I have been a lacto vegetarian for about 12 years and just recently added eggs back into my diet. I am new on JC (second week) and am wondering what other people have done. I talked to the counselor about me making substitutions with vegitarian items, but she was very negative. What has your experience been?

So far, very good. I had started out with the meat plan, became very sick, and returned for vegetarian foods. So far, they have been very helpful regarding the idea of veggie. I think that there will just be less options.
But if it means that I lose my muffin top, then I can go with less food options.
I wish you luck, let me know how it goes- Jenn

I have been a vegetarian for 20 years and do agree that the meal plan for veggies on JC can get a bit, well, boring. I actually got so bored that I left the plan for awhile, but had a change of heart and came back in 2007.
I am lucky in that my current counselor is also vegetarian and gives me tips on what she eats off meal plan. I supplement quite a bit with veggie burgers and Morningstar proteins. I also stirfry up light tofu with veggies using non-stick in the pan, or I marinate tempeh or chickpeas in a vinagrette and toss it into my salads. While I wish that there were more JC options, I think that learning to eat healthier without relying on packaged foods is probably better in the long run. it seems to be working cause, as of today, I'm 5 pounds from goal!!!!
GW: 135
Height: 5'5"
Age 42
SW: 158 (1/18/07)
HW: 146 (4/12/07)
CW: 140 (5/29/07)
Almost there!

Thanks for your encouragement and comments. I agree with you that one should learn to eat healthier without relying on packaged products. But for the time being I am using this approach to get a handle on portion size and to get in the routine of eating something 6 times a day. It sounds like you are very lucky with your counselor. The minute I mentioned subs to mine she immediately got defensive and told me I wouldn't loose any weight if I started making subs. I've enjoyed many of the Boca, Morningstar and Lightlife products for a long time and miss them from my dient. I wish we had a vegetarian counselor at my site.

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The minute I mentioned subs to mine she immediately got defensive and told me I wouldn't loose any weight if I started making subs.

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It sounds like you need to try a new consultant. There are many that get defensive because they are paid on commission, so by substituting, you are cutting into her paycheck. Fortunately, there are many more consultants who will care about you and your needs and will be much more helpful. My consultant knows my struggles with the food and is always offering suggestions to help. I've actually gotten so bored with the JC vege options that I've even resorted to ordering some of the meat dishes and picking out the meat. I then replace it with diced up vege burger or shrimp (I do eat seafood). Good luck to you!

I just realized today when I was reading another message board that the counselors are paid on commission, so my counselors reaction makes a lot more sense to me now. However, the woman I originally talked to when I joined was very nice and said there were no problems making subs. She was at the center last Friday when I went and I actually spent more time with her than I did my counselor, unfortunately she isn't a counselor. I am going to give my counselor another try this Friday and then make a decision. I think I was paired with her because she is the more experienced counselor at this Center and the person who I originally talked to thought she would be better equiped to talk to me about making subs, but that isn't happening.

You pay good money for the program and I wouldn't put up with a negative consultant. They should train the consultants to deal more effectively with those who are vegetarians.

I guess the woman I originally talked with is the Center Director, I'm going to get more clarification this Friday. She was there last Friday and I talked with her while waiting for my counselor and she was very willing to talke to me about subs. She approved the breakfast sub I wanted to make. Eng Muffin 130 cals, Boca Sausage 60 cals and a little sugar free jam for my muffin 10 cals. This combination has 1 gr more fat but 1 gram less sat fat, 5 less carbs, 13 less sugars and 5 more protein. Has anyone else had comparable subs approved?

I do understand what it means to work by commission, but how does that relate to the counselors? I mean, can someone break that down for me? I wasn't aware of this.

I just started with JC a couple of weeks ago and at this point I only know what I've read on the other message boards which is that the counselors get a salary and then a commission. I'm assuming that means they get paid a percentage of the money they get from the food they sell to their clients. I would think this would also include the selling of cookbooks and other JC products.

