushuskas, frittatas, omelettes, etc.). Look to regions outside of the U.S. for food inspiration--Indian, Mediterranean, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Burmese, Italian...I usually cook from recipes from the NYTimes or dishes that I learned when I was a Sun Basket subscriber. If a dish is unsatisfying--I would check to see if the salt, fat and acid are all present and balanced. Every dish should contain all 3, preferably layered.
18
Also, to add umami flavour, consider the plant sources of glutamate-- tomatoes, onions, kombu (a seaweed), asparagus, soy sauce, miso paste, broccoli, peas, mushrooms and beets. These will all add that brothy-richness that is so easily attained when cooking meat.
6
Also, to add umami flavour, consider the plant sources of glutamate-- tomatoes, onions, kombu (a seaweed), asparagus, soy sauce, miso paste, broccoli, peas, mushrooms and beets. These will all add that brothy-richness that is so easily attained when cooking meat.
And the real time saver of veggie cooking is sauces in the freezer! When I make a peanut sauce, pizza sauce, green chile sauce or other delicious and easy to freeze sauce, I quadruple the recipe and keep it in the freezer. The nights I reach for my pre-made sauces are great nights. Dinner on those nights is a breeze.
8
I also disagree with the assessment that it's normal for vegetarians to be hungry again a few hours after dinner. Other than a square or two of chocolate or a watermelon popsicle for desert, I never eat after dinner and always feel perfectly satisfied. Based on your initial list of meals, I'm guessing that people were hungry later because there wasn't enough protein in the meals. Add some ricotta and/or mozzarella to your tomato and eggplant penne and top it with some roasted hazelnuts. Tofu, eggs and peanuts (or cashews) would complete your Pad Thai and I just wouldn't serve Mac and Cheese as a main--a simple starch and a bunch of cheese just doesn't make for a very healthy or satisfying dinner. If I'm not cooking from a recipe, I start planning my dish by considering what protein I have on hand (eggs? tofu? lentils?) and building on my dish from there.
16
A few more ideas:
It sounds like you need a good lentil soup recipe. It is even better the next day. You can have some kind of bean dish going most of the year. Peasant food was much healthier, with fresh herbs and greens.
Learn how to develop a good stock. The number one tip is to caramelize the onions a bit before adding water. Those folks who told us to boil or steam all the vegetables were wrong, wrong, wrong. Vegetables are better roasted, and olive oil is a food group.
Keep a little jar of almonds or other nuts on the counter and let the kids snack on them when they get peckish. Nuts are really good for you and will add some protein. We often eat a late night snack and we also eat yogurt every day. Your intestinal flora will adapt and I expect your family will be more serene and suffer less inflammation.
14
As a competent home cook, this article has distilled my confusion about how to go vegetarian. I instinctively knew it wasn’t just swapping out recipes, it’s a different way of thinking about meals, and seasoning. You need more, and more flavorful courses. good vegetarian homecooking, as i feared, is a whole new ballgame. I don’t think we’ve got the time to master it until retirement. I hope my kids learn earlier.
7
@ Rill Start with meatless Mondays, or just one day a week. Vegetarians have been really annoying by insisting on absoluteness. It’s not necessary to go all out, just make a few gradual changes. I know lots of people who eat fast food twice a day. We have to start with baby steps. Hummus, maybe? Veggie chili? Nachos with black beans?
6
The other thing I've learned is that meat is a cheat.
When I cook meatless, I really have to upgrade the quality of my ingredients, and do a little more with them, in order to build flavor into the dish. Caramelize the onions, for example, rather than just sweat them. Substitute stock for water. And pay attention to color - red bells v. green - because visual appetites matter, too!
1
Julia, we raised our family on delicious vegetarian recipes by Jeanne Lemlin. She has written many cookbooks and we recommend them all. Her often repeated phrase of food "ready in a moment's notice" is a gem and intends for a family's time to be spent together, sharing good meals. Best wishes to you and your family.
3
In my mothers house you ate what was on the table, you had no choice. if you wanted something else you had better bought it and made it yourself! Who is running the household these days? I guess I'm just too old school.
17
Our 3 children have Crohn’s disease, one of whom also has a severe nut allergy. My father had Crohn’s, and so do I. There are many common foods/ingredients they and I cannot tolerate. How on earth would any of us have survived your mother’s household?
Admittedly, it was a huge headache to feed my kids when they were younger, with their very different food preferences and restrictions. But I was much more concerned with keeping them healthy and nourished and out of the hospital than I was with my own kitchen convenience and rules. This doesn’t even touch on the psychological harm that results from fighting battles over food. Yes, I tried to guide their food choices, but I never obsessed over what they put in their mouths if it would have caused resentment or body-image issues. Such “old-fashioned” attitudes of our parents’ generation have resulted in so much residual damage today.
13
@Nancy C could not agree more. My children also have medical restrictions, but even if they didn't - why not parent with kindness and consideration? I know adults with very disordered eating and pretty much all of them were forced to eat food they hated as children.
4
@Christine It's not about forcing people to eat what they don't like, it's about making a distinction between medical needs and personal preferences. There's absolutely a difference between people with Chronn's Diseases who have restrictions on what they can or cant eat based on that medical condition, and someone who doesn't want to eat meat because animals are cute.
Growing up, I was never forced to eat something I didn't want to eat, but my mom also made it clear that "This is what's for dinner." If you don't like it, you don't have to eat it, but people don't get individually tailored meals in a household with multiple people.
4
I’m the cook in my home. My wife and I enjoy meat protein in our meals. If any of my kids ever come to me with the declaration that they are now a vegetarian they will be welcome to cook their own meal every night. Heck, I’ll even buy them the ingredients they want. What I won’t do is change everyone’s diet to satisfy their latest phase. I’m supportive of my children, but I am not their man servant or their personal chef.
87
@Allan
Bravo, Allan. You are an excellent parent.
17
@Allan
Have you considered that you might learn something from your children about how to eat ethical and healthy food? I am not too proud to admit my daughter was right about becoming a vegetarian and set a good example for me.
30
@Mark, exactly right. We could all benefit from eating less animal product. And if you've raised good kids, they can teach you something.
My daughter is vegan; my husband is all meat and potatoes. I want him to be healthy but also happy, so he gets his meat, just smaller amounts or less often. The young vegan, although there's a learning curve, is the one doing the right thing: she wants to enjoy her food ethically and with an eye towards a sustainable environment, not to mention compassion for animals. Why wouldn't we all want to learn something about that, and change our eating habits at least a little in that direction?
Glad I raised a thoughtful kid! I'm still learning and never bored!
16
Vegetarians must eat beans!
19
I know we live in the age of Google... but what the health is umami?!?! And, hey, cut me a break... I live in Guyana fer goodness sake!
3
@Robertinho Umami is a Japanese term for "savoriness." It can be found in mushrooms, cooked tomatoes, and meat. Biologically, it is related to the amino acid glutamatic acid; there are receptors on your tongue that trigger in the presence of glutamates, the same as the receptors for sweet, sour, salty, or bitter flavors. Think of the pleasure you get when you enjoy a really good soup, or a really strong Parmesan cheese. Hope that helps!
More than 375 million Indians are vegetarians and the tradition of vegetarian cooking goes back hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years. Anyone who wants or needs to be a vegetarian should enroll in a short course in Indian cooking. No faux hamburgers there, just really good vegetarian food.
219
@Eric Eitreim Such a good suggestion. It was a revelation when I started eating food that was never intended to have meat (and was delicious) rather than trying to recreate dishes that were never intended to be vegetarian. Asian cooking also has great, naturally vegetarian options.
9
I didn't expect to learn much from this article, but this was a welcome eye-opener: "That’s because many food publications, including NYT Cooking, measure the cook time starting at the point where the ingredients are already assembled and prepped. " Now I don't feel like a slow poke in the kitchen!
44
I eat meat and all, but this article is kind of crazy.
All you really need to do is recognize some of the ethnic cuisines that make cooking meat and dairy-free a breeze. A Thai coconut curry with tofu (rice on side) is super easy and very flavorful. You can literally even buy the curry paste instead of the individual seasonings.
A flavorful Chinese stir fry with garlic and ginger and sesame oil (rice on side) is very easy--my husband whips it together in 20 minutes.
You can do a quick and dirty Moroccan tagine with nuts and chickpeas and couscous with very little prep time.
It doesn't take long to make your own hummus (3 minutes if you have food processor) and to fry (or bake) your own falafel--maybe 15 minutes, but a lot of that time you can be prepping your salad. Throw it with the hummus into a pita and you'll be very full afterward.
Etc.
65
@bess One should also look to Mexican cuisine which is largely vegetarian - corn or flour tortillas, many kinds of legumes, squashes and fruits, incredible flavors and spiciness created by fresh and dried peppers, pickled vegetables, rice and corn. Try Pati Jinich's recipe for zucchini, corn and poblano pepper pizza, or make a big pot of beans that will get you through the week.
