Here is a list of some books I have found for vegetarian low carbers:

LOW CARB VEGETARIAN (pub. in USA) by Margo De Mello

YUMMIDY (cookbook) by David Kennedy & Sherry Laney

LOW CARB VEGETARIAN COOKING by Sue Spitler & Linda Yoakam

THE VEGETARIAN LOW CARB DIET by Rose Elliot

THE CARB CONSCIOUS VEGETARIAN by Robin Robertson

THE LOW CARB VEGETARIAN (pub. in UK) by Celia Brown

Thanks! My mom is a vegetarian - I have been trying to convert her to low carb for eons, but she persists in thinking that LC means meat, meat and more meat. And she's been doing a very strict low fat, vegetarian diet for years and steadily packing on pounds. It has been heart-breaking to watch, because the food she thinks is good for her is so tragically not - low-fat yoghurt with added sugar, bread, bread, bread, potatoes, high sugar fruits, honey, etc. I'll pass these on.

Can you guys and gals recommend one of those books? I am not very much interested in frankenfoods and soy protein, so I don't feel like spending money on a book I may never use.

Right now I am trying out recipes from Madhur Jaffreys World Vegetarian book (got that at the library), which isn't low carb, but has a myriad of great veggie recipes, many of them suitable for a low carb life style with minor tweaking - I am planning to make paneer for the first time in my life

dhania

I am fairly new to vegetarianism and it astounds me how little many veteran vegetarians know a lot about nutrition. I have had NO trouble switching to a vegetarian diet but that is because I did my homework. Even though the Atkins diet and low carbing in general has fallen into disfavor with many people and you never hear about it on the media anymore, the fact is those diets at least got the attention of the medical community and many doctors and nutritionists have changed their thinking. While they still don't encourage a lot of fatty meats, they DO recognize the evils of processed carbs and foods that are high on the glycemic scale. Traditionally (as you probably already know from the way your mother eats) grains have been the main staple of vegetarians. Unfortunately that has led to a lot of overweight vegetarians. I am a member of the Veggie Boards and there is a person on there who has been a vegetarian ALL his life and weighs over 300 lbs. and is struggling to lose it. Just being a vegetarian is not enough to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Vegetarians must understand that just because they don't eat meat they will be slim. If they eat too many processed carbs like sugar, white flour, white rice and potatoes, they too will have weight problems. I recommend your mother read one of the books above (some are out of print but can still be ordered from Amazon or Barnes & Nobles) and also read the following websites:

http://www.nutritionsandy.com/Low%2...vegetarians.htm

http://www.e-clipse.com/articles_psteer_0303.htm

http://www.lowcarbvegetarianrecipes.com/

http://carbcontrol.allrecipes.com/directory/4364.asp

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/vegetarian/

Well if you eat NO soy at all and you are vegen you are only left with legumes and nuts for protein. Fortunately the South Beach diet allows both legumes (beans) and nuts right from the beginning. However, you know what eating too many beans does for you and you can't eat too many nuts or they will stall your weight loss. If you are a vegetarian who eats eggs and dairy however, you can get protein from them. Soy itself is rather yucky in any form except maybe edamame (soybeans in the pod). However, magical things can be done with soy products. The 3 main types of soy products are tofu (soycurd), tempeh (dried soy sheets) and edamame (soybean pods). Tofu is absolutely tasteless so you may think it is yucky. However both it and tempeh can be soaked in broth or marinade to make it taste good. Tofu takes on the taste of whatever you mix it with. Tempeh can be made to taste a bit more like meat. But I don't like to think of them as meat substitutes because if you do you will be disappointed. They are not meat and IMO taste nothing like meat. But they are just about the best protein on the planet. That is why soy is in a lot of sports shakes. And it is fairly low calorie. Anyway I am reading the Carb Conscious Vegetarian. It is a cookbook and has some good recipes. You can also find vegetarian recipes all over the Internet.

no actually I am not even a vegetarian, but I am looking for healthy vegetarian recipes nonetheless. And I can't eat soy protein, allergy-wise... should have made that clear. Thanks for you explanations

(I'd love to know what edamame tastes like, though )

dhania

Um, fluffybear, exactly what does 'eating too many beans' do for you?
Seriously, when people aren't taking in any animal proteins, there's no reason that they can't use bean, legume, wheat, corn and rice proteins, as long as they're not allergic to them.

