How many vegetarian meals do you eat a week?

[briggsy's girl]

my DH is a bit the same - raised on meat and three veg, so that's what dinner should be

i have been able to get him to eat a lot of things that aren't as cut and dried as that - but getting him to go completely meat free is pushing it. i don't mind as we dont' eat a lot of heavy meat meals - we might have chook fillets with vegie bake (of chook IN the vegie bake), a grilled steak with stirfry veg - but we always have meat

for me - i can (and do) eat meat free when DH isn't home - but i feel better in myself if i have the protein load. am not a fan of egg, can't do soy etc - so, due to the PCOS and the impacts it has on my insulin levels - if i don't have meat, i find i get very dizzy a few hours later and then have to eat again (which annoys me!) or risk blacking out. pre pg, i'd risk it - now, with me primary carer for DD - not a chance

[Phteven]

Beans are an awesome source of protien and so are chickpeas.
I'm sooo making the bean burgers on that link you posted Leasha and the mexican rolls.

[AnyDream]

Not enough!

I'm really trying to boost my veggie intake and lessen saturated fat (anticancer measure) so trying for smaller portions of meat when we do have it, and trying to buy leaner cuts of meat but goodness it's expensive.

So I've started trying to have more veggie-based lunches as a start - replacing "lunch meat" with veggo ideas - tho I admit it's hard work thinking it up to start with. A lot of the yum veggo food my sister makes is actually pretty high in fat so I'm trying to find the middle path.

BG - I worry about the soy thing too - I know it's supposedly a good source of protein but a bit of a problem deciding since there is conflicting evidence about its effects on breast cancer. So I'm happy to eat it occasionally but I don't think it's a good idea for me to plan regular meals around it.

[Indadhanu]

Yeah, definitely then bean, and the lentil, burgers here too! We actually eat a lot of beans and lentils, but usually with mince, but I always think when I'm adding the beans that I shouldn've tried it without meat but I never realised until I'm already cooking

My sis reckons the satay right at the bottom is great too. Does anyone know if tofu is ok for kids? What is tofu? I don't even know! LOL! Is it soy?

[Fleur]

Yep tofu is soybean curd. I'm pretty sure it's ok for kids. It's a bit bland on its own though, but you can marinate it just like you would meat.

[Phteven]

blerk, I can't stand tofu. Even marinated it tastes of cardboard.
I'm pretty sure that it would be ok for older children but soy is a pretty common allergen so you might want to introduce it around the same time as nutty stuff.

[Lisa]

We have it a few times a week as my 15 yr old DS is a vegetarian.

[CrazyLady]

I was vegetarian for 11 years. only started eating meat 2 months ago because was having trouble cooking all the balanced meals I used to eat because bubs is very active and clingy around dinner time. I still make about 3 or 4 full veg meals a week. Stirfry, veg bolognese and spinach and ricotta canneloni (if baby lets me).

[Fleur]

blerk, I can't stand tofu. Even marinated it tastes of cardboard.
I'm pretty sure that it would be ok for older children but soy is a pretty common allergen so you might want to introduce it around the same time as nutty stuff.

Ahh yeah didn't think of the allergy thing
I'm not a big fan either but you can buy some already marinated that's not so bad.

I prefer lentils...mum makes this thing which is just sauted veges - she uses whatever is in the fridge, (good for a clean out) - with a vege stock cube & lentils, then wraps them in pastry. So kind of like vege parcels, is a lot nicer than it sounds...
ooh & lentil pie with potato, zucchini, mushrooms cheese cream & garlic (and no pastry). Bit fattening though, but very yummy