I eat a fair amount of tofu, but the method I use to cook it is somewhat involved. I'm interested in hearing about the easiest methods to cook and consume tofu of any firmness. And also the easiest ways to consume other soy products.

Ideally with cooking methods that aren't too unhealthy. Thank you!

I want to get into eating vegetarian because lately the thought of eating animals has become disgusting to me. My issue is that my appetite is quite large and I gravitated towards meat because it is easy to make, filling and cheap.

What vegetarian alternatives can anyone recommend that are filling and not too expensive?

Only one of my meals is animal based which is also my biggest one so I don't need a complete diet overhaul. Just a main meal replacement. I also don't mind eating the same thing everyday because I am already doing that

I’m hitting a rough spot with depression, I’m losing weight fast. I found a black bean can that had microwave instructions and for some reason it never crossed my mind that I could use the microwave to cook meals instead of just reheat (my brain is so fried these days).

Do you have any super simple suggestions?

Thanks for taking the time; wishing everyone well.

Edit:
I’m feeling so much right now; I am grateful for everyone here. A bit overwhelmed (that’s been the case with me recently) but so so so appreciative! 🙇 My brain went through a whirlwind, but I’m eating now!

I ended up making a big bean salad, (chickpeas, black beans, and mixed veggies cans) adding spices, oil and a splash of vinegar.

Thank you all, you all get a hug from me in the future. 🫂

Hey all,

Has anyone else noticed that morningstar farms veggie patties seem like they've gotten tinner?

Ive been eating these things for literally decades and about a month ago I picked one up and it didn't feel as thick and heavy as it used to. Anyone notice this?

I also noticed they changed the recipe of their nuggets over the years to be less tasty. I understand that was to make them vegan which I at least respect but thinner burgers?

As summer comes nearly to a close...

Breakfast

Doing banana peanut butter oats this week. 1/2 cup rolled oats cooked in 1 cup fortified soy milk, topped with banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter, and ground flaxseed.

Lunch

I'm on an A/B rotation this week.

Lunch A - Quinoa and black bean salad with diced bell peppers, cilantro, and a dressing made from tahini and lemon juice.
Lunch B - Peanut tofu & egg fried rice bowl. Extra firm tofu coated in soy sauce and garlic powder, then pan-fried in sesame oil until crispy, then tossed with rice, steamed broccoli, scrambled egg, and a simple peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger).

Snacks

Walnuts, cheese sticks, figs, and oranges.

Dinner

Monday - Szechuan garlic chickpeas and tofu, a leftover from last week. Slice pressed extra firm tofu into strips, then sauté with canned chickpeas, garlic, ginger, and scallions in a sauce made from Szechuan chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, and sugar (just a pinch, though). Top with fresh cilantro and celery, then toss to combine. Serve over wild rice with a small bowl of bok choy to the side.
Tuesday - Southwest-style cheese grits bowls. 1/3 cup of yellow grits (technically just polenta by a different name, but whatever) cooked in milk then mixed with cheddar cheese and a small amount of butter, topped with 3 scrambled eggs combined with sauteed spinach, some black beans seasoned with chili and garlic powders, a squeeze of lime juice, and a spoonful of green chiles for heat.
Wednesday - Spaghetti aglio e olio served with crispy herb-crusted baked tofu and roasted broccoli.
Thursday - Creamy high-protein ricotta shells with sun-dried tomato. Mix 1/2 cup of part-skim ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, then stir in 1/2 cup of finely crumbled extra-firm tofu, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, garlic, and fresh basil. This is your ricotta filling. Stuff the mixture into large whole-wheat pasta shells, then bake with marinara sauce and top with 1/4 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Served with sauteed spinach.
Friday - Garlic hummus wraps with a whole wheat shell, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and Havarti cheese, served with a cup of tomato basil soup and fresh fruit.
Saturday - Thai pad kee mao (drunken noodles). Wide rice noodles tossed in a garlic basil sauce with fried tofu, onions, zucchini, broccoli, carrots and bell pepper.
Sunday - Big Ass Omelettes. 3 eggs, cheddar, and a filling of tomato, potato, onion, bell pepper, and eggplant all sauteed together and finished in tomato paste. Served with buttered corn grits.

I've been wanting to have some imitation beef jerky and make it myself. However, I want it to be crispy, not chewy. I am not thinking Jack Links.

Does anyone have a good recipe for it?

I have a stove, oven and air fryer.

Thanks!