As for 'you can't eat too many nuts or they will stall your weight loss,' weight loss stalls are a very individual thing, and eating nuts, seeds and their butters and flours--as much as 3 oz. per day of whole nuts or butters, and as much as a half-cup per day as meal--as protein sources has never affected me. YMMV, but it's a mistake to indicate that eating nuts will *always* stall weight loss.



Hmm. I don't think whole soy 'in any form' is 'rather yucky.' Again, perhaps YMMV.

The three main types of soy protein are whole foods (edamame), fermented foods (tofu, tempeh, natto--okay, most westerners really DO need to develop a taste for natto ) and processed foods (roasted soy flour, soymilk and yuba sheets are on the low end of processing; soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein or TVP are on the high end of processing.)

Surprising as it may sound, there are lots of people who consider well-prepared tofu, yuba, and tempeh quite tasty WITHOUT marinade...in fact, Mollie Katzen's browned tempeh recipe has been one of my favorites for decades. It's simply tempeh cubes dressed in a bit of extra virgin olive oil and salt and baked off or sauteed until browned on all sides. Tofu salad (mashed tofu, herbs, shredded veggies, a bit of mustard/mayo) and tofu-fruit creams have also been staples since the 70s...no 'marinade' required.

Note to dhania...although you may have sensitivities to some of the more processed variations of soy, you may find that you can easily tolerate FERMENTED soy, such as tofu, tempeh and natto. One test--if you can eat soy sauce (another fermented soy food) without incident, then you may tolerate fermented soy foods more easily. Edamame, while cooked, is usually not fermented, so it may cause you the same issues as black soybeans or soy milk or soy protein isolate.

I love Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian"--it's one of my favorite cookbooks, and yes, many of the recipes fit nicely into low carb plans. However, it is no less important now than it was in the 70s for a vegetarian to make sure s/he's getting adequate protein--be sure you're getting at least 0.5g protein per pound of body weight, or 1g protein per pound of lean body mass, factored upwards for increased activity.

You might also try "The Moosewood Cookbook" and "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" (try to find the original version, not the more fat-conscious revisions from the late 80s...) and "Mollie Katzen's Sunrise Cafe", Anna Thomas' "The Vegetarian Epicure" and Ruthanne Manners "Quick and Easy Vegetarian." If you check for the original 70s and early 80s editions on eBay, you find vegetarian cookbooks that modify easily for controlled carb eating. For more recent works, check out Karen Barnaby's website (Karen is one of this site's Kitchen Forums moderators) and her "Low Carb Gourmet" cookbook and the website include several very good vegetarian dishes.

BTW, I'd be one of those 'veteran vegetarians' who actually knows quite a bit about nutrition in general and vegetarian nutrition in particular. Thanks, fluffybear, for linking to one of my articles in your earlier post...

I have this book and my favorite recipe is "Beet and Tomato Soup" on p. 304 in my edition. OMG this is so good. I always double the recipe (the recipe only makes 2-3 servings). The recipe does call for cream, so it's rich. You won't regret it, its SO good. Prelim estimates indicate about 10 carbs per serving.

