National Vegetarian Week 1 - 7 October 🥦

Rosie_Scope
Rosie_Scope Posts: 6,789 Scope Online Community Coordinator
edited October 3 in Coffee lounge

It's National Vegetarian Week!🥦

The logo for National Vegetarian Week. A graphic uses several layers of green V shapes to look like plants.

National Vegetarian Week is run by the Vegetarian Society and has been celebrated every year since 1992.

From the latest figures, there are now roughly 3 million vegetarians and vegans in the UK. Not everyone can be vegetarian full time. Health issues and disabilities can make eating veggie food complicated or even impossible. But for those who can manage it, even small swaps can make all the difference for people, animals and the planet. National Vegetarian week exists to share delicious recipes and encourage people to give veggie food a try in a way that is realistic for their lifestyle.

I've been veggie since I was 9 years old and have always enjoyed finding tasty recipes to try. But my favourite cheap and easy veggie dinner is something like a bean stew or chilli. You can pack in tons of different tinned beans with some tomatoes and add whatever herbs and spices you like to customise it. Makes an easy but hearty meal spooned over a baked potato or some rice 😋

But for anyone who fancies something a bit more exciting than emptying out your tin cupboard, there are some pretty tasty looking recipes on the Vegetarian Society website: https://vegsoc.org/eating-veggie/recipes/

And the BBC do some good ones too: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/1_best_vegetarian_recipes

If you're not vegetarian, do you still eat veggie food occasionally? What swaps do you make to include some veggie stuff in your diet?

Do you have any favourite vegetarian recipes to share?

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Comments

  • Albus_Scope
    Albus_Scope Posts: 11,414 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    Oooh, I do love a good veggie chilli!

    We always do meat free Mondays (usually vegan) and often swap out meats for Quorn, or seitan during the rest of the week. I always feel like I have more energy when I limit how much meat I eat, especially red meats.

  • Amberpearl
    Amberpearl Online Community Member Posts: 3,165 Championing

    I'm a vegetarian

    Since age of 3

    No meat fish eggs or milk

  • Rosie_Scope
    Rosie_Scope Posts: 6,789 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    That's very young @Amberpearl! Were your parents also vegetarian?

  • Amberpearl
    Amberpearl Online Community Member Posts: 3,165 Championing

    No

    All I remember is I had a tooth removed and couldnt chew meat

    I never touched meat again

    Even the smell of meat makes me vomit

    Plus I don't agree the the slaughter of animals

    It's wrong

    As far as I'm concerned all animals should be free to live their lives just like us

  • rubin16
    rubin16 Scope Member Posts: 998 Connected

    I have always been part vegetarian, I always enjoy vegetables more than meat. I have always struggled with food all my life and hardly eat much (Mostly to lacking the feeling of hunger) but when I do I mostly choose an vegetarian option.

    For some reason though as of late I don't feel like eating, like nothing is appealing for me to eat. There is only one thing I want and eat at the moment and thats a greggs vegetable bake which I have every 2 days.

    I normally goto my nans for a sunday dinner, however I havn't been for a while as not been feeling upto it, I just don't have an appitite for anything and its driving me insane. I just wish I had some sort of hunger feeling, I have tried to have one by going days and weeks without food, but I don't get hunger just a feeling of weakness to the point I end up collapsing. I have tried forcing myself to eat too but I have one bite and just can't eat anymore. I just don't know what to do anymore, its like I'm waiting for my body to eventually give up to lack of food.

  • Albus_Scope
    Albus_Scope Posts: 11,414 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    Sorry to hear that @rubin16 I understand with us autistic folk, our appetites can often sit on the back burner, but that sounds quite concerning. Have you spoken to your GP about this?

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,093 Championing

    I'm in hospital right now they offered veggie soup wish I had gone for that

  • rubin16
    rubin16 Scope Member Posts: 998 Connected

    I don't speak to anyone other than this forum, I just don't trust anyone at the moment. I also don't trust NT doctors anymore. They have no idea what being autistic is like and seems they do more harm to me than good. Last time I spoke to a doctor they said some of my autistic traits don't exist and its just a theory that it exists.

  • Albus_Scope
    Albus_Scope Posts: 11,414 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    I would strongly urge you to please speak to someone about this @rubin16 it sounds very serious, especially if you're passing out from lack of food. I know it can be hard to trust GPs, but they're not all the same.

  • MW123
    MW123 Scope Member Posts: 1,552 Championing

    Sorry to hear you’re in hospital, hope you’re on the mend and out soon. xx

  • birdwatcher
    birdwatcher Online Community Member Posts: 142 Empowering

    I'm vegetarian. Have been for some years. I can't think of any animal that wants to be on my plate at teatime. Rest of the family aren't ,I don't force my beliefs on them and vice versa. Although many years ago my son took me out for a meal. He ordered me a piece of battered fish! No good to me! Think he was a bit upset when I asked the waitress for a piece of foil, wrapped the fish home and bought it home for my dog! We've been out since then but he's never done it since! I'm really funny about what I will and will not eat at the best of times.

  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,093 Championing
  • durhamjaide2001
    durhamjaide2001 Scope Member Posts: 15,093 Championing

    I was supposed to have beef casserole for lunch but they gave me a tomato stew with chickpeas and wedges but I couldn't eat it because of the chickpeas and my tummy got worse afterwards as well

  • Mary_Scope
    Mary_Scope Posts: 2,752 Scope Online Community Children and Family Specialists

    I stopped eating pork, beef and lamb at around 6 years old after a school trip to a farm😄 luckily my mam has been a veggie since she was about 14 so it wasn't a big deal in my house😄 and then fully gave up chicken and fish at around 18!

  • Chris75_
    Chris75_ Online Community Member Posts: 3,495 Championing
    edited October 7

    Tinned beans are my go to source of protein and fibre, without the often unnecessary saturated fat of meat.

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,716 Championing

    Ah you can't beat baked beans on toast with a knob of real butter I always believe being a lifelong veggie your body tells you what you need and when

  • Chris75_
    Chris75_ Online Community Member Posts: 3,495 Championing
    edited October 7

    I used to love baked beans, but went off the sweetness. If I was having beans on toast, it would be haricot, or cannellini, or borlotti beans. I mix them with tinned tomatoes ( Mutti if they are on special) and a good dose of black pepper.

    Just realised about the butter. I don't eat any dairy products nowadays, I really miss it, and organic milk.

    I occasionally buy lactose free milk as a treat for the wicked meat eater, Gus.

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,716 Championing

    Milk straight from the bulk tank is something you can't beat strange fact organic farms use exactly the same drugs to treat animals but the withdrawal period is longer same product higher price

  • michael57
    michael57 Online Community Member Posts: 1,716 Championing

    I can never understand organic milk drinkers its the same as normal milk straight from the cow the only difference is if a cow has been treated the milk withdrawal period is a few hours longer and if said animal has been treated twice or more in a laction they lose there organic status and the extra revenue that goes with it

  • Amberpearl
    Amberpearl Online Community Member Posts: 3,165 Championing

    I like a jacket potato with cheese