Home | Contact | Michael Bluejay 
  • Protein Myths
  • Why be Vegetarian?
  • Is meat-eating natural?
  • Vegetarian Myths
  • Veg. & the Environment

  • What do vegetarians eat?
    and What do vegans eat?
    A vegetarian food list | Notes at the bottom of the page


    Entrees

    AMERICAN
      Baked Beans
      Chili Black Bean, Lentil, Pinto Bean, Soy, Tempeh
      Veggie Burgers Burger King BK Veggie, Boca Burger, Gardenburger, Morningstar Farms, Yves Black Bean
      Meatless Hot Dogs
      Casserole Loaves Lentil, Potato, Red Bean, Rice-Mushroom, Soy
      Sloppy Joes Lentil, Tofu
      Veggie Subway sandwich
    CHINESE & ASIAN
      Chinese vegetarian restaurant menu with 70 items, including pictures
     
    Chop Suey
      Chow Mein
      Dim Sum
      Mu Shu Vegetables
      Pad Thai
      Ramen
      Szechuan Eggplant
      Spring Rolls
      Stir-Fried Vegetables
      Sushi avocado, cucumber, carrot
      Sweet & Sour Vegetables
      Won Ton Soup
    INDIAN
      Aloo Gobhi
      Aloo Paratha
      Bombay Pav Bhaji
      Chana Masala
      Curried Vegetables
      Dahl
      Gobhi Muslam
      Potato Curry
      Tandoori Casserole
    ITALIAN
      Eggplant Casserole
      Pasta Linguini, Macaroni, Rigatoni, Spaghetti
      Pizza
      Lasagna
      Manicotti
      Ravioli
      Stuffed Bell Peppers
    MEDITERRANEAN
      Falafel
      Moroccan Vegetables
      Spanikopita
      Tabouleh
    MEXICAN
      Burritos Bean, Potato, Tofu
      Chapatis & Beans
      Enchiladas Spinach Mushroom
      Seitan Fajitas
      Tacos Bean, Potato, Tofu
      Tamales
      Tamale Pie
    OTHER
      Marinated Tofu
      Mushroom Stroganoff
      Roasted Vegetables
      Sandwiches Hummus, Cashew Butter, Peanut Butter, Meat Substitutes, Roasted Eggplant, Vegetables
      Shish Kebabs
      Soups
      Stews
      Stuffed Squash
      Vegetable Quiche

    Fruits

    Apples
    Golden Delicious
    Red Delicious
    Granny Smith
    McIntosh
    Pink Lady

    Apricots
    Bananas
    Blackberries
    Blueberries
    Canteloupe
    Cherries
    Coconuts
    Cranberries
    Dates
    Figs
    Grapefruit
    Grapes
    Honeydew   Melons

    Kiwi Fruit
    Lemons
    Limes
    Mangos
    Nectarines
    Oranges
    Papaya
    Peaches
    Pears
    Pineapple
    Plums
    Prunes
    Raisins
    Raspberries
    Strawberries
    Tangerines
    Watermelon

    Dairy Substitutes

    MILK
    Almond Milk
    Rice Milk
    Soy Milk
    Above available in: Nonfat, 2%, Regular, Carob, Chocolate, Vanilla
    Soy Yogurt

    CHEESE
    Almond Cheese
    Rice Cheese
    Soy Cheese
    American, Cheddar, Mozarella, Swiss

    Sandwich Fillings

    Apple Butter
    Cashew Baba Ganouj
    Butter
    Guacamole
    Falafel
    Hummus

    Jams & Jellies Blueberry, Boysenberry, Cranberry, Grape, Raspberry, Strawberry
    Marmalade
    Peanut butter
    Seitan
    Tofu, Baked
    Tofu "Egg" Salad
    Veggie Burger Mix
    Wheat Roast

    Grain Dishes

    Couscous
    Dolmas
    Falafel
    Grits
    Macaroni
    Oatmeal
    Pasta Linguini, Macaroni, Rigatoni, Spaghetti
    Pilaf
    Polenta

    Porridge
    Ramen Buckwheat, Carrot, Curry, Miso, Mushroom, Onion, SchezhuanSeawood, Spinach
    Spanish Rice
    Sushi
    Tabouleh
    Wild Rice

    Breakfast Foods

    Bagels Banana Nut, Blueberry, Cinnamon Raisin, Cranberry, Garlic, Onion, Poppy Seed, Pumpernickel, Sesame Seed, Sun-Dried Tomato, Whole Wheat
    Cereal Cheerios, Cornflakes, Frosted Flakes, Grape Nuts, Kashi, Multigrain Flakes, Nutri-Grain, Puffed Corn, Puffed Millet, Puffed Rice, Puffed Wheat, Raisin Bran, Rice Flakes, Shredded Wheat, Wheetabix

