Start with soy! Soybean products, such as tofu, tempeh, and textured vegetable protein, are popular with new vegetarians because they can replace meat in easy meals like stir-fries and chili. Other beans (and foods made from beans, such as hummus and falafel) can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and stews more nutritious. Seitan, a wheat product, can be made to look and taste like meat. Nuts, seeds, and nut butters are also valuable sources of protein. Prepared meat alternatives, such as burgers, nuggets, pepperoni, sausages, or veggie bacon, are generally made from wheat gluten or soy (or both), as they are very high in protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and other nutrients.
Tofu is made from soybeans, and is a very good source of protein. There are two main types—regular tofu and silken tofu. Regular tofu is sold as a white cake, usually floating in water. Fresh tofu has no smell and has a very mild flavor. It may be labeled soft, firm, or extra firm, which refers to the amount of water absorbed into the tofu. This type of tofu is good as a meat substitute when marinated. After draining the water from the package and patting the tofu dry, you can cut it into cubes or crumble it and add it to a variety of dishes, such as stir-fries, curries, stews, and scrambles. Tofu must be stored in the refrigerator and used before its “sell by” date. If you use part of a package, store the remaining tofu in a container of water in the refrigerator. The texture of tofu changes considerably if you freeze it, which enables it to absorb more marinade flavor. You can also buy pre-marinated tofu, which comes in a variety of flavors and is ready to eat or to add to stir-fries. Baked marinated tofu has a particularly firm texture and can be sliced and used in sandwiches, or cubed and added to salads straight from the package.
Silken tofu has a much creamier texture, and is more useful in dishes with a creamy consistency, such as quiches, puddings, or smoothies. It is too soft to be cubed or crumbled. It is usually sold in an aseptic package and can be stored at room temperature for several months. You can put it in the refrigerator the day before using it, if you plan to use it in a chilled item such as a smoothie.
Tempeh is made by fermenting soybeans and then pressing them into a cake form. It is high in protein, has a firm texture, and makes a great substitute for meat. It has a nutty flavor of its own but absorbs other flavors well and takes well to marinades. Marinated tempeh can be crumbled to make sloppy joes or left in large pieces and grilled to make a tasty burger substitute. It is also sliced very thin to make a bacon substitute. Tempeh keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks and longer in the freezer; you can defrost it quickly in the microwave when you’re ready to use it.
Textured soy protein, or TSP, is made from soybean flour that has been cooked and dried, and is sold as flakes or crumbles. Like tofu, it takes on the flavor of whatever sauce you cook it in. You can add TSP to soups and stews to add protein or use it in spaghetti sauce to make a dish similar to sloppy joes. Because it is dried, TSP can be stored at room temperature.
Seitan is made from wheat gluten and has a chewy texture somewhat like chicken. It is the main ingredient in the realistic fake meats served at some vegetarian restaurants. At the supermarket, seitan is sold in the refrigerated section. It comes in irregular chunks, which can be sliced or left whole. Seitan is a good addition to stews and it can also be marinated, then grilled or roasted.
Beans come in a huge array of colors, sizes, and flavors. The most commonly available beans include adzuki beans, black (or turtle) beans, black-eyed peas, cannellini, chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), great northern beans, kidney beans, lima (or butter) beans, pinto beans, and red beans. All are high in protein, fiber, and other nutrients, and so they make a good addition to your diet. If you are new to eating beans, start by eating small quantities so that your body can get used to the additional fiber, which may cause gas. Some beans, such as kidney beans and black-eyed peas, are less digestible and cause more gas than others, so bear that in mind when choosing which beans to try first.
Dried beans can take an hour or two to cook, depending on the type and whether they have been soaked. Canned beans are a lot quicker to use because they are already cooked. Open the can, drain off the liquid, and fill up the can with fresh water to rinse the beans. Drain off the rinse water and then add the beans to your recipe.
Lentils deserve more respect. Lentils, and their close relatives, split peas, are more digestible than beans and take less time to cook, so it doesn’t save a lot of time to use canned lentils. There are several different varieties of lentils to choose from, especially if you go to an Indian grocery, where they’re known as dal. The most common ones are red lentils and brown lentils. Red lentils are particularly high in iron. They cook quickly and collapse into a yellow colored paste that can be served plain or combined with vegetables and spices to make a curry (see Benny Bengali’s Indian Curry, page 156). Brown lentils hold their shape when cooked, and are tasty in soups and salads.
