Diets for Veggie Quitters

September 26, 2005 7:21 PM

What dietary guidelines would you suggest for a vegetarian who is trying to quit smoking but is feeling tired and depressed?
posted by MonkeyMeat to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Beans and pasta.
You want comfort.
Fat is comfort.
Fat is bad.
Beans and pasta satisfy almost as well as fat, but with less dire consequences.
Add fruit, fruit, and more fruit to keep the interest up. Tomatoes are fruit.
posted by caddis at 7:36 PM on September 26, 2005

85% dark chocolate bars. If it pleases you, try adding them to oatmeal -- complex carb & a quick pick-me-up. Also, maybe popcorn, celery sticks, raw carrots and other foods that give you something to put in your mouth, if that is part of your habit.
posted by acoutu at 7:38 PM on September 26, 2005

Baby carrots.
When I was pregnant I used to carry them around in cigarette boxes.

They are just the right thing to gnaw on.
posted by Methylviolet at 8:05 PM on September 26, 2005

As a counterpoint to caddis, I'd say that fat is good, necessary, and doesn't have dire consequences as long as you're maintaining the same level of calories. Moving away from my all-carb diet to a more balanced one was a definite improvement.

Also, I can't say enough good things about 5-HTP supplements. There are studies that suggest it works as well as traditional antidepressants. For me, at least, it definitely lived up to the hype.
posted by 4easypayments at 8:14 PM on September 26, 2005

very spicy food
pickles
good dark chocolate
eggs
old cheeses

anything with a strong flavour. bananas and cottage cheese contain tryptophan, which is a precursor to the 5-htp that 4easypayments was talking about. avoid refined sugar. aim for about 25% fat in your diet, by calories - it will keep you going.
posted by sid at 8:37 PM on September 26, 2005

I often enjoy a salad made of sliced cucumbers, cut tomatoes, minced onions, extra-virgin olive oil and parsley. Add some good feta/sheep cheese to the mix and you've got something tasty.

This also goes very well with some kind of potato-based soup or sourdough bread.
posted by vkxmai at 8:43 PM on September 26, 2005

Response by poster: Thanks, all. This is actually for my girlfriend, and I've read her some of the suggestions, and she already has some she'd like to try. Keep 'em coming! Does anyone have any recipes, etc. that have a good balance of the suggested ingredients?
posted by MonkeyMeat at 8:45 PM on September 26, 2005

A good B complex.
posted by OmieWise at 5:15 AM on September 27, 2005

Eat more protein.
posted by suchatreat at 7:27 AM on September 27, 2005