Going green after gray - older vegetarians - includes a bibliography and a related article on dinner substitutions

Vegetarian Times, Feb, 1997 by Lisa Bertagnoli

What's for Dinner?

Thinking about meals after 50-odd years of meat and potatoes can be vexing. To get over the hump, nutritionists suggest getting to know these foods.

Beans. "You can use them to make hearty, familiar foods -- stews, soups, chili and-casseroles," Susan Havala notes.

Rice and pasta. They are the foundation for so many vegetarian sauces and toppings.

Tofu. Filling, versatile and calcium-rich, especially important for women worried about bone-mass loss.

Kale and greens. Highly nutritious and a good source of calcium. Just make sure to stem kale or any other dark leafy greens and chop it to alleviate its toughness. Braising or sauteing kale just to the point of tenderness (but not beyond) makes it especially tasty.

Just so you know this information works in the kitchen, here are favorite meal ideas from the men and women interviewed for this story.

Ruth Heidrich: A Vietnamese soup called pho (pronounced "fa.") Heidrich replaces the traditional marrow with miso, the white noodles with brown rice and adds whatever green leafy vegetables she has on hand. A squirt of chili pepper sauce, soy sauce and spices such as cilantro, basil, fennel, nutmeg and cinnamon finish the soup. "I like this so much I have it every day for lunch," she says.

Howard Lyman: A tomato sandwich. "The best sandwich in the world is fresh homemade whole wheat bread with tomatoes, lettuce, mustard and any other vegetable I can find."

Nancy Roberts: Kasha and potato loaf. She boils potatoes and adds kasha (buckwheat groats) near the end, then mashes the two with sauteed onions, mustard and seasonings. She shapes the mixture into a loaf and bakes it, serving it up with mushroom gravy and steamed broccoli. "It's made with easy-to-find ingredients and reheats well," Roberts says. "I think it's good for anyone exploring vegetarian meals because it looks like a diner's blue-plate special."

Ted Adams: Ratatouille. Any recipe will do for this French vegetable stew of eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and garlic. "It's easy, tastes good and uses up leftover vegetables and is low fat," Adams says.

Fran Banta: Vegetarian chili. "I cook the beans in an iron pot," she says adding it's a good source of iron. She says the chili is wonderful served over rice and keeps well.