9
I've been veg for almost 30 years but the first few years were the worst as far as eating goes since I kept eating the American midwestern diet minus the meat. Every culture has its own naturally occurring veg or vegan fare and once I focused on primarily the Mediterranean and Asian countries for ideas I started loving to cook and eating what I cook. Most of my recipes require 20 minutes max prep time, no processed ingredients and are awesome. I never eat fake meat as it has the nutritional value of cardboard.
15
Our family that includes two boys became vegetarian few years ago. I found that many of our family staples can be easily made without meat yet are equally delicious and satisfying. Going vegetarian doesn't mean you have to completely switch to unfamiliar flavor profiles. Few examples: chilly with extra beans and corn; shepard's pie with hardy veggies like mushrooms, parsnips, and brussel sprouts; 'beef' stroganoff made with creamy mushroom sauce and lots of peas and herbs; pasta sauce with white beans and eggplant, roasted vegetables like cauliflower and squashes tossed with garbanzo beans paired with couscous or quinoa; peppers and tomatoes stuffed with rice and green lentils (buy the already cooked). Vegetarian 'ground beef' or shredded tofu is really great and can be easily used in tacos and chilies. Also don't forget about veggie burgers for quick meals - there are so many great choices in the grocery stores.
14
I would like to go completely vegetarian but as a diabetic, I can't just "fill up" on potatoes, rice, pasta, or any other form of carb or starch. I eat mostly vegetables at each meal and lots of raw ones as well but I need that protein to keep my blood sugar balanced. Even a small amount of rice or potatoes causes my blood sugar to skyrocket. I wish it were otherwise,
7
With chronic migraines, I face restrictions on going fully vegetarian or vegan. But just by reducing our overall meat consumption and sticking to organic and free range meat and dairy, we can still reap health benefits and help the planet.
@Samantha, why do migraines keep you from eating a meat-free diet? I suffer from complicated migraine with aura, but have done fine without eating meat for many years.
4
I love seeing more emphasis on vegan/vegetarian cooking! Indeed, cooking with new ingredients does come with a learning curve , but it is also a deeply rewarding endeavor. I recommend going to your local bookstore and flipping through the vegan cookbook section to find something right for you. If you are an accomplished home cook, perhaps a more advanced book like "Isa Does It" would capture your attention. For those just starting out, the "Simply Vegan Cookbook" is great, and for busy folx, I recommend "Fast and Easy Vegan Cookbook". I recently got "Show Up For Salad" and was not disappointed. Good luck, don't be afraid, and have fun!
3
@Ramona
Also: visit restaurants with naturally vegetarian or low-meat cuisines - traditional Mediterranean (not Westernized versions) many Asian, Mexican, etc.
Meat still is a luxury in many parts of the world, yet all those peoples made it to the 21 century! It's because they found amazing ways to adapt to the foods (usually plants) that were locally available. Some of the "poor people's" diets were better than ours. If they suffered, it was usually due to too little food in general, not lack of meat.
Moderation is an important part of any conversation about food. That is the meal plan that we need to focus on.
7
-----"The fact that my kids were peckish at 9:30 p.m. didn’t mean that I had failed at dinner. It simply meant that I needed to lay in more substantial snacks and let go."
Will the meals that are not keeping people satiated a couple hours afterward going to have them consuming more snacking calories at night? How will this increase in calories impact overall weight?
4
Traditional South Indian cooking is vegetarian and very healthful. Most of it is gluten free as well. It does take time to learn, and can be time consuming to cook at first and there are a lot of ingredients — but once you learn the basics you can get from kitchen to table with a complete meal in 30 minutes. It isn’t the cooking you find in most Indian restaurants tho (that is Mughalai, or North Indian).
9
I’ve started cooking things like sautéed vegetables (combos of squash, broccoli, peppers, carrots, corn, and herbs, quite delicious) for a complete dinner a few times per week, but evidently I’m doing it wrong. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, because it sounds very complex - “starch pyramids” and all - but I have two kids and limited time so I’m a bit intimidated here.
Any ideas for us folks who have limited time and don’t want to have to engage in elaborate preparation plans for the week’s meals? Or maybe just meat or eggs one or two days per week to compensate for the nutritional deficiencies of the veggie meals on other days? Are there any cookbooks out there?
P.S. My son has a peanut / tree nut allergy so those additives are excluded.
1
@Michael. Make a good simple vinaigrette and add: different beans - kidney, garbanzos, black - canned are fine, add chopped (moderately small) peppers, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots, fennel, scallions, anything with nice texture. Mix, chill for an hour a day. Easy to eat with a spoon, pre. Add cilantro or parsley for more fragrance. Keeps for 5 days.
@Michael use canned beans! That will give you what you need.
1
I've been mostly a vegetarian since I've been 7--more than 40 years. And I was a strict vegetarian for about 10 of those.
Here's the thing: there are now tons and tons of great meat substitutes out there. With the right amount of spices you can easily turn anything into a feast that even carnivores will like. The secret is in the spices.
I do cut tons of veggies for stir fry dishes--my usual go-to's. But I have it down to a science and it doesn't usually add more than 10 minutes to prep time.
Also, I cook only with olive oil (the good kind). I'm pretty skeptical about coconut oil (it adds a lot of bad fat to your system). And my stuff always turns out very tasty.
TIP: cook a big stir fry for the week and doctor it up differently (one day serve with brown rice, another with pasta, another with naan bread) and you'll get that variety.
8
@nerdgirl
Why do vegetarians eat meat substitutes?
5
@nerdgirl
I also wonder why there are so many "meat-like" things, such as fake hamburger made in the shape of the forbidden. If you glory in veg and legumes (and I do, and also in the occasional lamb chop from a local organic farmer), then just let them be what they are. No need to make fake choplets. What's the point?
I've been mostly vegetarian for several decades. When friends invite me to have a meat based dinner, I usually fill up on everything else. However, I don't like to offend and will taste a casserole. Vegetarian fare is more tasty and tasteful than a slab of meat ever was to me. The trouble is to prepare delicious fare, it does take more time and thought. When I'm on my own I make a big salad and add a protein like pumpkin seeds and edamame. I also make ahead legume dishes and freeze them. Hummus is a great snack. If you concentrate on healthful eating and use imagination, it will all come together. P.S. I do have fish occasionally as long as it's sustainable.
8
Before farming people were larger from a omnivorous diet. We became smaller and less well nourished and more interdependent farming.
Cooking stuff made more calories available by predigesting it a little. We are smart animals (kind of).
Good luck with all this. Don’t be afraid you’re just getting old. No one gets out alive.
Vegans don’t eat bugs right? How about that protein?
I have been vegan for almost 30 years. For six years I lived in a tent and almost never cooked. When I did, it was usually a can of vegetarian chili. Often, I ate vegetables straight from the can, though I also ate bean burritos at Taco Bell. These days, I am not in a tent, but my cooking skills have improved only slightly, and my dinners rotate between just a few entrees: spaghetti, veggie burgers and bean tostadas, occasionally alternating with baked potatoes, or frozen enchiladas. Sure, it would be nice to have more variety, and I'm sure there are many simple cooking options for vegan fare, but my point is that it is possible to get by as a vegan with almost no cooking ability or aptitude.
10
It seems like being a vegetarian requires lots of work and time, as well as the ability to enjoy cooking.
2
@Flâneuse. Being a vegetarian does not necessitate lots of work and time. I've been veg for decades and can whip together perfectly tasty and healthy meals in no time. E.g. quesadillas with cheese (dairy or vegan), avocado, mashed beans, salsa with a side salad of chopped romaine and whatever raw veggies you have on hand. (20 min prep to table time). Or veggie burgers with pickles, home fries (microwave potatoes, then fry), coleslaw. (20 minutes prep to table time). Or lentil & veggie soup (a big pot, made on the weekend) with some fresh bread and cheese. (30 minutes prep time to make the soup but then less than 15 minutes to get dinner on the table once the soup is made). My best advice is to prepare big pots of veg soups, stews, marinara, Dahl, etc. Freeze some. Eat the rest during the week. SO quick and easy. And extremely healthy.
5
I don't tend to use recipes in my cooking. If you're that way, get a copy (library or buy) of Karen Page's "The Vegetarian Flavor Bible". A very well-organized 500+ page encyclopedia of vegetable, spice or protein sources and what it pairs well with (think "flavor affinities"). Answers the question--what could I pair with what's lurking in my fridge tonite. Might well be my choice for that "one cookbook on a desert island" type discussion.
7
@dah
Thanks for the recommendation.
Just finished our meal of spaghetti squash topped with my quick-fix marinara sauce (which I cook with coarsely chopped garbanzo beans). Served sprinkled with a bit of parmesan cheese, and a few little crostini on the side. Steamed broccoli provides the green on the plate. Its an easy meal that the meat eaters in this family really do enjoy.
I do prefer cooking meals that I can whip up without a recipe, but my creations are frequently Italian inspired. I love the idea of this book - might inspire some new flavors at mealtime.
2
No mention of nutritional content? The reason you are hungry an hour after a vegan meal? Zero protein content and/or fat content. Always include beans/lentils/tofu/tempeh/edamame/seitan/nuts in every meal. Always include healthy vegan fats like avocado/coconut in every meal. And no, parmesan/eggs are not vegan.