    Cinnamon Buns
    Danish
    Donuts
    French Toast
    Granola
    Grits
    Muffins
    Oatmeal
    Pancakes
    Blueberry, Buckwheat, Wheat
    Pastries
    Polenta
    Porridge
    Potato Patties
    Scrambled Tofu
    Toast
    Waffles

    Grains

    Amaranth
    Barley
    Buckwheat
    Bulgur Wheat
    Corn

    Millet
    Oats
    Rice
    Rye
    Quinoa
    Wheat

    Beans

    Adzuki Beans
    Black Beans
    Black Eyed Peas
    Garbanzo Beans
    Great Northern Beans
    Green Lentils
    Green Split Peas

    Kidney Beans
    Mung Beans
    Navy Beans
    Pinto Beans
    Red Beans
    Red Lentils
    Soybeans
    Yellow Split Peas

    Meat Substitutes

    Seitan
    Soy Ground Beef
    Soy Hot Dogs
    Soy Pepperoni
    Tempeh

    Tofu
    TVP
    Veggie Burgers Mix, Packaged
    Veggie BBQ
    Wheat Roast

    Bean Dishes

    Baked Beans
    Bean Burgers Black Bean, Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Lentil, Red Bean, Tofu
    Bean Casserole Black Bean, Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Lentil, Red Bean, Tofu
    Black Bean Dip
    Chili Black Bean, Kidney Bean, Pinto Bean, Red Bean, Tofu
    Dahl
    Hummus
    Lentil Sloppy Joes
    Marinated Tofu
    Refried Beans
    Tofu Sloppy Joes

    Condiments

    Catsup
    Chutney
    Corn Butter
    Eggless Mayonnaise
    Horseradish
    Mushroom Gravy
    Mustard
    Nutritional Yeast
    Pasta Sauces
    Pepper
    Pesto
    Pico de Gallo

    Salad Dressings Cucumber, French, Honey Mustard, Italian, Thousand Island, Tomato, Vinaigrette
    Salsa
    Salt
    Sesame Seeds
    Soy Sauce
    Tahini
    Tamari

    Breads

    Bagels
    Biscuits
    Cornbread
    Dinner Rolls
    Focaccia
    French Bread
    Muffins Apple, Banana, Carrot, Corn, Oat

    Loaves Banana, Multigrain, Raisin, Rye, Wheat, Zucchini
    Pita
    Tortillas
    Wheat Loaf

    Baking

    Arrowroot
    Baking Powder
    Baking Soda

    Corn Starch
    Egg Replacer
    Yeast

    Leafy Vegetables

    Broccoli
    Brussels Sprouts
    Cabbage
    Cauliflower
    Celery
    Collard Greens
    Dandelion Greens

    Green Chard
    Green Leaf Lettuce
    Iceberg Lettuce
    Kale
    Mustard Greens
    Red Chard
    Red Leaf Lettuce
    Spinach

    Soups & Stews

    Alphabet
    Asparagus
    Black Bean
    Black-Eyed Pea
    Borscht, Corn
    Chowder
    Cream of Broccoli
    Cream of Celery
    Chickpea
    Curry Lentil
    Gazpacho
    Lentil

    Tomato
    Minestrone
    Miso
    Mushroom
    Okra Gumbo
    Onion
    Potato-Leek
    Ratatouille
    Red Bean
    Split Pea
    Squash & Tomato
    Sweet Squash
    Tomato
    Vegetable
    Wonton
    Yam

    Nuts

    Almonds
    Brazil Nuts
    Cashews
    Chestnuts Filberts

    Peanuts
    Peanut Butter
    Pecans
    Pistachios
    Walnuts

    Snacks

    Applesauce
    Carrot Sticks
    Crackers Brown Rice, Matzo,Saltines, Whole Wheat Thins
    Energy Bars ClifKids, Odwalla, Lara
    Fruit Cocktail
    Fruit Leather
    Fruit Salad
    Nuts
    Pickles
    Popcorn

    Pretzels
    Rice Cakes Apple, Caramel, Millet, Buckwheat, Italian Spice, Mochi Sweet, Teriyaki Smoothies
    Sunflower Seeds
    Tortilla Chips

    Desserts

    Bread Pudding
    Brownies
    Cakes Angelfood, Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate, Coffee Cake, Cupcakes, Flan, Fruitcake, Gingerbread, Pound Cake, Sponge Cake, Tofu Cheesecake
    Candy Bars
    Cobbler Apple, Apricot, Peach, Plum
    Cookies Animal Crackers, Apple Spice, Chocolate, Coconut Bars, Fig Bars, Gingersnaps, Graham Crackers, Ladyfingers, Macaroons, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Raisin, Shortbread, Sugar, Vanilla
    Crepes
    Eclairs Frozen Fruit Bars