Actually I LIKE soy myself. I was just voicing what many people, esp. non-vegetarians say about soy. I eat it everyday (look on the South Beach Diet forum to see some of my eating plans). I eat tofu in salads and stir fry and I eat soy cheese and drink soy milk. In fact I just bought a Tofu cookbook so I can get some more ideas. I find edamame a little "hairy" or fuzzy LOL compared to other green beans or are you suppose to shell them before you eat them? From information I have read, kidney beans have more protein than soybeans however. Thank goodness the South Beach Diet allows all soy products as well as beans and nuts from the very beginning. I have been doing low carb for over a year but when I decided to become a vegetarian, I looked for a plan that would be acceptable and the South Beach diet is very vegetarian friendly.

ps: I didn't mean to say that simply eating nuts will stall weight loss, but for me, nuts are like potato chips, I can't stop with just a few and end up eating way too many.

You're eating the PODS?
Soybeans are like fava beans; you have to shell them or take the seeds (the green soybeans) out of the pods to eat them.
The usual method is to lightly boil the green soybean pods in salted water, and then squeeze out the barely cooled seeds directly into your mouth (if snacking) or into a bowl for use in another recipe (if you're shelling the edamame.) I like to put some konbu or lemon in the cooking water with the salt. But you don't eat the pods...

I checked these out - all excellent! Thanks very much. Even if my mom isn't interested, there is a lot there that *I* have an interest in. Much appreciated.

I picked up a bag in the frozen food section and didn't know what the heck to do with them so I cooked them and ate them like green beans. Fuzzy little things. Next time I will know to shell them like peas. I still sonder why they would sell frozen ones in the pods if they didn't expect you to eat them like that.???

Gaelen--

Which ones of those articles did you write?

ps: Are you a vegetarian or a semi-vegetarian?

I have met vegetarians who think that eating foods like cake, pastries, candy, is OK just because they don't contain meat. I have also met some vegans who don't take Vitamin B-12 supplements. That is not healthy.

That would be the article reprinted from Carb Health magazine which appears on the CH website, "The Vegetarian Low Carber."


Some veggie sites have a designation "pesco-vegetarian" for people who include eggs, dairy and fish. That's the most accurate label for the way I prefer to eat. I will eat just about anything these days, but I spent more than 20 years as a vegetarian who included eggs, dairy and fish.



Well, for them, it might BE okay to eat cake, pastry and candy. Eating low carb is best for me, but just as I prefer to eat eggs, dairy and fish, I don't presume to insist that my dietary preferences are best for everyone. I choose what to eat based on what I like and what's best for me, and on scientifically demonstrated nutritional principles. I'm not evangelistic about vegetarianism--although I am firm about designing menus and recipes that account for minimum protein intake and healthy fat intake, which are scientifically supportable as the optimal way to eat. But decrying a diet based on my own food preferences wouldn't be good nutrition. That would be fanaticism...and low carb, like vegetarian practice, is a way of eating, not a religion.

And yes, when you're vegan you need to supplement B-12. That's one of those 'scientifically demonstrated nutritional principles,' and smart vegetarians and vegans who understand the dietary limitations of their art have been practicing that caution since the early 70s, and before.

Yes I know what a pesco-vegetarian is. That is how I eat. My motto is "I don't eat anything that can scream in pain."

BTW--I am 60 years old and have researched vegetarianism for over 30 yrs. The main thing that kept me from becoming veg*n is my family--esp the MEN in my family (my husband and 3 boys). My daughter and I always preferred less meat and more vegetation. My husband is still a big meat eater and probably will always be. When I decided once and for all to become a veg*n, my husband wasn't opposed to the idea and in fact has been fairly supportive. I am even trying to cook up the rest of the meat in the freezer for him (even though it bothers me to even look at it). After that he will have to get his meat when he goes out to eat. For years I didn't think much about where meat came from (well of course I KNEW, but put it out of my mind), but after researching the subject I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will never choose to eat meat again.

I know there are several reasons why people become vegetarians, mainly ethical, environmental and health. I chose, after a lot of thought and research, to become a vegetarian for all three reasons. I am trying to transition from pesco-vegetarian to full vegetarian to vegan. I don't know if I will make it, but I am going to try. I am so glad I found the vegetarian version of the South Beach Diet online. It is great!