55
@Arvind Indeed. The idea that broccoli rabe on bread "is dinner"" may provide some idea of why she's hungry later.....
7
@Arvind
Coconut oil is an excellent source of Saturated Fat. If you are trying to eat low fat healthy, this is not what you want. It is higher saturated fat than butter.
6
@
Coconut oil au contraire is NOT HEALTHY FAT. It is highly saturated as is palm kernel oil. I like sunflower seed oil, olive, sometimes corn oil.
Moskin is using the term vegetarian -- which might mean dairy products (calcium) and eggs. I am off to my vegetarian ricotta, lemon pancakes fried in butter (less saturated fat than coconut oil) w. gasp maple syrup. Berries would be nice and will possibly have some cottage cheese for longer staying power.
If you want a healthy diet, don't use a lot of smoked ingredients. Smoke contains carcinogens, and so do burned hydrocarbons. A small amount is probably fine, but people who each a lot of smoked foods are at higher risk of developing cancers in the gut.
1
@Casual Observer
who eat a lot
Why wasn't miso considered as a source of umami? It is the umami bomb. Use it judiciously so that everything doesn't taste the same. The same thing is true of soy sauce. Sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil are amazing grace notes. As are garlic and ginger.
16
I grew up eating a pretty typical meat/starch/vegetable diet in the northeast US. I married a South Indian vegetarian and have been cooking veggie with him (though not vegan) for 25+ years now. I agree with many of the points in this article - one star vegetable meal (often one pot), spices absolutely, get over replacing meat with cheese etc.
I strongly suggest the author and others get acquainted with South Indian cooking as it centers on providing the necessary protein primarily from dals, not dairy or meat/fish. It also has many techniques for spices which increase the interest, depth, and the oomph. Also, don't confuse spice with heat - they are not the same. You can use the cayenne lightly (or not at all) but still great a depth of satisfying flavor using the traditional techniques.
Another thing I learned is that those who grew up eating meat often think of vegetarian meal prep as substituting with tofu (my husband hates it), textured this or that protein, etc. This is not the only approach. If you center on the dal/beans and build from there with techniques and flavors learned from other cultures you don't need to substitute for the meat.
13
I absolutely agree! I’m South Indian and I can get a full, healthy meal on the table in 30 minutes. Usually resum, toor dhal, curry and a yogurt based dish and rice. As a bonus it is also often gluten free.
8
The BBQ can become your very best friend. Roast large pans of Cauliflower and Onions, or Brussel Sprouts. Roast a few sweet and yellow potatoes. The sweet, roast whole and the Yukon roast after cutting into steak fries. Make a big pot of Vegetarian Bolognese using frozen crumbles. season! Freeze in plastic packets, whatever family size you need. Great for a quick plop on pasta. Filling too. Loved by meat and non meat eaters.Make a Vegetarian Meatloaf but make two at a time and freeze one for next week. Now that the cooler weather is here, you can make a big pot of pea soup or lentil soup. Freeze a couple of tall containers. Make Grilled cheese sandwiches on the side. There are also very excellent vegetarian burgers that are super easy with those homemade steak fries on the side. You get the idea. It really can be easy but you need to devote some time to getting recipes together first and a schedule of preparation and this is the rhythm. There is also frozen chicken strips for on top of a vegie stir fry. Use the Asian Bottled sauces to flavor. They are terrific and add the Umami we seek. Especially delish with cauliflower and brussel sprouts. I also make Crustless quiche in a big baking dish or in muffin tins which
the muffins,easily freeze. Serve packaged mash on the side. They can be made with mushrooms and onions or spinach and cheese and eggs of course. Lastly, another easy peesy is frozen fish less fish fillets. Served with mac n cheese and broccoli, cannot be beat.
6
@This just in
And don't forget stuffed zucchini boats or stuffed eggplant. You can use frozen crumbles, vegetarian. Mushrooms and onions or mashed mixed vegies and top with cheese and broil. No better eating.,
2
@This just in
And don't forget stuffed zucchini boats or stuffed eggplant. You can use frozen crumbles, vegetarian. Mushrooms and onions or mashed mixed vegies and top with cheese and broil. No better eating. The chicken strips are chickenless chicken strips. The Uncle Bens microwave rice packets can be a life saving base for dinner. I love to make a large ratatouille every other week and put it on the rice, add some vegie protein on top, dinner done! I also make terrific meatless meatballs since I have been doing this before they started selling frozen vegie meatballs. I also use frozen falafel and have wraps with the falafel and hummus, and my homemade baba ganoush. beans if you like them.
2
@This just in
And don't forget stuffed zucchini boats or stuffed eggplant. You can use frozen crumbles, vegetarian. Mushrooms and onions or mashed mixed vegies and top with cheese and broil. No better eating. The chicken strips are chickenless chicken strips. The Uncle Bens microwave rice packets can be a life saving base for dinner. I love to make a large ratatouille every other week and put it on the rice, add some vegie protein on top, dinner done! I also make terrific meatless meatballs since I have been doing this before they started selling frozen vegie meatballs. I also use frozen falafel and have wraps with the falafel and hummus, and my homemade baba ganoush. beans if you like them. I have a Hungarian Co worker who brings me a couple of large bags of Paprika from Hungary once a year or so. Only 8.00. Real paprika from the source!
1
How about LOW salt vegan cooking? I'm working on lowering my blood pressure and cholesterol ...
6
@J Houlding
Agreed. A lot of the meat substitutes are very high in sodium.
@J Houlding
Stick to the whole foods! Pots of beans and grains, a hearty stew with lots of veggies, and don't forget freshly tossed salads with crunchy high-fat toppings (think nuts) and low-salt vinaigrettes.
5
@J Houlding, mock meats are packed with salts! Awful stuff. One way to trick your mind when you prepare foods with little or no salt is to up the other flavors. Add heat (chilis, hot sauce, salsa), or acid (lemon juice and zest, other cities, vinegars), or sharp herbs (rosemary, dill).
1
Great article, consider it part of the journey. I would encourage the author to report back periodically. And to seek deeper and more adventurous means of "umami-ing" (to coin a phrase).
Long ago in my food folder I started collecting "dips, sauces and dressings" to pull out as the occasion arises. Recent additions include adding mirin, sake and various Japanese spices, going beyond what seems to be a NYT Cooking favorite of soy sauce and brown sugar.
3
Forget the cooking, before anyone even thinks of going vegetarian they should do genetic testing to find out if it's the right diet for them (including genetic lectin, histamine and sulfer vulnerabilities, etc). I was vegetarian for years and despite feeling good for the first few months, my health suffered enormously after a while. My harebrained response was to go vegan, thinking if I amped it up a notch I would get better. No, I got REALLY sick, for years. It took me years to recover after finally starting to eat meat again. And I was eating the "correct" way and supplementing (if you tell a vegetarian or vegan you are sick they will gaslight you with the feedback that "you're doing it wrong.") It turns out many common foods (even things like broccoli, kale, etc) are actually toxic to me due to genetics. This notion that vegetarianism is something that someone "decides" to do in order to be "healthy" needs to be exiled to the dustbin of stupidity. You don't decide on your genetics.
15
@SL
Curious to know what "genetics" told you about certain foods such as kale being personally toxic? Do you have any more info on what specific genetic polymorphism you have that causes those results?
Thanks.
9
@Ramona, that genetic testing for a personalized diet was the new, hot thing in Silicon Valley two or three years ago. It was supposed the next step beyond the existing 23 and Me health profiles. And, naturally, the business plan was to sell prepared meals to clients, based on their personalized, (supposedly) genetically based food profiles. The thing is, this has all been pretty much debunked!
9
i have a niece and several friends who are vegetarian and a cousin who is vegan. when i have them over, i enjoy the challenge of making something new but delicious. for myself, i could do a lot more vegetarian, but some of the suggestions here are just too darn spicy for me. curry, paprika and other suggested sauces and spices ruin any chance of my enjoying a meal. ALL i can taste are the *spices*... i use a lot of garlic, herbs and salt and pepper, sometimes a dash of cumin or a smaller dash of corriander but that's as far as i can go. in addition i hate, despise and detest beans. of any kind. i make several vegetarian dishes over the course of a week, like an egg pie, or stuffed eggplant or zuccini, but most of the more "satisfying" dishes suggested, not just here but elsewhere, just make my eyes water, my tongue burn and ruin my dinner. i could make them for others, with pleasure, but no way i could make it a general menu.
3
Well, I'm glad there is this renewed interest in vegetarianism/veganism - it's definitely a small step one can take toward protecting the environment.
Unfortunately, vegetarian food is viewed as a downgrade by many, even those who are making the switch. I'm an Indian, raised in a vegetarian (no eggs, but eat milk and milk products) household. Here in the US, people wonder aloud, to my face - "dont you get bored eating just salad/bread/soup for every meal?" I am tempted to reply that if I decided to eat a different thing for my every meal and that too just from my Indian vegetarian pantry, I would not have to repeat for at least a year!
And vegetarian cooking can be easily adapted to your taste/local produce - e.g. replace meatballs with black bean/tofu/roasted veggies.
