After making the decision to become vegetarian for health reasons, many people wonder how much of their favorite foods they will have to give up.

Two years ago, I wondered the same thing when I made the decision to become vegetarian. The reality is that it is much easier than one might think. It's also a lot more fun too!!

Though anything new can seem a bit intimidating at first, take one step at a time in order not to be overwhelmed.

Now, I enjoy it so much I would never consider going back to mine old and SAD (Standard American Diet) ways. I will give you 3 easy ways to make the transition into your new healthy vegetarian life. Then, a meal plan to help you even more.

1. Think of 3 vegetarian meals you already enjoy or may find easy to convert. Common ones may be a veggie pizza, spaghetti or large dinner salad.

2. Think of 3 recipes you prepare regularly which can be easily adapted to a vegetarian meal using a meat substitute. An example would be B-B-Q "chicken", corn-on-the-cob and baked potato. There are several brands on the market that make a fabulous chicken substitute! Just add your own B-B-Q sauce. Replace a hamburger and fries night with a veggie burger on a whole wheat bun and some grilled veggies or baked fries.

3. Find 3 vegetarian recipes online that you can experiment with. There are many websites with vegetarian recipes to help make the switch easily.

An average family switches between 8 to 10 different dinners anyway. So, if you use the 3 steps, you will have 9 vegetarian meals to switch between, as well.

Next, it's time to think about breakfast. If you are someone that likes bacon and eggs every morning, try a bacon substitute and "egg" substitute with whole wheat toast or bagel instead.

Now, let's take a look at a typical vegetarian meal plan:

Breakfast:

Fruit Smoothie
Bagel with tomato
Nuts

Lunch:

"Chicken" Salad Sandwich (substitute chicken made at home is super yummy!)
Green Salad

Snack:

Fruit Salad
Nuts

Dinner:

Veggie Fajitas
Mexican Beans and Rice
Green Salad

Desert:

Chocolate Chip Cookie

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Teenage diet plans vary in nutrition and usefulness. A teenager needs a plan developed for the busy years. Overweight often create awkward social interaction and starts a life where food becomes the center of the universe.

You can change the outcome of your teen years or your child's teen years if you adopt a new way of eating. The plan needs to contain easy to follow sound eating patterns that give immediate success and alter eating patterns through out life.

Record the times you overeat. Many weight problems occur because emotional triggers set off the urge to eat. Take time to examine your eating habits.
Are late nights your weakness?
Do you eat when you're bored, sad or lonely?
Do you eat the entire box of cookies when one was all you really wanted?

Understand your eating patterns before you begin any diet and make allowances ahead of time.

Find solutions. If you eat when you're bored, find an alternative. Since weight, loss is the goal, find a form of exercise that you enjoy and substitute it at that time. The activity can be structured or individual. Remember, muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle on your body the more fat you burn. Muscle tones the body and improves your metabolism.

An example of a structure exercise is a ballet class or soccer team. Your deadly time may be late at night, when no class exists. Use that time to schedule exercise in the privacy of your room. Put on the headphones and dance. Learn yoga on the Internet or just do body toning. At the end of the exercise, especially if it is late at night, calm your body down with stretching and a few minutes of meditation.

Set realistic goals. Don't expect an overnight change those types don't last and actually slow the metabolism. A realistic goal of one to two pounds a week doesn't dramatically alter your life style but over the long haul changes your body. Too many times teenage diet plans promise lots of weight loss immediately and don't focus on changes in eating patterns.

Picture yourself thin. After every exercise, session a few minutes of stretching and quiet meditation puts relaxes the body and mind. Visualize your body changed, tone and thin. Glue a picture of your face on the body you hope to attain. This gives you a picture hold in your mind.

Don't miss a meal. Eat three meals a day but break them down to six mini meals. Instead of eating two pieces of toast with breakfast eat one and take a granola bar for your mid morning meal. Keep a piece of fruit back from lunch and have it in the afternoon, after school. Select your favorite at dinner and use it as an evening snack. Many teen diet plans don't include even three meals a day and set you up for failure.

Substitute high calorie food for foods that contain fewer calories. Throw out the fries and chips and try a few vegetables. Fast food isn't out of reach, just eat less of it or make it fresh.

Subway's spokesman, Jared, started his diet by switching to a 6-inch turkey sub for lunch and 12-inch veggie for supper. He cut the mayo and the cheese. He added tons of vegetables, hot peppers and spicy mustard. He also increased his exercise pattern by walking everywhere.

You don't have to eat subs. Switch from a large burger to a junior, cut out the cheese and mayonnaise and get extra lettuce. If you eat out, focus on salads and cut the fat. Fried anything is not diet fare.

