Dx today vegetarian, on a low budget and don’t want to starve!

[LucysLostSister]

Yea I was same with olives also tomatoes. Hated them as a kid love them now.

I like eggs but so many low carb meal plans/recipes are egg based and if I eat them that frequently 1 I’ll get sick of them 2 I’ll be constipated!

I don’t eat any meat, fish or seafood. I do have dairy.

Beans, seeds etc I like but can only eat about a handful a day or I get diarrhoea. They often come in such large packs too that they do indeed go off before I can finish them. I have ordered some nuts which I’m slightly better with and come in smaller packs.

Willing to try new things taste wise though I’ve tried most veggie things readily available already as there’s little that’s veggie that I don’t like. I’ve also lived overseas and tried some more unusual things then so I’m not against trying new, aside from cost angle if I don’t like it.

The only thing with beans etc is they’re also quite carby? So not sure how much of them to use to be mindful of that, learning curve.

 

[Specs]

As per title dx today and dr said to get on the diet side of things.

Been reading here and recommended some other reading but everything I read on a low carb diet is frankly not suitable for me as a vegetarian (there’s a LOT of meat in the meal plans) on a low budget (benefits) who wants to eat real meals - and no crudités and a bit of a low fat dip is not a meal! it’s barely a snack! And no I can’t afford extortionately expensive carb alternatives either.

I eat free range eggs & dairy. Low fat not because of calories etc but because I don’t like taste of high fat items. I like most veggies apart from sprouts, radishes & onions and spicy food don’t agree with me and I have to limit nuts seeds and pulses (ibs)

The meal plans I’ve seen are also very repetitive and boring - even if I were willing to have a go I know it wouldn’t be sustainable.

I also live alone and have Mh issues that mean often I don’t have the will to cook from scratch, certainly not every day 3 times a day! Will batch cook sometimes but only have a small 3 drawer freezer and no money or space for additional.

What I normally eat -

Rarely have breakfast as suffer from insomnia and the thought of eating when I first wake makes me feel nauseous. On the rare occasions I do it will be cereal with skimmed milk, toast and marmite or scrambled eggs.

Lunch is usually sandwiches or crackers and cheese, need to be honest so yes normally a packet of crisps and a sweet something either a snack size choc or mini haribo bag or cereal bar, diet soda to drink.

Dinner is usually pasta with veg and a sauce usually pesto, stir fry with quorn and veg a ready made sachet sauce and rice or noodles or cous cous, or sausages/quorn fillet/escalope with veg and mash, or sometimes a roast with a nut cutlet instead of meat, or if I can’t manage to cook something tinned like macaroni cheese or ravioli or a pot noodle type thing. Dessert if I have one is microwave sponge pudding and low fat custard or a yogurt, or a soreen mini loaf.

Supper if I have it (depends what I’ve already had that day) is crackers with either cheese or veggie pate also crisps and choc then.

Drinks rest of day used to be flavoured water or very weak squash but I’ve now changed to herbal tea, I hate plain water makes me gag.

When I was losing weight a couple years ago I was having similar but much smaller portions and instead of crisps I’d have crudités and instead of cakes/biscuits/puds I’d have fruit or yogurt or a skinny bar.

Help!

Hello, I know what it feels like to be too tired to spend an hour at the stove. I've bought a tall, folding kitchen stool so I can sit down if I need to. It cost less than £20.00 on the internet and is really useful. My cats love it too.
I have chronic back pain and knee pain so going for long walks is exhausting. I need a new body but they don't do those on Amazon so gadgets are the next best thing. Long reach "litter picker" for indoors, electric tin opener, jar and bottle opener, non slip mats, lap tray and that's just the kitchen. As I no longer eat red meat, I use Quorn mince and bulk it up with red kidney beans, chopped red, green and yellow peppers, tinned tomatoes, red onions, fresh peeled ginger. I use tomato pure, Italian dried herbs, crumbled veggie cubes for flavour. If the sauce is too thick, I add a glass of water and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes. It can be frozen or it keeps in the fridge for up to three days. I no longer buy fruit yoghurts but have zero fat plain yoghurt and low fat quark instead of soft cheese.
Avocados are a very healthy sandwich filling and cheap to buy at the greengrocer's. Fresh tomatoes are quite sweet, so are pears.
Just a few tips to try.

 

[LucysLostSister]

Thanks. Aside from the stool I have the other kitchen aids as my hands aren’t so strong or reliable now. Hence not able to peel/chop hard veg.

Yea I batch cook when I can - soup, casseroles, chilli (very mild), bolognese, ratatouille, stroganoff

But limited freezer space

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Thanks. Aside from the stool I have the other kitchen aids as my hands aren’t so strong or reliable now. Hence not able to peel/chop hard veg.