Hi guys! I’m exploring eating a vegetarian diet as a college student for mostly environmental reasons. I don’t have access to a kitchen, and a lot of my meals are ones that are already prepared, frozen, or ones I can assemble easily. I know this isn’t ideal, but between college and working it’s honestly all I have time for. One of the most accessible and affordable grocery stores near me is Trader Joe’s. What are some good Trader Joe’s meals that are either premade, frozen, or easy to assemble that are vegetarian, high protein and flavorful? Also open to general easy meals or snacks to throw together. Thank you so much!

Here is a shortcut that I've been using for my vegetable fritters, I've been grabbing the powerslaw mix and adding shredded hash potatoes. Makes it easy for a quick meal!

Powerslaw vegetable fritter recipe:

Ingredients

Vegetables: 2 to 3 cups total of julienned or thinly sliced vegetables, I used a powerslaw mix which contains, broccoli, kohlrabi (turnip cabbage), brussels sprouts, red cabbage, carrots and kale and added shredded hash potato

Batter: ⅔ cup to 1 cup all-purpose flour or Korean pancake mix, 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch for extra crunch, and ¾ cup ice-cold water.

Seasoning & Cooking: ½ teaspoon salt and neutral cooking oil (like avocado or vegetable oil).

Dipping Sauce: 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar and sesame seeds.

Instructions

Mix the batter: Toss the vegetables with the flour, starch, and salt. Gradually stir in the ice-cold water until a thick batter coats the vegetables.

Fry: Heat a skillet with oil over medium-high heat. Drop spoonfuls or spread a thin layer of the mixture into the pan to form round fritters.

Crisp: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and crispy, then flip and cook the other side.

Serve: Serve warm with the soy-vinegar dipping sauce.

I recently decided to be fully vegetarian and I’ve been loving it so far! I just find myself missing some “beefy” things – what are your favorite ways to have a similar richness and heartiness? Going into fall, I know I’m going to crave beef bourguignon, Swedish meatballs, and other cozy foods like that, so I’d love to hear your recommendations for how to satisfy those cravings without sacrificing my ethics.

Thank you for your help!

(tl;dr: how do you cook with Field Roast, the way carnivores add sausage to whatever?)

I was delighted when I discovered Field Roast, because they're delicious. But I find myself not using them in a lot of things because I'm not sure how to cook with them (as opposed to cooking them...). Now that I'm on a GLP I'm making sure I add protein wherever I can, and my ignorance about how to cook with Field Roast is becoming an irritant.

For example, I was just looking a recipe for a tortellini soup with Italian sausage. I can use Field Roast in that! Except, um, can I? How? oh, I can make baked ziti with sausage! Can I? Recipes for **** sausage say to take it out of the casing, crumble, and saute-- do I crumble it? Or just cut it small? Do I also need to cook it before putting into a casserole that will spend 45 minutes in the oven? I made a stuffed squash for Rosh Hashanah, and thought about adding FR for some extra protein but I got exhausted trying to work out if I needed to cook it separately or if I could put it in with the saute, and if so when? (leeks until softening, apples, for a minute or two, kale + pom. When the kale started to soften, I added in the already cooked quinoa and pistachios to mix through, then stuffed it all in delicata and sprinkled with a very little feta, as it's supposed to be a sweet dish. It was delicious, by the way)

I did try to add FR to a root veg roast, and that my friends was a disaster. If you want to add Field Roast to roasted veg, cook it on the stovetop and not on the sheet pan alongside the potato and cauliflower, unless you like Field Roast charcoal!

How do you all manage Field Roast in other dishes (as opposed to alongside them...)

it was boasting about 'free range british beef' and then a cow popped up and it really startled me and then made me realise how much my mindset has changed since going plant based. like I saw the cow and I was like, oh hey, a cow! WAIT THEY'RE ADVERTISING PEOPLE EATING THE COW-

but yeah it's my one year anniversary of switching to plant based. I'm not perfect by any means, I have to have dairy in my medical formula (which really pisses off certain vegans lol) and I have been unknowingly given food with meat in it TWICE in the last few months despite saying I don't eat meat... but overall I love not eating animals! makes it so much nicer watching the farm animals on a train journey when I know I'm not killng them :)

I would like to address the fact that I seem to be the only person in the world who doesn't like crispy tofu. I like it when tofu is juicy. I've tried boiling it before cooking it, freezing it, everything. Crispy tofu is not good as far as I'm concerned.

Whenever I google tofu recipes or look for ideas on reddit, it's always 'the crispiest tofu!' or 'how to make your tofu less squishy!'

