Meatless

[MazdaMatt]

No, I haven't turned gay.

Sometimes I forget to thaw meat or the wife doesn't want meat for dinner and I don't feel like making two dinners.

What can I make that has a pile of protein so I'm not stuck eating nothing but a big carb-load? Wifey is trying to drop fat, so when she resorts to cereal and chips/popcorn for dinner, she's not doing herself any favours.

I'm going to the store right now to get tahini, chickpeas (garbonzo beans) and other things to make Hummus.

I also enjoy guacamole, but it isn't that high on the protein, just delicious fat.

I was cruising over on veganbodybuilding.com and the suggestions there were pretty pathetic. Someone suggested that fat was a bad thing and nobody flamed them, so I lost interest in their opinions.

I will give them credit for a pretty sweet instant "ice cream" (I quote it because they are silly vegans and don't consume milk).

frozen bananas
chocolate protein powder
+something i forget now, but those are the important ones
toss in a food processor
devour

[slughammer]

Chicken is the next best thing to meat. You can resort to fish if you want, but you're on your own. (Buy yourself a steak, get her some salmon).

Chicken drumsticks are about 75-100 calories each depending on size and skin on/off.

for her

2 chicken drumsticks
2 different kinds of frozen vegetables (made in microwave, no water added)
what is that so far? 250 calories?

you need to eat least 4, because they are only 13gr protein each

[MazdaMatt]

uh... do you buy "chicken" that doesn't come from an animal? I said "meatless" not "beefless".

I'm not trying to "go vegan" or anything, just sometimes wish I had some knowledge of recipes that didn't use meat and I could prepare out of the cupboard without cooking.

[MAD9692]

eggs....I think thats it.

[Dastardly]

uh... do you buy "chicken" that doesn't come from an animal? I said "meatless" not "beefless".



Lol, made me chuckle.

Like slughammer mentioned, fish/seafood is a winner.

Your doing alright there with the Humous. But realise that the most conventional form (with tahini & lemon juice) is practically like a dressing. It would be pretty hard to eat a bellyfull.

Perhaps take these meatless days as an opportunity to eat vast quantities of vegetables. They have lots of good nutrients to help recovery and some, like beans, legumes, nuts, and spinach can actually have a decent amount of protein too.

A small portion of spinach or even broccoli should actually have the same amount of protein as 1 egg.

Think of pasta or chilli type dishes, but just make them with various types of beans & greens instead.

Look up "daal" it is a indian way of cooking lentils, the thick dry type is a great way to eat a large quantity of protein rich lentils.

You can also use feta or paneer cheese in vegetable dishes to make things tastier and more interesting. (good protein too)

Also dont forget that most wheat based carb sources like bread, pasta or noodles actually have a surprsing amount of protein in them too. Around 10% by weight.

[LondonTiger]

well chicken breast is real easy to cook, spray some oil on a pan, and then fry each side for 5 mis,, and you'e got some real tasty chicken.

Eggs are of course the easiest.. you could get nuts, but good nuts like cashews, almonds, etc tend to be more expensive than some meats.

Whey protein is always good to top up after a protein lacking meal.

I like to marinate and herb my chicken in bulk.. 4 breats all in one, so it really reduces my prep time to a t, i literally scoop out some marinated corned chicken breasts, onto a heated pan cook for 10 mins, and I got a really good protein heavy burger, I have it with some break and vegetables.

Omlettes are good, but I don't really like eggs or omlettes because they're bloated.. one egg = 6g protein.. 6 eggs (which is like a mountain) is only 36g protein.. A small chicken breast on the other hand.. protein packed and doesn't bloat.

[MAD9692]

A small portion of spinach or even broccoli should actually have the same amount of protein as 1 egg.

??????????????????????? Really?

Chicken egg, whole, hard-boiledNutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)Energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_energy)647 kJ (155 kcal)Carbohydrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate)1.12 gFat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat)10.6 gProtein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_(nutrient))12.6 g
Spinach, rawNutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)Energy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_energy)97 kJ (23 kcal)Carbohydrates (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate)3.6 gSugars0.4 gDietary fiber (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber)2.2 gFat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat)0.4 gProtein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_(nutrient))2.2 g

[misspelledgeoff]

You should think more and post less.



A small portion of spinach or even broccoli should actually have the same amount of protein as 1 egg.

[MAD9692]

You should think more and post less.

I think this goes back to the whole European Middle Eastern thing. Not wanting to admit that veggies are not comparable to eggs, beef, poultry, etc, affects them greatly.

Hummus, jalebi, and naan are not going to get you where you want to be.
Pork will.