Invest in basics, a rice cooker, pantry staples like pulses/lentils, grains, whole spices (they last longer and are free from any contamination) and remember that vegetables dont need much cooking to shine - they are a star on their own.
Food should be a matter of joy - to those who cook and those who eat.
55
The companies that raise vegetables recognize that "Washing, peeling, cutting and sometimes even blanching must be done before you get to the cooking, 'Vegetables just take more work'”
They have responded by doing all that work for you, and selling both fresh and frozen vegetables in ready to cook packages. Sometimes even packages that can go straight in the microwave or steamer. If the extra work is a concern, those packages are just the thing.
The idea is already so successful that a large proportion of vegetables is sold that way.
4
The simplest and most important technique I learned when trying to make vegetarian food as satisfying as meat is roasting/broiling. Basic tricks like roasting onions until caramelized, roasting heads of garlic to make garlic paste, roasting a marinated portobello mushroom.
All of these concentrate and enhance the flavors in ways that make vegetarian food more appetizing.
Another trick is to roast and then puree vegetables (especially onions, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and then add those to other things).
14
I'm encouraged by this article for it sounds like a wake up call for the general public. More and more kids are getting the message, so their families must pay heed when they announce meat is out. With it, comes relearning how to think about food. What is protein, flavor and prep time. As a vegetarian for 47 years, now is a perfect time to change gears than when I started. There's just so much out there! There's a vast network of information and encouragement. Julia Moskin's revelation about bacon in everything has been a regretful frustration with NYT Cooking. The chorus from readers included comments how to improve vegetarian dishes by adding bacon, chicken, etc. A challenge can be fulfilling once mastered and this is so doable now more than ever! I've turned to Pinterest for recipes (sorry Times). As with NYT Cooking, I scrutinize the recipe and adjust oftentimes. Swap ingredients, streamline. I've had many winners! Once in a while, a complex vegan Korma is tackled, but, what a winner! These recipes are for special occasions. For everyday there are endless choices including some reliance on grocery meat subs and vegan products. There's traditional nut and seed butters like Tahini for protein and intense flavor. Need to search for that dark chocolate vegan pound cake recipe found at a local bakery. No palm oil involved! Now, that's great!
4
I'm amazed Moskin gives so little attention to beans and legumes. Whether dried (just soak beans overnight or use the quick soak method) or canned, beans are filling and nourishing. My black bean, chick pea, and lentil soups are the fastest, and most delicious, meals I make, faster than when I was cooking with meat. They are also vegan, not vegetarian. Cheese is filling, yes, but as Moskin mentions, use of cheese contributes to our environmental problems, and, of course, it is fatty. Beans and lentils are neither.
33
Agree with several comments here that the author is missing several key factors from her approach to vegetarianism. Unfortunately I encounter similar issues with my omnivore friends, and as a mostly veggie I was hoping this would be an article I could share with them. Author makes it a point about trying to stuff her family with starch, finds that it doesn't work and yet only recommends recipes that stuff with empty calorie starch - the key problem with omnis cooking for veggies in my experience. She's clearly missing whole grains, beans and fat. Agree also that vegetables take a bit more work and you also have to learn how to prepare them; once you do, that broccoli side takes two minutes to throw in the oven. Also in terms of salt and umami, it takes 21 days for taste buds to adjust to a different way of eating. Then the real flavours of food can shine through.
9
@Nina K Excellent post and info.
"I was being snobbish about frozen vegetables."
Frozen vegetables-- the organic variety, gets an unjustified bad rap. I've read studies on frozen fruit and vegetables, and if they're harvested, washed and frozen quickly, they retain most of their nutrients.
What most call "fresh" is anything but. By the time you buy them, they were probably harvested 1-2 weeks ago,
Not everyone has access to a farmer's market. And I've seen a few near me that sold primarily conventional produce.
I'd rather eat frozen organic vegetables, than conventional farmer's market. But that's just me.
7
@John I appreciate the convenience of frozen vegetables too John, just not the amount of packaging! The bags seem to be so much plastic in comparison to how much food they contain. I would be all about frozen vegetables if they came in larger bags, or better yet, compostable ones!
14
Been vegetarian for 25 years, although still have not completely transitioned to vegan. One thing I rely on is Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon -- stop bothering with soup stock! It's great when you make it yourself, but it's quite a bother and the Rapunzel bullion tastes much better than canned stock, and stores for a long time.
6
@Contrary Mary I also rely on Rapunzel Vegetable bouillon as well as Better Than Bouillon. No need to buy stocks or broths in a box.
I read an article some years ago when raw food was kind of a thing, and the author concluded that one of the benefits of cooking was that it saved time; that prepping and warming and cooking slowly, if at all, took pretty much all day. That was fine for hunter-gatherers, for whom food procurement and feeding themselves and their families WAS their job, but for those of us who have other jobs, plus New York apartments and small freezers, prepping for a whole week of meals is not really possible. The author of that article said that one of the purposes of civilization was to reduce the time spent on subsistence and more on maintenance and even leisure. Current vegetarian diets have the same limitations, in terms of time spent for calories obtained.
That said, as I try to reduce my and my family's consumption of meat, I really like Beyond Beef. Pasta and vegetable sources of protein are not calorie-dense enough to keep us full. They also raise insulin, which makes it hard to keep our weight down. We're trying!
2
[[“Vegetables just take more work,” she said.]]
More work going in, perhaps, but less work coming out.
7
I wonder what effect this sort of diet subtly (or insidiously) has on people in these families who are, like me, unable to properly digest herbs, spices, soy (oil), coconut (oil) and so on with the flavorings and marinades. Will we find out in a decade or so?
Not seeing one of the best, versatile, and most filling veggies represented: potatoes. Eat two full baked Russets with some Tahini plus a banana for dessert and tell me you are still hungry. Even a few hours later.
And, is an egg a vegetable? I'm confused, but I won't argue if you insist.
5
@Willow That would be stuffing yourself with carbs (potato and banana). Not nutritionally balanced at all.
10
@Willow An egg isn't meat. Vegetarians don't eat meat. Therefore, vegetarians can eat eggs.
6
@Shelly
In my book, eggs are exactly "meat."
Eat them if you want, but don't kid yourself.
If you're not eating "meat" for health reasons (which I don't quite grasp) eggs have all the same attributes.
If you're not eating "meat" for ethical reasons, eggs are equally problematic.
2
The comments as always are illuminating. I am trying to eat less meat in general and more vegetables. But like the author, I find that there's something about meat that satiates in some way.. even just a little bit of meat will do the trick for me. I don't eat vegetarian, but I decided to make a yummy quinoa salad a couple weeks ago. I dressed it the way I liked and I really enjoyed how fresh it tasted - with feta, balsamic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and lots of chickpeas... and yet I was quite hungry in 3 hours, hungrier than usual. I want to think it's just psychological...
3
@K I have the same reaction to quinoa, leaves me hungrier .
Why did the burden fall solely on you? Couldn't the family transition to vegetarian a meal or two at a time instead of all at once? The burden for preparing meals for a totally new cuisine should be assumed in full or in part by the person requesting change. An adult should be given the responsibility for the vegetarian/vegan meal planning and recipes, shopping and cooking. Children or teens should assume some degree of responsibility for the change in meals as appropriate for their age. They can search for recipes, assist with shopping and meal preparation, etc. Announcing "I am now a vegetarian/vegan" and then retreating to one's room while mom or wife scrambles to meet that need should not happen.
151
@Lynn in DC
I made the Spicy Tomato Soup (minus the Parmesan) and it was really good. I added some black beans to make it a meal. Love NYT's soup recipes.
7
@Lynn in DC YES! I did this very thing to my mother as a teen and looking back, I was really a huge jerk about it, expecting her just to completely change up her cooking, shopping, and meal planning and prep (though of course it never occurred to me how much went into all that). As the person who now prepares the meals for my family, you can bet if my kiddos are interested in changing up their diet, they're going to be pitching in! I wish I had done so more when I was younger. Great point!
26
I went vegan twenty years ago, as a teen. My mother made no special considerations of my diet and refused to purchase any of the (then, limited) substitute foods... so I learned to cook. I’m still vegan.
19
"“Just using enough salt will get you halfway there,” said Raquel Pelzel, the author of “Umami Bomb”"
I quit using "enough salt" in my food, especially on my veggies, and I discovered that the natural flavor of the food was already all the way there.
But it takes a while to regain the ability to taste after quitting salt.
13
I have a better idea, an idea that, if implemented, will do far more to protect the environment than any dietary change. Stop having children. If you must procreate, have one. Step up efforts to educate and raise the status of women around the world, and make it a priority to provide safe, effective, cheap contraception to everyone, everywhere.
117
@Kaleberg This worked very poorly in China. Couples selected for male children, all too often by infanticide. Then when those children reached adulthood there was a new problem. The country had some of the same problems we have with self-identified "incels" here but at least a magnitude larger.
4
@carol goldstein I hear you but the OP isn’t suggesting government mandates, just making s personal choice.
7
@Kaleberg
Two best things I ever did in life: eat vegetarian, AND have no children.
