Vegetarian Meals (lots of photos!)

pocketmole
pocketmole Posts: 614 Member
So it's not quite a recipe (though if anyone is curious about how anything here is prepared just ask) but for the past 2-3 years I've photographed everything I've eaten. Since May of last year I was doing this as an alternative to calorie counting and it worked great for holding myself accountable, but I've plateaued out a bit and needed to get more strict. That's how I ended up here, to start tracking my caloric intake. :)

I really enjoy cooking and for the most part my dietary requirements have been to reduce my processed sugar and carb intake and just to eat less of everything. I allow myself two "cheat" meals on the weekend, one entree and one dessert. This method doesn't work for everyone but it's been one of the main things that's kept me on track for over a year. Whenever I start craving something bad I like looking forward to Saturday night when I can have the best of the best of whatever it is I want.

Anyway, I thought I'd introduce myself with a whole bunch of pictures! This is basically just a summary of how I've eaten since May of last year to lose around 45 pounds.

Polenta rounds stacked with mascarpone spinach and marinara with a side tomato salad
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Whole grain thin crust pizza with veggie sausage, mushrooms, and fresh arugula
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Rosemary tomato soup with grilled cheese on ezekiel bread
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Handmade mushroom raviolis with a brown butter sauce, fresh thyme, and toasted walnuts
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Bananas foster muffin with pecan streusel and butter rum glaze (made with whole wheat flour and apple sauce in place of butter)
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Caprese salad with rosemary parmesan crisps (super easy and reduced carb)
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stuffed zucchini boats with baked portobella mushrooms "fries" and marinara
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seitan and broccoli with pesto and cherry tomatoes
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wasa with cucumber and cheese with fruit on the side
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seitan with green beans and slivered almonds
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savory oatmeal made with sausage, spinach, herbs, and parmesan. my cat is intrigued.
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Veggie sausage, spinach, tomato, and feta cheese.
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White bean, tomato, and spinach soup with lots of fresh basil, Ezekiel croutons, and Parmesan cheese.
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Ezekiel greek style wrap with veggies, hummus, and feta. Side of carrots and strawberries.
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Spaghetti squash with marinara and a side of garlic broccolini.
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veggie turkey and caprese salad on wasa
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cinnamon peaches and oats
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Avocado rotini with tomatoes and parmesan.
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i know this is just unfair to post, but this is one of my cheat desserts. Fudgey brownie soaked with a bit of rum, topped with bourbon vanilla ice cream, homemade hot fudge, vanilla rum whipped cream, and toasted pecans. Eff yeah.
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Replies

  • So when's your next dinner party? Looks delicious, and although I'm not vegetarian I try to make sure we have vegetarian meals 2-3 times a week. Great inspiration, thanks.
  • KStyleFitness
    KStyleFitness Posts: 46 Member
    I guess I shouldn't have looked at these before I ate breakfst! Now as I go off to enjoy a bowl of Kashi cereal (NOT) I'll think about all these good food I am missing out on.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
    You are giving me so many great ideas!! Do you have a blog? I cook and photograph a lot of vegetarian meals myself (if you were very ambitious you could dig though the general food photography thread and find them).
  • pocketmole
    pocketmole Posts: 614 Member
    hopsy - unfortunately i don't like to clean as much as i like to cook, so i don't have many dinner parties! thank you.

    kstyle - haha, i've had plenty of mornings where i just pour a bowl of cereal as well. :)

    sweet potato - i don't have a blog but friends have been pushing me to start one for years. i keep telling myself, "one of these days..." :D
  • Aross83
    Aross83 Posts: 936 Member
    Love these!
  • DeTaart
    DeTaart Posts: 93 Member
    Amazing meals, thanks for posting. Could you post the savoury oatmeal recipe? I'm going to experiment with savoury porridge this afternoon hopefully!

