Applecore! Omnivore! Who's your friend? Me!

[rhubarbodendron]

May I add my 2 cents as a biologist? From this pov it's always to be prefered to use natural sources for vitamins and minerals. The artificial stuff in tablets can not be absorbed that well by our metabolism. Iron from tablets, for example is absorbed at a rate of less than 5%. That's because it's Fe 3+ instead of the Fe 2+ our body is constructed to absorb. The same goes for many other trace minerals and most vitamins.
For tenths of thousands of years our metabolism has adapted to the available food. That is why the natural substances are more healthy for us than the artificial ones.

By our teeth and digestional tracts we are onmivores and consequently will be healthiest when we live according to our build. (Try running a diesel engine with some 98 octane fuel and you'll see what I mean.)

So, from our biology it's best for us to eat all kinds of food and to cook from scratch with fresh and seasonal ingredients (preferably without pesticides) and without artificial flavours, colourings, preserving chemicals and other additives.
Talking of which: thanks for sharing the recipe, Cjohnson! It sounds delicious! I'll try it the instant I can get a yalapeno (they're somewhat difficult to get in rural Bavaria). Or might half a cayenne pepper do instead? I grow these myself. They are hotter and less fruity than yalapenos.

(slightly off-topic: my sister is 95% vegetarian for ethical reasons and expressed a wish for a mostly vegetarian freezer filling as she has very little time for cooking. If anyone has a good recipe for something freezable almost or completely vegetarian, please PM it to me. Help would be much appreciated.)

 

[Mary Ann]

There is no comparison, though. I had some chicken tenders yesterday, too, and they were so much better than their veggie counterparts. That's not to say I don't appreciate the efforts made by such companies, just... there is no comparison.

My husband has been a pesco-vegetarian for almost 30 and I was as well until after the birth of my third child and my body needed much more iron and protein than my then-diet could provide. Even when I didn't eat meat myself I could never understood the prevalence of vegetarian fake meat, as a lot of it is quite disgusting. I guess it's about convenience and many people who choose to vegetarian not quite being able to reach for the tofu at first. The only meat substitute I use to cook with is Quorn mince as it does make a very good cottage pie or spaghetti bolognese. For the rest the fake stuff in the freezer is for my husband, as the kids and I won't touch it. Meat (heck, all food in England) is expensive so we don't eat it often so the bulk of my dishes have beans and/or lentils. And cheese. Glorious, glorious cheese (sorry, Pondwater!).

 

[Amaris]

May I add my 2 cents as a biologist? From this pov it's always to be prefered to use natural sources for vitamins and minerals. The artificial stuff in tablets can not be absorbed that well by our metabolism. Iron from tablets, for example is absorbed at a rate of less than 5%. That's because it's Fe 3+ instead of the Fe 2+ our body is constructed to absorb. The same goes for many other trace minerals and most vitamins.
For tenths of thousands of years our metabolism has adapted to the available food. That is why the natural substances are more healthy for us than the artificial ones.

By our teeth and digestional tracts we are onmivores and consequently will be healthiest when we live according to our build. (Try running a diesel engine with some 98 octane fuel and you'll see what I mean.)

So, from our biology it's best for us to eat all kinds of food and to cook from scratch with fresh and seasonal ingredients (preferably without pesticides) and without artificial flavours, colourings, preserving chemicals and other additives.
Talking of which: thanks for sharing the recipe, Cjohnson! It sounds delicious! I'll try it the instant I can get a yalapeno (they're somewhat difficult to get in rural Bavaria). Or might half a cayenne pepper do instead? I grow these myself. They are hotter and less fruity than yalapenos.

(slightly off-topic: my sister is 95% vegetarian for ethical reasons and expressed a wish for a mostly vegetarian freezer filling as she has very little time for cooking. If anyone has a good recipe for something freezable almost or completely vegetarian, please PM it to me. Help would be much appreciated.)

Nachos grow in the wild, right?

There is no comparison, though. I had some chicken tenders yesterday, too, and they were so much better than their veggie counterparts. That's not to say I don't appreciate the efforts made by such companies, just... there is no comparison.

My husband has been a pesco-vegetarian for almost 30 and I was as well until after the birth of my third child and my body needed much more iron and protein than my then-diet could provide. Even when I didn't eat meat myself I could never understood the prevalence of vegetarian fake meat, as a lot of it is quite disgusting. I guess it's about convenience and many people who choose to vegetarian not quite being able to reach for the tofu at first. The only meat substitute I use to cook with is Quorn mince as it does make a very good cottage pie or spaghetti bolognese. For the rest the fake stuff in the freezer is for my husband, as the kids and I won't touch it. Meat (heck, all food in England) is expensive so we don't eat it often so the bulk of my dishes have beans and/or lentils. And cheese. Glorious, glorious cheese (sorry, Pondwater!).