5
This writer seems a little clueless. If you want to be vegetarian, great, but why call timeless delicious condiments like fish sauce and anchovy paste just “shortcuts”. What does that even mean? These are great umami flavors to add to food that are healthy. This black/white attitude is why people get annoyed with vegetarians/vegans. Eat what you want but don’t judge everything else and everyone else for their choices.
14
@vicki s I agree - it's not like the little prince/princess insisting on being 'vegetarian' could tell if there was anchovy, fish sauce or chicken stock in a dish anyway.
6
@Mari would you be the type to serve a person who keeps kosher a roast pork dinner? nowhere did the author say the child was demanding or obnoxious.... when my niece went vegetarian, she simply stopped taking her share of meat from the platter, quietly ate her vegetables, and when queried about it, said she just didn't want to eat meat anymore. not every child who has a moral or dietary change of heart is a brat.
10
The first problem is letting a small child dictate your familly's diet...
65
@ Kenneth Dunlap, the children who announce their new diet should be embraced and supported wholeheartedly by their families. That's why we have Greta Thunberg today on the podium in the UN! Congratulations to them all for their youthful earnestness and vision. They are the future.
101
@Kenneth Dunlap they dictate everything. It's the new thing.
9
@august west, maybe it's karma --remember us? We were going to bring in the Age of Aquarius as soon as those bad old folks were gone. Don't trust anyone over 30? It turns out that "being the future" turns into a long slog of effort and love, struggle sometimes just not to sink-- and the world is still not heaven. Then it's your kids' turn to blame you. They're "the future" now, for a while. So it goes.
After being an omnivore for most of my life, I switched to vegan eating some years ago. Here's some thoughts: You have to be motivated to make the switch, in my case, that was to avoid taking Lipitor; it's a slow process learning how and what to prepare for a vegan meal; one approach is to gradually increase the number of vegan meals over a period of months; eating balanced meals makes for satiety between meals; in my case, I don't know if I could have succeeded if my wife, an omnivore, hadn't helped with food preparation and been willing to learn about this challenging way of eating.
11
Hard to comment on such a profound lack of knowledge on the subject of eating as a vegetarian. Perhaps the article should have been entitled, "An Omnivore Exploring How to Cook Vegetarian Food." I am considered a superb cook and consider 30 minutes a long time to go from entering my kitchen to serving a wholesome delicious meal. The longest part is cooking the whole grain, like buckwheat, millet or quinoa, and occasionally pasta (which is not as healthy). Sautéing tofu (15 minutes) or tempeh (10 minutes) , comes next. Then fresh garden greens (kale, chard, summer squash, broccoli) takes 10 minutes including washing, chopping and sautéing with olive oil, and a little water. Sure some things take longer, such as cooking legumes or making a good past sauce.
A knowledgeable vegetarian cook does not have to quote other authors to write an article on such a simple subject.
41
@Sat Santokh Khalsa
THANK YOU!
I've been doing this a long time, so it's second nature to me, but even to a newbie, cooking vegan can be a daily adventure in health and culinary satisfaction!
3
@Sat Santokh Khalsa-you lost me at tofu.
1
@Sat Santokh Khalsa Best comment here. I stopped eating meat in 1968 (not a typo) and a eliminated seafood some years ago. I do consume dairy. I don't know what all the fuss is about in this article about the time it takes to prep veggies and other foods. Recipes with meat--unless you are slapping a hunk in a frying pan and calling it quits after the meat is done--also take time. No side dishes with the meat? Salad? Mark Bittman's book on how to cook everything vegetarian would be helpful to those starting out. He has recipes, but also plenty of ideas for improvising and getting good results. Too bad he still isn't with the NYT and could have written this article.
7
I am not vegetarian, but we eat vegetarian/vegan most days. Dinner for us is usually legume + whole grain + vegetable + fruit for dessert. It's totally satisfying and I feel great afterwards. Legumes vary as much in taste as meats, maybe more, so I never lack variety. And, if you buy canned, cooking is a breeze. I think the author's struggles have to do with not eating legumes.
35
To generalize that herbivores are grazers is incorrect. Eating between dinner and breakfast is definitely a first-world habit/luxury. I am mostly vegetarian - eat eggs, fish, or meat, very rarely. I have never felt the need to eat between my post-workout 7 p.m. dinner and my 8 a.m. pre-work breakfast. You need to replace your meat proteins with plant proteins - beans and legumes. Only in Western countries is the protein the "star" of the dish. Growing up in India, fish or meat were definitely a "side" in my very comfortably-off family. Weeknight dinner consisted of roti and/or rice, dal (lentils), a spiced cooked vegetables dish, a cut vegetable or "salad" and a small piece of fish, or two to four shrimp from a curry preparation. Three days of the week were designated vegetarian, so a huge variety of dry beans and leafy greens were in the rotation. Daily dinner was always super delicious, without exception.
108
Lentils are a protein, just not animal based.
6
I was delighted to see this headline, but I don’t think you’re there quite yet. You don’t seem to be focused on (plant-based) protein, which is what will keep everyone feeling full for more than two hours. Broccoli on toast is definitely not dinner if dinner is understood to be the biggest meal of the day. (I would call that supper, with the assumption that my main meal was at noon.) Grains, legumes, tofu, tempeh—these are what you want to build a meal around. (Tempeh actually can be treated like a slab of meat in terms of quick preparation.) If you use canned beans, meal prep can be surprisingly fast. Try ditching pasta for two weeks and see where that takes you.
234
Or buy a pressure cooker and beans are tender in less than 30 minutes.
15
I think that this is a nice start - but I worry that none of the meals that you propose includes a legume. If you add enough fat (olive oil or coconut oil) and legumes (lentils, or chickpeas, or soya milk, or peanut butter) a large part of the "vegetarian food is not filling" problem will disappear. The problem is that low-fiber carbohydrates like noodles do not give lasting energy. Add beans and fat, and this problem will disappear.
175
Many comments on this helpful article are so hostile to new vegetarians, especially kids, calling them “spoiled” and “entitled.” But there is a better way. I became a vegetarian in high school, and my mom saw my choice as an opportunity to teach me to cook. I ate with the family when possible, and otherwise I cooked for myself. I love to cook and thank my mom every day for teaching me how. And these days I return the favor: my mom suffers from recurrent diverticulitis. This condition is aggravated by eating meat, because meat is highly inflammatory. So I have been teaching my mom some of my favorite vegetarian recipes and cooking techniques.
Instead of thinking of a vegetarian family member as an annoying obstacle, why not think of his or her choice as an opportunity for some fun together?
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@Mari
I suspect it's mostly Boomers who have the perception that these children are "spoiled" or "entitled" just because they choose to eat vegetarian.
Fortunately, some of us adults are acknowledging what younger people have to say about food choices, especially if it's for humane reasons! Time for us to listen to kids and learn from them, just look at the amazing advocate Greta Thunberg.
42
@Left Coast
I’m a boomer (63 years old) and have been vegetarian since 1978. I’m very glad to see younger people becoming vegetarians and vegans. Admittedly I’m an outlier among most of my peers—I have only one friend in my age cohort who eats like I do—but I credit diet and lifestyle advice I got from my late older brother (the family hippie) for staying healthy, height/weight proportionate , and off prescription meds.
35
@Left Coast
No, I don't think the kids are spoiled or entitled. I think the mother is misguided in her belief that it is her responsibility to completely change the family's eating habits in response to a non-health-related food preference. And why is it always the mother's problem? Where's the father?
If they want to be vegetarian when they're able to prepare meals on their own, that's fine.
8
1) I make delicious vegetable stock and freeze it in various sized glass containers to make vegetarian soups, stews, braises, etc.
2) I cook beans, lentils, farro and brown rice and other grains, then freeze for what I need later on, it certainly saves time for weeknight meals, and the taste and texture do not suffer.
3) Protein is needed as others have indicated. So plan accordingly.
21
Thank you! I, too, am struggling to cook for my family (in my household the deciding factor is a kid who feels ill after eating dairy.) What I realized was that although I proudly cooked vegetarian a majority of the time (with the occasional bit of bacon or pancetta in the mix), I was wildly reliant upon cheese to fill the family up and make things taste good.
With climate change worry in the mix, too, I am heading down the nutritional yeast and cashews route- as well as getting really good with tofu and beans made in the pressure cooker. Our carbon footprint is dropping but my kitchen time footprint is definitely on the rise!
11
Why Omnivores are Omnivores and Vegeterians are not Vegetevores?
@ ZEN Greece
It is derived from Latin or Classic Greek.
Omnivores are panphages, canivores are kreatophages, and vegetarians would then be herbivores or phytophages.
4
@Tuvw Xyz
You are correct in the sense that “Vegetevores” or “Vegetavores” is a made-up word and not (yet?) an accepted English word.
Omnivore derives from latin ‘omni’ + βόρος (vóros), an ancient greek suffix (still used today) indicating that the person or thing in question eats, consumes, or wastes a large amount of that stated by the first synthetic:
αιμοβόρος = bloody, someone with savage behaviour.