This Middle Eastern spread and dip is a winner. It is made from chickpeas and tahini (sesame seed butter), with lemon juice and garlic. You can buy it prepared or make your own (see Garlic Lover’s Hummus, page 136). It’s a tasty dip for vegetable sticks and chips. Hummus can also be used as a spread in sandwiches.
You’re going to love falafel. Falafel is a mixture of chickpeas and spices that is formed into small patties, then cooked and tucked into pita bread pockets. You can easily make your falafel using a packaged mix. Cooked falafel will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. Serve with a simple tahini dip (see Tasty Tahini Sauce, page 138).
Nuts are a very valuable addition to your diet—they’re high in protein and fiber and while they contain a lot of fat, it is the good, unsaturated kind. The most popular nuts are almonds, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, coconut, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts (technically legumes but considered nuts), pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. Walnuts are particularly nutritious. All nuts make a great snack on their own or added to trail mix, and they can be sprinkled on salads, made into a nut roast (like a vegetarian meatloaf), added to baked goods, and ground into butters or sauces. Just don’t overdo eating nuts if you’re watching your weight, because they are quite high in calories—a handful or two every couple of days does it.
Seeds are not just for the birds; they add crunch and extra nutrition to your diet. Poppy, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds are the most commonly available. Sprinkle them, raw or toasted, on salads or on breads and muffins before baking them.
Peanut butter is the most popular nut butter and comes in many styles—crunchy, creamy, salted, unsalted, natural, or sweetened. Pure peanut butter is made by simply grinding up peanuts, although many commercial brands include salt, sweeteners, and oils, such as palm oil, to stabilize the peanut butter and prevent it from separating. Peanut butter is the main ingredient in a Thai peanut sauce which adds flavor and nutrition to many a Thai recipe.
Go beyond peanut butter. Almonds and cashews are also ground into butter, which can be used the same way as peanut butter, in sandwiches, cookies, and sauces. Tahini is butter made from ground sesame seeds and is used in hummus as well as other spreads and sauces.
Save the cow’s milk for the calves. There are many nondairy milks available these days. Soymilk is the most popular, but almond milk, rice milk, oat milk, hazelnut milk, and hemp milk are available in many natural food stores. When choosing which milk to use, find a flavor you like and compare the nutrients. Most have calcium, and vitamins A and D added. Some have other vitamins and minerals added too. Soymilk has high levels of protein, whereas other milks have less. In most recipes, alternative milks work just as effectively as low-fat cow’s milk.
Say “cheeze” instead! Nutritional yeast has a distinctly cheesy flavor. It comes as a yellow powder or flakes, and can be added to a basic sauce to make a good cheeze sauce (see Say Cheeze Sauce, page 143). You can also choose from several brands of soy, rice, or almond cheese available in grated, sliced, or block form. Many of these products use casein, a cows milk protein, to help them melt better, so if you’re trying to eliminate all dairy products, you’ll need to look carefully at the ingredient list.
Eggs are not essential but they are used in many different ways in recipes, so the choice of replacement has to fit the purpose. To replace scrambled eggs, regular tofu crumbled, with spices added (try the Tofulicious Scramble, page 133) is a good substitute. To replace eggs in baked goods, a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds, a mashed banana, or silken tofu can work well. You’ll need to experiment with your favorite recipes to see which works best for you. You can also buy powdered egg replacer, which contains potato starch, to use in some baking recipes.
Grains are great! You can buy the most commonly used grains—corn, oats, rice, and wheat—in their unrefined form. Many supermarkets now sell lesser-known and exotic grains, such as amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, millet, quinoa, rye, spelt, and teff. To understand the difference between a whole grain and a refined grain, think of rice as an example. A grain of rice is mainly starch, with an oil-rich germ, a layer of protective bran, and an inedible hull. Removing just the hull produces brown rice, a whole grain. To produce white rice, the bran and germ are removed as well. Since the bran and the germ contain valuable nutrients including fiber, it is better to eat brown rice whenever possible.
Discover flour power. Whole wheat and other grains are ground into flour, which is used to make bread, cakes, and cookies. Because different grains offer slightly different nutrients, baked goods labeled “whole grain” are better than those labeled “whole wheat,” which in turn are better for you than products made from white (refined) flour. Pasta, including spaghetti and couscous, is made with durum wheat flour, but whole-grain pasta is becoming increasingly available. Many people new to healthful eating consume the bulk of the grains in their diet as bread and pasta. The whole-grain versions are nutritious, but it’s best to include a variety of grains in your diet, so try expanding the range of grains to include at least rice, corn, and oats. Rice is used in many ethnic meals, so it is easily included in your diet. Cornmeal is used in chips, tortillas, polenta, and cornbread, and many other foods. Look for products that are made with stone-ground cornmeal, which contains more nutrients. Steel-cut oats are mainly used as a hot breakfast, while old-fashioned oats and quick oats can also be used in baked goods. Avoid instant oats, which have been precooked and dried, with flavorings and sweeteners added.