Oh, vegetarian fake meat is truly awful. I mean, I don't usually say that, because I know they're trying, but they just can't simulate it that well.

Also, I'm pretty sure cheese is the ambrosia to which the gods were referring. Grapes as the perfect food? Psh.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

grapes aren't all that bad if you eat them with a slice of Emmental or Cheddar.
I'm afraid Nachos don't grow in the wild but since they appear to be a traditional Mexican food I should think there are a few ways to make them yourself (which might even be tastier than the factory-made ones)

 

[Amaris]

grapes aren't all that bad if you eat them with a slice of Emmental or Cheddar.
I'm afraid Nachos don't grow in the wild but since they appear to be a traditional Mexican food I should think there are a few ways to make them yourself (which might even be tastier than the factory-made ones)

Oh, I love grapes, I was just making a terrible, terrible joke.
As for the nachos, I've tried to make good ones, but I never get the cheese quite right. It needs to be zesty, and thick enough to pour onto chips without being too runny, or too gloppy. Also, I just learned that gloppy is apparently a real word, and that Firefox says I spelled it correctly.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

how about making a cheese fondue and just dipping the nachos into it? Best of both worlds, so to speak
(*makes heroic effort not to say "cheese, Gromit?"*)

 

[Sector 7]

Coincidentally, I'm considering returning to vegetarianism -- well, pescitarianism. It's my default position anyway, and it's strange, but you and I have come to opposite conclusions: one of the main reasons I'm vegetarian by default is because I find meat to be too expensive!

Same here!! I won't cook meat in my kitchen. Unless it is fish. I'm trying to keep kosher on top of that.

Not eating meat (at least at home) certainly simplifies keeping kosher!

Being of Jewish heritage, I want to keep Kosher. Being a realist, I know I won't. Kosher is IMHO the most healthy of diets.

Check out online stores J., discount pharmacies or whatever. You should be able to buy iron cheaper there. It's a very good idea to do one course (ie one bottle) of iron if you're anemic to boost you up and then continue to treat it with diet. Your body absorbs the iron in red meat much better than in vegetables, but all red meats are not the same. Worth a little research and as I said a small amount of a cheap cut a day is a great way to build it up. Also remember that vitamin c helps your body absorb iron, and a lot of iron tablets have that included so if you do decide on one course and there's a choice pick the one with vitamin c.

Anemia can screw with a lot of other stuff and ability to absorb nutrients so it's worth nipping it in the bud. A few weeks of one tablet a day is worth it.

I didn't know that about iron. I thought that returning to meat would take care of it automatically. If iron pills can help keep everything in good working order, then I'll get them. I'm sure I can get a deal from Amazon.

That said, aside from the (very occasional) fast food offering, I much prefer very lean cuts of meat. I've found that I'm not as big a fan of chicken as I was before I went vegetarian, and seem to be actually craving beef. It feels odd to be craving something like that. Still, I'm being very careful. I'm having to eat very cheap at the moment, so I'm making the best choices I can.

Side note, I just did a quick search on Amazon, and found a 180 day supply of iron tablets for $2. With shipping, it's still cheaper than our local Walgreens, which charges $7 for a bottle of iron pills. We do have a Family Dollar store, but they're always out of their vitamins (except the really expensive name brand ones), so this looks like the best deal. I have to save every penny I get, so I do appreciate the advice!

J. Allen, I am happy you now see my point.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Same here!! I won't cook meat in my kitchen. Unless it is fish. I'm trying to keep kosher on top of that.

Not eating meat (at least at home) certainly simplifies keeping kosher!

Being of Jewish heritage, I want to keep Kosher. Being a realist, I know I won't. Kosher is IMHO the most healthy of diets.

Being of recently discovered Jewish heritage , I'm curious why you believe keeping Kosher is "the most healthy of diets". My long-time impression is that Kosher food can be as healthy or unhealthy as any other food.

 

[Sector 7]

Not eating meat (at least at home) certainly simplifies keeping kosher!

Being of Jewish heritage, I want to keep Kosher. Being a realist, I know I won't. Kosher is IMHO the most healthy of diets.