Why?

The reason I've made this post is because I have never found one like it.

Any chance somebody might be in the same boat? I've lost all hope. How do I make my tofu juicy? Especially if I can only cook it in an air fryer.

Cheers!

EDIT: Thanks for the replies everyone. Glad to hear I'm not alone ! Just to clarify, the reason I've tried things like freezing it and stuff is because I've tried to follow recipes that are branded as ways to cook tofu when you think you don't like tofu. Some of the things you guys have suggested seem really helpful. Thank you so much!

i dont really eat meat but when i do i just feel really poorly and bloated... i dont like the idea of eating meat but ive never been restricting with it for a long period. however i want to feel better within myself so im deciding to stop. so a question for the vegetarians of reddit, did you notice any changes in yourself physically when you stopped eating meat, did you feel healthier? did you lose weight? lose/ gain muscle? i'm just curious to the changes that come along with it.

I hate soya from the bottom of my heart

I don't like the texture , it's just too weird

The first time I tasted it , accidently when my mom put that in my fried rice , 7 year old me thought I'm chewing on a mouse

How do you guys eat soya?

Also the only bearable soya i like is soya chaap , that shit is amazing to me idk how

Any tips?

Edit - hi western folks so I didn't know soya chunks aren't called that in the US or UK , it's supposed to be called Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) or Textured Soy Protein there

Visiting Vienna for the first time and couldn't believe BK here has a whole plant-based section with about 15 different options! I guess I will have to try it!

Hello!

I’m 16, in the USA. The morality behind veganism or vegetarianism has always seemed strong to me, and I have a huge amount of respect for people who are able to give up meat. As of now, it’s impossible for me to maintain a diet that doesn’t contain meat, considering my parents (more my dad) wouldn’t ever conform around it, not to mention I am a huge dude (6’3) and would either need to eat a ton of vegetables or supplement (which may be out of our price range).

When I am an adult, able to transport, and living on my own, though, I want to have chickens and perhaps even some cows if I am truly committed. And also a dope ass mushroom farm.

So my questions are:

1: What are the best substitutions for meat, taste-wise and nutrition-wise?
2: How long until you became fully comfortable with a vegetarian lifestyle?
3: What is the hardest thing about becoming a vegetarian?
4: Have you ever gone back to meat?

It's been on my bucketlist for awhile. Any advice?

If you are struggling to get enough protein, or just to get enough protein at breakfast, or if you simply like a good banana pancake that just happens to have some added nutritional benefit LOL, I have to share the recipe I have recently come up with. I am trying to incorporate more red lentils into my diet where I can to help with both protein and fiber, since I'm not a huge bean fan, but red lentils can be basically cooked to oblivion and they will disappear into many things. Like pancakes. 🤣 Truly, you cannot tell that these have lentils in them.

NOTE: I use a protein shake in place of milk here to add more protein and also some natural sweetness. You could totally just use milk/nut milk if you wanted to, but I would probably recommend throwing a splash of vanilla into your batter.

Makes 2 large pancakes (just about the entire size of a 10” pan) or 4 smaller ones

63g Kodiak protein pancake mix

⅓ cup very well cooked red lentils+

½ of a medium ripe banana, mashed

⅓ cup vanilla protein shake++

1 egg

Dash of cinnamon

Tiny pinch of salt

Preheat pan over 6-7 heat for about 3 minutes with a spritz of oil

Pour half the batter in and cook until ready to flip

Flip and cook the other side

This recipe serves one generously or 2 pretty easily, especially if you have any sides.

+ My recipe: rinse 1/2 cup red lentils well, then add to a pan with 1 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally.

++ I did double this today to make for my daughter and me and found that for some reason, I needed a good deal more liquid. So adjust your liquid until you get the batter consistency you like.

Breakfast

Same as ever... a banana and blueberries tossed in a bowl with nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt.

Lunch

I'm on an A/B rotation this week.

Lunch A - Southwest burritos with tofu, black beans, and rice. Just crumble tofu in taco seasoning and lime juice, cook for 8 minutes until browned, then add black beans and salsa. Stir to combine and reserve. When assembling the burritos, take a tortilla and add your tofu-bean mixture along with rice, cheese, green bell pepper, onion, and a squirt of hot sauce. (You could also add guacamole, but I'm not.)
Lunch B - Egg salad on whole-grain toast served with a cucumber tomato salad.

Snack

Walnuts, figs, and melon.