σαρκοβόρος = carnivorous
χρονοβόρος = time consuming
Conversely, the noun suffix -ar•i•an in ‘Vegeterian’ implies some kind of belief or advocacy or practising a certain discipline. It has an aura of piety, spirituality or God-given righteousness if you will. It does not refer to what you eat.
3
I sympathize with the weeknight dinner stir-fry prep challenge. One busy-day tip I employ is the "salad bar stir fry." Prepped peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, scallions, etc. are easily obtained at my supermarket salad bar - even proteins like cubed tofu and chickpeas. I most recently prepared Elaine Louie's vegan Thai curry in a matter of minutes with ingredients picked up at the grocery store salad bar. It was a hit! This is an especially appealing shortcut for those cooking for only one or two.
25
First of all, thank you Julia for mentioning my thoughts in the article. I was born and raised in strictly vegetarian family in Gujarat. My family has their own barn, and garden even today. My mother used to mill her own flour at home. Cooking is all about learning basic skills. One of the skill I always share with my followers is that cooking multiple recipes at once using Pot-in-pot method. For example, stack few whole grains of pots in one big pot and cook at once.
Cooking vegetarian food is fun to me as I welcome all cuisines in my kitchen. After all variety is the spice of life and family members will not get bored but excited when variety of food is prepared. My favorite is Mexican, Italian, Chinese and of course Indian. I also love Mediterranean cuisine. I share my cooking passion on my youtube channel and many other social media. I have my own blog, where I share my passion for cooking, traveling, gardening and more.
When I cook, I try to keep three things in mind - protein, carbohydrates and fat. It makes cooking easier when few things are broken down, for instance, what should I stock in my pantry, how much fresh produce and dairy do I need and so on. Stocking the pantry with right ingredients is the key to get excited to cook.
As Mumimor said, whole grains, beans and lentils are great. Tofu, tempeh, nuts are delicious and nutritious. Once you start following the pattern, cooking becomes stress free and a daily routine.
14
As a mostly vegetarian I would urge you to kick the shortcut menu and learn to prepare eggplant parm, white bean cassoulet, tagine recipes and learn to love sweet potatoes and yams. Put beets and pistacios in your salads. Your healthy and happy family will love you once again.
16
I love the advice in this article! However, while I recognize that this piece is specifically about cooking vegetarian, it seems silly that the author recommends shortcuts like frozen vegetables while snubbing anchovy paste and fish sauce. They are tried and true ways of adding complex, delicious flavors to any dish.
If you have ethical concerns with consuming animal products, that's one thing. But for those of us who are sliding towards vegetarianism for environmental reasons, is it really so horrible to add a single anchovy (or even a strip of responsibly-raised bacon) to your stew or stir fry?
8
@Dylan, As long as you are just cooking for yourself? No problem. But if you are cooking for an established vegetarian (my daughter) that would be an absolute no no.
Cheese should use bacterial enzymes and not rennet and forget about gelatin.
15
@Dylan--Of course, anchovy paste and fish sauce are both absolutely sky-high in sodium, so anyone whose cardiologist (for instance) has told them to watch their sodium can't eat those things anyway . . .
3
@Rob D
if you're worried about things like rennet and gelatin, that sounds more like a vegan diet than vegetarian.
besides, why would you be worried about an animal product being made with an animal product? no worries about the coagulant since cheese itself isn't on the table!
1
As an evolved omnivore ( human) if someone wants to pretend to "virtue" they can eat elsewhere - medical conditions exempted. Vegetarian/ vegan are quasi-religious fads and should be regarded as such.
"Vegetarian is an indian word for 'bad hunter'; vegan is a San bushman word for 'everything eats them'."
9
@Philip Brown
I'm assuming you are a "good hunter", and hunt every day after work
16
@Philip Brown Oh ho.ho. Vegetarianism has been around for thousands of years. A "quasi religious fad" it is not.
45
Accommodating your child's eating whims - as opposed to legitimate nutritional needs -- is bad parenting, regardless of whether it is broccoli or bacon that he won't eat. If he wants to be a vegetarian give him an apron, a cookbook and a lesson in self reliance. You are not doing right for yourself, your child or society.
27
We had a vegetarian kitchen for the same reason as you: one of the kids stopped eating meat because of the climate. It lasted for six months, but even though we are no longer strict vegetarians, we are still 80% vegetarians, and one big reason is cost. We are not going back to factory farmed meat or dairy, and when that is factored in, a meat-based diet becomes quite expensive.
I can recognize the initial confusion, though I only had to reach back to my youth, when I was a poor student and realized I could get much more boom for my buck by focusing on vegetable food.
We eat a lot of legumes. Luckily, we all like them a lot, and feel there is a lot of variation combining the multiple forms of legumes and the many recipes from different cultures we can choose from. Theres a world of difference between a Jain dal and a French lentil salad.
We eat grains, and are aware that whole grain foods are a good source of protein, as well as being more filling than processed grains, like white bread or pasta. But I don't like whole grain pasta, so when we have pasta, we splurge, food doesn't have to fulfill everything in every meal, it just has to balance over a week or something. Depending on how vegetarian we are, we eat porridge, or yogurt with müsli, or rolled oats with milk.
We try to have different choices on the table, so everyone can balance their meal according to taste. I love cooking, but so do the girls, so they are easily involved in making one or two of the options.
32
We're not vegetarian but we skew heavily toward them. I highly recommend a field trip to Pittsburgh, PA for a visit to Apteka. Vegan. Incredible. Bring friends. Order everything. Take notes. Return home and push your ingredients in the directions you loved best. You'll be glad you did.
12
@James A
Best way to learn what to cook: taste it first in friend's house or a restaurant!!
I never comment on articles, but it seems that the writer is having a lot of trouble!
Vegetarian meals center around a plate — not a single item. Think of every meal as a mini-food pyramid. You'll need a starch, a protein, vegetable(s), and healthy fat.
None of these make a complete dinner: carrots and yogurt, broccoli and bread, tomato soup and bread with cheese. They're all missing protein, and patching it up with dairy.
I'd recommend learning to cook beans, legumes, tofu, tempeh, and try out some meat substitutes. Then you can add something like marinated lentils to your carrots and yogurt; a white bean spread to your broccoli and bread; soy chorizo to your tomato soup. Marinated and baked tofu is also a great tofu-entry point!
The author is on the right track for the umami kick, but you can also look to fermented items like miso or soy sauce, seaweed, or nutritional yeast. Often all you need to do is take a couple extra minutes to salt and caramelize your onions, and make sure you use enough garlic.
Hope this is helpful for anyone who comes to this article looking for advice!
(Context: I'm a long-time vegetarian. I proudly help people eat less meat by cooking with them.)
488
@your friendly neighborhood vegetarian--
Beautiful post. Thank you. Just leaving the protein out is not going to work, and the dinners the article mentions (broccoli rabe on toast!) are not going to satiate anyone's hunger or meet their nutritional needs.
The article's author reminds me of my 15-year-old self trying to go vegetarian back in the early 70s; I just ate the vegetables and left out the meat. After about a year I was (literally) dreaming about meat every night and hungry all the time, and I went back to being a carnivore. A few years later I learned how to cook beans, tofu, etc., and have eaten a lot of vegetarian meals ever since, and no beef or other red meat since 1976.
86
I was excited by the title of the article and dismayed by the repeated assertion that cooking vegetarian meals takes more time than meat or dairy. I think it usually takes less time and clean-up.
Some time saving and flavor enhancing tips:
- kitchen scissors for quickly chopping herbs or greens (can even cut while in the pan!)
- tear greens by hand
- miso and no salt added vege bouillon
- mushrooms for depth of flavor (quick sweat on low heat with dried herbs) with greens or beans or in soups, can store in a container
- dressed chickpeas or bean salad in the fridge can be thrown on a salad or into a pan of sauteed greens
- salt is usually not necessary (give palate time to adjust) many dishes are enhanced with a squeeze of lemon and/or a drizzle of good olive oil when plated
- think of spice profiles from various cuisines (french, italian, middle eastern, thai, chinese, mexican, indian) and create a theme being creative with vegetarian substitutes (like braggs amino and black salt instead of fish sauce)
- hand blender to quickly create “creamy” toppings from nuts, beans or coconut milk fat
- lots of protein
- aim for variety of textures
- aim for variety of color throughout the week for aesthetic and nutritional value
And when in a real time pinch or case of the lazies, Amy’s frozen vegetarian dinners are great and often even better when mixed with 2 handfuls of torn greens, diced tofu and as appropriate finished with a squeeze of lime and a dash of hot sauce.
57
@your friendly neighborhood vegetarian You have nailed the problem with a plant-only diet for homo sapiens -- we are hard-wired for more protein than a casual vegetarian diet will give us. Our genome is set for 15-25% meat (or any kind, shellfish to game to insects), so to eliminate that finds plant-only eaters plating beans and nuts, nuts and beans.
If you're allergic to either nuts (quite common) or beans, you will never get enough protein. Otherwise get used to beans and nuts in great quantities.
10
"You still get to decide how to cook in your own home"
Apparently not, since one child has vetoed all your cooking.
Perhaps the right path is to cook what you and the rest of your family like, and accommodate your vegetarian with a simple non-meat entree or a variety of sides. In the spirit of inclusivity, a non meat meal for everyone a couple of times a week would be nice.
