Quick Healthy Vegetarian Options

momtomalia
momtomalia Posts: 6
edited September 21 in Recipes
I am always looking for healthy vegetarian options for a quick meal that is not too high in calories. Does anyone have any ideas? I am a vegetarian and always struggle with being a healthy vegetarian that doesn't overeat on the carbs.

Replies

  • merimeaux
    merimeaux Posts: 304 Member
    You might check out www.eatingwell.com. They have a ton of tasty, healthy stuff that isn't extremely complicated. :)
  • megaloox
    megaloox Posts: 31
    Cooking beans and rice together is really tasty and provides a good amount of protein. Also, my boyfriend and I just tried a new recipe last night:
    Make a marinade of olive oil, red wine vinaigrette, marsala wine, rosemary, crushed shallots, garlic, pepper, thyme and basil. Marinate cubes or slices of butternut squash and delicata squash in the mixture and then grill them over a fire or bake them in the oven. Delicious!
    There are a lot of other good vegetarian items out there that will provide you with optimal nutrition and minimal calories. Try buying a lot of fresh greens (raw spinach is a must), whole grain pastas, lentils, low fat dairy or soy products, faux meat (like morning star brand foods) and most asian/indian foods. Good luck!
  • JillTwiss
    JillTwiss Posts: 139 Member
    I know what you mean. I'm going to check out that website posted above.
    When I compare my stats with my meat-eating friends, I am always over on my carbs but under on fat, and they are usually close to or over on fat and way low on carbs.
  • kiekokay
    kiekokay Posts: 101 Member
    Hi
    I am also a vegetarian and yeah, staying away from the carbs (aka: pasta!) is difficult :(
    Do you eat any of the "fake meat" products though? I have found that they tend to have pretty low calories and high protein/fiber so they are healthy and substantial. I personally like quorn products best, but tofurkey has a good line of lunch meat. They also have some jerky and pepperoni products that make good snacks.
    Finally, for something sweet I eat cottage cheese with fruit, honey (or Truvia), and a dash of cinnamon. It makes for a great sweet treat that is around 120 calories! (That is if you eat dairy I guess...)
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    here is a thread i posted about that a few months ago. hope it gives you some new ideas.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/115505-104-vegetarian-meals?hl=104+vegetarian
  • JillTwiss
    JillTwiss Posts: 139 Member
    Hi
    I am also a vegetarian and yeah, staying away from the carbs (aka: pasta!) is difficult :(
    Do you eat any of the "fake meat" products though? I have found that they tend to have pretty low calories and high protein/fiber so they are healthy and substantial. I personally like quorn products best, but tofurkey has a good line of lunch meat. They also have some jerky and pepperoni products that make good snacks.
    Finally, for something sweet I eat cottage cheese with fruit, honey (or Truvia), and a dash of cinnamon. It makes for a great sweet treat that is around 120 calories! (That is if you eat dairy I guess...)
    I've found the fake "meat" products to be really high in sodium. I LOVE Morningstar bacon, but holy crap that's a lot of sodium!
    I like Quorn too. I haven't looked at the nutritional facts. There's only one store that carries a couple of their products around here.
  • LaSirena29
    LaSirena29 Posts: 84
    I really like the 0% fat Greek yogurt. I buy the 17oz containers, because they are so much cheaper than the singe serving ones. I keep frozen mixed berries in my freezer. In the morning I'll scoop out 1/2-3/4 cup of yogurt, top it with about 1/2 cup of the berries. I take that for my afternoon snacks. By the time I'm ready to eat it, the berries have thawed and their juices really flavor the yogurt. I rarely add any sweetener to it, but when I want something really sweet, I'll add a bit of agave or maple syrup.

    My other favorite is a 100 calorie bag of popcorn. I add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for both the flavor and to make it a bit healthier.

    If you're really concerned about your carb intake, are you also tracking your fiber intake? I know my carb intake is higher than a lot of people, but so is my fiber. That sort of helps balance it out.
  • Hotbottom
    Hotbottom Posts: 168 Member
    I love crispy Tofu.
    Slices of tofu doped in mixture of: nutritious yeast, pepper, little salt, flour( I use chickpea or buckwheat) fry on hot griddle.
    Serve with huge salad with dressing: equal olive oil and cider vinegar, and some mustard & splash of agave
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Hey! I just saw this on eatingwell.com - Love their site and love to eat vegetarian! Haven't looked too closely at it yet, but there could be lots of gems in here.

    http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_meal_plans/vegetarian_meal_plan?pC=1200&pT=vegetarian&pD=1
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
    My husband and I were doing a very low meat diet for about a year. We made this wrap almost everyday for lunch. It's so delicious and the artichoke hearts and hearts of palm have a great texture. Let me know if you try it and what you think

    1 Flat Out wrap (try to find these, they're whole grain, low carb and packed with fiber. AND delicious!)
    1/4 c. hummus (whatever flavor is your favorite)
    1/4 c. shredded carrots
    1/2 c. fresh spinach
    1/4 c. either chopped artichoke hearts or hearts of palm (i use a little of each)
    a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce (sirachi is our favorite)

    Spread hummus all over wrap, leave a little border so it'll roll up cleanly
    sprinkle with all remaining ingredients, roll up and enjoy

    It's so delicious and so versatile. You can fill it with any veggies you have on hand.
  • elainegsd
    elainegsd Posts: 459 Member
    I made Saag Paneer from "Low Fat High Flavor Vegetarian Cooking" for dinner last night, and it was really easy (even making the paneer). Some of the food in this cookbook has more calories per gram of protein than my target, but the book has great ideas with all the nutritional info for each recipe.
  • brityn
    brityn Posts: 443 Member
    I forgot I also use 1/4 c. black beans in the wrap
  • gingermoon
    gingermoon Posts: 239 Member
    One of my favorite vegan and vegetarian recipe sites is Happy Cow, compassionate eating guide.

    http://www.happycow.net/vegetarian-recipes.html
  • 20carrots
    20carrots Posts: 279 Member
    I am constantly falling short of my protein goals, especially on days I run. Yesterday I made a pasta salad with whole wheat pasta, some veggies, avocado and feta cheese. I made a HUGE portion and divided it into 5 servings. It came out approx 350 cals with 13 grams protein. Better than what I've been getting-and if I had included some beans I prob could have gotten the protein up even higher.
  • Dreamgirl97
    Dreamgirl97 Posts: 106 Member
    Thanks for sharing the eatingwell.com website! I love it!
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