[Dastardly]

Cooked spinach weighs significantly less than raw. It is mostly water after all.

And 1 egg only has about 6g of protein.

[Dastardly]

I think this goes back to the whole European Middle Eastern thing. Not wanting to admit that veggies are not comparable to eggs, beef, poultry, etc, affects them greatly.

Hummus, jalebi, and naan are not going to get you where you want to be.
Pork will.

A small afghan 22 year old at my gym, not been training too long. Weighs about 60kg but pulls a 260kg deadlift easily. (six wheels each side)

Old Pakistani guy, late 50's at my gym. Squats 3x BW high bar ATG for reps easily. I saw him do this during a long hot summer RAMADAN day. (he is a devout muslim)

..Just saying.

[Scrofula]

What is it with people on this board thinking India is either in Southeast Asia or the Middle East?

Anyway, chickpeas are OK, but like Dastardly said, I wouldn't want to fill up on hummus. When I center a meal on chickpeas, I make a sort of curry out of it: onions, tomatoes, spices.

Breakfast for dinner is another option. An omelette with vegetables. Shouldn't be much work to nuke yourself some bacon on the side.

Or just have a light cooked meal with your wife and follow it up with some tuna sandwiches or a bowl of cottage cheese.

[MAD9692]

One of my best friends is a 175lb ghani who is lean & strong as fuck.
However, he unlike many of the European Middle Easterners on this site, lifts heavy, eats tons of food, with the majority of it being beef & poultry. I havent asked him, but I'm sure he knows what would happen if his diet consisted of spinach, broccolli, and some cheese.

[Dastardly]

I havent asked him, but I'm sure he knows what would happen if his diet consisted of spinach, broccolli, and some cheese.

You havent asked him so how do you know?

Some of the strongest guys at my gym have terrible diet. They avoid fat, skip meals to go to work or play soccer and fuel themselves on candy.

I dont have any meat-free days myself or intentionally meat-free meals, I just like to eat a few things other than meat and also like to cook. People like Bill Starr raved on about the value of vegetables and I think there is something in it.

Vegetables work best as a side to egg/meat/cheese anyway.

[Rorschach]

You think vegetables might be good for us? Good to know.

</hangover grumpiness> :D

[fnet]

No, I haven't turned gay.

Sometimes I forget to thaw meat or the wife doesn't want meat for dinner and I don't feel like making two dinners.

What can I make that has a pile of protein so I'm not stuck eating nothing but a big carb-load? Wifey is trying to drop fat, so when she resorts to cereal and chips/popcorn for dinner, she's not doing herself any favours.



I feel your pain, MazdaMatt. I think my wife and kids would be happy eating bowls of cereal for dinner. She eats meat, bon't won't eat anything off the bone. She looks at me in disgust, when I devour a slab of ribs. We split the cooking. When I cook, its roasts and chops. When my wife cooks, its pasta and veggies. She will, however, compromise by buying precooked white meat chicken strips. She'll toss it in a stir fry with veggies. On days where she won't eat meat due to religious reasons, she'll make something with cheese or I take it as an opportunity to run out to my neighborhood BBQ joint.

[hamboni]

why not spinach salad. Even w/o the bacon, you could pile hardboiled eggs on top (anyone know how long these will keep if prep'd before hand? I usually limit mine to <1 wk in the fridge). You could also make a plate of bacon or grilled chx to keep in the fridge and throw on yours while doing meatless for hers...

[Bahadur]

One of my best friends is a 175lb ghani who is lean & strong as fuck.
However, he unlike many of the European Middle Easterners on this site, lifts heavy, eats tons of food, with the majority of it being beef & poultry. I havent asked him, but I'm sure he knows what would happen if his diet consisted of spinach, broccolli, and some cheese.

Once again, India is not in the Middle East, or in Europe.
Middle Easterners (Arabs, Iranians, etc.) eat meat. You are confusing Indian with Middle Easterner.
As an American (of indian descent) in the post 9/11 world, that's one association that pisses me off.
And tons of us Indians do eat meat. As a Sikh, I have no problem finishing off a plate of burgers. My breakfasts are essentially piles of bacon. Its just fairly religious Hindus that have a problem with meat.

[MazdaMatt]

Can't eat hummus till I'm full? SAYS YOU! I love that shit! Served in a big bowl with a bag of corn chips or toasted pita... *drool*.

I will google a few of the dishes that were named that I've never heard of. Thanks for the discussion. Keep it rolling!