If you’re feeling adventurous, try some of the less familiar grains, starting with quinoa. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is particularly high in protein and cooks very quickly, so it is an easy grain to prepare. In its uncooked state it looks like tiny white beads. When cooked, it fluffs up to look like couscous or round rice.
Natural sweeteners are less refined than white sugar, and so have more nutrients (although they have just as many calories). Examples include agave nectar, brown rice syrup, honey, and maple syrup (not maple-flavored corn syrup). You can also use puréed fruit, such as bananas, or applesauce to provide added sweetness.
Liquid sweeteners work in many recipes, but sometimes you need a granulated sweetener. Evaporated cane juice, which looks like brown sugar but is less refined, can be used like white sugar. A calorie-free alternative to sugar is an herb called stevia. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar and is used in very small amounts.
Take fruits and veggies seriously—they are an important component of your diet, and most of us don’t eat enough of them. The American Cancer Society advises us all to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, and many experts suggest that eight to ten servings per day would be optimal. The only way to achieve this is to plan each meal to include several servings of fruits or vegetables.
For breakfast, focus on fruit. A smoothie (see Protein-Powered Fruit Smoothie, page 130) is a great way to get plenty of fruit into your diet, as you can include bananas and whatever fruit you have on hand. Alternatively, a glass of orange juice, and a piece of fruit on the side of whatever else you have for breakfast will get you started on meeting your fruit requirement for the day.
For lunch, try to include a couple of different vegetables with the meal. This can be as simple as tucking some greens, cucumber slices, and red pepper sticks into your sandwich. Choose romaine, red leaf lettuce, or spinach rather than iceberg lettuce, which has little nutritional value. Baby carrots, zucchini, and red pepper sticks are great to dip into hummus or other dips. Coleslaw (see The Great American Coleslaw, page 139) is a delicious option in a pita pocket, and vegetable soups are always a good choice. A piece of fruit makes a great dessert.
For a snack, grab a piece of fruit, a bowl of trail mix with dried fruit, or a handful of baby carrots.
For dinner, choose an entrée that includes plenty of vegetables, and add more if you can. For example, most frozen vegetable pizzas come topped with just a few small pieces of vegetables. If you load a store-bought pizza up with extra vegetables—sliced mushrooms, zucchini, red peppers, peas, and corn kernels—you’re adding flavor, as well as nutrition and fiber. In addition to the main course, aim to always have at least one steamed vegetable and a bowl of salad on the side. Good choices for steamed vegetables include kale, collards, chard, green beans, and broccoli, although any vegetable you like is a good choice. Remember that variety is important, so try to vary your choice of vegetables from one day to the next.
Any fresh fruit that holds its shape well can be used for a fruit salad. Good choices include apples, bananas, grapes, mandarin orange segments, all types of melons, pears, and strawberries. Make sure to wash the fruit first, cut larger fruit into bite-sized chunks, then gently combine the fruit in a bowl. Prepare the salad as close to eating time as possible because chopped fruit (especially apples, pears, and bananas) browns and spoils quickly. If you need to prepare it in advance, sprinkle a little lemon juice over the salad and toss gently to limit the browning. Refrigerate after preparing to keep it fresh.
The first rule for vegetables is to always wash them under running water before using them. Vegetables are often sold unwrapped, and any number of people may have handled them before you buy them. Here are some tips for preparing the most commonly used vegetables:
Broccoli. Wash the broccoli, then trim the woody end from the stem. Chop the remaining stem into slices and separate the head into individual florets. Broccoli is often simply steamed or added to stir-fries. It tastes best when cooked just until it’s tender but retains some bite and the color is still bright green.
Cauliflower. Wash the cauliflower, then cut the whole head in half. Slice the florets from the central stem and discard the stem. Separate the florets into bitesized pieces. Whether steamed or added to a curry or stew, cauliflower takes about fifteen minutes to become tender.
