Most places that primarily serve meat aren’t really equipped to serve vegetarians. Unless it specifically says on the menu that vegetarian preparations are completely separate from the equipment that prepares meat, chances are the veg burgers come in contact with animal fats and other meats.
Just read today that McDonalds are now serving vegan burgers at their flagship Chicago restaurant. Hopefully that's just the beginning.
I am not a vegan, but I really enjoy the vegan veggie patties, and when I have made my “hamburger” with a black bean patty instead of ground beef, it tasted just as good to me as one with meat does. Since veggie patties are usually frozen until cooked, I do not see any reason why even fast food places can not offer this on their menus.
A salad, to me, was always something to start a nice meal with, not a meal. Since my heart attack, I now eat a large salad for dinner most nights, along with turkey, chicken and such. This kind of eating is new to me, so I rely on sites like WebMD and American Heart Association for ideas. Treats are unsalted peanuts and fruits. Moderation seems to be the key; as some foods you can have, just watch how much. The green leafy type stuff should be easier to get fresh after this winter thing is done...
I usually have a large salad for my mid-day meal, and if it is just too cold for salad, then I like a vegetable soup of some kind. Today, I am having salad and a hot cup of the Knorr chicken bouillon. I have fresh greens (romaine and kale), plus carrot, purple onion, frozen peas, kidney beans, and freshly sprouted fenugreek seed-sprouts. Adding a dressing made with EVO and Braggs’ ACV and Mrs. Dash for extra flavor. Delicious, filling, and healthy.
Yvonne--how did you like this stuff? I am considering a plant-based diet so I'm gathering recipes and meal plans. Not sure how successful I'll be as a life-long carnivore.
That is a good question, and something that I am still working my brain around on, @Beth Gallagher . As someone who believes the Bible, it looks to me like humans were initially given plants to eat. However, later God approved people eating animals, within certain health restrictions, which are much more apparent now than they were back in those early centuries. I definitely think that a plant-based diet is the healthiest one, whether we do or don’t eat meat (or any animal products) along with the plants. As far as the bean burger, I do really like the taste of them, and there are some really simple recipes on YouTube for making plant-based burgers. I don’t think that anything except meat is going to taste like meat, but I do think that bean burgers taste good in their own right. I absolutely love having red beans in my salads, too ! I almost never eat bread or grains anymore either, and have learned to use almond meal, flax mea, and chia seeds for making a pretty tasty and healthy bread substitute. I eat a lot less meat, and a lot more greens and vegetables than I used to eat, but I have not given up eating meat completely. Almost every style of eating, except for strict carnivore, encourages people to eat plant-based foods, and to eat fresh, wholesome food and not junk food; so I think that having lots of fresh whole food is a good basis for any way of eating
@Yvonne Smith Interesting about the dietary laws God gave the Israelites which ended up a confusing mess as religion will do. He said not to mix meat and milk. From there, we are taught not to put our meat and milk in the same shelf, or even have separate refrigerators for them. What He was talking about is not using milk to soak meat in as a tenderizer. If used as a soak or even as lots of southerners cook with breading the meat in milk & flower before frying, the milk actually brings out the gas properties in the meat. Thus, why so many of us can have a variety of digestion or heart issues. After going through a high blood sugar problem which I brought on myself , I asked my Rabbi what happened to God's promises of health and long life because I have a great amount of faith regarding that. He said there is nothing God can do about it if we choose to put a lot of crap in our bodies they weren't made for. It would be like pouring alcohol in your gas tank. It may crank, it may run awhile, but sooner than hoped for, it will conk out. I repented and got healed from all end results of the TIA and have normal blood sugar without insulin, BUT....I now pay attention to everything I put in my mouth. For anyone reading this: I am NOT trying to sound all religious. I was just sharing with someone who indicated they were thinking along the same lines.
I watched a couple of documentaries on Netflix earlier; one is called "Forks Over Knives" and the other "What the Health." When I watch this stuff I get even more confused about a healthy diet. The What the Health video claims that animal products, fats, etc. cause diabetes, which is in direct opposition to the "common" thought that carbs cause it. Ugh.
I really LIKE what you wrote, @Bess Barber , and I totally believe that you are correct about not putting garbage food in our body and expecting it to work right, or last a long time. I try to stick to the simple guideline “if God made it, I can eat it, and if man processed it, then leave it alone”. I still eat foods that I should not, but I don’t LIVE on those foods anymore.
I really don't want to fool with carbs or calories or..... I think we have a brain. We also know our individual bodies better than anyone else. So, we should follow our own good sense and balance out what we eat. What works for one person, may not work for another. There are lots of choices and we are capable of using will power and making our own. There isn't anything wrong with sugar, only if you eat too much of it. Same with everything else.
It seems to me that what food we eat has now become one of the “dividing lines” between people, just like race and religion have become. There should be no problem with each person choosing the food they want to eat, and believing that it is the healthiest way to live. But it seems like it is dividing up into two camps, with the vegans belittling and berating the people who eat animal products, and the people who do eat meat are doing the same thing back to the vegans. When I looked for information about which is the best way to keep my body as healthy and functional for as long as possible, there are people from both sides who are in excellent health, and we see people all the time who have pretty much ruined their health by eating unhealthy foods, whether they eat meat or not. There are videos of vegan body-builders on YouTube, touting their health, and then the ones who eat paleo, or even carnivore, and they each have reasons why they. Think that their way of eating is the best. I have tried most all of them , looking for the right thing for me, and I have finally come to the conclusion that eating mainly plant-based foods, with smaller amounts of animal foods, and also “treats” is what works best for me in my life. So, I am a mostly plant-based, not-quite vegetarian.
Bess, what kind of dietary changes did you make? I know that many people with elevated blood sugar levels are advised to eat more protein and less carbs.
@Yvonne Smith This is true! I have no idea why people who find something that may work for them end up being totally offended if not everyone else wants to participate. It DOES sound like religion. God gave everyone the right to choose all things for themselves, good or bad, right or wrong. We really have no right to make someone feel 'less than' just because they make different choices than we do in ANY area of life. Jewish Proverb: Never try to sing someone else's song. (Unless it's your kid. Then you can nag them till Yeshua comes. )
I still smoke 5-7 cigs a day, but better than a whole pack. Still drink a pot of coffee minimum, but Half Caff. I avoid sugar, but you can't in all foods...such as yogurt. Smaller servings of rice, potatoes or pasta. I don't eat bread anyway. I don't really like salad. I do like apples and vegetables a couple of times a week. I still eat plenty of meat, including pork. I like oatmeal and some cereals. I've even grown fond of plain waffles. Other than that, I don't count or consider carbs or protein. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full. After the first 10 days, I didn't even miss the ice cream. I'm so glad I avoided the prescriptions, but that is NOT what anyone else should EVER do unless confident with the choice.