Being of recently discovered Jewish heritage , I'm curious why you believe keeping Kosher is "the most healthy of diets". My long-time impression is that Kosher food can be as healthy or unhealthy as any other food.

The Kosher diet, as laid out in the Old Testament, is much healthier fare than processed, fatty foods we often choose to eat. During my religious studies classes in college, we spent some time studying Kosher and attempting to follow it. (We were fairly successful in our attempt!)

Kosher is not only the foods allowed, but how they were prepared, which makes it more healthy, IMHO.

Duke University student David Braun has provided a simple, helpful .pdf file.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Interesting .pdf file. Thanks! But most of what makes it healthy -- like emphasis on veggies, fruit, nuts and fish -- is nowhere near unique to Kosher food. In fact, it's a pretty good description of a Mediterranean diet.

Kosher is not only the foods allowed, but how they were prepared, which makes it more healthy, IMHO.

Other than the separation of meat and dairy, which eliminates a lot of combinations that most of us are used to eating, what's different about the preparation of food?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Oh, I love grapes, I was just making a terrible, terrible joke.

Terrible jokes? You're stealing my M.O.!!!

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^ Poor MLB!

 

[Amaris]

Same here!! I won't cook meat in my kitchen. Unless it is fish. I'm trying to keep kosher on top of that.

Not eating meat (at least at home) certainly simplifies keeping kosher!

Being of Jewish heritage, I want to keep Kosher. Being a realist, I know I won't. Kosher is IMHO the most healthy of diets.

Check out online stores J., discount pharmacies or whatever. You should be able to buy iron cheaper there. It's a very good idea to do one course (ie one bottle) of iron if you're anemic to boost you up and then continue to treat it with diet. Your body absorbs the iron in red meat much better than in vegetables, but all red meats are not the same. Worth a little research and as I said a small amount of a cheap cut a day is a great way to build it up. Also remember that vitamin c helps your body absorb iron, and a lot of iron tablets have that included so if you do decide on one course and there's a choice pick the one with vitamin c.

Anemia can screw with a lot of other stuff and ability to absorb nutrients so it's worth nipping it in the bud. A few weeks of one tablet a day is worth it.

I didn't know that about iron. I thought that returning to meat would take care of it automatically. If iron pills can help keep everything in good working order, then I'll get them. I'm sure I can get a deal from Amazon.

That said, aside from the (very occasional) fast food offering, I much prefer very lean cuts of meat. I've found that I'm not as big a fan of chicken as I was before I went vegetarian, and seem to be actually craving beef. It feels odd to be craving something like that. Still, I'm being very careful. I'm having to eat very cheap at the moment, so I'm making the best choices I can.

Side note, I just did a quick search on Amazon, and found a 180 day supply of iron tablets for $2. With shipping, it's still cheaper than our local Walgreens, which charges $7 for a bottle of iron pills. We do have a Family Dollar store, but they're always out of their vitamins (except the really expensive name brand ones), so this looks like the best deal. I have to save every penny I get, so I do appreciate the advice!

J. Allen, I am happy you now see my point.

I had no problem with your point about iron tablets. Notice that teacake explained why I would probably need them, and I didn't get upset. That's because suggestions are fine. What I had a problem with was your heavy implication that I was deluding myself. That wholly negative comment was unwelcome.

 

[Mary Ann]

How can someone with your avatar be considered even remotely deluded, J.?

*runs*

 

[Amaris]

How can someone with your avatar be considered even remotely deluded, J.?

*runs*

[chases macloudt across a jolly, happy land filled with sweet green grass, marshmallow clouds, bubblegum flowers, soda fountain waterfalls, and a lollipop yellow Sun]

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I've just decided that the Mirror Universe J. Allen is a Rammstein fan.

 

[Amaris]

I've just decided that the Mirror Universe J. Allen is a Rammstein fan.

Actually, Prime Universe J. Allen is a Rammstein fan.

 

[thestrangequark]

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umjets7DO98[/yt]

 

[Amaris]

Well, this makes my day!

[Issues 100 internets to thestrangequark]

Also, let this be a lesson to all of you: Rammstein is appropriate for any and every occasion! I'd also make the the observation that My Little Pony becomes very dark when viewed through this lens.

Also, here:

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id_wIZVV0Ic[/yt]

 

[Emher]

YES. More Rammstein to the people.

Also, tried the ramen with cheese in the video. Eh. The cheese was alright, but the poached egg did not sit well with me. I have huge trouble with eggs that aren't scrambled fried or in an omelet. Yes, I am well aware that I am a huge sissy.