That's exactly correct. It only becomes a problem when you have a consultant that is more worried about their commission than helping you make the choices that are correct for you. I make substitutions all the time and don't bother getting them "approved". My consultant knows I do it and she also understands how burned out I am on the food after 1 year, especially with the lack of vege choices. I only buy about half my meals from JC these days and they never say a word about it. Now, from my stats you can see that it hasn't been working so well for me, but that's due to more issues I've had than just subbing meals

I too am bored of the choices. I only eat about 1/4 of JC food. I need to stand on the scale in front of someone to be accountable though.

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I too am bored of the choices. I only eat about 1/4 of JC food. I need to stand on the scale in front of someone to be accountable though.

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Theresa, that is so true! That is exactly why I keep going back to JC even though I eat so little of the food anymore. I haven't lost much in the last year, but I'm sure I'd be about 30 pounds heavier right now if I didn't weigh in each week. I'm just glad my consultant isn't one of those that pushes the food on you when you don't want it!

I went to my last weigh in on Friday and asked my counselor for a food price list and she didn't argue with me or try to put me off, but I did have to remind her about it twice as I was checking out. Talk about boring. I bought 4 mac & cheese, 4 cheese enchiladas, 4 pizzas, 1 ravioli and 1 lasagna, 5 toffee bites, 2 cheetos and a box of peanut butter anytime bars. My salads and veggies aren't any more interesting. I keep reminding myself I have to look to the long term. I've lost about 7 pounds in 3 weigh ins, so I pretty much on track for what JC says this program will do. I also spent a lot of time at the grocery store this week end looking at the frozen meals to try to find comparable meals to try to add a little variety and I have to admit that JC meals really win hands down. They seem to be really well rounded. I would find other meals that had similar calories, but the fat would be a lot higher or the carbs would be higher so I came away feeling that I need to try to stick to the JC foods even though it is boring as a vegetarian because of the lack of alternatives. There are so many meals I would love if they would replace the meat this a meat substitute. I would die for the Swedish Meatballs which would be so easy to make vegetarian. Good luck to all of you.

I am like you too, I am tired of pasta and pizza, but the food does taste better then some of the frozen foods that I have had in the past. I am not sure why they don't have more veggie options. I really love the gardenburger, esp grilled. But this journey will get better- Jenn

I am a vegetarian and am quite pleased with the JC options. I only have 1 momo a week and that is for our grilling out on Sundays. I make a veggie burger on my own using a boca burger, Alvarado Street sprouted wheat bun and tons of veggies including a pickle. I think the JC foods are pretty tasty. I like the pasta fagioli, penne pasta, mac and cheese, lasagna, cheesy enchilada with chopped lettuce and salsa added, and I always add thin sliced veggies and roasted red peppers to the pizzas. The broc/cheese potato is pretty good too with a side of steamed veggies. I try to change up what I am having in my salads so I don’t get bored with them. I also use the wishbone spritzer dressing. My consultant said if I am using them then I can add a fat to the day. This way I can enjoy an 1/8 of avocado once in a while on the veggie burger. The French toast and pancakes are great cooked in the toaster oven and I heat the syrup and fruit. I guess everyone is different but I am happy that I am able to do the JC plan being a vegetarian. I have never eaten so much food, felt great and lost so easily with any other plan.

I love the Mac & Cheese, the Cheesy Enchiladas, and the Pizza with the fake sausage on top and the Fagioli. I don't like the pasta dishes that much as they have too much tomato paste for me. Fortunately, I'm not someone who needs a lot of variety. I agree with you that the meals I like are really good. I usually have a regular salad for dinner and spinach salad for lunch. I am also trying to do different things to my salads. Instead of putting a lot of different things in my salad every day, I put red and green bell peppers one day, cucumbers another day, I bought some cherry tomatos this week end. I've been thinking about asparagus (which I usally eat as a side when my meal calls for a vegetable)and this week end I also bought some fresh green beans that I was thinking about adding to my salad. What other things do you do to change up your salads?

I am a vegetarian also and haven't had problems with the food. I really like most of it. Though I am not a vegan and occassionaly eat seafood I can see where others might have problems.
I absolutely love the Rising crust pizza and the penne pasta so I never get board with dinner. More choices at lunch would be nice though.

