As I promised, I am back with this subject of being vegetarian because many of you asked me to share more about what I eat and how replace meat/ fish.
If you did not have the time to check my last post about being vegetarian, please read it before digging into this one. Once again, everything I write is based on my personal experience (I am not a doctor or a veggie guru)! Today, I will be sharing about what I normally eat and some ways to replace meat and fish in your daily life.
There are a lot of theories about what is good and bad food. First and foremost, I do not believe in good and bad. I believe in eating in a balance way and that’s HARD to achieve. I struggled with it as well. For many years, I searched for food habits and special aliments to help me controlling weight. I was never a very big fan of diets but I did try MANY! I was never fat but I was never super skinny either. There were always 3 or 4 kilos I wanted to lose (ALWAYS). Does this resonate with you? Well, believe almost all of us have been there. Things changed very much for me in 2018 (but I will share about this next time). Today it is all about food!
What I eat EVERYDAY
Before I talk about some super aliments. I just wanted to highlight, I am far from being perfect in my food habits. Actually, I eat almost everyday what many people call ‘fat’ food. But I have learned we only live once and restricting your body from something you love it is not a good thing either. Once again, it is all about balance!!! 😀 Below are some examples of things I love even though they may not be super healthy:
- Bread – I usually eat 2 – 3 slices of whole wheat bread for breakfast everyday. I have been doing this for the past (10 – 15 years?).
- Pasta – I love pasta! I have always loved it and I usually end up having 3 – 4 pasta meals a week
- Chocolate – Another one I eat every morning while drinking my coffee. I avoid white and milk chocolate even though I like it. I usually buy chocolate bars that have >80% cacao – this type of chocolate gives me so much energy!!
- Cheese – I have always loved cheese (my mom used to call me little mouse because I would eat in one day the cheese that was supposed to last a week). Since I became vegetarian, I eat cheese with bread every morning.
- Fruits – The fruits I like the most (mangos, cherries, kiwi, banana, avocado) are also the ones which have higher levels of sugar. I usually eat 3 – 4 different fruits a day.
Do you also have some favorite ‘fat aliments’? If so, please include them in your food meals from time to time.
My options to replace meat
I am far from being a diverse vegetarian. That is maybe one of my biggest goals for 2020 in terms of my food habits: eat more different things. But as you asked, here some vegetable proteins and ‘super foods’ I usually eat.
- Lentils
- Mushrooms
- Black beans & peas
- Eggplant
- Tofu
- Quinoa & brown rice
- Almonds, nuts & chia seeds (I always pack a mix of them to everywhere I go, in case I get hungry or I cannot find food for me)
- Potatoes and sweet potatoes
- Vegetables (carrots, leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach)
- Eggs
Vitamins and supplements
I do not consume any extra supplement as a vegetarian. I know there are a lot of options on the market but I try to remain as ‘natural’ as possible. If you have questions about this, I may not be the right person to ask. In terms of vitamins, sometimes during the winter I get vitamin D when I am not exposed to the sun at for a long period of time and vitamin B12 when I feel my energy levels are lower than usual.
One more thing
Be sure to drink a lot of water. During the Summer, I drink a lot of juices or smoothies that have a mix of fruits, veggies and seeds. That is a great way to start if you are trying to change some of your food habits.
If you found this article interesting, please leave your comments below. I am always happy to read your suggestions. 😀
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash Photo by Katie Smith on Unsplash
Beijinho,
Daniela