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I’m also an “almost” veggie - we eat meat once a week/fortnight.
We eat a LOT of salad - I don’t mean your standard boring iceberg/tomato/cucumber salad… think more adventurous with the things you put into them and the dressings.
Falafel is lovely… try a few different brands though as some are boring.
I prefer chickpeas in curry rather than meat, and quorn is SO much tastier in stir fries than chicken too.
Quorn mince is not difficult to pass off as beef mince in things like chilli and spaghetti bol etc.
Also beans beans beans (not baked beans!) You can do a fab bean chilli or spicy tomato mixed bean rice etc
We eat a LOT of salad - I don’t mean your standard boring iceberg/tomato/cucumber salad… think more adventurous with the things you put into them and the dressings.
Falafel is lovely… try a few different brands though as some are boring.
I prefer chickpeas in curry rather than meat, and quorn is SO much tastier in stir fries than chicken too.
Quorn mince is not difficult to pass off as beef mince in things like chilli and spaghetti bol etc.
Also beans beans beans (not baked beans!) You can do a fab bean chilli or spicy tomato mixed bean rice etc
My hubby went vegan 3 months ago . Im
not a meat fan so rarely have it. We have replaced especially in chillis or curry’s , meat with sweet potatoes . Yesterday we had Thai green curry but with sweet potatoes instead of chicken. We also have chilli con carne but with potatoes too ( Jamie Oliver recipe ). We have vegetable risottos , vegetable chow mein . Pastas. If we are having a meat , potatoes and veg kind of meal we do use meat substitutes. Eg, vegan pie with mash and veg, or Linda McCartney sausages with mash etc. Quorn we use too for quickness but I know some people can’t digest it well . Use mushrooms to replace meat too like Shitake mushrooms are meaty .
my hubby went vegan for health and weight loss ( he loves meat and would eat it twice a day ). In 3 months he has lost 2 stone just going vegan. So cutting down on meat helps !
not a meat fan so rarely have it. We have replaced especially in chillis or curry’s , meat with sweet potatoes . Yesterday we had Thai green curry but with sweet potatoes instead of chicken. We also have chilli con carne but with potatoes too ( Jamie Oliver recipe ). We have vegetable risottos , vegetable chow mein . Pastas. If we are having a meat , potatoes and veg kind of meal we do use meat substitutes. Eg, vegan pie with mash and veg, or Linda McCartney sausages with mash etc. Quorn we use too for quickness but I know some people can’t digest it well . Use mushrooms to replace meat too like Shitake mushrooms are meaty .
my hubby went vegan for health and weight loss ( he loves meat and would eat it twice a day ). In 3 months he has lost 2 stone just going vegan. So cutting down on meat helps !
Why don't you start by say having a certain number of meals a week that don't have meat in? Or going meat-free for your lunches to begin with? Alternatively, make your meat go further by bulking out meals with other things, eg. a chickpea and chorizo stew rather than say a chicken and chorizo one, or add lentils to a shepherd's pie and reduce the amount of meat used.
This is were we are right now. I swap out minced beef with a can or two of drained green lentils - I really can’t stand Quorn mince. So much cheaper to use lentils. By the time I’ve added any sauce and herbs and spices I don’t really notice much difference - so chilli, spag Bol, lasagna, shepherds pie are still easy options!
I've been using quorn alternatives for years but I have found they aren't as nice as they used to be I've been using tesco plant chef instead of quorn their burgers are the nicest ones I've tried so far if anyone was looking for non quorn would definitely recommend
Mushrooms, beans, aubergine
I LOVE mushrooms (Mr. Aulty, unfortunately, hates them). Beans too, but with beans and lentils I feel you have to use the right kind and/or find the ones you like. Black and broad beans are my favourite. Aubergine when they are in season. It gets easier once the produce selection gets better in spring and summer.
If you want to lose weight, be careful not to keel over into 'bread and pasta and fries are vegetarian'. Or eating too much fruit because they have so much sugar (as do smoothies).
As one of those weird people who can't with coriander, I find falafel a bit overrated ;-)
I used to like the veggie mince from Aldi but prefer to not use 'meat substitutes' if I can help it - not every meat dish has/can/should be recreated as a veggie version. Check out the recipe section on the Aldi and Lidl websites for inspiration (and recipes with a sensible ingredients list) - Aldi have a Mushroom and Pecan Wellington that I want to try and make into 'sausage rolls' (lol here we are again, recreating stuff ;-). Or try BBC Good Food.
I LOVE mushrooms (Mr. Aulty, unfortunately, hates them). Beans too, but with beans and lentils I feel you have to use the right kind and/or find the ones you like. Black and broad beans are my favourite. Aubergine when they are in season. It gets easier once the produce selection gets better in spring and summer.
If you want to lose weight, be careful not to keel over into 'bread and pasta and fries are vegetarian'. Or eating too much fruit because they have so much sugar (as do smoothies).
As one of those weird people who can't with coriander, I find falafel a bit overrated ;-)
I used to like the veggie mince from Aldi but prefer to not use 'meat substitutes' if I can help it - not every meat dish has/can/should be recreated as a veggie version. Check out the recipe section on the Aldi and Lidl websites for inspiration (and recipes with a sensible ingredients list) - Aldi have a Mushroom and Pecan Wellington that I want to try and make into 'sausage rolls' (lol here we are again, recreating stuff ;-). Or try BBC Good Food.