Who is a Vegetarian?
There are varying degrees of vegetarianism, and much like the numerous hyphenated Americans (i.e. African American, Japanese American, Native American, etc.), there really are no “just plain vegetarians.”
The Mediterranean Diet for Vegetarians
The Mediterranean Diet evolved from the research of a University of Minnesota professor named Ancel Keys, Ph.D. Beginning in 1958, Dr. Keys and colleagues studied how the diets and lifestyles of roughly 12,000 men from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds influenced their incidences of heart disease.
Recipe: African Yam & Peanut Soup
I was an adult before I grew to appreciate the sweet potato. My mother used to eat it mashed with margarine and brown sugar, which horrified me to no end (I don’t have much of a sweet tooth unless dark chocolate is involved). Combined with savory ingredients, however, I discovered that this nutrient-packed vegetable is absolutely delicious.
Recipe: Ceci Penne Florentine
In Italy, the garbanzo bean or chick pea is called the ceci bean. Florentine, in addition to referring to the Tuscan town of Florence, is a name also added to dishes made with spinach.
Recipe: Lasagna Roll-Ups
This is a post-church potluck vegetarian recipe my mother came up with as self-defense against homemade stuffed shells. If you have ever tried to stuff anything into those jumbo pasta shells, you know exactly what I mean. They shoot out of your hands like torpedoes, they drop in the sink or on the floor, your hands are covered in cheese goop, and by the time you’re done you’ve lost your appetite and never want to see a stuffed shell again.
Recipe: Patatas Caliente con Mayonesa Ajo
This tapas recipe comes from Spain’s Catalan region. Have plenty of chilled lemonade, sangria, agua fresca, or horchata available to douse the flames – these little spuds are smokin’ hot!
Recipe: Cool Summer Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti is easy to fix, but it’s hotter than blue blazes out there and the last thing you need is a steaming plate of pasta and tomato sauce. Whatever will you do?
Vitamins in the Vegetarian Diet, Part 2: the Water-Soluble Vitamins
Water soluble vitamins do not require protein carriers and travel more freely in the bloodstream and the lymph system than do the fat-soluble vitamins. They are discharged through the urine and rarely become toxic. It’s easier to become deficient in the water soluble vitamins, as the body stores them in smaller amounts.
Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Salsa
This is a recipe I came up with recently after cleaning out my kitchen cupboards and refrigerator. I still have no idea why I had creamed corn in my cupboard – I won’t touch the stuff, so what on earth did I buy it for? Did it end up in my grocery cart by accident somehow? I once got home with Chinese Five Spice seasoning that had not been on my shopping list – it must have rolled into my area of the belt from the person ahead of me in line at the cashier. Those little dividers don’t quite go across the whole belt.
Supplements – Do Vegetarians Need Them?
If you are a reasonably healthy person and you eat a well-balanced, healthy diet full of whole grains, lean protein, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, there really is no reason to take vitamin/mineral supplements.