    Cute cat too!
  • Kamnikar64
    Kamnikar64 Posts: 345 Member
    Looks delicious! I never thought of using polenta that way. My daughter does not like eggplant so that might work out great. Will you share the tomato rosemary soup recipe?
  • 20carrots
    20carrots Posts: 279 Member
    Um, can I HIRE you?? Meal delivery service?? :flowerforyou:
  • jen_2286
    jen_2286 Posts: 20 Member
    Wow, every single one of these looks amazing and not like "diet food" at all. Congratulations on your weight loss!
  • Mad4282
    Mad4282 Posts: 171 Member
    OMG I want one of everything you just posted! I wish I was that creative in the kitchen!
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
    Mmmmm, these all look absolutely wonderful!! If you don't host dinner parties could you cater LOL!! :)
  • Rubie81
    Rubie81 Posts: 720 Member
    Yummy! Thanks for sharing.
  • gshoemaker06
    gshoemaker06 Posts: 264 Member
    Wow, almost all of these look delicious. Marking for later
  • Briszler75
    Briszler75 Posts: 88 Member
    Looks so good! Thanks for sharing.
  • CassandraMarie3
    CassandraMarie3 Posts: 147 Member
    these look AMAZING!!! I am going to have to request recipes :)
  • PonyTailedLoser
    PonyTailedLoser Posts: 315 Member
    This is amazing :) I've been a vegetarian for almost 10 years and if I posted pics of my meals it would be mostly of Boca chicken patties. I envy your skill with cooking.
  • chocolateandpb
    chocolateandpb Posts: 438 Member
    Thanks for the ideas!!!! Unfortunately I hate, hate, HATE tomatoes and mushrooms, but I know I can improvise with other veggies. :smile: Love the pic with your intrigued cat, lol!
  • Keightisgr8
    Keightisgr8 Posts: 121 Member
    hopsy - unfortunately i don't like to clean as much as i like to cook, so i don't have many dinner parties! thank you.

    kstyle - haha, i've had plenty of mornings where i just pour a bowl of cereal as well. :)

    sweet potato - i don't have a blog but friends have been pushing me to start one for years. i keep telling myself, "one of these days..." :D

    Please, for the love of god start a tumblr and then tell me the name of it! All the recipes in my weightloss/fitspo blogs are the most popular things and they get re-blogged like CRAZY. (www.dudeletsburn.tumblr.com)
  • briyowes
    briyowes Posts: 757 Member
    Bump...need to check at home, pics not showing up at work.
  • Gilbrod
    Gilbrod Posts: 1,216 Member
    Your skills are amazing. But LOL @ savory oatmeal made with sausage, spinach, herbs, and parmesan. my cat is intrigued.
  • heliumheels
    heliumheels Posts: 241 Member
    Did you cook all of these dishes? They look amazing!
  • GBOGH_5
    GBOGH_5 Posts: 174 Member
    LOL...I like the cat!

    What kind of vegetarian sausage do you use? I am betting it is something that will be hard for me to find where I live. The choices are limited!
  • Please PLEASE start a blog and share your recipes - I want all of them!
  • gehlerc
    gehlerc Posts: 651 Member
    You are an inspiration. Congratulations on your weight loss.

    Yes, please start a blog. I would love to follow it. Until then, please post some of your recipes. I'm intrigued by many, but I'll just ask for a couple now: the portabella mushroom "fries," and the savory oatmeal. (Those are both such novel ideas to me. I love portabella mushrooms, and I love oatmeal, and never thought of using them that way.)

    Welcome to MFP. I'm really looking forward to having you as a member of our community.
  • Julieandpaloma
    Julieandpaloma Posts: 20 Member
    OMG - how lovely! Your meals look amazing - you should do a cookbook ;)
  • These all look amazing and I would love a blog with the recipes too - as a vegetarian, these look delicious and creative, and I would love to know more about them!
  • Christylee76
    Christylee76 Posts: 138 Member
    Wow...Very impressive..My first thought was Wow!! She must be a chef! Alot of this food I have never even heard of..Not sure if they sell in Alabama:)
  • emmie0622
    emmie0622 Posts: 167 Member
    Definitely you should do a cookbook!! They all look yummy!
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
    i love your cat creepin in that one picture....lolol

    but everything looks really delicious. What is ezikeil bread? I probably just spelled it wrong. Go you though.
  • One of everything please........................ :heart: