MENU
Ideas for Vegetarian Menus:
Nutrition… Your Best Daily Medicine: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
We’ll also have snacks, appetizers, lunch packs for your children to take to school and munchies for not loosing your diet.
Warning: menus to be posted here have not been validated by any nutritionist or dietician. Persons with medical conditions and people required to follow a vegetarian regime, must consult with their health professionals to assure a nutritional balance in their diet. Combinations posted herein are original, based on my experience, my consumption, reading about vegetarian nutrition subjects, on how to substitute animal for vegetable protein and other sources available in books and the internet. The combination of meals, colors and tastes have been selected to keep a balanced and delicious menu. I’ve made a combination of fruits, vegetables, flours, nuts, and vitamin supplements, alternative supplements of natural infusions from the East, daily exercise and water intake. Any menu that you decide to include in your daily diet falls on your own responsibility.
Now that we wish to start a vegetarian diet, how can we do it and where do we start?
Well, you can start with a delicious, varied and balanced menu with vegetable protein, fruits, green vegetables, grains and nuts.
I will be adding many of the posted menus to the recipe section to facilitate its preparation. Meanwhile, they are excellent ideas to combine.
BREAKFAST OPTIONS
Breakfast option # 1:
• 1 toasted wholegrain bread loaf, either with peanut butter and natural jelly
• 1 cup of yogurt- with honey and nuts
• 1/2 cup of fresh fruits with country fresh cheese.
• 1 glass of banana, grape or apple juice
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 oz. of liquid ginseng
• 1 oz. of juice extract or infusion like Acai berry, Goji berry, Ginkgo Biloba and other.
Breakfast option # 2:
• 1 bowl of wholegrain cereal (oats, quinoa, corn, rice) cooked with milk (soy, walnuts or rice)
• 1 cup of fresh fruits with yogurt
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 oz. of royal jelly
• 1 oz. of juice extract or infusion like Acai berry, Goji berry, etc.
Breakfast option # 3:
• Corn flakes or oat cereal with cold milk (soy, nut o rice milk)
• 1 toasted wholegrain bread loaf with butter and melted Swiss cheese
• 1 cup of yogurt- with honey and nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts)
• 1 banana
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 oz. of juice extract or infusion like Acai berry, Goji berry, Ginkgo Biloba and other.
• 1/2 cup of tea – (green, black or Chai)
Breakfast option # 4:
• “Hash brown” potatoes made in butter with salami taste soy slices.
• 1 cup of yogurt with dry fruits (raisins, figs or fruits) with honey
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 glass of grapefruit juice
• 1 oz. of liquid ginseng
• 1 oz. of juice extract or infusion like Acai berry, Goji berry, Ginkgo Biloba and other.
Breakfast option # 5:
• Pumpkin or wholegrain “Pancakes” cooked with rice milk, with cream cheese and fruit jelly as topping
• 1 glass of natural orange juice
• 1 cup of fresh fruits (seasonal)
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 oz. of juice extract or infusion like Acai berry, Goji berry, Ginkgo Biloba and other.
Breakfast option # 6:
• Sandwich: 2 wholegrain bread loaves with Swiss cheese, slice of salami flavored soy, pickles and tomatoes.
• 1 glass of natural orange juice
• 1 cup of fresh fruits (seasonal)
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 oz. of juice extract or infusion like Acai berry, Goji berry, Ginkgo Biloba and other.