    Canteloupe, Cherry, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Pineapple, Raspberry, Strawberry
    Nondairy Ice Cream Almond Pecan, Chai, Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Espresso, Green Tea, Peppermint, Pistachio Almond, Raspberry, Vanilla
    Pies Apple, Banana Custard, Blackberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Chocolate Chiffon, Coconut Cream, Fried, Lemon, Pecan, Pumpkin, Rhubarb, Sweet Potato
    Puddings Chocolate, Rice, Tapioca, Vanilla
    Sorbets

    Other Vegetables

    Artichokes
    Asparagus
    Avocados
    Bamboo Shoots
    Beets
    Bell Peppers Green, Red, Yellow
    Butternut Squash
    Carrots
    Corn
    Cucumbers
    Eggplant
    Garlic
    Ginger
    Green Onions
    Leeks
    Mushrooms Shiitake, White Button

    Okra
    Olives
    Onions
    Peas
    Potatoes
    Pumpkin
    Radishes
    Red Potatoes
    Sprouts
    Squash
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tomatoes
    Turnips
    Yams
    Zucchini

    Vegetable Dishes

    Baked Potatoes
    Butternut Squash
    Carrots & Parsley
    Coleslaw
    Corn on the Cob
    Curried Vegetables
    Eggplant Casserole
    Grilled Vegetables
    Hash Browns
    Mashed Potatoes
    Mixed Vegetables
    Moroccan Vegetables
    Mushroom Gravy
    Potato Burgers
    Potato Curry
    Roasted Vegetables
    Soups & Stews (see sep. section)
    Steamed Artichokes
    Steamed Greens
    Stir-Fried Vegetables
    Stuffed Bell Peppers
    Sweet & Sour Vegetables

    Herbs & Spices

    Allspice
    Cinnamon
    Basil
    Bay Leaves
    Celery Seed
    Chili Powder
    Cilantro
    Coriander
    Cumin
    Curry Powder
    Dill
    Dry Mustard
    Garlic
    Ginger
    Lemon Juice

    Mace
    Marjoram
    Nutmeg
    Oregano
    Paprika
    Parsley
    Pepper, Black
    Pepper, Red
    Rosemary
    Sage
    Salt
    Soy Sauce
    Spike
    Tarragon
    Thyme
    Turmeric

    Beverages

    Beer
    Cocoa
    Coffee
    Fruit Juices
      Apple, Grape, Grapefruit, Orange
    Lemonade
    Limeade
    Root Beer

    Soft Drinks
    Sports Drinks
    Teas
    Tomato Juice
    Wine

    Sweeteners

    Barley Malt
    Brown Rice Syrup
    Brown Sugar
    Maple Syrup

    Molasses
    Sugar
    Turbinado Sugar


    (Google picks the ads, not me.)

    Probably one of the most annoying questions a vegetarian gets is, "So what do you eat?", often followed by, "Don't you get tired of eating nothing but salad?" I usually answer that one with, "Yes, and it's so terrible I cry myself to sleep every night."

    But anyway, if you're a vegetarian, now you can refer people to this page to see that you subsist on more than carrots and lettuce. If you're not a vegetarian, now you can see that we're not starving ourselves after all.

    Hyper-critical meat-eaters may complain that I'm exaggerating the number of foods available by listing a few items twice (e.g., under both "Entrees" and "Vegetable Dishes", but that's only because it made the most sense to do so. That's more that balanced by the fact that the list above is woefully incomplete -- I didn't come close to listing all the foods available to vegetarians. I could easily come up with another few hundred sandwiches, soups, stews, casseroles, chilis, ethnic dishes, tortilla chip flavors, nondairy ice cream flavors, etc. You'll also notice that I don't list salads at all. This is intentional.

    How to answer "But what do you eat?"
    Memorize your own personalized version of what's below. It ought to be a funny way to counter pre-conceived notions.

    I'm glad you asked, because I like to eat, and I love talking about food. Probably the first thing that people think of when they think of being vegetarian is giving up hamburgers, but there are actually a lot of commercial veggie burgers you can get in grocery stores by companies like Morningstar Farms, Yves, Boca Burger, and Garden Burger, and most of them come in about five different flavors. You know with meat pretty much the only flavor you get is, hamburger. Even Burger King has a veggie burger on their menu now, and so do lots of restaurants. Now personally I don't really buy veggie burgers unless I'm eating out, but sometimes I make them myself from scratch with things like lentils, rice, and oats. A meat alternative I like better is the veggie barbecue that they have in the regular grocery stores now. Of course there are also a gazillion varieties of meatless hot dogs but I never really missed hot dogs very much.

