Ideas on Eating Clean As a Vegetarian

perficio

Hi All,

I'm not the best cook in the world, and am really trying to eat healthier and get into shape. If I tell you a little bit about my food habits and culinary capacity, will you be so kind as to give me meal ideas?

1. I have 30-45 minutes every morning to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner.
2. I am a vegetarian
3. I'm trying to avoid bread in all forms and incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet. I am substituting quinoa for all forms of bread/rice.

Breakfast is easy. I just make a bowl of steel cut oats with berries and almond milk mixed in. It's the lunch and dinner that I have a problem with. I need something that will keep me full, and at the same time, be around my current caloric goal of 1200 calories.

I'll admit I haven't searched thoroughly enough for similar posts, just a cursory glance. If you know of any similar posts, please feel free to post the link so I don't waste anyone's time.

Thanks and looking forward to the comments! Cheers!

final10

I want to come back for ideas too. I'm a vegetarian but a terrible cook. Now that it's spring coming up summer I look forward to eating lots more fresh local fruits and making green drinks.

I know one response you are going to get is 1200 cals is to low.

Add me as a friend if you want to share recipes.

Susanna75

I too am vegetarian and a terrible cook. Until recently I pretty much survived on ready meals, but in an effort to be more healthy and eat more veg, I have taken to stir frying veggies. I was amazed at how easy it was (yes, I'm that clueless when it comes to cooking!) I hate chopping things up so I tend to get veggies already chopped or small things that you can just toss in the frying pan - baby corn, beans of different types etc. I realise that for most people this is a no brainer but for me it was a revelation! :laugh:

javaboley

A great resource for healthy vegetarian/vegan quick recipes is Dr. McDougall - he has a lot of information but my favorite is his Quick & Easy book. He shares a lot of great recipes online at www.drmcdougall.com

LaSweetMini

I just started a vegetarian diet this week to help break my plateau. My nutritionist recomended it. You can look through my diary as its open. So far I have eaten some pretty good things and excited to try new meal options.

Elliemage

I'm vegan, so keep in mind that if you want, you can add cheese or milk.

My staples are really easy, usually- I'm in nursing school and I really don't have a lot of time to cook, so I tend to make big batches of things that I can grab later. Some of my favorites are variations on beans and rice, all kinds of stirfry, roasted veggies and veggies with quinoa.

Beans and rice: Try different styles- spicy mexican style with pinto beans, black beans or a mix- you can season with taco seasoning or do your own! Also good with lots of different veggies piled in as well.

Stir fry: My favorite is onions, zucchini, mushrooms and red peppers. Try adding some different ingredients for fun though- I tend to add pineapple and do a teriyaki sauce which is SUPER good. Any veggies are great!

Roasted veggies: I tend to keep it simple here, but I love roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes, so there's usually one of those in there alone with big chunks of onions, peppers and mushrooms. You can also grill veggies in kebabs for dinner.

TOFU: A lot of people are scared to use tofu. The best way I have found of cooking it is to press the water out (stick it between plates, wrapped up in towels and weight the top plate down with a can of something- leave for 20 mins or so), slice it thinly (1/4 in or so) and fry it dry in a nonstick pan over a medium heat about 5min a side or until golden. After that, you can stick it in whatever marinade you wish (there are TONS of recipes for these online!) for 30 min at least, although I prefer overnight. Then cook it up again in a pan if you like it a little crispier or just add it right into whatever you're cooking!

Salad: I know, I know... boring. But it doesn't have to be!! Experiment with different kinds of vinegars or flavored olive oils to make your own salad dressings, add dried fruit (or regular fruit!) and nuts to your salad for a different flavor or crunch, add beans for some protein, use fake meat if that's your thing- salads can be boring, but they also rock. One of my favorite nights of the week is "big salad night" where the roomie and I just grab a big old bowl and do our own thing!

Finally- good luck! The biggest help for me has been to start thinking of my veggies as the main dish. If you cook with the intent to eat mostly veggies, you'll find that you're not so worried about what sorts of sides to have. A big bowl of roasted veggies and a side of a little bit of rice or a slice of toast and an apple goes SUCH a long way

perficio

You ladies are amazing! Thanks for all the ideas! I will reply back soon in more detail.. I should have a plan of action soon enough and will share it here.

Dayquasar

I love to make soups, they are easy to make, fill you up and you can make a big batch for leftovers to keep in the fridge or freeze, a great website is vegweb.com. A lot of recipes there! And I do roast and grill a lot of veggies as well. Feel free to add me!

