Healthy Vegetarian Lunch Options?

Options
FindingCynSporation
FindingCynSporation Posts: 31 Member
in Recipes
I would love to get some fresh ideas on healthy vegetarian lunch options. It's a bit hard to work in an office where the whole staff goes out to lunch every day - not only is it pricey, but it's not very healthy either. I hope to hear about some (easy) lunch options that are filling and high in protein that works for others!
«1

Replies

  • littlewingMandy
    littlewingMandy Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter, honey and banana slices rolled up!
  • FindingCynSporation
    FindingCynSporation Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    That sounds DELISH! Love it! Thank you!
  • danner83
    danner83 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    I love making carrot batons, cucumber, peppers and cherry tomatoes with a small pot of houmous.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    edited September 2016
    Options
    Hummus with veggies (I have a recipe for butterbean hummus if you'd like it; I'm not a fan of the texture of garbanzo beans)

    vegetarian chili

    black bean burgers (several recipes on internet). I don't know if you know it but instead of eggs, you can soak chia seeds in water. They become jelly like and work great as a binder.

    bean burrito (if you're afraid of the fat, mash up a can of drained pintos - add cumin and cayenne, etc)

    pasta with simple marinara (I usually will make one with crushed tomatoes, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, basil)

    pasta salad with whole grain pasta, light dressing and variety of vegetables.

    bake some corn tortillas sprayed with nonstick spray in oven and have salsa on side

    Mexican pizza (top pita bread with refried beans seasoned with taco seasoning, lettuce, tomatoes, green onions, salsa, etc)

    Soups (alone or with side salad):

    Zucchini soup. Cook sliced zucchini in vegetable broth with garlic and onions. When tender, drain & puree.
    (I normally use 1 tbsp. of light sour cream but that's optional. It just makes it creamier). Season however
    you like. If you eat cheese, I sprinkle with parm and croutons.

    Broccoli soup. For this I use milk, but I'm sure you could substitute almond milk. I cook frozen broccoli. For
    thickness, I cook diced onions in 2 tsp of oil, once it's done, add same amount of flour, allow to lightly
    brown then add milk and stir until thick. I then blend the broccoli with the creamy mixture and enough liquid
    to thin out. You get the idea. :)

    Tomato soup. Easy with side of garlic toast or croutons.

    Stuffed pepper. Instead of the meat, use lentils, mushrooms or beans.

    I'm not vegetarian. I've eaten vegetarian before. I love my vegetables !!!

    Note: these don't seem easy but I make them at night then bring for lunch....
  • FindingCynSporation
    FindingCynSporation Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    cwolfman - that looks absolutely amazing!! And I'm sure it's filling too. How perfect!
    Steph38878 - Thank you for all of those wonderful suggestions! I'm a big fan of bringing in leftovers, so making them the night before works best for me. I've never had zucchini soup, and I'm anxious to try that! These are all incredible options!!
  • blueeyetea
    blueeyetea Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    Lentil salad with lime-cumin vinaigrette.

    In a bowl, mix up the vinaigrettre. Add one can of drained, rinsed lentils. Additions to this salad: green onions, raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, brown rice. It will taste better if prepared in advance. When I'm ready to eat, I like to add a few bits of feta cheese.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Options
    My go to is a taco salad. Black beans, cheese, wholly guacamole, salsa, onions, tomatoes on a bed of lettuce. Yummy I'm hungry now.
  • torichantel2005
    torichantel2005 Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    littlewingMandy wrote: »
    Whole wheat tortilla with peanut butter, honey and banana slices rolled up!

    I'd skip the honey and use Hershey's syrup or chocolate chips. Dessert and lunch in one.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    I made a week's worth of hummus this weekend and have been using it for sandwiches, and also as a salad dressing ingredient. Today, I sandwiched it, and had some Concord grapes for dessert.

    The hummus was a combo of (low sodium) garbanzos and lentils; olive oil and sunflower seeds, flavored up with lemon juice and pepper, with some other spices. No added salt - none needed. Threw it all in my Vitamix and let it go for a minute. It's lasted me the whole week and more so far.
  • FindingCynSporation
    FindingCynSporation Posts: 31 Member
    edited October 2016
    Options
    ejbronte wrote: »
    I made a week's worth of hummus this weekend and have been using it for sandwiches, and also as a salad dressing ingredient. Today, I sandwiched it, and had some Concord grapes for dessert.

