Meal ideas for a vegetarian

AISIGO

I am looking for healthy meal ideas for me.
I am a vegetarian for the most part and will eat boneless white meat chicken only when I go out to eat.
Being a vegetarian sometimes is challenging.
I tend to eat a lot of carbs and I know this is not helping my weight loss efforts.

sleepytexan

These are my 2 fave veggie recipes, the chickpea one is done in 10 minutes, the Megadarra in about 30. delish!

CHICKPEA AND SPINACH CURRY. Check out the photo:

http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/vegetarian-curry-recipes-00412000069491/page9.html

Ingredients

1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons red curry powder (such as McCormick)
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation

Combine onion and ginger in a food processor; pulse until minced. (you don't really need a food processor, just chop)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture, sugar, and curry to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes; simmer 2 minutes. Stir in spinach, water, and salt; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts.
Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2002

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 247
Calories from fat: 15%
Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 0.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 1.6g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9g
Protein: 11.1g
Carbohydrate: 45g
Fiber: 8.4g
Cholesterol: 1mg
Iron: 5mg
Sodium: 857mg
Calcium: 194mg

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Megadarra (Brown Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions)

check out photo: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/megadarra-brown-lentils-rice-with-caramelized-onions-10000000226714/

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
7 cups vertically sliced onion
4 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups lentils
1 1/4 cups long-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion; cover and cook 15 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally. Uncover and increase heat to medium; cook 25 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Keep warm.
While onion cooks, bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add lentils; cook 20 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 cup caramelized onion, rice, salt, and pepper. Cover, and cook 25 minutes or until lentils and rice are tender. Spoon lentil mixture into a shallow dish; top with remaining onion. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over lentils.
Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2001

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 222
Calories from fat: 22%
Fat: 5.4g
Saturated fat: 0.8g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.7g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g
Protein: 8.5g
Carbohydrate: 35.6g
Fiber: 8.3g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 3.1mg
Sodium: 222mg
Calcium: 34mg

aflane

My favorite vegetarian dish is low calorie and super easy to make. I'm going to assume that you eat dairy since you'll occasionally eat chicken, and didn't say vegan.

Eggplant parmesan

Ingredients:
1 whole eggplant
1 jar of favorite tomato sauce
1 package of sliced mozzerella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Wash and cut your eggplant in half (lengthwise) and then slice 1/4-1/2" thick slices. Place a layer of the eggplant slices in a large casserole dish. Pour a few tablespoons of sauce and then top with a couple of slices of cheese (I tear the slices). Then put in another layer of eggplant, followed by more sauce, and then more cheese. Keep going until you've used up all the eggplant. Bake for 40 minutes. The cheese will be VERY brown, but the eggplant will be all soft and bubbly.

This makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on the size of the eggplant. I normally freeze the leftovers, so I can just microwave them up on gym nights. Calories -- about 400'ish (depends on the sauce used and if you used low fat cheese or regular). Sodium is high though, due to the sauce.

snowsflake

I eat a lot of good carbs and things have been fine for me. Here are things that I eat regulary...

breakfast - 1 egg, with 2-3 egg whites - boiled or scrambled made with spray - a mixed berry smoothie with frozen berries and tangerine juice or a piece of fruit - a whole wheat bagel or english muffin with really good peanut butter (I go for the expensive good stuff)

on the weekends I saute a ton of veggies - onions, mushrooms, jalapenos, red peppers, corn, etc. and add the eggs to that.

lunch - black bean burger patty on sandwich thin with guacamole, or Birds Eye has the steamable bags of veggies and brown rice, I heat those up and eat away. I try to avoid the ones with cheese sauce etc., but if you have to start with those then go for it. That's what I did and now I don't even consider them.

salad - mixed lettuce or greens - low-fat feta cheese, black olives, jalapenos, beets, grapes or crasins (if I have them), sweet pickles, red onions, or whatever else you want to add.

hummus with pita chips

whole wheat tortillas with vegetarian refried beans and low-fat cheese

veggie fajitas - onions, peppers, portobello mushrooms, zucchini, squash, frozen corn - or whatever want to add - serve or corn or whole wheat tortillas

veggie chili - onions, peppers, a variety of beans, portobello mushrooms, corn - serve over brown rice

Pumpkin seeds, nuts, nut butters, etc.

You can always take out the carbs and add more veggies. I hope this helps. :happy:

sleepytexan

I am looking for healthy meal ideas for me.
I am a vegetarian for the most part and will eat boneless white meat chicken only when I go out to eat.
Being a vegetarian sometimes is challenging.
I tend to eat a lot of carbs and I know this is not helping my weight loss efforts.

don't worry about carbs. really. check out my diary sometime.

I am 5'4, 127 lbs -- at goal, 18% BF, 43 years old, 4 kids. Highest weight ever (except pregnancy): 142 lbs. I do not watch or restrict carbs.

blessings.