Breakfast option # 7:
• Egg omelet with cheese, potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes and soy cut into pieces (from natural block)
• 1 cup of yogurt with fresh fruits
• 1 wholegrain bread loaf
• 1 glass of apricot juice
• Vitamin supplement
• 1 oz. of bee pollen
Breakfast option # 8:
• Energetic milkshake – ½ cup of nut milk, 1/4 cup of papaya, 1/4 cup of bananas, 1 teaspoonful of wheat germ, 1/4 cup of cantaloupe melon, 1 spoonful of honey, 1/4 cup of natural yogurt, 1/4 cup of natural oats, 1 oz. of royal jelly and 1 oz. of ginseng
• 1 wholegrain bread loaf with country fresh cheese
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LUNCH OPTIONS
Lunch option #1
• Basmati white rice
• Chickpeas casserole with pumpkins in tomato sauce purée
• Broccoli, carrots and cauliflower sautéed in butter and garlic
• Spinach, tomato, green peppers, chopped figs, raisins, cabbage and fresh country lettuce salad with dressing (made of lemon, honey, garlic, olive oil, oregano, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar)
• Dessert: Banana cake with nuts
Lunch option #2
Pasta – spaghetti with mushrooms in butter, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, pesto and parmesan cheese.
Ripe plantain, fried bananas or syrupy bananas
Salad – lettuce, tomatoes and country fresh cheese
Dessert – mangoes with pineapple and bananas
Lunch option # 3
Green vegetable thick soup – carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin, yam (yautia root), potatoes, celery, cabbage and plantains
Rice – wholegrain rice casserole with chickpeas and annatto seeds
Fruits – pears and apricots
Lunch option # 4
• Wholegrain rice with annatto and vegetables from frozen mixes (carrots, corn and green peas)
• Lentils- stew in tomato sauce with pumpkin and potatoes (“sofrito” (base for cooking sauces and Latin dishes), olives and sweet pepper)
• Cassava marinade (boiled cassava sautéed in olive oil, onions and garlic)
• Salad – buttered corn with green peppers
• Dessert – guava paste piece with cream cheese
Lunch option # 5
• Potatoes – boiled and sautéed in a cauldron with butter, onions, green peppers, celery, and salami flavored soy bits
• Ripe plantains or fried bananas
• Salad – cucumber, tomato and feta cheese salad
• Dessert – papaya with yogurt and honey
Lunch option # 6
• “Manposteado” style rice – with red kidney beans (look in recipes)
• Caramelized tofu – tofu sautéed in olive oil, onions, garlic, green peppers and brown sugar
• Green banana marinade – boiled green bananas sautéed afterwards in olive oil, onions and garlic
• Salad – lettuce, spinach and tomatoes
• Dessert – carrot cake
Lunch option # 7
Vegetable stew – in butter and olive oil with eggplant, broccoli, green peppers, onions, cabbage and cauliflower
Sweet potatoes – boiled or oven roasted
Salad – green beans, beets and striped carrots
Dessert – sweetened papaya with fresh country cheese
Lunch option # 8
• Pasta – Macaroni – in red sauce with spinach (from frozen), onions, olive oil, mushrooms, coriander and parmesan cheese
• Oven roasted ripe plantain – fried bananas
• Vegetables – steamed broccoli and cauliflower
• Salad – strips of cabbage, lettuce and green beans
• Dessert -vanilla ice cream with nuts
Lunch option # 9
Rice – wholegrain or basmati rice
Corn fritters and cheese (look in recipes)
Red kidney or black beans – stewed with pumpkin (look in recipes)
Vegetables – mixed oriental vegetables cooked in butter
Fruits- fresh fruits with whipped cream
Lunch option # 10
• Pigeon peas thick soup – with green plantain puffs (stewed pigeon peas in sauce with green plantain puffs)
• Rice with annatto, oregano and “recao” (Mexican coriander) – see recipes)
• Vegetables – steamed corn and carrots with butter spread
• Dessert – home made apple pie
Next video is a good presentation even though it starts with animal protein examples and with chocolate later on. In this case, we substitute animal protein with vegetable protein, of course.
Proteins – Greek word that means “the first” in importance.
Proteins are nutrients used by the body for growth and tissue repair, and for enzyme and hormone synthesis. Proteins help us think and see. They repair bones, muscles, regulate hormones and enzymes, and protect us against infections. Proteins also help with the loss of muscular tissues related to weight loss. Vegetarians need an adequate balance of protein to avoid being irritated, tired and weak…
Main sources of vegetable protein are:
• Dried fruits – Dried fruits are a natural source of energy. They are used in the manufacture of nutritive vegetable milk for its protein richness, comparable with cow’s milk but without the lactose. Best known are soy milk, walnut milk, almond milk and other. They have high contents of omega-3 for adding a handful of nuts to your daily diet to replace some types of meals can help reduce your cholesterol figures by 11%.
Some dried fruits are: nuts, almonds, peanuts, raisins, peaches, hazelnuts, chestnuts and pistachios. They also contain minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium and phosphorus. Calcium helps with the growth of teeth and bones and phosphorus is well known for its benefits for the development of the intellect.
• Soy (soya) and its derivates like Tofu, overcomes animal protein in every aspect. It’s very advisable to use it during menopause due to its calcium and iso-flavonoid content and for its regulating effects on estrogens.
• Gluten – it is obtained from wheat flour, rye, oats, barley, corn starch (when starch is washed away). Is the protein found in the seeds of many cereals combined with starch.
• Tempeh –soy fermentation
• Leguminous seeds- beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas and lama beans
• Sea algae
• Dairy products – if consuming animal derivates like cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, etc.
Advantages of vegetable protein against protein from
animal sources
• Because vegetable protein possesses more minerals, your blood will become less acid.
• Due to its low Purina content, is digested better.
• Although vegetable protein gets fermented, it doesn’t spoil like those in meat. Vitality contained in meat lowers quickly, while that in vegetable protein endures for weeks.
• Contains less fat.
• No cholesterol content.
• High fiber content.
• Our liver and kidneys work under much less stress.
• Easy to digest.
• Ideal for low calorie diets.
• Less costly than meat.
• Purina from vegetable products is less harmful due to their potassium content and diuretic properties.
• Protein from animal sources is more difficult to digest and contains many saturated fats that will finally damage your cardiovascular system.
• Vegetable protein can be well combined by itself, when you mix leguminous seeds with cereals or dairy products with cereals, for example.
• Rice contains all amino acids that the human body requires, but the amount of lysine present is minimal. If we add lentils or chickpeas (rich in lysine) to rice, we’ll achieve a meal with much higher protein quality.
How do you calculate the proteins you need daily?
If you weigh:
130 pounds (58.9670 kg), you need 65 grams of protein daily
140 pounds (63.5029 kg), you need 70 grams of protein daily
150 pounds (68.0388 kg), you need 75 grams of protein daily
160 pounds (72.5747 kg), you need 80 grams of protein daily
170 pounds (77.1107 kg), you need 85 grams of protein daily
180 pounds (81.6466 kg), you need 90 grams of protein daily
190 pounds (86.1825 kg), you need 95 grams of protein daily
200 pounds (90.7184 kg), you need 100 grams of protein daily
210 pounds (95.2543 kg), you need 105 grams of protein daily
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HEMOGLOBIN
Low levels of hemoglobin – there is a lack of nutrients that provide this element to the blood.
Normal hemoglobin levels must be from 11 to 12 grams in females and from 14 to 15 grams in males.
Anemia – hemoglobin deficiency in the blood. Anemia is attributed to low levels of iron because the body needs iron to produce hemoglobin. “Anemia can be caused by a diet low in iron”
Reasons for having low levels of iron:
• Bad nutrition and lack of a balanced diet.
• In women, due to menstruation or child birthing (loss of blood).
• Growth process in children and youngsters.
Useful food sources to elevate hemoglobin levels and combat anemia: “Rising up your hemoglobin”.
• Pumpkin, as a rich source of vitamins and folic acid.
• Green vegetables, specially spinach and broccoli.
• Breads and cereals fortified with iron.
• Zucchini, oranges, carrots, guava (also for leukemia).
