How to ease into cooking healthy vegetarian foods, meal plans, seasonal, cheap?

[Goingunderground]

My mom never really cooked, she told me she sort of doesn't know how, she sticks to eating bread, cheese, meat, she doesn't like vegetables really except for the occasional peas. She's lactose intolerant but won't try soy, she loves cabbage but it gives her gas. She loves fruit, like strawberries, grapes, grapefruit, and that's kind of it. She doesn't like trying new things because she assumes she won't like it, and thinks I'm into weird ingredients like avocados and basil.

Anyway I want to eat healthy, I want to be able to make vegetarian quick dishes that are cheap. I want to eat things in season and make a meal plan and make good dishes even if they only have like 6 ingredients in them that are totally common. I buy lemons and then I waste them, I buy cabbage and waste most of it. My mom can eat whatever she wants without me bugging her, it's her life, but it would just be nice if she was like our dog and would eat anything and say wow, bravo. The last time I made a meal plan I had like 10 sites I was looking at for recipes (you are what you eat, cook yourself thin, best recipes ever, etc) and it took such a long time and I didn't even get good results, because when I went shopping I was just thinking about money, like I don't really need it, do I? It is weird isn't it?

 

[dollface1]

To buy cheap and healthy items, here is a list that I usually make for some common products:

1. Beans. Black beans and Garbanzo beans are the best because you can make burgers from black beans or hummus from Garbanzo beans.

2. Tofu or tempeh. These are good substitutes for meat in many recipes like lasagnas or stir fries; they soak up flavor pretty well and tofu costs around $1.75-2.00 per package.

3. Whole wheat or whole grain bread. This is more nutritious than white bread.

4. All-purpose and whole wheat flour. You can make a lot of great stuff with these like tortillas, homemade bread, bagels, etc.

5. Spices. Stock up on some simple spices that are common like Paprika, Cumin, Cinnamon, or whatever else you like to use. You should also consider getting Olive oil (healthier than canola or vegetable oil), red wine vinegar (if you like making salsas), soy sauce (a staple item that EVERYONE should have), and/or Worcestershire sauce.

6. Vegetables like Zucchini, Eggplant, or Mushrooms. They are perfect for substituting meat in main dishes. Personally, these are some of my favorite veggies.

7. Vegetable broth or Vegetable buillion cubes to make vegetable broth. This comes in handy when a recipe calls for chicken or beef broth and you need a Vegetarian replacement. (Note that Vegetable tastes different from chicken or beef so the final result will most likely not taste the same)

Tip: You could put a slice of lemon in green tea for a healthy morning drink. Lemons can also be used to flavor cakes, flavor drinks, and flavor candies or other desserts.
Another tip: cabbage is awesome several ways:
1. In a stir fry with tofu and teriyaki marinade.
2. Chopped raw and mixed with either mayonnaise and chopped apples, or sour cream, green onions, and cucumbers to make a good salad.
3. Golubtsi (a russian dish where rice mixed with other ingredients is wrapped in cabbage and cooked. This is usually made with meat but there are Vegetarian versions). Yum yum yum! http://www.food.com/recipe/golabki-polish-stuffed-cabbage-rolls-vegetarian-version-112647

 

[pipsqueak]

Some suggestions for meals:

breakfasts:
cereal and milk
toast and jam/marmite/peanut butter
banana on toast
beans on toast
big fruit salad
big fruit smoothie
bagel and cream cheese
hash browns, beans, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms and vegesausages

lunches:
sandwich/roll/wrap/pitta with houmous and salad
ditto with egg/cheese and salad
mixed salad including bean and grain salad (eg cous cous) and the usual lettuce, tomatoes etc
soup and roll (some kind of bean or lentil soup for protein)
beans on toast
pizza with salad
cheese and tomato on toast
leftovers from the night before

dinners:
veg curry including chickpeas (I think they are called Garbanzo beans in America)
veg chilli including red kidney beans
veg stirfry including tofu or "meat substitute"
veg and lentil stew with mash
veg and lentil soup (make double stew and whizz it up into soup) and garlic bread
beany pie (like shepherd's pie but beans instead of meat)
baked potato with baked beans or veg chilli
mushroom risotto
bean and feta bake with baked potatoes and broccoli
quiche with salad

snacks:
houmous with veg sticks/breadsticks
fruit (lots of)
flapjacks - make them yourself as the shop bought are usually yucky and less nutritious. You can then put loads of good stuff in: seeds, nuts, dried fruit etc.
nuts
seeds
many cookies, cakes and desserts are vegetarian just check for gelatin and cochineal/carmine (red food colouring)

 

[Miranda]

tofu is wonderful and very inexpensive. you can pick whatever vegetables you want that week and make a simple and very yummy stir fry. nothing is wasted this way. make sure you look at plenty of recipe websites and simply vary whatever ingredient you dont prefer. pizzas are yummy and so are soups.
try looking here for ideas
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