    The hummus was a combo of (low sodium) garbanzos and lentils; olive oil and sunflower seeds, flavored up with lemon juice and pepper, with some other spices. No added salt - none needed. Threw it all in my Vitamix and let it go for a minute. It's lasted me the whole week and more so far.

    This sounds delicious! I haven't made hummus in forever, I need to get back to it. Thank you for this suggestion!
  • Balaru
    Balaru Posts: 203 Member
    Options
    I just started a new job and no one eats lunch. First time that's ever happened. One girl eats protein bars throughout the day and the other girl has health issues - glutten free plus other so she has a container of yogurt at her desk as she's working. I'm the only one who eats lunch and I only have 30 minutes. I'm kind of stuck in a corner until we get our new office. So I literally turn around and sit at the table right behind me. I have been walking around the block once each day just for a change of scenery. Love, Love, Love my new job but can't wait til we get our own space. My boss is on the same page as me. She thinks it's not healthy to not take a lunch break. You need it for a sanity break. Lol I'm used to an hour in all of my past jobs.

    So I'm looking for quick and easy too. I feel so much better when I eat Whole Food Plant Based but there don't seem to be many "convenient" fast options for that lifestyle. I've been looking for crock pot recipes and things to prep on the weekends so that everything is quick and easy. Dinners haven't been the best lately either. Too tired to cook when I get home so we throw something together like the other night it was just pasta with Prego. Normally I would have had mushrooms, onions, zuchinni, peppers and a ton of other veggies in it. Needless to say that's not filling me up and I'm reaching for the chips, chocolate and sodas again. Putting the brakes on. Hopefully this week will look more "normal" food wise to me. Headed to Whole Foods and Wally World. Thanks for starting this thread.
  • sheppeyescapee
    sheppeyescapee Posts: 329 Member
    Options
    I love leftover veggie chilli and baked sweet potato for lunch.
  • bamfgoals
    bamfgoals Posts: 28 Member
    Options
    Any kind of veggie wrap :) throw down a tortilla, put hummus/peanut butter on it, throw in sliced veggies (cucumbers, peppers, etc are always good) and roll 'er up.
  • Susieq_1994
    Susieq_1994 Posts: 5,361 Member
    edited October 2016
    Options
    These are really good and they freeze really well:

    http://cookingwhims.com/2012/02/22/whip-it-up-wednesday-chickpea-tahini-patties/

    My husband and I enjoy them so much that we've made them part of our regular meal rotation. I serve them on a hamburger bun topped with spinach and tomato slices. :) They're also quite nice topped with a bit of hummus!

    EDIT: Oops, it seems like the website is no longer there! :( I use the recipe so often that I haven't tried to follow that link for a long time, and just posted it without clicking. Darn it. But here's the recipe that I got from it:

    Vegetarian Chickpea Patties
    Makes 6 patties

    Ingredients:
    • 400g can of chickpeas, drained (260 grams net)
    • 80g plain breadcrumbs
    • 30g tahina
    • 7.5g cumin (1.5 tsp)
    • 5g baking powder
    • 100g onions, chopped finely
    • 3 large garlic cloves, grated
    • 20g parsley, chopped
    • 20g coriander, chopped
    • 0.5 lemon, juiced
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions:
    1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
    2. Mix the breadcrumbs, baking powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together. Set aside.
    3. Combine the chopped onions, parsley, coriander, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
    4. Add the chickpeas and breadcrumbs to a food processor. Pulse continuously until you have a coarse, crumbly texture.
    5. Add the herb mixture and stir the contents of the food processor with a spoon to loosen the mix. Pour in the tahina and mix again. Run the food processor on low to medium until the ingredients are well-combined.
    6. Wearing gloves, use your hands to remove the “dough” from the food processor and form it into a ball. Divide it into six parts and shape into patties, placing them on a greased or paper-lined baking sheet as you form them.
    7. Bake the patties at 400°F for 15 minutes. Do not attempt to remove them from the baking sheet until they have cooled completely, or they will fall apart.
    8. Freeze leftover patties for as long as three months, if needed.
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Options
    I eat salad for lunch almost everyday. Its really good with beans and avocado, sliced sweet peppers, lots of mixed greens(maybe some shredded cabbage). I sometimes make homemade pico for dressing. I might have Greek yogurt and a fruit on the side.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    FindingCynSporation wrote: »
    ejbronte wrote: »
    I made a week's worth of hummus this weekend and have been using it for sandwiches, and also as a salad dressing ingredient. Today, I sandwiched it, and had some Concord grapes for dessert.