Is your child old enough to help prepare the special food they are demanding?
37
@Gerry Power Vegetarian foods are not special foods. Moving to a vegan diet is required if we want to beat climate change.
22
@Gerry Power, I was going to make this same comment. I think the author is being extremely accommodating -- does her vegetarian child understand the extra work (mental and physical both) this has meant?
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@PhoebeS There are climates that are better suited ecologically to grazing animals (bison) or deer/elk, then for growing legumes, veg, fruit, if growing for commercial consumption. So there is a place for meat. I agree that factory farming of animals is cruel and unhealthy (for the animals and eventually, for the consumers). Humans have killed off many of the top of the food chain predators, which means humans need to deal w/overpopulating deer, etc. --for sure some of the gardeners (some of them former gardeners) in the northeast would agree. Ditto anyone who's had to deal w/feral pigs in other parts of the US. In Alaska, when someone hits a deer or elk, people can sign up to recover that animal within a safe period of time. In some other states, hunters can donate all or part of their kill, thus providing others with food. http://alaskafood.org/wp-content/uploads/materials/Wild%20Game%20Food%20Donation%20and%20Recovery.pdf
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this is an excellent article so helpful on so many fronts. as an experienced cook of many years, I plunged head-first in vegetarian cooking after a health scare. my refrigerator looked like a farmer's market every week! I also cooked carnivore meals for my meat and potato loving husband and 2 sons all while working full time! you can guess how long that lasted! bit by bit I pretty much incorporated every one of your helpful points into my family's lifestyle. one extra tip: definitely broaden your culinary horizons. just about any country in the world has wonderful recipes for vegetarian dishes and they're only a Google away! and to paraphrase Ms. Moskin, be forgiving of your missteps, the vegetarian police won't come knocking at your door over a little chicken broth and grated parm!
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The way one plans a vegetarian meal is fundamentally different than planning an omnivore meal. With an omnivore meal, you first decide what protein you want to eat (beef, lamb, pork, fish, etc), and then you decide how you are going to cook it and with what starch and side vegetable. With a vegetarian meal, you first decide what starch you want to eat (rice, pasta, couscous, potato, bulgar, bread, polenta...) and then you decide what you are going to garnish it with (beans, tofu, vegetables, cheese, eggs, etc) and how you are going to cook them. For the vegetarian meal, the starch is the base, not tge vegetables or protein.
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@Kebabullah--"For the vegetarian meal, the starch is the base, not tge vegetables or protein."
-- And that's precisely why, as a pre-diabetic, I can't follow the kind of vegetarian diet you're describing. When I do (and I've tried it) my blood sugar rises alarmingly. This may work for people who are blessed with a pancreas that can handle mainly-starch meals, but for those who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, this is a recipe (pun intended) for disaster.
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@me: I agree. A recent MedScape article addressed the challenges of keto/high-protein diets for diabetic vegetarians. Essentially, a lacto-ovo-vegetarian rather than vegan diet is advisable here, and one has to go heavy on legumes. Peanuts and soybean (in the form of extra-firm tofu) are protein-rich and carb-poor, but carbohydrate-containing legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and pigeon peas are OK, because their carb content is modest, and their dietary fiber slows down the carbs' absorption.
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@Kebabullah
Thanks for your comment.
But I eat vegan with very little starch, unless you count beans as starch. I just see what I have, or see what I'm in the mood for.
The important thing is DO NOT WORRY ABOUT PROTEIN.
The protein fear is a total myth. Low protein is health-protective.
I learned this from reading "The China Study".
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It's good you want to honor your children's choices by accommodating their dietary restrictions, when you yourself, do not necessarily ascribe to them.
However, it's even better if you bring them into the kitchen, and teach them what it means to cook with these restrictions. Not as a punishment, but as a lessons in how to live and eat this way, when they are grown and on their own.
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@Nancy Goodman
I don't find vegan cooking restrictive, I find it freeing. I am not shackled to the protein myth.
It is so easy and fun and delightful to eat a vegan diet. It is freedom from the meat-centered plate.
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I am all for vegetarianism, but active humans need lots of protein in their diet. This article barely mentions how to replace the protein previously sourced from meat and fish. No wonder everyone is "peckish by 9:30". They aren't getting enough protein in their meals. How about adding seitan, tempeh, or tofu to give everyone the 25 grams per meal of protein they should have for dinner?
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@Rob D--Precisely. "A pile of lemony broccoli rabe on grilled bread is dinner"????? If I ate only that for dinner, I would still be ravenously hungry right there at the table, let alone 2 hours later. If you're not going to eat meat or dairly, then add some tofu, for Pete's sake!!
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@Rob D
With all due respect, you are incorrect and need to do more research.
Read "The China Study" if you are really interested in your idea of protein being challenged.
I have monitored my nutrients over the past few years of eating vegan. I always eat a sufficient amount of protein, with no beyond or impossible or any other fake meat.
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@RW, I think that active adults who get excercise, work out and stress their muscles as they should need more protein than those sedentary or less active adults. Muscle loss is extremely easily to accomplish.
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My husband is a vegetarian and was raised vegan; while I am not, we eat nearly exclusively vegetarian/vegan meals at home (and don't normally need to eat a snack later). I think you'll find that once you get used to the wonderful variety and star potential of vegetables, you'll not regret the change (nor feel stymied by it). We get fast meals on the table all the time, and I actually find it takes me longer to prepare meat dishes than vegetarian ones. A few suggestions:
1) Gussy up a beluga lentil stew by serving it in roasted squash--one of my favorite NY Times recipes!
2) Add protein and texture to your bean chili with delicious cashews (this is from the Yale dining hall--I never would have thought to do this, but they add a really nice change in texture)
3) Add nuts to things you didn't think needed nuts
4) Tofu scramble, heavy on the spices and with some tasty frozen peas, makes for a great vegan breakfast--and I say this as an avowed egg lover
5) A new favorite meal (that admittedly does take longer to prepare) is homemade pita, homemade hummus, a whole roasted cauliflower with roasted green onions, and carrots cooked with anise and lemon. Not a weeknight special, but such a festive, colorful, and delicious meal for sharing!
6) Since you're hopefully going to be eating lots of beans (I love beans!), you might consider signing up on the waitlist for the Rancho Gordo Bean Club. It's the best!
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I am so sick of restaurants and sandwich shops thing vegetarian means take out the meat and put a piece of vegetable in it (e.g. portobello mushrooms). Where is the protein? Or smear some hummus on and think that’s a good protein source (2 table spoons only have 3g, while the same amount of peanut butter has 8 grams).
I am not vegetarian, but I like to eat vegetarian from time to time, it does not entice me to choose vegetarian if the options are poor.
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@Friendly Um, restaurants can make and serve whatever they want. It's ok if some people don't like what they have.
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@Friendly See what vegetarian restaurants are around. Restaurants serve what they want. If all vegetarians ate were portobello mushrooms, we'd all be dead.
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This article subtly makes an important point which is that too many vegetarian recipes simply try to make a “swap” for meat as if trying to make up for a lack of meat. A balanced vegetarian meal actually does look different because it is less focused on a “main course” with side dishes and instead is made up of equally important components. Think of Indian food which may include rice, dal, raita, various stir fried or otherwise sauced vegetables. In this sense, Indian cuisine is likely the only global cuisine that is inherently vegetarian and does not try to make a substitution for meat.
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@Maya EV: I agree partially with you, but Indian isn't the only one. The abundance of meat (largely through factory farming, alas) is relatively recent. For many cultures - even impoverished parts of Europe - meat was an infrequent luxury, with almost no part of the slaughtered animal wasted. So a cuisine's vegetarian components had to evolve too.
In addition to Indian/South Asian, vegetarians should consider learning Middle Eastern,Turkish, Mexican, East Asian Buddhist and West African (Nigerian/Senegalese) recipes. In the last, peanuts, introduced from South America, are an important protein source.
Legumes of different kinds absorb 2-4 times their dry weight in water (use keyword search at https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list for protein content of of various dry vs. cooked legumes). When you buy canned legumes, you pay mostly for the water content. So, invest in a pressure-cooker/instant pot, which will shorten cooking time to 1/3.
Even with an instant pot, soak legumes in water, plus a pinch of salt, overnight first. (See Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking" for legume-cooking tips.) This step, requiring only planning, halves cooking time compared to non-soaked legumes, and avoids infamous failures like https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018592-best-black-bean-soup, where numerous readers complained of undercooked beans even after 2 hours-plus of cooking.
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@Maya EV--Inherently vegetarian, but *very* heavy on the dairy. The Indian cooks I've known all used copious amounts of butter in just about every dish, not to mention paneer (my favorite). The author of the article was trying to cut back on dairy as well, and Indian cuisine won't help with that.
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@ Maya EV Washington DC
"side dishes ... made up of equally important components".
Not being a vegetarian at all, I like your suggestion. There are such meals as the Spanish tapas and Lebanese mezze. The Russians have their great assortments of "zakuski", various hors d'oeuvre.