• Tamarind leaves tea.
Iron – there are two types of iron, the one present in foods from vegetable sources (No Hem iron) which is less absorbed (between 5% and 20%) and that from animal origin called Hem iron which is absorbed up to a 35%.
Foods high in vegetable iron:
• Dried fruits (almonds, nuts, raisins, hazelnuts, pistachios and dehydrated fruits (prunes, dates and apricots)
• Leguminous seeds – chickpeas, lentils, soy, beans, lama beans, peas, and oven roasted potatoes.
• Wholegrain cereals: oats, barley, rice and wheat
• Green vegetables: spinach, white beets, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and artichokes
• Other: black molasses, chocolate and olives
Note: Cow’s milk is low in iron and diminishes iron absorption capabilities in the body. It can also irritate the intestines of those people with colon conditions, causing small bleedings. Babies must be given iron fortified milk to avoid anemia. Vitamin C helps absorb iron and you must include it in your family’s diet. A routine blood test can help control your hemoglobin.
Iron deficiency symptoms
• Weakness and tiredness
• Pale skin and mucus
• Altered heart beats or cardiac murmur
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Dizziness and vertigo
Diet for Fighting Low Hemoglobin Levels
• Cereals, fruits, nuts and yogurt
• Lentils soup
• Pigeon peas with plantain puffs
Breakfast alternatives:
• Wholegrain cereals with nuts and raisins – it can be granola or dried fruit cereals with nuts. Use almond milk or soy milk with them. Oats cooked in milk (soy or cow milk) are excellent with dried or natural fruits.
• Creams – cornstarch, rice flour (farina), cream of corn with raisins, custard, etc.
• Juices: orange juice, carrot juice, tamarind juice or guava juice (to be consumed during the day).
Lunch and dinner alternatives:
• Lentils or green bean soup
• Stewed chick peas, pigeon peas or lama beans
• Oven roasted potatoes
• Spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprout salad with artichokes in butter
Appetizers during the day
Almond or nut ice cream or ice milk
Yogurt with nuts, figs and dried fruits
Entrees of dates, apricots, prunes and nuts with chocolate
Carrot or date cake, banana with nuts cake, oatmeal cake, or multi-grain cake made with wholegrain flour.
Note: As a vegetarian, I combine all these dishes 7 days a week, to make sure having excellent hemoglobin, as I do have. I even select my cravings or appetizers in order to always have nuts, yogurt or dried fruits. If you are an anemic, have leukemia, if you are in a strict vegetarian diet, gone through childbirth, have bad nutrition habits, or have been exposed to chemotherapy radiations, then you must consume daily portions of these meals 3 times a week. I guarantee you that if you follow this menu and nutrition regime on a daily basis, you’ll be able to fight low hemoglobin and anemia very effectively. You will not only feel much better…you will also look much better.
(recettes pour soulever le hemoglobine- recepten om hemoglobine op te heffen-Rezepte, zum von hemoglobine anzuheben-συνταγές για να αυξήσει το hemoglobine-ricette per alzare hemoglobine-hemoglobineを上げる調理法-hemoglobine를 올리는 조리법-receitas para levantar o hemoglobine-рецепты для того чтобы поднять hemoglobine)
KIDS MENU
This is a fine idea for mother to prepare nutritive and delicious lunch boxes for their children. It’s very important to keep our children well fed during school hours. Besides been very curious, children respond very well to colors and tastes. This snack made of potatoes, carrots, beets, broccoli and corn is a complete meal containing vitamins, minerals, iron, calcium and protein. You can do a workshop at home or in school and practice good, healthy and fun nutrition. Kids would like to do different shapes and forms, and then… take them to their mouths. It’s a magnificent idea for school level home economics teachers to experiment. I think giving immediate solutions for mothers with children with malnutrition conditions which require an urgent balanced diet, is the most important thing… Good Luck Mom!!!!! (Look for recipes in General Menu).