    The hummus was a combo of (low sodium) garbanzos and lentils; olive oil and sunflower seeds, flavored up with lemon juice and pepper, with some other spices. No added salt - none needed. Threw it all in my Vitamix and let it go for a minute. It's lasted me the whole week and more so far.

    This sounds delicious! I haven't made hummus in forever, I need to get back to it. Thank you for this suggestion!

    I was really happy with it! The blend of the beans was a pleasant little surprise to me, and the taste got better over the week, too.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    Steph38878 wrote: »
    Hummus with veggies (I have a recipe for butterbean hummus if you'd like it; I'm not a fan of the texture of garbanzo beans)

    Yes, please, on the butterbean hummus (I like both garbanzos and butterbeans, and am definitely in the mood to play.

  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    Options
    Susieq_1994 wrote: »
    These are really good and they freeze really well:

    http://cookingwhims.com/2012/02/22/whip-it-up-wednesday-chickpea-tahini-patties/

    My husband and I enjoy them so much that we've made them part of our regular meal rotation. I serve them on a hamburger bun topped with spinach and tomato slices. :) They're also quite nice topped with a bit of hummus!

    EDIT: Oops, it seems like the website is no longer there! :( I use the recipe so often that I haven't tried to follow that link for a long time, and just posted it without clicking. Darn it. But here's the recipe that I got from it:

    Vegetarian Chickpea Patties
    Makes 6 patties

    Ingredients:
    • 400g can of chickpeas, drained (260 grams net)
    • 80g plain breadcrumbs
    • 30g tahina
    • 7.5g cumin (1.5 tsp)
    • 5g baking powder
    • 100g onions, chopped finely
    • 3 large garlic cloves, grated
    • 20g parsley, chopped
    • 20g coriander, chopped
    • 0.5 lemon, juiced
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions:
    1. Preheat the oven to 400°F
    2. Mix the breadcrumbs, baking powder, cumin, salt, and pepper together. Set aside.
    3. Combine the chopped onions, parsley, coriander, garlic, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside.
    4. Add the chickpeas and breadcrumbs to a food processor. Pulse continuously until you have a coarse, crumbly texture.
    5. Add the herb mixture and stir the contents of the food processor with a spoon to loosen the mix. Pour in the tahina and mix again. Run the food processor on low to medium until the ingredients are well-combined.
    6. Wearing gloves, use your hands to remove the “dough” from the food processor and form it into a ball. Divide it into six parts and shape into patties, placing them on a greased or paper-lined baking sheet as you form them.
    7. Bake the patties at 400°F for 15 minutes. Do not attempt to remove them from the baking sheet until they have cooled completely, or they will fall apart.
    8. Freeze leftover patties for as long as three months, if needed.

    This sounds very, very good.
  • Sira125
    Sira125 Posts: 152 Member
    Options
    I like to bake burrito filling and make up burritos early in the week. I like these with pineapple salsa.

    I added the quinoa and amaranth to soak up some of the liquid. You could possibly just leave out the water instead. If you use a glass pan you can see when all the water is cooked away.

    If the burritos are soggy later in the week you can toast the outside in a nonstick skillet without any oil. Love them toasted.

    Zatarain's Spanish rice, 1box
    Diced tomatoes, 1 14 oz. can
    Black beans, 1 can drained and rinsed
    Sweet potato, 1 large, diced
    Olive oil, 2 tbsp
    Amaranth, 1/4 cup
    Quinoa, 1/4 cup
    Water, 1 tomato can full

    8x8 glass pan

    400 degrees Fahrenheit, 50 minutes

Categories