Meatless Meal Ideas

hollietkac
hollietkac Posts: 38 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been trying to incorporate more meatless meals into my diet. I am not vegetarian, but I do not like feeling like that NEED to have meat in a meal to make in satisfying. Also, it is cheaper. My meatless meals tend to be more carb heavy which helps me feel full for longer. I like to eat them for lunch on days when I plan to exercise in the evening because it helps elevate my energy level.

My favorite meal far - homemade "fried" rice (each item cooked separately then mixed together)!
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1.5 cups cooked vegetables (carrots & broccoli)
- 1 scrambled, cooked egg
- 2 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos (soy sauce alternative)
Calories - 300 (3 servings of veggies!!)

Any one have other meatless meal ideas they could share?

Replies

  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Bean soup, bean burritos, enchiladas or many other Mexican dishes. Quinoa & bean salad. Beans and rice. Hummus or baba ganoush wraps. Tofu stir fry. Omelette or quiche. Portebella mushroom "cheeseburgers". Broccoli peanut stir fry. Peanut butter sandwich. Salad topped with nuts, tofu or eggs.
  • jawheb
    jawheb Posts: 295 Member
    Eggplant Parmesan is delicious! Stuffed spaghetti squash with bread crumb stuffing and cranberries.
  • dechantal53
    dechantal53 Posts: 4
    Go to the Engine2diet.com. I started this about 2 weeks ago and it has some fantastic recipes for no meat.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    if you're including dairy,
    a bean/cheese burrito is pretty good, along with a lot of other mexican/asian/italian dishes.

    baked penne is awesome. IMO, it's better than lasagna, because you're not using the calorie gobbing riccotta cheese.
    put some spinach and other veggies in there and it's pretty good. Make sure you try and get in some protein. Sneaking in tofu isn't that hard with these dishes.
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    Almost anything you can make with meat, you can make without. I have been vegan since March, and there are a ton of tasty options. I love veggie burgers (make them myself from scratch so I know exactly whats in there), and nachos, and salads, burritos, etc. The Engine 2 diet website is great, and also the Happy Herbivore has a ton of really good recipes that are meatless and really easy to make!
  • somanyrhoades
    somanyrhoades Posts: 107 Member
    BEANS! BEANS! BEANS! they are the best meat substitute (in my opinion). you can make pretty much anything out of them including burgers! They high in protein and fiber and come in a ton of different varieties. I only eat meat in small quantities and maybe 3-4 times a week but I eat beans almost every day! Quinoa is also a really filling whole grain that has no gluten or wheat and is really filling and has protein and lots of trace minerals and vitamins naturally (which makes it a superior grain). There also lots of really healthy soups you can make without meat, just watch what kind of broth you are using and that it doesn't have a ton of sodium in it. Try googling vegetarian recipes and find something that you might like, and of course don't be afraid to modify it a little there's something about it you don't like!
  • pamelak5
    pamelak5 Posts: 327 Member
    I was a vegan for years, now an omnivore but don't eat much week. (Thinking about it now - I don't think I've eaten meat once all week!)

    This week I made a few quesadillas with kale, black beans and sweet potatoes, with a hit of pepper jack cheese. ( for kale - sauteed onions and garlic, added kale and cooked it down). I have eaten them for dinner once and lunch twice. Also made a vegetarian lentil loaf. Tonight I am having roasted tofu and veggies with pasta and a peanut-cilantro sauce.
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
    Lentils, lentils everywhere.

    I'd recommend looking at:
    http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

    Lots of good recipes and recipe ideas.
  • km202
    km202 Posts: 112
    Vegetable lasagna with just an alfredo sauce rather than ricotta cheese. (I made one with spinach, broccoli and carrots and about 1 1/2 cups was around 300 calories)
    Spaghetti with a mushroom/onion/bell pepper marinara sauce (use spaghetti squash to help cut down on your pasta intake)
    omelets (as mentioned by others) - good way to get in lots of protein and vegetables
    salad - you can always pile on pretty much anything - nuts, fruits, beans, practically any and all vegetables
  • kay2nk
    kay2nk Posts: 17 Member
    We do portobello fajitas...yummmm..
  • cheshirequeen
    cheshirequeen Posts: 1,324 Member
    you are more than welcome to look at my diary. been a vegan for almost 8 years.
  • ickybella
    ickybella Posts: 1,438 Member
    http://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/aubergine-parmigiano.html

    aubergine = eggplant
    courgette = zucchini (and I used zucchini instead of eggplant for the big slices)

    Double up the mozzarella and it's pretty high protein, makes enormous servings and tastes freaking amazing.

    Also, this: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/saag-paneer-recipe.html

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