Yea I batch cook when I can - soup, casseroles, chilli (very mild), bolognese, ratatouille, stroganoff

But limited freezer space

I rarely peel veg nowadays.

 

[Lucyr]

Hence not able to peel/chop hard veg.

I use a chopper you just put the veg in, press on it with fist and it chops it. Not much hand coordination required.

 

[LucysLostSister]

A chopper I could manage if peeled but peeling is the most dodgy part for me! Even with a peeler I end up slipping hand etc. that’s asda delivered putting it all away now.

Today so far I’ve had 4 plain rice cakes with mayo, cheese slices and veggie pastrami. eclair., eclair might be bad but if I’d not had it I’d have ended up getting something worse when out.

Vegan wrap eating out it was the best option from what was available. Eating out is going to be hard, not that I do so often.

Not hungry at the moment, thinking I’ll have the rest of last nights salad with some veggie chicken pieces at some point. Maybe some yogurt and blueberries after IF I’m hungry.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

A chopper I could manage if peeled but peeling is the most dodgy part for me! Even with a peeler I end up slipping hand etc. that’s asda delivered putting it all away now.

Today so far I’ve had 4 plain rice cakes with mayo, cheese slices and veggie pastrami. eclair., eclair might be bad but if I’d not had it I’d have ended up getting something worse when out.

Vegan wrap eating out it was the best option from what was available. Eating out is going to be hard, not that I do so often.

Not hungry at the moment, thinking I’ll have the rest of last nights salad with some veggie chicken pieces at some point. Maybe some yogurt and blueberries after IF I’m hungry.

Personally I agree with you on the eating out, the best I found today was a toasted sandwich and salad, but @AndBreathe seems to have suggestions on food available on a low carb diet if you are out.

 

[LucysLostSister]

Yes I’ll need to figure that all out. Live Glasgow way, not known for healthy eating! When it was the heatwave I was craving salads and nowhere did them!

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Yes I’ll need to figure that all out. Live Glasgow way, not known for healthy eating! When it was the heatwave I was craving salads and nowhere did them!

I did actually have the deep fried Mars Bar there 🙂

 

[LucysLostSister]

Haha that’s one thing I’ve never had. I do usually love a pizza crunch though. Very hard to eat out healthily I really think cafes and restaurants need to do much better there, when I was trying to lose weight it was very challenging too. Sometimes I took a packed lunch with me as it was so hard to get something low or lower cal in certain places. Since the vegan popularity places that used to have eg salads at least on the menu somewhere have replaced them with vegan fast food it’s annoying!

 

[Lucyr]

A chopper I could manage if peeled but peeling is the most dodgy part for me!

I can’t think of any veg I peel, keep the skin on carrots and potatoes and parsnips, garlic I guess I peel and fruit I peel, did just peel a kiwi.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Haha that’s one thing I’ve never had. I do usually love a pizza crunch though. Very hard to eat out healthily I really think cafes and restaurants need to do much better there, when I was trying to lose weight it was very challenging too. Sometimes I took a packed lunch with me as it was so hard to get something low or lower cal in certain places. Since the vegan popularity places that used to have eg salads at least on the menu somewhere have replaced them with vegan fast food it’s annoying!

Eating out is the reason I chose not to go low carb.

 

[AndBreathe]

Personally I agree with you on the eating out, the best I found today was a toasted sandwich and salad, but @AndBreathe seems to have suggestions on food available on a low carb diet if you are out.

Being an enthusiastic meat eater, many of my personally preferred options would not be palatable, so I'll hold my tongue on those.

One thing that could potentially help you @LucysLostSister would be to look at starters and sides and build from there. A starter, or two, as a main course could work. I often observe, perhaps a goats cheese salad or an avocado dish that could be doubled up, or served with a side of veg?

 

[AndBreathe]

Haha that’s one thing I’ve never had. I do usually love a pizza crunch though. Very hard to eat out healthily I really think cafes and restaurants need to do much better there, when I was trying to lose weight it was very challenging too. Sometimes I took a packed lunch with me as it was so hard to get something low or lower cal in certain places. Since the vegan popularity places that used to have eg salads at least on the menu somewhere have replaced them with vegan fast food it’s annoying!

There are several companies on the market now doing low carb pizza bases and wraps, which people seem to enjoy, although as I under stand it, they aren't the cheapest option.

Other than that, you can make a cheesy pizza base by grating cheese onto the relevant shape, or the bottom of a small flan dish and grilling it until it melds together, then add your toppings, and grill a bit more.

The same can be done with an omelette, if you put grated cheese into the pan first, then let it start to melt, then add the eggs, and anything else you choose, then fold over, as usual. That has a crispy outer if the texture is something you crave.

 

[LucysLostSister]

I can’t think of any veg I peel, keep the skin on carrots and potatoes and parsnips, garlic I guess I peel and fruit I peel, did just peel a kiwi.

With the ocd I do prefer things like potatoes and carrots to be peeled. Kiwi fruit I eat like a boiled egg lol, much easier, had one last night actually, not had one in ages.

 

[LucysLostSister]

Eating out is the reason I chose not to go low carb.

Eating out for so many is really difficult, I have allergies as do several friends and one has just been dx celiac too she’s in the doldrums about eating out it’s going to be pretty much impossible for her now.

 

[LucysLostSister]

Being an enthusiastic meat eater, many of my personally preferred options would not be palatable, so I'll hold my tongue on those.

One thing that could potentially help you @LucysLostSister would be to look at starters and sides and build from there. A starter, or two, as a main course could work. I often observe, perhaps a goats cheese salad or an avocado dish that could be doubled up, or served with a side of veg?

Been doing that for decades with being vegetarian. When I first went veggie quite often there were no veggie main courses available, I’d get offered fish (cos fish is a vegetable right? ) or “maybe the chef can knock you up an omelette if he gets a minute” dire! Quite often I’d be stuck with chips and a side salad!

 

[LucysLostSister]

There are several companies on the market now doing low carb pizza bases and wraps, which people seem to enjoy, although as I under stand it, they aren't the cheapest option.

Other than that, you can make a cheesy pizza base by grating cheese onto the relevant shape, or the bottom of a small flan dish and grilling it until it melds together, then add your toppings, and grill a bit more.

The same can be done with an omelette, if you put grated cheese into the pan first, then let it start to melt, then add the eggs, and anything else you choose, then fold over, as usual. That has a crispy outer if the texture is something you crave.

Yea I’ve seen a few recipes for making very thin omelettes to make wraps or low carb pizza base, I also found this recipe

Crustless Pizza Bowl For One

Whip up this single serving crustless Pizza Bowl for a low-carb, gluten-free twist on your favorite dish. Filled with classic supreme pizza toppings.

onedishkitchen.com

 

[AndBreathe]

Yea I’ve seen a few recipes for making very thin omelettes to make wraps or low carb pizza base, I also found this recipe

Crustless Pizza Bowl For One

Whip up this single serving crustless Pizza Bowl for a low-carb, gluten-free twist on your favorite dish. Filled with classic supreme pizza toppings.

onedishkitchen.com

Yes, that particular recipe suggests 2 types of sausage, but adapting the amounts of sauce and veg would do much the same I think.

These muffin melts contain tuna, but, again, could be swapped around for veggie proteins or veg. I guess one consideration is the mount of water a veg will release when cooked. Squeezed, cooked spinach would work though.

Hearty Spicy Tuna Cups are the Perfect Keto Meal

What a genius way to use a can of tuna in the pantry!

hip2keto.com

It takes time to work out a plan, and I am certainly not your best guide because I enjoy my meat. You'll get there.

 

[Deleted member 21371]

Been doing that for decades with being vegetarian. When I first went veggie quite often there were no veggie main courses available, I’d get offered fish (cos fish is a vegetable right? ) or “maybe the chef can knock you up an omelette if he gets a minute” dire! Quite often I’d be stuck with chips and a side salad!

Then the days of the cheesy vegetable bake as the only vegetarian option on the menu!

Have a look at A Pinch of Nom.
They have good vegetarian recipes.
Some are more complicated than others, some can be made easier with a few easy tweaks.
The biggest thing I've took away is the suggestions on how to cut fat and calories, which carry across to a lot of other situations.

Vegetarian Archives - Pinch Of Nom

Recipes that are all suitable for vegetarian diets including Salt and Pepper Chips, Vegan Chilli and Vegan Campfire Stew. From Pinch of Nom.

pinchofnom.com

As to eating out, I suspect unless you are have a set menu in a restaurant, as AndBreathe says, and can order things like the Avocado salads, it's always going to be a problem when you low carb.
Meat can make it easier, but I never found that worked for me either. It takes planning, and studying the menu in advance to check they have got an option, or it's salad again, and there is the risk it becomes the same old restaurant, the same old foods as well, and I am just too spontaneous for that.

When I resolved to beat my diabetes, I preferred to keep carbs on the menu if I could, and I can still nip into anywhere, and eat whatever is on offer, especially for a snack and a coffee out.
The toastie (and salad!) was in a small bar, at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon. That could have been ordered as cheese, and would have been more filling than just the salad, but even that would have to have been a negotiation, as it came on the plate, not a side option.
Nowhere else open, definitely no restaurants in the dead times on Sundays, (well, apart from Greggs), so it was either go hungry, drive into another town and hope, or just go home.
It's also more sociable if we are meeting people, then it doesn't have to be a meal every time we meet friends, a coffee shop is open to us.

It's worth considering if you can keep a balance of some carbs, not everyone goes ultra low, some of us balance our whole lifestyle, not just focus solely on BG.