Your results look great and it's wonderful that you've stayed on the program. I noticed that you started incorporating your own breakfast, what do you have? Pre JC I used to have an Eng Muffin with natural PB and sugar free preserves. Now I have an Eng Muffin with the same preserves and a Boca sausage. This decreased the fat and increased the protein.

I think that sounds good, I may have to try your suggestion for breakfast. I am looking at your current weight loss, way to go!

I just tried a WW Smart Ones for lunch today that was pretty good. It was the Angel Hair Marinara.
cal - 230
tot fat - 4
sat fat - 1
poly fat - 1.5
mono fat - 1
cholesterol - 0
sodium - 640
tot carbs - 40
diet fiber - 4
sugars - 7
protein - 9
The sodium is a little high, but not any higer than some of the JC meals and the carbs are a little higher than most of the JC lunches, but not any more than some of the dinners.
I still think the JC foods are the best on nutrition, but this might be one that can be added occassionally for a little change. I thought it was pretty good and very filling.

When I started breakfasts on my own I talked to my counselor to see what my options were. I basically just bought some cereal at the store with equivilent nutrition as the ones I was eating through JC. I do still purchase the pancakes and veggie sausage through JC for the weekend since I love it so much though. Luckily my counselor is great and she had no problem that I didn't want to buy their cereal anymore.

I joined JC in April 2004..I have been on and off since. I have just started up agian. I had gotten extremley bored with the vegetarian options, so I hope this new attempt is something I can stick with.
During the first couple of years there were several more veg. choices- Pasta Ole was wonderful, my all time favorite JC meal. There have also been a Southwestern sandwich, mannacoti or some other pasta, and a couple of other things that I canot recall.
We need a no-refridgeration lunch, like the carnivors get with the tuna salad option- How about a humus and pita "On the Go" luch? I have made that suggestion before, but so far, nothing...

Kerry Jo - Fortunately I love macaroni and cheese and have it for dinner 3 to 4 times a week. I alternate it with the Rising Crust Pizza. For lunch I have the Cheese Enchilda or the Pasta Fagioli. This week I am adding the Broccoli Potato to add a little variety.
I also sprinkle in some other store bought items to give me a little variety. I think it is Boca that has the Chicken Patty and I will make one of those and cut it up an put it in my salad. Progresso also has two veggie soups that I am going to add to my lunches. Friday is my Pita night and I have a Pita with LiteLife Bologna and FF Cheese and carrots. It's not quite the same without the potato chips and real cheese, but I'm learning to adjust.
I printed out the JC Nutritional Values and make sure that anything I buy at the store is within the guidelines of the JC foods.
I have to admit it would be easier not being a vegetarian, but I'm not willing to go back to meat, so I have to find a way to make JC work for me.
I hope JC works for you this time around!!! Good luck and let me know how you are doing.

First time poster....
Day 3 on JC. I am VERY motivated but I can also tell that it may become a bit too limited in choices down the road. I actually was surprised to see how many vegetarian options there were prior to joining. I am curious as to why the shiny 4 open menu option sheet doesn't show a carrot (meaning vegetarian option) next to the cheesy enchilada. Could this be a typo?? I haven't been too impressed with the counseler's at my center yet but trying not to be too judgemental too soon. Looking forward to the ride with you all.
Lori

Hey Lori - I hope the cheese enchilada is vegetarian, because I've been eating this meal a lot. I eat a lot of the JC foods, but I'm not opposed to eating other meals to add a little variety to the meals. While I may add other foods, I do stay within the structure of the JC plan. I do my own breakfast (english muffin with sugar free preserves and Boca sausage patty) and I've added some other frozen meals, but it's hard to find other meals that are as low cal/low fat and under 50 grams sodium.
I would recommend that before you tire of the limited JC selections, you find some other meals that you can sprinkle in to add variety and yet stay on the same regimen.
I love the ease of warming up a frozen meal and making a salad. I'm not ready yet to start trying to make my own meals. I was talking to some friends of mine this week end and telling them what I was doing and told them that everyone needs to find what works for them. What I needed to find was convenience and this program is conveniet and is helping me have a healthier outlook on my lifestyle which I think is very important. One of my friends asked me if JC was vegetarian friendly and I said no, but it was convenient and if you could eat the same things over and over it was great.
Good luck and as you come across substitutions let me know and I'll do the same for you.
Regina