I have a few recipes on my blog as well including my fav Tabouleh Girlwholovestheworld.blogspot.com

Mockingbird61

I am a lapsed vegetarian sticking pretty strictly to fish and fowl but trying to reduce my meat eating bit by bit. I find that bok choy is a great addition to stir fries - it has both crisp parts and greens. Tofu is good as a noodle in soups and it takes flavors really well, so sometimes I marinate it and use in salads, I volunteer at a farm market where all the food is local and people regularly sell vegetarian curries, pizzas and "burgers" in addition to all the great produce. Right now we only have spring foods - strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus and greens, but new stuff pops up all the time.

Mockingbird61

Red Lentil Soup

1 c red lentils
1 t salt*
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 T minced fresh ginger
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can light, unsweetened coconut milk
1 T tamarind concentrate or paste
1 T coriander
1 t cumin
1 t turmeric
1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/4 c chopped cilantro

Combine lentils, salt and 5 c of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 20-25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Blend lentils with whisk for rustic texture, or puree in blender for a creamier feel.

Puree tomatoes and ginger in blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds or until just golden, stirring often. Add tomato mixture, coconut milk, tamarind, coriander, cumin, turmeric and jalapeno. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in lentils and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with cilantro.

perficio

Alright - As promised, here's an update on what I'm currently making for my sister and myself in the mornings. We're both trying to get healthier, and although she eats meat, she doesn't complain much about eating more veggies. If she wants meat, she just buys the occasional meal per week from the food court/ the plethora of restaurants where we live.

Breakfast - Steel cut oats with almond milk and berries.
Lunch - Red Lentil Soup with Quinoa and Vegetables (whatever I have in the house - tomatoes/ squash/ bok choy/ radish)
Dinner - Carrots and Hummus/ Leftovers from lunch and a cup of piping hot chai!

Hope this helps anyone looking for an easy, no-frills way of cooking in the mornings. I am not fussy at all about food, and eating almost the same thing every day works out just fine for me. For snacks, I have almonds throughout the day. I highly recommend this, especially because almonds are said to boost brain function and contain essential fatty acids.
Important Note: If you choose to snack on almonds, try not to have more than 1 serving per day, which roughly amounts to 23 almonds. I put them in a ziplock bag and take them to work now, which takes the guesswork out, and makes my life so much easier.

Thanks again Ladies! Have a great summer!

Pebble321

It sounds as though you are getting into some great habits, well done.
Another suggestion is to have a look for crockpot recipes (easy to put it on in the morning and it will be cooked when you get home).
And check out indian, middle eastern and asian dishes - you'll find a lot of stuff that is vegetarian and doesn't just tell you to use a processed meat alternative. You can make a big batch of dahl (lentils), chilli (with beans and veggies), stir fry veggies with tofu and/or nuts, soup, salads (pasta salad, coleslaw etc), sandwiches (use grainy bread or wraps, eggs, veggies, peanut butter) ahead of time and they will last for days in the fridge.

perficio

Thanks Ruby! Dal is a great idea and I've started making it for my sister and myself

aoikirin

I seriously feel inspired to actually cook something after all these great posts in this thread. So many great ideas here! Thanks to you all. I am a lacto ovo veggie who lives alone and really can't cook. But some of the ideas here make me think I might be able to manage them somehow in spite of myself. Thank you all!

Astroduckula

Hey guys, I'm a lacto-ovo veggie too and actually a pretty good cook.... But just become REALLY lazy I blame my hubby for this. I used to experiment with different styles and flavours see what worked but he just says food is food and it just tastes the same. Shocking behaviour which I fear I may be picking up that awful trait I don't experiment so much any more

But I love spicy foods so there's always a chilli, garlic, jalapeños and onions in my food as well as hot pepper sauces I've found and I love making a dressing for a spicy salad I tend to use rocket, onion, plum tomatoes, radish, spring onion (or salad onion as they can be known) and raw chilli (either green or red whatever I have at the time)I mix some extra virgin olive oil with half a squeezed lime, mix in the crushed garlic, then throw the onion into the mix, lay out the rocket and the veggies and dump the mix on top, the lime, garlic and olive oil are perfect together.

It may not be to everyone's taste but just experiment with what you have in the house, you never know it may work!

I only mention this one as I find I can eat loads of veggies before I feel full and I don't feel guilty about pigging out on them like I would other foods