In need of help for meal prep recipes - Going vegetarian for a month

imryan1223

Hello y’all, I’m currently trying to do a quick one month Meat/dairy detox and go vegetarian. I was just hoping to see if any veteran vegetarians would be able to help supply me with great protein rich meal ideas that I can use throughout this time frame!

Any tip helps; especially in regards to things to possibly eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and what to snack on.

ceiswyn

The main shift you need to make is in terms of thinking of a meal as a whole, rather than in terms of some kind of lump of protein with sides.

(Although if you miss the 'lump of protein with sides' meal model, I rather like Linda McCartney veggie burgers)


My go-to meals tend to be chillis and curries, both of which have big flavours without meat. The beans in chilli will help towards your protein goal, but you'll need to get plenty of protein in other meals as well. For sandwiches and salads, check out the various flavours of tofu; I like to use a sesame roasted one that is far from bland. And of course porridge and the like work fine with non-dairy 'milk'; these days there's oat, almond, hazelnut, coconut, soy and others out there so it's worth experimenting to find what flavours you like.

RovP6

See if this helps. Might be a bit advanced but helpful nonetheless

https://boomboomperformance.com/how-to-get-jacked-as-a-vegan/?fbclid=IwAR1iCk8d6c2b-zN3lBmSghenzjlSDRhOxai3Z0JZ2C0VOQdZ8VwqAsXt-bw

tinkerbellang83

Not a vegetarian but often eat more plant based stuff

Breakfast:

• Overnight Oats made with Dairy Free Products - I like Alpro cherry yoghurt & oat milk with some dark chocolate chips with some raspberries or blueberries.
• Most cereals are fine with a dairy-free "milk"
• Cashew Cheese (vegan cheese) in soft cheese form or nut butters would be a tasty option for a bagel/toast too.

Lunches:

• Salads with fruit, veg, nuts, seeds.
• Hummus & Med Veg Sandwich
• Olive Tapenade on toast
• Nachos with Avocado & Tomato dip

Dinner:

• Saag Paneer made with Tofu
• Three Bean Chilli
• Veggie Curry
• Jackfruit Tacos
• Marinated Mushroom Burgers
• Aubergine (Eggplant) Burgers
• Falafel

texasredreb

Google and Pinterest are your friends!

Emmapatterson1729

Not a vegetarian, but used to be. My favorite recipes were:

Puerto Rican chickpea salad: can of chickpeas, diced onion, diced bell pepper, chopped head of cilantro, diced heirloom tomatoes, 1 to 2 tbsp of cumin, a couple of garlic cloves minced (or garlic powder). Splash of olive oil, soy sauce, and lime/and or lemon juice. Season little salt and pepper. All mixed well. Can mix cooked couscous in, I leave out the couscous.

Tempeh salad wraps: original tempeh cubed, celery chopped finely(or cucumber), shredded carrots, diced heirloom tomatoes, olive oil mayo, dill weed, diced onion, splash of soy sauce, a little salt and pepper, all mixed together and throw in a wrap.

Best vegetarian snack (but has goat cheese, so not completely dairy free, but goat cheese isn't digested the same as cow cheese).
Roasted red peppers and diced tomatoes in a sauce pan, a drizzle of olive oil, salt pepper and some Italian seasonings heated over low heat.
Bruchetta toasted in oven.
Top bruchetta with a smear of goat cheese, put a little of the warmed pepper tomato mix on top of goat cheese, drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over top.

These were my favs, because the flavor combinations were to die for!! I would have carnivore friends fighting over these dishes.

shaumom

As someone who had to alter my diet a lot for medical reasons, I can give some advice in a couple things that helped make the new diet easier. :-)

1. Set up a lot of quick easy snacks and try not to let yourself get hungry. It’s easy to fall back into old standby foods if you get hungry or are in a hurry and don’t have time to think of how to make the new recipes you now eat.
2. Check out foods from many cultures rather than looking for veg subs for meat items. India especially has very flavorful veg meals. Personally I think this works better because 1- you are trying new foods with no previous expectation for taste and 2- it is cheaper and tends to taste better than non-meat substitutions.
3. Spices are your friends. :-). Use spices like gangbusters and it is awesome.
4. There is no rule on meals and what you should eat. Have leftovers for breakfast, snack at dinner, theme meals with everything the same color or culture, whatever works-make it fun so you have good memories to go with this diet and it helps be motivating.
5. Good luck! :-)

Oh and also- if you google taco soup there can be great recipes with a lot of protein and meat free. One of my fav easy veg meals.

LyndaBSS

@shaumom what a fantastic post!

Holly92154

Chickpeas (never canned)!!! I make them in my rice cooker 😂 My favorite food and a daily staple. The possibilities are endless. I usually eat them plain like popcorn. Pbj sandwiches (Bonnie maman, peanut butter *without additives/organic/no added oils, sliced banana and Dave's organic bread), almonds and sliced banana, 1c mixed frozen berries with organic girl super greens. Russet potatoes, sliced and baked (no salt, oil or butter) with organic ketchup. Steamed veggies and a large variety of fruits! I am plant based, not vegan. So for me, limited or no oils, dairy, meats or non single ingredient foods. Sometimes I add chia seeds to my smoothies but it depends on if I have a nutritional need for them. Hope this helps but keep in mind, there are a million ways to form your diet. Stuck with things you like for staples and add variety in over time. 👍😊