A 1500-calorie diet causes weight loss, but requires a lot of your attention to count the calories. Use the rule of thumb. Eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can hold, limit the meat in your diet to small portions at mealtime, allow for two pieces of bread every meal and eat smaller amounts of fried or fatty foods. One individual serving bag of chips per week as a treat should be the maximum. Substitute cheese and dessert for a cup of plain yogurt and add some fresh fruit or berries to it. Drink a glass of cool water with every meal. Additional beverages allowed are ice tea with no sugar or fresh unsweetened fruit or vegetable juice. Drink diet pop sparingly. It makes you retain water.

Your teenage diet plan can go on vacation for an hour or two when a special dinner or get together occurs. Just get right back on the diet after it's over.

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Ready to hit the trails but without the beef jerky? Here are a few vegetarian backpacking recipes you can try, along with some simple snack foods.

Olive Oil Noodles

This is a simple recipe that you don't need to write down. Bring a small bag of spices (whatever kinds you like), some dried vegetables, pasta and olive oil. Soak the dried vegetables while you are setting up camp. Then cook them along with the pasta. Drain and add the spices, salt and olive oil for a delicious dinner.

If you bring the thinnest pasta you can find - something like angel hair spaghetti - it will save some time, fuel and trouble cooking. If you want to dress up the meal a bit more and you are backpacking in the southwest, you can collect some pinon pine nuts to add. Parmesan cheese is another nice addition, and can be carried for days if kept out of the hot sun.

The Simplest Soups

Most grocery stores carry dry soups that just require you to pour boiling water on them. The ones in the cups take more space, but are still light and very convenient. No dishes to wash except for your spoon.

Vegetarian options are limited with these, but the good news is that there are a few. Even better news: some of the tastiest soups-in-a-cup you can get are the black bean varieties or lentil soups. Most of these have no animal products in them.

Uncooked Vegetarian Backpacking Recipes

I personally don't like to cook. In fact, I rarely even bring a stove when backpacking. Going without cooked food means no stove, no fuel, and no pans. That's less weight and fewer dishes to wash. But what about vegetarian backpacking recipes for those of us who don't want to cook?

Most snacks (with few exceptions like that beef jerky) are naturally vegetarian. For example, mix any number of dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips and cooked dry oats for an easy trail mix. You don't have to be precise about any of this or remember any recipes.

Peanut butter and wheat crackers is another high-protein high-energy backpacking food. Bread can be carried carefully and you can make sandwiches of peanut butter and wild berries. I have done this with strawberries, but peanut butter and blueberry sandwiches are my favorite.

If you eat cheese it can be carried for the first day without spoiling. Frozen "veggie dogs" can be brought as well, and will thaw out in time to cook them over the first night's fire. In other words, it doesn't have to get complicated. You can make your own simple vegetarian backpacking recipes.

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Mary introduces Snikiddy's new Baked Fries to a group of Stoller Stride moms to see what they think about it. See what they have to say.

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***LONG DESCRIPTION! 11 people came to this party. Out of those 11 people, some have youtube accounts. Here they are. Megan (Blonde Haired): www.youtube.com Julian (BIRTHDAY BOY!): www.youtube.com Vanessa (Brown haired and short): www.youtube.com Alicia (Tall Girl): www.youtube.com Lily (Sandy Blonde Hair): www.youtube.com Anyways, they came early and Julian came and he had no idea so we surprised him. There were soda, chips, candy etc. We watched Paul Blart: Mall cop. After that we had lunch which consisted of Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Veggie Burgers. We got our swimsuits on and then went swimming. We eventually left to come back and have cake and open presents. Finally we went back down to the movie room to relax and watch Hotel for Dogs. Hope you enjoyed it. BECAUSE WE SHUREEE DID :D Me and alicia planned it btw. SONG IS BOOM BOOM POW BY THE BLACK EYED PEAS AND I DO NOT OWN IT IN ANY WAY.

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What would believe to be the best healthy snack for your body? Would you believe that it is the blueberry? The blueberry is chalk full of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and cancer fighting agents. It's colorful, all natural and a very healthy alternative for the usual unhealthy binging-type snacks such as potato chips or peanuts. How can the average person get more blueberries into their diet without eating them by the bushel? I have a few favorite snacks that I began adding blueberries to that you may also find to be as delicious as I do.

One of my favorites is throwing in a handful in my low-fat vanilla yogurt for that extra flavor and chewing satisfaction. I also enjoy them mixed with granola cereal or mixed in with some trail mix. I love pancakes so on the weekends, I put blueberries in the batter for a delicious and satisfying breakfast. And yes, I do grab handfuls of blueberries on the fly as I think they taste magnific all by themselves.

But, what if you really didn't care for blueberries? Are there some similar alternatives that will give me the same benefit that the blueberry will? Actually, yes there are. Do you like strawberries? How about raspberries or blackberries? Red grapes would also work in a pinch.

If you're just not into the berry family at all, apples can also become a good alternative. They don't have as many of the micro-nutrients that berries do but they do offer a lot of other benefits like lowering your cholesterol, aide in preventing Alzheimer's, could help prevent many kinds of cancer such as breast, colon and lung cancer. The apple is also only 80 calories and a great source of fiber as long as you eat the skin.

