Hello

I really really need some help planning out meals.
I don't eat any type of meat or fish and never have. I feel I'm very unhealthy with the way I eat and I don't have the money to go to a special nutritionist.
I'm not looking to loose weight (although that would be lovely) I'm just looking to get healthy. I have noticed over just this past year that the dark circles under my eyes are .... like sinking and getting very bad. I have no energy whatsoever and have to take a TON of energy pills just to move.

Is there anyone willing to make sort of a .... menu type thing for me telling me what I should eat - breakfast/lunch/dinner - to get all the vitamins I need and whatnot.

I know this is asking a lot but it can't hurt to throw it out there and see if anyone replys.

I'm in need of some MAJOR help.

Thanks in advance.

What does your current diet consist of? How much do you exercise/get activity? What kind of foods do you like/dislike/have access to/can afford/can prepare, etc?

I'm a vegetarian as well....I became one about 7 or 8 months ago

I consider myself to be quite healthy. I always eat fruits and veggies, eat nuts, use soymilk (some say its bad some say its good :confused: ). I don't think its that hard to eat right (even if you dont eat meat).

I would also like to know what your diet consists of right now (this will be better for me to help you :) )

Want2Be,

An important question is, are you a VEGAN? Or do you eat eggs and dairy?

Hey there,
Like others have said, it would help to know what your diet is like now.
I'm also a long-term vegetarian, (and have been vegan for the last several years).

The following things help me to feel more energetic:

1.when i stopped eating dairy (i was very into cheese), i had some much-needed weightloss and felt much more energetic. i'm at a normal weight now, although i wouldn't mind losing another five or ten pounds.

2. B vitamins... Fortified soymilks and cereals, Luna bars, and nutritional yeast are good sources of B vitamins including B12, which help you to maintain a healthy nervous system, sleep better, etc.

3. Essential Fatty Acids, especially omega 3's... Try adding some ground flax seeds or flax oil, wheat germ, or flax cereal, etc. to your diet. The omega 3's help to give you mental clarity, support your memory, and boost your overall sense of vitality.

4. Drink LOTS of water, and get some exercise every day, even if that just means shooting hoops in the driveway for 20 minutes, or going for a short walk before breakfast, etc.

5. Decrease the amount of sugary and overprocessed foods you eat- for example, if you drink soda, replace it with calorie-free sugar-free flavored sparkling water. Don't have a donut for breakfast, have a fruit salad if you like something sweet. etc.

6. Digesting fats requires more of your liver and digestive system. If you decrease the amount of fat in your diet some, you may feel less "slowed down". Instead of cream cheese on a bagel, try apricot preserves. Instead of mayonnaise on a sandwich, try hummus and veggies.


In case it helps, here's a typical day for me:

Breakfast:
bowl of nature's path Flax Plus cereal with low fat plain soymilk
a piece of fruit (plum, nectarine, citrus, or melon)

Snack:
baked potato with salsa on top (low fat, low calorie, and the potato has a ton of vitamin C!)

Lunch:
vegetarian baked beans with a veggie hot dog sliced in and a nice green salad with some ground flax seed and lemon-tahini dressing.
(the beans and veggie dog have iron and a lot of protein to keep me going until dinner, the flax has omega 3, the lemon has a lot of vitamin c which helps me to absorb all the calcium in the tahini. and greens, well, those are a must!)

Dinner:
stir fried veggies with tofu or tempeh and a few cashews with a splash of soy sauce and some nutritional yeast. served over brown rice or rice noodles.
dessert: a glass of chocolate almond breeze (low fat fortified chocolate flavored almond milk. it's delicious!)

Do you have health insurance? Can you see a doctor? There may be an underlying problem that nutrition won't address.

You might read Dr. Andrew Weil's "8 weeks to ultimate health". It is not a vegetarian book, however. But you should be able to get some good ideas from it.

Have you considered eating fish? Most people really don't need red meat in their diets, but most of us can benefit from fish or fish oil (you can get it in capsules). I started taking it and found it made me calmer.

WOW!

Yes my diet is horrible:
Pizza, alfredo, chocolate, mac n cheese everyday, french fries....

Its not that I am an over eater ... its just horrible food ... there are days I just feel dead ....

And its not even that I am craving these foods .... they're convenient ... I think I'm just very ignorant when it comes to food ... adding fish isn't an option because I dont think I can bring myself to eat it. The only meat I've ever had in my life was chicken but I quit at age two. I recently watch a video tape of me 3 years ago and its such a change ... I'm so depressed and I know its because of my horrible eating habits. I work out maybe twice a week .... I don't ever dirnk pop which is the only healthy thing I do besides take a multi-vitamin everyday. I dont know if I'm a vegan - I drink milk only on my cereal but no eggs. I tried the fish oil pills once but they made me start to break out which is something I do very easily. I'm just very scared and worried - I know I'm in BAD shape and really want to change. Self control is not a problem - its just knowing what I should be eating.

The meals you listed is what I was looking for ....
I have a book that lists some veg meals but everything in it was chicken or fish.

I'm so happy I got responses - I thank you guys so much

PS

kerry1

Nope no ins.

I read some where that vegatarains do get enough protien its just that meats and veggies have different types of proteins and vegatarians may not be getting enough of the protiens that are found in meat

Want2BeHealthy,

It sounds like you are eating a lot of refined carbs, fried foods, and saturated fats!! No wonder you feel so bad all of the time :eek: !!

llamamuffinmama has posted some fantastic advice!! Also, if you are in need of convenience or crunched for time: try getting healthier foods at the grocer and pre-pack them into baggies to-go: grapes, berries, carrot/celery sticks, and raw nuts make excellent snack foods for on the go.

apples, bananas, and oranges travel well. Do you have a day with a few free hours you could cook a pot of beans and a pan of boiled brown rice? Sweet/baked potatoes nuke pretty fast in the microwave. It's a lot easier to eat healthier if you make it more convenient for yourself. Good luck!

WantToBe,

Add some legumes like beans peas and lentils to your diet. It sounds like the main problem is a severe protein shortage.

WantToBe,

Add some legumes like beans peas and lentils to your diet. It sounds like the main problem is a severe protein shortage.

I've been a vegan for five years...Are you taking a multivitamin and calcium supplement? If not, I'd recommend getting them. I also have two soy protein shakes for breakfast (the GNC kind...25 grams of protein per shake, and they're delish!).

Some vegan items you might want to look into are Gardenburger Riblets and Amy's Shepherd's Pie. Both are low in fat and calories and taste great.