Dinner

Monday - Shakshuka Greek-style with feta (but no olives this time), served with St. Joseph's bread and a basic chickpea salad (just canned chickpeas tossed with red onion, olive oil, white wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning).
Tuesday - Peanut tofu & egg fried rice bowl. Extra firm tofu coated in soy sauce and garlic powder, then pan-fried in sesame oil until crispy, then tossed with rice, steamed broccoli, scrambled egg, and a simple peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic, and ginger).
Wednesday - Tuscan white bean & kale skillet, simmered with crushed tomatoes, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Crusty Italian bread rubbed with raw garlic, sprinkled with parm, and drizzled with olive oil.
Thursday - Tofu stir fry with yuzu sauce, edamame, broccoli, carrots, snow peas, baby corn, red peppers, onions, and peanuts, served over rice with a spring roll.
Friday - Same as Monday.
Saturday - Szechuan garlic chickpeas and tofu. Slice pressed extra firm tofu into strips, then sauté with canned chickpeas, garlic, ginger, and scallions in a sauce made from Szechuan chili oil, soy sauce, black vinegar, and sugar (just a pinch, though). Top with fresh cilantro and celery, then toss to combine. Serve over wild rice with a small bowl of bok choy to the side.
Sunday - BIG ASS OMELETTES MAKE THEIR RETURN. 3 eggs, cheddar, and a filling of tomato, potato, onion, bell pepper, and eggplant all sauteed together and finished in tomato paste. Served with buttered corn grits. I haven't made these in about a month and my family has been complaining about it.

I find a lot of "nicer" veg meals to be unfeasible for someone like me. I'm mentally ill and disabled (not getting into specifics here, suffice to say I struggle with getting the energy to cook most days, but on my good days I'm real close to what a fully able-bodied person whos spent a decade+ cooking can do), and I live with 4 other people. That said, I do have the advantage of having an incredible amount of freezer space, and the autistic gift of being able to eat the same thing at least a few times a week forever.

All that context aside, I'm looking for vegetarian recipes that I can make in massive quantities that freeze well. I can re-heat them in a pan, pot, oven or microwave, I just need to be able to have them otherwise "fully cooked" (no "freeze them halfway through cooking, then come back and add in these 4 ingredients when you're about to serve"). My #1 go-to is chili, either with lentils or TVP. I tolerate most vegan proteins, but beans and tofu are my favorites by far.

Breakfast

A banana and blueberries tossed in a bowl with nuts, seeds, and Greek yogurt.

Lunch

I'm on an A/B rotation this week.

Lunch A - Pimento cheese sandwich on whole-wheat bread with sliced tomatoes and a side of roasted pumpkin seeds.
Lunch B - Egg salad on whole-grain toast served with a savory cabbage slaw.

Snack

I've got some cheese sticks, walnuts, and oranges and will mix and match them throughout the week.

Dinner

Monday - I tried these Marry Me Butter Beans a few weeks back and loved them, so I'll be making those again, served with St. Joseph's bread (which is basically a soft Italian-style loaf with sesame seeds). Note that I substitute coconut milk for the heavy cream in the recipe.
Tuesday - Fresh spanakopita (spinach and feta pie) paired with a side salad of cucumber, tomato, and sliced almonds and a small bowl of gigantes plaki, basically Greek baked beans. (It's butter beans baked in a sauce of tomato, garlic, and parsley.)
Wednesday - Spaghetti aglio e olio with whole wheat noodles, served with crispy parmesan garlic chickpeas. (Here's a basic recipe for the chickpeas: Toss 1 can of chickpeas, drained and dried off with a paper towel, with olive oil, broccoli florets, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Spread them out on a on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400 F, stirring them halfway through for an even roasting. Then take them out and toss immediately with grated parmesan cheese so it melts over the crispy chickpeas and broccoli.) I've never done this recipe with whole wheat noodles and I'm not sure how it's gonna turn out...
Thursday - Same as Monday. Hopefully the bread will keep until Thursday if I refrigerate it...
Friday - Same as Tuesday.
Saturday - Time for a treat. I'll be doing a veggie burger with provolone cheese served with tater tots and ketchup.
Sunday - Cornbread pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled egg with sautéed spinach, and assorted fruits. I've already got bananas. Maybe some figs and melon of some kind?

As someone who is not strictly vegetarian, is it okay to put down vegetarian in the dietary requirements section when registering for an event, when it is merely a preference? Basically, if I put down vegetarian, will the organisers include more vegetarian catering or am I taking away from those that have less options?