Stuff that I can keep in the cupboard or in a can would be awesome. Sometimes I suck at life (my coined phrase for things like forgetting to thaw meat, not taking out the garbage on garbage day and forgetting to get my damn passport application filled out again (shit, I forgot my papers at home again)) and I just need something that I can use to get the fucking job done without the wife eating a huge bowl of cereal followed by a box of crackers.

Tahini keeps in the cupboard, chickpeas are canned, we always have minced garlic in a bottle in the fridge and I'll be buying a bottle of lemon juice. That stuff all keeps for years and can be on hand just in case. (also makes a great topping for chicken when I don't suck at life).

edit: ps, this morning i took a pile of various lentils and put them in a bowl to soak... i will see what can be done with them when I get home.

[jjohal]

I'll second the daal suggestion and saag paneer (basically stewed spinach with homemade cheese). Eat that with a lot of butter and yogurt and you're getting in a fair bit of protein and fat. Seriously, a lot of butter. If you're eating Indian food right, you're putting down about a half stick of butter on top of what is already in the food. Also you'll want to eat a bowl or two of yogurt with your meal, you dip each bite in yogurt. I don't know why Indian restaurants don't serve the food the way it's meant to be eaten.

I'm a Punjabi Sikh, our food is traditionally mostly vegetarian. However we tend to be pretty big people. I think the key is the amount of dairy. If you added up the amount of milk, yogurt, lassi, paneer, butter, and cream we eat; most of us have been on GOMAD our whole lives.

[MAD9692]

Once again, India is not in the Middle East, or in Europe..

Yes, you are right. I am. My bad.


Middle Easterners (Arabs, Iranians, etc.) eat meat. You are confusing Indian with Middle Easterner...
As an American (of indian descent) in the post 9/11 world, that's one association that pisses me off.
And tons of us Indians do eat meat. As a Sikh, I have no problem finishing off a plate of burgers. My breakfasts are essentially piles of bacon. .

I wasn't trying to offend you ar anyone else. If you read this forum enough you will notice that many of the Europeans of Indian descent don't eat enough meat and are often trying to make up for the lack of meat in their diets by touting the value of veggiess, chickpeas, etc.


Its just fairly religious Hindus that have a problem with meat.

My buddy is Hindu. I guess he doesnt follow the religion as closely as his family because he eats tons of beef, lifts heavy, smokes weed and drinks like a champ.

[MazdaMatt]

I'm going to jjohal's house for dinner.

[Bahadur]

Yes, you are right. I am. My bad.



I wasn't trying to offend you ar anyone else. If you read this forum enough you will notice that many of the Europeans of Indian descent don't eat enough meat and are often trying to make up for the lack of meat in their diets by touting the value of veggiess, chickpeas, etc.



My buddy is Hindu. I guess he doesnt follow the religion as closely as his family because he eats tons of beef, lifts heavy, smokes weed and drinks like a champ.

No offense taken. Sorry. Was a little snippy today because I missed a couple workouts due to this damn cold. Had to deload my bench, and the deload was actually harder than I thought. Damn sinusitis.

I actually was a vegetarian for several years in my early 20's and look back on that with regret. I was training hard, doing essentially a Bulgarian system of 4 x 4's which was supposed to increase strength and size. I however never saw ANY results. I look back and realize that it was because my 'protein' came from Boca Burgers and that's it. I estimate I was probably eating 2200 cal/day, with a paltry .5 g protein/lb. Ugh.
And to think I wasted all that time at a perfect age with the right hormonal milieu. It makes me so mad, I just want to start choking things....

[Thyge Riisgaard]

Daal has saved my dinner many a nigth when broke / without any meat. Lentils don't need soaking FYI. I usually use a spice mix called Garam Masala along with some onions and garlic. Very simple stuff, very hard to fuck up.

Hummus is also great. I used to make it from scratch, which is a pain in the ass. I might want to get some canned peas. All the canned hummus I've ever tried has been fucking awfull. Chickpeas, actually don't need to be soaked either, but the time to boil them raw is very long.

Substitute baked egg-plant (poke the egg-plant with a fork before baking it. Don't cut it) with chickpeas in hummus and you'll have Babu Ghanoush, which is VERY delicious but not a lot of protein.

You might also want to look into stuff like Salas Nicoise and use canned tuna instead of fresh. Canned tuna will keep forever and is good with just some lemon juice, EVOO and spices.

[vmarwin]

If you like guac, make it a burrito night. For a quick dinner I typically get 1 or 2 rotisserie chickens from the grocery store and take them home to shred for various uses. Make a bunch of burrito/fajita supplies. The wife can eat a bunch of beans and vegetables and you can add a bunch of pulled chicken to yours.