Quorn

jackieha

I am a newbie veggie, just gave up meat in March of this year. Been absolutely lashing on the weight since then up nearly a stone. Was talking with a friend last night and mentioned that I'm really trying to be good, I am eating a very varied diet etc, and a lot of Quorn both the chicken and mince pieces, plus the ready meals they make i.e. cottage pie, escalopes etc, she reckons that's why I'm putting on the weight as the ready meals etc are very high in bad fats :eek: Is this true does anyone know I am feeling quite down about the whole thing, I just seem to be hungry and tired all the time :eek: I would have been a hugh meat eater all my life, is this just an adjustment period ????

flikflak

I am no expert by any means but I would think that after 6 months your body should have adjusted to the veggie diet.

Any processed foods and ready meals are not good to be eating regularly. You should aim to make everything from scratch and use fresh ingredients. Were you preparing all your meals from scratch before the switch? If you were and are now relying on ready meals and processed muck then it’s no wonder you have increased in weight.

While the odd ready meal once a month or whatever is not going to do you much harm eating them regularly is not a good idea.

A common myth is that vegetarian = healthy. Why does it not? Too many vegetarians rely on processed substitutes, ready meals and do not educate themselves on nutrition and cooking a healthy balanced diet.

I would suggest doing some research on what a balanced veggie diet includes and also get a few handy staple recipes under your belt. Things like curries, chillis, stews and soups that use fresh veggies, beans and pulses are all great for making and using/freezing.

There are endless resources on the internet for recipes and nutrition advice. The stickies here and on the health and fitness board should point you in the right direction. Any questions on things mentioned in the stickies? Just ask -people on this board are a great resources of helpful info.

Asphyxia

I agree, I'm also a new vegetarian and what I found helpful was planning meals for the week before going shopping, I did some research on the internet of ingredients and I'm making proper dinners instead of purchasing micro meals

Tonight I'm making lasagna, I've got loads of veggies, mushrooms, carrots, onions etc. a bag of quorn mince and a lasagna starter pack. I think in all it cost me about 7 Eur for everything which is great price and will make a nice big dinner for me and my bf.

While I think the substitute meat is great you don't have to count on it, there is handy little recipes for pasta dishes that you can make. I made a beautiful broccoli and mushroom dish the other day for the first time and I was impressed.

I've been a proper veggie for just over a week now and when I stepped on the scales this morning I went down three pounds

Asphyxia

I agree, I'm also a new vegetarian and what I found helpful was planning meals for the week before going shopping, I did some research on the internet of ingredients and I'm making proper dinners instead of purchasing micro meals

Tonight I'm making lasagna, I've got loads of veggies, mushrooms, carrots, onions etc. a bag of quorn mince and a lasagna starter pack. I think in all it cost me about 7 Eur for everything which is great price and will make a nice big dinner for me and my bf.

While I think the substitute meat is great you don't have to count on it, there is handy little recipes for pasta dishes that you can make. I made a beautiful broccoli and mushroom dish the other day for the first time and I was impressed.

I've been a proper veggie for just over a week now and when I stepped on the scales this morning I went down three pounds

jackieha

Thanks guys....guess I need to do some more research !!! I had thought that just increasing and varying my veg intake would sort it out, but they don't fill me up as much as meat did, which is I guess why I'm so hungry all the time. I've goggled a little today and realise I need to stock up more on the pulses/lentils side of things as they provide the protein I need and also will make me feel fuller. I'm heading out to the Asia Market on Drury St tomorrow to stock up on Tofu and some other stuff. Fortunately I do love to cook, and was considered quite a good one (when I cooked meat)...so I aim to be a good veggie cook now :-)

Clare Bear

Try going for the healthier Quorn options instead of the ready meal ones. The lasagnes and cottage pies aren't the healthiest obviously. Try the sausages, chicken pieces. Anything without batter.

jackieha

Clare Bear wrote: »

Try going for the healthier Quorn options instead of the ready meal ones. The lasagnes and cottage pies aren't the healthiest obviously. Try the sausages, chicken pieces. Anything without batter.

It looks like that was where I was going wrong BIG time lol :P just because it said on the box "low in fat" "healthier than meat" etc I assumed it really was low in fat and was having some form of Quorn substitute every night, mainly the lovely chicken escalopes in breadcrumbs with garlic, or with brocalli and cheese etc.... Lesson learned - I'm not buying any more of the "ready" quorn, just the mince and the chicken pieces

flikflak

^ Great stuff - you will be a super veggie cook in no time

Maybe have a look at the cook book Appetite for Reduction - just google it!

jackieha

flikflak wrote: »

^ Great stuff - you will be a super veggie cook in no time

Maybe have a look at the cook book Appetite for Reduction - just google it!

Thank you, will do

jackieha

flikflak wrote: »

^ Great stuff - you will be a super veggie cook in no time

Maybe have a look at the cook book Appetite for Reduction - just google it!

Thank you sooooooo much for the recommendation, I ordered this and got delivery on Monday;) I've already picked out 3 dishes that I can't wait to try (just need to get a couple of the ingredients that aren't in my store cupboard) they sound delicious and are low in calories.... Hopefully I'll be able to fit back into my jeans pretty soon :P Thanks again x

flikflak

No worries! Let us know how you get on and post lots of pics!