Needing help finding vegetarian lunches...

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AlyssaJoJo
AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone! So the SO and I decided that we are going to become weekday vegetarians. We're thinking we are going to start this come May since we want to get through what we have in house right now. The only issue is I kind of handle his diet. Not because I'm FORCING him to lose weight, but just because I'm the one who cooks all his meals so I know what calories are going in. He works Monday - Friday at a factory doing about 10 hour shifts. Normally I load his lunch up with a bunch of different things, including a sandwich. He doesn't get a half a hour break so he can't sit down and eat a full meal. Normally he eats what I put in his lunches one by one when he gets a chance. I know I can easily fill his lunch with fruits and veggies but I'm looking for something that has more protein in it that can replace his sandwich. Any help will be a really big help! Thanks!

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  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
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    nuts or nut butters. egg salad. i love cream cheese sandwich on wheat also. not a ton of protein, but so yummy! cream cheese, cucumber, lettuce tomato, yum! greek yogurt is good also. protein bars etc
  • Mmmporkrinds
    Mmmporkrinds Posts: 192
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    Bean salads? Pasta with cheese like feta? Or peas - they're high in protein, that surprised me.
  • jaynalawayna
    jaynalawayna Posts: 80 Member
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    Hummus might be a good option. I used to send my daughter to school with hummus rolled in a tortilla as a sandwich substitute when she went vegetarian
  • JurassicKitten
    JurassicKitten Posts: 24 Member
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    Quinoa is a great vegetarian source of protein! Quinoa salads can be quick and easy to make and eat :)
  • jessichri
    jessichri Posts: 81 Member
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    I love a good avocado/tomato/feta sandwich. :)

    There are alot of soy based meat replacements out there (lightlife/morningstar/tofurkey etc) but if you are looking to avoid processed foods you might want to buy those sparingly.

    PB&J (I firmly believe adults under appreciate these delicious sandwiches)
    Brown rice dishes
    Egg salad w/avocado instead of mayo (assuming you are just doing lacto/ovo not vegan)
    Oatmeal
    Quinoa
    Nuts

    All these are high in protein and with things like quinoa and brown rice the recipes are endless.
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'm seriously writing this all down so I can be all, " Will you eat this? Will you eat this?"

    I didn't even think of egg salad!!
  • california_peach
    california_peach Posts: 1,858 Member
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    My husband has been a vegetarian for over 20 years. He eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
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    PB&J (I firmly believe adults under appreciate these delicious sandwiches)

    Whenever we get subs I get a PB&J one - totally life making!
  • lobo_a_gogo
    lobo_a_gogo Posts: 265 Member
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    Tofurkey is delicious, but its not terribly cheap. Vegetarian refried beans (homemade wrap) is good too.


    Side dish= low fat/ fat free cottage cheese with stevia & berries. 30g protein/cup!
  • jessichri
    jessichri Posts: 81 Member
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    Smart man.

    ***apparently I dont know how to quote people properly...I was replying to the girl whos husband has been a vegetarian for 20 yrs. lol
  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
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    Peanut butter (in moderation), cheese, egg, avocado, there are lots of options! Personally, I eat porridge for lunch. Random I know but it is sooooo filling! and perfect for a meal mid day even though it is perceived as a breakfast meal. I have a protein shake for breakfast so its not like I am eating porridge for both meals.

    Lentils and kidney beans are great options too so why not make up a burrito type wrap with salad, salsa and lentils and/or kidney beans?
  • suzannemsawyer
    suzannemsawyer Posts: 3 Member
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    I, also, have been a vegetarian for 20 plus years. My daughter doesn't like meat, either. The two of us are always on the go. Good protein sources that travel well and can be eaten in very short break periods: part-skim string cheese, babybels, 1 oz of nuts, a hard-boiled egg, roasted soybeans, soybean crisps, kefir smoothies. Greek yogurt is good, but you have to sit down for that. I go over my protein goal everyday without thinking about it. It's easy to get enough protein from non-meat sources if you know where to look. Also, you don't have to go out of your comfort zone if you are not an adventurous eater.
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'm seriously writing this all down so I can be all, " Will you eat this? Will you eat this?"

    I didn't even think of egg salad!!
    im not a vegetarian and i loooooove egg salad, but we have chickens so we eat a ton of eggs! nutella is yummy too!
  • JackiLean
    JackiLean Posts: 62 Member
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    Quinoa is a great vegetarian source of protein! Quinoa salads can be quick and easy to make and eat :)

    Agreed!

    Quinoa is one of our vegetarian staples. Fiance and I switch on and off in vegetarian preferences every month or so.

    My fiance's favorite: Morning Star Chikn Nuggets. If he has a microwave around, he will annihilate these. Guaranteed. They taste just like chicken nuggets.
  • violet976
    violet976 Posts: 310 Member
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    you can make killer sandwich filling or salad filling with cooked chickpeas. Just mash them slightly, add celery, kale, carrots, cabbage, olives, dressing or flavored oils & spices. I think of it as my replacement "egg" salad sandwich and I love that it turns out differently every time. I'll make sandwiches out of it and add tomatoes, lettuce and onions.

    for protein/meat replacements, you can try tofu, tempeh (my fave), seitan, etc. Those go great on sandwiches, in rice or pasta, etc.

    If you make large stews or soups you'll have enough for lunch leftovers. Same with rice & pasta. You can make larger batches and then mix them up with different sauces/dressings/veggies during the week so each meal is different, but easy to throw together.

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