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Dear Julia,
Your comment " that would be professionally untenable" to become a vegetarian--is that true? You've devised many lovely veg recipes over the years as I can attest from making them at home! You could let your colleagues concentrate on recipes focused on animals while you create plant-based ones unless you don't wish to of course. That's different. Thank you and your colleagues for publishing those wonderful plant-based recipes.
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Stop propagating the lie that dairy is harmful when it's not. Point in fact it's one of the best things for you. Milk is the best hydrator, not water. And milk and milk by-products provide essential vitamins and other nutrients we need along with good fat. Anyone of Indo-European descent whose ancestors evolved in the snowbelt need dairy and for good reason. Dairy is the reason your ancestors were able to survive and prosper.
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@Sparky Harmful for the environment, not for you body. The context was environmental impact.
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@Sparky LOLOL, that's funny. Let's see what nutrients you get from milk if the government didn't force farmers to add in vitamins and minerals. Cow's breast milk is about as nutritious as non-dairy alternatives. It's the added-in nutrition that makes it healthier, which is also why soy milk is about as nutritious now.
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@Sparky - Dairy = Cows = Horrible for our environment. Nothing magic about milk nutrition-wise. Nobody "needs" it, no matter where U'r grandma's from.
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The last paragraph, "stop living in fear," is pretty rude. If you're cooking for a vegetarian but decide "labeling laws" don't apply, you're willfully ignoring your child's decisions and being an unsupportive parent. As someone who went vegetarian, and then vegan, at age 13 and was the only one in my family who didn't eat meat, there were plenty of times when I had to stand up for myself and say that no, I can't ignore chicken stock, and no I can't just eat around the meat. Show your children, and other people in your life who are vegetarian, some respect.
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@Meghan As a child I was taught that if I didn't like what was being served for dinner, I should go make something myself. My mother was not a personal chef catering to a 13 year old.
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@Gerry Power same here, I would never allow my child, or anyone, to dictate to me like that in my kitchen.
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It is ridiculous to suggest that to show respect for the child requires strict compliance with his whims ... apparently without respect for the work of the cook or the preferences of other eaters. Ms. Moskin can respect her child's preferences without slavishly catering to them, and her child needs to respect that he lives in a world with others.
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Nutritional yeast should become your new best friend as it will add a lot of flavor to a variety of dishes. And a few varieties of vegetable sautes (perhaps with the addition of tempeh or tofu), as well as frittatas, make getting dinner on the table much more manageable.
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@JBC
It's also rich in many other nutrients, such as B12, zinc, and folate. I think it's a miracle ingredient!
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You might want to try marinating and baking large chunks of tofu. You can get a nice tasty crust on it, maybe do some roasted veggies at the same time. Cook a pot of pilaf or couscous while that’s happening. All done in less than an hour. You can swap out the marinades from Asian to Provençal for variety, as well as the veg.
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While I admire your willingness to learn about preparing vegetarian food, you are still missing one very major point that every non-vegetarian gets wrong. Vegetarianism is not merely REMOVING meat from a dish. It's about REPLACING. Vegetarians want PROTEIN in a meal and merely removing the protein is a lazy, thoughtless approach. True creativity involves finding a plant based protein that replaces and enhances the dish. It seems that all of your featured recipes are pretty much devoid of protein or are dishes that merely omitted the meat. Oh, and parmesan cheese is created with rennet, which is NOT vegetarian!
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@EdRenner-free parmesan cheese is available.
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@Ed
so, cheese... from an animal... is OK as long as it doesn't have rennet... from an animal?
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@Jane Dough Rennet-free cheese is OK if you're a vegetarian, but not if you're a vegan
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What Vegetarians and Vegans Get Wrong About Vegetarian Cooking:
I am an ovo-lacto vegetarian. I too am concerned about the impact of factory farming on the environment. But I am also very informed about where my food comes from, how it was grown/raised, and for any processed foods (pasta or the occasional veggie burger for example) how it was processed. Because just removing meat and dairy from your diet doesn't matter if you are still purchasing mainstream and therefore still supporting BigAg and BigFood. And no I am not necessarily saying buy all organic, because organic does not automatically guarantee animal welfare nor land/soil stewardship.
Do your due diligence, do your research. Yes, it requires more effort. And yes, I realize that not everyone has the same access to variety of choice. But on this day of Global Climate Protest, THINK: factory farming pollution extends far beyond livestock and poultry to our crops and how that soil/water/air is managed or mismanaged.
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@CaliNative: The late and beloved Anthony Bourdain, in an essay in his book "The Nasty Bits" pointed out that the same giant agribusinesses that give us mass-market insecticide-loaded foods are also major players in the US Organic Food Industry. He likened this to a Mafia thug breaking your legs and then offering to sell you a pair of crutches. So it would be important to research the company behind a particular organic brand.
Don't rely on Whole Foods to screen suppliers for you: even before their acquisition by Amazon, their anti-union behavior was in line with their focus on profits over people. See https://medium.com/@MatthewTHunt/whole-foods-hired-far-right-wing-activist-as-union-buster-dd46bee7c854 .
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Part of the vegan ethos is limiting purchase of prepared, branded products, and not buying food in pretty boxes packaged by corporate ag.
In our mostly vegetarian family we buy all beans and grains in bulk, make our own granola, and buy fresh veggies from a produce market. We’ve been doing this for 35 years, share the cooking, plan meals for the week on the weekend, and it doesn’t take any more time than a meat
diet.
Per the comment on protein below, which always arises when discussing vegetarian cooking, protein needs are variable, but let's assume the average person needs 60 grams of protein a day. That won't come from a single meal. A protein shake in the morning, an egg and one serving of yogurt during the day almost constitutes the RDA. Adding tofu, edamame, chickpeas or lentils to any of these recipes except the tomato soup will bump up the protein. As a society we have become obsessed with "protein", but my guess is that the average American more than meets their daily protein needs and could stand to cut back on the meat. Subbing out a meat dish with a vegetarian meal with less protein once a day isn't going to kill anyone.
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@Amy Christine--"Subbing out a meat dish with a vegetarian meal with less protein once a day isn't going to kill anyone."
Perhaps not, but it will leave many people almost as hungry as when they sat down to the meal. I could eat 3 plates of green salad and a plateful of steamed broccoli and I'd still feel as though I'd eaten almost nothing. For me--and for many others--hunger only goes away with sufficient protein in the meal OR with a lot, and I do mean a LOT, of starch. Since I'm pre-diabetic, filling up on starch is most definitely not a good idea. Protein isn't an add-on; it's essential.
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@ Amy Christine, 60 grams of protein a day would be adequate for sedentary male perhaps but not for an active male, especially if one wants to build muscle to any degree or even maintain it. I'm 65 and pretty active and make sure I get more than 60 grams. A protein and veg shake after a workout is extremely helpful. That's almost 30 right there, which is about the max amount of protein the body can absorb at one sitting.
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@Amy Christine
Your guess is supported by scientific evidences
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Where is the protein? I love and cook many vegetables, including the ones that we grow in our garden. However, these recipes are dramatically short on complete proteins. The combination of individual amino acid building blocks that make a complete protein should be the first thing any cook/eater turning towards vegetarian/vegan food should learn. Without this understanding, vegetarian/vegan diets are not healthier, especially for still growing and developing teens and young adults. Folks need to educate themselves on this.
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@SCAL Cook All vegetables and plants contain some source of protein and our bodies are very good at breaking them down into their amino acid components and synthesizing them into the complete proteins our bodies require. However, you are in a sense correct that not all plant based protein and indeed not all protein is equal. Certain legumes are more protein dense and offer proteins and amino acids than say a zucchini. However it is also important to note that there are amino acids (as well as fatty acids and other nutrients) that are available only from meat and dairy sources that are not found in any vegetable or legume sources. So there in lies the challenge when growing bodies particularly need these nutrients. Consider hummingbirds for example, that as adults thrive on nectar (and perhaps a few insects) yet their chicks require a steady diet of protein rich insects...
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@SCAL Cook: I agree with you: these recipes lack protein. Vegetarian food doesn't have to be protein-deficient: Indian cooking uses a variety of legumes - beans, chickpeas, lentils, pigeon peas, etc.., and soybean, in various forms, has become popular in the last 30 years. Indian vegetarians, however, consume milk and often "English" (i.e., unfertilized) eggs as well.
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@SCAL Cook
all kind of legumes, nuts, and dairy such as yogurt, cheese and are good source of protein.
Veg or non veg-the argument has around as long as I can remember!! Born in staunch vegetarian family, been vegetarian more than half century, I know it can be done.
As mother of vegan daughter and meat loving son and husband, I say live and let others live and I try not to hold any prejudice. There is no right way or wrong way on moral or nutritional grounds providing one follows food pyramid.
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Except, of course, for one's children becoming vegetarian, all the other sharers of the living space with the cook of the house might elsewell seek their nourishment elsewhere. Vegetarianism in itself is a flexible diet: it ranges from the very strict Jains to the medieval Cathars who ate fish.
I am a panphage or omnivore tending to meat, but I admire the dualistic faith of the Manicheans and Cathars in life as Eternal Struggle of Good and Evil.
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