    For ethnic food my favorite variety is Indian, dishes like aloo gobhi, allo paratha, bombay pav bhaji, chana masala, dahl, gobhi muslam, and tandoori casserole. Those are things like spiced cauliflower and potatoes, potato-filled flat bread, curried vegetables, spiced chickpeas, and thick stews made from yellow split peas. After that I'd go for Mexican food -- enchiladas, tacos, and burritos, filled with potatoes, onions, and beans like black beans, red beans, and kidney beans. There's also tamales, tamale pie, and fajitas made with a wheat roast called seitan. I also like Mediterranean food, things like spanikopita which is a spinach pie, tabouleh which is a grain dish made from bulgur wheat, and falafel, which is a sandwich made from fried chickpeas, though I don't eat that too much because I try to avoid fried foods. And I guess everyone likes Chinese food -- chop suey, chow mein, dim sum, mu shu vegetables, stir-fried eggplant, spring rolls, won ton soup, and other Asian foods like Pad Thai and sushi without fish. I don't eat just exotic stuff, though. I also like traditional foods like baked beans, chili without meat, casseroles, mashed potatoes, and sloppy joes made from lentils or tofu. Oh, I almost forgot Italian -- eggplant casserole, lasagna with meat & dairy substitutes, pasta like linguini, fettucine, and spaghetti, and of course pizza. I like making my own pizza because nothing impresses someone like making pizza from scratch, including the crust. It's also fun to be creative -- once I made pizza at a hostel and they didn't have a rolling pin, so I used a tomato sauce can to roll out the dough. When I'm cooking for myself I also make thick stews based on whatever vegetables and beans I have lying around, usually potatoes, onions, eggplant, carrots, garlic, and greens like spinach or chard. This goes really well with brown rice, which I usually make separately but sometimes I cook it right along in the stew. Sometimes I'll just make a pot of nothing but potatoes, spiced wih soy sauce or spike. I especially like boiling a whole bunch of sweet potatoes. If I'm cooking for someone else I'll generally make pizza, veggie burgers, Chinese stir-fry, or a casserole like baked lentils or eggplant. For the holidays I make a fake turkey out of brown rice and pecans. When I'm running low on food I usually have some rice or oatmeal lying around that I can make in a pinch.

    I tend to eat a lot of fruit just by itself, especially for breakfast or lunch -- apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, canteloupe, dates, figs, grapefruit, kiwis, oranges, pears, nectarines, mangos, peaches, pears, plums, pineapple, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines watermelon, and apples. I prefer golden delicious and red delicious apples, I don't like granny smith because they're too tart, or McIntosh because they're too soft. For snacks besides ruit I like popcorn and rice cakes. I guess other vegans are more likely to eat cookies, crackers, pretzels, chips, pickles, or nuts like almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, or walnuts, but I try to keep away from junk food and high-fat foods. I eat too many bagels since I get them for free when the bakery throws them away at the end of the day, but otherwise I make whole wheat bread with my bread machine. I could buy it, but it's cheaper to make it and there's nothing like fresh-baked bread. I don't eat a lot of sandwiches any more but my favorite fillings are hummus, black bean spread, homemade veggie burgers, and peanut butter. What do you like to eat?

    Related info:

    Vegan Handbook:
    Over 200 Delicious Recipes, Meal Plans, and Vegetarian Resources for All Ages

    by Debra Wasserman

    [an error occurred while processing this directive]


    150 Vegan Favorites:
    Fresh, Easy and Incredibly Delicious Recipes You Can Enjoy Every Day
    by Jay Solomon

    [an error occurred while processing this directive]


    Easy Vegan Cooking:
    Over 350 Delicious Recipes for Every Occasion
    by Leah Leneman

    [an error occurred while processing this directive]


    Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook
    by the editors of Veg. Times

    [an error occurred while processing this directive]

    20 Minutes to Dinner: Quick, Low-Fat Vegetarian Meals, by Bryanna Clark Grogan. Get in and out of the kitchen FAST with tempting and nutritious dishes from vegetarian innovator, Bryanna Clark Grogan. Most of the recipes are based on the Mediterranean/Asian model using lots of grains, fruits and vegetables. Nutritional analyses accompany each recipe.

    $7.00 used

     

    The McDougall Program. Not only contains 130 lowfat vegan recipes, but also provides the wisdom of Dr. McDougall. McDougall ran an amazingly successful 12-day in-patient vegetarian program at the St. Helena Hospital in Deer Park, California. Participants were able to eliminate or drastically reduce insulin and high blood pressure medicines almost immediately. This book shows how to do it without going to the clinic. Convincingly presents the case for the health benefits of a vegetarian diet from the viewpoint of a trained medical professional. Probably the best of all the McDougall books. Read excerpt or

    [an error occurred while processing this directive]

    May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World, by John Robbins & Jia Patton. An abbreviated, updated version of Diet for a New America, which remedies the main complaint against that book: a lack of recipes. Now you'll be able to take action after being inspired by Robbins' convincing thesis. Contains nearly 200 vegan recipes. Read excerpt or

    [an error occurred while processing this directive]