Vegetables are also a great snack source so I can't leave that out of the loop. Raw veggie's are best because you will get 100% of the nutrients they provide. The longer you cook your vegetables, the more the nutrients are "cooked" out. I enjoy raw carrots and broccoli dipped in ranch dressing regularly. When I entertain at my house, you will always find a platter of cut raw vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and snap peas with a side of dressing for dipping. It's just not a party without it.

What if you're like a lot of people and don't enjoy the preparation time it takes to chop up veggies especially if you're in a hurry. Well, another great snack alternative is almonds. A handful of almonds will satisfy a hunger pang and also prevent over-eating later on. They are a fabulous heart-healthy nut that will also cure your craving for something crunchy. Be wary of your portion size however because almonds can really put your calorie intake to an all time high for the day if you're eating them mindlessly. In staying with the "nut" family, peanuts are a good snack as well but only in moderation as these too are very high in calorie. I enjoy spreading natural peanut or almond butter on celery for a special and very filling treat.

Have you ever had a frozen chocolate banana? I dip my banana in dark chocolate (for the most antioxidant benefit) and place in the freezer for about an hour or so. Now that is yummy and healthy for you.

Are you a huge meat eater? Well, for the meat lover's out there, thinly sliced turkey or lean ham wrapped in a light cheese is so good and filling especially if you are on a low-carb diet. I add lettuce as a wrap alternative with tomato and mayo and a side of raw veggies to complete the ensemble. I could eat this sort of stuff all day long and never feel bored.

Healthy snacking does not mean boring, tasteless, and deprivation. There are so many ways to take a healthy food and turn it into something you can indulge in day after day. You just need a little imagination and ingenuity to change your unhealthy snacking habits into a well-rounded tasty and healthy new lifestyle.

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Pat Landon remembers Solihull High Street in the 1950s.

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What do you do with bananas that are going ripe more quickly than your family can eat them? Make Banana Bread! It's great as a after school snack, lazy winter morning breakfast or dessert with your favorite meal. It's a comfort food that no one willingly passes up. It's pleasant fruity aromas filled the house and bring every one to the kitchen asking, is it done yet? Enjoy it warm, cold or even toasted.

Banana bread first made it's way in to cookbooks in the 1930's. Shopkeepers and grocers would have recipes available for shoppers when they had too ripe fruit on their shelved to try to make a sale for the product before it hit the trash bin. With the resurgence of home baking in the 1960's it regained the popularity it once had. Unlike some other recipes it was straight forward and required very little skill to create.

Banana bread is a popular gift giving item during the holidays, making it's way onto many platters for family, friends and neighbors.

The following recipe will make the moistest Banana Bread you have ever tasted. It's easy and takes no special ingredients. For best results use very ripe bananas. Be sure there are brown spots all over the peels and mash them well.

Ingredients:

1- 1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 3-4 bananas
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare greased 9 x 5 x 3 bread pan.

2. In a bowl, combined mashed bananas, butter, sugar and 1/4 cup milk. Mix to combine.

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in the banana mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup milk. Beat for about 1 minute on medium speed.

4. Pour batter evenly into the greased pan. Place pan in oven on the middle rack. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick or knife inserted in the middle of the bread comes out completely clean.

5. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.

For this recipe you can also use a 9 x 13 cake pan.

To add a different flavor use raisins or add pecan or walnuts. For the chocoholic try adding chocolate chips. Top with powder sugar or a cream cheese frosting.

If you have ripe bananas but have no time for baking, they can be frozen in a brown paper bag.

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Here's another great recipe, Veggie Spaghetti, for the health conscious people like you.

This is a simple recipe which doesn't require much preparation and hard work. Nowadays, I feel that time is sometime which I am lack of. The amount of time I spend in projects or school's work has increased dramatically where as the time for me to explore new recipe is scarce. Therefore, it is important to cook something that is quick and easy to prepare. This recipe definitely satisfy the criteria for "quick and easy". You can enjoy a healthy meal in just 15 minutes without any hassle. If you are like me who couldn't make time to prepare something healthy and nice for yourself or your family. Do give this recipe a try.

Ingredients

Serving size :1

1. Spaghetti, cooked

2. 1 handful (about 3 - 4 tablespoon) of mix vegetables (peas, corn, carrot)

3. 3 pieces of shitake mushroom, slice

4. 3 cherry tomato, slice

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5. 3 cloves of garlic, mince

6. 1 chilli padi (optional), seedless and slice (add this if you like something spicy, you can choose not to sauté)

7. 2 teaspoon of olive oil

8. Salt

9. Black pepper

Directions

* Preheat the skillet over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and sauté the garlic until it is translucent.

* Add the mix vegetables, shitake, tomato and chilli into the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes. Add a little bit of salt for seasoning

* Pour in about 50 ml of water into the skillet and let it cook for another 2 minutes before adng the spaghetti. Mix the spaghetti well with the rest of the ingredient.

* Before serving, you can add additional salt and pepper.

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