I asked my JC counselor why some of the items that seem to be vegetarian don't have a carrot by them so she looked it up. The cheesy enchilada and the mac and cheese (those were the ones I specifically asked about) contain rennet and that is why they are not listed as vegetarian. I would imagine that is the issue with the other foods since they also contain cheese. Kate

Kate,
Thanks for posting that about the rennet. It's amazing how some people will take the time to find an answer. Good to know. Well I will have you know that I weighed in for the first time yesterday expecting my first week to be great since I stuck to this menu like glue. I walked 4 hours this week and did everything I was supposed to! So,.....after I scooped up banana splits for all my employees for 2 hours as a special treat (minding that I didn't do as much as lick my finger) I went to weigh in and only lost 1.2 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am sooo disappointed (not to the point of throwing the towel) but still how deflating to have done so well and get so less for the first week! If it was week 3 I would be happy but HELLO........week 1??????
Anyway the couseler said all the right things, maybe you were eating healthy and your body is getting used to the 1500 calories, maybe it's in inches, maybe you'll see more next week. Blah Blah blah.......I wanted to see more on the scale is what I wanted.
Sorry for the vent...........but where else can I vent to people who will REALLY understand what I mean?
Lori

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Originally posted by REGRAM:
I have been a lacto vegetarian for about 12 years and just recently added eggs back into my diet. I am new on JC (second week) and am wondering what other people have done. I talked to the counselor about me making substitutions with vegitarian items, but she was very negative. What has your experience been?

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JC used to have the most delicous, to die for veggie burgers and they tried to improve them and ruined them and now they no longer sell them. It was just like having a Mickey D's quarter pounder and I would add 90 cal FF cheese and I would defrost it in the microwave and then fry it with Pam until browned and it was just sooooo delicous! They also used to have this delicous "Pasta O'le" It was hmmmmmm hmmm good, delicous! They dropped that too.
The "Pasta Ol'e" that was wonderful. I would make all kinds of meals out of it. I would top in on lettuce with grated cheddar and a dab of sour cream. It was like having a Taco Salad from Taco Bell without the meat and shell. I would also top it on top of Broccoli or String beans and it was just something to really look forward to. JC dropped that too.
Action speaks louder than words and it makes us feel like JC couldn't care less about us veggie people and it really hurts.

I'm not a vegetarian but I strive to eat by the Maker's Diet principles for good health and avoid unclean meats.
I'm sure you'll appreciate this, being vegetarians. One of the meats considered extremely unclean is pork and people just don't seem to care about the facts behind pork. They do not sweat and do not purge toxins the same way other animals and humans to. They will eat anything (absolutely anything) including fecies and tumors, etc. of other pigs. If you squeeze their hooves a greenish pus-like substance excretes. Knowing these things helps make it so easy to avoid them.
Shellfish and fish with no scales/fins are sort of along those lines as well. They just eat all the bacteria from the ocean floor that other water creatures leave behind.
We are what we eat for sure.

I think that perhaps even grosser than what they eat is the conditions in which they are bread. Forced into small cages, disallowed to graze, slaughtered in the most painful way possible--this is what keeps me from eating meat.

It is really sad. When I saw the news story a few months ago about the duck delicacy where they force a hose down their throats to fatten them up with food, I cried. I wish I could be a vegetarian. I could only do it if my whole family did it with me.
It has been said that if you stack a bunch of pig cages on top of each other, you only have to feed the pig in the top cage and the rest will also live happily ever after. Gross.
How have you been tim? We seem to post in the same places!!

I noticed that too, posting pal. I've been great. I weighed in today and lost another 1.4. My husband and daughter aren't vegetarians, but we just eat similar meals. It's really not that much extra cooking, so it works for me. How is everything with you?

