Vegetarianism Part 2: Stocking the Pantry & Beet and Bean Rice Recipe

Let's delve into the continuation of UC San Diego FitLife nutrition tips for vegetarianism (part 2).

What Foods do a Vegetarian Pantry Include?
A vegetarian lifestyle can be as simple or complex as you choose, depending on the complexity of the preparation and cooking processes. Here are some foods to have on hand for quicker and easier meal preparation as suggested by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

1. Ready-to-eat, whole-grain breakfast cereals, and quick-cooking whole-grain cereals such as oatmeal
2. Whole-grain breads and crackers, such as rye, whole wheat, and mixed grain
3. Other grains such as barley and bulgur wheat
4. Canned beans, such as pinto, black beans, and garbanzo beans
5. Plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, and seitan
6. Milk, yogurt, and fortified soy substitutes
7. Rice (including brown, wild, etc.)
8. Pasta (now available in whole wheat, spinach, and other flavors) with tomato sauce and canned beans and/or chopped veggies
9. Corn or flour tortillas
10. Vegetarian soups like lentil or minestrone
11. Plain frozen vegetables
12. Frozen fruit juice concentrate
13. Nut spreads (e.g. peanut or almond butter)
14. Canned and frozen fruit

Now that we have learned about the nutrients of concern for vegetarian diets, tips for eating balanced vegetarian meals, and how to stock your cupboards, let's check out a healthy, colorful Indian-inspired vegetarian dish.

Beets are good sources of fiber, potassium and antioxidants like vitamin C, manganese and betalains (which give beets their color). They are in season almost throughout the year in California, from October to July and fit into anybody’s budget. Since they are healthy and available most of the time, I decided to share a recipe using beets, beans and rice. It can be eaten with spiced yogurt and finished off with some fruit, like tangerines which are in season, to make a wholesome meal.

Beet and Bean Rice with Spiced Yogurt Recipe:

photo taken by D. Denduluri

Ingredients:

• 1-2 medium sized beet(s), steamed, peeled and grated
• 2 cups rice, cooked
• ¾ -1 cup beans, cooked – I used garbanzo beans
• 1 tsp oil – I used sesame oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds (optional)
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 clove garlic chopped fine
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 Serrano chili - chopped
• Cilantro – a few sprigs chopped for garnishing

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a pan.
• To the oil, add the mustard and cumin seeds and wait until the mustard starts to crackle.
• Add the garlic and chili and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and sauté for a minute.
• Garnish with the cilantro and serve as is or with spiced yogurt.

Spiced Yogurt Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plain yogurt, whisked
• ¼ cup onion chopped
• ¼ cup cucumber grated
• Salt to taste
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 Serrano chili – chopped, for additional spice
• Cilantro – a few sprigs chopped

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate.
• Serve cool with the beet and bean rice.

Some Useful References:
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/tips-for-vegetarian.html is the government guidelines website for the current recommendations to eating healthy, including tips for vegetarians.

Michael Pollan’s Food Rules book: An eater’s manual is a simple yet impactful book with 3 simple rules – ‘eat food, not too much and mostly plants.’ The book gives many easy to follow suggestions on how to follow these rules.

http://www.vrg.org/ is a good website for recipes and information about nutrients like protein and calcium.

http://www.eatright.org/  is the official website of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a great resource for information regarding vegetarian diets.

http://www.vegdining.com/Home.cfm is an online guide to vegetarian dining options around the world.

Check out http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Harvest-Calendar.php to learn more about what's in season.

Guest blog submitted by Divya Denduluri, MS, CLEC and edited by UC San Diego FitLife Dietitian, Prashila Mistry, MS, RD, CLEC.  
Divya practices vegetarianism and has a Master's degree in Nutritional Biology from UC Davis (2012) along with a Master's degree in Home Science with emphasis in Food Science and Nutrition from SNDT Women’s University in India (2006). She plans to continue to her education with goals of becoming a Registered Dietitian (RD).