Vegetarian Meal Plans

sicahjes

Hi All,

First, I apologise if this has been asked before, I searched and couldn't find an answer.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a vegetarian meal plan for weight loss?

I'm looking for something that is simple, suitable for one person, and doesn't require a lot of ingredients and a huge amount of meal prep (e.g. link the 12wbt). I am a PhD student that is currently in the thick of it, so I'm considerate of time and money. I'm freeing up some time to spend on working out, and I know that I need to spend time meal prepping, but the simpler, the better.

I know that I'm asking for a lot, but I would appreciate any advice or info.

TIA

P.s: have any other vegetarians noticed that whenever you Google for vegetarian things, the hits are overwhelmingly vegan? I eat ethically sourced eggs and dairy, so veganism isn't for me.

kommodevaran

Base your meals around starches, grains and pulses, fruit, vegetables and nuts. These are cheap foods. Add in appropriate amounts of oils, eggs and dairy. To lose weight, just eat less. That's all the meal plan you need.

Meal prepping is neither a magic trick to lose weight, nor a requisite for healthy living. It's not necessary to do all the steps someone else does, do it to streamline your own cooking and eating, to free up time, not add extra work.

sicahjes

Thanks

KatzeDerNacht22

Hi, it is funny when I look for vegetarian things all has cheese and eggs ( I'm a vegan ) I did go back to eat eggs from local old women who keep their hens at their ranchs but somehow I stopped wanting that so... anyway back to your question, I recommend going for whole grain instead of refines foods, since they keep you full longer, I also recommend not to be afraid of healthy fat and get enough and in your case, consume dairy and eggs as you see fit and suits you! Best of luck!!!!

AmandaDanceMore

When I'm eating well, I usually try to keep batches of brown rice, quinoa, and other quality whole grains around, along with some legumes, vegetables (I obsessively buy frozen veggies), and potatoes (sweet and regular). I usually make up bowls with a little of everything (heavy on the veggies) and season to taste. It's pretty tasty, filling, and easy. It would also be something you could do very easily ahead of time, and have made up into meals, ready to go.

I also like to keep big pots of lentils around and will often make big pots of veggies soup, which I do different things with, depending on my moods. All of these things are simple, cost effective, and easy to do. I don't know of any meal PLANS.

As for finding more vegan things, that's really not a huge issue. You can always base your cooking around vegan recipes and such, and just add in whatever. I have certainly made vegan meals (my brother is vegan) and have had people slap a piece of cheese on top, or made vegan french toast, and have had people fry up some bacon or eggs to go along with it. It's easier to start with a vegan base.

leanjogreen18

I found that almost anything I ate before I can adapt to vegetarian, but these are the things I ate before becoming a pescatarian (I eat tuna once or twice a month).

Tacos - beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado
Burger - Boca burgers
Baked potato - vegan butter, baco's (bacon flavored pieces vegan) cheese
Pizza - flat out pizza bread, sauce, cheese, artichoke hearts, red onions
Chicken Salad - Grilled & chopped chicken boca on bed of salad your choice
Scrambled eggs on toast

These are the things I eat regularly on a 1250 calorie budget and I add a side salad or steamed veggie.

Check out the Gardin products as well they are tasty meat substitutes.

sarko15

You don't necessarily HAVE to meal prep, but you'll likely be spending just as long if not longer cooking during the week, so think about which one you'd rather do. I feel like I can prep three meals that get me through the week in less than an hour on a Sunday night, not including grocery shopping. When I was in school (I'm in my early 20s, so recently) it saved me a hell of a lot less stress to not have to think about cooking during the week, and I only needed to go to the grocery store about once a week so I saved time and money there. Again, meal prepping isn't a recipe for success, but it's worth thinking about if you'd rather spend time cooking during the week.

I buy frozen veggies a lot, and make gallon bags of bulk beans to freeze. Again, this takes foresight, but all it takes is throwing beans in a pot of water overnight and boiling it the next day, and then you don't have to do it for weeks. I don't have a straight up "plan" because I get bored of them incredibly easy, and it's easier to just enjoy the process of cooking and researching recipes that sound good.

Coachfitandrea

I eat a vegetarian diet too and do simple meal planning. If you don't mind eating leftovers you can make larger portions once or twice a week and have go-to meals all week. Do you have one day a week that is less busy? Plan ahead, use you slow cooker, stove/oven and some raw/fresh foods so you can make multiple meals at the same time. I usually make two different large meals for lunches and dinners throughout the week. Soups/stews are easy, burritos/tacos, veggie casseroles, omelets, spiralized veggies, salads, etc are easy to make and go a long way.

sicahjes

Thanks everyone. There are some great ideas on here, thanks Now I just need to compile it into a plan... the plan part is where I sometimes fall short... actually, it's the sticking to the plan part that I seem to be periodically struggle with haha!!

To clarify:

• I don't mind meal prepping, I just want to do less of it. I'm happy to eat the same thing more than once; and
• I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan (which means I do eat some animal products, like eggs, but not meat. I also ensure that I ethically source the eggs etc.). When looking for vego recipes I seem to find more vegan stuff instead. Often, they include substitutes that I find strange (vegan cheese etc.), which I'm really not into.

sicahjes

ps: kommodevaran, I wrote a longer response than thanks, but for some reason the rest didn't post. So strange!!!

leanjogreen18

I mentioned vegan baco's to clarify its not real meat because baco's sounds like bacon and vegan butter because that's my butter of choice:) in my post above. I got that you aren't vegan.

When you run across a vegan recipe that calls for vegan cheese you can use cheese I do it all the time.

Hope this helps.

janejellyroll

sicahjes wrote: »

Thanks everyone. There are some great ideas on here, thanks Now I just need to compile it into a plan... the plan part is where I sometimes fall short... actually, it's the sticking to the plan part that I seem to be periodically struggle with haha!!

To clarify:

• I don't mind meal prepping, I just want to do less of it. I'm happy to eat the same thing more than once; and
• I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan (which means I do eat some animal products, like eggs, but not meat. I also ensure that I ethically source the eggs etc.). When looking for vego recipes I seem to find more vegan stuff instead. Often, they include substitutes that I find strange (vegan cheese etc.), which I'm really not into.

I'm vegan, so I guess you could say I'm "really not into" dairy and eggs. When I find a recipe I want to make that includes dairy or eggs, I just use substitutes that don't involve animals. If you find recipes you'd like to try that include those ingredients, why can't you just replace them with eggs or dairy?

However, many substitutes seem "strange" until you try them. It might also be worth looking at what you find "strange" and considering trying some new things. Many of my favorite foods are things that I didn't grow up eating, things that I now enjoy because I didn't reject them due to the fact they seemed unusual to me.

sarko15

Can't you re substitute the substitute with dairy? It probably doesn't work with everything, but I don't see what's wrong with adding cheese or cream instead of cashew cream, etc. No one will shame you if you take liberties with a recipe. My boyfriend typically takes the vegan food I make and adds meat to it. Think outside the box.

Also there's lots of vegetarian recipes online, check out the blog Cookie and Kate.