Vegetarian Recipes; 8 Essential Ingredients and Their Benefits

1. Whole Grains
Using whole grains is by far the best way to create long lasting energy and ward off disease. Strokes, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, asthma, high blood pressure, cancer and many more hate whole grains. The slow energy release of whole grains will keep you moving all day long. Some grain suggestions are Brown Rice, Millet, Wheat (pasta), Barley, Quinoa, Rye and Spelt.
2. Organic Veggies
No-one can deny the goodness of organic veggies, eating food without pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides is what nature intended. The amount of vitamin and mineral content in organic produce compared to conventional is almost double. Take the time to find a local supplier and taste and feel the difference. Apply the organic principle to all your ingredients.
3. Legumes
Legumes are any bean, lentil or pea. Beans can be seasoned with garlic, onion, and spices to enhance their taste. Some legumes you may want to try include pinto beans, navy beans, kidney beans, lima beans, and black beans. Less common varieties include: chick peas or garbanzo beans, adzuki beans, broad beans, butter beans, cannellini beans, cowpeas, cranberry beans, great northern beans, moth beans, mung beans, mungo beans, snow peas, winged beans, yam beans, yellow or white beans, and soybeans.
4. Tempeh
The classic meat substitute, Tempeh is great for vegans and vegetarians as it is high in calcium and iron. Tempeh is also easy to digest. Cooking is quick and easy; you can slice, dice or make patties for burgers. Another form of Tempeh is tofu which is slightly more processed.
5. Sea Weed
A super food not to be omitted from your vegetarian recipe ingredients is sea weed or sea vegetables. These wonders from the sea contain all of the minerals needed for optimum health. They also contain very high levels of B12, much more than any land veggie. Add some Kombu in your pressure cooker with brown rice, or sprinkle sea weed flakes on your dishes. Nori rolls are also a great way to consume sea weed, as unusual as they seem their versatility is amazing.
6. Tamari Soy Sauce
Tamari is made by fermenting soybeans with mold, then adding wheat and salt. Tamari a very tasty source of vitamin B2, B3, iron, phosphorous, and manganese. It also has free amino acids. When adding to a dish, use sparingly as the flavor is very penetrating; this means you will consume less sodium which is a good thing.
7. Sea Salt
Sea salt not only tastes wonderful, it also produces countless health benefits. Minerals in sea salt include magnesium and potassium which will combat stress, slowing aging, reduce fluid retention, and balance the blood and aid circulation. You can even bathe in a sea salt bath after dinner to purify the skin and relax the muscles.
8. Pure Water
Most of us will be happy to use cold tap water for use when preparing a healthy meal, thinking that boiling the water will make it pure. Unfortunately boiling water does not remove chemical contaminants such as chlorine and fluoride, foreign particles from pipes will also remain. The two best methods to purify water are reverse osmosis and distillation, after these you can use spring water then filtered water. Another cheap way to purify water is to place it in glass bottles and stand in direct sunlight for a least 8hrs.

by Yhan Leal

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