Hi Timshel,
I just sent you a 'private message'. I hope that's okay.
Traci

HELLO FELLOW VEGGIES!!
i'm new on the program, and just wanted to introduce myself! my name is shaynie and i've been a lacto-ovo veggie for just about ever.
i've already lost over 4 lbs, and am happy to have a strong start. just looking for strength from my fellow jenny-ers, and to provide support to anyone who needs it!

Good to see another veggie on the boards. I've been one for over half my life! Let me know if you have any questions at all or any time you need help.

thanx so much for the warm welcome, timshel!

Hi, Im in the same boat, it gets boring on JC when your a vegetarian.  Just be really carefull when buying frozen meals at the store.  They are very very high in sodium.  I was doing all frozen meals to do a 1200 cal diet on my own.  I was not budging because of the sodium content.  I wish they would pay a little more attention to the needs of the vegetarians!!!!!!!!

Hi everyone, I am so glad to see a veggie thread on here. I have been a vegetarian for 12 years (I eat eggs and dairy, but no flesh) and am on week 7 of JC. I am starting to get really bored of the food. I will remain on the plan of course; I'm here for the long haul; however, I have decided to start adding some MOMO's to mix things up a bit. I have found the Weight Smart Oatmeal to be quite similar in comaprison (nutritionally) to the JC Maple Nut Oatmeal, so I'm going to try that a couple of days this week. Saturday I will try making my own breakfast for a change... I'm really craving some Egg Beaters. Does anyone have some good vegetarian recipe that fit the plan?

Hello from Chai Tea I have been a vegetarian for about the same number of years as yourself and I could not be happier or healthier. Giving up meat and other meat products as really made a difference. I lost weight., I have more energy and I feel great. I have found that Light Life Foods makes excellent soy products. I use them in all the Jenny Receipes. All of us vegetarians should band together to bring back the veggie burger. I also have a receipe to share with you. Soy Meatballs and whole wheat organic pasta. Make meatballs about 1 to 2oz. apeice. about 2 or 3 and 4 to 6 ounces of pasta. Add on about 2 tablespoons of no salt sauce and maybe 1 tbls. of no fat or low fat cheese. and you have a dish with 1 starch., 1 to 2 meat servings and 1/2 milk. I like this pass it on. regards, to you. Chai Tea

Hi from Chai Tea., I use Lightlife foods they have a really good soy bacon and soy sausages and taco/burrito etc. I have been a vegetarian for about 12 years now and I love it. I hope you do to. Egg Beaters is a really good egg subsititue.

Hi Steenbeam., from Chai Tea., I use lightlife foods they make all kinds of vegetarian items. My counselor loves my choices and ways to make all Jenny Meals vegan. Lets. get together and let Jenny Craig know we want the veggie burger back and make more vegetarian meals for the menu. Take care and write back. regards, Chai Tea

Hello,

I am thinking about joing JC. I have been a Veggie most of my life. I am a Lacto Ovo Veggie.

I see where I can get some things. Which is better than most programs. I am 39. I remember joining N.S. back in my 20's and choking dowing "meat bits". I don't think my system could handle it now.

I need to get this weight off again. I have been stress eating and have lost control and need some structure and some help.

I am concerned somewhat about cost. But I have to eat anyway and my husband is very forgiving so that doesn't bother me to much. I am worried a bit about a 20 something telling me what to do when that have no idea about weight issues. I don't want to become burned out about the food. Althought I think I can handle a "boring" food package.

Any advice? Cost per week? I perfer Boca to Garden Burgers. Thanks.

I actually take extra order forms/price lists with me & fill them out ahead of my weekly visit, saves us all some time.

I would love to hear about some of the things you substitute! I have been a veggie for 16 years and just started the plan last week. I have 30lbs. to loose. Being someone who mainly eats non-packaged organic foods, it's a bit of an adjustment! Do you have any breakfast cereal substitution ideas? The cereals are so sweet! Thanks!!!

IVE BEEN A VEGATARIAN 4 ABOUT 20 MINS LOL ND I CULD USE A FRND