Does anyone know how to lose weight if on Depakote? I am either putting on weight, or else I have gained 4 lbs and lost 2. What can I eat?? I do not eat meat, and the doc has just taken me off lactose. But! I'm very flabby around my waist and the area under and in front of my shoulders. One pair of slacks is already too tight.

[Wild Coyote]

Vegetarian diets can be high in carbs and calories.
Eat lower carb options and count your calories.
There are lots of great vegetarian cookbooks available.

WC

The only suggestion I have that you might not have tried is baked veggies. I love to bake veggies as they taste so yummy and satisfying. Asparagus, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garbanzo beans (not a veggie but so good)...I put them in a bag and add some oil (coconut is good) and some salt....lay them on a baking sheet and bake until tender or in some cases crisp. It's a whole different flavor from streamed and is really tasty. Carrots are my favorite. My husband hates cooked carrots but loves them baked....as do me and my kids but we like them anyway. My husband is picky about veggies but baking them gets him to eat much more.

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

The only suggestion I have that you might not have tried is baked veggies. I love to bake veggies as they taste so yummy and satisfying. Asparagus, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garbanzo beans (not a veggie but so good)...I put them in a bag and add some oil (coconut is good) and some salt....lay them on a baking sheet and bake until tender or in some cases crisp. It's a whole different flavor from streamed and is really tasty. Carrots are my favorite. My husband hates cooked carrots but loves them baked....as do me and my kids but we like them anyway. My husband is picky about veggies but baking them gets him to eat much more.

a

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

The only suggestion I have that you might not have tried is baked veggies. I love to bake veggies as they taste so yummy and satisfying. Asparagus, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garbanzo beans (not a veggie but so good)...I put them in a bag and add some oil (coconut is good) and some salt....lay them on a baking sheet and bake until tender or in some cases crisp. It's a whole different flavor from streamed and is really tasty. Carrots are my favorite. My husband hates cooked carrots but loves them baked....as do me and my kids but we like them anyway. My husband is picky about veggies but baking them gets him to eat much more.

Wow!!!!! I love this recipe!!!! Do you use one of those baking bags? Thanks, ElsaMars

Originally Posted by Wild Coyote

Vegetarian diets can be high in carbs and calories.
Eat lower carb options and count your calories.
There are lots of great vegetarian cookbooks available.

WC

Good suggestions! Thanks. I really want easy things, like cold, not cooked. Trouble with that is, like you say, they are often starchy like cereal, crackers, and stuff. I don't like raw vegetables. I like ElsaMars' idea about baked vegetables. I'll check to see if there are any vegan books about snacks or something. Thanks for the Hug emoji!

[Wild Coyote]

That sounds good, Elsa. I'll bet it makes great kale chips!

I like oven-roasted veggies and grilled veggies with lemon juice spritzed on them while grilling.

Tip: Try to eat cooked veggies without sauces and not in high-carb recipes if you want to cut calories. Lots of great veggie recipes out there, yet can be very high in calories.


WC

Kale chips are really good but sadly my oven is terrible and with very irregular cooking temps that go up and down so getting them to come out crisp but not too crisp has been a real challenge for me. Kale chips are delicate and require a lot of babying.

I use just regular freezer bags....you could just use a bowl but I find I can use less oil and get a better coating by shaking them up in a bag with the oil and salt. Baked veggies are truly divine. You take them out of the bag before cooking. I think what you need is a vegan cook book as that's what your restrictions indicate you'll be needing. I have a lot of ethical concerns regarding animal products and often have a great deal of trouble eating as a result so I need to get some vegan cookbooks myself. Low carb vegan would probably be your best best. When I cut out dairy and meat I don't mind adding a bit more healthy oils as without all the high fat meat products, and avoiding the high carb vegetarian traps of eating junk food, the extra calories and healthy fats (oil) do not add negatively to my weight or health. It's just a matter of finding quick, healthy recipes and committing them to memory. Good luck Flowerbell. If you find some good recipes, share them here cause I'm always on the lookout myself. I really need to start cooking more often again and getting healthy from the inside, out.

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

The only suggestion I have that you might not have tried is baked veggies. I love to bake veggies as they taste so yummy and satisfying. Asparagus, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garbanzo beans (not a veggie but so good)...

Do you ever eat collards? I wonder if I could bake these. I have tried buying na bag of frozen, chopped collards. The instructions say to microwave them 4-5 min or so. NOT. To me anyway, they are not good this way, at all. Collards need to be cooked for hours to become tender! (So of course I never make them.) So I wonder how I'd bake some. Any suggestions? Anyway, it's worth a try, particurlay since you nention brussels sprouts.

PS gotta take the cornbread out of the oven now!!! mmmmm.

I've never tried collards but always wanted to. My mother said she hates them and they are slimy? Maybe baking could avoid this. The only Collards I've seen have been bags in the frozen food section. I will pick some up at my next trip to the grocery store. I haven't been in a physical grocery store in years I'm embarrassed to admit. So many tasty things I'm missing out. My dad used to make it a point of buying us strange and unique fruits and veggies to try when growing up.