Eggplants. Rinse or peel the eggplant, then cut it into thick slices before grilling with a little oil, or chop it into cubes to add to stews. Note that eggplant flesh browns quickly once cut, so don’t prepare it too far in advance of cooking it. Baba ghanouj is a dip made from grilled eggplant (see Ali Baba’s Ghanouj, page 137).
Green beans. Rinse the beans well and then trim both ends. Steam them, covered with a lid, for five minutes on the stovetop or two minutes in the microwave.
Greens. Fresh greens, such as bok choy, chard, collards, kale, lettuce, or spinach, can contain a lot of grit and dirt and must be washed thoroughly; a large bowl of water is ideal for this, as any soil will sink to the bottom. With curly kale, you’ll need to use your fingers to rub into every fold to make sure they’re clean. Remove any tough stems and chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
If serving the greens in a salad, you can shake them dry or spin them in a salad spinner to remove the excess water. Prewashed salad leaves can be used right out of the bag, although it is advisable to give them another quick rinse if you have time.
To cook greens, either steam them with a little water for just a few minutes until tender, or add them directly to a soup or stew. It is better to cook greens for as little time as possible to retain the best nutrients. Bagged frozen spinach can be added to a soup or stew directly where it will defrost in just a few minutes. Spinach frozen in a block must be defrosted in the microwave or in a bowl of hot water before use.
Mushrooms. To prepare mushrooms, rinse them well, rubbing the caps with your thumbs to remove any dirt. Shiitake mushrooms have a tough stem, which should be removed. The stems of white, cremini, and portobello mushrooms can be removed or merely trimmed. Slice, chop, or quarter the mushrooms as needed. To grill portobello mushrooms, remove the stem and marinate them in barbecue sauce before putting them on the grill.
Onions. To prepare an onion, cut off the top and bottom and remove the papery skin. Cut the onion crosswise into slices for onion rings. To dice an onion, first cut it in half from stem to root end. Place each half flat on a chopping board and cut it into slices lengthwise, then crosswise into small pieces.
Root vegetables. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams can either be peeled or scrubbed clean and served with the skin on. The skin contains valuable nutrients, so it’s better to leave it on. Remove any bad parts, sprouted roots, or eyes with a knife before cutting. The best ways to cook root vegetables include boiling, roasting, and baking. When you bake a potato or sweet potato, be sure to pierce it in a few places with a fork. This will allow steam to escape and prevent the potato from exploding while it cooks.
Squashes. Summer squash and zucchini have tender skins and seeds, and just need to be rinsed and sliced before cooking. Winter squash, such as acorn, butternut, delicata, pumpkin, and spaghetti squash, must be cut open and the seeds removed. They can then be baked, roasted, steamed, or added to soups or stews. The skin of delicata squash is tender enough to be eaten; for other varieties of winter squash you can remove the peel either before cooking or after.
Tomatoes. Tomatoes can simply be rinsed, then cut into wedges for salads, thick slices for burgers and sandwiches, or chunks for soups and stews. Fresh tomatoes are delicious in salads or inside a burger. They can also be cooked in soups and stews or made into sauce for pizzas and pasta, although it is often easier to use canned tomatoes or a jar of marinara sauce for these purposes.
Trans fats are bad for you. Also known as partially hydrogenated fats, they used to be a main ingredient in margarines and the main fat in most baked goods and junk foods. Food manufacturers like to use them because they help keep food fresh for a longer time and don’t go rancid so easily. However, they’ve been found to be really bad for our health, and it is now required by U.S. law to list the amount of trans fats in the “nutrition facts” section of product labels. As a result, manufacturers have been cutting back on their use of trans fats quite rapidly, but you should still check the ingredient list of packaged foods and avoid any products that have the words “partially hydrogenated” listed.
Use a fresh, simple vegetable oil. Canola oil has a very mild taste and can be heated without being damaged, so it can be used in baked goods and for frying. It is particularly low in saturated fat and higher in omega-3 fatty acids than other oils, which means that it is a good choice. Safflower, sunflower, and corn oils are also useful oils, although they have less omega-3 fats. Just avoid generic vegetable oil, which may include other less nutritious oils.
Many people prefer the taste of extra-virgin olive oil for making salad dressings. This is a good choice, but don’t use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking as it breaks down into less nutritious compounds under heat.
If you need a more solid spread for sandwiches or cooking, choose one that is nonhydrogenated and labeled as having no trans fats. It will be much lower in saturated fat than butter and won’t have the trans fats found in most margarines. Avoid lard at all costs, as it is made from pork fat.